Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-02-16
Nnrrow Escana


ing home from the East Indian station, on pro.
motion, as passenger in merchant chip of about
5OU tons burden, named the Anne, of London
She was terribly overladen, and our progress.
though favored by fair weather and propitious
winds, had been slow and tedious. We had.
however, successfully rounded the Cane and had
watered at st. Helena, when in due couFse We
found ourselves becalmed in the "horse lat.
itudes," so dreaded by all persons in hur-
ry;. -rr-- M .[.i Gl
Here theship lay, not only call that day. !" as
the old song says, but for more than fourteen
days, under cloudless sky and broiling sun,
with the pitch bubbling upbetWeen every plank
OF the scorched deck. The brass rails on the
poop and elseghere, and every portion of metal
within the influence of the sun, were not 70 be
toucned Win impunity and IL was not even quite
Safe II clad in thin duck or nankeen, to trust TO
wooden seat! Time hung heavily on the
hands of all on board, both passengers and
crew. Every one was grumbling at every
thing -
Among the passengers, had made the ac-
quaintance Of very agreeable French gentle
man, who, with his wife and little children,
were returning to Ia belle France, after pro.
tracted sojourn In one Of the islands In the In
dian seas under the British flag. A pretty COL
ored ayah was their sole domestic. found M.
de S. a man Of great intelligence, and very
agreeable companion, and his pretty, but over
petted, wife was also very charming, particu-
iarly TO young sailor like myself. --H
Everything had been tried to enliyen the mo-
notony OF our lives, from dancing down to pitch-
and toss, and devoutly did we pray for another
lpitch-and-toss, With "wet sheet" and .cap-
tui" OF wind Wewere beginning to hate every
thiSg, even our companions in grief, and almost
iancied that we were bewitched within the magic
blue ring Of the horizon, and doomed to r remsin
there spell-bound forever. .-'-T I"
| Matters were in this state when, one dav. as
M. de S--and myself were moodily pacing the
deck under the awning, small object away
astern OF us caught my eye. saw at once that
1t was . sail Of some kind, but what particularly
attracted my attention was the rapid way in which,
though still many miles distant, it appeared 70
pc approaching. This puzzled me greatly, az
the sea was OF an oily calmness, and not ''cat'a
paw "rufied the bosom Of the deep, l drew nv
companions attention to the object, and hur.
ried below for my glass. When returned on
deck, M. de S. exclaimed: "This vessel
must be steamer, as she seems to move yery
fast !" Even he, landsmsn, had observed the
same thing that had astonished me. IN
soon got the glass settled upon the object,
ana tnen . terrible solution Of the mystery burst
| upOu mo.G
The vessel was a long, low, roguish-lookipr
craft, hermapbrodlte rugged, and with tremen-
dous rake ait In her tall tapering masts; but
mat which absorbed all my senses and faculties
was the steady rise and fall, the successive iash
and disappearance of sweeps, or long oars. from
each side of the brigantine. What could thia
mean2 Had been cruising among the Malays,
or even up the Mediterranean, could have bet.
ter understood the matter; but here, out AZ sea.
hundreds of miles away from any land, what
could this same villalnous looking craft be
sweeping about fort Ny heart sickened az the
very thought. Improbable though It appeared.
this vessel must be q pirate! :
AT this moment felt some person touch INV
arm, and turning round saw the master of Inc
ship, (Mitchell) He appeared pale and api-
tated, and whispered In q husky voice: aWhat
do you make Of her, sir2"
Alas! this was no time for minclnR matters.
90 l at once told him my suspicious. HGreat
Heaven" said he, 1--WE are lost; for 10 not
think 1 have hrearm on board fit for service,
and but trifie Of powder; my crew, also, are
only twenty-four men, all told!'' .'..
Certainly this was not very cheering pros
pect, with pirate on our lee; but, however,
begged him at once to call council Of war of
all the officers Of bis ship. and three male pas.
eengers, including myself, in order to consult
what to do in this frightfnl emergency.
| This he at once did, and without Disturbing
Madame de S., who fortunately was not
visible that day, being somewhat indisposed,
i Chat is to say, tao lazy 10 get ap!) We at once
proceeded TO the "cuddy;D the council consist
| ing OF the master, two mates, the boatswain,
and the carpenter, M dc S., q Mr.. johnson,
and myself II would be tedious to describe
the meeting; but the upshot Of the matter was,
that was requested 10 undertake the warlike
preparations; and the male passengers, together
with the akipper and his officers, aWore to assist
and obey me In everything. This was great
responsibility TO be thrust upon q young fellow
of about tventy-twc years Or agei but I did not
hesitate to undertake It., s'. ~ IT.
NY frpf step Waa to Get Mitchell % muster
the crew on Che quarter deck. whsss tTmads
n.Anlq "a. y. .,l--- p :. -. - "a 81 - "