While under John Percival’s command, USS Constitution was given a re-haul, and recommissioned for a three-year circumnavigation of the world on March 24, 1844. USS Constitution started her tour on May 29th with the Ambassador of Brazil, Henry A. Wise, and his family aboard, transporting them to Rio de Janeiro. They arrived at their destination on August 2nd, with only two port visits made while in route. After packing needed supplies for the journey ahead, USS Constitution set sail again on September 8th, stopping to port at Madagascar, Mozambique, and Zanzibar. The crew arrived at Sumatra on January 1, 1845, but many of USS Constitution’s crew died from dysentery and fevers. To save the rest of his crew, Percival sailed to Singapore, and arrived on February 8th, where Commodore Henry Ducie Chads of HMS Cambrian offered what medical supplies and assistance he could to the sick crew. Chads had also been the Lieutenant of HMS Java thirty-three years ago when he surrendered to William Bainbridge.
USS Constitution left Singapore and arrived at Turon, Cochinchina (now Da Nang, Vietnam) on May 10th, and learned that a French missionary, Domanique Lefebvre, was held captive and sentenced to death. With this in mind, Percival and a squad of Marines went ashore and demanded the safe return of Lefebvre, and took three of the local leaders hostage for insurance. With no further negotiations, Percival ordered his men to capture three Chinese vessels, and stored them aboard USS Constitution. Two days later Percival released the hostages to show good faith, but none was shown in return. More problems ensued when a storm caused the captured Chinese ships to drift away, which needed a detachment of Marines to recover them. However, when supplies from the shore became cut off to the crew, Percival was forced to return the Chinese vessels in order to keep his ship and crew supplied. Lefebvre was never released despite Percival returning the captured leaders and ships, and USS Constitution departed on May 26th.
On June 20th, USS Constitution arrived at Canton, China, where she would spend the next six weeks as Percival made rounds of shore and diplomatic visits. While on route to Manila, the poor drinking water again caused the crew to be struck with dysentery, killing three of them, and sickening many more. They arrived in Manila on September 18th, and spent a week there preparing for sail of the Pacific Ocean. USS Constitution departed Manila on September 28th and reached Honolulu on November 16th, where Commodore John D. Sloat and flagship Savannah awaited them. Percival learned from Sloat that USS Constitution would be needed in Mexico, as the United States was preparing for war due to the Texas Annexation. After six months of preparing, Percival sailed for Mazatlan. Arriving on January 13, 1846, USS Constitution set anchor for over three long months. She was finally free to sail home on the 22nd of April, unaware that the Mexican War would begin in just a few weeks (May 13th) after their departure. USS Constitution arrived in Boston on September 27th, and was placed in ordinary on October 5th.
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