The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-07-18
The Diary of a XaRahond.
IA Virtuous Vagabond, in San Francisco

IA AVirtuous Vagabond, in San Franciscan
 Courage is one of the noblest attributes of man. By courage do not mean that reckless temperament which pushes a man heedlessly into unnecessary danger but the far nobler quality which enables him to retain his equapimity and pres ence of mind in the most dangerous po- sitions. Perhaps no living person pos sesses that quality in more eminent de- gree than the present Hobart Pasha, ad- miral of the Turkish navy, who, under the n0n de gNerre of Captain Roberts commanded the blockade-ruunex Don during the earlier period of our civil war and made more successful passages be- tween Great BritiAn and Charleston than any other man engaged in the business
 Roberts, the youngest son ot an Eng. fish earl, in early life entered the navy oi his country, and soon won distinction by the gallantry he displayed in some cut ting-out expeditions against piraticaI slavers, of the coast of Africa. At the commencement of our rebellion he re- tired from the navy and accepted com mand of the blockade-runner Don, where l served at the time in a subordinate ca paclty. Amid the many exciting scenes through which we passed, one has left a strong impression. on my memory. lt was about two o'clock on the morning of June 1863 We had arrived of Charles ton with valuable cargo of clothing and merchandise for the insurgent army, and were steaming quietly toward our desti. nation, hoping to escape observation by keeping close in with the long sandy beach that lies above the entrance to the harbor, when suddenly rocket shot into the air by one of the blockading squad ron showed that our presence had been discovered.
 Rooerts, who, up to that moment, had been sitting on the taffrail, rose from his seat, and without the slightest tremor in hls voice, calmly issued the order, "Go ahead, full speed ; and the next instant the gallant little Don was daring madly through the water, trembling in every timber beneath the tremendous strain of her powerful engines. The scene was one of imposing grandeur. The rapidly exolocing rockets illuminated the atmos- phere with painful brilliancy the rapid beating of drums summoning the crews ot the blockaders to quarters; the gleam of fighting lanterns, as their ports were thrown open the boom of cannon and the whistling of balls the phosphoretic glitter of the foam dashing over our ves- sells bow formed one of the most mag nlfcent spectacles ever witnessed. And, amid all the wild confusion, our gallant little captain remained pacing the quaIter deck as calmly as though his promenade were down Broadway, the defiant glitter in his eye alone denoting the chagrin he felt at being compelled to fly from foe whose superior strength afforded no hope in resistance. have seen brave men in more than one hour of extreme peril, but never such true heroism as was dis played by Captain Roberts on that occa- sion. It was the loyalty of such gallant spirits that gained England her suprem- Acy on the sea in the first instance; 1t was their ustly merited antagonism which wrested from her rapacious grasp this magni6 ,ent territory, and founded the grandest republic on Gods beautiful earth.