Capture Of The Petrel

Phüadelphia Aug i. . . Tho St. Lawrence lay directly. off one of the simll shoal islands on the Caroíin eoast, on the afteinoon of the lst of Aiïgust, when a trim built, rakisli vesscl-ofwar was soen coming out of Charleston harbor, making directly for tho suppose4 merchantman. The St. Lawrence afïrcted to crowd all sail and get out to sea, but in roality was edging close into the stranger, and makitig preparations to o-pen the ports and deluge her with shot,.- The piraie's deck was seon crowiled with men, and the gunners distinctly seen ramming and pointing the guna. She flew tho rebel ilag, and ghoutcd twico for tho merehantmaii to heave to and send a boafc uboard. No response beir.g made, tho pirate fired thrc-e shots in quick successiou - the fivst two alioad and the third directly over the deck of the St. Latenee the grapc and canister whistling throogii. tlie rigging and falling in dangerous proximity to sonae of the officers. Then tho Sr. Lawrence threw up her port lids and ghvwed in a niomeut thu tiers of cannon with the gunners at the breech holdiug üghted matches Scarce-ly a sccoml intervened, when a shook that shook the soa and made the bij troniblü in all her timbers broke from the gun, and whon the smnke elearcd away the waves where the pírate stood vore scen full of driftwood audswimming men. 8be had been litcrally cat to pieees, and one ball that knocked a hole in th bow at the water lino, cansad her to till in a mament and go down. All the boats of tho St. Lawrcnco weru put out and the snamen picked up.. Fivo of them, either wounded or unublu to swim. went down with the huik. It was found that the audacious craft vras the Petrel, furmerlv the General Aiken, a V. S. revenue cutter. She haii been seiaed in ( harleston prior to tho taking of Suniter, and sotue accountii ' that she bad been duly entered as a Coufedérate vessel-of-war. tíome of the men, when fished out of the water, were at a loss to know whst liad hiippened to thein. Tho suddenneas of the St Lawrence'fl reply, the doafeniug roar of the guus, and the splinters and subnierged vessel, were all incident that happened in less time than we eau take to relate them. Nearly all tho erevr are Tiishmen, wlio state that thoy were out of work. The pírate cre.r were heavily ironed. The vr '-0 lolged to night in Moyumeu. sing prison. The St. Latrrenoa t:is alightly daiaaged. . , Lieutenant MeCawley has hecn in, town all day. urrounded by reporters. - Ile states that the attitude of the rebels before tlis St. Lawrence opened fire wa full of recklcss braggadocio, the men waving cutlasses and tlourishing pistols,. 'iheir pride was soon hum bied, and their temerity met with ampie punishruent.