EXCITING ADVENTURES.
I may now, I trust, without appearing egotistical, digress slightly from
the narrative to give an account of how I managed with my own private
venture, which I had personally to attend to; for it is scarcely
necessary to mention that in blockade-running everyone must look after
himself. If he does not his labour will have been in vain.
Before leaving England I had met a Southern lady, who, on my inquiring
as to what was most needed by her compatriots in the beleaguered States,
replied curtly: 'Corsages, sir, I reckon.' So I determined to buy a lot
of the articles she referred to, and on arriving at Glasgow (the port
from which we originally started) I visited an emporium that seemed to
contain everything in the world; and I astonished a young fellow behind
the counter by asking for a thousand pairs of stays. Such an unusual
request sent him off like a rocket to higher authority, with whom I
made a bargain for the article required at one shilling and a penny per
pair, to be delivered the next day. At the same time I bought five
hundred boxes of Cockle's pills, and a quantity of toothbrushes. Well,
here I was in Wilmington, with all these valuables on my hands; the
corsages were all right, but the horrid little Cockles were bursting
their cerements and tumbling about my cabin in all directions. I was
anxious, with the usual gallantry of my cloth, to supply the wants of
the ladies first. The only specimens of the sex that I could see moving
about were coloured women, who were so little encumbered with dress that
I began to think I was mistaken in the article recommended by my lady
friend as being the most required out here. After waiting some time, and
no one coming to bid for my ware, I was meditating putting up on the
ship's side a large board with the name of the article of ladies' dress
written on it--a pillbox for a crest, and toothbrushes as
supporters--when an individual came on board and inquired whether I
wished 'to trade.' I greedily seized upon him, took him into my retreat,
and made him swallow three glasses of brandy in succession, after which
we commenced business.
I will not trouble my reader with the way in which we traded; regarding
the corsages, suffice it to say that he bought them all at what seemed
to me the enormous price of twelve shillings each, giving me a profit of
nearly eleven hundred per cent.
On my asking where the fair wearers of the article he had bought could
be seen, he told me that all the ladies had gone into the interior. I
hope they found my importations useful; they certainly were not
ornamental.
Elated as I was by my success, I did not forget the Cockles, and gently
insinuated to my now somewhat excited friend that we might do a little
more trading. To my disgust he told me that he had never heard of such a
thing as Cockle's pills. I strongly urged him to try half-a-dozen,
assuring him that if he once experienced their invigorating effects he
would never cease to recommend them. But the ignorant fellow didn't seem
to see it; for, finishing his brandy and buttoning up his pockets, he
walked on shore. I never thought of naming toothbrushes, for what could
a man who had never heard of Cockles know of the luxury of toothbrushes?
So I sat quietly down, and began to sum up my profits on the _corsages_.
I was deeply engaged in this occupation when I felt a heavy hand on my
shoulder. Turning round I saw my friend the trader, who, after having
smothered my boot in tobacco-juice, said, 'I say, captain, have you got
any coffin-screws on trade?' His question rather staggered me, but he
explained that they had no possible way of making this necessary article
in the Southern States, and that they positively could not keep the
bodies quiet in their coffins without them, especially when being sent
any distance for interment. As I had no acquaintance, I am happy to say,
with the sort of thing he wanted, it was agreed upon between us that I
should send to England for a quantity, he, on his part, promising an
enormous profit on their being delivered.
I cannot help remarking on the very great inconvenience and distress
that were entailed on the South through the want of almost every
description of manufacture. The Southern States, having always been the
producing portion of the Union, had trusted to the North, and to Europe
for its manufactures. Thus, when they were shut out by land and by sea
from the outer world, their raw material was of but little service to
them. This fact tended, more than is generally believed, to weaken the
Southern people in the glorious struggle they made for what they called
and believed to be their rights,--a struggle, the horrors of which are
only half understood by those who were not eye-witnesses of it. Whether
the cause was good, whether armed secession was justifiable or not, is a
matter regarding which opinions differ. But it is undeniable that all
fought and endured in a manner worthy of a good and a just cause, and
many were thoroughly and conscientiously convinced it was so. Such men
as Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and others would never have joined any cause
against their convictions; but it won't do for a blockade-runner to
attempt to moralise. So to return to my story.
