ment to the crew, and greatly increased their efficiency and skill in the maneuvers of the ship. James Biddle was the second, William Burrows the third, G. C. Read the fourth, A. S. Wadsworth the fifth, and C. W. Morgan the junior lieutenant. In May, 1810, Captain Bainbridge left the ship in the Delaware, under a furlough, to attend to his private affairs, and she proceeded under my charge to Hampton roads. Lieutenant Biddle left for the Syren, and Lieutenant Burrows on a furlough. Captain Hull had been selected to succeed Commodore Bainbridge, but Commodore Rodgers, his senior, having expressed a desire to exchange to the President from the Constitution, it was authorized, and on the arrival of the latter ship in the roads a complete exchange of the officers and crew was made, and Captain Hull took command of the Constitution. The remaining part of the summer and the autumn were passed in the Constitution in cruising on the coast and in the Delaware river and Boston harbor. The winter of 1810-11 was passed with the President and Congress in the harbor of New London. Captain Hull was absent a considerable part of the time, which devolved some additional duties upon me, but 'as we had but little other employment than the usual gun exercises, I found time to make a tolerable survey and chart of the harbor with the imperfect instruments at my command. After a short cruise on the eastern part of the coast and a visit to Boston, the ship proceeded to Chesapeake bay, in May 1811, and anchored off Annapolis, ready to receive on board Mr. Barlow and convey him as our envoy and minister to France.* August arrived before we were joined by Mr. Barlow and his family, composed of Mrs. Barlow and her sister, Mrs. Baldwin. A pleasant passage enabled us to land them at Cherbourg in September. The ship soon proceeded off the Texel, where we landed specie as payment of part of the public debt due in Holland. On our return a few days were passed in the Downs, where the British naval officers were civil. After another short detention at Cherbourg * Joel Barlow, the well-known author of the Columbiad and the Vision of Columbus. Barlow had served as a chaplain during the Revolution. From 1788 to 1805 he was in France and in England, occupied with various political and financial schemes, in the latter of which he made a large fortune. Part of the time he was Consul of the United States at Algiers and Tripoli. He was appointed Minister to France in 1811, and gained a reputation for considerable diplomatic ability. He died in December, 1812, in Poland, having been sent for by the Emperor, then on his Russian campaign. We the ship took Mr. Russell to England as Chargé d'affaires.* anchored at Spithead, where there were many British ships of war. Captain Hull accompanied Mr. Russell to London for a short visit. At this place no offers of civility were received from the British officers. Some circumstances occurred which at one time threatened serious difficulties, though none actually took place. Very late one night a boat came from an English frigate that was lying near us, whose officer, on being shown to me, in the absence of Captain Hull, presented the compliments of the captain of the Havannah, with the information that a deserter from our ship had just reached the ship under his command. Thanks were returned for the information and he was informed that the man would be sent for in the morning. When this was done his delivery was declined, without an order from the admiral. The second lieutenant was sent to the flag-ship for such an order, but was informed that the admiral was on shore. It seemed proper to make a personal demand, and for that purpose I waited on the admiral, Sir Roger Curtis. My request for the man was answered by the question whether we would surrender British deserters who should reach our ship; to which I could only say that Captain Hull would probably be willing to accede to any agreement that should be mutually advantageous. The admiral then observed that the man had claimed protection as a British subject, and, under these circumstances, he was bound to retain him; and without other evidence than the man's own assertion, as he said in reply to a question. I had therefore only to make a formal demand and take leave. Anxious to prevent further desertions, additional sentries were placed and every vigilance enforced. About midnight I was awakened by the discharge of the sentries' muskets, and the cries of a man in the water near the ship. He was soon picked up and brought on board. He had deserted from our neighbor, the Havannah, and, on being asked his country, answered, in the richest Irish brogue, "An American." This was sufficient. A boat was immediately sent to the Havannah to reciprocate the politeness of the preceding evening, and the next morning we had the satisfaction of assigning the same reason and the same testimony, for refusing a demand for his restitution from the captain and admiral. Captain Hull returned about noon the same day. The subject had become known * Jonathan Russell, Chargé d'affaires at Paris, was transferred to London on Barlow's arrival in Paris. He was subsequently Minister to Sweden, and one of the commissioners that negotiated the treaty of Ghent. on shore and was freely discussed, with threats of the use of force, if the deserter should not be otherwise restored by us. Signals were made and two frigates lying at some distance weighed and anchored very near us, in positions that, with three other vessels close by, rendered it very difficult for us to get under way without getting foul of them. As Captain Hull was obliged to return to the shore and intended to sail in the morning, he directed me to remove the ship on the turn of the tide to a position outside of the English ships. This was accomplished, though we were very near getting foul of the ships near us; but we had barely anchored before we were followed by the same two frigates. The captain and some American gentlemen, as passengers, came on board about sunset and preparations were made for getting under way. Supposing it very possible, if not probable, that force might be used against us, the crew were beat to quarters, the decks lighted up and the ship prepared for action, before the anchor was weighed, when the crew were again returned to their quarters, and we stood out of the roads without molestation or further threatening movements. The next morning we anchored in Cherbourg. I was sent to Paris, to await the despatches which were to be sent home in the ship by Mr. Barlow. This was