Continuing on his trail of the much-coveted Yankee frigate, Sir George, on January 4, 1815,—seven days after sailing—while off the Western Isles, received another “wireless click” when he picked up a prize brig belonging to the American privateer _Perry_ and from her master learned that the _Perry_ had spoken the _Constitution_ only a few days before, on a course that would indicate that she was making for the coast of Spain. As a matter of fact, this powerful British squadron was at that moment only a few hours’ sail from the _Constitution_. Touching at the port of Fayal, January 13th, 1815, Sir George’s chase after _Old Ironsides_ nearly terminated in disaster. A record left by one of the American prisoners in the _Leander_ says: “We ran in with a southwest wind that had freshened to a stiff breeze till coming under the lee of the Peak of Pico, opposite to Fayal. This aided a little in breaking the wind and the heavy swell which came rolling in from the open sea beyond. Immediately to leeward was a rocky, perpendicular bluff of three hundred feet in height, which the sea was breaking against with the greatest fury. “I had taken my perch upon the booms so as to have a chance of clearly seeing the working of the frigate, as well as the different objects of curiosity within my range.... The anchor was let go and the cable spun out to its entire length with the most fearful swiftness. But when all was out the frigate still went, stern-on, toward the bluff, as though the anchor was yet at the cathead. When she had drifted so as to be without the shelter of the Peak and exposed to the wind and heavy swell, both driving her on to inevitable destruction, unless suddenly checked in her course, none was so blind as not to see the peril, the almost instant annihilation with which the frigate was threatened, and in a twinkling it was known that the anchor had not taken hold, but was dragging. “What means were adopted for the safety of the ship I know not, for my curiosity had full employment in following the old commodore [Sir George Collier] about the deck in his mad ravings. I have read and heard much of the coolness, intrepidity and readiness of the English naval officers in all sudden cases of emergency and danger; and this commodore was one of the oldest in commission and a staunch veteran in the service. He had seen long service, fought many a fight, been slashed and cut to disfiguration—as his numerous scars plainly told—had had one of his legs broken at three different places, at three separate periods between the hip and knee, each setting worse than the last, making his leg crooked, more crooked, most crooked.