You are safe;
Nay, more,--almost triumphant. Listen, then,
And hear my words of truth.
Marino Falierlo.
It was just four o'clock, P.M., when the Dawn and the Polisson parted
company; the former steering on her old course for Brest, while the latter
continued her cruise. The lugger sailed like a witch, and away she went
towards the chops of the channel, on a bow-line; leaving us to stand
towards the French coast--close-hauled, also, but on the opposite tack.
It is scarcely necessary to dwell on the feelings with which we four, who
were eye-witnesses of all that passed, witnessed the proceedings. Even
Diogenes was indignant. As for Marble, I have already alluded to his state
of mind; and, if I had not, the following dialogue, which took place at
sunset, (the first that occurred between us in private since the second
capture,--while the French were eating their suppers,) would serve to
explain it.
"Well, Miles," the mate drily observed, "whatever we have to do, must be
done at once. When shall we begin?--in the middle, or in the
morning watch?"
"Begin _what_, Moses?" I asked, a little surprised at the settled manner
in which he put his question.
"To throw these Frenchmen overboard.--Of course, you don't mean to let
them carry your ship into Brest?"
"Why not? We were bound to Brest when we fell in with them; and, if they
_will_ take us there, it will only save us the trouble of doing it
ourselves."
"Don't be deceived by any such hope, Miles. I've been in the hands of
Frenchmen, before I knew you; and there is little hope of getting out of
them, so long as the ship and cargo will pay for detention. No, no, my
dear boy; you know I love you better than anything on 'arth, my dear, old
soul of a mother, and little Kitty, excepted,--for it wouldn't be
religious to like you better than my own flesh and blood,--but, after
these two, I like you better than any one on 'arth; and I can't be quiet,
and see you run your property into the fire. Never let the ship go into
France, after what has happened, if you can help it."
"Can we possibly help it? Or do you propose that four men shall re-take
this vessel from seventeen?"
"Well, the odds are not so great, Miles," Marble rejoined, looking coolly
round at the noisy set of little Frenchmen, who were all talking together
over their soup; certainly not a very formidable band in a hand-to-hand
encounter, though full of fire and animation. "There are four of us, and
only seventeen of them, such as they are. I rather think we could handle
'em all, in a regular set-to, with fists. There's Neb, he's as strong as a
jackass; Diogenes is another Hercules; and neither you nor I am a kitten.
I consider you as a match, in a serious scuffle, for the best four among
them chaps."
This was not said in the least boastingly, though certainly the estimate
of comparative force made by my mate was enormously out of the way. It was
true, that we four were unusually powerful and athletic men; but it was
also true, that six of the French might very well be placed in the same
category. I was not subject to the vulgar prejudice of national
superiority, I hope; one of the strongest of all the weaknesses of our
very weak nature. I have never yet been in a country, of which the people
did not fancy themselves, in all particulars, the salt of the earth;
though there are very different degrees in the modes of bragging on such
subjects. In the present instance, Marble had not the least idea of
bragging, however; for he really believed we four, in an open onslaught,
fire-arms out of the question, might have managed those seventeen
Frenchmen. I think, myself, we might have got along with twice our number,
taking a fair average of the privateer's men, and reducing the struggle to
the arms of nature; but I should have hesitated a long time in making an
open attack on even them.
Still, I began to regard my chances of escaping, should we be sent into a
French port by the privateer, as far less certain than they had appeared
at first. Marble had so much to say of the anarchists in France, as he had
known them in the worst period of the revolution, and so many stories to
tell of ships seized and of merchants ruined, that my confidence in the
right was shaken. Bonaparte was then in the height of his consular
power,--on the point of becoming Emperor, indeed,--and he had commenced
this new war with a virulence and disregard of acknowledged rights, in the
detention of all the English then resident in France, that served to
excite additional distrust. Whatever may be said of the comprehensiveness
and vastness of the genius of Napoleon, as a soldier and statesman, I
presume few upright and enlightened men can now be found to eulogize his
respect for public law. At any rate, I began to have lively misgivings on
the subject; and the consultation between my mate and myself terminated in
our coming to a resolution to serve the French prize-crew substantially as
we had served the English prize-crew, if possible; varying the mode only
to suit the new condition of things. This last precaution was necessary,
as, in the fulness of my confidence, I had made Mons. Gallois acquainted
with all the circumstances of throwing the fender overboard, and the
manner in which we had got possession of the ship. It was not to be
expected, therefore, that particular artifice could be made to
succeed with him.
