The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-07
TIE IL1-EAEED rRIYArEER.

The Hornet Under New Eame and
Master = How shc was Purchased,
Transferred md Started = Stirring
Scenes ut sca-High Hopes before She
>vas Nnbbcd.
correspondent of the New York Herald,
who wns on board the steamer Hornet during
her short and unlucky cruise undes the Cuban
flag, writes to that paper On interesting nc
count of the manner In which that vessel pass
ed into the Cuban service. Alter noticing the
seizure and subsequent release of the Hornet
by the British authorities at HalIfhx, he con-
tinues
Shortly after her arrival at Halifax. Mr.. Leon
Lafltte, now one of the officers OF .thc Cuba,
was appointed by Mr.. R., who found that his
attention was required in another lJlncc, rs the
supercargO of the ship. Power of attorney
was given him to proceed to Queenstown or
any other port and to sell the steamer to tho
best advantage.
crew shipped, and plenty Of coal being put on
board, the Hornet sailed, with q. fiIir wind and
under full head Of steam, from Halifax, at
o'clock on Sunday night, the 18th September,
two passengers on board. No time was lost in
Weighing anchor after oil the necessary prcpae
raions had been made, and we stood out Of
the harbor at sashing rate. The next
w
everything made taut, the land being
dimly seen in the distance and far In
our wake, one OF the passengers, after
first swallowing q cup of coffee, handed him
by ghostly-loOking steward, to- steady his
nerves, approached the supercargo; who was
nervously pacing the deck before tthe wheel,
and spoke something in quiet tone. Some
conversation followed, and then everybody
the purchase Of the vessel. The passenger
proved to be duly accredited agent or the
Cuban Government, who was prepdred to offer
sa such terms I to the supercargo as conid not be
having the interests Of the owners in view,
closed with tho offer, and the money being
paid down, O formal transfer was made. did
but Judging from the size OF the roll, of bank
bills placed In the hands Of the smiling super
cargo, 1t must have been. .large. Tie bill Of
sale was signed and delivered sat sea, Sep
tember 81, 1869, In the pr3SenoeS1f;t two or
more witnesses" The Horfet was then de-.
clared the property Of the Republic .of Cuba
enc hss ~ 3D. u5
sea. we sighted u ,scAoo ooiisf,
standing toward her, We were surprised to
find that she was vessel thatien before us with
number Of men nom Halifax, who were duly
transferred to our decks and received with
three times three and q tiger. Hardly had
these men finished fratcrnizing with our
horizon white speck, which grew into the
form of O full-rigged ship, disclosed Itself to
our view, and alter an hour more, aidcdl by
the sharp sou'caster which sprung up in the
to our unspeakable satisfaction, that she had
on board q number Of Parrot guns and large
quantity OF ammunition. Although the SEQ
wns rolling heavily, and the white waves
Jumped against the sides of Our craft In impo-
tent fury, tic. 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 no was apparently sink
m n IN ri md rarnf
erly secured. Some difficulty had evidently
been anticipated by the officers OF the
Hornet ut this critical juncture, anxious
glances being cast from the quarter
filed the waist and forward part of the vessel;
but the result proved that there was no occa-
sion for anxiety. To man the crew were In
They had not been consulted regarding the
change of destination, but when open mouthed
guns began to creep slowly on the deck from
the creaking dayits, and they were called upon
to assist in slowing them away, they did SO will
lingly and with hearty cheers. It was mid
night. A few stars blinked from under dark
masses Of clouds, the waves dashed madly past,
every officer and man experienced, and the
Wild wind loose among the taut shrouds whls-
tied mcrrily. The pale beams OF the moon
fell athwart the deck, and in the shadows under
Ing at the heavy metal were dlmlyr seen NOV
ing about iCheeIily the voices ofthe men rang
out, md cheerily were. they answered by tho
eSnicers, ono encouraging them, but. wording like
ehrlstened by thes sailors. .. Here comes
Gin'ral Grant, be]abersl" cried lusty
Hlbernian, hainlng on rope for the
snsa anoiher' jumping @ Himself elf to faaauS clear his
toes Of the }napendiEg muzzle: isyiya Ces.
pedes r, yelled Cuban n ecstacy, as the bur
the bulwarks. And so tie guns were christened
by the men who will use them for Cuban indie
pendence- y ftdifi.tit - :. fi'j ~
The guns having boon secured and the am
munition properly placed, the men congre-
gated round the officers, the officers under the
| flag Of the Cuban republic, flying from the
peak, and the Hornet was rebaptized the
Cuba" While her sharp Prov was being
infant republic, manifest destiny and the Mon
roe doctrine. The first man-ofwar in the
service or Cuba, she yielded to tho breeze, and
at the rate Of eighteen knots an hour. Her
officers say abe can make twenty-five knots on
wind With: q full head OF eteam, but except In
case nss don't wish to see
enough now to shake the teeth ont.of any "
one less determined to hold on to his leastica-
tion than yonr correspondent. As we. may all
ilere for the Information OF the Hpaniai au-
thorities that Mr.. Leon Iahtto Is 'entitledko be
srangled more than enyhody else, he having
nss run sR up the ns lth the single star On TIE
letter to be too particular in my description OF
the ship, for obvious reasonR, iand have. Is1r-
/ posely omitted to meniion many matters q dn-
, seres., lest % our cruising ground should be d.
ship sshg e as ahSss sTn5eg eg gPs
me nsey ssd s1d I'm idR it6sn dS ns AFFORDED
may Perhaps obtain Permission before 4
sAosh biogfaph phieaii stices Of each sf the prin.