to life whether in youth, manhood or old age. What an awful thing it is
to die! how in the perils of the sea, when rocks or storms threaten the
loss of the vessel, and the lives of all on board, how the crew will
labor, night and day, in the hope of escaping shipwreck and death!
alluded to the tumult, bustle and confusion of battle--yet even there
the hero clings to life. The Court adverted not only to the certainty of
their coming doom on earth, but to THINK OF HEREAFTER--that they should
seriously think and reflect of their FUTURE STATE! that they would be
assisted in their devotions no doubt, by many pious men.
When the Court closed, Charles Gibbs asked, if during his imprisonment,
his friends would be permitted to see him. The Court answered that that
lay with the Marshal, who then said that no difficulty would exist on
that score. The remarks of the Prisoners were delivered in a strong,
full-toned and unwavering voice, and they both seemed perfectly resigned
to the fate which inevitably awaited them. While Judge Betts was
delivering his address to them, Wansley was deeply affected and shed
tears--but Gibbs gazed with a steady and unwavering eye, and no sign
betrayed the least emotion of his heart. After his condemnation, and
during his confinement, his frame became somewhat enfeebled, his face
paler, and his eyes more sunken; but the air of his bold, enterprising
and desperate mind still remained. In his narrow cell, he seemed more
like an object of pity than vengeance--was affable and communicative,
and when he smiled, exhibited so mild and gentle a countenance, that no
one would take him to be a villain. His conversation was concise and
pertinent, and his style of illustration quite original.
Gibbs was married in Buenos Ayres, where he has a child now living. His
wife is dead. By a singular concurrence of circumstances, the woman with
whom he became acquainted in Liverpool, and who is said at that time to
have borne a decent character, was lodged in the same prison with
himself. During his confinement he wrote her two letters--one of them is
subjoined, to gratify the perhaps innocent curiosity which is naturally
felt to know the peculiarities of a man's mind and feelings under such
circumstances, and not for the purpose of intimating a belief that he
was truly penitent. The reader will be surprised with the apparent
readiness with which he made quotations from Scripture.
"BELLEVUE PRISON, March 20, 1831.
"It is with regret that I take my pen in hand to address you with these
few lines, under the great embarrassment of my feelings placed within
these gloomy walls, my body bound with chains, and under the awful
sentence of death! It is enough to throw the strongest mind into gloomy
prospects! but I find that Jesus Christ is sufficient to give
consolation to the most despairing soul. For he saith, that he that
cometh to me I will in no ways cast out. But it is impossible to
describe unto you the horror of my feelings. My breast is like the
tempestuous ocean, raging in its own shame, harrowing up the bottom of
my soul! But I look forward to that serene calm when I shall sleep with
Kings and Counsellors of the earth. There the wicked cease from
troubling, and there the weary are at rest!--There the prisoners rest
together--they hear not the voice of the oppressor; and I trust that
there my breast will not be ruffled by the storm of sin--for the thing
which I greatly feared has come upon me. I was not in safety, neither
had I rest; yet trouble came. It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth to
him good. When I saw you in Liverpool, and a peaceful calm wafted across
both our breasts, and justice no claim upon us, little did I think to
meet you in the gloomy walls of a strong prison, and the arm of justice
stretched out with the sword of law, awaiting the appointed period to
execute the dreadful sentence. I have had a fair prospect in the world,
at last it budded, and brought forth the gallows. I am shortly to mount
that scaffold, and to bid adieu to this world, and all that was ever
dear to my breast. But I trust when my body is mounted on the gallows
high, the heavens above will smile and pity me. I hope that you will
reflect on your past, and fly to that Jesus who stands with open arms to
receive you. Your character is lost, it is true. When the wicked turneth
from the wickedness that they have committed, they shall save their soul
alive.
