Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-10-20

We ara suTs we eaRRet better please our read
ors ihsB BY the follswiag scsounf Of the ePera-
tiers Of oEr glorious. Alabsmar and hsr cor
THE ALABAMA, TUSCALOOSA AND GEORGIA AT
CAPE TOWN.
From he South African Advertiser and Mall OF Cape
Town.l
Oa The 9th Of July, 10 little excitement was
caused ia Cape Town, on the arrival Of the
e0astine schooner Rover, from Walwieh bay
with ihe Rows that ta CoBfsdsrste steamer Ala
hama had actually made her appearance about
Gvs Riles oR Green point. Her captain reported
that be Yas stopped and boarded By boat frem
the steRaasr, which asked them who they were
snd where thsy were from. After looking over
the schoonaE's papers, the officer in command
made Inquiries as 10 tie landing aeconsmoda-
iions Of NalWich aud Saldsnhs bays, and if
they had seen or knew whether there were any
American ships il Table bay. Having met
with civil replies from the scho0er, he apollo
gised for her detention and left, sRd the steamer
proceeded in g southeasteTiy direction.
Nothing further was heard. until the following
letter was received by bis EIeelieDcY the Gov
srnor from her eommssdeT, Captain Ssmmes; /;
s. c. STEAMER ALABAMA
sadanhs Bay Aug. 1, 1863
HIS Ezesllznsy Sir Phiup Wodehouss Governor, etc.
sIR: Aa opportunity is offered me, BY the
coasisng schooner Atlas, to eOnnUnieste with
the Cape, Of which promPtly aysil myself
have ths homer to inform your Exesllsney
that / arrived ia this bay On Wednesday morn
ing last, fer the purpose Of Affecting somo nee
ssssTy repairs. As sOeH as thess repairs can
bo oemplstsd I viii proceed TO sea Z; and, IN the
messtitne, your EXeelleney may rest assured,
that viii pay ibe srictest attention te the neH-
tralitY Of your Government.
have the hORor to be, etc,
r SEsIIEs, Capt c. s. Navy.
This letter was soon made Bublic, and q copy
Of it inmedistsy ssut BY telegraph 70 Admiral
Sir Baldwin Walker, at Sim0n's bay Captain
Boyes also informed US that he had boarded the
stea neT, aud was told By her commander that It
was bis intention % visit Table bay, and Simon g
bsy and that he weUld be up almost as soon as
the Atlas. This bit Of news put every one on
the qri rice, and the eagerly looked for arrival
was the soe subject of talk. Tuesday passed,
but the Alabama bad not made her appearance
yet.
CAPTURE OF An AMERICAN VESSEL EETERING
TABLE BAY.
About noon on the following day (Wednes-
day. az American bark was sign2lsd as stand
ing iule Table bay frem the southwest Almost
Immediately after bark riggsd steamer was
made down Standing IN from the northwest.
The fine bark Sea Bride hsving run the
gauntlet Of the Confederate feet on the Allan
tie, bad deemed her voyage to be approaching
a happy end, and, with full sail set, fsvoring
breeze, and the star-spaaRled banner ct her
peak, she sped Onward Ike thing Of life and
beauty, in full view Of the port TO which she
was bOEnd. Dimly il the north she deserted a
steamer, standing likewise for the bay, and
congratulated herself On her good luck in 81
irving just in time to receive the latest Ameri-
can news of VieksbRrg or the Rappahannoek
| by tAa English mail Fast as the bark went,
the steamer sped faster still, and IN q very un-
! accountable manner seemed TO be bearing down
/ upon the Yankee. In less than hslf an hour
1 the suspicious craft had nearly ovrrhsuled her
/ and with the dreaded Confederate Esg run up
| at the peak left little doubt that she Sea Bride
was to become the prey of the redouhtsble
/ cruiser Alahsms- But still, as it appeared 70
rs who witnessed the whole scene from Green
/ Point shore, the NsrtherneT deteTmlaod to stIsE
| every nerve 10 escape his TOE and reach the neu
/ tral waters within the charmed league from
shere.
