Captain Stewart, seeing that there was hardly a possîbility of getting the Constellation to sea, applied for and obtained in June, 1813, the command of the frigate Constitution, then vacant by the appointment of commodore Bainbridge to the superintendence of the navy-yard at Boston. On the 30th of December, in the same year, the Constitution proceeded to sea from Boston harbour, although it was then blockaded by seven ships of war. During this cruise she captured the British schooner-of-war Picton of sixteen guns, together with a letter-of-marque ship under her convoy; the brig Catharine and schooner Phenix; and chased a British frigate, supposed to be the La Pique, in the Mona passage. On the 4th of April, 1814, she returned to Boston bay, and was chased into Marblehead by two of the enemy's heavy frigates, La Nymphe and Junon. The return of the Constitution into port without having performed the latter part of her cruise, as directed by the navy department, gave occasion to an inquiry, the result of which proved satisfactory to the officers of that ship, as well as to the government, and the public.

About the middle of December, 1814, she proceeded on her second cruise under the command of captain Stewart. On the 24th of the same month, she captured and destroyed the brig Lord Nelson. She cruised off cape Finisterre, the rock of Lisbon, and the Madeiras, without meeting with any thing except a merchant ship from the river of Plate: but on the 20th of February, 1815, at two o'clock in the afternoon, two ships were discovered to leeward. Chase was given immediately to one of those vessels, which was several miles to windward of the other, for the purpose of cutting her off from her consort; but without effect: for at sunset they formed a junction, and prepared to receive the Constitution. She soon got alongside of them, and commenced the action, which was kept up with considerable vivacity on the part of the enemy, for about forty minutes; when the headmost ship bore away, and the sternmost struck her flag. The latter, which proved to be his Britannic majesty's ship Cyane, rated at

twenty and mounting thirty-four guns, was taken possession of, and her consort was pursued without delay. She too, the Levant of twenty-one guns, was compelled to surrender, after exchanging broadsides. In these actions, the Constitution had three men killed and thirteen wounded. She proceeded with her prizes to St. Jago, one of the Cape de Verd islands, where preparations were made to send the prisoners to Barbadoes in cartels. But on the 12th of March, an enemy's squadron, consisting of three heavy ships, was seen standing in for the anchorage. The Constitution and her two prizes were immediately got under way, and were chased. That frigate, with her prize the Cyane, had the good fortune to escape; but the Levant being forced to put into Port Praya was attacked and retaken, close under the guns of a Portuguese battery. The Constitution proceeded to the southward of the equator, in search of the British ship Inconstant, which was said to be on her way to England, with a large quantity of specie on board. She did not, however, fall in with that ship. At Maranam, on the Brazil coast, she disposed of her prisoners; sailed from thence to windward of the West India islands, and touched at St. John's, Porto Rico, where she was informed that peace had been made between the United States and Great Britain. She then returned to Boston. At that city and New York, captain Stewart received the attentions due to distinguished commanders; and his fellow citizens of Philadelphia intend to present him with a piece of plate, commemorating his capture of the Cyane and the Le

vant.

Journal of a Voyage up the River Missouri, performed in the year 1811.—By H. M. Brackenridge, Esq.

On the second of April, 1811, Mr. Brackenridge left the village of St. Charles, for the purpose of ascending the Missouri river, in a barge manned with twenty stout oarsmen, un

der the command of Manuel Lisa. The objects of Mr. Lisa and his party were to trade with the Indians far up the river, and to carry relief to Mr. Henry, one of the members of the Missouri fur company, who had established himself on one of the branches of Columbia river. The motives which induced Mr. Brackenridge to accompany this party, are thus set forth by him with much candour and simplicity:

"With respect to myself, I must own to the reader, that I had no other motive for undertaking a tour of several thousand miles, through regions but seldom marked even by the wandering footsteps of the savage, than what he will term an idle curiosity: and I must confess that I might have employed my time more beneficially to myself, and more usefully to the community. Would that I were able to make some amends, by describing the many interesting objects which I witnessed, in such a manner, as to enable the reader to participate in the agreeable parts of my peregrinations."

Mr. Brackenridge accompanied the party as far as the country of the Arikaras, when being, as he confesses, extremely anxious to return again to the abodes of civilized men, he descended the river with two boats loaded with furs, which were placed under his direction by Mr. Lisa. This was in the latter end of July, and they reached St. Louis early in August, having performed a voyage of fourteen hundred and forty miles in little better than fourteen days.

