The event was soon known to every person in the island, and caused quite an excitement.

When a boat from the brig, with the captain on board, reached the landing-place, a crowd was assembled to hear the news and inquire into the results of the war.

Englishmen and Americans met upon the wharf upon the most friendly footing, and jocularly offered bets with each other in regard to the nature of the intelligence brought by this arrival.
The captain stepped on shore and was besieged on every side.

"What is the news, captain ?" eagerly inquired half a dozen individuals in the same breath.
"Is Canada captured by the Americans ?" shouted an undoubted Jonathan, one of those persevering, restless mortals of whom it has been said by a Yankee girl, "No matter where his home may be, What flag may be unfurled; He'll manage, by some cute device, To whittle through the world!" "Has there been any naval engagement?
Any American frigates taken, hey ?" inquired a genuine native of Albion, his eyes sparkling with expectation.
The captain, although thus suddenly surrounded, captured, and taken possession of, seemed more amused than annoyed by these inquisitorial proceedings, and, with a clear voice and a good-humored smile, replied, while the tumult was hushed and every ear expanded to catch the interesting intelligence, "I know of no battles that have been fought on the land or sea; but just before I left New York, intelligence was received that General Hull, the commander of the American forces on the frontiers, had surrendered his whole army to the enemy at Detroit, with all his guns, ammunition, and stores, WITHOUT FIRING A GUN!" It is impossible to describe the scene which followed the announcement of this unexpected intelligence, the exultation of the British, and the mortification and wrath of the Americans.

Hull was stigmatized by his country-men as the basest of cowards.