his exploit,
the Americans captured over a hundred cannon, and a great quantity of
naval stores.

After this exploit, Hopkins left New Providence, carrying away with
him the governor and one or two notable citizens, and continued his
cruise. His course was shaped to the northward, and early in April he
found himself off the shore of Long Island. He had picked up a couple
of insignificant British vessels,--one a tender of six guns, and the
other an eight-gun bomb-brig. But his cruise had been mainly barren of
results; and his crew, who had looked forward to sharp service and
plenty of prize-money, were beginning to grumble. But their inactivity
was not of long duration; for before daylight on the morning of April
6, the lookout at the masthead of the "Alfred" sighted a large ship,
bearing down upon the American squadron. The night was clear and
beautiful, the wind light, and the sea smooth; and so, although it
lacked several hours to daylight, the commanders determined to give
battle to the stranger. Soon, therefore, the roll of the drums beating
to quarters was heard over the water, and the angry glare of the
battle lanterns on the gun-decks made the open ports of the war-ships
stand out like fiery eyes against the black hulls. The Englishman, who
proved later to be the "Glasgow," twenty guns, carrying one hundred
and fifty men, might easily have escaped; but, apparently undaunted by
the odds against him, he awaited the attack. The little "Cabot" was
the first American ship to open fire on the enemy. Her attack, though
sharp and plucky, was injudicious; for two of the Englishman's heavy
broadsides were enough to send her out of the battle for repairs. The
"Glasgow" and the "Alfred" then took up the fight, and exchanged
repeated broadsides; the American vessel suffering the more serious
injuries of the two. After some hours of this fighting, the "Glasgow"
hauled away, and made good her escape, although she was almost
surrounded by the vessels of the American squadron. It would seem that
only the most careless seamanship on the part of the Americans could
have enabled a twenty-gun vessel to escape from four vessels, each one
of which was singly almost a match for her. It is evident that the
Continental Congress took the same view of the matter, for Hopkins was
soon after dismissed from the service.

This action was little to the credit of the sailors of the colonial
navy. Fortunately, a second action during the same mon