"Let us imagine for a moment that we see the souls standing before the
awful tribunal, and we hear its dreadful sentence, depart ye cursed into
everlasting fire. Imagine you hear the awful lamentations of a soul in
hell. It would be enough to melt your heart, if it was as hard as
adamant. You would fall upon your knees and plead for God's mercy, as a
famished person would for food, or as a dying criminal would for a
pardon. We soon, very soon, must go the way whence we shall ne'er
return. Our names will be struck off the records of the living, and
enrolled in the vast catalogues of the dead. But may it ne'er be
numbered with the damned.--I hope it will please God to set you at your
liberty, and that you may see the sins and follies of your life past. I
shall now close my letter with a few words which I hope you will receive
as from a dying man; and I hope that every important truth of this
letter may sink deep in your heart, and be a lesson to you through life.
"Rising griefs distress my soul,
And tears on tears successive roll--
For many an evil voice is near,
To chide my woes and mock my fear--
And silent memory weeps alone,
O'er hours of peace and gladness known.
"I still remain your sincere friend, CHARLES GIBBS."
In another letter which the wretched Gibbs wrote after his condemnation
to one who had been his early friend, he writes as follows:--"Alas! it
is now, and not until now, that I have become sensible of my wicked
life, from my childhood, and the enormity of the crime, for which I must
shortly suffer an ignominious death!--I would to God that I never had
been born, or that I had died in my infancy!--the hour of reflection has
indeed come, but come too late to prevent justice from cutting me
off--my mind recoils with horror at the thoughts of the unnatural deeds
of which I have been guilty!--my repose rather prevents than affords me
relief, as my mind, while I slumber, is constantly disturbed by
frightful dreams of my approaching awful dissolution!"
On Friday, April twenty-second, Gibbs and Wansley paid the penalty of
their crimes. Both prisoners arrived at the gallows about twelve
o'clock, accompanied by the marshal, his aids, and some twenty or thirty
United States' marines. Two clergymen attended them to the fatal spot,
where everything being in readiness, and the ropes adjusted about their
necks, the Throne of Mercy was fervently addressed in their behalf.
Wansley then prayed earnestly himself, and afterwards joined in singing
a hymn. These exercises concluded, Gibbs addressed the spectators nearly
as follows:
MY DEAR FRIENDS,
My crimes have been heinous--and although I am now about to suffer for
the murder of Mr. Roberts, I solemnly declare my innocence of the
transaction. It is true, I stood by and saw the fatal deed done, and
stretched not forth my arm to save him; the technicalities of the law
believe me guilty of the charge--but in the presence of my God--before
whom I shall be in a few minutes--I declare I did not murder him.
I have made a full and frank confession to Mr. Hopson, which probably
most of my hearers present have already read; and should any of the
friends of those whom I have been accessary to, or engaged in the murder
of, be now present, before my Maker I beg their forgiveness--it is the
only boon I ask--and as I hope for pardon through the blood of Christ,
surely this request will not be withheld by man, to a worm like myself,
standing as I do, on the very verge of eternity! Another moment, and I
cease to exist--and could I find in my bosom room to imagine that the
spectators now assembled had forgiven me, the scaffold would have no
terrors, nor could the precept which my much respected friend, the
marshal of the district, is about to execute. Let me then, in this
public manner, return my sincere thanks to him, for his kind and
gentlemanly deportment during my confinement. He was to me like a
father, and his humanity to a dying man I hope will be duly appreciated
by an enlightened community.
My first crime was _piracy_, for which my _life_ would pay for forfeit
on conviction; no punishment could be inflicted on me further than that,
and therefore I had nothing to fear but detection, for had my offences
been millions of times more aggravated than they are now, _death_ must
have satisfied all.
Gibbs having concluded, Wansley began. He said he might be called a
pirate, a robber, and a murderer, and he was all of these, but he hoped
and trusted God would, through Christ, wash away his aggravated crimes
and offences, and not cast him entirely out. His feelings, he said, were
so overpowered that he hardly knew how to address those about him, but
he frankly admitted the justness of the sentence, and concluded by
declaring that he had no hope of pardon except through the atoning blood
of his Redeemer, and wished that his sad fate might teach others to shun
the broad road to ruin, and travel in that of virtue, which would lead
to honor and happiness in this world, and an immortal crown of glory in
that to come.
