ONE DOLLAR PER ANNUM, INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
TOWANDA:
Satnrban fllorninn, December 2, 1854.
jlcluttb Ipottrj.
"LET ME IN."
BT FLORENCE FEBCT.
When the summer evening's shadows
Veiled the earth's calm bosom o'er,
Came a young child, faini and weary,
Tapping at a cottage door;
" Wandering through the winding wood-paths
* My worn feet too long have been ;
Let me in, oh, gentle mother,
Lei me in !"
Years passed on—his eager spirit
Gladly watched (he flying hours;
"I will be a child no longer,
Finding bliss in birds and flowers ;
I will seek the bands of pleasure,
I will join their merry din ;
Let me tn to joy and g adness,
Let me in!"
Years sped on—yet vainly yearning,
Murmuring stiil the restless heart—
"l am lired of heartless folly,
Let the glittering cheat depart;
I have found in wordly pleasure
Nought to happiness akin,
Let me in to Love's warm presence,
Let me in !"
Years flew on—a youth no longer,
Still he owned the restless heart;
" 1 am tired of Love's i oft durance;
Swcet-voiced syren, we must part;
I will gain a laurel chaplet,
And a world's applause will win :
Let me in to fame and glory,
Let me in!"
Y"ears fled on—the restless spirit
Never found the bliss it sought;
Answered hopes and granted blessings
Only new aspirings brought—
"l am tired of earth's vain glorv,
I am tired of grief and sin,
Let me in to rest eternal,
Let me in!"
Thus the unquiet, yearning spirit,
Taunted by a vague unrest.
Knocks and calls at every gateway,
In a rain and fruitless quest;
Ever striving some new blessing,
.Some new happiness to win,—
At some portal ever saving,
Let me in !"
Scltfltfc
THE CRUISE OF A GUINEAMAN ;
if Oil) Q Xccf.
BT J HN W O"CLD.
CHAPTER 11 —CONCLCDCU
•About noon ol the fourth day alter our arrival,
5 we lay quietly at anchor waiting our cargo, Sey.
mour. who had been ashore, returned aboard in
great haste, and ordered me tocall ail hands up an
chor, which bemg done, we were towed down
stream again just above the angle in the river.
"Now then, Mr. Garnet," said Seymour, "'get
a spring on the cable, and 6iew us around, so that
our starboard battery will command that entrance,
for I have just been informed that three English
men ol war (a ship of the line and two frigates)
are entering the bay."
" If that be so," said I, " they cannot get more
tnan half way up the narrow channel, as you well
know."
'•Ay,' he replied, "but their boats, my man—
(heir boats can come up."
The spring was accordingly applied to the cable
and our broadside brought to bear upon the en
trance two hundred yards due east from it, so that
anything coming up could not see us until the point
was doubled, for the intervening land was high
and thickly wooded Our guns were Ihen ex
amined, an extra stand of canister put into each,
and the starboard battery depressed and pointed at
the angle t-f ihe river. We had scarcely finished
our prepara'ions when a six-oared cuuei shot out
fiom behind Hie point, steering up the stream.
" I give you fair warning," shouted Seymour,
' bout ship or I'll blow you out of water."
" Ay, ay, my fine fellow," said the English lieu
tenant, coolly—ordering his men lo lie on their
oars, —"of what nation are you? where from
where bound—and what are yon doing hero?"
" There," said Seymour, pointing to our black
..ag, wnich was at this instant run up to the peak
there i 6 my flag— the rest of me you'll find out
il you come so near again. Now I advise you to
pud back to your ship, otherwise—All ready star
board battery !"
'• Thank you for the hint, friend," said the En- j
g'-ish heu'enant, " and in return, I'll inform you
that an English seventy four and two frigatesare at
anchor in the bay."
1 1 knew all that before," replied Seymour, un
concernedly.
" Well," said the Englisman, putting his boat
aoout, " it'g my opinion you'll know it again—so.
good by, g 0 long ■" and his men slowly gave way
" e fi ui(;!! y doubled the point, and pulled down the
river.
