ses and combustibles so applied as to fire them without endangering the retreat of the adventurers. On the evening of 4th September, Captain Somers chose two fast rowing boats from the squadron to bring off the people, after having fired the vessel. His own boat was manned by four seamen from the Nautilus, with Lieutenant Wadsworth, and six men from the Constitution. At eight, they parted from the squadron and stood into the harbour, convoyed by the Argus, Vixen and Nautilus, to within a short distance of the batteries. Having gained the inner harbour, and got near to the point of destination, she was boarded and carried by two gallies of one hundred men each. At this moment, she exploded. The effect was awful. Every battery was silenced and not a gun was fired afterwards during the night.— Captain Somers is said to have declared to a friend, that in case he should be boarded, he would not be captured. There is every reason to believe, that on the enemy proving successful, the Captain seized a quick match and touched a train, which communicated instant fire to the mine-by which he and his companions found, with the enemy, a common death.

Nothing occurred after this, till the two squadrons joined on the 9th of September. Here ended Mr. Preble's command, so honourable to himself, and in both its immediate and distant consequences important to his country.

All joined in the suffrage to the distinguished merits of the Commodore. His holiness the Pope, is said to have remarked that he had done more towards humbling the anti-christian barbarians on that coast, than all the christian states had ever done. Sir Alexander Ball, in a letter of September 20th, said "I beg to repeat my congratulation on the services you have rendered your country, and

the hair-breadth escapes you have had in setting a distinguished example. Their bravery and enterprise are worthy a great and rising nation.If I were to offer my opinion, it would be that you have done well not to purchase a peace with the enemy. A few brave men have, indeed, been sacrificed, but they could not have fallen in a better cause, and I even conceive it advisable to risk more lives rather than to submit to terms, which might encourage the Barbary states to add fresh demands and insults."

After the squadron joined, the Commodore obtained leave to return home, which he was the more willing to do, as it would give the command of a frigate to Captain Decatur. The officers joined in an address to their late Commander, containing the strongest expressions of attachment and respect. The Congress of the United States voted the thanks of the nation and an emblematical medal, which were presented by the President with emphatic declarations of esteem and admiration.

When the Commodore returned, he was received and treated every where with distinguished attention. His countrymen showed, that they were proud of his fame, and grateful for his services.From this time, he was much consulted and employed by the government in the management of their naval concerns-peace was the next year made with Tripoli, and the prisoners ransomedand our navy was not again ordered abroad.

In the latter part of the year 1806, the health of Mr. Preble began to decline. It was the same complaint, a debility of the digestive organs, under which he was near sinking a few years before. For many months, he struggled with his disorder, indulging a hope of recovering till within ten days of his death. Finding that the inveteracy of his

malady bid defiance to medical skill, he resolved on a water excursion as a last experiment. On Sunday the 9th of August, 1807, he went on board a packet and stood out to sea, but finding no relief, he returned on the Thursday following, sen. sible that the hour of his dissolution was approaching. In the view of this event he displayed that fortitude, which became his character, and his exit was in full correspondence with his life. He breathed his last on Tuesday the 25th of August, 1807, in the 46th year of his age. The inhabitants of Portland united in every mark of respect to his remains. On the day of his funeral, business was suspended, the colours were displayed at half mast from the shipping in the harbour, and he was interred with military honours and the ceremonies of religion and masonry.

On the intelligence of his death reaching Washington, the firing of minute guns and other marks of naval mourning were ordered in testimony of the honour due to the memory of a patriot and hero; and of the unfeigned sorrow produced by his death.

The person, air, and countenance of Commo. dore Preble answered to his character. His fea tures expressed strong passions along with manly and generous feelings. His attitude was erect, yet easy and natural, his step firm, and his whole appearance and port were noble and commanding. In the calm of domestic life and society of his equals he was placid and affectionate; in the exercise of authority perempertory and rigid. But though he made himself feared, and might be thought sometimes imperious and severe, yet he retained a strong interest in the affections of his officers and men, who were convinced of the goodness of his disposition and the sincerity of his friendship.

COMMODORE

THOMAS TRUXTUN.

THE father of Captain Truxtun was an eminent counsellor of the bar, in the then colony of NewYork, and resided on Long or Nassau Island, where the Commodore was born on the 17th of February, 1755. Having lost his father at an early age, he was placed under the care of John Troup, Esq. of Jamaica, Long Island, a gentleman well known in the annals of the war between France and England, preceding the American revolution. The sea was his favourite element. At twelve years of age, he first embarked in his naval career, under a Captain Joseph Holmes, in the ship Pitt, bound for Bristol, England. The next year, he sailed under a Captain Chambers, in the London trade. While yet in his novitiate he was impressed on board of an English ship of war of sixty-four guns, during the dispute with Spain, about the Falkland Islands, from which ship he was afterwards released, through the influence of some friends in power. The Commander of his Britannic Majesty's ship, Prudent, from which he was discharged, used every persuasion to induce him to remain in the service of the crown, with the strongest assurances, that every exertion should be used for his speedy promotion, but without effect, as he immediately returned to the ship and service from which he had been impressed.

In the beginning of the revolutionary struggle he forthwith embarked in the cause of the colonies, against the unjust oppression of Great Britain, and early in 1775 had the command of an armed vessel, with which he cruised against the enemy with great success. In these cruises, the

United States were much benefitted by the quantities of powder, which were found on board his prizes, of which articles they were greatly in want. Towards the close of the same year, when on a voyage to St. Eustatia, a Dutch island in the West Indies, in a letter of marque, of which he was half owner, he was captured off the Island of St. Christopher's, his vesssel condemned, and himself released under the provisions of the general restraining act, of the British Parliament. From St. Christopher's, he went to St. Eustatia, and thence to Philadelphia. His next cruise was in the capacity of first Lieutenant of the private armed ship, Congress, which was just equipping for sea. During the early part of the winter, of 1776, this vessel, in company with another private armed vessel, called the Chance, fitted out, at the same time, made several prizes off the Havanna, which were very valuable home bound Jamaica ships, going through the Gulph of Florida. He, as prizemaster, brought one of them safe into the port of Bedford, Massachusetts. In June of the same year, while the harbor of New-York was blockaded by the British fleet, previous to its evacuation by the Americans, he made his way to sea, through the Long Island Sound, in a vessel called the Independence, fitted out by himself and Isaac Sears, Esq. and placed under his command. Off the Azores or Western Isles, he made several prizes, of which three were large and valuable ships, forming a part of the windward island fleet, under convoy. One of these prizes carried more guns and men than his vessel. The proud Englishmen, notwithstanding their vaunted natural prowess, were obliged to strike their colours to an inferior force. Truxtun next directed his course to the British channel, in the ship Mars, of twenty guns, where he made a number of prizes, several of