, 1863-10-13
Gbifago Grtbnne.
CRUISE OF TIE klABkGah--WaRRA-
TIVE or her OFFICERS.
Capture Of F1fty-Six Ships
and Destruction Of
$4,O0o>OOO Of
Property.
CAPT. SENIBHES, nEcFsrnv
AS TO NEUTRAL
PROPERTY.
tfrons the 6o1th African Advertiser md M.,, Of
CApe Towu1

THE ALABAMA At cArE TOWN.
On the 9Th oF July, no little excjtanan
wac canted IN Care Torn, on the arrival -
me cotstspg schooner River from Wal 11cl
Boy, With lhe news that the Conf.5eras.
aFame: Alabama bad actually made her m
ea'ance about twenty-five miles of Greet
fo1nt. Her captain reported that be VA
s.oIled and boarded bJ q boat from the
STEAMER which a-kad them who they were
ar where they were from. 1fAar 10 skim
over the tchocner'e papers, the officer in com'
nand made i5qni,Ies as to the land1og &C.
ct mmodat1cn Of Wal *ich and 8.ldanba Bays
and u they had aeen or knew whether therf
were any American bh1ls in Table B4y, HaT.
tE mt with civil replies from the schooner
nc aI'olcgized Icy her detention aud left, and
ne etetmer proceeded In a, south, castcrly di.
recticn., ~1
Nothing further was heard, and 1t was
Thought bJ some that she had proceeded on
70 the eastward; but on the afternoon o1
August 4, public excitement was again arons.
90 On 1ee arf,ya1 Of tbs schooner Atlas Capt.
gerce that tho Alabams vas iyinr I snnelg at
anchor In that bay, repairing.
About noon on tie folio wing dur {Wednes-
ea5) au American barque, was signaI1ed Is
tt1andirg into Table Bay from the southwest.
steamer was made down ~ standing in from
the northwest. -
The s'oop Of the Exchange and the spacs
round the signalman's office behind the Gus
TOM House, and ~ other .rlaces from which
the signs1s could be made out, were soon
crowded; and WHEN the name OF the steamer
WAS made kno~p, the excitement passed nil
bonnds: The ntws epread through Cape
Town like nildiirc: 1.-THE Alabama Is outside
tue bay. In chaee Of au American barque ~
Trading was fo,gotten-the bus1est rushed
ont of their offices and shops; every cab on
The stand loaded regardless Of muDicip pl req
9alstlons, a and ysnIshe9 mp the Kloof Road or
about the streets, and then spurrsd their
stetds right up the Lions Ramp. Men, NO.
1nep, and children were seized as With frenzy,
ano rnshed about here, there and everywhere
asking and telling the most contradictory aud
nnht ard Of things ;-"Thev we're firing at
eaGh other!-at close quarters the smoke
and Ioar Of the battle could be quite distinct-
y seen md heard from the Breakwater! !"
And the shore from that point round to
Camps Bay was, IN An Incredibly short space
OF time, lined with no inconsiderab1e portion
Of tie madly excited citizens ct Cape Town.
we Hiu not relate the Impressions Of the
cab driver, the plunRings and atu1nb11ogs OF
his horse, and Cur own ana.hemas at both, as
We were 1olsed over rocks and into holes, In
plsfee where cab had never been, hut proceed
at once with the narrative OF what We saw,
An Exc1T1kG SCENE.
The flne bark Sea Bride, having run the
gsuouet Of the Confederate fleet on the Al.
!anttc, had deemed her voyage to be approach
Hg q happy end, and, with tull sail set, q
fa7oring breeze, ana the staz-spangled banner
at her peak, she spe.- onward lie a thing of
life ard beauty, in full view OF the mort to
nh1ch she WAS bound. Dimly in the north
che deserted a steamer standing likewise for
The bay, and congratulated herself on her
Eood luck IN arriving jus: in time to receive
liz nfT T{n1rn ~
Rappahannock by the English mail. Fast as
The bark went, the steamer sped faster still,
and In yc1T upoccountabie Mauuer seemed
to be bearing down upon the Yankee. In
less tEan halt an hour the Suspicious craft had
fairly oye1hanled her, and, with the dreaded
Confederate tag run up at the peak, left lit
tie doubt that the Sea Bride wis to become
The prey Of the redoubtah1e cruiser, the Ala
baula. But still, ~ It appeared to MS who
witnessed the whole scene from Green Point
shore, the Northcruer determined to strain
eve1y nerve to escape his foe and reach the
from sAore.
The demand from the steamer to heaye to
was answered BY defiant pressing on Of
every possible stitch Of canvas, and a still
more jauLty display Of the stars and Stripes
at the mizzeu. The chase Was then continued
the Issue uncertain. The Alabama seemed to
cut the water With prodigious speed, and =
blank charge from one Of her big guns
brought the Sea Bride 10 fall stop. The
Confederate, putting fof her Steam In enor-
mous volumes, moved gently round her fated
compliment satisfaction cat might show after
the seizure Of a tempting mouse, or Il hawk
which In swift descent bad pouaced on Its
unEuspectipg prey. 4 boat Was sent to 20 on
board the bark few minutes longer and 1t
mas impossible to judge what was hspp sning !;
until Ut last the stars and stripes wefe struck,
and tie Northern bs1k Sea Bride was pro-
claimed Confederate plize.
"A great deal Of apparent. and to us from
shore quite unaccoun.able. dallytnE succeed
ed. The bark stood out to sea. and the steatn.
er held her position for several minutes, a. II
esmn;lasenslS ;s g.zlpg at her and thsn NTH
again, and eteered cioso alone side. Then
further communication succeeded, followed
once more By another departure of the bark
and aDofher advance Of the steamer, until,
fiIally, It Vas clear that all the regulate ar.
tatgements must hare been completed
the Sea Bride, In charge Of a Confederate
md the Alabama steamed swiftly into the bay,
rs If nothing but mere everyday sort Of In
cidEnt had occurred. Just as the prize bark
had got ta31ly on her course to the southward
the stately form. Of the Lady JocelEn was
described On tho horizon. It seemed By No
board suspected her to be the Vanderbilt In
chase and whether they resolved to give
:hemetlvts 'he benefit Of the doubt or not. II
was very evident that they suddenly bore up
and stood On different course, to the north.
westward. Socn after 1t was eeen that the
st1anger was an Engljshman. and the sea
Bride accordingly acted n pom Capt Scmmes
instructions by standing off and on for the
night, under easy sail and within sight o1
land.
TUE ALABAMA REACHES TABLE Eat.