Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1847-11-12


and | didn't nothing else =
All hands laughed at the cool wit of
the fellow, and the Captain of the ship
said that the M. ID. couldn't 90 on the
deck Of his vessel to eat and sleep, no
how it could be fixed.'-N. O. Pic.
A SKETCH FROM THE CAPTAIN.
Twenty years ago, | made the acquain-
lance of Lieut.. -, then passed mid
shipman in the United States navy, now
in command of d very saucy little craft,
which has not been undstinguished in
recent naval movements on the coast of
Mexico. The acquaintance was made
under circumstances so singular, that their
relation, even at this late day, can hardly
fail to interest the reader 1t was in Glib
raltar. | was passing coffee house much
frequentcd by American and English Of
ficers, when, hearing my name called, |
turned and saw, standing in the door, a
young man in the undress of our service
Captain -, of the brig Monmouth,
[ believe 2
The same. SIR Ireplied.
| am Mr. -, passed midshipman Of
the United States sloop of war -, now
lying at Port Mahon. | am here on leave,
and none of my brother officers are at
hand to render me that service, which |
must request of you, as fellow country
man, to PERFORM
i shall be happy to learn how | can be
of service to Mr. - | replied, with ra-
ther formal bow, for our young officers
in the Mediterranean were too much in
the habit of getting into silly scrapes, and
suspected that it was in one of this kind
| was asked to figure.
1t is little affair which will detain you
only few minutes, Captain the young
officer replied with smile. The fact is
that have one duel to fight, and perhaps
more, within five minutes, in that coffee
house. | was going out to hunt up a coun-
tryman to act as my second, when you
passed.
He hastily explained the origin of the
difficulty, proved to me that he was RICH
and | resolved to see him through. We
entered the house, in the public room Of
which | was introduced to seven or eight
English naval officers, one of whom held
in his hands pair offine pistols. He was
the second of the other party, and we
stepped aside to make the necessary pre-
parations. While the preImnaries for
the fight are arranged, the reader may as
well be enlightened as to its cause.
The English naval officers for several
years after the last war omitted no oppor-
tunity to insult our officers and provoke
them into quarrels. When they could not
get representative of the flag from the
government service, they would seek out
one in the merchant marine, and captains
of trading vessels were more than once
compelled to notice insults gratuitously
offered.
At Gibraltar and Port Mahon there had
been several duels, and at the latter place
they were of such frequent occurrence,
that it was usual TO say, on saluting an
acquaint a0ce in the morning - Well,
who is the victim to-day - was the Eng
lishman killed, or did the American take
the bullet p
In the case now referred TO, SIX or seven
English lieutenants had studied, for the
week that my friend had been in Gibral-
tar, how TO get him into quarrel. They
settled on the plan at last, and lost no time
in putting IT into execution.
Lieut.. - was sitting IN the public
room of the coffee house, quietly drinking
MS wine and reading 4 newspaper. One
of the English officers, who was reckoned