Now, Garnet," said Seymour, " we'll have
•ome.figging shortly, for I can't afford to be block
uP here, and must and will be at sea in eight
a nd torty hours, come what may."
That's easier said than done," I replied,
r 'hat liner a broadside would be no child's
Play."
Poh ! ' said he contemptuously, " I see you
■ understand all the tricks of the trade yet.—
third cutler and pulldown the channel as
,dr is safe, keeping close in shore, and then take
u Ihe bushes and find out what those Englishmen
are doing, a n d return quickly. Meanwhile I will
Be nd ashore for my slaves."
'polled down stream accordingly, but seeing
r °' in S> 1 ' e ' l 'b® boat in care of the crew, and
*" ron the fores' alone, down to the hill
THE BRADFORD REPORTER.
overlooking the bay. I then saw the frigates were
the same we had sent to sea after the pirate, and
the liner was a heavy one, carrying a hundred
guns. They had anchored at first in the centre ot
the bay, but now all had weighed again. The frig
ates stood down the bay, and anchored, one on each
side of the mouth, alhwart-ships of the channel
outside, while (he line of the battle sailed up to the
head of the bay, put her helm down, and bringing
everything flat aback, shoved herself into the chan
nel her own length, stem foremost, and then an
chored head and stern in the middle of it.
" Pretty good seamanship, Mr. Bull," thought I,
as I observed thisplugging up manoeuvre—for there
appeared scarcely room for her boats to'pull along
side of her, much less for a ship to pass—" it will
not be easy to run by a teilow as wiJe awake as
you are."
1 had now ascertained all that was needful—so 1
returned to my boat, which had laid snug under
the bushes, about half way down*the channel. As
the Englishman's guns commanded the whole of
it we were obliged to unship our oars and scull up
stream, keeping well under the banks—and it was
well we did so, for just belore we reached the an
gle of the river, we carele-sly shot into t'ne middle
of the stream, when quicker than thought six thir
two pound shots whistled over our heads, lollowed
by a roar of genuine English thunder. We were
not desirous ol any more such, and took to our
oars; giving way strongly we doubled the point
just as six more round shot kicked up the water
astern ol us.
" Pretty good gunnery, Mr. Bull," thought I, as
I pulled alongside the brig, and made report to
Seymour. " I have no desire to play at short bowls
with you."
I had scarcely reached the vessel when the En
glishman began to fire his stern chasers,one .a min
| ute,up the channel, and the thirty-two pound shot
skipped along over the water, and dashed through
j the forest, knocking trees and earth about in every
> direction—an J, of course, completely commanding
, the whole length of the channel. We were at first
■ at a loss for the reason of the firing, but when night
| came on ami a palpable darkness lei 1 upon us, and
i the Englishman commenced a rapid fire ol round
shot, grape and canister, we knew at orice that his
object was to prevent our playing any "Yankee
shine ' upon him. He had obtained the proper
range before dark, and as his shot swept the east
ern channel we were glad to keep very clear ol it.
About midnight, however, Seymour determined
I to try his hand at the game, and ordered me to ake
t fity men, armed with cutlasses, pistols, and mus
kets, and go down through the woods as near to
Englishman as-was prudent, and then sweep his
deck With musketry Being landed on the left bank
of the river, we silently wound our way through
the finest, and approached to within half musket
shot ot him unheard, and each taking a tree lor a
screen, according to old Ken ucky ptirtciples, we
opened upon him in fine style, directed by a flah
of his stern chaser, with which he was still sweep
ing the channel. Although the Englishman was
evidently surprised by our sudden attack, he took
it very coolly, and without knock ng off fiom his
stern chasers a'moment, the marines and small arm
men were summoned to their stations, according to
the regular rou ine of nautical war, and in live
minutes his ship was one entire blaze ol mu-ketry,
fore and aft. Here, however, we had all the ad
vantage, being considerably elevated, and entirely
protected by the trees; the flashes ol our guns
(their only guide) was of course small, but the
broad sheet of flnrne from her stern chasers com
pletely illuminated her deck, affording us every
facility for accurate shooting.
