Jefferson at first preferred to coerce the European powers by retaliatory legislation. As early as April, 1806, a law had been passed forbidding the importation of certain British wares, but was suspended six weeks after it came into operation. In June, 1807, irritation was intensified by the incident of the _Leopard_ and the _Chesapeake_. Five men, four of whom were British born and one an American by birth, were known to have deserted from the British sloop _Halifax_, lying in Hampton roads, and to have taken service on an American frigate, the _Chesapeake_. After application for their surrender had been made in vain to the magistrates of the town of Norfolk, where the _Chesapeake's_ rendezvous was, and to the officer commanding the rendezvous, Vice-admiral Berkeley sent his flagship, the _Leopard_, carrying fifty guns, with an order to the British captains on the North American station to search the _Chesapeake_ for deserters from six ships named, including the _Halifax_, in case she should be encountered on the high seas. The _Leopard_ arrived in Chesapeake bay in time to follow the _Chesapeake_ beyond American waters, and then made a demand to search for deserters. On the captain of the _Chesapeake_ refusing compliance, the _Leopard_ opened fire. The _Chesapeake_ was not in a condition to make any effectual reply, and, after receiving three broadsides, struck her flag. Only one of the deserters from the _Halifax_, an Englishman, was found on the _Chesapeake_; but three deserters from the British warship _Melampus_, which had not been named in Berkeley's order, all Americans by birth, were removed from the _Chesapeake_, which was now permitted to return to port.[55] Although the British government offered reparation for this action, recalled Berkeley, and disavowed the right to search ships of war for deserters, the incident could not fail to make a bad impression on American opinion.