New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-29
HOBART PACHA.
= MODERN SEA-ROVER.

s.ST PAs1iA. 16no PIP Will, 49, D. Appleton W.
Augustus charles Hobart was q type OF the al.
heuturous Englishman in whom the lnstinco OIL
Hhe .a-rover is continually renewing its primitive
800 The lapse of centuries and the change Of
customs have never been able to conquer the ola
heroic spirit Of roaming and fighting; and wher-
aver in the world the roar of battle is heard there
como daring Enslishman is sure TO be found max
ing other peoples cause his own and WELDING MS
sword with the enthusiasm of a patrlop. IL is
mostly q matter OF personal capacity ana parois
of chance whether he turn out a Gordon or MOI
sier of fortune. Hobart was something between
the two In the time of Queen Elizabeth ne
might have been Francis Drake. In an age OF
better defined morals he had noble delight in his
professicn which he followed with scrugdlous re-
gard for its honor, but he was not above taking
the substantial rewards of gallant enterprise when
over he could legtimatcly get them, and ne con-
fcsses that in at least long and exciting PERIOD
of his career he was animated by more Soruio
mott, than mere love of adventure But IL Is
not unlikely that in this ayowal he does himself
less than Justice. He was o restless, fearless
sclf-wiled sailor, with a consciousness oil fghling
POWERS of the first rank and for such a man in
action was UNDESIRABLE His personal Uraits' as
they are disclosed in these pages written not
lonr before his death, nearly all attractive.
lie seems to be frank generous genial. hater OF
injusticc-so far as he understood N-obsbnatc
and unreasonable in his prejudices like many OF MS
countrymen. but not un<ndly and often symla-
thetic lie tells his story with zest, but he Is not
inclined to boast All his readers will be sure TO
like him. and we are not surprised that he LETT
hosts of friends.
lie tells us that ne "was born OF Respectable pa
rents in Leiccstershire in 1922. One would mol
suspect from this modest eXordium that his parents
were the Earl and Countess of Bucl<inghamshire
in fbo as milShlpman at the
age Of thirteen. That was in the brutal old days
when children often of delicate nurture. were
thrown into q Ship and bulicd. beaten and abused
without restraint with the idea that somehow
tley would come out of the torture-len Officers
md gentlemen" What the royal navy got by the
process was the most detestabe race OF TIants
known to any civilized service. government
Ship on the long voyages which were the rule be
fore the time Of steam and telegraphs was apt to
be a floating hell The morning after young Mas
ter Hobart joined his ship the captain who was his
cousin came board, and his first words were
On order to put all his boats crew in irons. One
of the men had kept the boat waiting two min
utes when the captain wished to embark. For
this offence the whole crew Of six were logged
with the cat. The same day Hobart was sent TO
the masthead in fresh wind which made the
ship lump like an acrobat. IL had not got my
sea legs and this feat seemed an utter impossible
ity 10 me looked with horror up alOft." II
was almost murder to put such punishment
upon q child "for l don't know how it was
didn't fall overboard,' he adds, "and then moth
ing could have saved my life" 1t was some
hours before he was called down and when he
reached the deck he tainted Il have seen
cartain order his steward 10 be fogged almost to
death because his peasoup was not hot" Of the
same officer o still more horrible story is told.
lie invited friend to breakfast with him and
there being. / suppose, slight mOnotony in the
conversation he asked his guest whether he
would like, by way of diversion. to see man
logged. The amusement accepted and man
was fogged."
Hobart passes rapidly over his apprenticeship
with the statement that the effect Of the cruel
ties which he witnessed was DO make him life
long hater of every kind of tyranny We find
him before long serving the Brazilian station.
where the ship to which he attached was &C
lively employed in the suppression of the slave
trade lie to have had hatred OF
slavery perhaps he did not call that tyranny on
the contrary he thought that the negroes were
benefit ed by being introduced to civilization
and given op ortunites Of embracing religion
but he hunted savers with less relish than in later
DAYS he hunted wild boars and cartridges lie
was often sent in command OF boat-eNpeditions
to points on the Brazilian coast where saNers
were expected to land, and his adventures at such
times were thrilling and brilliant. The usual plan
was TO w.bch from the shore. from the shelter
Of some island. and when the SLAYER was dscov
cred. the boats disguised fishing-craft put of
and attacked her. Once when about to board
famous slave brig Hobart discovered that all his
percussion caps had been forgotten In conse-
quence OF this accident the slaves were got
ashore but midshIman captured the brig at
her moorin-s. and without ammunition held her
10
ship came to his relief. Sailing with his prize to
RIO he took another SLAYER the way having
400 Africans on board, alive and dead, Short of
water and provisions and ravaeed by smallpox.
ophthamia and diaIrl9a. Once while alone
watching from the shore a SLAYER that had just
come in sight, two Cuban bloodhounds were set
uron him. lie had a doublc-barrercd gun; the
fist barrel missed fire with the second he blew
out the brains Of the nearest doc this checked the
other brute for a moment and gave one of the
sailors time to come up and shoot it. On voy-
age to the Cape Of Good Hope in captured
SLAYER. with the captain and three of his as
prisoners an attempt was made TO murder him
ami rctale the vessel He shot the slave cal tain.
his quartcrmaster knocked another of the assassns
o,erboard and the rest were put i'll irons.
At the period of our rebellion Hobart had
reached the rank of post captain and under the
regulations of the navy he had no chance Of get
ting ship for four years lie determined TO
himself in this interval by running the
blockade. The British Government which after
ward struck his name off the navy list because
he chose to serve the Turk. had no objection 10
his ser, ing the Southern Confederacy only for
the sake of appearances lie took false name and
as long Us he remained in the business he was
known as "Castain Roberts" lie made eight
successful trips TO Wilmington and out again
starting from Bermuda or Nassau and undoubted-
~ clearing large sums Of money, for though often
hard pressed lac met with serious mshaps On
his last voyage, however, he brought out yellow
fever. and after losing many of his and just
escaping with his life he decided to quit the