, 1861-11-21
Privateers in the last French war.

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In the last French war, all Dover used to dread
what was called the privateer wind" that SOU
something by something, which enabled French
privateers to fash out Of CherbOurg, make loop
line out at sea- snatch up all they met and bear Il
back, with vulture speed, to Dunkirk, or some not
too distant port.
How well remember, forty years ago, when l
was articed to solicitor, 1.-THE town clerk of Dover)
being awaked some murky morning by the news
Of prvateer being in sight Of the town. On
one particular occasion lie Petit Rendrd, a cele-
brated pratical privateer lugger, from Dunkirk,
the terror of the Channel attempted to cut out an
English vessel that she had been pursuing from
under the very guns Of the batteries. All the
town was in a state Of ehervescence. The guns
Of Archclif fort were replying to those Of fur
ther battery. Everywhere down the street you
saw running specks Of scarlet which were soldiers
hurrying to their posts. There was no danger, Of
course, but there was all the sportsmans anxiety
for capture. Boom! boom! bang! bangl From
the higher cliffs you could see issue, every now
and then, from a rock gallery, widening puff of
smoke through which flashed o thread Of fire /;
then, far away on the gray wave, you saw the shot
leap and pash in the direction Of the saucy ugger
that was waiting like shark for its food. u.
But lie Petit Rendrd was too sly bird to be
caught 1t was not going to run its head into
wasp's nest for all Dover was worth; so It sent q
shot at the town in impudent defiance, and swept
off home, amid the curses and shouts Of our artil-
lerymen. We heard no more Of lie Petit Rsnard
till q week after, when she carried of rich mer-
chant vessel. Her captain was one Of the vilest
of sea thieves. He had two sets Of ships papers;
one set English, the other French. n he were
boarded by o vessel Of NapOleon's, be produced
triumphantly his French papers; il by one Of King
Georges, he produced his English license, so that
none knew where to have him. l believe lie Petit
Re,drd brought in some thousands Of guineas to
her employers, and was lying safe in French port
the very day the peace was signed. do not think
the captain committed many murders, but he must
certainly have impoverished many merchants.
A few days afterwards something happened that
gave me a sense Of the horrors Of war, and espe-
cially Of war carried on by legazed robbers cruel
and reckless. A priyateer was seen by govern
ment cruiser lurking about the harbor. Entan-
gled in fog, the French robber was surprised by
daybreak within two miles Of Dover chalk-clfs,
and out flew at him our winged bulldog. The
fight was stubborn. The enemy, when their shot
was exhausted, loaded with poker knobs, shreds Of
iron and tcnpenny nails l am not quite sure II
even on this occasion the old story Of the captain
firing round Dutch cheese at US Wns not revived.
Our sailors were vexed at the escape Of Ls Peti
committed by the French privatcers. The Chan
mel, once SAFE as the kings highway, had grown
dangerous as eutthroat lane near BagshOt, and
our cruisers were to turn runners" and brush off
the scum. Our scamen, too, were the crew Of o
proverbially smart vessel, and had the honor Of
their ship to maintain, and their pride was hurt
that the men Of lie Petit Rendrd should be able to
brag over their wine, in Dunkirk cabarets, how
they had been under our very nose and made US
burn ton Of powder without killing Frenchman
or blowing away even an old sail. So they first
pounded the thief well, crushed him up as hungry
men do a biscuit, rddled bis sails, cut away his
igure-hcad, half stove in the stem, then poured IN
the boarders with food Of cutlasses. In ten min
ntes the vessel was theirs, and the captain found
close to the powder magazine door, was nailed TO
that door with boarding pike.
/ saw our vessel, the Sea Sralloic, return bios
soming with flags, and having the French ship In
tow. went down to the pier in the crowd to
cheer and to look. Ishal never forget that bright
morning, with the sun burning the fog away, so
that it shriveled from the sky like so much dross
rom q cauldron Of melting gold The sky was
liquid blue; the two vessels were close TO the pier
he English ship was little hurt already the sails
we're being patched and the rigging repaired, but
ihe French ship lay wreck, sails blown to tinder,
'opcs dangling in innumerable knots and halters.
riere was crimson sheen on the white splintered
blanks, and on the white torn seams; the cabin
lOOrs were broken md split aud the dead men,
Dranless and battered, were laid ready for rough
'ea-burial, in red heaps. Suddenly some rough |
Tolces broke into hearty French song. II was a |
handful Of the French sailors who had come safely
,ut Of Il, though few had their heads tied up. |
they were sitting round the galley fire. cooking |
Ome soup and singing. Lght-hearted song-birds, |
10 soon to get accustomed to their new cagel
None Of our family ever had share in priva- |
eer but one, and he was not lucky. The Sea |
HaIpk struck on the bar on her first trip, from the
larbOr at Jersey; and the second trip after being
epaired at great expense, she was snapped up |
" Le PETIT Rendrd, and never heard Of afterwards
mot even in that dark feet Of English merchant |
hips and small craft found in Dunkirk harbor at |
he peace. My kinsTnan being o conscientious |
nan, and prudent man, would never, therefore, |
ave anything more to do with privateers. There |
eemed to be, he thought, curse upon them.
A friend Of mine went the other day to the sea- |
'ort where he was born. His first inquiry was |
bout one Of his fathers old friends.
"Dead and gone p said the old sea-captain he
sked, looking thoughtihlly at tho bowl Of his
,ipe, as if il added memory or rejection Dead
nd gone, and his money all melted from him like
now, too. He was the last OF the men in our
own who made privateering fortunes, and they all
rent to the bad southwest or nor,west, away Il
II went. It is true enough, depend upon ii, what
as been often said in this ere town, that no good
yer came Of privateering money there was inno-
ent blood upon it."
The wasp attacks the ripcst fruit first 50 will