Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-09-14
Tbe Star auo Cbronifle.
MONDAY, SEPT. 10. 1850.
FROM OUR NAVY.
tCorrsspondenoe Of the Star 4 Chronicle
Us. Srr,sEk .-CRCs,pEa," }
A. Sea, Oh Cuba July "a ls61.

tell them nearly all that has occurred
worth relating or remembering, during
our last two months cruising on the coast
Of Cuba. BY this means, with liberal
assistance of vivid Imagination, they may
have the pleasures Of our yachting with
out It's discomtorts and priyations.
The seattle deep, blue, ever-surging
sea-has always been pretty and fruitful
theme for poets to muse about, and stlrs
up delightful tinglings among the heart
strings Of those INITIATED in its mysteries.
But when We come down 10 ''c0ld truth, -
or the stern realities of "a life on the
ocean wave" j; is rather surprising how
much Of it We pass in sighing for the COM
forts and freedom Of our homes on land.
But. to my subject. | WIS 10 tel YOU
what the Crusaders were doing. In
success, We do not greatly rival our ancient
and illustrious namesakes-but, such as it
has been, VIII recount
i During the greater part Of the past two
months, We have been wandering, Ike
uneasy spirits, up and down this romantic
coast-now rushing down to this vessel,
now TO that-at one time being 10 all ap-
pearances English, and the following day
French, Spanish, or American as the cir
cumstances Of the case may be As men
consider Ill things fair in war, We make
free with the bunting Of other nations in
order TO decoy our enemies, the slayers.
Thus, il We would by chance meet an un-
wary SLAYER who would display the ''stars
and stripes" in reply to our gun and
"cross OF St George mistaking Us for al
Englishman, yet, with all the terrors of the
right-of-search question staring US in the
face, his fate would be sealed.
From the accounts that merchantmen
give Of our Janus faced cruiser, you might
imagine that this sea was swarming with
war-vessels of all nations, while our two
steamers, the "Mohawk" and CRUSADER"
have the field almost alone Some Span
ish men-of-war make capture now and
then, for the sake of appearances. One
patriotic son of the East was hugely in
dignant at our audacity in flying the Bri-
tish ensign on speaking his vessel: when
We met him, few weeks afterwards, in
Havana, he recognized US, and said, in the
peculiar, drawling tones Of his country
men, "Ive writ home about You pretend
ing to be bloody Britisher, as if you
were ashamed to own You We're Yankees.
It's shabby trick on you to deny your
own country-that's just my mind
l am sorry that am unable to inform
you of lots Of captures, and instead can
only give you an account Of seizing sin
gle vessel after her crew and negroes were
all spirited away-the former again to try
her luck on the coast of Africa, while the
latter are fast in the chains of Cuban sla-
very. Yesterday, as We neared the bleak
and uninhabited cluster Of islands known
By the euphonious name Of Anguilla, and
glorying in being a part Of the great
British empire, we discovered this snug
and daring looking brigantine. She was
lazily swinging by single anchor, the
sails all clewed up, and presenting in her
deserted appearance very suspicious look.
On boarding her, we found all the fixtures
3f SLAYER. The food for the slaves was
eft yet steaming in the coppers the Ia
Die was set in the cabin, and apparently
eft half unfinished. The "stars and
stripes" quickly few from her peak, sig
lalizing that she was prize A jolly
oarty Of sailors were soon set at heaving
Up her anchor, and setting sail preparatory
o her trip to Key West. Il
Our disappointment was great when we
ound out that we had SO lately missed our
awful prey. This makes the fifth SLAYER
aptured by the Cuba squadron this year;
hree of them had their cargoes aboard
hey are daily growing more cunning and
autious 1t would be difficult to select
wo more shrewd or able officers to cope s
nth them, and navigate through the dan
ers Of this rock-bound and stormy coast, q
han the present Commanders Of the L
Mohawk" and CRUSADER"
We board or examine, on an average, l.
alf dozen vessels daily. 1t is singular 4
,ith what anxiety we nowadays hope to
leet rogues Instead Of honest men, and the a
forbid desire with which We wish to shuttle '
,e sea breeze loaded with the odoriferous t.
avor Of Africs sons and daughters. =
eally, meeting honest traders is bore, .
ID the 'balm Of thousand flowers" is I
,t to be compared with the rich perfume o
an Ethiopian's skin. l must acknowl- Il
lge these tastes to be rather peculiar, but "
e "force of circumstances has bred and Il
,urished them in US. o'
About month ago, we left our legiti- "
ate calling for a few days to assist the IL
rench barque "SoIde," loaded with
l. (