Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-02-19

temp,uous forbearance. Dupont, ap-
preaching him, gave his thought audible
depression, exclaiining loud enough for
several of the crew to hear, and looking
STEADILY in the captains face: ~" Lache!''
He would have turned away, but was
arrested byla gripe Of steel. ."Eeoutfz.
monsieur," said Captain Starkey; f"ipdi-
vitiually, hold FOR nothing Whatever you
may say; but I am captain and king III
thus ship, andsI willa permit no one TO
beard me before the crew, anh thereby
lessen my authority over them. Do
you presume again 10 do So, and | win
put you III solitary confinement, perhaps
in9iruns, ill we arrive al Jamaica" y He
thens,hrew off his siartled auditor, and
walked forward. The passengers, col
ored as well as white, were all on board;
the anchor, already apeak, was brougt,
home; the bows of the ship fell slowly
off, and we were in a few moments run
ming before hewind, though but a fain,
one, for Point Morani. ~ .,eFy sz.
No one, could be many hours on board
the Neptune without being fully satisfied
that, however deficient in ducling cour
.ageihcr captain might be. heawa a .hor-
ougL seaman, andihai his ere w--abou, a
dazen of as 6ne fellows as | have ever
seen--were under the mos, per!ec. dis.
cipllne and command. The service Of
The vessel was carried on as hoisclessIy
and regularly as on board a ship of war:
and "a sense, of confidence, that, shoaid a
tempest or other sea- a-peril oyertake us.
every reliance might be placed in the pro-
fessional skill and energy of Capt. Star
key, was soon openly or tacitly acknowi
edged by alb on board Tile weather
throughout happily continued fine. but
the wind was. hight and variable, so that
for several days after we had sighted The
blue mountains oil Jamaica, we scarcely
appeared sensibly to diminish the dis
lance betweenihem and US. .sr Atilasi the
breeze again blew steadily fsom the north
west, and We gradually neared Point Mo,
rant. We passed it, and opened up the
bay at two o'clock in the morning. when
the voyage might be SAID 10 be over.
This was a great reiiefto the cabin pass.
engers--far bey ond the ordinary pleas
ure TO land-folk Of escaping from the te-
dunn of confinement on shipboard. =
There was a constraint in the behavior
pf every body that was exceedingly un.
pleasant. The Captain presided at the
table with freezing cisility; The conver
sation, ifsuch il could be called, was usu.
ally restricted TO monosy llables; and we
were all very heartily glad that we had
eaten our las, dinner in the Neptune. -
When we doubled Point Morait, all tile
passengers except myself were in bed,
and a quarter of an hour afterw ards
Capt. Starkey vent below, and was soon
busy,I understood, with papers in his
cabin. fa8 5'aiEssa sis3 ssit" 3et i29g
For my par, l was too excited TO sleep,
and 1 continued TO pass the deck fore and
aft with Hawkins, the first mate, whose
watch II was, eagerly observant Of The
lights on the well known shore, that
had left so many months before with bu,
faint hopes of ever seeing it again. As
thus gazed landward, a bright CLEAN, as
OF. CRIMSON moonlight, shot across tie
dark sea, and turning quickly round, ]
saw that it was caused by a tall jet OF
flame shooting up from The main hatch
way, which Two seamen, for some pur-
pose or other, had at the moment partly
opened. In my still weak state, lie ter
ror of the sight-for the recollection ol
the barrels Of powder on board flashed
Instantly across my mind--for several
moments completely stunned me, and
but ihatI caught instinctively at the rail
lings, | should have fell prostate on the
deck. A wild outcry OF Fire! firer' the
mosl fearful cry tha, can be heard at sea,
mingled with and heightened The dizzy
ringing in my brain, and ] was barely
sufficiently conscious to discern, amidst
the runings to and fro, and the incohe-
rent exclamaions Of the crtw, the siliewy,
athletic figure Of the captain leap nr, as
it were, from the companion-ladder 10 The
deck, and with his trnmpet-voice com.
mand immediate silonce, Instantly col,
lowed by The order again to batten down
the blazing hatchway. This, with his
own, assistance, was promptly effected,
and then he disappeared down the Fore
castle The two or three minutes he
was gone--it could scarcely have heen
more than that--seemed interminabIe;
and SO completely did it appear to be re.
cognised that our fate must depend upon
his judgment and yigor, that not word
was spoken, no, a hnger, | think, moved,
TIL he reappeared, already scorched and
blackened by the fire, and dragging up
what seemed a dead body in,his arms
He ,hrew:his burden on the, cock, and
passing swiftly TO where Hawkins stood,
said in low, hurried whisper. but audi
BILE to me: run down and rouse the pas,
sengers, and bring my pistols from the
cabin locker. Quick! Eternity hangs
on the loss of a moment" Then turn
ing TO the startled but attentive seamen
he said in rapid but firm voice: "You
well kaow. men, tha. | would not on any
occasion. or for any motive, deceive you.
Listen, then, attentalively Yon drunk
EN- brule--he is Lieuienant Arguellas
seryant-has fired with his candle ths
spirits he was stealing, and the hold is .
mass oil fire which il is useless 10 waste