Morris tribune., 1881-08-18
bare feet. This was one Of the stranges,

bare feet. This was one Of the strangest
and certainly one of the most exciting ex-
periences / had encountered since I had
been to sea. Here we were all at quarters,
and lying breathless, SO to speak, in an
impervious fog that hung in dense vapor-
masses all around us, in close company with
q ship that was not only utterly invisible,
but whose very neighborhood could not be
guessed, nor her nationality and character
imagined.
Shelvocke stood grouping along the fog
with his eyes. I went softly from one
side of the deck to the other, frequently
imagining saw dark outline looming
amid the vaporous folds. Presently we
heard sound like that of a coil of rope
flung upon deck, and the rattle of shot or a
chain.
Where does it come from, Mr.. Madison,
think you?" whispered Shelvocke. 81 never
knew anything more deceptive"
Il think see sort of darkness out yon
der, sir" said I, pointing to the quarter in
whitehall along believed the vessel lying.
'Looka little away to the left of the stern
of the cutter"
But as said this the fog closed all round
again and Shelvocke shook his head.
Il see nothing" he answered, and went
to the side and looked over; then returned
to me. "She has not an inch of way on
her!" he exclaimed, and motioned with his
head to the leadsman. The fellow dropped
the lead softly; the soundings made twenty
two fathoms.
Four bells were struck in the fog. The
tone was marvelously clear, and SO close as
to make me start, and moment after we
heard mans voice hailing some one aloft
or forward on the vessel.
l hat hot oIos,, hoI
woke, eagerly.
Il only caught two words, 'laissezi Iais-
SER which 1 take to be French for 'd.op
ity" answered.
"Hush" cyied Shelvocke; and at that
instant another voice called out loudly.
Tnis evidently came from sloft; it seemed
to be up in the air over our heads.
| Shelvocke made no remark, but walked
aft, and stood looking over the taffrail. For
some minutes we stood staring and listen
ing, and were beginning to think that it
wolld end the vessels drifting apart, and in
our getting no sight of our neighbor if the
fog not lift before the night came, when all
once the fog tbinned right abeam, as
though lane was opened in it by passage
| of wind, and disclosed about quarter of
| mile of white water, with just a faint
spangle of sunlight touching the further
extremity of it. The folds of the fog roll
| ing to the southwark. this lane went with
them, and when it reached the quarter,
| there, standing in the clear space of it, and
about pistol shot away from the Tigress,
large black ship of not less than six hun
dred tons, lying broadside on to us with
grea channels which gave her rigging tre-
| mert 1sly wide spread, and immensely
square lower-yards. The fog came down
as low as her tops, so that all of her upper
spars were hidden. She showed five guns
for her broadside. I sprang aft to take her
| bearings by the compass, and when looked
| again she was gone. But gone only to the
eye, for now that they had seen US, the ear
cSuld determine their whereabouts with
laughable precision. 1t was evident that
our sudden apparition had greatly alarmed
her people. We heard whole volley of
orders thundered out in French ropes were
let go, blocks squealed, yards were sharply
braced around.
"A merchantmen, and fine one!" ex-
claimed Shelvocke. Mr.. Corney, you
speak French, believe. n way to deceive
Frenchmen," said Shelvc e. will you
please hail that vessel, III get them to tell
what they know of her?"
What vessel, captain?" said Corney,
sta. ing into the fog.
)
"Ho, the ship ahoy!" shouted Corney.
"Who are you?" came back the reply.
"The French schooner st. Brieuc, from
the north, bound to St. Nazaire, respond
ed Corney, promptly. And you?"
There was no answer to this; instead,
heard a sound uncommonly like the travers-
ing of carronaG aGe--lides, accompanied by
more hauling, and pulling, and boxing
about of the yarG,s. {.
"Mind!" sung out. They are making
ready to give us broadside, sir. They
evidently suspect u.s."
And sure enough, as I said this, the
white mist flashed up like crimson, as
though mine had exploded close aboard "a
heavy roar of artillery followed, and the
sea was torn up by shower Of grape about
twenty feet away from us.
Let them hare it, men!" shouted Shell
woke, in q vo.cs that must Immediately
have let the Frent hmen into the secret Of
the st. Brieur; aim as point, and high. to
cripple her for US when the fog lifts. How
does she bear, Mr.. Madison?"
Northeast three quarters east, sir. y
He glanced at the compass, land indicated
the position of tie vessel by extendinghis
hand. The guns were canted and fired. In
all five pieces were discharged, ,and to judge
by the crashing and splintering of timber
and several sharp yells, the grape and round
shot had pumped faithfully home.
Another broadside followed from
iron sleet tore up the water wide of the
mark. From the heavy, broad scattering
of the missiles, it was plain that they were
fighting us with carronades, and it seemed
by the explosions that the metal was of
heavy calibre.
Our men, following the direction indi-
Gated by Shelvocke, fred again, and once
more we heard the grape rattling and tear
ing along the invisible deck, and the splin-
tering and crashing of yards and masts
aloft. If the fog was thick before, there
remains no word TO express the capacity of |
it now that the smoke of tfe cannon hung |
around US. Although, as have said, the
enemy lay within pistol shot the very fame
spouts of his last broadside had not glanced |
the least reflection on the solid body of
smoke and vapor; the men stationed at our
guns could scarcely see one another, and
when we fired our third broadside they had |
nothing but the recollection of the spot in
dicated by the captain to go by.
Five times the Frenchman fired at us,
and the last time his grape sung close along
the port side of the schooner. showing they
were aware that their shot had taken no
effect, and that that they had shifted their
aim. A little more and this broadside
would have mked us, for they fired with
depressed muzzles, and their vessel was
twice as high out of wateras ours. AS it
was, not single shot touched us. We had
taken their bearings, though they had evil
IDENTIFY not taken ours, and it was by omis-
sions of this kind, apparently SO inconsid-
cradle, but in reality of the verv first inn
portance, that French navel officers lost
most of the vessels entrusted to them by a
country whose reverses on sea were only to
be equalled by its disasters on land.
We were in the act of giving them a
fourth broadside, when they hailed to say
they surrendered. Shelvocke Immediately
ordered the pinnace to be lowered and
manne d with twelve ssamen, in charge of
Mr.. Tapping, with orders to take possess
ion. The boats crew were armed to the
teeth, Shelvocke being apprehensive of
treachery, and small compass being sent
down, and the vessels bearings given, the
pinnace showed off, and was Immediately
swallowed up in the fog.
= IN D I'LL L.