Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-02-25

Captains face; LGeheP He would
have turned away, but was arrested by q
gripe of steal. " Eneostez, monsieur, =
said Captain Starkey: individually. 1
hold for nothing whstever you may say /;
but am captain and King in this ship,
and will permit no one to beard me be-
fore the crew, and thereby lessen my
authority over them. Do you presume
again to do so, and will put you in SOL
itary confinement, perhaps in irons, till
We arrive at Jamaica" He then threw
off his startled auditor, and walked for
wards. The passengers, colored as well
as white, were all on board the anchor,
already speak, was brought home; the
bows of the ship fell slowly off, and we
were in few moments running before
the wind, though buta faint one, for
Point Morant.
No one could be many hours on board
the Neptune without being fully satisfied
that, however deficient in duelling
courage her captain might be, he was
thorough seaman, and that his crew-a-
bout dozen of as fine fellows as have
even seen-were under the most perfect
discipline and command. The service Of
the vessel was carried on as noiselessly
and regularly as on board a ship of war !;
and sense of confidence, that should q
tet..r-Jt or other sea-peril overtake us,
every reliance might be placed in the
professional skill and energy of Captain
Starkey, was soon openly or tacitly ac-
knowledged by all on board. The wealth
er throughout happily continued fine, but
the wind was light and variable, so that
For eff hoA az kho
blue mountains of Jamaica, we scarcely
appeared sensibly to diminish the dis
tance between them and us. AT last the
breeze again blew steadily from the
northwest, and we gradually neared
Point Morant. We passed it, and open
ed up the bay at about two o'clock in the
morning, when the voyage might be said
to be over. This was great relief to
the csbin-passengers-far beyond the or
dinary pleasure to land-folk of escaping
s17om the tedium of confinement on ship
board. There was aconstraint in the be-
havior of everybody that was exceeding
ly unpleasant The captain presided at
the table with freezing civility the con-
versation, if such it should be called, was
usually restricted to monosyllables and
We were all very heartily glad that we
had eaten our last dinner in the Neptune.
When we doubled Point Morant, all the
passengers except myself were in bed,
and quarter of an hour afterwards Cap
tain Starkey went below, and was soon
busy, understood, with papers in his
cabin. For my part l was too excited for
sleep, and continued to pace the deck
fore and aft with Hawkins, the first mate,
Nuhr ah oh of
the lights on the well-known shore, that
l had left so many months before with
but faint hopes of ever seeing it again.
AS thus gazed landward, bright
CLEAN, as of crimson moonlight, shot
across the dark sea, and turning quickly
round, saw 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 partial
ly opened. In my still weak state, the
terror of the sight-for the recollections
of the barrels of powder on board flashed
instantly across my mind-for several mo-
ments completely stunned me, and but
that caught instinctively at the ratings,
l should have fallen PROSTATE on the
deck. A wild ourtcry Of "Fire fire p
the most fearful cry that can be heard
at sea mingled with and heightened the
dizzy ringing in my brain, and was
barely sufficiently conscious to discern,
amidst the runnings to and fro, and the
lncoherent exclamations of the crew, the
sinewy, atheletic figure of the captain
leap up, as it were, from the companion
ladder to the deck, and with his trumpet
voice command immediate silence, in
stantly followed by the order again to
batten down the blazing hatchwsy. This,
with his assistance, was promptly effected,
and then he disappeared down the fore
castle. The two or three minutes he was
gone-it could scarcely have been more
than that-seemed interminable and SO
completely did it appear to be recognized
that our fate must depend upon his judg-
ment and vigor that not word was
spoken. nor q finger, l. think moved, till
he resppeared, already scorchsd and
blackened with the FIRE, and dragging up
what seemed dead body in his arms.
He threw his burden on the deck, and
passing swiftly to where Hawkins stood,
said in a low, hurried whisper, but aud
ible to me: "Run down and rouse the
passengers and bring my pistols from the
cabin-lOcker. Quick Eternity hangs
on the loss Of = moment" Then turn
ing to the startled but attentive seamen.
he said in rapid but firm voice: "YOu
well know, men, that would not on any
occasion or for any motive deceive you.
Listen, then, attentiyely. Yon drunken
brute-he is Lieutenant Arguellas' ser
vant-has fred with his candle the spirits
he was stealing, and the whole is q mass
Of FIRE which it is useless to waste one
precious moment in attempting to eItin-
guish."
A cry Of rage and terror burst from