ilky whiteness dear to the eye of the sailor of
the days before the era of yellow pine or black, unsightly iron ships.
The shrouds and standing rigging had been pulled taut with many a "Yo,
heave ho!" until the wind hummed plaintively through the taut cordage,
as through the resounding strings of an AEolian harp. The brasswork and
polished breeches of the guns were polished by the vigorous rubbing by
muscular sailors, until they shone again. All told of a coming season
in a friendly port.

While the work of preparation for port was thus going busily on, the
lookout hailed the deck, and reported a squadron in sight. A moment's
glance convinced Capt. Phillips that the strangers were British
war-vessels; and, as they were still accustomed to annoy American
merchantmen, he hastily signalled his convoy to carry sail hard, and
make port before the British came up, while the "Baltimore" bore up to
speak to the British commodore.

Before the merchantmen could escape, however, the British cut off
three of them, under some peculiar and mistaken ideas of the law of
blockades. More than this, when Capt. Phillips paid his visit to the
English commodore in the latter's cabin, he was calmly informed that
it was intended to take from the "Baltimore" into the British service
every sailor who had not a regular American protection; this under the
new English doctrine, that every sailor was an Englishman unless
proved to be otherwise. The avowal by the British captain of this
intention filled Phillips with indignation, and he warmly protested
against any such action.

[Illustration: The British Squadron.]

It would, he insisted, be an outrage on the dignity of the nation
which he served; and, as the overpowering force of the British
rendered resistance impossible, he should insist upon surrendering his
ship should they persist in their undertaking, which was no more nor
less than open warfare. With this he arose from his seat, and leaving
the cabin, to which he had been invited as the guest of a friendly
nation, returned to his own ship.

Here he found a state of affairs that still further added to his
indignation. At the foot of the gangway of the "Baltimore" floated a
boat from one of the British ships, and on the deck of the sloop was a
lieutenant in British uniform in the act of mustering the American
crew. Capt. Phillips at once seized the muster-roll, and ordered the
officious Briton to walk to leeward, while the crew of the "B