_Discomforts of life at sea--A stern chase--Seized--The Punjaub
ransomed--Rain-squalls--A luxury--The Morning Star--Neutral cargo--The
Fairhaven--The Ino on the look-out--The Charles Hill--The
Nora--Fire-water--Commercial morality--The Louisa Hatch--Black
Diamonds--Coaling at sea under difficulties--Fernando de Noronna._
Captain Cooper, of the John Parks, and his wife and two nephews, were
fortunate in not being condemned to a long period of captivity. The
burning remains of his unlucky vessel were still within sight, when an
English barque ranged up alongside of the Alabama, and an arrangement
was soon effected with her captain to convey the whole party to England.
A long interval now, with nothing but the Englishman's excitement--the
weather--to break the weary monotony of an eventless voyage. So far,
however, as gales of wind could offer a distraction, the Alabama had
little of which to complain, and the vessel rolled and tumbled about in
the heavy seas in a manner which sorely tried the endurance of, at all
events, her unfortunate captain.
The gale still continues, writes Captain Semmes, on the 11th March. Wind
E.N.E. For four days now we have been rolling and tumbling about, with
the wind roaring day and night through the rigging, and rest more or
less disturbed by the motion of the ship. Sea-life is becoming more and
more distasteful to me. The fact is, I am reaching an age when men long
for quiet and repose. During the war my services belong to my country,
and ease must not be thought of; but I trust that the end is not afar
off. The enemy, from many signs, is on the point of final discomfiture.
Nay, a just Providence will doubtless punish the wicked fanatics who
have waged this cruel and unjust war upon us, in a way to warn and
astonish the nations upon earth. Infidelity and wickedness in every
shape let loose upon themselves, must end in total destruction. The
Yankee States have yet to go through an ordeal they little dreamed of in
the beginning of their unholy crusade against the Southern people.
On the 12th, the vessel was within fourteen degrees of the equator, but
so cool did the weather still continue that all hands were still wearing
woollen clothing, and sleeping under a couple of blankets. The sky
continued grey and overcast, with an occasional slight sprinkle of rain,
and a stiff breeze. The barometer falling steadily until, on the 14th
March, it had reached as low as 29.96, about the usual standard of the
trade winds.
That night brought, however, a slight relief from the long dullness. It
was just midnight when the startling cry of "Sail, ho! close aboard!"
was heard from the look-out; and in less than five minutes the Alabama
was within hailing distance of a large ship standing close on a wind
towards the northward and westward.
"Ship ahoy!--what ship's that?" rang hoarsely through the
speaking-trumpet from the deck of the Alabama. But no answer came, and
the hail was repeated. Still no answer, the strange sail keeping
steadily on her course, regardless of every thing, her huge hull
towering up high and dark as she passed almost within harpooning
distance of the Alabama, and shot away again into the darkness, like a
phantom that on being spoken to, had vanished away.
But the Alabama could have brought-to the Flying Dutchman himself, if he
had attempted to pass by without answering a hail. "Hands, wear ship!"
was the order before the sound of the second summons had well died away.
Up went the helm, round came the Alabama's head in the direction in
which the stranger had disappeared; and with the reefs shaken out of her
topsails, away she went in chase like a greyhound after a hare.
By the time sail was made, and headway got on the ship, the chase was
some three miles in advance, and gliding swiftly along with a strong
breeze. But though a stern chase is proverbially a long chase, the
splendid sailing qualities of the Alabama soon made themselves felt, and
within three hours after her helm was put up, she was within a few
hundred yards of the stranger, who now hove to at the first summons from
the cruiser's bow-guns.
She proved to be the United States ship Punjaub, of Boston, from
Calcutta for London, and having an English cargo on board, as appeared
from sworn affidavits among the papers, from the nature of the
voyage--from one British port to another--and from the cargo of jute and
linseed, she was released on a ransom bond for 55,000 dollars, the
remaining prisoners from the John Parks being transferred to her for
passage home.
The 21st March brought a change of weather, with heavy squalls of rain.
The variety was greatly enjoyed by all on board, Captain Semmes
recording in his journal his own pleasure at once more hearing the roll
of the thunder, for the first time for many months, and the delight with
which both officers and men paddled about on the deck with their bare
feet, enjoying, "like young ducks," the first heavy rain they had
experienced for a considerable time.
