Part 26 (2/2)

Eight o'clock was the hour at which the night-watches were set, when, of course, all merriment came to an end. When the officer of the deck reported this hour to the captain, and was told by the latter, to ”make it so,” he put the trumpet to his mouth, and sang out in a loud voice, ”Strike the bell eight--call the watch!” In an instant, the most profound silence fell upon the late uproarious scene. The witches did not disappear more magically, in that famous revel of Tam O'Shanter, when Tam sang out, ”Weel dune, Cutty Sark!” than the sailors dispersed at this ominous voice of authority. The violinist was arrested with half-drawn bow; the _raconteur_ suddenly ceased his yarn in the most interesting part of his story, and even the inspiring chorus of ”Dixie” died a premature death, upon the lips of the singers. The shrill call of the boatswain's whistle, followed by his hoa.r.s.e voice, calling ”All the starboard watch!” or ”All the port watch!” as the case might be, would now be heard, and pretty soon, the watch, which was off duty, would ”tumble” below to their hammocks, and the mids.h.i.+pman would be seen coming forward from the quarter-deck, with lantern and watch-bill in hand, to muster the watch whose turn it was to be on deck. The most profound stillness now reigned on board during the remainder of the night, only broken by the necessary orders and movements, in making or taking in sail, or it may be, by the whistling of the gale, and the surging of the sea, or the cry of the look-outs at their posts, every half hour.

To return now to our cruise. We are pa.s.sing, the reader will recollect, from the Azores to the Banks of Newfoundland. On the 1st of October, the following record is found upon my journal: ”The gale moderated during the last night, but the weather, to-day, has been thick and rainy, with the wind from the north-west, and a confused, rough sea. No observation for lat.i.tude. The barometer, which had gone down to 29.8 is rising, and stands at nine P. M. at 29.9. The s.h.i.+p being about two hundred miles only, from the Banks of Newfoundland, we are trying the temperature of the air and water every hour. At nine P. M. we found the temperature of the former to be 63, and of the latter 70, indicating that we have pa.s.sed into the Gulf Stream.” The thick, rainy weather is almost as unerring a sign of the presence of this stream as the thermometer.

The stream into which we have now pa.s.sed is, literally, an immense salt-water river in the sea. Coming out of the Gulf of Mexico, it has brought the temperature of the tropics, all the way to the Banks of Newfoundland, in the lat.i.tude of 50 north, and it has run this distance between banks, or walls of cold water, on either side, parting with very little of its warmth, by the way. When it is recollected that this salt-water river in the sea is about three thousand times larger than the Mississippi River, that is to say, that it brings out of the Gulf of Mexico, three thousand times as much water, as that river empties into it, and that all this great body of water is carried up into the hyperborean regions of Newfoundland, at a temperature, even in mid-winter, ranging from 73 to 78 degrees, it will be seen at once what a powerful weather-breeder it must be. Accordingly, no port of the world is more stormy than the Gulf Stream, off the north-eastern coast of the United States, and the Banks of Newfoundland. Such is the quant.i.ty of heat brought daily by this stream, and placed in juxtaposition with the rigors of a Northern winter, that it is estimated, that if it were suddenly stricken from it, it would be sufficient to make the column of superinc.u.mbent atmosphere hotter than melted iron! With such an element of atmospheric disturbance, it is not wonderful that the most terrific gales, that rage on the ocean, are wont to sweep over the surface of this stream.

Indeed, this stream not only generates hurricanes of its own, it seems to attract to it such as are engendered in the most distant parts of our hemisphere; for hurricanes known to have originated near Cape St. Roque, in Brazil, have made their way straight for the Gulf Stream, and followed it, in its course, for a thousand miles and more, spreading s.h.i.+pwreck and disaster, broadcast, in their track. The violence of these gales is inconceivable by those who have not witnessed them. The great hurricane of 1780 originated to the eastward of the island of Barbadoes, and made straight for the Gulf Stream. As it pa.s.sed over the West India Islands, trees were uprooted, and the bark literally blown from them. The very bottom and depths of the sea, in the vicinity of some of the islands, were uncovered, and rocks torn up, and new channels formed. The waves rose to such a height, that forts, and castles, removed, as it was thought, far out of the reach of the water, were washed away, and the storm, taking hold of their heavy artillery, played with it, as with so many straws, throwing it to considerable distances. Houses were razed, and s.h.i.+ps wrecked, and the bodies of men and beasts were lifted up into the air and dashed to pieces in the storm. Still, the European-bound s.h.i.+ps defy all the bad weather, so prevalent in this stream, on account of the easterly current which accelerates their pa.s.sage, at the rate of from two, to three miles, per hour. The stream, therefore, has been literally bearded by commerce, and has become one of its princ.i.p.al highways. It is because it is a highway of commerce that the _Alabama_ now finds herself in it. Nor was she long in it, before the travellers on the highway began to come along.

