ACTION Between the Constitution and the Cyane and Levant. The British ships of war the Levant and Cyane, proceeding in company from Gibraltar to the Azores, fall in, between the Strait's mouth and Madeira, with the Constitution, and seek an action with her; which terminates in the surrender of both. Old Ironsides, (as the Constitution is called by the American tars,) was this time commanded by Captain Stewart; a man whose ancestors breathed the keen air of Benlomond, and emigrated to America from the muirs and the mountains. Captain Stewart's Minutes of the Action. February 20, 1815. As the Constitution was standing for Cape St. Vincent, to get in the track of the Gibraltar convoy, at 1 in the afternoon, we discovered a sail two points on the larboard bow; hauled up in chase. At a quarter past 1 made out the sail to be a ship. At threequarters past 1, discovered another sail a-head; made them out, at 2 P. M. to be both ships, standing closehauled, with their starboard-tacks on-board. At 4 P. M. the weathermost ship made signals, and bore up for her consort, then about 10 miles to leeward; we bore up after her, and set lower, top-mast, top-gallant, and royal studding-sails in chase. At half-past 4, carried away our main-royal-mast, took in the sail, and got another prepared. At 5 P. M. commenced firing on the chase from our two larboard bow-guns; our shot falling short, ceased firing. At half-past 5, finding it impossible to prevent their junction, cleared ship for action, then about 4 miles from the two ships. At 40 minutes past 5, they passed within hail of each other, braced by the wind on the starboard-tack, hauled up their courses, and prepared to receive us. At 45 minutes past 5, they made all sail, close hauled by the wind, in hopes of getting to windward of us. At 55 minutes past 5, finding them. selves disappointed in their object, and that we were closing with them fast, they shortened sail, and formed on a line of wind, about half a cable's length from each other. At 6 P. M. having them under command of our battery, hoisted our colours, which was answered by both ships hoisting English ensigns. At 5 minutes past 6, ranged up, on the starboard side of the sternmost ship, about 300 yards distant, and commenced the action by broadsides, both ships returning our fire with great spirit for about 15 minutes; then the fire of the enemy began to slacken, and the great column of smoke collected under our lee, induced us to suspend our fire, to ascertain their positions and conditions. In about three minutes the smoke having cleared away, we found ourselves a-breast of the headmost ship, the sternmost ship luffing up for our larboard-quarter; we poured a broadside into the headmost ship, and then braced a-back our main and mizen-top-sails, and backed a-stern, under cover of the smoke a-breast the sternmost ship, when the action was continued with spirit, and considerable effect, until 35 minutes past 6, when the enemy's fire again slackened, and we discovered the headmost ship bearing up; filled our top-sails, shot a-head, and gave her two stern rakes. We then discovered the sternmost ship wearing also; wore ship immediately after, and gave her a stern rake, she luffing-to on our starboard bow, and giving us her larboard broadside; we ranged up on her larboard-quarter, within hail, and was about to give her our starboard broadside, when she struck her colours, fired a gun, and yielded. At 50 minutes past 6, took possession of H. M. S. Cyane, Captain Gordon Falcon, mounting 34 guns. At eight P. M. filled away after her consort, which was still in sight to leeward. At halfpast 8, found her standing towards us on the starboard tack close hauled, with top-gallant sails set and colours flying. At 50 minutes past 8, ranged close alongside to windward of her, on opposite tacks, and exchanged broadsides; wore immediately under her stern, and raked her with a broadside; she then crowded all sail, and endeavoured to escape by running; hauled on board our tacks, set spanker and flying-jib in chase. At halfpast 9, commenced firing on her from our starboard bow chaser; gave her several shot, which cut her spars and rigging considerably. At 10 P. M. finding it impracticable to escape, she fired a gun, struck her colours, and yielded. We immediately took possession of H. M. ship Levant, the Hon. Capt. George Douglas, mounting 21 guns, At 1 A. M. the damages of our rigging were repaired, sails shifted, and the ship in fighting condition. ESCAPE OF THE CONSTITUTION OUT OF PORT PRAYA, FROM A BRITISH SQUADRON. Qualis spelunca subito commota columba, LIB. V. V. 213. As when the dove her rocky hold forsakes, DRYDEN. The harbour of Port Praya, in the island of Saint Jago, the chief of the Cape de Verds, possesses good anIt is somewhat more chorage, and is of easy access. than a mile and a quarter wide at the entrance, and runs back a mile; gradually narrowing at its head to half a mile. The entrance to the harbour is commanded by a fort placed on the summit of a hill-of which more hereafter. The town is situated on a table plain at the top of a rock, whose side is perpendicular to the beach; the houses are built of stone, one story high, and thatched with the leaves of the cocoa-nut tree, which clothes the valley, and skirts the precipice. Porto Praya is the residence of the governor-general of the Portuguese settlements, both in the Cape de Verd islands, and at Cape Verde on the opposite coast of Africa While the Constitution was lying at an anchor in the bay with her prizes, the Cyane and Levant, about noon on the 8th of March, 1815, three large ships were descried standing in through a thick fog, under a crowd of sail: the headmost was the Leander of 50 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Sir George Collier; the next to her was the Newcastle, of 50 guns, Lord G. Stewart, and the sternmost was the Acasta, of 38 guns, Captain Kerr. Captain Stewart, on beholding them, felt an involuntary emotion to guard himself against mischief; he snuffed an enemy in the offing, and smelt a rat on the shore. It is not in nature for a Portuguese to get to windward of an American; but particularly of a Scotch American, who, in nicety of tact surpasses the keenest of his progenitors. With a quick sense of the hollowness of neutrality, and the knavery of his Excellency, Don Raphael, the Governor, Captain Stewart lost not a moment to cut and run; and such was his promptitude, that the Constitution was under weigh, close hauled upon a wind, in four minutes from the time the English squadron hove in sight. The perfidy of the governor now became actual and palpable. He not only gave orders for the batteries to be opened on the Constitution, but was seen on the ramparts gesticu lating to the gunners, and pointing to the frigate's masts. The crew leaning over the bulwark, or on the port-cells, looked on with indifference; when a shot passed over old Ironsides it produced a smile, and when it fell short a |