He sailed from Syracuse on the 3d
of February, 1804, accompanied by the United States brig Syren,
Lieutenant Stewart, who was to aid with his boats, and to receive the
crew of the ketch, in case it should be found expedient to use her as a
fire ship.
After fifteen days of very tempestuous weather, they arrived at the
harbor of Tripoli, a little before sunset. It had been arranged between
Lieutenants Decatur and Stewart, that the ketch should enter the harbor
about ten o'clock that night, attended by the boats of the Syren. On
arriving off the harbor, the Syren, in consequence of a change of wind,
had been thrown six or eight miles without the Intrepid. The wind at
this time was fair, but fast declining, and Lieutenant Decatur
apprehended that, should he wait for the Syren's boats to come up, it
might be fatal to the enterprise, as they could not remain longer on the
coast, their provisions being nearly exhausted. For these reasons he
determined to venture into the harbor alone, which he did about eight
o'clock.
An idea may be formed of the extreme hazard of the enterprise from the
situation of the frigate.
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