The Englishman soon found that this method of
procedure would nor do ; but from our peculiar sit
uation it was somewhat difficult toted what would
do. The banks of the channel were qui e bold,
rising a' an angle of sixty degrees, and the place
we occupied was so much elevated that the guns
of her larboard battery could not be brought to bear
upon us at all. While I was congratulating mysell
on the advantage we evidently had over them,
their fire of musketry, which had heen unintermit
ted, suddenly ceased—and the next instant a lot of
thirty-two pound shot were tossed at us, informing
us that John Bull had slewed around his starboard
spar deck battery This, however, did not annoy
me at all—(or carronades are clumsy things, and
their shot neve hit << once in a place " and more
over, are thrown with so litlie force that a fellow
with stout ribs may ljugh at them. Finding that
this did not trouble us, they changed to grape and
canister—but we, still protected by our trees, kept
j up our fire, not being so easily scared.
. When the failure of this experiment became ap
parent, the increased bustle on the Englishman's
deck showed that now he was going about flogging
according to science—and a lew minutes after, her
stern chasers, which till now had been sweeping
the channel, suddenly ceased firing. Thinking
something new was a coming. I gave orders to
change ground ; and the word being silen ly pas
ed from one to another, we moved a couple ol hun
dred yards lo the eastward—and il was we'd we
did so, for the next instant fire balls were thrown
by dozens into our former ground, followed by a
shower ol round grape and canister from (he long
thirty-two pound stern chasers, which kicked up a
row among the trees in line style. An instant alter,
a few dozen ol Congreve rockets were thrown into
the boshes in every direction, and some ol them
chancing lo alight in our vicinity, dispelled my
doubts as lo the propriety of a retreat; so instantly
lacking ship, we were off at ten knots an hour.
" Well, Mr. Garnet," said Seymour, when I had
reported progress on board, " it's very plain that
this Englishman won't budge tack nor sheet for all
we can do ; so since he won't go away, we must
I shall go to sea to-day in spite ol everything—
therefore make your will, and holy-stone yonrcon
science—for though I shall certainly succeed, who
will live to tell ol it is another question. We must
gel the rest olour cargo elsewhere, for we are not
mor6 than two-thirds full."
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH.
" RESARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER."
I admired Seymour'a resolution ; for although he
had heretofore been astonishingly successful, I did
not think that this plan was among the possibili
ties, and began to cudgel invention for a yarn to
spin in case of capture. Now, for the first time I
began to have some compunctious visitings as to the
lawlulness of my present employment,and began to
debate with myself how far my forcible entry into
the tradd would excuse my remaining in it—and
finally came to the conclusion to stand by and see
what would turn up
When the day dawned the English ceased filing
and were evidently waiting for some of their small
craft to airire, so that they could come up and at
tack us on terms of equality—knowing full well
that to attempt to carry us in boats would be mad
ness. All the morning business went on as usual,
and except receiving slaves on board, we made no
i apparent preparation for sea, lest the English should
learn it from the natives, whom we knew always
served the strongest party. But in reality, every
preparation was made, and by lour bells in the
forenoon watch we were completely ready lor
sea.
At seven bells, (half past eleven,) Seymour,
who had been ashore, deliberately returned on
board.
" Mr. Carline,"said he to the second lieutenant,
" jump into that canoe alongside, with a couple of
men, and pull to the turn in the river. Wave yrur
handkerchief when the English liner pipes to din
ner and then pull for us. Mr Garnet, hoist in all
the boats, and stow the quarter boats amidships in
in the launch, instead of tunning them up the da
vits "
"Now.sir," said Seymour, " pipe down ham
mocks."
" Down hammocks, indeed," thought I, as 1 ie
peated the order; "pretty well done forsevrn
bells, A. M. Captain Seymour," said I, " it strikes
me you are getting sleepy."