The amusing and interesting account of these voyages, is given by Mr. Brackenridge in the form of a journal, exhi, biting the occurrences of each day, interspersed with descriptions of the country on each side of this immense river, and such remarks and reflections as occurred to him in the course of the progress. The whole forms a work which does credit to the author; and we think it cannot fail of receiving the encouragement which the adventurous spirit and literary talents of this young gentleman deserve. It is seldom that the hardihood and spirit necessary to such an undertaking are combined with the powers of observation and description pos

sessed by this writer, and wherever they are so found united, we feel a peculiar gratification in lending our aid to honour and reward the possessor.

The following passages are taken pretty much at random from this work, and will serve to give the reader a specimen of the author's descriptive powers.

"Saturday 18th. A fine breeze S. W. At seven arrived at the Black-bird hill. As this is one of the curiosities of the Missouri, a description may be amusing. It rises on the common range to the height of four or five hundred feet. The Missouri at its base, begins a strange winding course, several times returning upon its steps, and at length coming within nine hundred yards of where the hills first approached; so that in a course of thirty miles the Black-bird hill is still near us. It takes its name from a celebrated chief of the Mahas, who caused himself to be interred on the top: a mound has been erected on the pinnacle, with a branch stuck in it: a flag was formerly attached to it. He was buried, sitting erect on horseback; the reason which he gave for choosing this spot, was that he might see the traders as they ascended. This chief was as famous in his lifetime amongst all the nations in this part of the world, as Tamerlane or Bajazet were in the plains of Asia; a superstitious awe is still paid to his grave. Yet, the secret of his greatness was nothing more than a quantity of arsenic, which he had procured from some trader. He denounced death against any one who displeased him, or opposed his wishes: it is therefore not surprising, that he, who held at his disposal the lives of others, should possess unlimited power, and excite universal terror. The proud savage, whenever this terrible being appeared, rendered the homage of a slave. The gods and heroes of antiquity, were, perhaps, little better. We may learn this lesson, that ignorant and savage man, is most effectually ruled by fear, or superstitious awe; and in comparison with these, other motives have but little force."-p. 88.

"With respect to their religion, it is extremely difficult, particularly from the slight acquaintance I had with them, to form any just idea. They have some notion of a Supreme Being, whom they call the Master of Life,' but they offer him no rational wor

ship, and have but indistinct ideas of a future state. Their devotion manifests itself in a thousand curious tricks of slight of hand, which they call magic, and which the vulgar amongst them believe to be something supernatural. They are very superstitious. Beside their magic, or medicine lodge, in which they have a great collection of magic, or sacred things, every one has his private magic in his lodge, or about his person. Any thing curious is immediately made an amulet, or a talisman; and is considered as devoted or consecrated, so as to deprive the owner of the power of giving it away. The principal war-chief lately took advantage of this. Having obtained a very fine horse, which he was desirous of keeping, but fearing that some one might ask him as a gift, and as to refuse would be unbecoming a great man, who ought not to set his heart upon a matter of so little importance, he announced that he had given, or consecrated his horse to his magic or medicine! Some parts of their superstitious devotions or modes of worship, are the most barbarous that can be imagined. I observed a great number whose bodies were scarred and cut in the most shocking manner; I was informed that this was done in their devotion; that to show their zeal, they sometimes suspend themselves by the arms or legs, or the sides, by hooks. I was shown a boy, who had drawn two buffaloe heads several hundred yards, by cords fixed in the fleshy part of his sides. I might enumerate a variety of other particulars, in which this strange self-punishment is carried to the greatest lengths. They have frequent public holydays; when the greater part of the village appears to desist from labour, and dress out unusually fine. On these occasions, each one suspends his private magic on a high pole before his door; the painted shields, quivers of a variety of colours, scarlet cloth, and highly ornamented buffaloe robes, which compose these trophies, produce a very lively effect. I several times observed articles of some value suspended on the trees. I was told, they often leave their property in this manner without being under any apprehension that any of the same tribe will touch it, provided that there be the least sign to show that it is not lost. A kind of superstition similar to that of the Druids, which protected their offerings hung up in the woods." -p. 161.