He then shook hands with Gibbs, the officers, and clergymen--their caps
were drawn over their faces, a handkerchief dropped by Gibbs as a signal
to the executioner caused the cord to be severed, and in an instant they
were suspended in air. Wansley folded his hands before him, soon died
with very trifling struggles. Gibbs died hard; before he was run up, and
did not again remove them, but after being near two minutes suspended,
he raised his right hand and partially removed his cap, and in the
course of another minute, raised the same hand to his mouth. His dress
was a blue round-about jacket and trousers, with a foul anchor in white
on his right arm. Wansley wore a white frock coat, trimmed with black,
with trousers of the same color.
After the bodies had remained on the gallows the usual time, they were
taken down and given to the surgeons for dissection.
Gibbs was rather below the middle stature, thick set and powerful. The
form of Wansley was a perfect model of manly beauty.
[Illustration]
HISTORY OF THE ADVENTURES, CAPTURE AND EXECUTION OF THE SPANISH
PIRATES.
In the Autumn of 1832, there was anchored in the "Man of War Grounds,"
off the Havana, a clipper-built vessel of the fairest proportions; she
had great length and breadth of beam, furnishing stability to bear a
large surface of sail, and great depth to take hold of the water and
prevent drifting; long, low in the waist, with lofty raking masts, which
tapered away till they were almost too fine to be distinguished, the
beautiful arrowy sharpness of her bow, and the fineness of her gradually
receding quarters, showed a model capable of the greatest speed in
sailing. Her low sides were painted black, with one small, narrow
ribband of white. Her raking masts were clean scraped, her ropes were
hauled taught, and in every point she wore the appearance of being under
the control of seamanship and strict discipline. Upon going on board,
one would be struck with surprise at the deception relative to the
tonnage of the schooner, when viewed at a distance. Instead of a small
vessel of about ninety tons, we discover that she is upwards of two
hundred; that her breadth of beam is enormous; and that those spars
which appeared so light and elegant, are of unexpected dimensions. In
the centre of the vessel, between the fore and main masts, there is a
long brass thirty-two pounder, fixed upon a carriage revolving in a
circle, and so arranged that in bad weather it can be lowered down and
housed; while on each side of the deck were mounted guns of smaller
calibre.
This vessel was fashioned, at the will of avarice, for the aid of
cruelty and injustice; it was an African slaver--the schooner Panda. She
was commanded by Don Pedro Gilbert, a native of Catalonia, in Spain, and
son of a grandee; a man thirty-six years of age, and exceeding handsome,
having a round face, pearly teeth, round forehead, and full black eyes,
with beautiful raven hair, and a great favorite with the ladies. He
united great energy, coolness and decision, with superior knowledge in
mercantile transactions, and the Guinea trade; having made several
voyages after slaves. The mate and owner of the Panda was Don Bernardo
De Soto, a native of Corunna, Spain, and son, of Isidore De Soto,
manager of the royal revenue in said city; he was now twenty-five years
of age, and from the time he was fourteen had cultivated the art of
navigation, and at the age of twenty-two had obtained the degree of
captain in the India service. After a regular examination the
correspondent diploma was awarded him. He was married to Donna Petrona
Pereyra, daughter of Don Benito Pereyra, a merchant of Corunna. She was
at this time just fifteen, and ripening into that slight fullness of
form, and roundness of limb, which in that climate mark the early
passing from girl into woman. Her complexion was the dark olive tinge of
Spain; her eyes jet black, large and lustrous. She had great sweetness
of disposition and ingenuousness.
To the strictest discipline De Soto united the practical knowledge of a
thorough seaman. But "the master spirit of the whole," was Francisco
Ruiz, the carpenter of the Panda. This individual was of the middle
size, but muscular, with a short neck. His hair was black and abundant,
and projected from his forehead, so that he appeared to look out from
under it, like a bonnet. His eyes were dark chestnut, but always
restless; his features were well defined; his eye-lashes, jet black. He
was familiar with all the out-of-the-way places of the Havana, and
entered into any of the dark abodes without ceremony. From report his
had been a wild and lawless career. The crew were chiefly Spaniards,
with a few Portuguese, South Americans, and half castes. The cook was a
young Guinea negro, with a pleasant countenance, and good humored, with
a sleek glossy skin, and tatooed on the face; and although entered in
the schooner's books as free, yet was a slave. In all there were about
forty men. Her cargo was an assorted one, consisting in part of barrels
of rum, and gunpowder, muskets, cloth, and numerous articles, with which
to purchase slaves.