The domand from the steamer to heave tC
was answered BY a defiant P7essisg on O.
every possible stitch Of canvass, and a sill mare
/ j1UutT disDiay Of the stars aud stripes 81 tn5
m'zzen. These was then continued for 5 few
| seconds leageI; but a. no time was the issne o.
it uncertain. The Alabama seemed to cut chs
/ waters with pIOtigious speed, and q blsak dis
| charge from one OF her big guns brought The
Sea Bride 70 a full stop. A boat vas sent t.
! 60 on bosTd the bsrk-a few moments longe
and it was impossible to judge what was hap
pening, untii at last the sfarss and stripes weJ'
| struck, and the Nsrthsrn bark Sea Bride wa
manifesilY proclaimed Confederate prize.
A great deal of apparent, and to us from shore
| qaite unaccouutsble daliying succeeded. Th'
kmrNr rrr1 nrkNn rfn had 10
! position for several minutes, IS if camplacentlJ
! gazing at her, and then with amazing swiftnesi
| closed down upon her again and steeTed Gloss
| alongside. Then further communication sue.
| ceeded followed once more by smother departure
of the bark and another advances Of the steamer
until haslly, it was clear that ell the requisite
/ arrangements muss have bees completed, snC
the Sea BRIDE, in charge Of Confederate crew
stood cut with slackensd sail to sea, and the Al
ALBANIA steamed swiftly into the bay, as if moth
ing but = mere every day sort of incident haC
Ocegued
The Alabama, having nov completed the cap
tuTe steamed into Table bay and came to a.
| anchor about four o'clock. TIE Wharves and
every prominent point along the beach wsr'
crowded with spectators, and in very shor
time hundreds Of boats put eff loaded with Wis
itors. All who went alongside were politely 70
esiVel on deck aad invited to inspect al parts o
]
crowd on board wss as dense as any we hav
ever seen. All classes, Of both sexes, KEEP
pouring into the vessel, bat The courtesy Of th
Alsbama's officers was such that all left ct home
Some iOnnd their way among the prisoners (th'
crews Of captured vesssls,) others gatbsret
around tie uniucky captain and s1percargO O
the Sea Bride, and others again penetrated int
the small cabin where Capt Seumss was quietly
receiving slt who sought the honor Of shaking
hands and eOnversing with hiR. Boih the gal
lant captain aud al Of his officers spoke frankly
and m0desily of the services the Alsbems has
rendered to the ConiedeFstas, aud the curiosity
of those who sought particulars Of al the cap
turss was grstifed to the fullest extent.
CAPE TOWN BOARDING THE ALABAMA"
Next day the excitement in town was, if DOS
sibe, still greater The day was to al intenb
and purposes holiday. The Table Bay boat
men must have reaped an enormous harvest
for they had more TO do than if engaged to dis
charge all ths ships in the bay At onee and il
double-qRick time. Tue Alsbama took in an
discharged living freight at the rate Of sbou
! sixty in the minute, from 8 o'clock IN the morn
ing till 4 OF 5 in the afternoon, by which tim
pretty nearly the whole population Of Cap
Town had been on board.
The great centre Of attraction was Captain
Semmas Where is he7" Night we ivs
have look at himl' +" Do let US down - " D.
make little room," begged ard prsyed lsdis
and gentlemen sll day along at the head Of th
companion ladder leading down to his cabin
n Just have ltsle patisnes, ladies' aud gentle
men," begged the polite officers in turn, " th
cabin is fail 10 overlooking at present; take
look around the ship IN the meantime. Ar. -
or -, show these ladies snd gentlemen every
thing they want to see, and then bring then
down to the cabin" Afsble and polite, ye
finn and uneompromising, the officers, withou
showing or giving any undue preiersncs, afford
I'd al, 10 their turn, 50 opportunity Of seeing
Whasevei they wished TO sea
The captains cabia IS in the very stern Of th.
: ship, and, ia shape jast half noon. A horse
hsir sofa runs around the little hoFse-shos tsbi
, ia tbs oentes. There is only room besides fo
: -, -c tl.raa nhnirs and ELtIa aslahn.-l or In.