It must have been the result of prejudice, and of constant reading of
articles extracted from the English journals, that influenced me; but I
confess it seemed a much easier matter to re-take my ship from seventeen
Frenchmen, than from twelve Englishmen. I was not so besotted as to
suppose surprise, or artifice, would not be necessary in either case; but,
had the issue been made up on brute force, I should have begun the fray
with greater confidence in the first than in the last case. All this would
have been very wrong in our particular situation, though, as a rule and as
applied to sea-faring men, it might be more questionable. How often, and
how much, have I seen reason to regret the influence that is thus
silently obtained amongst us, by our consenting to become the retailers of
other people's prejudices! One of the reasons why we have so long been
mere serviles on this point, is owing to the incompleteness of the
establishments of the different leading presses of the country. We
multiply, instead of enlarging these enterprises. The want of
concentration of talent compels those who manage them to resort to the
scissors instead of the pen; and it is almost as necessary for an American
editor to be expert with the shears, as it is for a tailor. Thus the
public is compelled to receive hashes, instead of fresh dishes; and things
that come from a distance, notoriously possessing a charm, it gets the
original cookery of London, instead of that of their own country.
Prejudice or not, confidence is not a bad thing when a conflict is
unavoidable. It may be well to respect your enemy down to the very moment
of making the charge; but, that commenced, the more he is despised, the
better. When Diogenes and Neb were told it would be necessary to go over
again the work so lately thought to be completed, neither of the negroes
manifested the least concern. Diogenes had been in the Crisis, as well as
Neb, and he had got to entertain a very Anglican sort of notion of French
prowess on the water; and, as for my own black, he would have followed
without the slightest remonstrance, wherever "Masser Mile please to lead."
"They's only French," said Diogenes, in a philosophical sort of way; "we
can handle 'em like children."
I would not discourage this notion, though I saw its folly. Telling our
two supporters to hold themselves ready for an attack, Marble and I left
them, to cogitate and commence the manner of proceeding. Whatever was
done, must be done that night; there being reason to think the ship would
get in somewhere, next day.
The name of our prize-master was Le Gros. He was not aptly designated,
however, being a little, shrivelled, yellow-faced fellow, who did not seem
to be a Hercules at all. Nevertheless, unlike Sennit, he was all vigilance
and activity. He never left the deck, and, being so near in with the
coast, I felt pretty certain we should have his company above board all
night. Whatever was attempted, therefore, must be attempted in defiance
of his watchfulness. Nor was this all; additional prudence was necessary,
since we were so near the coast as greatly to increase the chance of our
being picked up by some other French cruiser, should we even escape from
this. Extreme caution was our cue, therefore, and Marble and I separated,
seemingly each to take his repose with a perfect understanding on all
these points.
Mons. Le Gros paid no attention to the state-rooms, or to the
accommodations below. His whole care was bestowed on the ship.
Apprehension of falling in with some British cruiser, kept his eyes wide
open, and his gaze constantly sweeping the horizon, so far as the
obscurity would allow. I was incessantly on the alert myself, stealing up
from the cabin, as far as the companion-way, at least a dozen times in the
course of the night, in the hope of finding him asleep; but, on each
occasion, I saw him moving up and down the quarter-deck, in rapid motion,
armed to the teeth, and seemingly insensible to fatigue, and all the other
weaknesses of nature. It was useless to attempt to find him off his guard,
and worn out, Marble and myself fell into deep sleep, about three in the
morning, out of pure exhaustion. As for the two negroes they slept the
entire night, waiting our summons for their rallying to the work. Neb, in
particular, had all the absence of responsibility that distinguishes the
existence of a slave, feeling very much the same unconcern as to the
movements of the vessel, as any other human being feels in connection with
those of the earth in which he is a passenger.
It was ten o'clock when I awoke, refreshed, but disappointed. Marble was
still snoring in his berth, and I was compelled to give him a call. I
could perceive there was a breeze, and that the ship was going through the
water fast; by her lurching, she was close hauled. It takes a seaman but a
minute or two to throw on his loose attire, and no time was lost on the
present occasion. While my mate and I were thus engaged, the former
happened to cast a look out of the cabin windows, which were open on
account of the warmth of the weather, and offered no obstruction to a long
view of the ocean directly in our wake.
"Halloo, Miles!" Marble exclaimed; "by Jove, we are chased! Such is the
secret of Mr. Frog's being so much alive this fine morning. Yonder comes
a frigate, or my name is not Oloff Marble."