about the middle of November. I remained in Paris about six weeks, during which the necessity of holding myself in readiness to leave at any hour confined me to the city itself; but that afforded ample scope for pleasant occupation for a much greater length of time. Paris at that period contained many of the masterpieces of art which had formerly been the pride of different nations, and which were soon to be restored by the same chances of war that had enabled Napoleon to collect them. The examination of these occupied many of the hours at my disposal. Mr. Barlow had many acquintances among the distinguished residents of the city, besides those who visited him in consequence of his official situation. Through his kindness his house was always open to me, and I met many persons there who were no less interesting from their personal character than from the distinguished position they had formerly held in society. It was there that I first met La Fayette, who frequently passed a quiet evening at the house, referring with Mr. and Mrs. Barlow to scenes and persons connected with our own revolution and that of France, which excited deep interest in those who had the good fortune to be present. Here also, among many others, were assembled the "Belle et Bonne" of Voltaire, Madame Villette, the Archbishop of Paris,† Grégoire,‡ Marbois, § and General Kosciusko, the soldier and advocate of liberty in both hemispheres. Kosciusko, like La Fayette, was then residing in the country near Paris, in great retirement, out of favor with the government, if not under surveillance, and entered very little into society, where there were few who sympathized with him in their feelings and opinions, or where any expression of them could be made without danger. At Mr. Barlow's they found safety and sympathy, and other inducements which frequently brought them to his domestic circle. My introduction to Kosciusko was unexpected, and his manner made a strong impression on me. Mrs. Barlow and myself were sitting in the parlor on a dark, stormy day, when the servant announced a person whose name was not distinctly heard. He was followed into the room by a small man, in an old brown overcoat, who immediately rushed to Mrs. Barlow and gave her an embrace which was cordially returned. Both seemed to be greatly excited, and for some time I stood an unnoticed spectator. At last Mrs. Barlow presented me to the general, as an American officer, which gained me also an embrace, and the expression of his gratification at having once more met with one. Then laying both hands upon my head, he invoked the blessing of the Almighty upon me, with great fervor and solemnity, to my no small astonishment and confusion. Although I had seen Napoleon tolerably near when he occasionally * Reine Philibert de Varicourt, Marquise de Villette, born 1757, died at Paris in 1822. She was the adopted daughter of Mme. Denis, and lived at Ferney, in Voltaire's household, until her marriage in 1777 to Charles, Marquis de Villette. Her husband was an active member of the Girondin party, and only his ill health saved him from proscription. He died in 1793. Madame Villette passed more than a year in prison, and after her liberation devoted the rest of her life to works of benevolence. Jean Siffrein, Cardinal Maury, Archbishop of Paris, 1810-1815. Henri Grégoire, born 1750, was a clerical deputy in the States General of 1789, and took a leading part in the Revolution. He was violently opposed to the monarchy, but maintained throughout his adherence to the church. During the Empire, he exerted no great influence in public affairs, but he formed one of the small minority in the Senate opposed to the Emperor. He died in 1831. 8 Barbé-Marbois, the diplomatist and financier of the Empire, had served some time in America and had married there. In 1803 he conducted the negotiations in reference to the Louisiana cession. The reviewed troops in the Carrousel, my desire was great to see him more nearly still. This desire was at last gratified under very favorable circumstances. The Emperor and the imperial family received all the foreign diplomatic corps and the great officers of the Empire, on the 1st of January, 1812. The foreign ministers had the privilege of presenting their countrymen on this occasion, and with several other Americans I accompanied Mr. Barlow. The diplomatic corps and their countrymen assembled about 11 A. M., in a large hall on the lower floor of the palace of the Tuileries, where coffee and other slight refreshments were served. About noon they were notified to proceed to the hall of the throne. Ascending the grand staircase between the line of the guards, every step having one at each end, we were conducted through a hall in which the city authorities were assembled, another containing the general officers of the Army and Navy and civil officers of corresponding ranks, and a third containing the Marshals and other superior dignitaries of the Empire and high officers of the household; this opened to the hall of the throne. throne was at the farthest extremity. The Emperor stood near it, and at a short distance his grand chamberlain and one or two others. Our procession entered slowly and ranged itself rather on one side of the hall, the ambassador entitled to precedence near the head of the hall, and the others in succession, each having his suite near him, and a small space between each suite to keep them distinct. A few minutes after the arrangement was completed, the Emperor advanced to the ambassador highest in rank, Prince Schwartzenberg from Austria, and addressed a few remarks to him, after which the strangers of that embassy were presented. The same course was pursued with each separate legation, and occupied from three to five minutes with each. When the Emperor had thus received all, he returned slowly along the line, returning the salutations of the different legations as he passed, but without conversing with any excepting with the Americans. When opposite to Mr. Barlow, he observed, "I perceive the English government has returned the seamen formerly taken from one of your ships of war," (news of which had been received a few days before); to which Mr. Barlow replied, "Yes, Sire, and in a manner honorable to our country." With a peculiar smile and a slight toss of the head, he rejoined, "So long as you do not injure the commerce or the revenue of England, you may do whatever besides that you may choose with her," and passed on. Having resumed his station near the throne, he bowed low to the assemblage, upon which they |