My readers will be desirous of knowing what was the result of my
speculation in Cockles and toothbrushes. Regarding the former, I am
sorry to say that all my endeavours to induce my Southern friends to try
their efficacious powers were of no avail, so I determined to take them
with me to Nassau (if I could get there), thinking that I might find a
market at a place where everyone was bilious from over eating and
drinking, on the strength of the fortunes they were making by
blockade-running; and there I found an enterprising druggist who gave me
two chests of lucifer matches in exchange for my Cockles, which matches
I ultimately sold in the Confederacy at a very fair profit. My
toothbrushes being not in the slightest degree appreciated at
Wilmington, I sent them to Richmond, where they were sold at about seven
times their cost.
So ended my speculation. The vessel's cargo consisted of blankets,
shoes, Manchester goods of all sorts, and some mysterious cases marked
'hardware,' about which no one asked any questions, but which the
military authorities took possession of. This cargo was landed, and
preparations made for taking on board THE paying article in this trade,
namely, cotton.
I never bought it in any quantity, but I know that the price in the
Southern States averaged from twopence to threepence a pound, the price
in Liverpool at that time being about half-a-crown.
We were anxious to try the luck of our run-out before the moon got
powerful, so the cargo was shipped as quickly as possible. In the first
place, the hold was stored by expert stevedores, the cotton-bales being
so closely packed that a mouse could hardly find room to hide itself
among them. The hatches were put on, and a tier of bales put fore and
aft in every available spot on the deck, leaving openings for the
approaches to the cabins, engine-room, and the men's forecastle; then
another somewhat thinner tier on the top of that, after which a few
bales for the captain and officers, those uncontrollable rascals whom
the poor agents could not manage, and the cargo was complete. Loaded in
this way, the vessel with only her foremast up, with her bow-funnel, and
grey-painted sides, looked more like a huge bale of cotton with a stick
placed upright at one end of it, than anything else I can think of. One
bale for----, and still one more for---- (I never tell tales out of
school), and all was ready.
We left the quay at Wilmington cheered by the hurrahs of our brother
blockade-runners, who were taking in and discharging their cargoes, and
steamed a short distance down the river, when we were boarded to be
_searched_ and _smoked_. This latter extraordinary proceeding, called
for perhaps by the existing state of affairs, took me altogether aback.
That a smoking apparatus should be applied to a cargo of cotton seemed
almost astounding. But so it was ordered, the object being to search for
runaways, and, strange to say, its efficacy was apparent, when, after an
hour or more's application of the process (which was by no means a
gentle one), an unfortunate wretch, crushed almost to death by the
closeness of his hiding-place, poked with a long stick till his ribs
must have been like touchwood, and smoked the colour of a backwood
Indian, was dragged by the heels into the daylight, ignominiously put
into irons, and hurled into the guard-boat. This discovery nearly caused
the detention of the vessel on suspicion of our being the accomplices of
the runaway; but after some deliberation, we were allowed to go on.
Having steamed down the river a distance of about twenty miles, we
anchored at two o'clock in the afternoon near its mouth. We were hidden
by Fort Fisher from the blockading squadron lying off the bar, there to
remain till some time after nightfall. After anchoring we went on shore
to take a peep at the enemy from the batteries. Its commandant, a fine,
dashing young Confederate officer, who was a firm friend to
blockade-runners, accompanied us round the fort. We counted twenty-five
vessels under weigh; some of them occasionally ventured within range;
but no sooner had one of them done so, than a shot was thrown so
unpleasantly near that she at once moved out again.
We were much struck with the weakness of Fort Fisher, which, with a
garrison of twelve hundred men, and only half finished, could have been
easily taken at any time since the war began by a resolute body of five
thousand men making a night attack. It is true that at the time of its
capture it was somewhat stronger than at the time I visited it, but even
then its garrison was comparatively small, and its defences unfinished.
I fancy the bold front so long shown by its occupiers had much to do
with the fact that such an attack was not attempted till just before the
close of the war. The time chosen for our starting was eleven o'clock,
at which hour the tide was at its highest on the bar at the entrance of
the river. Fortunately the moon set about ten, and as it was very
cloudy, we had every reason to expect a pitch-dark night. There were two
or three causes that made one rather more nervous on this occasion than
when leaving Bermuda.
