Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-10-04

Yankee captain arrive at Portsmouth
pe!ore them, and report his vessel a
-, Ihe Falkirk's commander walked
; ;ne Saa a;' rapidly, often glane-
lug IA our direction, and, as we judged,
Saying something about us to his Off,
GERS.
For three days, with intervals Of
nght breeze, Gains, and fogs, we con-
tlnued near Chops of the Channel ,
the vessels changing more or less their
relative positions with the unsteady
Pnfs Of air, yet never getting very far
from each other. And ali this time
captain Downs seemed in a state Of
irritation.
onthe evening of the same day we
were once more decidedly ahead, and,
before morning, saw the steady beacon
from the lighthouse on the western,
end OF the Isle Of Wight. We were
nearing the great naval anchorage at
Sp!thead, between the island and the
main land, where the harbor of Ports
mouth is situated.
AS the day broke, ship was Oh
served off our quarter. Lighter and
lighter grew the sky, and more and
more familiar the appearance of thu
accompanying vessel.
'Confound the miserable Yankee y
cried Captain Downs, at last out of
patience, and grown terribly nervous
with his three or four days of suspense.
Can it be that he really means to fol-
low me into port? I'd no idea the
would carry his contemplate folly to
this extenty
=. He had, indeed, good reason to feel
disturbed, for there, before his ewes.
and not two miles off, was the Rebecca'
bearing straight up for Spithead.
@No doubt he thought of the Board
OF Admiralty, the Court of Kings
Bench, the interminable discussion in
Parliament, and all the wearying com
plications, both national and interna-
tlonal, which this vexatious matter in
volved: And who could say how many
individual cases might be held up to
the Light, which would reflect little
credit on his Majesty's service, and
still less on the immediate actors I?
Upon his own side he might plead
the coqntenance of immemorial cus-
tom; btt would he not be confronted
with THAT broad construction of En-
glish ew which is the guarantee of
persona liberty? And besides, would
not thd Yankee Captain be abundantly
able tP prove the nativity of the four
impresse men?
EVERY moment we were getting
nearer to Portsmouth and Spithead ;
but So, too, was the Rebecca. Soon
the affair of our impressment would
be ndised over all England, and
thence borne to the ears of our coun-
trymeh at home. Soon Captain Eddy
and tlte remainder of his crew would
stand up in the English courts, testi-
tying to the wrong that had been
done Us.
"Our feelings were intense. We
ceased to regret what had happened.
We Il bought only of the noble sympathy
and rfsolute conduct of our true-heart-
ed Captain. How wretched our condi.
ton Int for this.
"Stll the Rebecca came steadily
along making what Roadway she could
with fhe light breeze, and almost hold
ing Ter own with the Falkirk.
Bit suddenly Captain Downs stop
ped III his figety walk.
lieutenant Vane,' he said, see
the brig brought to the wind, and the
main-yard laid aback.'
"In few minutes the Falkirk was
living motionless.
Now continued the Captain, see
the cutter called away. Put those
four Yankees into her, and send them
aboard the shipp Then, with sorry
attempt to cover his modification, he
added: Possibly there has been some
mistake. At all events, the fellow has
followed me long enough to deserve
something at my hands, and he is wei
come to the lubberly scoundrelsp
"In fifteen minutes we were on the
Rebecca's deck, but it was midship
man, and not the Lieutenant, who es
corted us there.
GAS we climbed over the ships rail
Captain Eddy seemed as much re
joiced as ourselves. Grasping each by
the hand, he welcomed us with sym
pathy that went TO our hearts.
its sooner than I expected he
said but I meant to see this whole
matter Of impressment overhnuled, an6
I would have had you at last
'"We tried to express our thanks, but
could not say all we felt. And oh
how CHEEKY it seemed once more te
haul at the braces of the good Yankee
ship, and obey the tones of Yankee Of
ficers.
"Home and friends were before us
and in few weeks we reached the
United States, there to relate to won
dering ears our four days experience
as impressed sailors, and tell every
one how much we owed to captain
who had proved himself such FRIEND
in need and SO worthy Of his position.
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