On October 13, 1812, the _Wasp_ sailed from Philadelphia, bound eastward to lie in wait in the track of British merchantmen in the voyages from the West Indies. She had on board one hundred and thirty-seven men, including marines, but two of her sailors were lost overboard in a gale of wind on the 15th. They were at work on the jib at the time. The _Wasp_ in plunging down a wave buried her bowsprit under water, and when she rose out of it the bowsprit was broken off and the men carried away. For two days the gale blew hard, making an ugly sea, and then on the night of the 17th moderated somewhat, although the wind was still properly called a gale. That night at half-past eleven o’clock several lights were seen, showing that a number of vessels were weathering the storm together, and Captain Jones hauled to the wind, where he could keep his eye on them. When daylight came he found there were six large merchantmen under the convoy of a big brig. Although the brig was plainly as large as the _Wasp_, and some of the merchant ships carried guns, Captain Jones reefed down his topsails to fighting trim, sent his topgallant-yards down on deck and squared away for the fleet. As was afterwards learned the ships were a part of a fleet of fourteen bound from British Honduras to England, and the brig was the _Frolic_, Captain Thomas Whinyates. The fleet had been separated by the storm and the _Frolic_ had sprung her main-yard. She was making repairs when morning came, but as the Yankee bore down on the fleet the _Frolic_, under a fore-and-aft mainsail, fore-topsail and a jib, bore up to meet her. So heavy was the gale and so short the canvas under which the ships had to work, that it was not until after 11 o’clock that they got within fighting distance, but when there, the Englishman hoisted a Spanish flag. This little trick did not deceive the Yankee, however, for he held his course, and very soon the two vessels were within sixty yards of each other and were steadily drawing nearer, both running almost before the wind, but not quite, the Yankee having a little the better of it, being a little to windward. For a brief time they ran so in silence, and then Captain Jones stepped to the rail and hailed. For an answer the Englishman hauled down his Spanish flag, hoisted his red cross of St. George, and as the one came down and the other fluttered aloft, fired a broadside--fired it just as a fierce flaw of wind struck his sails to heel him over. The Yankees waited till their vessel began to roll from the crest of a wave toward the enemy and then fired a broadside in return.