SULLIVAN ISLAND CHANNEL
Two days after the meeting with the _Iroquois_, the _Dolphin_ found
herself abreast of the Bermudas, where she was assailed by a violent
squall. These isles are frequently visited by hurricanes, and are
celebrated for shipwrecks. It is here that Shakespeare has placed the
exciting scene of his drama, _The Tempest_, in which Ariel and Caliban
dispute for the empire of the floods.
The squall was frightful; James Playfair thought once of running for
one of the Bermudas, where the English had a military post: it would
have been a sad waste of time, and therefore especially to be
regretted; happily the _Dolphin_ behaved herself wonderfully well in
the storm, and, after flying a whole day before the tempest, she was
able to resume her course towards the American coast.
But if James Playfair had been pleased with his ship, he had not been
less delighted with the young girl's bravery; Miss Halliburtt had
passed the worst hours of the storm at his side, and James knew that a
profound, imperious, irresistible love had taken possession of his
whole being.
"Yes," said he, "this brave girl is mistress on board; she turns me
like the sea a ship in distress--I feel that I am foundering! What will
Uncle Vincent say? Ah! poor nature, I am sure that if Jenny asked me to
throw all this cursed cargo into the sea, I should do it without
hesitating, for love of her."
Happily for the firm of Playfair & Co., Miss Halliburtt did not demand
this sacrifice; nevertheless, the poor Captain had been taken captive,
and Crockston, who read his heart like an open book, rubbed his hands
gleefully.
"We will hold him fast!" he muttered to himself, "and before a week has
passed my master will be quietly installed in one of the best cabins of
the _Dolphin_."
As for Miss Jenny, did she perceive the feelings which she inspired?
Did she allow herself to share them? No one could say, and James
Playfair least of all; the young girl kept a perfect reserve, and her
secret remained deeply buried in her heart.
But whilst love was making such progress in the heart of the young
Captain, the _Dolphin_ sped with no less rapidity towards Charleston.
On the 13th of January, the watch signalled land ten miles to the west.
It was a low-lying coast, and almost blended with the line of the sea
in the distance. Crockston was examining the horizon attentively, and
about nine o'clock in the morning he cried:
"Charleston lighthouse!"
Now that the bearings of the _Dolphin_ were set, James Playfair had but
one thing to do, to decide by which channel he would run into
Charleston Bay.
"If we meet with no obstacles," said he, "before three o'clock we shall
be in safety in the docks of the port."
The town of Charleston is situated on the banks of an estuary seven
miles long and two broad, called Charleston Harbour, the entrance to
which is rather difficult. It is enclosed between Morris Island on the
south and Sullivan Island on the north. At the time when the _Dolphin_
attempted to force the blockade Morris Island already belonged to the
Federal troops, and General Gillmore had caused batteries to be erected
overlooking the harbour. Sullivan Island, on the contrary, was in the
hands of the Confederates, who were also in possession of Moultrie
Fort, situated at the extremity of the island; therefore it would be
advantageous to the _Dolphin_ to go as close as possible to the
northern shores to avoid the firing from the forts on Morris Island.
Five channels led into the estuary, Sullivan Island Channel, the
Northern Channel, the Overall Channel, the Principal Channel, and
lastly, the Lawford Channel; but it was useless for strangers, unless
they had skilful pilots on board, or ships drawing less than seven feet
of water, to attempt this last; as for Northern and Overall Channels,
they were in range of the Federalist batteries, so that it was no good
thinking of them. If James Playfair could have had his choice, he would
have taken his steamer through the Principal Channel, which was the
best, and the bearings of which were easy to follow; but it was
necessary to yield to circumstances, and to decide according to the
event. Besides, the Captain of the _Dolphin_ knew perfectly all the
secrets of this bay, its dangers, the depths of its water at low tide,
and its currents, so that he was able to steer his ship with the
greatest safety as soon as he entered one of these narrow straits. The
great question was to get there.
Now this work demanded an experienced seaman, and one who knew exactly
the qualities of the _Dolphin_.
In fact, two Federal frigates were now cruising in the Charleston
waters. Mr. Mathew soon drew James Playfair's attention to them.
"They are preparing to ask us what we want on these shores," said he.
"Ah, well! we won't answer them," replied the Captain, "and they will
not get their curiosity satisfied."
