The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-07

| and no threats of chasisenent' Will. prevent
me from going where have occasion to IN the
discharge of my business"
>->-)---- 40 ar.
THE ILL-F4TED PRJH4TEER.
The Hornet Under a New Name and
Master How She was Purchased,
Transferred and Started - Stirring
Scenes at Sea-High Hopes before, She
was Nabbcd.
Q a correspondent of the New York Herald,
who was on board the steamer Hornet during
her short and unlucky cruise under the Cuban
flag, writes to that paper an interesting ac-
count of the manner in which that vessel pass
ed into the Cuban service. After noticing the
seizure and subsequent release of the Hornet
f,y the British authorities at Halifax, he con-
tinues
Shortly after her arrival at Halifax, Mr.. Leon
Lafitte. now one of the officers Of the Cuba,
was appointed by Mr.. R., who found that his
attention was required In another place, Us the
supercargo of the ship. Power OF attorney
was given him to proceed to Queenstown OF or
any other port and to sell the steamer 10 the
best advantage.
Her machinery having been repaired, a full
crew shipped, and plenty OF coal being put on
board, the Hornet sailed, with fair wind and
under O. full head of steam, from Halifax, at
o'clock on Sunday night, the 18th September,
with her supercargo-the nominal ownerLand
weighing anchor after all the necessary prepa-
rations had been made, and we stood ont OF
the harbor at a slashing rate. The next
morning, after the decks were washed and
everything made taut the land being
dfmly seen in the distance and far In
our wake, one Of the passengers, aiter
frst swallowing cup Of coffee, handed him
hv n rhostly-iooking steward, to steady his
nerves, approached the supercargo, who was
nervously pacing the deck before the wheel,
and spoke something in quiet tone some
conversation followed, and then everybody
understood that negotiations were on foot ior
the purchase Of the vessel The passenger
proved to be duly accredites agent OF Ine
Cuban Government, who was prepared 10 oner
such terms to the supercargo as could not De
refused short of madness. The supercargo,
| having the interests Of the owners IN view,
closed with the offer, and the money Dcfng
paid down. formal transfer was made. dld
| not ascertain the amount, nor have l since;
but Judging from the size OF the roll OF Oank
bills placed in the hands Of the smiling srner-
cargo, 1t must have been large. The bill OF
|
tember 81, 1869, in the presence. OF TWO or
more witnesses" The Hornet was then de-
clared the property of the Republic OF Cuba
and her course was immediately altered 10 sult
| circumstances. The next day, being lar out AT
sea, we sighted a schooner right anead anu
| standing toward her, we were surprised 10
find that she was vessel that left before us with
| a number of men from Halifax, who were duly
transferred TO our decks and received with
three times three and tiger. Hardly hau
these men finished fraternizing with our
hitherto limited crew when on the disc OF the
horizon white speck, which grew into the
form of filll-rlgged ship, disclosed itself to
our view, and after an hour more, aided by
the sharp sou'easter which sprung up In the
| meantime we ran alongside her, and found,
to our unspeakable satisfaction, that she had
on board a number of Parrot guns ana q large
quantity of ammunition. Although the sea
was rolling heavily, and the white waves
mmned AGAINST the sides of our craft in impo-
tent fury, the officers set about the task OF
transferring the precious cargo and before the
sun began to blink and wink over the disturb
ed sea, behind which he was apparently sink
ing to rest, everything was on board anu prop
erly secured. Some, difficulty had evidently .
Hornet at this critical juncture, anxious
glances being cast from the quarter
deck on the curious, gaping crowd thal
filled the waist and forward part of the vessel
but the result proved that there was no occs
sion for anxiety To man the crew were IL
full sympathy and accord with the ofncers
They had not been consulted regarding the
chanpe of destination, but when open mouthed
uns began to creep slowly on the deck from
the creaking dayits, and they were called upon
to assist in slowing them away, tney dld so VII
lingly and with hearty cheers. 1t was mid
night. A few stars blinked from under DARK
masses of clouds, the waves dashed madly past
,tfh pYnitpmQnt which
every officer and man experienced, and the
wild wind loose among the taut shrouds whis
tied merrily. The pale beams Of the moon
fell athwart the deck, and in the shadows under
the bulwarks forms of men hauling and labor
ing at the heavy metal were dimly seen NOV
ing about Cheerily the voices ofthe men rang
and cheerily were tey nt answered oy it
the rest AS each gun came on board it wa:
christened by the sailors. Here come:
Gin'ral Grant, bejabers !" cried q lusty
Hibernian, hauling on rope for the
bare life Jump along, ola Farragut,
cried another, jumping himself TO clear NJ
pedes ~ yelled q Cuban In ecstacy, as the bur
nished back of q splendid piece was seen ovel
the bulwarks. And so the guns were christeneC
bv the men who will use them for Cuban indie
pendence.
munition properly placed, the men congre
rated round the officers, the officers under tho
fac of the Cuban republic, flying from the
neak. and the Hornet was rebaptized the
HCuba.n while her sharp PROV was being
tnrned in the direction of the enemies Of the
infant republic, manifest destiny and the Mon
roe doctrine. The first man-of-war in the
service Of Cuba, she yielded TO the breeze, anC
with sails and steam plunged madly forward
at the rate of eighteen knots an hour. Hell
officers say she can make twenty-five knots OF
a wind with full head OF steam, but except II
csse ofgreat emergency, Idon'twsh to see any
such speed myself; the vibration !:
enough now to shake the teeth out of any
one Tess determined TO hold on to his mastica
tion than your correspondent. AS we may al
he bnnred one of these days. wish to state
here for the information Of the Spanish au
thorties that Mr.. Leon Lafitte is entitled to b(
straneled more than anybody else, he havins
first ran up the flag with the single star on the
nood shin Cnba. / do not think it safe in thi.
letter 10 be too particular in my description o
the shin. for obvious reasons, and have pur
noselv omitted to mention many matters of in
terest, lest our cruising ground should be dis
covered. When, however, our track become!
Illuminated with the flames OF burning Spanish
Ships. further concealment will be unneces
sary. and will then, if opportunity is afforded
me. send YOU q long and minute account.
NAV perhaps obtain permission before
close to send Won the roster of the Cuba, will
short biographical notices OF each OF the prn
cinal officers. but at the present moment
evrrythinu Is so much in confusion it woul(