The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-08-17
4 Spirited and Exciting Sketch.

A Spirited and Exciting Sketch.
The following spirited and exciting sketch
we extract from Kaloolah, a new work,
just published by Geo. p. Putnam, Of New
York. 1t is ali account ola niGt encounter
which the writer's father had with a Bit.
i,h vessel, on a voyage in 'war time,' (,
Vera Cruz, after certain specie which had
accumulated there.
j was just at the break or day mhcn my
father, tired out with the watchiugs of an
anxious night, had retired to hiS berth, that
the unwclceme announcement Of Sail, no y
broke upon hist
"Where. away" lie shouted UP the
comPauion.way to Mr.. Jones, the first
mate. who was officer Of the watch.
Fright oil on the weather qusrtor," was
the reply.
"What does she look likef'
81 large sQuare-Iigged vessel. Sir. with
everything set that can draw, from royals
down. She looks like a man. Of wal"
Ia a moment he was on deck with hi,
glass, aud there. plainly 10 be perceived in
the dun grey Of the morning, was large
ship, five or six miles 80 the wndvard.
Dropping the glass from his eye, after
momentaIy survey, lie turned 10 Mr..
Jones:
"Weli, Sir, what do You think
81 think, Sir, it Is mighty suSwcious.'
"SnsprIuuS! there is lao suspicion shout
it. Tha, is an English frigate rs nlain as
the nose Oh your face: the very fellow That
has chased u So often"
cay, ay. Sir, there can be no doubt ofit,r
returned Mr.. Jones: ''you see she has cot
the identical brown fore. top callaut.salI.
She is coming along like race-holsc."
GAY, she's got fresh br1 ath OF wind:
We shall cot il in moment more, when
hope the Atalanta, Che name of the schou-
nrD will show little OF her usual acti-
witty"
"Nevcr doubt, Sir, the old girl car show
vice, and we have tried this fellow too Of
ten not TO know his rate. To-be-Surc, if
we were up there to windward, cluSe-haul-
I'd, It would be a little more easy; but as
IS, she ran do it wihou. S.rainiug.r
eyes, she can do i, easily enough, any
may; and as we have headed up long
enough to be clear Of the reef now wcui!l
lay our course. Ease flthe sheets aud SET
The square sail. We can afford TO in.
dul.e that fellow ia his humorlUr Nud,!nig-
SAIL"
lhr Atlanta fell oirbefre thc, wind Lung.
ing the irlcale nearly a>tern; point of>al.-
gin which square rugged VI sSelS generally
have the advantage, but of no use in the
present case, as the schooner had tire unn-
Suai quality for vessels of her class Of SAILING
a. wei before the wind as close hauled. H.
Ills way they continued for some time.
the A'alanta rapidly increasing the dis.
lance !! ON the iiigatr, when sail [, the
l"eward. aud ahead, was announced. In n
frT minutes it was asCer'nincd thni 81 G too
was a>certaihcd that s. @ too was man-uf.
war. Orders were given to brace M.
bring the schooner into her nalpnStion.
with the wind s.beam; the new vessel TO
Ieewa'd, and the friga,e TO wnlward, and
a lvic 7,.r
"Sal, ho," shouted n look on, FOR ,hf
llirl time.
"Nhat, anothcry Where awayt'
"Dcad, ahead"
"Ihis is something more than we bar
gained for, Mr., Jones ~
Gay, SIR; thi, i coming thicker aud ns.
ter, and considerably more Of it! II that
chap ahead i a Johnny Bull. with his teeth
cut, we shall hC in regular fV."
"Wcll, = tV Il is then said thc captain
with his glass to his eye: "hc's an English.
m-n, and there's atlcast three rows oitre,h
beneath that mass Of Spars."
The sun was now fairly up ahovethc 10.
ri2on. dispensing by his warmth Sigh,
haze disclosing two more sail. one on the
s,arboard and the other on the lalboard
tow.
1--WE are in a nest or'em. by hcavcns?"
eNclaimtd the captain. "Whot do you
'hink Mr.. JoncS;n
- regular trap. Sir; and think the
sooner We imn tail aud Try to creep out
the wcy we rot in, the better"
"Wc never could do il. These twc
chaps could rub us to chips between In,
muzhles Of their gus, without firing y
sho',"
"Wcll, then, Captain, I'm really afraid
that il is n gone case with us. Oh five
were only up there. (polnting TO wind.
wnrd.) we should be sale enough
swell, we must get there
81, i impossible, Sirw
"lmpoS'ihle or not, we mus try they
can't do more than sink us. Take in N,
saf,.topsailS! Haul aft the sheets LulTl
lnil up let her come TO il as close as she
will lie"
"In an instant the schooner had altered
her course. heading up 10 tn. wind in di-
rec,ion obliQely across the bows OF the IA.
pidIy.ndvaucing lriga,e.
"rherr, well, all that's exclaimed the
Captain, taking the wheel Into his own
hands: snow men, 90 below. all Of YOU
We shall catch crist or two Of grape, and
yon may as well keep under cover as much
ne YOU cam
- The two vessels. j.sson, w " w vi.tsu ,an,
rrnsshinr eatccivc "a heretofore n liberal share
,,,..,,,.Nb. .se We would here tender oursf,, . :.
pI."uSNts md patrons AMI hope hy =
that NO prihnrgains lin the VIZ, o. -.
Atalan,a, withIyour o. ~ rc'"' o"VS, an'
verinc, was, in the
tha snilnr NcAt,