\ Fleet sail,— Firefly dismasted in a gale,— Return to New York,— Receive a warrant as carpenter in the navy,— Refit,— Sail again, — Cruelty of a lieutenant, — Fall in with a strange sail in the night,— Passionate behavior of the captain, — Remarks, — Enter the Straits of Gibraltar, — Pass the Rock,— Arrive at Carthagena, Receive intelligence of the capture of an Algerine frigate by our squadron— Fleet appears off Algiers, Treaty,— Consul established,— American captives delivered up, — Put on board the Epervier, and sail for home,— Their extreme joy at their deliverance,— They all perish at sea,— Fleet arrive at Carthagena,— Firefly ordered to Gibraltar,— Sickness of the crew,— Cause— I have orders to obtain a spar from the clock-yard,— Meet a great personage, who gets cooled down,— Politeness of Mr.
Sprague,— Explore the rock,— Remarks,— Arrival of the fleet,— Officers shifted,—! am ordered to the Ontario,— Ships,— Sail for home,— Sail for Tangier,— Return to Gibraltar,— Fleet sails for Port Mahon,— Receive intelligence that the Dey had broken the treaty,— Proceed to Algiers,— Make preparations to burn their fleet,— Betrayed by a Frenchman,— Apology by the Dey, — Treaty resumed,— Cowardly management of the Dutch, — Return to Port Mahon,— Obtain permission to refit our ships at the arsenal,— Assist in fitting out the Ferdinand,— Miserable condition of the Spanish Navy, and of naval officers,— Small pox breaks out on board the Ontario,— Filthy marines,— Lord Exmouth's Fleet,— Sad from Port Mahon, -Wreck of the Ferdinand in a severe levanter, — We arrive at Tarragona,— Vows of a Catholic lady passenger _ during the gale,— Its performance,— Arrive at Carthagena,— Examine the dock-yard,— Receive intelligence of the fate of seventy American seamen that were on board the Ferdinand,— They were carried to Algiers, —Sail from Carthagena to Algiers,— Account of the wreck of the Ferdinand,— American seamen taken off by the Erie.
While the Firefly was fitting at the Navy Yard, I had • provided a large quantity of mast-fishes* and shot-plugs, and * Mast-fishes are long pieces of oak, hollowed and fitted in such a manner that if a mast or spar of any kind is broken or injured, by a shot from an enemy's gun, the fish is bound with lashings round the injured spar, so that it may be strong enough to bear the sail. A fish is to a mast what a splint is to a broken limb. one of our " built/ " lieutenants, of whom I shall again have occasion to speak and to bring before the reader, whenever he had the morning watch, and while the decks w^p washing, would give a very emphatic order to " wash v. round that — lumber," and would begin to curse because the deck was lumbered up with so much " useless trash." This was always intended for me to hear, as I had been blamed from the time it first came on board; but wait a little while and see what became of this useless lumber.
The Firefly was commanded by George Eodgers, Esq., brother of Commodore Eodgers. He was an excellent man, and subsequently showed his friendship for me. Our first lieutenant was David Geisinger, now one of our oldest commodores. Also an excellent man, and for whom I shall alwavs have the highest esteem. On the 10th of May, 1815, as I have already stated, the fleet got under way and stood to sea in regular order, with a fine westerly breeze, which continued until we reached the gulf, when we took a heavy S.E. gale, which commenced at about 10 P. M., and the next morning, about 2 o'clock, we were on the Eastern Edge, ha vino; run during the night and up to that time under close-'reefed top-sails, and now it commenced blowing a perfect hurricane.
The brig, when in smooth water, was very low, her gundeck being only about eighteen inches from the water's edge, our armament consisted of twelve IS lb. cannonades, and two long eighteens amidships, and two long eighteens on pivots. She was also very heavily sparred, and, being built for a privateer, was not very strong. She was, however, a fast sailer and a good vessel. The sea ran very high; the hurricane raged with unabated fury, attended with heavy thunder and lightning, and torrents of rain. The brig labored very much, and was continually under water. At daylight I had gone below to shift my wet clothing, and had hardly got to my room when the boatswain's mate came running down, to tell me that the foremast was sprung.