"Now, gentlemen," said he, "there's no need of your growing warm over
this affair; no matter what evolutions you made, or what you did, the
end would have been the same. If you don't believe it, I will put each
of you back on your ship with the same crews and we'll fight it all over
again."

Neither of the gentlemen was prepared to accept this proposal, and there
can be no doubt that Captain Stewart was warranted in his declaration,
and his prisoners knew it.

Stewart started for home with his prizes, and early in March anchored in
Port Praya. While there, three powerful British frigates approached,
which, through a series of singular coincidences, were blockading Boston
at the time the _Constitution_ made her escape some months before. They
were anxious, above everything else, to capture the most dreaded ship
in the American navy. Stewart knew that his only chance was to get away
before they shut him in, for the experience of the _Essex_ at Valparaiso
proved that the neutrality of no port would protect an American cruiser.

Accordingly, he lost no time in getting to sea, leaving with the utmost
haste and signalling to the _Cyane_ and _Levant_ to follow. They obeyed,
and were handled with such skill that all got to sea, with the squadron
in hot pursuit. The chase was continued for a long time, with the
remarkable result that both the _Constitution_ and _Cyane_ safely
reached Boston, while the _Levant_ was recaptured--a small reward for
the exertions of the British squadron.

Maclay says: "In this brilliant cruise Captain Stewart proved himself an
officer of rare ability. His action with the _Cyane_ and _Levant_, and