_An official "in trouble"--On shore again--A breakfast party--On
horseback--Blowing hard--Taken in the net--Easy captures--The Kate
Cory--The Lafayette--A polite Governor--The Louisa Hatch burned, and
Kate Cory burned--Landing prisoners--Tired of waiting--A scramble--Out
of harbour again._
_April 11th._--Light and variable airs; misty from the southward and
eastward, and oppressive; ther. 83°. Last night the two vessels lay
alongside of each other so roughly, and we received so much damage (our
forechannels being crushed in, and our topsail mainyard being carried
away) that we were compelled to haul the prize off, and continue coaling
by means of our boats.
The authorities on shore having hoisted no colours, we have not set ours
to-day. We were visited this morning by a couple of gentlemen from the
shore, bearing a letter from the Governor in reply to an inquiry I had
caused the Paymaster to address to him on the subject of supplies. Their
interpreter very naively informed me that he was a German, who had been
sentenced to banishment here from Rio, and that he had a year and a-half
to serve. This was said while my servant was drawing the cork of a
champagne bottle. The forger (for such was his offence) taking his glass
of wine with the rest! The Governor informed me that I could procure
supplies of beef, fresh pork, fowls, &c., and that he would be glad to
exchange these articles with me for flour, wine, sugar, coffee, &c. I
was glad to find that he raised no question of neutrality, though he
had, no doubt, been informed by a boat's crew from the shore that got
the information on board, of the ship in my company being a prize. He
kindly invited me to visit the shore. During the night (one o'clock) we
had a surprise in the way of a strange steamer making her appearance,
coming round the point of Rat Island. I had all hands called to
quarters, and the battery made ready, fires extinguished, and chains got
right for slipping. Although she came within a mile of us, with the
intention, as we thought, of coming to anchor, she kept on her course
to the southward and we piped down, the men, much fagged from coaling,
not having lost more than half an hour's rest by the operation.
_Sunday, April 12th._--The exigencies of war compel me to work to-day in
coaling ship. Weather clear and very hot during morning, clouding about
noon and raining for several hours.
I visited the island this morning in company with the Surgeon, and
called on the Governor. The surf was too heavy to land, but we found a
bolsa moored at some distance from the shore, and transferring ourselves
to this we were very skillfully put through the surf by three or four
naked fellows, two of them not having even a breech-cloth about their
loins. Fine, well-made fellows they were too. We found horses in
waiting, and rode about a mile to the village and residence of the
Governor--a Major in the Brazilian army; passing an immense sand-drift,
which we had not expected to find on this volcanic rock.
We found the Governor at breakfast, and he insisted on our seating
ourselves, and making a second breakfast with him in company with his
wife--a sprightly, bright mulatto--and a pretty girl, quite white, of
about sixteen, and the _padre_. After breakfast we were introduced to a
number of what appeared to be the gentry of the island, and who had
assembled thus early to meet us. Having smoked and chatted awhile, we
remounted for a ride over the island.
We were not in the saddle more than twenty minutes when one of those
showers, so sudden in this climate, overtook us, and gave us a complete
drenching; we had other showers during the day, but were compensated by
the sun hiding himself during the entire ride. We passed under the
shadow of the gigantic peak, and soon reached the summit of the island,
which spreads out into a most beautiful and productive plain of some two
or three hundred acres. The soil is a ferruginous clay of the richest
description, and covered with the choicest vegetation of wild grapes,
Indian corn, the cotton plant, the castor bean, &c., &c. We stopped a
few minutes to examine a manioc manufactory. Continuing our ride, we
passed through a small but dense forest, to a cocoa-nut plantation on
the south-west part of the island, where we found the water-melon
growing in its choice soil--sand. Here we took shelter again from
another heavy rain, and got some fine grapes. Whilst waiting for the
shower to pass, I had quite a talk with the Governor on various topics;
among others, on the state of the mixed races in the Brazils, &c., &c.
The island, at the season at which we visited it, was a gem of
picturesque beauty--exceedingly broken and diversified with dells and
rocks, and small streams, &c., &c. It was the middle of the rainy
season. The little mountain paths as we returned became small brooks
that hummed and purled in their rapid course. I took occasion to inform
his Excellency that my tender was a prize, so that he might be under no
apprehension. Number of convicts 1000. Whole number of population, 2000.
The Governor expressed himself our very good friend, &c., &c. Got on
board at 5 P.M.
_Monday, April 13th._--Another rainy day. Showers very heavy, but still
we continue our coaling. Wind from northward and westward, and though
light, there is considerable sea on. The bad weather continued all day,
and the night having set in with threatening appearances, I caused
everybody to be brought on board from the prize, to guard against the
possibility of her being driven on shore, and endangering life. I had
the steam got up, and the chain ready for slipping, and was fearful that
I should be obliged to slip; but we held on during the night. Night very
dark, with heavy rain, and much sea on.