The Panda sailed from the Havana on the night of the 20th of August; and
upon passing the Moro Castle, she was hailed, and asked, "where bound?"
She replied, St. Thomas. The schooner now steered through the Bahama
channel, on the usual route towards the coast of Guinea; a man was
constantly kept at the mast head, on the lookout; they spoke a corvette,
and on the morning of the 20th Sept., before light, and during the
second mate's watch, a brig was discovered heading to the southward.
Capt. Gilbert was asleep at the time, but got up shortly after she was
seen, and ordered the Panda to go about and stand for the brig. A
consultation was held between the captain, mate and carpenter, when the
latter proposed to board her, and if she had any specie to rob her,
confine the men below, and burn her. This proposition was instantly
acceded to, and a musket was fired to make her heave to.
This vessel was the American brig Mexican, Capt. Butman. She had left
the pleasant harbor of Salem, Mass., on the last Wednesday of August,
and was quietly pursuing her voyage towards Rio Janeiro. Nothing
remarkable had happened on board, says Captain B., until half past two
o'clock, in the morning of September 20th, in lat. 38, 0, N., lon. 24,
30, W. The attention of the watch on deck was forcibly arrested by the
appearance of a vessel which passed across our stern about half a mile
from us. At 4 A.M. saw her again passing across our bow, so near that
we could perceive that it was a schooner with a fore top sail and top
gallant sail. As it was somewhat dark she was soon out of sight. At
daylight saw her about five miles off the weather quarter standing on
the wind on the same tack we were on, the wind was light at SSW and we
were standing about S.E. At 8 A.M. she was about two miles right to
windward of us; could perceive a large number of men upon her deck, and
one man on the fore top gallant yard looking out; was very suspicious of
her, but knew not how to avoid her. Soon after saw a brig on our weather
bow steering to the N.E. By this time the schooner was about three miles
from us and four points forward of the beam. Expecting that she would
keep on for the brig ahead of us, we tacked to the westward, keeping a
little off from the wind to make good way through the water, to get
clear of her if possible. She kept on to the eastward about ten or
fifteen minutes after we had tacked, then wore round, set square sail,
steering directly for us, came down upon us very fast, and was soon
within gun shot of us, fired a gun and hoisted patriot colors and backed
main topsail. She ran along to windward of us, hailed us to know where
we were from, where bound, &c. then ordered me to come on board in my
boat. Seeing that she was too powerful for us to resist, I accordingly
went, and soon as I got along-side of the schooner, five ruffians
instantly jumped into my boat, each of them being armed with a large
knife, and told me to go on board the brig again; when they got on board
they insisted that we had got money, and drew their knives, threatening
us with instant death and demanding to know where it was. As soon as
they found out where it was they obliged my crew to get it up out of the
run upon deck, beating and threatening them at the same time because
they did not do it quicker. When they had got it all upon deck, and
hailed the schooner, they got out their launch and came and took it on
board the schooner, viz: ten boxes containing twenty thousand dollars;
then returned to the brig again, drove all the crew into the forecastle,
ransacked the cabin, overhauling all the chests, trunks, &c. and rifled
my pockets, taking my watch, and three doubloons which I had previously
put there for safety; robbed the mate of his watch and two hundred
dollars in specie, still insisting that there was more money in the
hold. Being answered in the negative, they beat me severely over the
back, said they knew that there was more, that they should search for
it, and if they found any they would cut all our throats. They continued
searching about in every part of the vessel for some time longer, but
not finding any more specie, they took two coils of rigging, a side of
leather, and some other articles, and went on board the schooner,
probably to consult what to do with us; for, in eight or ten minutes
they came back, apparently in great haste, shut us all below, fastened
up the companion way, fore-scuttle and after hatchway, stove our
compasses to pieces in the binnacles, cut away tiller-ropes, halliards,
braces, and most of our running rigging, cut our sails to pieces badly;
took a tub of tarred rope-yarn and what combustibles they could find
about deck, put them in the caboose house and set them on fire; then
left us, taking with them our boat and colors. When they got alongside
of the schooner they scuttled our boat, took in their own, and made
sail, steering to the eastward.
