The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-05-22


followed her. sat out, to return over
land to my native country, a sober,
steady, aud partially grey-haired colonel
of thirty-six. My military career had
been as brilliant as my domestic path
had been clouded. The habitual com
plexion of my mind, however, was grnvi-
ty-a gravity which extended itself to
my countcnance, and there assumed even
a shade Of melancholy. Yet was q
disappointed. not discontented man ; and
my character had, I trust, undergone
some changes for the better. arrived
ct . port in the Levant. and thence took
ship for Malta, where I landed in safety.
At this period the Mediterranean tra-
ders were kept in a state Of perpetual
alarm by the celebrated "Demon Ship"
Though distinguished by the same at
tractive title, she in nowise resembled
the phantom terror Of the African Cape.
She was described as powerful vessel,
manned BY desperate hesh-and-blood
crew, whose rapacity triumphed over all
fear of danger, and whose cruelty for
bade all hope Of mercy. Yet. though
she was neither "built" of air nor "man-
/ ned" by demons, her feats had been 30
wonderful. that there was At length no
other rational mode of accounting for
them than by tracing them to supernatu-
raj, and consequently demoniacal. agen-
cy. She had sailed through fleets un-
discovered; she had escaped from the
fastest pursuers; she had overtaken the
swiftest fugitives; she had appeared
where she was not expected, and disap-
peared when even her very latitude and
longitude seemed calculable. In short,
II seemed as if ubiquity were an attribute
Of the Demon Ship. Her fearful title
had been first given by those who dread
cd to become her victims but she SEEM
ed not i'll pleased by the appalling epithet;
and shortly, ~ If in audacious adoption
Of the name she had acquired, showed
tho word DEMON in flaming letters on
her stern. To capture her seemed i'm.
possible she ever mastered her equals.
and eluded her superiors. Innumerable
were the vessels that had left different
ports in tho Mediterranean to disappear
forever. 1t seemed tho cruel practice of
the Demon to sink her victims in their
own vessels.
Most of the trading vessels then about
to quit the port of Valstta, had request
cd, and obtained, convoy from British
frigate and sloop Of war, bound to Glib
raltar and thence to Englsnd. So ca
ger were all passengers to sail under
such protection, that had some diff
Guilty in obtaining bert b in any of the
holes and corners of the various fine
fast-sailing eopper-bottomed brigs, whose
cards offered such "excellent accommo-
dations for passengers" At length !
went on board the "Elizabeth Downs"
. large three-masted British vessel,
whose size made the SURF ounding brigs
dwindls into insigni6eance, and whose
fresl,-painted sides seemed to foreshow
tho cleanliness and comfort that would
be found within. One little hen-pen Of
cabin on deck alone remained at the
captains disposal. However, was fond
ofs cabin on deck. and paid half my
passage-money to the civil little captain,
who testified much regret that he could
not offer me the "freedom of the quar-
ter-deck" (such was his expression, as
the whole stern end of the vessel had
been taken by an English lady Of quality.
1t was the month Of June, and the
weather, though clear. was oppressively
hot, when we set sail, under all the can
vass we could carry, without, however,
making much progress. The Countess
Of Flowerdals, the name of my noble feI-
low passenger, did not make her ap-
pearance on deck until towards the even
ing of the day we embarked. Twas lux
uriantly stretched on long seat which
Joined the steps Of the quarter-deck,
when l heard her light foot as she as
cended the cabiu steps. / turned my
eyes in the direction whence she came.
Good heavens what was my astonisl'-
ment in seeing before me the form and
features of Margaret Cameron! The
scene and conversation that ensued, /
shall not here describe. It can easily
be OWNED that Margaret had given her
hand to save a parent, and that she had
come abroad with husband, who. dying,
had loft her rich widow. If the limits
Of my little manuscript would allow, !
could tell long tale of well-managed
treachery and deception; how that om-
nipresent Marplot of my adolescence,
the Countess of Falcondale suffered mo
to remain in the belief that the death Of
Captain Cameron's niece, which occurr-
cd at A., shortly after my departure,
was that of my own Margaret; how in
character Of supreme manager Of the
affairs Of the old officer, who had been
struck with paralysis, she kept my let
tcrs for her own exclusive eye; how she