Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1849-12-12
THE
An Incident Of the War Of 1919.
From N0ah's Messenger.

markable people on earth for %promptness ant
preparation for war after it exists. A valuable
corps of 100000 men, armed, equipped, ane
disciplined, can be ready for the field in thirt.
days after war is declared, and SO it may b.
said of ships of war. We will state one fact
illustrative of this position. During the wa
with England, and while stationed on the Bar.
barry coast, we were surprised one day, while
exploring the ruins of Carthage, to see a sharI
clipper-built schooner under full sail, with thu
American flag floating to a brisk breeze, doub
ling Cape Bon, and making direct for the Bay
We rode down to the fortress of Goletta, or
dered a launch to be made ready, and fount
ourself alongside the schooner just as she cas-
anchor.
"Where are you from, sir"
sFrom Boston," replied the captain, a smar
distinguishing young fellow.
"ln what passage"
"Twenty-three days, sir"
We began to have our misgivings. Tween
ty-three days from Boston? We suspected
she had been fitted out at Marseilles to cruise
in the Mediterranean. 1t was the Abilene
Captain Wyer, of SIX guns and seyentyfive
men-a magnificent little craft. We went
down into the trunk cabin.
"Now, sir" said the captain, "TM convince
YOU that we are from Boston, and will show
you Boston notions of every kind from pump
kins and smoked behring's down to wooden
nutmegs." He soon filled the table with all
the good cheer and solid comforts with which
the Bostonians know SO well how to furnish a
ship. "And here" said he, sis the Boston Cen
tinel, Major Russell s paper" AAdoubts were
| now at an end, and while we had been partaking
of fare to which we had long been u stranger
homely fare, but more welcome on that account
the captain said:
off you are surprised at our short passage SO
far up the Mediterranean, what will you say
when I tell you it is just sixty days since the
keel of this vessel was laid in Boston; yet here
we are!!" We could scarcely credit it.
sNay, that's not I'LL, sir" continued Captain
Wyer. aOn my way here, off Cagliari, l cap
tured two large British ships filled with valua-
BILE cargoes, and ordered them for this port
They will be here tomorrow morning"
"What! in a neutral port, in which the British
exercise unlimited influence!-They will never
permit US to sell the cargoes."
aWell, sir, we can only try"
Sure enough, next morning early, the an
cient city of Tunis, honored once by the pre-
sence of Scipio Afrieanus, Hannibal, and 9TH
er distinguishes personagee known to history,
was thown into the greatest commotion on see
ing two large deeply laden ships entering the
port, the stars and stripes floating over the
union jack. It startled the British consul and
all the corps diplomatique, and we soon saw
the whole bevy on horseback making for the
palace.
II smell sulphur" said the captain. "There's
a storm brewing, and we shall have itsoon."
In an hour a message arrived by a mameluke
that we were wanted at the palace. After max
ing our toilette, Sid Ambrosio, our chancellor,
and Mustapha, the dragoman, were soon noun
ted, and off we paced at a moderate rate for
Bardo. The consular corps were all present
when we entered the salla. The Bey, reclin-
ing as usual, enaged combing his long thick
black beard with a tortoise shell comb, studded
with brilliants, and looking unusually grave.
"What does all this mean, consul-tWo Bril-
fish prizes entering our port, and for what pur-
poser!
"To sell them, your highness"
sWhat! against our treaty with England!"
"Certainly not, if thery is such a prohibition
in the treaty."
The Baitish consul, a most excellent man,
unrolled the parchment, to which a seal OF wax
was appended nearly as large as one OF our
western cheeses, and commenced reading as
follows:
at is further stipulated and agreed upon,
that no European power at war with England
shall be permitted to fit our priyateers or 9TH
or armed vessels to cruise against the commerce
of Great Britain from, or bring prizes into, the
Tunnisian ports"
sWell, sir" said the Bey, awhat have you to
say to that! Is it not full and conclusive!"
entirely so; but it does not apply to ns.-
We are not an European power"
a,That, sir" said the British consul, @is mere
evasion Of the spirit Of this section Of our trea-
ty. Il was intended to apply, and does spply,
to all Christian powers"
avery probably, sir; but we are not q Chris
tian power!gn The whole court looked amazed.
The Bey raised himself up from his cushions,
took a hearty pinch of snuff fron q 9 plendid
diamond box, and gave Us an uxiou and IN
quiring look.
Show viii you make that appear, sirr!' said
the British consul.
avery easily, sir" We then read the fol-
lowing section from our treaty with Trpoh:-
aAs the United States is in no manner a Chris
tian government, and entertains do hostility to-
wards am denomination, tits hereby understood
that no disturbance shall arise between the Two
powers on any religious question.
It was useless to argue the point further.
We did not in any shape come within the pur-
view Of that treaty, sopermission~ was given 70
land the goods; and the ships and cargoes, con-
sisting Of every variety Of merchandise, were
sold in asingle day. The consul sentfor q Bn-
fish b~lockading squadron from Malta; but the
priyateer slipped out Of the bay, ran up the Ar
chipelago, destroyed nearly two millions Of
British property, was chased rouad We Mediter-
ranean by two ships Of the line and two n
gates, escaped through the Gut Of Gibraltar,
and arrived home safely.
The commerce of any power would, BY this
private marine, be utterly destroyed 10 a war
with the United States; and all the navy Of
Great Britain could not blockade 50 az to pre-
vent privateers from escaping. We should find