appropriations of Congress." Fortunately, Preble could borrow, without condition and without violation of law. But after the loss of the Philadelphia, he determined to supply himself with gun and mortar boats, and mortars, in the best way possible, and early in January desired Mr. Cathcart to advise him "where, when, and on what terms they could be procured." Subsequently, he opened a correspondence with our navy agents at Leghorn, and with friends at Messina and Palermo, on the same subject. Finding, at length, that the King of Naples would lend him all he desired, he relinquished his unlawful design of hiring or buying, and, failing in both, of building. When he informed the Secretary, in March, of the result of his inquiries, he very carefully spoke of "obtaining gun and mortar boats from Naples on loan." The application to General Acton, his Sicilian Majesty's Minister of State, made at Naples by Preble in person for eight gunboats and two bomb-vessels, terminated in that functionary's placing at his disposal, "under the title of a friendly loan," six of the former and the two latter with the necessary tackle and ammunition. And he also "borrowed" of that friendly power six long twenty-four pounders, which he mounted on the upper deck of his own ship. When the boats and bomb-vessels were obtained, they needed extensive repairs and much fitting to serve the purposes of the borrower, and his operations were delayed for weeks in consequence. They were but miserable craft at best, and required while in service, said the Commodore, "much nursing." The bomb-vessels were about thirty tons' burden, and carried a thirteen inch brass sea mortar and forty men each; while the gunboats were even smaller, had a smaller complement of men, and were armed with a long twenty-four pounder in the bow. The latter were constructed for the defence of harbors. In bad weather they were useless. As every ship of the squadron was considerably short of her complement of men, the Commodore was compelled to man them partially with Neapolitans; and, by permission of their government, twelve bombardiers, gunners, and sailors were attached to each. Every thing was finally in order, every preparation complete; and the chief announced his "determination to beat the Bashaw into better humor;" and he playfully added, "I have seven hundred bombshells and plenty of shot to amuse him with." Leaving an order for the long expected reinforcement from the United States to join him immediately after reaching Syra cuse, he assembled his whole force off Tripoli. It should be remembered, that the cannon of the Constitution were the only ones in the fleet, that he could hope would make any impression upon the walls and fortresses of the enemy. CHAPTER V. The Squadron in Force off Tripoli. Driven off by a Gale. First Attack. Second Attack. -Preble's Plans interrupted. Squadron again driven off by a Gale. Three other Attacks. - The Intrepid sent in as a Fireship. — Explodes. - Preparations for a sixth Attack. Barron arrives and takes the Command. THE Bashaw boasted that he was perfectly secure, and could defy the utmost exertions of his foe. Bainbridge appears to have doubted whether an attack upon Tripoli by sea would result favorably, and in more than one letter expressed his conviction, that it was only vulnerable to the United States in one way; and that was, as he wrote to Preble, "by eight or ten thousand men landing near the This measure, or money, is the alter town. native." And with regard to a blockade, he gave the opinion, that "it had and ever would be found a wrong system to pursue with this regency; it is only hazarding a great risk, as I have fatally experienced, without the least effect," except the interest of a few Jewish merchants and others, whom the Bashaw totally disregarded. From these views the Commodore dissented. The defences were, in truth, appallingly formidable. The city was well walled, and protected by batteries judiciously constructed, and mounting one hundred and fifteen pieces of heavy cannon; and a force of twenty-five thousand Arabs and Turks was at hand to man them, and otherwise act against an assailing enemy. The harbor was guarded by nineteen gunboats, two galleys, two schooners of eight guns each, and a brig of ten guns. These formed a strong line of defence at secure moorings, inside of a long range of rocks and shoals, extending more than two miles to the eastward of the town, where they were shielded from the north gales, and where the water was too shallow for a frigate to venture. Each of the gunboats mounted either a heavy eighteen or twenty-six pounder in the bow, and two brass howitzers on the quarters, and carried from thirty-six to fifty men. The com plement of the galleys, schooners, and brig, was about one hundred men each. The batteries were twelve in number. One was known in the squadron as "Fort American," from the fact of its having been built by the crew of the Philadelphia, then prisoners; and another was called the "Vixen Battery," from the circumstance of having fired the first shot at the vessel of that name. The efficiency of these several means of defence against an enemy attacking in ships was now to be tried. The Constitution, Nautilus, Enterprise, the six gunboats, and the two bombvessels, sailed from Syracuse on the 14th of July, and put into Malta two days after. They were detained by contrary gales until the 21st, and, arriving in sight of Tripoli on the 25th, were joined by the Siren, Argus, Vixen, and Scourge. The force thus assembled consisted of the flagship, three brigs, three schooners, and the eight small vessels borrowed of the King of Naples, and ten hundred and sixty men. Arrangements were made for an immediate action; but the weather was not favorable for anchoring until the 28th, when the whole squadron stood in for the coast, and at three o'clock in the afternoon anchored, by signal, two and a half miles from the city. At this instant the wind suddenly changed, and blew |