" You will find I am wide awake, 1 guess," re
plied Seymour. " Now then, John Garnet, un
; shackle the cable abaft the bins, and stand by to
slip it. Loose all sail and hoist away everything.
Brace up sharp on the larboard tack Mm sheets
and tacks, and stand by to sheet home. Clear away
both batteries, and run them in"—the guns were
1 double shotted with grape ariJ canister—" and
now, Lieutenat Garnet, we are ready to run by
them."
" 7 he e devil!" said I, as I walked away thun
derstruck at the madness ol his plan ; " hark you.
Captain Seymour, if that's your scheme, we are
| candidates lor immortality as tiue as I am a sin
■ ner."
j "Mr Garnet," said Seymour, angrily, " I bpg
you will remember that I am commander of this
vessel."
j • Ay," said I, " and you will please remember
i that lam a pressed man. But this is no time for
quarrelling, so we'll be friends for the present By
and by, I promise myself the gratification of shoot
ing you at ten paces."
" Do," he replied, coolly.
The wind was now blowing fresh from the north
east—the tide was now running down at four knots
j —and we rode head to the wind by the larboard
; bower, with a kedge astern. Seymour stood upon
I the poop, watch in hand.
" It keeps English time," he said, " for I set j;
by their bell this morning. It now wants one min
ute to twelve Mr. Garnet, ship the chain cable
we'll ride by the kedge."
It was applied accordingly, the brig swinging
around, was brought up by the kedge, though it
seemed as if the hawser would part with the strain
A carpenter's male stood by, axe in hand, ready to
cut, and Seymour watched Carline for the signal
An instant after he waved his handkerchief and
sruck out for us.
" Sheet home ! —cut away !"—shouted Seymour.
It was done—in an instant we were under way
—and Carline and his men jumped aboard, leaving
the canoe adrift.
" Now," said Seymour, " go below, every man
of you, except, those at the wheel, and stay there
litl you are called. I will shoot the first man that
puts his head above the combings of the hatches.
Mr. Garnet, you had better go below, too—you can
do nothing on deck "
41 I am greatly obliged to you. sir," sail I, " but
I II stay on deck and see ths fun."
We shortly doubled the point, and with wind
and tide, shot rapidly down the 6tream We were
not observed, and approached nearer and nearer to
the liner, undiscovered, un'il our flying jibboom
was nearly over her taffriil.
" Port!" whispered Seymour.
The helm was shifted accordingly, and we pass
ed the starboard side of the seventy-four so closely
that her main deck battery swept our larboard
hammock netting off clear, while our starboard
bulwarks almo-t touched the bank of the river
Knocking the ashes from the cigar which was ac
cidentally in my mouth, I fired the foremost gun
ol the larboard battery plump into the liner, just as
her crew, arouseJ by the collision, dropped their
cans—it being grog time—manned their starboard
battery and let drive. They were a little behind
time, however, for we had that instant shot past
them, and all their guns threw their iron harmless
ly astern of us, while we, doubling the point,were
soon out of reach.
" Ail hands make sail," shouted Seymour;—
41 round in the larboard braces. Stand by the star
board siuddin' sails.
With such government, we were under sail in
less than no time, and with studdin' sails, and sky
sails, the wind on the starboard quarter, we dashed
dowu the bay.
" Pretty well done, Captain Seymour," said I—
" but you are not safe yet. Do you hear thai?"
The English frigates, awakened by the liner's
broadside, were beating to quarters, and as they
lay across die channel, on each side of the mouth
of the bay, '{ thought our final escape was yet a
question. Not so, with Seymour—for, robbing bis
bands in irrepressible glee, he walked about the
poop, giving orders, almost beside himsell with
joy.
" Hillo, signal quarter master," said he, " we
won't mince matters! sent up our black ensign at
the main. We'll give Johnny Bull a target for his
shot."
The words were scarcely out of his mouth when
a storm of iron rushed past us, and looking astern
we saw that the liner, having slipped her cables
and fired a broadside, was coming alter us, making
all sail
" Very good oysters," said Seymour, with a gri
mace that a baboon might have envied. " Mr.Gar
net, poke at him with our stern chasers, and make
him ' a candidate for eternity,' while I try my hand
at guessing with these fellows ahead."
