of traditionary interest among the veterans of the old
time wooden navy.

"Not a prize this trip! Hard luck indeed," wrote Barry to John Brown,
Secretary of the Board of Admiralty, to whom also he wrote that Robert
Morris had sent him orders to join the French frigates at Rhode Island
and be under their command. "Mr. Morris," wrote Barry, "must be
unacquainted with his rank or he must think me a droll kind of a fellow
to be commanded by a midshipman. I assure you I don't feel myself so low
a commander as to brook such orders. I suppose he will be much offended.
I assure you although I serve the country for nothing I am determined no
midshipman shall command me, let him be a chevalier or what he will."

Barry wrote from New London to Mr. Brown: "I never was in such a damn
country in my life. You never was in so miserable a place in your life.
All the people here live five miles from home. Not a house have I been
in but the tavern and one Irishman's." The tavern was kept by Thomas
Allen, an Irishman from the island of Antigua, whose "antipathy to the
British was abnormal"--and so we may well believe he was a kindred
spirit to that of Commodore Barry.

Though Captain Barry thought he had "hard luck" in not taking a prize,
yet the log-book of the "Alliance," a copy of which he sent the
Committee of Investigation, relates that on April 3d he fell in with two
privateers, gave each of them a broadside, one of them struck, the other
ran; hove out a signal for the "Marquis La Fayette" to take charge of
the privateer that had struck while the "Alliance" went in chase of the
other, "which we shortly after took." The record again shows Captain
Barry did as he usually had done--captured two vessels in a battle.

Though he brought in no prize he yet was not unmindful of Mrs. Barry,
but brought her a carpet and "a wash kettle full of claret," and
doubtless other luxuries of the time as well as advising her "not to
stay so much at home," as it "was clever to visit one's friends now and
then, besides it is helpful to good health," added the gallant Captain.

CHAPTER XII.

A MOST SUCCESSFUL CRUISE--NINE PRIZES.

The "Alliance" while at New London was fitted out for a cruise on which
she started August 4, 1782, at four o'clock in the morning. Barry had a
few days before an interview with General Washington. By seven o'clock
Barry had captured from the enemy a brig laden with lumber and fish
which "had been cut out of Rho