The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-04-07

deed feel the iotcs oil pyons "
would brave the battle are, The WRECK" DC. a iss'
ship will make active officers, Tor tho association VIII
bear upou che formation oil The young aSp'-
rant
lis an axiom, "a dull ship makes dun ohiee's'
Who ever took an interest ~ a dull ho'se' -"
forest 10 ship the great requisite IN learning
profession OF sailors. What service can s''" MAJ
ofwar renderi None. She can neither ns' 'ou
superior force nor overhaul equal or INFERIOR iiaa
Od Iron s,desn not possessed the sailing QUALITIES
for which she is remarkable, Hull would mol nave
escaped from the Eovl..h fleet, or the Java Suet-
rere, Cyane and Leyant been humbled BY her pfoad'
sides.
The Eagle was indeed a fast ship, we'll eom"an''u
and wholesome of war discipline administered WI
board No weak inventions Of a shallow seo"ce-no
soandalous and unseemly punishmen's tha' on'' '''
to rrilsle and engepder disgust. When man con-
mted an offence after the lapse Of "a hours he was
punished according to law.
The steerase Of the Eagle composed oil t"en-
ty various characters, free from care and rouo'e'
the blythe soog merry Jest and bolsteroas laugh ever
sounded among them. Time hoated gsily along
with fair and pleasant brcezes In twenty-iour days
under the high, bold and invuInerabe rock with It's
countless bulldogs, frowning from the numerous
embrasures and port holes
We had scarce anchored, when our Consul came
along side and handed orders from the Commo-
dore TO JOIN him. without an hours delay, 10 smyr-
IA. "lu hands up aaeor' soon knocked all on-shore-
going anticipations into a cooked hat, and IN one
hour from our snchorng had rounded Europa
Point The wind blew strong from the north and
east, bringing INTO action the finest qualities OF the
swift Eagle in four days we made the bold promon-
tory Of Cape Matpan, and the high land of the Mo-
res; Greece, venerable Greece was in sight-my
head filed wits Lsonidss, Socrates, Themistooles,
and the eloquent Demosthenes-I gszed upon the
high land Of Greece, and almost imagined the heecy
clouds that moved slowly over the surface of the
mounts, were the martial myriads Of Xerxes APP
preaching the pass Of Thsrmopyle.
1 But midshipmln's brain is generally so unsettled
in It's fancy he dwells but moment on objects sur
| rounding him-a light touch of imagination-and
catching up some other object, he glances over II,
please and approaching, but not with the attentive
scrutiny OF connosseur, bringing every circum.
stance aud beauty into light The entrance to the
Archipelago is exceedingly interesting-each isle
| the location Of some classic assoca,ion-keeping
alive the feeling Of interest constantly awakened in
a Mediterranean cruise. We passed between Cerigo
and the main land, making direct course for Milo
as our Captain intended to obtain pilot from there
which we did at noon without entering the harbor.-
our course was now, among the numerous islands,
for Smyrna-land 10 sight both day and night. AT 8
p M the day of obtaining our pilot, we were be-
Gained The wind for twenty hours had been vari.
able, accompanied by rain and occasional squalls
The calm ominous one, and the barometer
gave indication OF ugly limes-our pilot became IN.
easy-a quivering light, like Sigh, aurora borealis,
flashed dmy in the northern heavens and heavy, dull
clouds darkcned the sky. All hands called the
topsas close reefed royal and op-galant yards
on deck, and topgalant masts housed (or struck y
Our master had carefully watched with the azimuth
compass the bearing of each point Of land, Till dark
n ess ruled all objects.
| The land lay to the southward-the west point Of
Parcs bore s. W.-the east point of Na1os E. s. T.,
with nor,hery wind We had lee shore, but with
dayigh could make with safety the passage between
NaIos nd Paros. At night twas impossible.
So cIu,aering are the island. in the Archipelago
| naypatlOn, Is,
perpexipg and many fine vessels have been lost by
mistu king the different islands and steering wrong
course The dark clouds began to lift and break
asunder to the norhward, presenting Wild fright
full appearance--a dioramal scene of giant forms
battling in the heavens. The lightning flashed, and
the rumbling thunder roared over the sea, shaking
earth to its COMMISSIONING feeble man the insignf.
cance of earth's excitement when heaven opens its
terrific voice.
Sail was reduced TO close rcefed fore and main top
sail, fore storm staysaiI and main spencer. The
courses were close reefed and fued, for We knew not
how soon iee shore" would call for heavy press of
canvas. The blast came to shear up was impos-
sible we must hold our own for every foot to wind
ward was safety The gallant frigate must stand the
brunt-and nobly did she act her part-watched by
eyes, her helm in the hands of IRON nerved
quartermasters, who had braved the pillows in their
| most terrible moods.
| On careered the brave Eagle, rushing through the
foam of water, the wind bowling amid the tautened
cordage, singing thousand storm songs, and heaving
up the bosom of the in violent contortons of its
surface. Our only chance of safety to keep sail
| on her. and hold our own during the night; at dawn
we could to "make lee," or run for Milo if
| necessary. Such the determination of our cap
tainthe pilot he did not consult, interrupt in his
pathetic appeals TO the Virgin Mary, for the moment
the gale came on, he fled to the wardroom and con-
,inued on his knees till kid4ed out of the way BY the
signal quariermnster, who went below, with hands
to attend the "rtiering tackles" The stout EAGLE
bated noby with the storm, bending gracefully over,
acknowledging the power of infatuated Boreas, and
again with each high wave, casting Off the spray,
or trembling with the dangerous abu'ion of the Ar
chipeago sea. The master hove the log and watched
the drift with anxious attention, overhauIing the char,
every few moments with the captain. After running
three hours and half this tack the order was py-