[5] Some time after the peace of 1815, a distinguished officer of the English navy visited the Constitution, then just fitted anew at Boston, for a Mediterranean cruise. He went through the ship accompanied by Capt. ——, of our service. “Well, what do you think of her?” asked the latter, after the two had gone through the vessel and reached the quarter-deck again. “She is _one_ of the finest, if not the very finest frigate I ever put my foot on board of,” returned the Englishman, “but, as I must find _some_ fault, I’ll just say that your wheel is one of the clumsiest things I ever saw, and is unworthy of the vessel.” Capt. —— laughed, and then explained the appearance of the wheel to the other, as follows: “When the Constitution took the Java, the former’s wheel was shot out of her. The Java’s wheel was fitted in the Constitution to steer with, and, although we think it as ugly as you do, we keep it as a trophy!” [6] On the part of the enemy, in the war of words which succeeded the war of 1612, it was pretended that the Constitution kept off in this engagement. Bainbridge, in his official letter, says he endeavored to close, at the risk of being raked; though the early loss of the Constitution’s wheel prevented her from manœuvring as quickly as she might otherwise have done. When a frigate’s wheel is gone, the tiller is managed by tackles, below two decks, and this makes awkward work; first, as to the transmission of orders, and next, and principally, as to the degree of change, the men who do the work not being able to see the sails. There are two modes of transmitting the orders; one by a tube fitted for that express purpose, and the other by a line of midshipmen. But the absurd part of the argument was an attempt to show that the Constitution captured the Java by her great superiority in small-arms-men; Kentucky riflemen, of course, of whom, by the way, there probably was never one in an American ship. This attempt was made, in connection with a battle in which the defeated party, too, had every spar, even to her bowsprit, shot out of her! All the witnesses on the subsequent court of inquiry appear to have been asked about this musketry, and the answer of the boatswain is amusing. _Question._ “Did you suffer much from musketry on the forecastle?” _Answer._ “Yes: and _likewise from round and grape_.” Another absurdity was an attempt to show (see James, Ap. p. 12) that the Java would have carried the Constitution had her men boarded. The Constitution’s upper deck was said to be deserted, as if her people had left it in apprehension of their enemies. Not a man left his station in the ship, that day, except under orders, and so far from caring about the attempt to board, the crew ridiculed it. The Java was very bravely fought, beyond a question, but the Constitution took her, and came out of action with royal yards across!