Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-02-04

Interesting History of the Opening of
the Alabama's Career:
The London papers all publish the follow.
ing statement from the late boatswain of the
rebel steamer Alabama, now second officer
Of the British steamer Thistle:
On leaving England, the 200
had crew of SO men, for the most part
belonging to the English Naval Reserves,
all being trained guuners, aud the majority
old men. .of.war's men She was then tenn
porarily commanded By Captain Bullock,
who had under him the proper complement
of commissioned and petty officers. Capt
Bullock having learned that 3 Federal
man.of.war (the Tuscarora) lay in wait for
him in st. Georges channel, took his de-
parture by what is known as the North chan
mel, thus eluding the Federal enemy !;
though, even had he been intercepted, the
Northerper would have found himself in a
dilemma, as the 290 had set of English
papers and other presumptive proofs Of her
neutrality, in the face of which it might
have been difficult for her captor to have
acted. The 300 at the time carried no
guns or other warlike stores, but consisted
merely of the hull, spars and engines, ex-
cepting, of course, coaland other requisites
to enable her to reach her destination, which
was Tarissa, one of the Azores OF Western
Islands, belonging to Portugal. This des:
tination the 290 duly reached, after a fine
run ofseigbt days, and came toSan anchor
in Tarissa Roads, nothing of any moment
having occurred to break the usual monoto-
ny of a sea voyage. a. :, y. Z.
Sometime before the departure of the
290 from the Mersey, large bark left the
Thames Cleared for Demerara, West In.
dies, to meet the 200 at Tarissa, and there
transfer to she latter vessel the guns and
stores destined for her, and which formed
the cargo Of the bark. Some reason re-
quired to be assigned to the Portuguese au.
thorities, for the 290 having. anchored in
the bay, and accordingly the excuse fur
nished to them was that her engines had
broken down. This plss was accepted as a
valid one, and during the week thatinter-
yened between the arrival at Tarissa Of the
200 and the bark, the crew of the, former
vessel were engaged ostensibly in repairing
her engines, but really in preparing her to
receive her guns, &c. During this interval,
large parties of the inhabitants Of Tarissa
made daily visits to the 200, their curiosity
evidently excited by the warlike appearance
Of what had laid claim to be an Euglish
merchant vessel. Manypertinct questions
we're asked by the Portuguese, and were as
ingeniously evaded or met by the officers of
the 200. Among other things, the Portu-
guese wanted TO know Why the vessel had
so many ports, and we're told that, as she
was bound to q warm climate, they were
necessary tor ventilation; and when they
asked why there was such numerous crew,
the reply was, that as she was going on a
surveying expedition, she required to be
we'll manned. Many similar questions were
put, and Sin like manner answered but it
was all in vain to attempt to undeceiye the
Portuguese, and they would persist in cal.
ling her e'frigata Inglesip'
About the lapse of week from the arri-
val Of the $780," the bark above mentioned
sailed in and anchored, her Captain alleging
as reason, to the Portuguese officials that
his vessel had sprung a leak, which would
require to be repaired ere she could resume
her voyage; and on this understanding the
Portuguese at once placed her in quaran-
tine, (Which in the Azores lasts three days
On the day after the bark's arrival, Captain
Bullock, of the $780," being anxious to
get his guns on board, hauled alongside Of
the bark, and erected pair of large shears
to effect the transfer of her cargo from the
.bark's hold to the "290's" deck. This
brought off the Portuguese 10 a fury that
their rules should have been broken by the
a29o" having dared to communicate with
vessel that had still two days quarantine
to run, and they angrily demanded to know
the reason why their regulations had been
infringed. They we're told that the bark
was in a sinking condition, and the erection
Of a shears was accounted for by urging the
necessity Of an immediate temporary trans
fer of her cargo, that the leak might be
reached and stopped, and Captain Bullock
finally succeeded in bearing down all oppo-
sition by feigning to get in passion, say
ing be was doing no more for the bark than
any Englishman would do for countryman
in distress. The Portuguese left the vessel,
and the transshipment proceeded without
further interference from those on shore.
:. About the afternoon of the second day,
and when the transferlwas nearly complete,
the British screw.steamer Bahama came in,
having on board Captain semmes and the
late officers of the Sumter, besides the re-
mainder of the zoos armament and an ad.
dition of twenty-odd men to her crew. On
the Bahamas arrival and anchorage on
somewhat similar pretext to those given to
her two predecessors, the Portuguese fairly
lost all patience, and peremptorily insisted
on the instant departure of all three vessels.
The Bahama at once communicated with
the 29O, and having hauled over to the lat
ter vessel everything destined for her, got
up steam and left, followed by the 29O,
towing the now empty bark. All three