Early on the morning of the 3d of October, two sail were simultaneously reported by the look-out at the mast-head--one right ahead, and the other on the lee-bow. As both the s.h.i.+ps were standing in our direction, there was no necessity for a chase. We had nothing to do but await their approach. As their hulls were lifted above the horizon, we could see that they were fine, large s.h.i.+ps, with a profusion of tapering spars and white canvas. We at once p.r.o.nounced them American; and so, after a little, they proved to be. They were, in fact, the _avant courriers_ of the ”junk fleet,” for which we had come to look. The wind was light, and they came on, with all their sails set, from truck to rail. We, on our part, put on an air of perfect indifference. We made no change in our sail, and it was not necessary to alter our course, as the strangers would pa.s.s sufficiently near us, unless they altered their own courses, which they did not seem inclined to do. They apparently had no suspicion of our real character. We did not hoist any colors, until the vessels were nearly abreast of us, and only a few hundred yards distant, when, suddenly wheeling, we fired a gun, and hoisted the Confederate flag. The capture of these two s.h.i.+ps must have been a perfect surprise to them, judging by the confusion that was visible on board. There was a running about the decks, and an evident indecision for a few moments, as to what was best to be done; but it did not take the masters long to take an intelligent view of the ”situation.” There was nothing to be done, but surrender; and this they did, by hoisting their colors, and heaving to their s.h.i.+ps.

We now shortened sail, and laying the maintopsail to the mast, lowered a couple of quarter boats, and boarded the prizes. One of them proved to be the _Brilliant_, from New York, for London, laden with flour and grain; and the other, the _Emily Farnum_, from New York, for Liverpool, with a similar cargo. The cargo of the _Farnum_ being properly doc.u.mented as neutral property, I released her on ransom-bond, and converting her into a cartel, sent on board of her all my prisoners, of whom I had fifty or sixty on board the _Alabama_, besides those just captured in the _Brilliant_. The latter s.h.i.+p was burned, and her destruction must have disappointed a good many holders of bills of exchange, drawn against her cargo, as this was large and valuable. The owners of the s.h.i.+p have since put in a claim, in that little bill, which Mr. Seward has pressed with so little effect hitherto against the British Government, for indemnity for the ”depredations of the _Alabama_,” for the s.h.i.+p alone, and the freight-moneys which they lost by her destruction, to the amount of $93,000. The cargo was probably even more valuable than the s.h.i.+p.

I made a positive stipulation with the _Farnum_, upon releasing her, that she should continue her voyage to Liverpool, and not put back into any American port; the master pledging me his word that he would comply with it. My object was, of course, to prevent him from giving news of me to the enemy. He had no sooner pa.s.sed out of sight, however, steering his course for Liverpool, than he dodged and put into Boston, and reported me. This being nothing more than a clever ”Yankee trick,” of course there was no harm done the master's honor.

I was much moved by the entreaties of the master of the _Brilliant_ to spare his s.h.i.+p. He was a hard-working seaman, who owned a one third interest in her. He had built her, and was attached to her, and she represented all his worldly goods. But I was forced again to steel my heart. He was, like the other masters who had remonstrated with me, in the same boat with the ”political rascals,” who had egged on the war; and I told him he must look to those rascals for redress. The s.h.i.+p made a brilliant bonfire, lighting up the Gulf Stream, for many miles around.

Having been set on fire near night, and the wind falling to nearly a calm, we remained in sight of the burning wreck nearly all night.

