The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-10-04

The PRIvATEER HoRNET.-The N. Y. Times
of Saturday corrects the rumor given by the
telegraph, that the steamer Hornet is in Cuban
waters. 1t is stated she was seen ON Wednes-
day evening after sunset twenty miles south
east Of the Highlands, with a small schooner
lying alongside, and they remained together
several hours, the schooner discharging some
thing into the steamer. Cuba may ultimately
be the destination of the Hornet, but she has
further business in these ATTITUDES The opin-
ion Of persons who are believed to be fully cog
infant of the immediate object of her cruise is,
that she is not very far from Hatteras, and that
shs will there await the coming of gunboat No.
of the Spanish flotilla, which she will attempt
to seize. The latter is know to be nearly ready
for sea, and Higgins, the captain of the priva-
teer, has set longing eyes upon her, and report
says that he is not a likely man to allow him
self to be thwarted in obtaining tho object he
covets.
Both Higgins and his lieutenant Telfairw were
formerly of the navy The history Of this smart
blockade runner during the last few months
has been an exciting one, from the time she
left the yard at Kensington until she completed
her equipment as an armed privateer last week,
she has slipped successfully through the fingers
of the customs and revenue officers ofPhiladel-
phia, Halifax and New York, has shipped men,
provisions, coal, arms and ammunition, within
short distance Of the latter port, and is now at
sea and is likely to do no little damage among
the Spanish steam and sailing marine. In adj
ditiOn to her regular crew she shipped at Hall
fax twenty men, and between the 18th and
29th of September she took ON board from YES
sells and steamers which met her at sea, men
enough to make company of one hundred and
fifty, of various nationaities, including forty or
fifty Cubans. Her armament, received in the
same clandestine way, consists of three sixty
pound Parrots, two thirty pound Parrots, two
twenty-four pound brass howtzers, forty or
fifty copper torpedoes, ten tons of powder, and
large quantity of shot and shell, besides
small arms. She has also 100 tons of coal and
ample stock of stores and provisions. The
Philadelphia Bulletin, from whose account we
have condensed ribs SKETCH says that
On Wednesday last, Goth, the character of
the privateer was openly avowed. The perma-
nent officers dOnned their uniforms and took
command the Cuban flag was hosted and the
general design of the cruise was cOmmunicat-
Cu' AAAuOh eAOuuIo was CApcIlcuCeu duiOuH GUe
men, especially the firemen, who demanded an
advance of wages when the piratical character
of the ship became known. Their demands
were finally acceded to, and the first months
wages were paid down in gold at the following
rates:-Firemen, $50; petty officers, $45; sea-
men and marines, $35.
While taking her armament, Capt Higgins
lamented that the delay had lost him the Ha-
vana and Cadiz mail steamer, which he had
expected to capture and fit out as his consort
with part of his armament.
The Hornet will probably next be heard from
among the Spanish merchantmen, unless she
should first be overhauled by some of our
naval vessels, which is not very probable. The
Hornet is very fast, and her only immediate
trouble is likely to arise from short supply of
coal. Should her arrangements for fuel be
successful, she will be able to show her heels
to almost any naval vessel afoat