Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-06-29

u
man, who was allowed to ,emain deck for the |
special purpose of atforGna his or;urc on amusing
exhibition To Soto and his gang They Gre to the
brig. then lay TO, TO observe The progress OF the
flames; and as the miserable African bnunded from
rope TO rope. now climbing TO the mast head-now
clingng To the shroudsnow ieaping 10 one part Of
the vessel, nnd now to unoth-r-,heir ni,yment
seemed TO rise to ills highest pitch. At iergih the
ha,ches opened to tho devourng element the tortu
red victim Of their Gendsh cruelty fell exhausted into
the flames, and the hortid and revolving scene closed
amidst the shoats Of The nscrean,s who hud caused
10.
OF their othox exploits TINT which ranks next in
turpitade, and Which led to their overthrow was the
piracy of the Morning Stcr. They fell in with that
vessel near tho Island OF Ascension. in the yoar Se8
rs she was on her voyage from Ceylcn To England
This vessel, be- ides Valuable cargo, had ON board
several ssting Of amsor and his wife,
an sssistant-surgcon. two civilians, about 6veand-
twenty invalid soldiers, opd three four of their
wives AS soon as Bcn;to d. Soto perceived the ship
which was at daylight the 2ist Of Feb. he called
up all hands. and prepared for attacking her: he was
at the time steering opposite to that of
the Morning Star On accommodating her, he at frst
supposed she was French vessel; but Darbaaan one
ut his crew who was himself Frenchman, assured
him the ship British. so much he better" ex.
claimed Soto, in English, (for be could speak that
language 1--WE shall find the more booty" He then
ordered ilih sails TO be squared, and run before the
wind in chase Of his plumber from which lie was ubou,
two leagues distant.
The Defansor de Pedro, the name Of the pirate
sup, was ast safer out owing to the press OF
vass which the Morning Star hOistcd soon after the
pirate had commenced the chase. he Gid not como ND
with her 80 quickly as he expec.e': the delay caused
great unccslness 10 Soto. which nc manifested BY n,u,
trring curses, and a resessu.ss of manner. Sounds
OF savage satisfaction were to be heard from every
mouth but his 81 the prospect; he alone expressed his
anticipated pleasure by hs menaoes and mental
lrqM tude. While Barbarian was cmplovrd in SUPER
intending The clearing Of the decks the arnirr and
breakiastirg of tho incn. he walked rapidly up and
down. revolving IN his mind the plan Of the approa ch
ing aHack, and when interrupt ed by any Of The crew.
he would run int" volley of imprecutiors. In onr
instance. he struck his black boy violent buv with
a'elescope, because he asked him would he have his
morning cup of chocolate: soon. however as he act
his studiing sails, and perceived that he was rainipu
on the Morning Star, he became some what tranquil
began to eat heartily Of cold beet, drank his
CT draugh', aud coolly SGT down on the deck to
smoke q cigar
In less than quarter Of an hour, the pirate had
gained considerably on the other vessel Soto now
without rsirg from whore he sa, ordered run with
BLANK cartridge to be fred and The British, colrrs
t., b. hoistcd: but finding this measure had not the
effect OF bringing the Morning S,ur to. he cried out
~, rShot the long gun and give it her pnnt-bians."
The order was obeyed, but the shot fell short of the
intention, on which he jumped On and cursed
the fellows for bunglers who had fred The gun Hc
then ordered them 10 load with canster Shot, nd
took the match IN his own hand He did not how
ever fire Immediately, but waited till he was nearly
aoreast OF his victim; then directing he ain, himself
and ordering man 10 stand by the flag 10 hapl i,
down fired with an air that showed he was ssre of
his mark. He hen ran 20 haul I'd thu, Colombian
colours, and having done so, cried out through the
speaking trumpet. Lower your boat down this mo-
ment' and lot your captain come board with his
papers,"
During This fearful chase tho people on hoard rho
NO. nihg Star were N the greatest olsrm but howe
yer helr apprehensions might Ia ve been excited bot
courage WHICH is 80 characteristic of British sailor
never tor tnoment forsook tho CAPTAIN He boJd,v
carried on SAL aud although of the men fell from
rI nnIfl ,n
whero around him, be determined not to STRIFE But
unhappy he had not single gun on board and no
small arms that coold render bus courage availiny
Yhe tears of the women, aud the prudent rdv;cs of
the passengers overcoming his resolution he permit
ted himself TO be guided by the general opinion One
or the passenger volunteered himself go on boa rd
the pirate, and boat was lowered for the purpose
Both vessels lay To within fifty Yards Of ench oil
or, and u strong hope arose IN those on bosrd the
Morning 3 ar, that the gentleman who had volunteer
ed to 60 TO the prete might, through his cxertions
avert, at leas, the worst OF the dreaded calamity
Some people here, in their quiet security hay,
made 10 scruple Of decluring, that tho COMMANDING
officer of the soldiers board should not have SO
,tameiy yielded TO the pirate, particularly es he had
hls ~ along with him. and consequently misfpr
tune to dread that might b. thought even vorsa
deatl but all who know the true tate OF the circuun
stances and reiec upon il. will allow that he sdop
ted the only chance of escaping that which wa To b.
tue most feared by husband. The long-gun, which
was pivot the centre of the pirate shin coId
in few shots sink the Morning Sar; and even had
resistance been made to the pirates, as hey boarded
hcr-had they been killed, prisoners The resnt
would DOT have been much better II was evident the
Defensor de Pedro was the best saer oonseoucrtIv
the Morning Star could not hope to escape: in fact
sl5'o'sslo" mr. total destruction was the only choice
The commanding oicer therefore, acted for he hest
when he recommended the former There was some
slight hope OF escaping with life, md without perso-
nal abuse, by surrenderDg but to contend must be
inevitable death
The gentleman who bad gone 10 ,hc boat to the
pirate retained IN short time exhibiting every proof
or the III treatment he bad received from Soto and
MS crew 1t appears that when tho villains learned
ne was not the captain, they fell upon him aud boa,
MN, as well as the sailors along with him. IN most
brutal manner and with the most horrid precations
told him, that It the captain did not Instantly como
on his return to the vessel they would blow the slp
ou' OF the wser This report at once dtcded the
captain IN the way he was 10 act. Wilhou, hes !
tation he stepped into the boat, taking with him his
second mate, three soldiers, and sailor bow and pro
ceeded to the pirate. On going boa I'd that YES se
along with the mate, Soto, who stood near the main,
mast, with his drawn cutlass in his hs nd des,roJ b