Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1839-12-03

ton, and leaped into the sea BY scores, to avoid
falling INTO our hands.
Buta voluntary death is SO trifing matter,
and these Inflated men found too late that
drowning is not so very pleasant after all. It
was heart-rending to hear their shrieks and
howllngs as they caught hold Of their boats to
save themselves, and had their hands cut off in
the attempt. Poor .{ellowsl it was a hard
thing torme, but we We're under the necessity
OF dong II, or else, from their numbers, we had
all been buriedin the ocean together.
You may form some idea Of the number Of
men who persisted in this way from the fact
that after the engagement was over, from the
single boat to which belonged took up my
tarpaulin hat five times full Of human fingers,
and threw them into the sea. Our boat was
prevented for while from coming alongside
by the others, which occupied every accessible
point, and began to fear should not partici-
pate inthe honor of capturing the prize. How
ever, we soon crowded ourselves up undeg the
main chains, and began to climb the side the
third lieutenant, who was in our boat, had near
" reached the top of the nettings, and / was
standing on the forward thwart Of the boat,
when one Of our men, who was in the act OF
throwing handgrenade, was horribly mutila-
ted by its explosion; he gave a leap into the
air, and fell heavily into the boat a torn and
mangled corpse. looked for moment at the
disgusting remains of my comrade till my blood
froze in my veins, and crept with icy GOODNESS
to the extremities of my fingers, then leapino
upwards caught the lanyard of backstay.-
By this time our Lieutenant stood on the sum-
NIT Of the hammock nettings; he raised him.
self proudly to his utmost height, stood in an
attitude that would have done honor 10 any
celebrated actor of tragedy, and, fourishing his
sword over his head, was on the point Of spring.
inc down on the foe, shouting with all his
might, SNOW, my brave fellows, nowp-when
half dozen boarding pixies were thrust at him
with a viii and decision of aim that must have
proved fatal, had he not avoided the bristly dam
ger by springing backward into the rigging
but, instead of catching, as he intended, in,the
shrouds, he came numbering down the ships
side, bringing three or four men with him, and
taking me in their course: all went pell-mel
INTO the boat together. 1t was in fhis break.
neck tumble that received the wound in my
breast which left this scar. Though did not
perceive il at the time, it must have been done
by back-handed blow from the lieutenant's
sword
Fer the love of mercy, get off my head,
cried /, as loud as could articuate, with my
mouth and throat filed with blood. "Oh are
you alive, then" said the lubberly officer, anC
he raised his foot. q expect am, sir, though
all the same as dead here" You may Judge
what were my feelings on rising, to find haC
been literally trodden into the mangled body o
our dead shipmate, and was dripping from heaC
to foot with the blood Of my friend. know
not how to describe the complexity of my feel
ings at that moment; was fairly beside my
self; and washing my face hastily in the sea
with the fury of maniac dashed up the sidl
of the ship, and plunged into the thickest o
the fight. By this time, our mon had made
most terrible slaughter there; dead bodie
were lying in heaps upon heaps, in all direc
4 tons; and these, with the blood which wa
pouring from the scuppers like water in hea
Wy shower Of lain, rendered it extremely (iffi
cult to walk about or even to stand on tn
slippery decks; still these desperate me
maintained their ground with firmness tina
was truly astonishing considering their nun
bers. Every man seemed resolved not to b
taken alive, and fought with determination :
sell his life as dearly as possible. Such wa
the stage of the battle when / rushed into tn
midst. made the most extraordinary exc
tons for few minutes, but soon found m
maniac rage began to cool, and thought of ac
ting on the defensive. To retreat was impol
sble, for such is the strict order and disciplir
Of a see-fght, that YOU will meet the same fat
from your friend if you attempt to turn and f
alone, that you are likely 10 meet from the el
envy by facing them manfully. The SpaniarC
were soon so much reduced that they we
fairly sprroundeda and overpowered by number
!, had Just parted a most scientific thru
made at me by long-hmbed skeleton of
Portuguese, and gave him his own with int
est, when they threw down their arms fer qua
ter. now loaded my pistol, which had di
charged but once during the engagement, al
was about returning it to my belt, when
Spanish boy, mere stripping, sprung towar
me with bound, clapped the muzze of
pistol to my breast, and came within an a
of losing my life, when thought the fghtii
all over. Making sweep with the butt e
of nv long boarding. pistol, laid him on t
~ deck Just in time to avoid the messenger
u death. was a little startled at The nome
70 and discharged the contents ofmy weapon il
o his PROSTATE body. Shipmates if ever "
; sorry for any thing in my life, it was for Il
, deed; the poor boy raised his head, and ga
e me such look Oh, heaven can see
IL now! So innocent and wistful-so full of {
| DIeESlNt UClpItcouCScS II SCClACu W
10 snare him, at the same time that it upbraid
3 me for my cruelty it was like the last look
:, wounded pigeon, finttering and expiring
= your feet. took him up in my arms, IN
- hone that the wound was not mortal, and Il
= he might yet recover; but 1t was too late
e the death rattle was in his throat-and cal
y cd him aft to the capstan, and laid him do
" with as much care as if he had been my o.
y son, in a spot where he would not be trodd
- upon by the crowd. / watched there bes
- him, gazing upon his sweet face, and mourn
n that had deprived so bright being of e.
= tence, until was ordered aloft to shift
~ main topunast staysail halliards over to
y ward, for they were making sail on the ship
ls get her out Of the reach OF the fort on she
y before the fog could clear away. Whei
~ came down to the top, IN looking for plec'
- canvass to sew up my murdered boy, happ
h cd to find Spanish ensign neatly rolled
~ which had probably belonged to one Of
P lnaintop men. Out Of this made a shroud
~ that fair child. While Twas employed IN
- sacred Office, a muster Of the prisoners !
y, made, and it was found that out of SIX hund
-. men who had composed the crew IN the rns
' ne ing, but sixty now renamed unlnjured. :
~ when looked upon the work OF my own ri
u did not notice the vast quantity of blood
"a by others; and when, enveloped in the fla
nss his native land ] raised the remains of
ny once bright being in my arms, and ccnsig
~ them to the keeping of the friendly oces
~ could not, nor can now, persuade myself
w the idea that had been amurderer.
m. More Modern Definitions.
inc FROM FoWIERs' DICTIONARY.
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