_Tuesday, April 14th._--Wind this morning from about W.S.W.; weather
still louring. Our friends came off from the shore again this morning,
bringing the fresh provisions ordered for the crew. Every thing is very
dear here. Meat forty cents per pound; but still my crew has been so
long on salt diet that flesh is an anti-scorbutic necessity for them. I
have arranged to sell forty or more tons of coal for a Brazilian
schooner there is in the harbour, and had a proposition for purchasing
the prize, which I offered to sell as low as 20,000 dollars; but this
sum seemed to alarm them, they saying there was not so much money in
Fernando de Noronha. Continued our coaling.
_Wednesday, April 15th._--Weather clear, and light wind from the
eastward. Finished coaling ship this morning. At about 11 A.M. a couple
of whale-boats from two vessels in the offing pulled into the harbour;
went on board our prize, and thence to the shore. Although the two
masters were told that we were the Iroquois, they seemed at once to have
comprehended the true state of the case, and to make haste to put
themselves out of harm's way. We were an hour and more getting up steam
and weighing our anchor for the chase; and if in the meantime these
whaling captains had pulled out to their ships, and run into shore so as
to get within the league, they might have saved them. We gave chase, and
came up with both of them on the south side of the island, about
half-past 3 P.M., and captured them--both of them being without the
league. One the hermaphrodite brig Kate Cory, of Westport, and the other
the barque Lafayette, of New Bedford; the barque we burned, and the
brig we brought into the anchorage, arriving after dark, about 7 A.M. We
sounded in thirteen fathoms on a bank on the south side, on the southern
extremity of which there is a breaker lying out from two and a half to
three miles. There is also a reef off Tobacco Point running out half a
mile. We saw no other dangers.
* * * * *
With reference to these captures, the following amusing account is
extracted from the private journal of the officer of the Alabama who was
prize-master on board the Louisa Hatch:--
'At noon, on the 15th of April, two vessels were descried to the south,
standing off and on, under reduced sail. At 12:30 two boats were
observed pulling towards us, asking my ship's name, the port I hailed
from, &c. I answered correctly. The person in charge of the other boat
then inquired if the war-steamer was the Alabama. I replied, 'Certainly
not, she was the Iroquois U.S. steamer.' 'Have you any news of the
Alabama?' 'Yes, we had heard of her being in the West Indies, at Jamaica
or Costa Rica, &c.' A conversation ensued, by which I learned that the
boats belonged to the two vessels in the distance, that they were both
whalers put in for supplies, and that seeing the steamer they were
rather dubious as to her nationality, and had therefore spoke me, to
gain the required information. A brisk conversation was then kept up; my
object in engaging them in it was to enable the Alabama to get under way
ere the whalers took the alarm, feeling certain that the preparations
were being made to go after them.
'I then invited the masters to come on board my ship, which they
cheerfully consented to do, and were within a boat's length, when a cry
of alarm broke from the steersman in the foremost boat. Shouting to his
crew to 'Give way, men; give way for your lives!' he with a few
well-directed, vigorous strokes, turned his boat's head round, and made
for the shore, the other boat following, blank astonishment being
depicted on the face of each member of the crews. To the frantic
inquiries of the person in charge of the other boat as to the cause of
his (the steersman's) extraordinary conduct, his only reply was,
'There!' pointing to a small Confederate flag of about fifteen inches
long and six inches broad, which I had inadvertently left flying at the
gaff; the gaff being lowered down, the little flag having been used as a
dog-vane, in order to tell the direction of the wind, &c. No sooner did
the men perceive it than they redoubled their exertions to gain the
shore; one of the masters calling out that they had spoken a ship a week
ago, from whom they had obtained news of peace. No credence, however,
could be, or was placed in this statement.
'Immediately after they left I despatched a boat to the Alabama
informing them of the character of my visitors. At 9.15 the Alabama was
observed to get under way, steaming out of the anchorage after the two
vessels.
'The larger island being between the scene of the Alabama's operations
and the Louisa Hatch, I was not, of course, an eye witness of the
captures. But at 5.30 I observed a dense column of smoke, which, as it
grew later, turned into a ruddy glare, leaving no doubt in our minds as
to the fate of the whalers. At 7 P.M. observed the Alabama coming round
the northern part of the island with a vessel in tow, both anchoring at
7.30. The next morning I learnt that the captures were the barque
Lafayette, of New Bedford, and the brig Kate Cory, of Westport. The
barque was burnt and the brig kept, it being our intention to send off
all the prisoners we had on board, consisting of 140, including the
women stewardesses, in her; but on communicating with the authorities,
it was resolved to land them on the island, a Brazilian schooner
engaging to convey them to Pernambuco. For this purpose provisions for
twenty-one days were sent ashore, the prisoners, after being paroled,
following.
