As Stewart stood out to windward, the three vessels, which he afterwards learned to be the Leander and Newcastle of 50, and the Acasta of 40 guns, crowded all sail in chase. Stewart then cut adrift his cutter and gig, towing astern, and set every sail that would draw. Under the north-east trades that were then blowing, the Constitution was soon rushing along at a tremendous rate, outsailing all her pursuers but the Acasta. But Stewart, perceiving that the Cyane was steadily losing ground, and if she kept her course must evidently be captured, made signal for her to tack, which was instantly obeyed. Not a vessel, however, was detached in pursuit, as he had expected, but the whole three kept on after the Constitution and Levant. In an hour and a half the Newcastle got within gun-shot, and began to fire by divisions, rending the fog with flame, but leaving the Constitution unharmed. A half an hour after, Stewart, who with his glass in his hand had incessantly walked the quarter-deck, watching the movements of the enemy and their progress, saw that the Levant, if she held her course, would soon be captured, made signal for her to tack also. The foam rolled with a seething sound from the bows of the Constitution as she rushed rapidly through the water, but it was evident that the Acasta, which had fallen in her wake, could outsail her. An engagement with this vessel was apparently inevitable, and unless Stewart could prolong the chase till she was drawn so far from the others as to enable him to close with and carry her before they came up, he must be taken. But to his astonishment the whole three turned in pursuit of the Levant, leaving him to sail away unmolested. [Sidenote: April 10.] The Cyane, in the mean time, had disappeared in the fog, and finding that she was shut out of view, changed her course, and escaping the enemy, finally arrived safely in New York. The Levant, however, was not so fortunate. Seeing herself closely pressed, she put back to port, and though receiving the enemy's fire, stood on till she anchored within 150 yards of the shore, and under the very guns of a powerful battery. Disregarding her position which rendered her inviolable, the three vessels continued to approach, firing as they did so, throwing their shot even into the town, doing considerable damage. Lieutenant Shubrick, finding that the battery would not protect him, and that the enemy had no intention of respecting the neutrality of the port, struck his flag. The firing, however, continued for some time after. The English officer, when he came on board to take possession of her, supposed she was an American vessel, but to his great chagrin found that the whole squadron had succeeded, after a chase of several hours, in recapturing a prize in a neutral port. "Old Ironsides" swept proudly onward over the ocean, remaining unconquered to the last, the glory of the navy and the boast of the land.