The Wasp, 1918 · page 228 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 228: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a dramatic prose narrative describing a naval engagement between American and French vessels—likely referencing the Quasi-War period (1798-1800) or similar early American naval conflict. The text follows Commander Scovil commanding a sloop in combat against a French brig, with a supporting schooner. The passage depicts tactical naval warfare: cannon fire, ship maneuvers ("sheered off," "raked"), and escalating damage to both vessels. Notably, the French brig's foretop mysteriously falls during battle, suggesting American superiority or luck. The narrative emphasizes American resourcefulness—Scovil continues fighting despite heavy casualties and crippling damage, aggressively deploying "red-hot shot" against the enemy. **Without seeing accompanying illustrations**, the satirical context remains unclear, but The Wasp typically used such stories to mock or celebrate American naval prowess during this period of tension with France.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP | 219 guns. The sloop replied#from her taffrail.. The smoke of the guns clung white and low to the - little. waves and was gradually spread by the wind. The schooner sheered off. Half an hour passed without another shot. Then the brig, now on -the sloop’s ‘quarter, swung and delivered a broadside. The Tartar staggered, but replied. The schooner, half a mile away, let a puff of smoke out of her nose. _ Scovil saw it, but had no time to think about it. Heswung, and hulled the brig with his heavy stern-pieces. Ten minutes later, he lost his topmast and a dozen men. Crippled, he knew that he was now at the brig’s mercy. She would take her posi- tion and rake the unfortunate sloop from stem to stern; but he fought on, at the same time clearing the wreckage of top-hamper from the ; deck. | In a lull in the firing of his own guns he was astonished to see the French brig’s foretop sway and crash down. He did not stop to wonder at it, but crawled across the brig’s bows and put four red-hot shot into her and a score of bullets into her open ports. Then, as he drew _ away, he gave her a rap with his heavy metal aft. _ The brig’s maintop went by the board. The . 2 x comichooks.com