This contest, though a mere race, attended with {068}no fighting, no damage of any kind, and only a negative result, is famous in the annals of the ocean. It was a fine instance of that superior seamanship which stood the American sailor in good stead throughout the war, and contributed quite as much as his valor to the brilliant victories that rendered Great Britain no longer the mistress of the seas. Hull made sail for Boston, and after a short stay in that port sailed again on the 2d of August. He cruised along eastward as far as the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where he captured and burned two small prizes, and then stood southward. In the afternoon of the 19th a sail was descried from the masthead, and the _Constitution_ at once gave chase. Within an hour and a half she was near enough to the stranger to see that she was a frigate; and a little later she laid her maintopsail aback and waited for the _Constitution_, evidently anxious for a contest. Hull immediately put his vessel in complete trim for a fight, cleared for action, and beat to quarters. At five o'clock the English frigate, which proved to be the _Guerriere_, of thirty-eight guns, Captain Dacres, hoisted three ensigns and opened fire. The _Constitution_ approached cautiously, so as to avoid being raked, firing occasionally, but reserving most of her guns for close action. After an hour of this, the _Guerriere_ indicated her {069}readiness for a square fight, yard-arm to yard-arm, and the _Constitution_ set her sails to draw alongside. The fire from both ships became gradually heavier, and in ten minutes the mizzen-mast of the _Guerriere_ was shot away. The _Constitution_ then passed slowly ahead, keeping up a constant fire, her guns being double shotted with grape and round shot, and attempted to get a position across the bows of the enemy and rake her. But in trying to avoid being herself raked while gaining this position, she luffed short, and fell foul of her enemy. At this moment the cabin of the _Constitution_ took fire from the flash of the _Guerriere's_ guns, and for a while it looked as if she would fare hardly. But by the energy and skill of Lieutenant B. V. Hoffman, who commanded in the cabin, the fire was extinguished, confusion prevented, and a gun of the _Guerriere_ that might have repeated the mischief disabled.