The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-06-11
MistcllaMEuns.
THE WEST INDIAN PIRATES.

Some years ago the West Indian seas
were infested by pirates, of savage atroc
ity and desperate valour. They were
composed of men of all nations, runa.
way sailors from English, French, Dan.
ish, and Dutch vessels-though proba-
bly,, the larger portion of them were
men of Spanish race, natives of Cuba,
or of the old Spanish settlements of the
Southern States of America.
had taken passage on board the mer-
chant ship Mary, at Belize, and we were
on our voyage to Diverwool, when the
following incident befel me.
1 had seen the captain standing on the
after-deck, and from time to time, eager
ly surveying with his glass some object
in our wake. walked up to him on
one of these occasions, and inquired
what he was trying to make outl
"There is a strange vessel in sight, y
he answered; "but L can't quite make
her out.
She may be one of those Bristol trad
ers that were nearly ready to sail when
we left port, I observed.
''No; she doesn't look like one of that
sort. She seems of some bastard rig;
but we may make her out by-and-by." "
''You do not think we are pursued"
1 asked, feeling alarmed, as landsmen
are usually disposed to be at sea, when
they encounter anything that looks mys-
terious.
''Really, 1 cannottell, was his answer;
''but I suppose it will be time to cry out
when we're likely to get hurt.
And SO saying, he strobe forward with
his glass.
Night fell; but the air was so hot and
sitting below, that 1 found sleep next
to impossible. If slept for a moment,
was haunted by dreams of pirates,
sharks, and shipwrecks; so I hurried on
my clothes, and again sought the deck.
The moon was halfway up the heavens,
and not cloud was in sight; countless
stars Of wondrous beauty and brilliancy
gemmed the sky, and the ocean wal
flooded with their light. A long line O
quivering rays lay flashing on the bosom
of the sea, like vein of quicksilver
right under the moons eye. All wa
quiet, peaceful, and beautiful; it was
magnificent night, such as is only to b,
found within the tropics, and not oftel
even there.
The winds were almost laid. The gen
tlest possible breeze filed the sails JUS
enough to set them asleep, though no
to prevent them giving an idle flap no,
and then, when the vessel rolled Ettl
heavier than usual on the long swell
Nothing stirred about the deck. Tn
witch had disappeared forward; but
found the captain still on the alert, an
again surveying the remote object h
had before observed, through his night
glass. did not interrupt him again b
my questionings; 1 paced the deck i
the delicious night air; but my attentio
was shortly attracted by the sound G
the boatswain's shrill whistle calling til
watch. Orders were given by the car
tain, and every stitch of sail was crowt
ed on the ship. Each mast bore its fu
load. As l stood aft, and looked NJ
the sails seemed, in the moonlight, lik
towers set against the dark-blue SIX!
In few minutes all was still again; I'll
vessel seemed to make better wa
through the water, from the increasin
ripple Of the wavelets heard against HI
sides. Drowsiness gradually stole upc
me, and / went below again to court n
pillow.
was startled from my slumbers :
Warda morning, by the sound ofalarms