When I went on deck shortly afterwards, I was surprised beyond measure
to perceive the injury the little vessel had sustained, and the uncommon
speed, handiness, and skill, with which it had been repaired. However
lazily the command might appear to have been given, the execution of it
was quick as lightning. The crew, now reduced to ten working hands,
had, with an almost miraculous promptitude, knotted and spliced the
rigging, mended and shifted sails, fished the sprung and wounded spars,
and plugged and nailed lead over the shot--holes, and all within half an
hour.
I don't like Americans; I never did, and never shall like them; I have
seldom met with an American gentleman, in the large and complete sense
of the terms. I have no wish to eat with them, drink with them, deal
with, or consort with them in any way; but let me tell the whole truth,
nor fight with them, were it not for the laurels to be acquired, by
overcoming an enemy so brave, determined, and alert, and every way so
worthy of one's steel, as they have always proved. One used to fight
with a Frenchman, as a matter of course, and for the fun of the thing as
it were, never dreaming of the possibility of Johnny Crapeau beating us,
where there was any thing approaching to an equality of force; but, say
as much as we please about larger ships and more men, and a variety of
excuses which proud John Bull, with some truth very often I will admit,
has pertinaciously thrust forward to palliate his losses during the
short war, a regard for truth and fair dealing, which I hope are no
scarce qualities amongst British seamen, compels me to admit, that
although I would of course peril my life and credit more readily with an
English crew, yet I believe a feather would turn the scale between the
two countries, so far as courage and seamanship goes; and let it not be
forgotten, although we have now regained our superiority in this
respect, yet, in gunnery and smallarm practice, we were as thoroughly
weathered on by the Americans during the war, as we overtopped them in
the bulldog courage with which our boarders handled those genuine
English weapons, the cutlass and the pike.
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