In the first place, five minutes after we had crossed the bar, we should
be in the thick of the blockaders, who always closed nearer in on the
very dark nights. Secondly, our cargo of cotton was of more importance
than the goods we had carried in; and thirdly, it _was the thing to do_
to make the double trip in and out safely. There were also all manner of
reports of the new plans that had been arranged by a zealous commodore
lately sent from New York to catch us all. However, it was of no use
canvassing these questions, so at a quarter to eleven we weighed anchor
and steamed down to the entrance of the river.
Very faint lights, which could not be seen far at sea, were set on the
beach in the same position as I have before described, having been thus
placed for a vessel coming in; and bringing these astern in an exact
line, that is the two into one, we knew that we were in the passage for
going over the bar. The order was then given, 'Full speed ahead,' and we
shot at a great speed out to sea.
Our troubles began almost immediately; for the cruisers had placed a
rowing barge, which could not be seen by the forts, close to the
entrance, to signalise the direction which any vessel that came out
might take. This was done by rockets being thrown up by a designed plan
from the barge. We had hardly cleared the bar when we saw this boat very
near our bows, nicely placed to be run clean over, and as we were going
about fourteen knots, her chance of escape would have been small had we
been inclined to finish her. Changing the helm, which I did myself, a
couple of spokes just took us clear. We passed so close that I could
have dropped a biscuit into the boat with ease. I heard the crash of
broken oars against our sides; not a word was spoken.
I strongly suspect every man in that boat held his breath till the great
white avalanche of cotton, rushing by so unpleasantly near, had passed
quite clear of her.
However, they seemed very soon to have recovered themselves, for a
minute had scarcely passed before up went a rocket, which I thought a
very ungrateful proceeding on their part. But they only did their duty,
and perhaps they did not know how nearly they had escaped being made
food for fishes. On the rocket being thrown up, a gun was fired
uncommonly close to us, but as we did not hear any shot, it may have
been only a signal to the cruisers to keep a sharp look-out.
We steered a mile or two near the coast, always edging a little to the
eastward, and then shaped our course straight out to sea. Several guns
were fired in the pitch-darkness very near us. (I am not quite sure
whether some of the blockaders did not occasionally pepper each other.)
After an hour's fast steaming, we felt moderately safe, and by the
morning had a good offing.
Daylight broke with thick, hazy weather, nothing being in sight. We went
on all right till half-past eight o'clock, when the weather cleared up,
and there was a large paddle-wheel cruiser (that we must have passed
very near to in the thick weather) about six miles astern of us. The
moment she saw us she gave chase. After running for a quarter of an hour
it was evident that with our heavy cargo on board, the cruiser had the
legs of us, and as there was a long day before us for the chase, things
looked badly. We moved some cotton aft to immerse our screws well; but
still the cruiser was steadily decreasing her distance from us, when an
incident of a very curious nature favoured us for a time.
It is mentioned in the book of sailing directions, that the course of
the Gulf Stream (in the vicinity of which we knew we were) is in calm
weather and smooth water plainly marked out by a ripple on its inner and
outer edges. We clearly saw, about a mile ahead of us, a remarkable
ripple, which we rightly, as it turned out, conjectured was that
referred to in the book. As soon as we had crossed it, we steered the
usual course of the current of the Gulf Stream, that here ran from two
to three miles an hour. Seeing us alter our course, the cruiser did the
same; but she had _not_ crossed the ripple on the edge of the stream,
and the course she was now steering tended to keep her for some time
from doing so. The result soon made it evident that the observations in
the book were correct; for until she too crossed the ripple into the
stream, we dropped her rapidly astern, whereby we increased our distance
to at least seven miles.
It was now noon, from which time the enemy again began to close with
us, and at five o'clock was not more than three miles distant. At six
o'clock she opened a harmless fire with the Parrot gun in her bow, the
shot falling far short of us. The sun set at a quarter to seven, by
which time she had got so near that she managed to send two or three
shots over us, and was steadily coming up.
Luckily, as night came on, the weather became very cloudy, and we were
on the dark side of the moon, now setting in the West, which
occasionally breaking through the clouds astern of the cruiser, showed
us all her movements, while we must have been very difficult to make
out, though certainly not more than a mile off. All this time she kept
firing away, thinking, I suppose, that she would frighten us into
stopping. If we had gone straight on, we should doubtless have been
caught; so we altered our course two points to the eastward. After
steaming a short distance we stopped quite still, blowing off steam
under water, not a spark or the slightest smoke showing from the funnel;
and we had the indescribable satisfaction of seeing our enemy steam past
us, still firing ahead at some imaginary vessel.
