Stewart was shaving at the time, and without discontinuing the operation, he answered coolly, “Very well, sir. It is an Indiaman, or it may be a frigate—call all hands and heave short, and we'll go out and see what she is made of.” Shubrick ordered “all hands up anchor,” called, and then went on deck to take another look at the stranger, while the men were tumbling up, and manning the bars. He now saw the upper sails of two more large ships in the mist, above the bank, all three beating up for the roads. Capt. Stewart was immediately informed of this, and without a moment's hesitation he gave the order to “cut.” It is probable that this prompt command saved the ship. A signal was made for the prizes to follow, and the duty went on in the most beautiful and cool manner. In fourteen minutes after the first ship was seen, and in ten after the order to cut was given, Old Ironsides was walking out of the roads under her topsails. Preparations of all sorts were made rapidly, and away all three of the ships went together, just clearing the shore, and passing at gun-shot to windward of the strangers; now known to be heavy vessels of war, though no one, as yet, had seen their hulls. They were thought to be two ships of the line and a large frigate. As the Constitution cleared the land, she crossed topgallant yard, boarded her tacks, and set her staysails. No sooner were the Americans abeam of their enemies, than the latter tacked, and all six of the ships stood to the southward and eastward, carrying every thing that would draw, with about ten knot-way on them.

As Ironsides drew into the offing, she cut adrift two boats that were towing astern. As yet no one had seen the hulls of the enemy, though there could be no mistake as to their character. The mist seemed to settle, however, in the offing, lying nearer to the water, and the air become a little clearer aloft. The vessel that was taken for a frigate, weathered on every thing, her own consorts, as well as on the American vessels. The English officers, prisoners in the Constitution, could not conceal their delight, and confidently predicted the capture of Old Ironsides, and the recapture of their own vessels. They announced the chasing ships to be the Leander 50, Sir George Collier; Newcastle 50, Lord George Stuart, and Acasta 40, Capt. Kerr. The first two vessels were new ships on one deck, built expressly to overmatch the American 44's. The English prisoners were particularly confident “Kerr in the Acasta” would overtake the Constitution, which vessel they fancied could not sail, from seeing her jog along at an easy rate, in company with her prizes. Stewart kept her travelling on the present occasion, and it was not quite so easy a thing to come up with her, as hope had induced the prisoners to believe. One of the English captains was so sanguine as to get into the quarter-gallery, and make signs to the weatherly frigate, inviting her to come on, and exclaiming in the presence of American officers, “Capt. Kerr, I envy you your glory this day.” With Stewart, himself, these gentlemen did not maintain much reserve, pretty plainly intimating that Old Ironsides had not the speed necessary to get clear of the “British Phoenix,” as they termed “Kerr, in the Acasta.”

Whatever may have been the fact, as regards our own honest old craft, it is certain the prizes were in a bad way. The Cyane was a short ship, mounting twenty-two guns on one deck and twelve above, and of course was not very weatherly. Stewart saw that the frigate, or supposed frigate for no one had yet seen the hull of an Englishman was weathering on her fast, and he made a signal for her to tack. Hoffman went round immediately, and passed his most dangerous adversary a short gun-shot to windward, on contrary tacks. Not a ship of the enemy went about. The “British Phoenix” stood gallantly on, endeavoring to get into the wake of the Constitution, and the Cyane was soon lost sight of in the haze. Hoffman was a practical, plain sailor, and knew perfectly well what he was about. Instead of running into port again, no sooner had the mist shut in the enemy, than he went about again, and continued making short tacks to windward for twenty-four hours, when, giving the islands a good berth, he squared away for America, bringing his ship successfully into New-York. She was taken into the service, and her namesake is now in the navy.

At half-past two, one of the English vessels was pretty well up, on the lee quarter of Ironsides.