_A muster--Prisoners landed--The Starlight--Santa Cruz--Novel night
procession--The Alert--Three sacrifices in a day--Weather Gauge
captured--The Altamaha--A signal--The Benjamin Tucker--Burnt!--The
Courser--Target practice--The Virginia--The Elisha Dunbar_.
From the 7th to the 18th of September was a busy time on board the
Alabama. Prize after prize was taken, and Captain Semmes' journal, as
will be seen, is chiefly taken up with records of successful chases.
_Sunday, September 7th._--Running in for the island of Flores. At 11
A.M. mustered the crew for the first time, and caused to be read the
Articles of War, to which they listened with great attention. At 3.30
P.M., having approached sufficiently near the town of Lagens, on the
south side of the island, we sent all the prisoners on shore, having
first paroled them in the three whale-boats belonging to the prize,
Ocmulgee. At 4 P.M. filled away upon the starboard tack to head off a
schooner that appeared to be running in for the island. Having
approached her within a mile, we hoisted the English colours. The chase
not showing her colours in return, fired the lee bow gun. Still paying
no attention to us, but endeavouring to pass us, fired a shot athwart
her bows. Not yet heaving-to, or showing colours, fired a second shot
between her fore and mainmast; she then hoisted the United States
colours and rounded-to. Sent a boat on board and took possession. The
captain coming on board with his papers, she proved to be the Starlight,
of Boston, from Fayal to Boston _viá_ Flores. She had a number of
passengers; among others, some ladies. Put a prize crew on board of her.
Brought on board all the United States seamen, seven in number,
including the captain, and confined them in irons, and ordered the prize
to remain close to us during the night. Some dark clouds hanging over
the island, but the wind light and the sea smooth.
Among the papers captured were a couple of despatches to the Sewards,
father and son, informing them of our operations at Terceira. This
small craft left Boston only six days before we left Liverpool in the
Bahama. How strangely parties meet upon the high seas! The master was
the cleverest specimen of a Yankee skipper I have met, about
twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He avowed his intention of trying to run
the gauntlet of my shot, deprecated the war, &c., &c.
_Monday, September 8th_.--* * * * Again stood in to the town of Santa
Cruz, in company with the prize; lowered the cutter, and sent the
prisoners on shore, with a note addressed to the Governor. In the
meantime the Governor himself with several citizens came on board us.
The Governor offered us the hospitalities of the island, and in return I
expressed to him the hope that his fellow-citizens who were passengers,
had suffered no inconvenience from her capture.
In the afternoon, gave chase and showed English colours to a Portuguese
brigantine. We then wore ship, and chased a barque in the north-west,
with which we came up about sunset. She proved to be the whaling barque
Ocean Rover, from Massachusetts, forty months out, with a cargo of 1100
barrels of oil. Laid her to for the night, and permitted the captain and
his crew to pull in to the shore (Flores) in his six whale boats. The
sea being smooth, the wind light off shore, and the moon near her full,
this was a novel night procession!
_Tuesday, September 7th_.--* * * * I was aroused in the mid-watch,
having had about only three hours' sleep, after a day of fatigue and
excitement, by the announcement that a large barque was close aboard of
us. We were lying to at the time in company with our two prizes. Wore
ship very quietly, and gave chase. The chase rather got the wind of us,
though we head-reached upon her, and at daylight we hoisted the English
flag. The barque not responding, fired a blank cartridge. She still not
responding, fired a shot astern of her, she being about two miles
distant. This brought her to with the United States colours at her peak;
put a boat on board, and took possession of her. She proved to be the
Alert, from New London, sixteen days from port; bound, _via_ the Azores,
Cape de Verde, &c., to the Indian Ocean. Supplied ourselves from her
with some underclothing for the men, of which we stood in need.
About 9 A.M. fired the Starlight; at 11 fired the Ocean Rover; and at 4
P.M. fired the Alert. Boarded a Portuguese whaling-brig, the master of
which I brought on board with his papers. These proving to be regular, I
dismissed him within a few minutes. Sent the captain and crew of the
Alert on shore, to the village on the north end of Flores, in their own
boats, four in number.