Among the many slanders against me, to which the Northern press gave currency during the war, it was stated, that I decoyed s.h.i.+ps into my power, by setting fire to my prizes at night, and remaining by them in ambuscade. Of course, when seamen discover a s.h.i.+p on fire at sea they rush, with all their manly sympathies aroused, to the rescue of their comrades, who are supposed to be in danger; but if they should find, it was said, that they were waylaid, and captured, none would go to the rescue in future, and thus many seamen would perish. It can scarcely be necessary for me to say, that I never purposely lay by a burning s.h.i.+p, by night, or by day, longer than _to see her well on fire_. The substantial answer to the slander is, that I never captured a s.h.i.+p, under the circ.u.mstances stated.

For the next few days we had fine, clear weather, and chased and overhauled a number of neutral s.h.i.+ps, most of them out of New York, and bound for Europe, laden with grain. The English, French, Prussian, Hamburg, Oldenham, and other flags were fast monopolizing the enemy's carrying trade, and enjoying a rich harvest. These were not the sort of ”junks” that we were in quest of, but they compensated us, somewhat, for the time and labor lost in chasing and boarding them, by supplying us with late newspapers of the enemy, and giving us valuable information concerning the progress of the war.

On the afternoon of the 7th of October, the weather being fine, and the breeze light, we chased and captured the American bark, _Wave Crest_, from New York, bound for Cardiff, in Wales, with flour and grain. In the language of the enemy, we ”plundered her,” that is, we received on board from her, such articles as we needed, and after having made use of her for a while, as a target, at which to practise the men at the battery, we burned her.

Filing away, we again made sail to the north-west. We were now, in about lat.i.tude 41, and longitude 54, and were working our way, under easy sail, toward the coasts of the United States. Just before nightfall, on the same afternoon, another sail was cried from aloft, and we made all sail in pursuit, immediately, anxious to draw sufficiently near the chase before dark, to prevent losing sight of her. By this time, the wind, which had been very light all day, had freshened to a stiff breeze, and the chase, soon perceiving our object, spread a cloud of canvas, with studding-sails ”alow and aloft,” in the effort to escape. She had seen the fire of the burning _Wave Crest_, and knew full well the doom that awaited her, if she were overtaken. As night threw her mantle over the scene, the moon, nearly at the full, rose with unusual splendor and lighted up the sea for the chase; and a beautiful, picturesque chase it was. Although it lasted several hours, our anxiety as to the result was relieved, in a very short time, for we could see, from the first, that we gained upon the fleeing s.h.i.+p, although her master practised every stratagem known to the skilful seaman. As soon as we approached sufficiently near to get a good view of her through our excellent night-gla.s.ses, which, in the bright moonlight, brought out all her features almost as distinctly as if we had been viewing them by the rays of the sun, we discovered that she was one of those light, and graceful hermaphrodite brigs, that is, a rig between the brig and the schooner, so peculiarly American. Her sails were beautifully cut, well hoisted, and the clews well spread; her masts were long and tapering, and her yards more square than usual. There was just sea enough on, to give her, now and then, a gentle motion, as she rose upon a wave, and scudded forward with renewed impulse. Her sails looked not unlike so many silver wings, in the weird moonlight, and with a little effort of the imagination, it would not have been difficult to think of her as some immense water-fowl, which had been scared from its roost and flown seaward for safety.

I sat astride of the hammock-cloth on the weather-quarter, and watched the beautiful apparition during the whole chase, only taking off my eye, now and then, to give some order to the officer of the deck, or to cast it admiringly upon the buckling and bending masts and spars of my own beautiful s.h.i.+p, as she sped forward, with all the animation of a living thing, in pursuit. The poor little, affrighted fawn ahead of us, how its heart must have gone pit-a-pat, as it cast its timid eyes behind it, and saw its terrible pursuer looming up larger, and larger, and coming nearer and nearer! Still there might be some hope. The pursuing vessel might be some peaceful merchant-s.h.i.+p, bound on the same errand of commerce with herself, and only trying heels with her, in sport, over these dancing waves, and by this bright moonlight. Alas! the hope was short-lived; for presently, in the stillness of near midnight, a flash was seen, followed by the sound of a booming gun, and there could no longer be any doubt, that the pursuer was a s.h.i.+p of war, and most likely a Confederate.