VVe accordingly blazed away with our stern
chasers, to injure him if possible, and cover our
selves with smoke. We soon reached the mouth
of the bay, and just before we passed the points
which would bring us within range of the lrigates,
Seymour sang out:
" Man both batteries! Straight as you go, quar
ter master."
We passed the capes, steering right on for the
reef, which, as I have already mentioned, ran
across the mouth of the bay—as soon as our guns
came to bear, we gave each frigate a broadside,
and our aim being true, and the guns double shot
ted, they made a crashing. They reserved their
fire, thinking that we should be obliged to pass
near to one or the other, and they would then give
it to us soundly.
\ VVe continued our fire; and Seymour, standing
: upon the poop, began to cun the brig himsell; and
although the smoke was so dense that we could not
| see a lathom, gave his orders as promptly as if it
were clear day and plain channel.
" Blaze away, my lads," said he, " we'll do John
ny 801 l alt we can."
An instant alter he sung out;
" Knock off firing ! Hold on everybody !"
The order was obeyed, and the next instant we
struck heavily on the reef.
"Very good," said Seymour, "once more, you
beauty."
We struck again, and then slipped over the reef
into deep water.
"All hands cheer ship !" he shouted.
VVe se .t up the English ensign at the fore, gave
it three cheers, and went on our course under all
sail. The English could not follow us over the
reef, as they drew to much water; but they slipped
■ their cables, fiied their broasides at us in spite, and
: then siood through the channel; but before they
| were clear of it, we were hull down in the south
west.
Take it as a whole, our escape was really a mas
terpiece nt daring and nautical skill. It required
the mind to conceive the plan of running past a
line of battle ship in broad daylight and in such a
channel, and indomitable resolution to put that plan
into effect; for had we been discovered two minutes
sooner, one broadside would have totally annihilat
ed us. The attempt was made when the English
piped to dinner and grog, because they would
naturally be remiss in their look out at this time
thinking more of the grog-tub than of us. Ham
mocks were piped down because Seymour knew
that the linet's main deckers would just sweep the
netting Yxrds were braced sharp because it
square they would lock in the Englishman's tig
ging Boats wero stowed amidships because there
was no room for them on quarter Guns were run
in for the same reason; and after crossing the bay,
he steered over the reef, knowing that there was
one place where we should touch-and go without
injury. Such seamanship deserved success—what
ever was the cause—and obtained it; for at sunset
we were clear of land, and the English fleet was
i out of sight astern.
I " Mr. Garnet," said Seymour, as soon as it was
dark, " we'll haul our wind and stand southeast lor
the land, because I have no idea of going" to
Brazd half-loaded."
VVe altered our course accordingly, and stoo.l for
| the shore. The former part of the night was quite
dark, but about lour bells in themid-wa'ch it clear
led up a little. I was accidentally on deck at the
time, and, sweeping the horizon wrh my night
glass, I discovered a s'range sail on the starboard
bow, distant about three miles. Reporting it to
Seymour, 1 received orders lo chase, arid putting
up the helm, and crowding all sail, we were alter
her as last as a six-knot breeze would carry us
The stranger, perceiving us, made all sail to escape,
but it waa in vain—lor at daylight we were within
half a mile She was evidently a Guineaman,
being a long, low, suspicious looking schooner, and
we ranged up within pistol shot without firing a
gun, so that we could not break any ot her crockery
and ordered her captain lo come on board. He
came accordingly, ant Seymour, receiving him on
the quatter-deck, being moved by virtuous indigna
tion no doubt, began lo read him a furious lecture
on the enormities of the slave trade.
" Why," said he, in astonishment, pointing to
the wooly pates lying about our decks, " you are a
siaver, too."
