bow of the frigate rose six feet out of the water, and
the stoppage was so sudden that nearly every one was thrown off his
feet.

A hurried examination showed that the _Philadelphia_ was inextricably
fast, and could not be freed until the tide rose. Meanwhile the corsairs
would issue from the harbor near at hand, and, choosing their own
position, batter the frigate to pieces and kill or make prisoners of the
crew.

Every possible effort was made to release the ship, but she was too
firmly spiked on the jagged reef to be budged, and the dreaded peril
speedily appeared. The Tripolitans soon discovered the plight of the
American, and nine gunboats hurried out from the harbor. Fire was opened
on both sides, but neither was effective, the position of the frigate
preventing an effective aim. The sea drove her higher upon the rocks,
and she careened so much that all the guns became useless. The
Tripolitans, seeing her helplessness, now came closer and increased
their fire.

There was no help for Captain Bainbridge. Unable to deliver an effective
shot, the enemy could kill every one of his men. He therefore flooded
his magazine, blocked the pumps, bored holes through the bottom of the
ship in order to sink her if his enemies succeeded in releasing her,
and then struck his flag. Distrustful at first, though they ceased
firing, the Tripolitans finally came aboard, plundered the officers and
men of their personal property, and then took them--three hundred and
fifteen in all--to the city, where they were lodged in prison.

Some days later a powerful northerly wind partly lifted the
_Philadelphia_ off the rocks, and by united efforts her captors
succeeded in getting her into deep water. The holes in the bottom were
plugged, and the guns and anchors that had been thrown overboard in the
shallow water were easily recovered and replaced on the ship. Thus the
Bashaw secured a most valuable prize.

The disaster gave a serious aspect to the war, for it not only added
material strength to the enemy, but increased their courage and insured
a more determined resistance on their part. While the loss was a severe
one to the American navy, it was not difficult to replace it.

One day a letter reached Commodore Preble. Apparently it was nothing but
a blank sheet of paper, but knowing that lemon juice had been employed
for ink, the Commodore held it before a flame and brought out the
following, in the handwriting of Bainbridge:

"Chart