This had been a most exciting chase and a very narrow escape; night only
saved us from a New York prison. All this hard running had made an
awful hole in our coal-bunkers, and as it was necessary to keep a stock
for a run off the blockaded Bahama Islands, we were obliged to reduce
our expenditure to as small a quantity as possible. However we were well
out to sea, and after having passed the line of cruisers between
Wilmington and Bermuda, we had not much to fear till we approached the
British possessions of Nassau and the adjacent islands, where two or
three very fast American vessels were cruising, although five hundred
miles from American waters. I am ignorant, I confess, of the laws of
blockade, or indeed if a law there be that allows its enforcement, and
penalties to be enacted, five hundred miles away from the ports
blockaded. But it did seem strange that the men-of-war of a nation at
peace with England should be allowed to cruise off her ports, to stop
and examine trading vessels of all descriptions, to capture and send to
New York, for adjudication, vessels on the mere suspicion of their being
intended blockade-runners; and to chase and fire into real
blockade-runners so near to the shore that on one occasion the shot and
shell fell into a fishing village, and that within sight of an English
man-of-war lying at anchor in the harbour at Nassau. Surely it is time
that some well-understood laws should be made, and rules laid down, or
such doings will sooner or later recoil on their authors.
Having so little coal on board, we determined on making for the nearest
point of the Bahama Islands, and luckily reached a queer little island
called Green Turtle Quay, on the extreme north of the group, where was a
small English colony, without being seen by the cruisers. We had not
been there long, however, before one of them came sweeping round the
shore, and stopped unpleasantly near to us; even though we were inside
the rock she hovered about outside, not a mile from us.
We were a tempting bait, but a considerable risk to snap, and I suppose
the American captain could not quite make up his mind to capture a
vessel (albeit a blockade-runner piled full of cotton) lying in an
English port, insignificant though that port might be. We had got a
large white English ensign hoisted on a pole, thereby showing the
nationality of the rock, should the cruiser be inclined to question it.
After many longing looks, she steamed slowly away, much to our
satisfaction. Coals were sent to us from Nassau the next day, which
having been taken on board, we weighed anchor, keeping close to the
reefs and islands all the way. We steamed towards that port, and arrived
safely, having made the in-and-out voyage, including the time in
unloading and loading at Wilmington, in sixteen days.
To attempt to describe at length the state of things at this usually
tranquil and unfrequented little spot is beyond my powers. I will only
mention some of its most striking features. Nassau differed much from
Wilmington, inasmuch as at the latter place there was a considerable
amount of poverty and distress, and men's minds were weighted with many
troubles and anxieties; whereas, at Nassau, everything at the time I
speak of was _couleur de rose_. Every one seemed prosperous and happy.
You met with calculating, far-seeing men who were steadily employed in
feathering their nests, let the war in America end as it might; others
who, in the height of their enthusiasm for the Southern cause, put their
last farthing into Confederate securities, anticipating enormous
profits; some men, careless and thoughtless, living for the hour, were
spending their dollars as fast as they made them, forgetting that they
would 'never see the like again.' There were rollicking captains and
officers of blockade-runners, and drunken swaggering crews; sharpers
looking out for victims; Yankee spies; and insolent worthless _free
niggers_--all these combined made a most heterogeneous, though
interesting, crowd.
The inhabitants of Nassau, who, until the period of blockade-running,
had, with some exceptions, subsisted on a precarious and somewhat
questionable livelihood gained by wrecking, had their heads as much
turned as the rest of the world. Living was exorbitantly dear, as can be
well imagined, when the captain of a blockade-runner could realise in a
month a sum as large as the Governor's salary. The expense of living was
so great that the officers of the West India regiment quartered here had
to apply for special allowance, and I believe their application was
successful. The hotel, a large building, hitherto a most ruinous
speculation, began to realise enormous profits. In fact, the almighty
dollar was spent as freely as the humble cent had been before this
golden era in the annals of Nassau.
As we had to stay here till the time for the dark nights came round
again, we took it easy, and thoroughly enjoyed all the novelty of the
scene. Most liberal entertainment was provided free by our owner's
agent, and altogether we found Nassau very jolly: so much so, that we
felt almost sorry when 'time' was called, and we had to prepare for
another run. In fact, it was pleasanter in blockade-running to look
backwards than forwards, especially if one had been so far in good luck.