Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-08-10
Gig bt Reao ina.
PIRATES IN HOT WATER.
From the Boston Journal.

New Orleans. The brig was commando
by Capt, Mangrove, worthy and INTEL
gent man, who was gifted with a respecta
BILE share of Yankee shrewdness, and more
over was not in the habit of being fright
ened with shadows. His wife was o.
board, and charming young woman wa
Mrs Mangrove, whose presence SCENE,
to throw halo of brilliancy all over an,
around the vessel This woman was great
ly respected and admired by the sailors
any one of whom would have risked hi
limbs or life in her service.
Passing along through the Caribbean
Sea, within sight of the fertile island o
Porto Rico, the rugged outline of St. Do
mingo was soon visible. Leaving Cap,
Tiburon they soon came in sight of jana
lea on the left and then again on the
right they obtained a glimpse of the higl
mountains on the southern side of Cuba
the Sierra de Cobra It was delightful
sailing among these seas. The breeze,
were gentle and balmy, and the surface O.
the ocean was unruf1ed. The worthy Cap
tain Mangrove and his fair companion
cheered by the presence of each other, full
ly appreciated the blessings with which
they were favored, and during the week
or ten days in the course of which the
brig, propelled by the light trade winds,
with studding sails set on both sides, sail
ed about thousand miles, this happy coup.
lie enjoyed the real poetry of the ocean
No visions of hurricanes, pirates or ship.
wrecks, intruded on their minds for a mo.
ment to lessen their enjoyment by the con-
temptation of troubles in the distance.
The Blue Pigeon, On her direct route
to the strait that separates Cuba from Yu-
catan, and leads into the Gulf of Mexico,
came in sig ight of the Grand Cayman, an in
habited island Of considerable extent,
which lies to the west of Jamaica and
here the wind dying away, captain Man
grove boarded an English schooner bound
from Sisal to Kingston in Jamaica, the
news which he heard caused some little
commotion, and tended somewhat to dis
turb the tranquility arising from fancied
security from every ILL., which until then
had reigned throughout the vessel.
Captain Mangrove was informed that a
band of pirates had established themselves
on the coast of Cuba. near Cape St. Anto-
nio. They were desperate men who made
war upon all unarmed vessels of all nations
to gain plumber and crafty morbid ap-
petite for blood. They crried on their
iendish work in large open launch or
barge, propelled by sails and oars; and
within the last two months had chased sew
eral vessels bound to ports in the Gulf of
Mexico, which had with difficulty escaped
by carrying sail. Others however were
not so fortunate. There was reason to be-
lieve that the pirates had actually boarded
and captured moro than one unresisting
merchantmen, and murdered the whole
crew. Their mode of procedure was to
pull for their intended victim during light
winds; to fire no guns and give no alarm
to range up under the counter, hail the
vessel and give peremptory orders to
heave to and surrender under pain of in
slant massacre, then dash quickly alongside
spring on board, do the work of death, ri
fe the vessel of money and all other arti
eles of value, and then scuttle her, and es
cape to the shore.
This intelligence, although supposed tt
be greatly exaggerated, was of character
truly alarming, especially as the Blue Pi
geon was not well provided with weapon:
of defence. Indeed, the only engines o
destruction, properly so called, were one
signal gun, in the shape of one short l.
pound carronade, and half dozen old an6
heavy muskets. There was some powder
in the run, but no cannon balls, bullets
boarding pixies or cutlasses. Captain Man
grove, however, although he did not repose
implicit confidence in the Englishman' sto
ry, was determined net to be caught nap.
ping, and as there was no other way ope1
for him to get to New Nrleans, withou
passing Cape St. Antonio, he made imme
date preparations to defend his vessel By
the limited means in his power, from tn,
attack of the blood thirsty pirates. He al
so, by his manly bearing infused a noble
spirit among his men, and they, ont
and all declared that In case of an attacl
from pirates, they would die bravely de
Tending their lives, rather than to give VI
the ship without striking blow, with th,
certain prospect of being ruthlessly and de
liberately put to death.
Captain Mangrove examined the condi
ton of his armament. The big gun wa
got out and put in good fighting order
A heavy charge of gunpowder was deposi
ted in its breech, and then it was filled t.
the muzzle with paving stones in lieu o
cannon balls. The muskets were fttet
with fints and rendered serviceable, an,
primed and loaded in manner to max
them particularly effective, handful 0
leaden slugs being substituted for bullets
But Captain Mangrove's efforts did no
stop here. He was aware that in case 0
an attack his most vigorous efforts must b.
made to keep off his assailants, and disabl
them before they could get foothold on th
decks. With his few men, the compile
ment of the ships company being onl,
seven, all told, and being destitute of. pis
tolls, boarding pixies. and cutlasses, he kne7
: that whenever the pirates climbed over tn
sides of the brig further exertions woul
be of no avail, than to sell their lives a
the dearest possible rate.
There was small engine on board tn
brig, of a kind not unfrequently used il
those days for watering gardens and the
were introduced into ships for the purpos
of wetting the sails during light winds
The value of such an article in ship whel
crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the summe
season when dry weather and gentle wind
prevail, is not duly appreciated by shi
owners. This engine would contain ten o