The Weekly register., 1843-09-02
AT SEA, Oct. G, 1912
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My dear .friends:-I will endeavor 10
give you something like an account of
what | have witnessed since we parted
The gentry who have heretofore done
the sea fighting Of the world, have re-
presented it as a business so frightful
have so filled our ears with the thunder
ing description of the cannonade, and so
wrung upon our sympathies with the
agonles ofthe wounded anl dying, that
had not just come out Of one as noisy
at least, as any Of theirs, | should think
it a very improper sort of a picture TO
present to lady's eyes; but it being a
very tame concern, save now and then
a ridiculous occurrence, | not only do
not despair of giving you very minute
account, which shall not affect your
nerves, but1 hope even to excite your
curiosity as high as mine was when
came to sea for the purpose of seeing a
fght. You must know that yesterday
morning | was walked out of a sound
sleepwith the very agreeable intelligence
that a frigate was in sight, standing for
US, and close ahead. ,,'Hov large is she?'
Very large, SIR Perhaps it is an
American er Spanish?' mo, sir, she has
got an English flag flying 'Give me
nv clothcs' The Pursar by this. time
had got the intelligence. HIS Station
you knw is in the cockpit, out of Shot
With his clothes in his hand, he was
darting with the rapidity Of lightning,
for his hiding place, when seeing me, he
stopped suddenly, and taking me to his
cabin-'Come, my good fellow, there's
no knowing what may happen-just
subscribe this RECEIPT for your share of
the small stores"
A very pretty omen, thought l.
Dressed and armed, (for you must un-
derstand that | am one of the goodIy
fellowship Of boarders) | ventured on
deck. Here. every thing was in a bus
tIe--the hurry Of preparation for battle.
| met the commodore's eye. -~"Well, sir
you are ready, see.' 'Yes, sir,' said l.,
in very husky voice. 'We shall have
fight Think so, sir9' 'Oh, yes,
there she is, and a beauty, too | got
on q gun carriage, looked over the bul.
wark, and there she was, sure, enough,
Just abreast ofus, showing all her teeth.
All! thought TO myself, how much bet
ter 'twould be now if she would only
strike without firing. Shall we hoist
the ensign?' asked quarler-master.-
yes, s,'-'More than one!' mo; we can
whip her as easily under one flag as
four--Sience' And all was as hush as
death. Our captain now made speech
"My good fellows we'll have no cheer
ing. lfyou knock out one Of her masts
don't stop to bawl about it, but thump a
way the harder tthe other.twon Well,
thought l, if you don't make a better
fight than you have a speech, we may
as well give up at once. "Fire one
broad side from the gun deck!" And
off it went, very much like fifteen other
guns, making. some noise and a great
smoke; and then very family we heard
ten guns in return, but not shot came
near us. grew calm, and now, ifthey
would only finish at this distance! ). .
The enemy, however, went about a.
gain. Our sails were hauled up, and
there weslay, waiting for him to como
down. He came within about half a
mile, and let slip. his broadside, and off
went ours. And so we went. on, our
men firing. three times to his. once-the
shot flying thick and close, whiz, whiz,
they flew fast and thick. went to
the capstan to minute that one of her
Yards had settled, and the moment
turned my back, crash came a shot
through and through, knocked down
three men, cut off whelp Of the cap
stan and threw it into thousand spllnt-
ers all around me. There the men lay