A frigate there was, sure enough. She was about two leagues astern of us,
and resembled a pyramidal cloud, moving along the water, so completely
were her spars covered with canvass. That she was an Englishman was more
than probable, from the cruising ground, as well as from the fact of the
prize-crew running from her. In that day, no French ship-of-war loitered
long at any particular point, her enemies being so numerous as to render
pursuit certain, ere many hours could elapse. After determining these
facts in our minds, Marble and I went on deck.
My first look was ahead. To my deep regret there lay the land, actually
within three leagues of us! The wind was fresh at north-east, and Monsieur
Le Gros appeared to be steering for a group of islands that lay a little,
and ever so little, on our lee bow. Brest was out of the question; if we
could get in with the land, among these islands, it was as much as we
could do, before the racer astern would be up to us. The Frenchmen were
evidently alarmed; an English prison-ship, with all its known horrors,
being very vividly placed before their eyes. Monsieur Le Gros screamed,
and gave twenty orders in a minute, while the other sixteen men made more
noise than would be heard among a thousand Americans. Heavens! what a
clamour these chaps kept up, and all about nothing, too, the ship having
every stitch of canvass on her that would draw. I felt like the Arab who
owned the rarest mare in the desert, but who was coming up with the thief
who had stolen her, himself riding an inferior beast, and all because the
rogue did not understand the secret of making the mare do her best. "Pinch
her right ear, or I shall overtake you," called out the Arab; and more
than twenty times was I disposed to trim the Dawn's sails, and send Neb to
the wheel, in order to escape the disgrace of being overhauled by the
frigate. There _was_ a chance for me, however, in this second recapture,
and I thought it preferable to let things take their course. My new
conquerors might be mystified, whereas, there was little hope for us,
should Monsieur Le Gros get in, after such an uproar.
In little more than an hour's time, the Dawn began to shorten sail,
hauling up her courses and top-gallant-sails, rocks showing themselves
within half a mile of her. A large boat met as here, coming alongside, as
soon as certain who we were. The people in this boat were fishermen, and
were so much accustomed to all the movements of the coast, that they
understood the nature of the affair as soon as they were apprised of our
character. Of course they were eagerly questioned touching the possibility
of the Dawn's being carried in through any of the rocky-looking passages
that lay before us. Monsieur Le Gros looked very blank when he was told
that all his hopes lay in there being sufficient water in one channel, and
of that the fishermen confessed their own ignorance. If the noise and
confusion were annoying before these men came alongside, it was astounding
afterwards. All this time the frigate was drawing near, fast, and half an
hour would certainly bring her within gun-shot. There is something
intoxicating in a race. I felt a strong desire to get away from the
Englishman at the very moment I believed my chances for justice would be
worst in the hands of the French. Feeling the necessity of losing no time,
I now made a lively appeal to Monsieur Le Gros, myself, proposing that we
should both go in with the fishing-boat and examine the passage ourselves.
By using proper activity, the whole might be done in a quarter of an hour;
we should then know whether to carry the ship in, or to run on the rocks
and save what we could of the cargo, by means of lighters.
Order on board ship is out of the question without coolness, silence and
submission. A fussy sailor is always a bad sailor; calmness and quiet
being the great requisites for the profession, after the general knowledge
is obtained. No really good officer ever makes a noise except when the
roar of the elements renders it indispensable, in order to be heard. In
that day, French ships of war did not understand this important secret,
much less French privateers. I can only liken the clamour that was now
going on in the Dawn's lee-gangway, to that which is raised by Dutch
fish-women, on the arrival of the boats from sea with their cargoes. To
talk of Billingsgate in comparison with these women, is to do the Holland
and Flemish ladies gross injustice, English phlegm being far more silent
than Dutch phlegm. No sooner was my proposition made than it was accepted
by acclamation, and the privateersmen began to pour into the boat, heels
over head, without order, and I may say without orders. Monsieur Le Gros
was carried off in the current, and, when the fishermen cast off, but
three Frenchmen were left in the ship; all the others had been swept away
by a zeal to be useful, that was a little quickened, perhaps, by the
horrors of an English prison-ship.
Even Diogenes laughed at the random manner in which we were thus left in
possession of our own. There is no question that the French intended to
return; while there is no question it was also their intention to go. In
short, they were in a tumult, and acted under an impulse, instead of under
the government of their reasons.
"You will have the complaisance, Mons. Wallingford," cried Le Gros, as the
boat started away from the ship's side, "to fill the top-sail, and run for
the passage, when we wave our hats."