On the morning of Monday, March 23rd, a sail hove in sight, which, being
overhauled about noon, was found to be the United States ship Morning
Star, from Calcutta to London. This ship also had a neutral cargo, duly
vouched as such by the proper legal certificates; so she, too, was
released on ransom bond. A second prize, however, which fell into the
Alabama's hands the same day, was less fortunate. This was the United
States schooner Kingfisher, of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, some months out
on a whaling voyage. It was well for her that she but very recently
discharged into another vessel her second cargo of oil, and could only,
at present, boast of some twenty barrels, all of which were at once
consigned to the flames, together with the unlucky vessel.
The Kingfisher brought a piece of intelligence which afforded immense
satisfaction to all on board, being of no less a fact than the presence
of the United States sloop of war, Ino, at Ascension, where the
Kingfisher had left her but a fortnight before. This was the identical
vessel that had assisted in the piratical capture of Messrs. Myers and
Tunstall, on neutral ground, scarcely fourteen months before; and all
hands were rejoicing in the prospect of an early brush with her, when
the outrage then perpetrated might be avenged. Anxious as all were for a
fight on any terms, there was possibly not a vessel in the United States
navy they would have more gladly encountered.
It was a curious circumstance connected with this schooner, that her
master was, according to his account, one of the only three persons in
his native place, Fairhaven, who, in the last fatal election of a
President for the United States, had voted for the Southern candidate,
Breckinridge.
Two more captures were made on the following day--one, the ship Charles
Hill, of Boston, from Liverpool to Monte Video; the other, the ship
Nora, also of Boston, from Liverpool for Calcutta. In both cases the
usual claim was set up to a neutral ownership of cargo, and as usual on
investigation proved to be altogether unsupported by anything like real
evidence.
The following are the cases:--
CASE OF THE CHARLES HILL.
Ship under U.S. flag and register, laden with salt (value in Liverpool
six shillings per ton), under charter party with H.E. Falk to proceed
from Liverpool to Monte Video or Buenos Ayres. No claim of neutral
property in the cargo. Ship and cargo condemned.
* * * * *
CASE OF THE NORA.
Ship under the U.S. flag; laden with salt, under charter party with W.N.
de Mattos, of London, to proceed to Calcutta. In the bill of lading the
cargo is consigned to "order;" and on the back of the bill is this
endorsement:--"I hereby certify that the salt shipped on board the Nora
is the property of W.N. de Mattos, of London, and that the said W.N. de
Mattos is a British subject, and was so at the time of shipment.
"(Signed) H.E. FALK, Agent for W.N. de Mattos."
At the bottom of the signature is "R.C. Gardner, Mayor," presumed to be
intended for the signature of the Mayor of Liverpool. As this statement
is not under oath, and as there is no seal attached to it, it does not
even amount to an _ex parte_ affidavit. Vessel and cargo condemned.
* * * * *
Some valuable supplies were extracted from these two ships, and the
prisoners--one of them a female--having been transferred to the Alabama,
the vessels were fired on the evening of the day after their capture. As
was but too frequently the case in boarding prizes, access was by some
means obtained to their strong liquor, and that evening saw a good deal
of drunkenness on board the Alabama. Unfortunately, the delinquents were
but too often some of the best men in the ship. They could be trusted
with anything in the world but rum or whisky; but against temptation of
this kind they were not proof, and the duty of boarding offered only too
easy an opportunity of indulging this true sailor's taste. However, if
the prizes had their little bit of revenge in thus creating a temporary
disorder among their captors, they in this case, at all events, more
than made up for it, by contributing an accession of half-a-dozen seamen
to the crew, which, notwithstanding the discharge of the men sent home
in the----, was now fast growing very strong.
The following extract from a letter found on board the Charles Hill may
throw some light on the pretensions of that vessel at all events, to the
protection of neutrality:--
CAPTAIN F. PERCIVAL.
DEAR SIR,--I have read your several letters from Philadelphia. As a
rebel privateer has burned several American ships, it may be well if you
can have your bills of lading endorsed as English property, and have
your cargo certified to by the English Consul, &c.
* * * * *
After crossing the equator during the night of the 29th-30th March, the
Alabama experienced a succession of calms and wet weather; at one time
chasing a vessel in so thick a mist that, though not more than a mile or
two ahead, she was more than once lost sight of for an hour at a time.
She was still involved in this misty, uncomfortable weather, when, on
the night of the 4th April, she again fell in with an United States
ship, the Louisa Hatch, deeply laden with that, to the Alabama, most
invaluable article--coal. An investigation of her papers gave the
following result:--
CASE OF THE LOUISA HATCH.
