Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-05-10
TcoMMUNIcArED.l
MANUEL CARTUC HO,


was one evening in company with several Of
flcers of the Navy, when the conversation. turn
inc upon the then recent Trial OF Com. Porter'
by an easy transition settled upon the transaction
of the anti Piratical squadron commanded by
,hat officer in the West Indies. Many incidents
and personal adventures growing out OF that SER
VICE were related BY several Of the company, one
of which arrested my attention SO torcibly, that
NV memory has retained the subject OF the story
,hst,nctly even after the lapse OF several years.
An officer, IA youth Of about twenty years OF
ap.0 after momentary pause in the conversation,
beoan. as nearly as | can recolect, IN these
,vords:-Seyerai of you, doubtless, remember
that fierce and indomitabe Pirate, Manuel Cartu-
,ho-captured by Stribbling on one OF his boat ex-
ned,tions. Carr, who left US Just at this moment,
was present at the fight, and l think told me
saved his life. When the boats boarded the Pr
ratical schooner, which the pirates had run upon
the rocks during the chase on the coast OF Cuba,
those who were not shot down, leapcd from the
vessel 10 the rocks, and made their way into the
woods under a heavy fire from our seamen. Ma
nuel fought like a lion, ard was the last to throw
down his arms and take to flight He had tarried
too long. however, to escape. Before he reached
the bows of the schooner an old bOatswain's mate
was upon him. All hopes of escape vanishing
Manuel, as his last resource m the emergency.
threw himself on his knees, and with opliited
hands, implored the interpositlon OF the Holy
yirein. When first saw them, says e. the old
,ar was picking his flint with his jack-knfe. hav-
inc apparcntly just snapped the piece, and pro-
coded to adjust the iirelock with all the indifer-
ence imaoinaple--one extremity to his own Draw
ny shoulder, and the other TO the pirates ear
Got up i'm time to throw aside the muZZle before
II exploded; -aacther instant, aGd Manuc! would
have been saved much of the Inconvenience to
--1ssrhdarwus- rtnveyeu' 70 thompson Island
our headquarters, and delivered over to the
Commodore, who had occasion to admire the
fearless intrepidity and Herculean strength of
the pirate.
One fine evening Manuel was brought upon the
top-oalIant forecastle of the ship, to breathe the
fresh air and cool his irons, when his aquatic pre-
objections entirely overcame his consciousness of
present security and ease; and, dashing thro'
the mass Of astOnished seamen, plunged into a
rapid seward tide, which bore many greedy
sharks within it's bosom ''bubbles' on its sur
face .'onward.' But he s'was, as il WERE a
child Of the ocean; and the monsters of the
deep turned from him as one of their familiars.
The pirate had drifted, perhaps. hundred ia
thoms from the ship before a boat was manned
and despatched inpursuit. Manuael was no
drowning rat to catch at straws; he was bound
to the Island, its tangled and impcnetrable
mangroves for shelter from the spoiler; he waved
= nd dipped like crippled loon duck, as the boat
lot up with him Ii was vanity, even in Cuba
fisherman who strangles the shark in his own coral
depths, TO strive with the hight cutter of soop.
that leaves the dolphin in its wake. After
fierce struggle, during which Manual nearly sue
ceeded in his efforts to capsize the light boat,
when he would have drowned the crew like so
many puppies; they hauled him BY the hair into
the gig; where. like the savage wolf taken BY the
hunter, he crouched without growI, in snllen
expectation of his fate, was taken ON board the
ship aud more securely irone,l.
The prize schooner, 1.-THE Pilot few days af-
ter this event, was ordered home for adjudca-
ton, and Manuel was sent on board to stand his
trial on his arrival at Norfolk. fireplace of desti-
nation S.commanded the schooner; myself, and
,lidshipmau b of N Jersey, were his only Off
bers-For a crew we had ten or dozen skeleton
invalds, worn out by disease and dismissed the
squadron for intirmity. Besides the officers.
there were but two able-bodied hands on board. |
From some cause unaceountable to me, S. I
ordered ManGel's irons to be knocked of, and |
suffered him to go at large during the passage !
home. Nor did he seem undeser,ing this for
bearance; but behaved with propriety, and soon |
ngratiated himself, and won the pity Of every
one on board the schooner. He attached him
self particularly to me; and night and day, Ma
nuel was, in conjunction with my watch. active
" engaged in the duties of the vessel, He often
sought an opportunity of conyersns with me on
ny lonely mid-watch, when the helmsman even
vas nodding on the tiller, dreaming, perhaps, Of
sailing on whole oceans of ''Jamaca," aud also
III on board buried in profound sleep; at these
moments he would bewail the untimely end to
which he was speedily approaching-protest his
innocence of crime-and endeavor to awaken my
in his behalf He would then weep
Ike an infant; and signs which now compre
end (forI was then not Mason,) were made to
ear witness to his veracity and innocence. He
vas under the impression that we had been sent ;
o sea to punish him for his crimes, and that '
ani-featured old boatswain mate on board was S
0 be his executionsr; he lived in daily expecta- 8