The remainder of the day was spent in transferring provisions, &c., for
ship's use. The next evening the prizes, the Louisa Hatch and Kate Cory,
slipped cables, and stood seaward. When about five miles from land both
vessels were set fire to; Mr. Evans, the officer in charge of the brig,
returning on board long before me, the strong westerly current rendering
it extremely difficult to stem it.
'We remained painting and cleaning ship until the 22nd. At 9.30 A.M. we
got under way, steering and cruising towards Bahia, at which place we
arrived on the 11th of May, having captured and burnt four vessels
between Fernando and Bahia.
'The news of our doings off the islands had preceded us, of course with
additions and manipulations _ad lib._, the schooner having left Noronha
the day previous to our departure. The Governor of Pernambuco had sent
three war vessels to the islands to enforce the neutrality of the place,
which, according to Yankee representations, had been infringed. Not
content with this, the American representatives had succeeded in
procuring the recall of the Governor, whose only crime was that he had
let us anchor off the place--a crime of which he was necessarily
guiltless, because he had no power to prevent our anchoring if we
insisted on it.
'Whilst at Bahia I was shown a letter from the master of one of the
whaling barques to an agent, in which he wrote that he would spare no
money or time to follow to the uttermost ends of the earth, and bring to
justice, the man who had so cruelly deceived him. This sentence had
reference to my denial of the Alabama and the substitution of the U.S.
steamer Iroquois for that of C.S. steamer Alabama. The ingratitude of
some people!!'
On the 16th April Captain Semmes resumes his diary as follows:--Weather
clear; wind light from the southward and eastward. Our banner, last
night a lurid flame, is a tall column of smoke advertising us for
twenty-five or thirty miles round. My first intention was to ship all my
prisoners, amounting to about one hundred and ten, in the prize brig,
but the Governor having consented to my landing them, I am busy to-day
getting them on shore, with their baggage and provisions, and receiving
prisoners from the Louisa Hatch. Sun very warm. The Governor paid me a
visit this morning, and requested that I would write him on the subject
of the captures yesterday, stating the fact (with which he was
satisfied, or at least, to which he made no objection) that they were
captured beyond the league from the land, and requesting leave to land
the prisoners, in order that our understanding should assume an official
shape, which I did.
_Friday, April 17th._--The weather still continues very warm; wind light
from the S.E., and cloudy. Busy receiving and stowing away provisions,
replacing the coal consumed, and getting ready for sea generally. The
landing of so many prisoners amid so small a population has created a
very great stir, and the excitable Brazilians are discussing among
themselves and with the Yankee captains the question of the American war
with great vehemence. Several sail have been reported as usual. The
afternoon set in rainy, and the rain continued all night. Towards
nightfall sent the prizes, Louisa Hatch and Kate Cory, a league outside
the island, and burned them. Received four recruits from the Louisa
Hatch, and more volunteered, but I am full.
_Saturday, April 18th._--Morning cloudy, with wind light from the S.E.
Loosed sails to-day. I am anxiously expecting the arrival of the
Agrippina, my store ship, from England, which was ordered to rendezvous
here--not so anxiously, however, as if my coal-bunkers were empty. But
she has a couple of additional guns on board, that would make an
important addition to my battery.
_Sunday, April 19th._--Rain in the morning, with light airs. Our
steam-tubes leak badly, and I am afraid the leaks will increase so as to
give us trouble. Every time we get up steam, even a few pounds for
condensing water, we find that large quantities of hot water flow into
the hold; eight inches escaped in about twelve hours yesterday.
Unfortunately, too, this tubing is laid so low in the bottom of the
ship, as to be out of reach for examination or repairs without being
taken up. The Governor sent me off a fine turkey and some fruit, and his
lady a bouquet of roses. The roses were very sweet, and made me
home-sick for a while.
_Monday, April 20th._--A dull, heavy, rainy day--the rain coming down at
intervals in torrents, as it is wont to do in these regions. Still
laying at our anchors, waiting for the Agrippina. She should be out
thirty-five days, to-day, from Cardiff. In the afternoon the rain
ceased, except an occasional light sprinkle, but the dull canopy of
clouds did not break, and we had a strong breeze from the S.E. for four
or five hours, indicating the approach of the trades to this latitude.
_Tuesday, April 21st._--Morning clear, wind light from S.E. The Island
after the rain is blooming in freshness and verdure, and as my eye roams
over its green slopes I long for repose and the quiet of peace in my own
land: I do not think it can be far off. Fresh "trade" in the afternoon.
Towards night the Brazilian steamer sailed with a load of our prisoners.
_Wednesday, April 22nd._--Cloudy, with squalls for rain. At 9.30 got
under way under steam, and stood to the eastward. Cut away four
whale-boats that the islanders might have a scramble for them. They soon
started in chase! Steamed due east, about forty-five miles, let the
steam go down, and put the ship under sail. No sail seen.