Ship, under U.S. colours. Among the papers is a charter party, dated
London, 1st January, 1863, executed between John Pirie and Co., and
William Grant, the Master, by which the ship was chartered to take coal
to Point de Galle, Ceylon, or Singapore, as ordered, &c. Without any
assignment of this contract, as far as appears, the ship seems to have
been loaded by entirely new parties, to wit, by one J.R. Smith, who
describes himself as the agent of H. Worms, of Cardiff. By the bill of
lading, the ship is to proceed to the. Point de Galle, and there deliver
the coal to the company of Messageries Imperiales. On the back of the
bill of lading is the following certificate:--"I certify that the
within-mentioned cargo is French property, having been shipped by order,
for the account of the Messageries Imperiales." This certificate is
signed by Mr. Smith, but is not sworn to, nor is the order, nor any copy
of the order to ship this cargo to an account of the Messageries
Imperiales, found among the papers. As the ship was not chartered by any
agent of this company, and as the coal was not shipped by any such
agent, Smith being the agent of Worms, and Worms not being described as
the agent of the company, the presumption is that, if there was any such
order at all in the case, it was a mere general understanding that the
company would pay so much per ton for coal delivered for them at their
depots, the property remaining in the shippers until delivery. The
presumption, in the absence of proof, is, that the cargo being on board
an American ship is American; shipped on speculation to the far east, by
the owner, or his agent, in Cardiff; and we have seen that there is no
legal evidence in the case; the unsworn certificate of Mr. Smith not
even amounting to an _ex parte_ affidavit. Ship and cargo condemned.
Probable value of cargo in Cardiff, 2500 dollars. Cost of coal in
Brazil, 15 to 17 dollars per ton.
* * * * *
The Alabama now stood away in the direction of Fernando de Noronha, with
her prize in company, with the intention of there taking on board a
fresh supply of coal. The run was not a little protracted by the light
and baffling winds that still prevailed, and as though this was not
enough, fortune must needs play her a trick, by sending her off on a
chase of fourteen miles after a supposed Yankee whaler, which, when at
last overhauled, turned out to be nothing but a poor little
green-painted "Portiguee."
Rain--rain--rain, the sun sometimes showing himself for an hour or two,
just a few minutes too early, or a few minutes too late, for any
purposes of observation, and then again retiring behind the dense masses
of cloud that hid the whole horizon in one drenching down-pour. And all
this while every mile of latitude of the last importance, as the Alabama
groped her way slowly to the southward and eastward in search of the
little island at which she was to take in her supplies, and which she
might at any moment run past in the darkness altogether! Trying work,
indeed, for the patience of men cooped up in their narrow floating
prison, and longing to be at work again.
Too trying, at last, to be borne any longer without an effort at action;
so a bold attempt was made at coaling while under way upon the open sea!
Steam was got up, and the prize taken in tow, and then two boats were
lowered, and set to work. But the scheme, bold and ingenious as it was,
was soon found to be impracticable. The boats managed to get loaded from
the captured collier, but they had then to be warped up alongside the
Alabama, and the lowest speed that could be given her was too great for
them to be hauled up against it. So each time, as they were filled, it
was necessary to stop the engine, and thus occasion another difficulty.
We now--says Captain Semmes--began to part our tow lines by these
stoppages and startings, and it took a long time to get the line fast
again; so after a sleepless night, during which, as I lay in my cot
trying to sleep, it seemed as if a dozen stentors on deck were rivaling
each other in making the night hideous, I sent word to get the boats run
up again, and to continue our course to Fernando de Noronha without
interruption.
At daylight we made the peak of the island a long way off, some
thirty-eight or forty miles, and in the afternoon at 2.30 came to, with
the peak bearing S.W. 1/2 S. and the N.E. end of the Rat Island N.E. by
E. 1/2 E., depth of water thirteen and a half fathoms. Anchored the
prize near us. But for our steam we should have been still drifting to
the S.W., as the day has been nearly calm throughout. Fernando de
Noronha, in the wayside of the commerce of all the world, is sighted by
more ships, and visited by fewer, than any other spot of earth. It is a
broken, picturesque, volcanic rock, in mid ocean, covered with a
pleasing coat of verdure, including trees of some size, and the top of
the main island is cultivated in small farms, &c. Awfully hot when the
sun shines, and indeed, when he does not shine. Just after dark hauled
the prize alongside, and commenced coaling.