alked of the pungy we would buy when the government paid us
for the Avenger, and laid many a plan for the future when Jim, his two
friends, Jerry, Darius and I would begin oystering again, in a craft
capable of carrying three or four times the cargo we had been able to
squeeze into the old boat which had been sacrificed at Pig Point.

Then, when it was near noon, we had come within sight of Fort
Washington, and as we rounded the bend Captain Hanaford gave vent to
an exclamation of surprise and fear, which was echoed by Bill Jepson.

At some considerable distance down the river it was possible to see
the upper spars of seven vessels of war which were slowly approaching
the fortification from the southward.

"It's the British fleet!" Captain Hanaford cried as he shoved the
tiller hard down, thereby swinging the pungy's nose into the mud of
the eastern bank. "We were bloomin' fools to think that the enemy had
all run away!"

"It's the fleet under Captain Gordon, an' I can tell you just how
strong it is," Bill Jepson said as he rubbed his head nervously.
"There are two frigates of thirty-six an' thirty-eight guns; two
rocket ships of eighteen guns each, two bomb vessels of eight guns
each, an' one schooner carryin' two guns."

"The schooner would be enough to bring us up with a sharp turn,
therefore I hold that it don't make any difference how many frigates
are behind her," Darius cried. "The question is whether the fort can
prevent their comin' up the river?"

No one aboard could say what might be done by those in the
fortification, or how strongly it was garrisoned; but later I read the
following in one of the newspapers, and will set it down here so that
what happened while we were on the river may be the better understood.

"The only obstruction to the passage of the fleet on which the
Americans might place the least reliance, was Fort Washington, on the
Maryland side of the Potomac, about twelve miles below the national
capital. It was a feeble fortress, but capable of being made strong.
So early as May 1813, a deputation from Alexandria, Georgetown and
Washington waited upon the Secretary of War, and represented the
importance of strengthening the post.

"An engineer was sent to examine it. He reported in favor of
additional works in the rear, while he believed that the armament of
the fort, and its elevated situation, would enable a well-managed
garrison to repulse any number of ships of war which might atte