ARMING AT THE AZORES.
Captain Bulloch had gone ashore with the pilot at the Giant's Causeway, in
the north of Ireland, and the vessel was under the command of Captain
Butcher. During the next nine days the "290" struggled with strong head
winds and a heavy sea, shaping her course toward the southwest. The speed
at which she was driven was attended with some damage to the vessel and
considerable discomfort to her crew, but immediate armament was a pressing
necessity, and haste was made the first consideration.
On the 10th of August the welcome words "Land ho!" were wafted down from
the foremasthead, and the "290" or "Enrica," as she had been christened in
the shipping articles, came to an anchor--not at Nassau, but in the
secluded bay of Praya in the little-frequented island of Terceira, one of
the Azores. As an excuse for anchoring in their bay Captain Butcher
represented to the Portuguese authorities that his engines had broken
down. This being accepted as sufficient, the crew set to work ostensibly
to repair them, but really to prepare the vessel for the reception of her
guns. Three days were spent in quarantine. The inhabitants treated the new
comers very civilly, and they were regaled with fruits and vegetables.
Water was scarce, and meat had to be brought from Angra, on the other side
of the island. On the 13th a United States whaling schooner arrived, and
one of the crew of the "Enrica" was indiscreet enough to make known the
real character of his vessel, whereupon the whaler hastily departed.
At last, on the 18th of August, the anxiety of Captain Butcher was
relieved by the arrival of the bark Agrippina from London, under command
of Captain McQueen, with a cargo of ammunition, coal, stores of various
kinds, and the necessary guns for the steamer's armament. In response to
the inquiries of the harbor officials her commander stated that she had
sprung a leak, which would necessitate repairs before she could resume
her voyage.
The next day Captain Butcher ran alongside the bark, and having erected a
pair of large shears, proceeded to transfer her cargo to the deck of the
"Enrica." This brought off the Portuguese officials, furious that he
should presume to communicate with a vessel which had two more days of
quarantine to run. They were told that the Agrippina was in a sinking
condition, and a removal of her cargo was absolutely necessary in order to
repair the leak. Finally, Captain Butcher, feigning a passion in his turn,
protested angrily that he was only performing a service of humanity, and
was doing no more for the captain of the bark than any Englishman would do
for another in distress.
The Portuguese withdrew, and the transshipment proceeded without further
protest. Two days later (August 20th) when this work was nearly completed,
the smoke of a steamer was discovered on the horizon. After a period of
anxious suspense on board the two vessels, she was made out from signals
to be the English steamer Bahama, from Liverpool, commanded by Captain
Tessier. She had on board the future officers of the "Enrica," about
thirty more seamen, $50,000 in English sovereigns and $50,000 in bank
bills, together with some less important stores. Captain Bulloch was also
a passenger in her.
The Bahama took the Agrippina in tow, and the three vessels proceeded
around to Angra. Here there was more trouble with the authorities. The
latter could hardly help knowing the warlike character of the stores which
were being transferred, and notwithstanding the fact that the British flag
was flying from all three of the vessels, they suspected some connection
between them and the war in America. In common with other European
governments, Portugal had issued a proclamation of neutrality, and all her
subjects had been warned to conform to the international law governing
neutrals.
Captain Bulloch flitted from vessel to vessel, accompanied sometimes by a
small man with a gray mustache and wearing citizen's clothes, whom the
officers of the "Enrica" greeted as Captain Semmes, late commander of the
Confederate States steamer Sumter. Captain Butcher was still nominally in
command, and communications from the shore came addressed to him. An
English consul was stationed at Angra, and he sent word that the
authorities insisted that the vessels should go to East Angra, as West
Angra was not a port of entry. Captain Butcher replied that he wished to
take in coal from the bark, and that he would go outside the marine league
for that purpose. The three vessels stood along the coast. Gun carriages
were hoisted out and as many guns mounted as possible. At night the
"Enrica" and the bark returned to Angra. The Bahama kept outside. The next
morning the English consul came on board with several custom house
officials, and the ships having been regularly entered on the custom house
books, Portuguese dignity was satisfied, and peace once more reigned
supreme.
Late on Saturday evening, August 23d, the coaling was finished, and six of
the eight guns on the "Enrica" were ready for use. The next day the
vessels steered for the open sea, and the officers of the newly armed
steamer, having made certain beyond the possibility of dispute that they
were outside of Portuguese jurisdiction, the seamen were called aft, and
Captain Semmes, in full Confederate uniform, stepped upon the quarter deck
and read his commission from Jefferson Davis. A starboard gun emphasized
the chameleon change, as the British flag dropped to the deck and was
replaced by the stars and bars.
The new-made warship now had a commander, but she still had no crew. It
was an anxious moment for Captain Semmes. The success of his enterprise
lay in the hands of the motley group of sailors before him, representing
nearly every country of western Europe, and gathered up in the sailors'
boarding houses of Liverpool. Under written instructions from Captain
Bulloch, Clarence R. Yonge, who was to be paymaster, had fraternized with
the crew on the outward voyage and done what was possible to impress them
with the justice of the Southern cause, and what was probably more to the
purpose, told them what might be looked for in the way of pay and prize
money. Other emissaries had been equally active among the thirty men who
came out in the Bahama. But none of these men had signed anything by which
they could be bound, and who could say what notions might be in their
heads?
The small band played "Dixie," and as the last strains died away Captain
Semmes began his speech to the crew. He briefly explained the causes of
the war as viewed from the Southern standpoint, and said that he felt sure
that Providence would bless their efforts to rid the South of the Yankees.
The mission of the vessel, he said, was to cripple the commerce of the
United States, but he should not refuse battle under proper conditions.
There were only four or five Northern vessels which were more than a match
for them, and in an English built heart of oak like this and surrounded as
he saw himself by British hearts of oak, he would not strike his flag for
any one of them.
"Let me once see you proficient in the use of your weapons," he said, "and
trust me for very soon giving you an opportunity to show the world of what
metal you are made."
The cruise would be one of excitement and adventure. They would visit many
parts of the world, where they would have "liberty" given them on proper
occasions. They would receive about double the ordinary wages, and payment
would be made in gold. In addition to this, the Confederate government
would vote them prize money for every vessel and cargo destroyed.
When the boatswain's call announced the close of the meeting eighty men
out of the two crews signed the new articles. Those who refused to sign
were given free passage to England in the Bahama. Captain Bulloch took a
fraternal leave of Captain Semmes, the Bahama and the Agrippina set sail
for British waters, and the Confederate States sloop-of-war Alabama went
forth on her mission of destruction.