Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-06

i
board a merchants brig, the rage of the
corsalr was so great with his captive, that
he had him tied to the mast, circle of
powder strewn around him, a train laid,
and match applied to it. The blaze
burst up, Tapped the unhappy man in its
embrace, and, his clothes all on fire, he
fell insensible. Recovering, he found
himself unable to move, both hands and
legs lacerated, and, in fact, the bones lay
bare, and large blisters on various parts
of his body.
Compassion was excited in the heart of
| one of the crew, who showed Kindness
and attention to the unfortunate prisoner.
The latter, in the pain he was, was made
to make sails, to act as surgeon, and even
to mount the rigging, by the cap
tain, whose brief fits Of human
ity ended in bursts of ferocious
threats. About this time q collision &C.
CURED between some survivors of the
"chief mates" gang (who lurked in the
woods near the harbor in which the
schooner constantly made her head-Qar-
ters) and the crew. The friendly magis-
trate, before referred to, was wounded,
and the multilated Smith was carried on
a mattress two miles inland to the house
to dress the officials wounds. Here he
saw the charming daughter, Seraph1na,
again, and hopes of escape were INDUCED
in by both. TO lull suspicion, he affect
ed reluctance to go ashore, which pro-
duced compulslon. One day, on his re-
turn, one of the "gang" was captured by
the boats crew, exposed to the sand-fics,
half maddened, blindfolded, tied to
tree and shot, ere their return to their ap-
proving captain and comrades.
Other unhappy traitors were made tar
gets of, tied to trees, and bets INDUCED
in as to hitting or missing them. All
these things Smith was compelled to
witness silently on peril of his life, while
his own manned, tortured limbs forcibly
reminded him of his captor's state Of
mind. A Dutch vessel was next captured
and her cargo taken, while Smith was
made to act as the surgeon. About this
time he met with Seraphina, on one of
his visits to her father, and was overioyed
to hear she had arranged matters for their
flight. Some days elapsed, tao feverish
hope in the prisoners mind making him
unable to remain quiet. While thus on
tenter-hooks he witnessed another scene
OF murder. The French cook of the
Dutch vessel, leased by his cap
tors, seized a Ratchet and wounded
one: The rest simultaneously plunged
their knives into his body, and flung him,
still breathing, overheard. Again Smith
was to become the injured pirates sur
geon. Two more prizes were taken, and
then the famous Rio grew too hot to hold
the pirates. Five gun-boats were ordered
down by the Governor of Havana, fact
of W hich the friendly magistrate 4 uly in
formed the pirate captain. The corsair
eluded the fotilla (Which seems to have
shown little zeal to capture herr, and re-
manned for three weeks off the Morilla,
where French vessel was captured by
her. The pirates plundered her, cut away
her mizzen-mast and starboard main rig
glng, and in this condition magnani-
mously turned her adrift to pursue her
voyage.
Returned to the old anchorage-the
storm having blown over-the schooner
lay inactive. The pirate captain (who,
by the way, according to his crews &C.
count, had murdered twenty men with
his own handy, fell ill. Smith, forced to
prescribe, put an opiate into some arrow
root, and while the captain slumbered
and the crew got drunk stole into the
canoe Of some fishermen who were
abroad, cut her loose and steered for Ha-
vana. Two nights and day in this
trail cockle-shell he traversed the ocean,
while, as he says, "the wind blew from
the southwest, and, what appeared to me
to be special providence, continued to do
50 the whole day-a thing very unusual
in that climate" He reached Havana.
and alter boarding ship commanded by
an olu acquaintance, went ashore. Rec
ognized by a Spanish officer who had
been prisoner on board the
schooner, the unfortunate man was
seized and flung into dungeon swarm
ing with vermln, and kept pris-
oner for five weeks, though few COM
forts were got for him by friendly Span
lard: He was then handed over to the
British admiral, who, he bitterly COM
plains, had put him in double irons. He
seems to have been treated at first with
great severity. During the whole voyage
ne was, although freed from letters, kept
with a sentry over him to prevent his
speaking to any one. On arrival home
he was taken to London, committed Tor
trial, indicted, tried and acquitted, the
story Of which we have given the outline
being so evidently true as to convince all
that Aaron Smiths career of suffering and
hardship was involuntary, and that his
pirate adventures were as unavoidable as
II yo1> Il I.