In the meanwhile the cruisers were coming on full steam towards the
_Dolphin_, who continued her course, taking care to keep out of range
of their guns. But in order to gain time James Playfair made for the
south-west, wishing to put the enemies' ships off their guard; the
latter must have thought that the _Dolphin_ intended to make for Morris
Island Channel. Now there they had batteries and guns, a single shot
from which would have been enough to sink the English ship; so the
Federals allowed the _Dolphin_ to run towards the south-west,
contenting themselves by observing her without following closely.
Thus for an hour the respective situations of the ships did not change,
for James Playfair, wishing to deceive the cruisers as to the course of
the _Dolphin_, had caused the fires to be moderated, so that the speed
was decreased. However, from the thick volumes of smoke which escaped
from the chimneys, it might have been thought that he was trying to get
his maximum pressure, and, consequently his maximum of rapidity.
"They will be slightly astonished presently," said James Playfair,
"when they see us slip through their fingers!"
In fact, when the Captain saw that he was near enough to Morris Island,
and before a line of guns, the range of which he did not know, he
turned his rudder quickly, and the ship resumed her northerly course,
leaving the cruisers two miles to windward of her; the latter, seeing
this manoeuvre, understood the steamer's object, and began to pursue
her in earnest, but it was too late. The _Dolphin_ doubled her speed
under the action of the screws, and distanced them rapidly. Going
nearer to the coast, a few shell were sent after her as an acquittal of
conscience, but the Federals were outdone, for their projectiles did
not reach half-way. At eleven o'clock in the morning, the steamer
ranging near Sullivan Island, thanks to her small draft, entered the
narrow strait full steam; there she was in safety, for no Federalist
cruiser dared follow her in this channel, the depth of which, on an
average, was only eleven feet at low tide.
"How!" cried Crockston, "and is that the only difficulty?"
"Oh! oh! Master Crockston," said James Playfair, "the difficulty is not
in entering, but in getting out again."
"Nonsense!" replied the American, "that does not make me at all uneasy;
with a boat like the _Dolphin_ and a Captain like Mr. James Playfair,
one can go where one likes, and come out in the same manner."
Nevertheless, James Playfair, with telescope in his hand, was
attentively examining the route to be followed. He had before him
excellent coasting guides, with which he could go ahead without any
difficulty or hesitation.
Once his ship was safely in the narrow channel which runs the length of
Sullivan Island, James steered bearing towards the middle of Fort
Moultrie as far as the Pickney Castle, situated on the isolated island
of Shute's Folly; on the other side rose Fort Johnson, a little way to
the north of Fort Sumter.
At this moment the steamer was saluted by some shot which did not reach
her, from the batteries on Morris Island. She continued her course
without any deviation, passed before Moultrieville, situated at the
extremity of Sullivan Island, and entered the bay.
Soon Fort Sumter on the left protected her from the batteries of the
Federalists.
This fort, so celebrated in the civil war, is situated three miles and
a half from Charleston, and about a mile from each side of the bay: it
is nearly pentagonal in form, built on an artificial island of
Massachusetts granite; it took ten years to construct and cost more
than 900,000 dollars.
It was from this fort, on the 13th of April, 1861, that Anderson and
the Federal troops were driven, and it was against it that the first
shot of the Confederates was fired. It is impossible to estimate the
quantity of iron and lead which the Federals showered down upon it.
However, it resisted for almost three years, but a few months after the
passage of the _Dolphin_ it fell beneath General Gillmore's three
hundred-pounders on Morris Island.
But at this time it was in all its strength, and the Confederate flag
floated proudly above it.
Once past the fort, the town of Charleston appeared, lying between
Ashley and Cooper Rivers.
James Playfair threaded his way through the buoys which mark the
entrance of the channel, leaving behind the Charleston lighthouse,
visible above Morris Island. He had hoisted the English flag, and made
his way with wonderful rapidity through the narrow channels. When he
had passed the quarantine buoy, he advanced freely into the centre of
the bay. Miss Halliburtt was standing on the poop, looking at the town
where her father was kept prisoner, and her eyes filled with tears.
At last the steamer's speed was moderated by the Captain's orders; the
_Dolphin_ ranged along the end of the south and east batteries, and was
soon moored at the quay of the North Commercial Wharf.