Halliards and tacks, and sheets were let fly on board the brigantine, and as soon as her seamen could gather in the folds of the flapping sails, and haul up clew-garnets, her helm was put down, and she rounded gracefully to the now whistling wind, with fore-topsail aback. So rapidly had this been done, and so close was the _Alabama_ upon the chase, that we had just time to sheer clear of her by a little trick of the helm. Our own sail was now shortened, and the boarding-officer dispatched on board the prize.

She proved to be the _Dunkirk_, from New York, with a cargo of grain for Lisbon. There being no evidence of neutral owners.h.i.+p of the cargo, among the papers, she was burned, as soon as her crew could be transferred to the _Alabama_. We made two novel captures on board this s.h.i.+p--one was a deserter from the _Sumter_, a worthless sailor out of one of the Northern States, whom we afterward discharged from the Confederate Naval service, in disgrace, instead of hanging him, as we might have done under our Articles of War; and the other a number of very neatly put up _tracts_ in the Portuguese language; our Northern brethren dealing in a little piety as well as trade. These tracts had been issued by that pious corporation, the ”American Tract Society,” of New York, whose fine fat offices are filled with sleek, well-fed parsons, of the Boynton stripe, whose business it is to prey upon the credulity of kind-hearted American women, and make a pretence of converting the heathen! On the cover of these tracts was printed the following directions, as to how the doses were to be taken.

”Portuguese tracts, from the 'American Tract Society,' for distribution among Portuguese pa.s.sengers, and to give, upon the coast, to visitors from the sh.o.r.e, &c. When in port, please keep conspicuously on the cabin-table, for all comers to read: but be very careful not to take any ash.o.r.e, as the laws do not allow it.” A pen had been run through the last injunction, as though the propagandists of ”grand moral ideas” had become a little bolder since the war, and were determined to thrust their piety down the throats of the Portuguese, whether they would or not. If there should be any attempt now, on the part of poor old Portugal, to seize the unlawful distributor of the tracts, a gunboat or two would set the matter right. A little farther on, on the same cover, was the following instruction: ”As may be convenient, please report, (by letter if necessary,) anything of interest which may occur, in connection with the distribution; also take any orders for Bibles, and forward to John S. Pierson, Marine Agent, New York Bible Society, No. 7 Beekman Street.”

CHAPTER x.x.xV.

CAPRICIOUS WEATHER OF THE GULF STREAM--CAPTURE OF THE PACKET-s.h.i.+P TONAWANDA, THE MANCHESTER, AND THE LAMPLIGHTER--A CYCLONE.

Though the month of October is remarkable for its fine weather, along the American coast, yet here in the Gulf Stream, we had a constant succession of changes, the wind going regularly around the compa.s.s every two or three days, and thick, rainy weather predominating. We were now, besides, experiencing a south-easterly current of about two knots per hour, and as we were bound to the north-west, and frequently had the wind, as well as the current ahead, we made but slow progress. On the second day after capturing the _Dunkirk_, the familiar cry of ”sail ho!” again came ringing from the mast-head, and pretty soon a large s.h.i.+p loomed up above the horizon. We gave chase, and, just before sunset, came up with a fine packet-s.h.i.+p, whose deck, we could see, was crowded with pa.s.sengers. This was a somewhat unusual spectacle--a sailing s.h.i.+p filled with pa.s.sengers for Europe, during the month of October. Since the introduction of the steam-packet, but few pa.s.sengers, except emigrants, take pa.s.sage in a sailing s.h.i.+p, and the current of emigration sets the other way.

Upon being boarded, the s.h.i.+p proved to be the _Tonawanda_, of, and from Philadelphia, bound to Liverpool. Some of the pa.s.sengers were foreigners, fleeing from the tyranny, and outrages of person and property, which had overtaken them, under the reign of the Puritan, in the ”land of the free, and the home of the brave,” and others were patriotic Puritans themselves running away from the ”City of Brotherly Love,” to escape the draft. We captured the _Tonawanda_, and the question immediately presented itself what should we do with her? There being no claim, by any neutral, for the cargo, both s.h.i.+p and cargo were good prize of war, but unfortunately we could not burn the s.h.i.+p, without enc.u.mbering ourselves with the pa.s.sengers; and thirty of the sixty of these were women and children! The men we might have disposed of, without much inconvenience, but it was not possible to convert the _Alabama_ into a nursery, and set the stewards to serving pap to the babies. Although I made it a rule never to bond a s.h.i.+p if I could burn her, I released the _Tonawanda_ on bond, though there was no legal impediment to her being burned. I kept her cruising in company with me, however, for a day or two, hoping that I might fall in with some other s.h.i.+p of the enemy, that might be less valuable, or might have a neutral cargo on board, to which I could transfer the pa.s.sengers, and thus be enabled to burn her. But here, again, her owners were in luck, for the finest, and most valuable s.h.i.+ps, with cargoes entirely uncovered, would persist in crossing my path.