But Seymour only lectured the harder, and
wound up as regular built a preachment as any
chaplain ever spun, by ordering him, at his peril,
to sertd all his slaves on hoard of us instantly. He
did not dare to disobey; and, when the transfer
was completed, Seymour quietly said to him :
" Now, sir, you may go back to Africa, and get
as many more as you like, for these just complete
my cargo. There, Mr. Garnet," he continued, at
we filled and stood away to the westward,, " that's
what we slavers call borrowing"
Having nothing noe to detain us, we cracked
away merrily for the south'ard and west'-
ard, and about noon of the eighteenth day after
leaving the coast of Guinea, the look-out aloft re
ported a sail on the starboard bow. The wind
being the south-east trade, and blowing fresh, we
instantly op-helm, made all sail, and gave chase,
and by lour bells in the afternoon watch we could
see with cyr gfa-Fes thft she was a large ship on
the larboard tack, heading west, and sailing lazily
along under topsails and courser*. One thing was
very plain, the stranger was in no kind of haste,
and being led by this fact to examine her more
closely, I became convinced she was a man of
war, and accordingly remarked to Seymour that
perhaps she would be a scotch prize.
But he replied that having the weather-gage we
could sail as near as we liked with perfect safely,
and therefore cracked away. As we sailed very
fast, we were within four or five miles of her at
seven bells in the alternoon watch, and then saw
plainly that she was a (rigate. She showed Eng
lish colors, and fired a gun to attract our observa
tion ; but we took no notice of either.
" Mr. Garnet," said Seymour, " 1 believe that is
one of the English frigates we chased neatly a
fortnight since, and we'll run down to them, so
that we may know them, and they us."
We accordingly approached within two miles ol
her. keeping well to windward, and then fired our
long forty-two at her, and sent up our black flag at
the main. That rather provoked Mr. Bull, the shot
happening to hit him; and he let drive at us the
whole ol his larboard battery, hauled clo*e on the
wind on the larboard tack, and, as quick as thought,
was under all sail. His shot did us no essential
harm, and giving him our statboard battery in re
turn, we changed our course from west to south
west, crowded everything, and run across his fo-e
--foot unhurt. He instantly up-hclrn and gave chase,
and the breeze being a stiff one, we were both off
at a fine rate. For two hours he lost considerably,
but. about sunset it began to breeze up and threaten
a gal 3.
" Now, Captain Seymour," said 1, "you under
stand we shall catch a gale of wind shortly, and
i the English being the heaviest, will catch us."
" Don't chuckle too soon, Lieutenant Garnet," he
' replied, " we'll escape this lellow easy enough "
" That remain 6 to ba seen," was my brief re
! joinder, as I squinted to windward.
The wind now increased rapidly—so much so,
| indeed, that eight bells in the second dog-watch
| we were obliged to take in ail our stud Jin '-sails—
but the Englishman kept his fast, and. al hough
j eight or nine miles astern, evidentally gained on
! us. Seymour, however, was not at all disturbed,
I but gave ordets and cracked jokes as clieeifully as
I ever. With the gale, clouds came on, and it grew
| quite dark ; not 60 however, as to prevent our
seeing each other, while wecracked on, shortening
sail only when absolutely necessary, as the English
gained upon us slowly, but surely.
About midnight, Seymour, who had been coolly
walking about the poop, suddenly stopped, and
after thinking a moment, ordereJ a reefor to call
the master.
" Mr QuarJrant," said Seymour, as soon as he
came upon deck, " work up your reckoning, and
tell me where we are now, and bear a hand about
it."
Quadant diveJ, RnJ in an instant returning
said :
" By dead reckoning, sir, we are now hi latitude
208 25 N., longi'ude 289 12 VV., standing west by
south "
" Bring me iba chart," said Seymour. It was
brought, and after studying it a moment, he threw
it ty, and said to me .
