The Portland daily press., 1884-04-15

The Tippoo Sai6-A Po.oe,Jh Vessel that acos
Too Late for Prizes Long Tom Purchased
for Musical Iastrument-The Old and the
Ne,o opp lidnees on Shipboard.
During the last two years of the war both ma
tions continued to increase the size Of their
privateers and the weight of their batteries,
which consisted of much better guns than were
used at the commencement of hostiIities.
New York, Boston and other ports had sent
out several each of very powerfully fitted, and
fast vessels, which sought prizes in remote
seas. Several had cruised in the channel and
on the coasts of the British islands, capturing
and destroying prizes at the entrance of their
own hAIbors; proving the inability of the enc.
my to guard and protect their own coasts, in
stead of maintaining the boosted blockade OF
ours
1t was the daring acts Of American priva-
teers, mora than anything else, that made the
war unpopular in Great Britain. In Septem-
Der, 1874 meeting of merchants and ship
owners was held in Liverpool to consider
representation to the government on the sub
ject of the numerous captures made by Ameri-
can cruisers. An address was voted to the
Prince Regent. This address conveyed cep-
sure ON the Admiralty, to which Mr.. Croker
replied, that an ample forcs had been under
the orders of the Admirsls commanding the
western stations; and that during the time
when the enemy's depredstions are stated to
have taken place, not fewer than three frig-
ates and fourteen sloops were actually at sea
for the Immediate protection of st. Georges
channel and the western and northern parts of
the United Kingdom.
A more general meeting for the same pur-
pose was held in Glasgow the same month
This meeting RESOLVED unanimously that the
number Of American privatsers with which
our channels have been infested; the audacity
with which they have approached our coasts,
and the success with which their enterprise has
been attended, have proved injurious to our
commerce, humblng to our pride, and discred.
liable to the directors of the naval power OF
the British nation, who's fl x II of late waved
over ever sea and triumphed over every rival.
That there is reason to believe that in the
short space of less than twenty-fonr
months above eight hundred vessels
have been captured by that power, whose
maritime strength we have hitherto impoliti-
cally held in contempt"
From the large number OF priyatsers fire.
quenti hsrbor, Portland merchants and
builders had good opportunities to study mod
els, and the proper placing of batteries on their
cruisers. These opportunities had just begun
to be improved when both nations began to
| discover that they didn't know what they were
| fighting about
In the history OF the Dash our most success
full privateer, it will be recollected that Capt.
| Cammett gave up that vessel In the fall Of
| 1914 to superintend the fitting out of q new
aud much larger vessel belonging to the same
owners, the Porter brothers. The hull Of the
new vessel was built by the same shipwright,
and at the sans yard as was the Dash-Brewer
at Freeport. She measured 432 tons, and was
of the most approved model for speed. She
was intended to keep the sea on the enemy's
coast, without bsing compelled to make har-
bor-to beard the lion in his den.
The warlike names of the Mahsraiabs Of
Myaore, who gave the English so much trouble
in their wars Of conquest in India, toward the