As soon as they left us, we got up out of the cabin scuttle, which they
had neglected to secure, and extinguished the fire, which if it had been
left a few minutes, would have caught the mainsail and set our masts on
fire. Soon after we saw a ship to leeward of us steering to the S.E. the
schooner being in pursuit of her did not overtake her whilst she was in
sight of us.
It was doubtless their intention to burn us up altogether, but seeing
the ship, and being eager for more plunder they did not stop fully to
accomplish their design. She was a low strait schooner of about one
hundred and fifty tons, painted black with a narrow white streak, a
large head with the horn of plenty painted white, large maintopmast but
no yards or sail on it. Mast raked very much, mainsail very square at
the head, sails made with split cloth and all new; had two long brass
twelve pounders and a large gun on a pivot amidships, and about seventy
men, who appeared to be chiefly Spaniards and mulattoes.
[Illustration: _Pirates robbing the brig Mexican of Salem, Mass._]
The object of the voyage being frustrated by the loss of the specie,
nothing now remained but for the Mexican to make the best of her way
back to Salem, which she reached in safety. The government of the United
States struck with the audacity of this piracy, despatched a cruiser in
pursuit of them. After a fruitless voyage in which every exertion was
made, and many places visited on the coast of Africa, where it was
supposed the rascals might be lurking, the chase was abandoned as
hopeless, no clue being found to their "whereabouts."
The Panda after robbing the Mexican, pursued her course across the
Atlantic, and made Cape Monte; from this she coasted south, and after
passing Cape Palmas entered the Gulf of Guinea, and steered for Cape
Lopez which she reached in the first part of November. Cape Lopez de
Gonzalves, in lat. 0° 36' 2" south, long. 80° 40' 4" east, is so called
from its first discoverer. It is covered with wood but low and swampy,
as is also the neighboring country. The extensive bay formed by this
cape is fourteen miles in depth, and has several small creeks and rivers
running into it. The largest is the river Nazareth on the left point of
which is situated King Gula's town the only assemblage of huts in the
bay. Here the cargo of the Panda was unloaded, the greater part was
entrusted to the king, and with the rest Capt. Gilbert opened a factory
and commenced buying various articles of commerce, as tortoise shell,
gum, ivory, palm oil, fine straw carpeting, and slaves. After remaining
here a short time the crew became sickly and Capt. Gilbert sailed for
Prince's Island to recover the health of his crew. Whilst at Prince's
Island news arrived of the robbery of the Mexican. And the pirate left
with the utmost precipitation for Cape Lopez, and the better to evade
pursuit, a pilot was procured; and the vessel carried several miles up
the river Nazareth. Soon after the Panda left Prince's Island, the
British brig of war, Curlew, Capt. Trotter arrived, and from the
description given of the vessel then said to be lying in the Nazareth,
Capt. Trotter knew she must be the one, that robbed the Mexican; and he
instantly sailed in pursuit. On nearing the coast, she was discovered
lying up the river; three boats containing forty men and commanded by
Capt. Trotter, started up the river with the sea breeze and flood tide,
and colors flying to take the desperadoes; the boats kept in near the
shore until rounding a point they were seen from the Panda. The pirates
immediately took to their boats, except Francisco Ruiz who seizing a
fire brand from the camboose went into the magazine and set some
combustibles on fire with the laudable purpose of blowing up the
assailants, and then paddled ashore in a canoe. Capt. Trotter chased
them with his boats, but could not come up with them, and then boarded
the schooner which he found on fire. The first thing he did was to put
out the fire which was in the magazine, below the cabin floor; here was
found a quantity of cotton and brimstone burning and a slow match
ignited and communicating with the magazine, which contained sixteen
casks of powder.