Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-08-02

anu ~ tAC AfttH>fsffe@e- <*<<><.4 **tF <H<1
slipped her cable aud rns = 80 TIA.
; vessels destination wat lhen made
known, the captains 81 object il
keeping il secret having l@en "a pre
vent its being in any var ssiinlgesl on
shore, as the slave trader bad mys
} terious ways of obtaining Information,
and kept corresponding nd spies IN
every port.
The steamer was not n4zny days il
arriving at her eruiaing greuna. when
the captain ordered the ores 10 b
kept as low as possible x.ihant ex.
tinetion. in order to shos - little
! smoke as % DC almost isiessibie al !
distance, while everything was kept
in readiness to get up steam at a
moments notice. One evening. Just
before sunset, the dhows were des,
cried from the top by a lynxeyed
Lascar lookout man. The captain,
trusting to the darkness of the night,
took measures to cut them off from
the land. Thess dhows are large
three-masted vessels, latsen.rigged,
and besides the spsce allowed for the
slaves, who are bundled together in u
manner too shocking for description.
have ample room for crew OF some
eighty men each, and all armed to the
teeth. The dhows carried guns; and
their Arab crews. when they could
not get away, fought as desperately
as men will fight under the influence
of two of the most powerful incentives
to human action-avarice and fanati-
cism.
! When the first glimmer of dawn
broke the Punjaub was within half a
mile of the slave fleet, aud between
them and the shore, which was about
two miles off. The slavers had seen
the steamer but indistinctly. and as
the guns and hammock nettings had
been carefully covered with tarpaulins,
and she carried no pennant or showed
any bunting but the lack. they had
taken her for a passenger steamer.
They were quite taken by surprise
when the companys ensign. with its
rampant lion, ran up the'masthsad,
the drum beat to quarters, and in Az
instant they beheld decks cleared for
action, the guns manned and the
marines under arms, while Captain
Dallas through his trumpet hailed the
foremost from the bridge with, "What
dhow is that? Where from and where
bound? Heave to or I'll sink yon."
The foremost dhow struck her sails,
and the Refs or Arab skipper invited
the captain to send boat on board;
but he was to wary a hand. His
experienced eye had noticed the
crowds of men on board her, though
the concealed themselves to the hast
of their ability. Captain Dallas had
heard OF cold shot being thrown into
boats as they ran alongside. and had
no intention of having one of his stove
in and risking the lives of her crew
He ordered his starboard broadsids To
be brought to bear, and directing his
men to FIRE at the rigging, so as not
to injnre the wretched slaves, he gave
the word to fire, and had the satisCac-
tion Of seeing the dhow's foremost go
by the board. The slavers now threw
off their mask, and answered with four
long guns, which killed one sailor AMI
wounded three of the Bombay lna-
rines.
The other dhows rapidly closed in,
with the intention of encircling the
Punjaub, each opening fire as it came
within range. The cruiser, however,
now had her steam up; and by skillfnl
handling of his vessel and good gun
merry, Captain Dallas managed to iniIict
sufficient damage OF the rigging Of
each of the slavers as efFectually to
prevent their getting away until he
should be able, instead of risking his
boats, to get alongside each in turn,
compel it to surrender, and free the
slaves. Indeed, he was not little
surprised at their showing fight at ALI.
/ as it was unusual for craft of tina, class
to DO 50 if they could possibly helr it..
By separating, most of them, at least,
could have got away in different
directions.
The mystery, however, was soon to
he solved, for large bark shot from
behind a headland of the coast. Tel
escopic examination instantly showed
that she answered the description Of
the vessel they were to search for,
that she flew the Portuguese flag.
carried far too many men for any
peaceful trader. and was indeed more
heavily armed than the Punjaub
She meant fighting, too, for, as she