esteeming as I do his private character, I wish to make him the happy instrument of alleviating the horrors of hopeless captivity, when the brave are overpowered and made prisoners of war. . . . It was my intention to have taken him on board the Ranger,' and to have detained him until, through his means, a general and fair exchange of prisoners, as well in Europe as in America, had been effected.”

In this vein of politeness the letter continues— telling the fair countess that he would undertake to redeem the family plate, captured against his wishes. It was fortunate for Lord Selkirk that he was absent from home. Otherwise he would have been "detained," as the chevalier expresses it, as a hostage for fair treatment.

Lord Selkirk wrote a letter in reply to that addressed to his countess, intimating that he would accept the return of the plate if made by order of Congress, but not if redeemed by individual generosity. The letter was delayed some months in the general post-office in London, and it was not until the beginning of 1780 that Jones was enabled to get the plate from the prize agents into whose hands it had fallen. It was at last returned in the same condition in which it had been removed, after no end of difficulty and trouble on the part of Jones.

The hostile attitude of England and France at this time, and the sympathy of the nation of Lafayette for America, rendered the news of John Paul's expedi tion "gratifying and inspiring to the French Court." Praises were heaped upon him, and promises were plentiful.

After this the Chevalier Paul remained at Brest for

many months of inglorious inactivity, waiting for a ship to be got ready for him, concerning which there was an unaccountable delay. A great deal of diplomatic correspondence supplemented the impatient waiting, until at last he was tendered the command of a squadron with carte-blanche orders, and the limitless field of the high seas for his theatre of action. The armament consisted of the "Bon Homme Richard," the "Alliance," the "Pallas," the brig "Vengeance," and the "Cerf," a fine cutter. The "Bon Homme Richard," commanded by the chevalier himself, mounted only one hundred and forty guns, but it was destined soon after to win deathless laurels as the successful participant in one of the most famous naval battles then on record. The prowess of iron-clad "Merrimacs" and turreted "Monitors" had not yet claimed the attention of the world.

The engagement between the "Bon Homme Richard" and the British ship of war "Serapis," took place on the evening of September twenty-third, 1779. The desperate conflict was witnessed by thousands of spectators along the English coast off Flamborough Head, near Scarboro, and the light of a beautiful harvest moon shed its peaceful radiance across the waters in striking contrast to the bloody scene going on below. At about noon of that historic day, Captain Jones discovered a fleet of forty-one sail rounding Flamborough Head, and immediately hoisted the signal for a general chase. The fleet was protected by two ships of war, the "Serapis" and the "Countess of Scarborough."

When the merchant vessels discovered the squadron of Captain Jones bearing down upon them they

FIGHT BETWEEN THE "SERAPIS" AND "BON HOMME RICHARD,"

"crowded sail towards shore" and thus escaped. The Chevalier Jones was unable to come up with the fleet until seven o'clock in the evening, and when be had approached to within pistol-shot of the "Serapis," Captain Pearson, commanding, demanded :

"What ship is that?"

He was answered with, "I can't hear what you say."

The "Serapis " asked again, “What ship is that? Answer immediately or I shall be under the necessity of firing into you."

The answer was a broadside.

Thus the famous battle began, and for between three and four hours it raged with uninterrupted fury. The two ships closed like men in mortal combat, their death-dealing guns touching each other's sides, and their rigging becoming entangled.

As the jib-boom of the "Serapis" ran into the mizzen-rigging of the "Bon Homme Richard" they were made fast by Captain Jones, with a hawser, which afterwards prevented an attempt of the "Serapis" to escape. The batteries of the "Bon Homme Richard" became disabled, until only two nine-pounders were left which could be used, but her brave commander never thought of surrender.

With the gallant craft cut entirely to pieces between decks from the foremast to the stern, with the rudder gone, with five feet of water in her hold and her rigging on fire in several places, she still fought valiantly on, in the face of terrible odds, until the captain of the "Serapis " with his own hand struck the flag of England to the free Stars and Stripes of young America.