Part 7 (1/2)
”_La Folie--corsair Francais_ From vair you come?”
”From Calcutta And where are _you_ froo, eh?”
”Philadelphia Do not luff so near me; some accident may happen”
”Vat you call '_accident_?' Can nevair hear, eh? I will come _tout pres_”
”Give us a wider berth, I tell you! Here is your jib boo”
”Vat mean zat, bert' vidair? eh! _Allons, mes enfants, c'est le moment_!”
”Luff a little, and keep his spar clear,” cried our captain ”Squirt away, Neb, and let us see what you can do!”
The engine an to run out on their bowsprit, and, by the tiht were on the heel of the jib-boo hot strea the whole line The effect was instantaneous Physical nature cannot stand excessive heat, unless particularly well supplied with skin; and the three leading French retreat i cold water to hot--the chances of drowning, to the certainty of being scalded I believe all three were saved by their companions in-board, but I will not vouch for the fact The re the bowsprit before the's forecastle as well as they could, betraying, by the random way in which their hands flew about, that they had a perfect consciousness how much they left their rear exposed on the retreat A hearty laugh was heard in all parts of the Tigris, and the brig, putting her helm hard up, wore round like a top, as if she were scalded herself{]
{Footnote : This incident actually occurred in the war of 1798]
We all expected a broadside now; but of that there was little apprehension, as it was pretty certain we carried the heaviest battery, and haddid not fire, I suppose because we fell off a little ourselves, and she perceived it a up on the other tack far enough to bring the two vessels exactly _dos a dos_ Captain Digges ordered two of the quarter-deck nines to be run out of the stern-ports; and it ell he did, for it was not in nature forhad been served, without ht have been three cables' lengths asunder e got a gun The first I knew of the shot was to hear it plunge through the ha hole through theonward, I heard it strike soht of Rupert and the fore-top in an instant, and looked anxiously down on deck to ascertain if he were injured
”Fore-top, there!” called out Captain Digges ”Where did that shot strike?”
”In the mast-head,” answered Rupert, in a clear, fire, sir”
”Now's your tiive 'em a reminder”
Both our nines were fired, and, a few seconds after, three cheers arose fro, now, for the mizen-top-sail; but I afterwards learned that we had shot away her gaff
This terlory was acquired principally by Neb They told ain, that the black's face had been dilated with delight the whole tirinning from ear to ear
Neb was justly elated with the success that attended this exhibition of his skill, and described the retreat of our eneh at the discomfited privateersman It is certain that some of the fellows must have been nearly parboiled
I have always supposed this affair between la Folie and the Tigris to have been the actual commencement of hostilities in the _quasi_ war of 1798-9 and 1800 Other occurrences soon supplanted it in the public ard the adventure as one of great national interest It did prove to be a nine days' wonder in the newspapers
Fro noted occurred, until we reached the coast We had got as high as the capes of Virginia, and were running in for the land, with a fair wind, e er hauled up to speak us, as soon as ere seen There was a good deal of discussion about this vessel, as she drew near, between Captain Digges and his chief-mate The latter said he knew the vessel, and that it was an Indiaes, a sort of sister craft to our own shi+p; while the fores at all, she was so altered as scarcely to be recognised
As we got near, the stranger threw a shot under our fore-foot, and showed an Aot so hbour, as to think it wisest to heave-to, when the other vessel passed under our stern, tacked, and lay with her head-yards aback, a little on our weather-quarter As she dreard,her stern, which had certain national emblems, but no name on it This settled the matter
She was adid not exist a few es was burning with iratified
”Is not that the Tigris?” deer
”Ay, ay! What shi+p is that?”
”The United States' shi+p Ganges, Captain Dale; from the capes of the Delaware, bound on a cruise You're welcoes; we may want soave a long whistle, and then the es, as stated, an Indiaht into a new navy, and the first shi+p-of-war ever sent to sea under the government of the country, as it had existed since the adoption of the constitution, nine years before The privateers of France had driven the republic into an ar out in considerable nues, and others built expressly for the newan oar in his boat, I had a chance of seeing that vessel also Captain Dale, a co man, in a blue and white uniform, received our skipper with a cordial shake of the hand, for they had once sailed together, and he laughed heartily when he heard the story of the boarding-party and the hot water This respectable officer had no braggadocia about hiht, before the rovers aress was in earnest, and the whole country was fairly aroused Whenever that happens in America, it is usually to take a new and better direction than to follow the ordinary blind is In countries where theof their syste ourselves, I think the effect of such a condition of things is to bring into action men and qualities that are com, public sentiment
I was extremely pleased with the manly, benevolent countenance of Captain Dale, and had half a desire to ask leave to join his shi+p on the spot If that impulse had been followed, it is probable my future life would have been very different from what it subsequently proved I should have been rated a ood deal of experience already in shi+ps, a year or tould haveof 1801, I should now have been one of the oldest officers in the service
Providence directed otherwise; and how ained, by ris, the reader will learn as we proceed
As soon as Captain Digges had taken a glass or two of ith his old acquaintance, we returned to our own shi+p, and the two vesselsoff to the northward and eastward, while we ran in for the capes of the Delaware We got in under Cape May, or within five , when it fell nearly calm A pilot came off from the cape in a row-boat, and he reached us just at dark Captain Robbins now became all impatience to land, as it was of importance to hieed to the shore-boat, our old commander, Rupert and myself, prepared to leave the shi+p, late as it was We two lads were taken for the purpose oftwo additional oars, but were to rejoin the shi+p in the bay, if possible; if not, up at town One of the inducens of northerly weather It had begun to blow a little in puffs from the north-west; and everybody knew, if it caht be a week in getting up the river, her news being certain to precede her We hurried off accordingly, taking nothing with us but a change of linen, and a few necessary papers