" The fire-ships," says Ruttenber, whose account is digested from the narrative of Captain Bass, "had been prepared with fagots of the most combustible kinds of wood, which had been dipped in melted pitch, and with bundles of straw cut about a fool long, prepared in the same manner. The fagots and bundles tilled the deck and hold as far aft as the cabin, and into this mass of combustible materials was inserted a match, that might be tired by a person in the cabin, who would have to escape through a door cut in the side of the vessel into a whaleboat that was lashed to the quarter of the sloop. Besides these combustibles, there were in each vessel ten or twelve barrels of pitch. A quantity of canvas, amounting to many yards, was cut into strips about a foot in width, then dipped in spirits of turpentine, and hung down to the deck." upon the spars and rigging, extending the two fire-ships, commanded On the night of the Kith of August (savs Dawson) by Captains Fosdick and Thomas, both volunteers from the army, sailed up the river on the serious business for which they had been constructed. They kept in midstream, and in the darkness were unable to detect the enemy's ships, but located them by the cry of the lookouts, "All's well!" and bore down upon them. One of the fire-ships grappled a tender (or " bombketch," according

HISTORY

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to Bass), and the other made fast to the " Phoenix." The fires were lighted, and instantly the rafts were aflame. The tender, or bombketch, was burned to the water's edge, and the "Phoenix" seemed exerin a fair way of total destrnction, but was saved by desperate tions. Nevertheless she was tired in several places, and much of her rigging was cut away so that the flames might not catch it.