"Ay--ay," I answered; "leave it to me to fill the top-sails, and to give
the John Bulls the slip."
This was said in French, and it drew cries of "Bon!" and of "Vive la
France!" from all in the boat. What the fellows thought, I will not
pretend to say; but if they thought they were to get on board the Dawn
again, they did not know the men they left behind them. As for the
Frenchmen who remained, Marble and I could have managed them alone; and I
was glad they were with us, since they could be made to pull and haul.
The ship was under her three top-sails, spanker and jib, when Mons. Le
Gros thus singularly gave her up to my control; the main-yard lying
square. My first step was to fill the top-sail, and gather way on the
vessel. This was soon done; and, keeping away, I stood on towards the
rocks, which soon bore on our weather bow, determined to run as near them
as I dared, thinking to frighten the Englishman so much, as to induce him
to keep at arm's-length. I might cast away the ship, it is true; but even
this would be preferable to falling again into English hands, with all the
occurrences still so recent. A year or two later, the affair of the
Speedy's men might be forgotten; but while a thing is fresh, there is
always some danger of its creating feeling. At least, thus I reasoned, and
thus I acted.
Once more I had the Dawn under my own orders; and, could I keep the
frigate out of gun-shot, I cared very little for Mons. Le Gros. At first,
the privateersmen supposed that, in filling away, I merely intended to
further their views; but, no sooner did they perceive the ship standing on
to leeward of the passage, than the truth seemed to flash on their
befogged faculties. This was not until the depth of water was ascertained
to be sufficient for their purposes; and such a flourishing of tarpaulins
and greasy caps as succeeded, I had not witnessed for many a day. All
these signals and calls, however, were disregarded; but away went the
Dawn, with her yards just rounded in a point, with the wind fairly abeam,
coasting along as near the islands as I thought it at all prudent to
venture. As for the frigate, she was still keeping her luff, in order to
get far enough to windward to make sure of her prey. At this moment, the
two ships might have been a league asunder.
Mons. Le Gros was no sooner aware of the trick I had played him, than out
he dashed with his fishing-boat, making sail in chase, and helping his
dull craft along with half a dozen oars. Seeing this, I let the fore-sail
drop, and sheeted home and hoisted the main-top-gallant-sail; not that I
felt at all afraid of the boat, but because it was my wish to avoid
bloodshed, if possible. Among the other absurdities the French had
committed, in their haste to get away from the frigate, was that of
leaving six or eight muskets, with several cartridge-boxes, behind them.
With these weapons, it would have been easy for us to have given the
privateersmen such a hint, as would not fail to keep them at bay. Then I
always had my pistols, which were not only valuable implements, but were
double-barrelled and well loaded. Our only ground of alarm, therefore,
came from the Englishman.
Possibly, Monsieur Le Gros thought differently; for his chase was
animated, and apparently in earnest. But, notwithstanding all his zeal,
the Dawn left him astern, going through the water at the rate of about six
knots. But the frigate was coming up at the rate of eight knots, making it
certain that she would get us under her guns in an hour or two at most,
unless some great advantage was obtained over her by means of the
complicated navigation, and shallow water.
When at Bordeaux, the previous year, I had purchased a chart of the French
coast, with a book containing directions similar to those which are to be
found in our own "Coasting Pilot." As a matter of course, I had them both
with me, and I found them of great service on this occasion. The text
described the islands we were near as being separated by narrow channels
of deep water, in which the danger was principally owing to sunken rocks.
It was these rocks that had induced the fishermen to pronounce the
passages impracticable; and my coasting directions cautioned all
navigators to be wary in approaching them. The Dawn, however, was in
precisely the situation which might render these rocks of the last service
to her; and, preferring shipwreck to seeing my vessel in either English or
French hands, again, I determined to trust to the very dangers of the
navigation as my safeguard. I might go clear of the bottom, but it was
certain, if I kept outside, I could not escape from the frigate. An
accidental occurrence, in connection with the boat, favoured us, and I was
not slow to profit by the advantage it offered. Finding it impossible to
come up with the ship by keeping in her wake, Monsieur Le Gros had taken a
short cut, in the boat, between some islets that we were obliged to round,
and he actually came out ahead of us. Instead of endeavouring to close
with the ship, however, he led into an excessively narrow passage, making
furious gestures for us to follow. This was at the instant when the
frigate fired her first gun at us, the shot of which just fell a very
little short. Did we pass the channel in which Monsieur Le Gros had
carried the boat, we should fall to leeward of the whole group of islands,
--or _islets_, would be the better word,--when all would literally depend
on our heels. There was but a moment in which to decide; in another
minute, the ship would be past the opening, which could only be regained
by tacking, if it could be regained at all. I gave the order to luff.