" Mr. Garnet, we are not far from Martin Yas
and Trindad. Take your post, sir, on the to'-gallant
forecastle, and keep a bright look-out ahead It
you see anything or think you see anything, sing
out to the wheel, and men whom 1 shall station
along the gangway will pass the word "
I took my place, accordingly, anJ "gazed into
dim futurity." Martin Vas and Trindad are two
small islands in the South Atlantic, not far from the
coast of Brazil, which rise precipitously from the
sea to the height of three or lour hundred leer,
nearly or totally inaccessible. The are both qnre
small—the larger not exceeding five hundred yarJs
across—and this fact, added to their abrupt sides,
has entirely preserved them from the polluting tread
of man Here, in the solemn soli'udes of the
ocean, they silently sit, uninhabited and alonp.—
Ages upon ages have rolled over them, and they
are still the same as on that day when the morning
stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted tor
joy in view of the lair hand woik of the Almighty
The ocean, lashed into fury by ten thousand tern
pests, has dashed against their rocky bulwm ks in
impotent wrath—tor they stand " steadfast and
sure ;" far removed from the noise and turmoil of
man, clothed in quietness, they slumbpred on,
lulled by the murmurs n| the deep. Confident in
their rocky foundations, they lautrh at the roar of
the storms Though the waters of the troubled sea
chafe their sides, their summits are visited only
by the pure radiance of the luminaries ot heaven.
The water does not shoal as you approach them,
and being composed ol Jirk rock, there is nothing
about them to warn the careless mariner of his
danger Hence our unusual cau'ion.
" How far astern are the English now?' I in
quired, about four bells in the mid- watch. The
man passed aft, and returning,9aid "About a mile,
sir."
As the wind now blew a gale, this was as I ex
|ected—and shrugging my shoulders at the pros
pect astern, I turned my attention to the prospects
ahead. It had become quite datk ; I could scarce
ly see at all, and waa about to relinquish my look
out as useless, when I saw ahend the dim outline
of an object resembling a large 6hip before the
wind.
" Mr. Jones, ' said I lo a reefer near me, "go
aft, sir. and report to Captain Seymour a sail right
ahead, and be quiet about it."
Seymour came forward, and after looking a mo
men), said:
"Mr Garnet, that ia not a sail; it is the blufl
which rises from the era between Martin Vas and
Trindad. It is nearly two hondred feet in height,
entirely precipitous on every side, not more than
a hundred feet in diameter at the base, and slight
ly conical. That is what yon suppose to be a ship,
and tn 'lie dark it might readily be miFfaken for
one; and, il we manoeuvre rightly it will insure our
escape and put a slop to our pursuers." •
Ae then proceeded to give me my orders, arid
returned to his station upon the poop.
"Starboard a little!" was my first hail to tha
wheel. It was obeyed, and produced just enough
alteration in our course to bring the blufl on cur
starboard-bow, which, wishing to screen it fiom tha
view of the English, was jnt what was wan ed
When very near the island—distant, say two hun
dred yards, just as I had repeated my orders !■■
tha wheel—the English frigate, being only a quar
ter of a mile astern, fell oft a point or two from the
wind, and a thirty-two-pound shot, from her bow
chafer, carried away our main-topir.aM. This ac
cident, apparently 60 disastrous, was our salva
tion.
" Starboard a little," I repealed.
We were now about a ship's lerig h from the
island, an 1 the English not more th tn three or lour
astern. At this instant they fired at us again
The shot raked us fore and aft, but it was their
destruction. Their vision was obscored % by its
smoke, which caused them to mistake the island
for us, and a loud voice from the Englishman's
forecastle, which we knew to be that of her firsf
lieutenant, hailed :
" Port the helm ! We'll run her down !*'
We slipped past the pillar-island so closely, that
our starboard main yard arm grazed its precipitous
side, and the next instant the Englishman's flying
; jib-boom, jib-boom and bowsprit, successively
struck against the immovable rock, and were driv-
I cn in upon the hull by the violence of the coll is
; sion. A moment more, and the hull itself dashed
against the fatal barrier, crushing her bulwarks and
making a fearlui breach lor the entering waves
A frigate, however, is too substantial a craft to bo
' destroyed by any one blow that she can receive
| and in this instance, the strengh of her bows sufllc
leJ to resist instantaneous destruction. She recoil
ed, accordingly, a few fathoms, and her first iieu
tenant, in terror, shouted :
' SiarboarJ-lhe helm !—hard-a-s'arhoard !"