On the second day after the capture of the _Tonawanda_--that s.h.i.+p being still in our company, with a prize crew on board--the weather inclining to be overcast, and the breeze light--a s.h.i.+p was reported, at early daylight, on our weather-quarter. It was another heavy s.h.i.+p of the ”junk fleet,” and as we were lying right across her path, we had nothing to do but await her approach. She came along under a cloud of canvas, though, as the wind was light, it took her some three or four hours to come up with us. To disarm her of suspicion, I hoisted the American colors, and caused my prize to do the same. She naturally concluded that the two s.h.i.+ps were ”visiting,”

which s.h.i.+ps sometimes do at sea, when the wind is light, and there is not much time lost by the operation, and came on without so much as s.h.i.+fting her helm, or stirring tack or sheet. When she had approached sufficiently near, I invited her, too, to visit me; my card of invitation being a blank cartridge, and a change of flags. She hove to at once, and, upon being boarded, proved to be the s.h.i.+p _Manchester_ from New York, bound to Liverpool. I now threw the _Manchester's_ crew, together with the crews of the _Wave Crest_, and _Dunkirk_, on board the _Tonawanda_, as being the less valuable s.h.i.+p of the two, and permitted the latter to depart; but before doing so, I took from on board of her, one of her pa.s.sengers. This was a likely negro lad of about seventeen years of age--a slave until he was twenty-one, under the laws of Delaware. This little State, all of whose sympathies were with us, had been ridden over, rough-shod, by the Vandals north of her, as Maryland afterward was, and was arrayed on the side of the enemy. I was obliged, therefore, to treat her as such. The slave was on his way to Europe, in company with his master. He came necessarily under the laws of war, and I brought him on board the _Alabama_, where we were in want of good servants, and sent him to wait on the ward-room mess.

The boy was a little alarmed at first, but, when he saw kindly faces beaming upon him, and heard from his new masters, and the servants of the mess, some words of encouragement, he became rea.s.sured, and, in the course of a few days, was not only at home, but congratulated himself on the exchange he had made. He became, more especially, the servant of Dr. Galt, and there at once arose, between the Virginia gentleman and the slave boy, that sympathy of master and servant, which our ruder people of the North find it so impossible to comprehend. Faithful service, respect, and attachment followed protection and kind treatment, and the slave was as happy as the day was long. David soon became to Galt what Bartelli was to me--indispensable--and the former was really as free as the latter, except only in the circ.u.mstance that he could not change masters. I caused his name to be entered on the books of the s.h.i.+p, as one of the crew, and allowed him the pay of his grade. In short, no difference was made between him and the white waiters of the mess. His condition was in every respect bettered; though, I doubt not, a howl went up over his capture, as soon as it became known to the pseudo-philanthropists of the North, who know as little about the negro and his nature, as they do about the people of the South.

It was pleasant to regard the affection which this boy conceived for Galt, and the pride he took in serving him. As he brought the doctor's camp-stool for him to the ”bridge,” placed it in the cosiest corner he could find, and ran off to bring him a light for his cigar, his eyes would dilate, and his ”ivories” s.h.i.+ne. Dave served us during the whole cruise. He went on sh.o.r.e in all parts of the world, knew that the moment he touched the sh.o.r.e he was at liberty to depart, if he pleased, and was tampered with by sundry Yankee Consuls, but always came back to us. He seemed to have the instinct of deciding between his friends and his enemies.

The following correspondence took place between the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, and Earl Russell, the British Foreign Secretary, on the occasion of the two last captures:--

TO THE RT. HON. EARL RUSSELL, ETC., ETC.:--

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