Our three Frenchmen, fancying themselves now certainly bound to _la belle_
France, were as active as cats. Neb and Diogenes throwing their powerful
force on the braces with a good-will, too, we soon had the Dawn braced
sharp up, heading well to windward of the passage. Monsieur Le Gros was
delighted. Apparently, he thought all was right, again; and he led the
way, flourishing both hands, while all in the boat, fishermen inclusive,
were bawling, and shouting, and gesticulating, in a way that would
certainly have confused us, had I cared a straw about them. I thought it
well enough to follow the boat; but, as for their cries, they were
disregarded. Had Monsieur Le Gros seen fit to wait for the ship in the
narrowest part of the inlet, he might have embarrassed us; but, so far
from this, he appeared to be entirely carried away by the excitement of
the chase, and was as eager to push ahead, as a boy who was struggling to
be first in at the goal.
It was a nervous instant when the Dawn's bow first entered the narrow
passage. The width, from rock to rock, speaking only of visible things,
might have been thirty fathoms; and this strait narrowed, rather than
widened, for several hundred feet, until it was reduced fully one-third.
The tide ran like a mill-tail, and it was, perhaps, lucky for us that
there was no time for reflection or irresolution; the aspect of things
being so serious as might well have thrown the most decided man into
uncertainty and doubt. The current sucked the vessel in, like the
Maelstrom, and we were whirling ahead at a rate that would have split the
ship from her keel to her top-timbers, had we come upon a sunken rock. The
chances were about even; for I regarded the pilotage as a very random sort
of an affair. We glanced on in breathless expectation, therefore; not
knowing but each instant would involve us in ruin.
This jeopardy endured about five minutes. At the end of that brief space,
the ship had run the gauntlet for the distance of a mile, driven onward by
the current rather than by the wind. So tremendous was our velocity in the
narrowest part, that I actually caught myself grasping the rail of the
ship, as we glanced past the rocks, as if to keep myself from a fall. The
French gave a loud and general shout just as the boat issued out of this
race-way into a wide capacious bay, within the group of islands, which had
the appearance of forming a roadstead of some note. There was a battery on
the end of the last island, a light-house and a cluster of fishermen's
huts; all indicating that the place was one of considerable resort.
Monsieur Le Gros was waiting for us, about two cable's-lengths from the
place where we issued into the bay, having considerately chosen an
anchorage for us, at a point commanded by the four six-and-thirty pounders
of the battery. The distance enabled me to look about. Within the range of
islands was a sort of sound, quite a league in width, and on this sound
the main coast presented several bays in which coasters were at anchor.
Most of the prominent points had small batteries, of no great force as
against a fleet, or even against a single heavy ship, but which were
sufficiently formidable to keep a sloop of war or a frigate at a
respectable distance. As all the guns were heavy, a vessel passing through
the middle of this sound would hardly be safe; more especially did the
gunners do their duty. By anchoring at the spot where the boat waited for
us, we at once gave up the ship to the privateersmen, the battery first
mentioned commanding that point completely. As good luck would have it,
however, an expedient offered, in the direction of the wind and tide,
which were opposed to each other, and I availed myself of the circumstance
as promptly as possible.
Do our best, the Dawn could not fetch the spot where the boat had dropped
her kedge. We passed within hail of it, notwithstanding, and loud were the
calls to us to shorten sail and anchor, as we came within hearing.
Affecting to be anxious to get up to the precise point where the boat lay,
I mystified Monsieur Le Gros in my answers, telling him I would stand on a
short distance, or until I could fetch him, when I would tack. As this was
intelligible it satisfied my captors, though a hundred "_n'importes_" were
yelled after us; and "_n'importe_" it was, in fact, one spot being just as
good to anchor in as another, for half a league all round us.
The Dawn did her duty that day; and there was occasion for it, the frigate
still continuing the chase. The circuit she had to make, and the berth she
thought it prudent to give the first battery, enabled us to gain on her
materially. When we passed the boat, the Englishman's upper sails were
visible on the outside of the island, flying along the rocks at a rate
that spoke well of his heels. He rounded the point when we were
mid-sound, but here the battery served us a good turn, for, instead of
hauling up close by the wind, the English were obliged to run off with the
wind free, to keep out of harm's way. Their presence, notwithstanding, was
probably of great service to the Dawn, for here had been a communication
between Monsieur Le Gros and the battery, by means of a small boat sent
from the latter, and we should have been very likely to have a messenger,
in the shape of a shot, sent after us, when it was seen we continued to
stand across for the main instead of tacking for the designated anchorage,
had not the men in the battery had the higher game of the frigate in view.