It was 100 late! recovering from the recoil of tha
first shock, the frigate struck again so violently tliS(
her bow was totally demolished. Meanwhile we
had hove to, and now could hear the wa'er rush
into our an agonist with a roar, which plainly show •
.ed that her last hour had come. She rolled heavily
I to the windward once, and then went down; and
i her crew heard, amid the roar o 1 the tempest, tha
| cheers which Seymour, with Ins usual cold-blood
ed ferocity, ordered our crew to give them, sound
ing in their ears like the laugh of the fiends of hell '
CHAPTER 111.
[
The gale had now abated, and we, having re
, paired damages, and rigged new spars aloft, crowd -
eJ all sail for the west'ard and south'ard and at
i noon on the fourth day, with Spanish colors at the
peak, wo entered the harbor ol Rio Janeiro.
As we neared the anchorage of men of war, I
observed among them the United States frigate
Constellation, (the one with which vre had a brush
in leaving New York,) and perceiving, as we ap-
I preached, that her quarter-deck was crowded with
officers, Seymour altered our course so as to pass
; across her stern—as we were now in a neural per
! and had nothing to fear from her. Commodotc
!
; Montague was standing upon the signal locker, and
as wp passed under Iter stern, Seymour pointing to
I tiie slaves who were lying about our decks, hailed
I him with:
" Friend Montague, I'll pick out a dozen of the
prettiest, and send them aboard of you, shortly, for
your own peculiar."
It was beneath the dignity of a Captain ol the
Uni'ed Sta'es Navy to bandy defiance or ileal in
| blackguardism with astaver-snd, accordingly Moc
| tigue pretended no! to hear what Seymour said—
; but the bio id mounting in bis face showed plfinly
: that the taunt t rat heard, and felt. To carty out
his system ol bravado, Seymour ordered to let go
'lie anchor about three hundred yards from the
Constellation, and rpering away cable, we lay prc
j cisely parallel to her, broaside to broadside. The
weather now being awfully hot, we were of course
desirous to land our siuvps as quickly as possible
1 and having made the necessary arrangements vvidi
i the authorities of thp port, we commenced discharg
ing cargo at four P M., and used such dispa'ch
that tipfore seven that evening, cot one remained
on board. This operation boing completed, Sey
mour turned his atten ion to iiis small warfare with
the Constellation, and mustering our band—a strong
one by the way—upon the poop, he saltpej Monta.
gue'a ears with ' Hail Columbia" and ''Yankee
Doodle"—and when eight bells came, it was
"made" in true man o' war style—two eighteen
pounders, and a fu.'l band, announcing to all in port,
and the Constellation in particular, that our wa'ch
was set.
The next mortnng, about ten o'clock, having per
formed my usual duties, 1 went down into the
ward-room, and shortly reappeared on deck in tha
same dress I wore on the day we left New York
" What now, Mr. Garnet," said Seymonr, in as
tonishment, as I walked alt upon the poop.
" I come, sir, to request a boat, I replied
" As first lieutenant ol this vessel, sir," answer-
Seymour, still more surprized, " you need not ask
that as a favor. It is your right."
" I hold rank here no longer, sir," said I; ' t
was kidnapped by you, and have participated in
your infamous atrocities thus long only becau-e I
have had no opportunity to leave you. While you
wete in danger and difficulty I scorned to quit you
—it would have seemed like fear, to which lam a
stranger. But now, assuring you that a viler scoun
drel than you r.e7er crossed my hawse, I iidorm
you that I am about to surrender myself to Com
modore Montague, aboard the Constella'ion "
" My respects and a pleasant voyage to you sir,"
said Seymour—for he saw it was useless to remon
strate, and his pride was mor'aiiy piqued at my
unexpected persona! denunciation—" boatswain's
mate,call away the first cutter. I hope 6ir. yea
will Jo me the fyvor to take ycur nav due fit sf j