Sail, ho! at 5 P.M. Filled away, and gave chase to a schooner in the
N.E. She was standing for us at first, but tacked on our approach, and
endeavoured to run. We had shown her the United States colors, and she
also had hoisted them, but she distrusted us. A blank cartridge brought
her round again, and hove her to. Sent a boat on board, and took
possession of the schooner Weather Gauge, of Provincetown, six weeks
out. The last two captures supplied us with large numbers of Northern
newspapers as late as August 18th. * * *
_Saturday, September 13th_.--Gave chase to a sail reported on the
weather bow, and upon coming up with her, and heaving her to with a
blank cartridge, she proved to be the hermaphrodite whaling brig
Altamaha, from New Bedford, five months out. Little or no success.
Captured her, put a prize crew on board, and made sail in chase of a
barque to windward.
* * * * *
_Sunday, September 14th_.--* * * Last night at a quarter past eleven I
was aroused by the report that a large ship was close on board of us.
Hurried on deck, wore ship, and gave-chase; the strange sail being about
two to two and a half miles from us, partially to windward. Made all
sail, held our wind, and gradually eat him out of the wind, as well as
head-reached on him. Fired a blank cartridge, which he disregarded.
Continued to overhaul him, and when we had gotten on his weather-beam,
distant about half a mile from him, fired a second gun, which speedily
brought him to the wind with his maintopsail to the mast. Sent a boat on
board, with an order to the officer to show me a light if she should
prove to be an American; and in a few minutes after the officer got on
board a light was shown at the peak. Lay by him until daylight, when the
captain was brought on board. The ship proved to be the United States
whaler Benjamin Tucker, from New Bedford, eight months out, with about
340 barrels of oil. Crew thirty. Brought everybody on board, received
some soap and tobacco, and fired the ship. Made sail to the S.E.
_Monday, September 15th_.--* * * Caulking the decks, which are already
quite open. Made the island of Flores from the masthead late in the
afternoon. Exercised the crew at quarters. Shipped one of the prisoners
from last prize--a Hollander.
_Tuesday, September 16th_.--* * * * At daylight made a schooner on the
starboard bow. Gave chase, and at 7.30 hove her to with a blank
cartridge, and sent a boat on board, she showing United States colours.
She proved to be the whaling schooner Courser, of Provincetown,
Massachusetts. Took possession of her as a prize. Stood in towards
Flores, within four or five miles, and sent all the prisoners from the
last three prizes on shore in their own whale boats, eight in number.
Number of prisoners sixty-eight. About 5 P.M., having taken the prize
some eight or ten miles distant from the land, hove her to, called all
hands to quarters, and made a target of her, firing three rounds from
each gun. The practice was pretty fair for green hands for the first
time. We hulled the target once, and made a number of good line shots.
At dark fired the prize, and made sail to the westward.
_Wednesday, September 17th_.--* * * At 7.30 A.M. gave chase to a sail on
the starboard bow, and at meridian came up with and took possession of,
the United States whaling barque Virginia, twenty-one days from New
Bedford. Received papers as late as the 28th August. Got on board from
the prize a large supply of soap, candles, &c.; and after bringing the
prisoners on board, fired her; filled away, and made sail to the N.W.
_Thursday, September 18th_.--* * * Gave chase to a barque, which,
discovering our purpose, made all sail and tried to escape. Came up with
her at 2 P.M., after a chase of about three hours. Hoisted the English
ensign, to which she refused to respond. Fired the starboard bow gun,
and ran up our own flag, when she shortened sail and hove-to. Sent a
prize crew on board, she showing the United States ensign. Brought the
master on board. She proved to be the whaling barque Elisha Dunbar, of
New Bedford, twenty-four days out. As it was blowing fresh and
threatening a gale of wind, we got all the prisoners on board in the
course of about a couple of hours, and set fire to the barque. Reefed
topsails, set the fore trysail with the bonnet off, and stood on a wind
on the starboard tack to the S. and E.