As soon as John Bull got within range, the gunners began to play on him,
but it was at a distance that rendered their fire next to useless.
Any one in the least acquainted with the movements of ships, will
understand the advantage we now possessed. The Dawn was beating through a
good wide passage, with a young flood breasting her to windward, and a
steady six-knot breeze blowing. The passage between these islands and the
main was about four leagues long, while that which the fishermen had
wished us first to enter was near the middle of the group. We were already
a mile from the boat, and considerably to windward of her, the tide having
done that much for us, when Mons. Le Gros saw fit to lift his kedge, and
commence a new pursuit. He had the sagacity to see that we should soon be
obliged to tack, on account of the main coast, and to stand over towards
the island, again: accordingly, instead of following in our wake, he
profited by the set of the current, and pulled directly to windward, with
a view to cut us off. All this we very plainly saw, but we cared very
little for Mons. Le Gros and his boat. The ship could out-sail the last,
very easily, in such a breeze, and it was always in our power to tack in
mid-channel, instead of crossing her, or coming near her, at all. The
frigate gave me much more trouble.
The Englishman, as I afterwards learned, was a French-built ship called
the Fortunée; or, as Jack termed her, now she had got to be designated in
the Anglo-Saxon dialect, the Fortu_nee_ which was liberally rendered into
the vernacular as the "Happy-Go-Lucky." She was an old ship, but an
exceedingly fast one, and her commander had rendered himself famous by the
manner in which he ventured about on the French coast. This was the third
time he had gone through this very sound in spite of the batteries; and
having some experience in the windings and turnings, he was now much
better able to get along scatheless, than on the two former occasions. As
soon as he thought himself at a safe distance from the six-and-thirties,
he hauled up, and made five short stretches near the main, where he had
much the best of the tide, and the whole strength of the breeze, and where
there was nothing to molest him; the usual roadstead being under the
island of course.
The first hour sufficed to let me understand there was no chance of
escaping the frigate; if we continued to beat up through the passage, we
might reach its western end a little in advance of her it is true, but no
hope at all of getting away, would remain when we again reached the open
ocean, and she in-shore of us. In this dilemma, Marble made one of his
happy suggestions, my merit amounting to no more than seizing the right
moment, and carrying out his idea with promptitude. The passage first
named lay in a line with us, and we had every reason to believe the ship
could go through it. When we were invited to enter, the tide was not as
high by six feet, as it had now risen to be, and my mate suggested the
expedient of trying it, in going out.
"The Englishman will never dare follow on account of the battery which
lies on the side of it," he added, "whereas the French will not fire at
us, believing us to be escaping from a common enemy."
The whole force of what had been said flashed upon me, in an instant. I
set the tri-color over a British ensign, to cause the people of this
second battery to think us an English prize, and stood straight for the
pass, just without which lay a small brig at anchor. In order to make the
deception more complete, we hauled up our courses, and let run the
top-gallant halyards, as if ready to bring up. Seeing this, Mons. Le Gros
fancied we were about to anchor under the battery, and that we had hoisted
our flags to taunt the English, for caps and hats were waved in exultation
in the boat, then distant from us a quarter of a mile. We passed close to
the brig; which greeted us with acclamations and "_vives la France_," as
we swept by her. My eye was on the battery, the whole time. It was built
to command the roadstead, and without any reference to the pass, which no
enemy would be apt to attempt. It is true, two heavy guns bore on this
entrance, but they were in a detached work, that was never manned except
in emergencies.
I drew a long breath, and felt a mountain removed from my very soul, as
the ship passed out of the range of the last gun in the little
semi-circle. The soldiers were making gestures to us to indicate we were
getting too far west for a good berth, but we heeded them not. Instead of
shortening sail, the fore and main tacks were boarded, and the
top-gallant-sails set. This revealed our intention, and the clamour on the
shore even reached the ship. Preparations were making to get a piece of
light artillery to bear on us, and some twenty gunners began to scamper
towards the detached battery. The whole thing was now reduced to a sheer
race. We passed the last battery ten minutes before the French could reach
it, the latter having to go round a considerable bay; and six minutes
later, we went out to sea, with the American ensign, and jacks, and
pennants flying at each mast-head, and wherever else such an emblem of
triumph could be shown!