The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-04-18

with the word that no further message
need be sent to him unless it should be
one complying with the conditions he
had offered.
The syndicate now gave up the task of
inducing the captain of the Adamant to
surrender. Crab G was commanded to
continue towing the great ship south
ward, and to keep her we'll away from
the coast, in order to avoid danger to
seaport towns and coasting vessels, while
the repeller steamed away.
Week after week the Adamant moved
southwark, roaring away with her great
guns whenever an American sail came
within possible range, and surrounding
herself with a circle of bursting bombs
to let any crab know what it might eX-
pect if it attempted to come near. Blaz-
ing and laundering, stern foremost but
stoutly she rode the waves, ready to
show the world that she was an impreg-
nable British battle ship, from which no
enemy could snatch the royal colors
which floated high above her.
1t was during the first week Of the in
voluntary cruise of the Adamant that
the syndicate finished its preparations
iur what it hoped would be the decisive
movement Of its campaign. To do this
= rcpeller and six crabs, all with extraor
,-i:.ary powers, had been fitted out with
:...'eat care, and also with great rapidity,
icr the British government was working
night and day to get its fleet of ironclads
il readiness for q descent upon the
-.raerican coast. Many of the British
vessels were already well prepared for
ordinary naval warfare: but to resist
crabs additional def: .,5.s were necessary
/ it was known thct the Adamant had
, Teen captured, au:: consequently the
Manufacture of sttf:; Jackets had been
abandoned, but it Wis believed that pro
lection could be eti,.';'lally given to ruG
dcrs and propeller blades by new
| method which the admiralty had adopted.
The repeller which was to take part in
the syndicate's proposed movement haG
! been vessel of the United States navy
which for a long time had been out OF
commission and undergoing course of
very slows and dcs'.itory repairs III d
! dock yard. She had always been con-
sidered the most unlucky craft in tie
service, and nearly every accident that
could happen to 4 ship had happened to
! her. Years and years before, when she
would set out upon Il cruise, her officers
and crew would receive the humorous
! sympathy of their friends, and wageri
were frequently laid in regard to the
, different kinds CT n:ishaps which might
befall this unlucky vessel, which was
| then known as the Tallapoosa.
The syndicate did not particularly de-
sire this vessel, but there was no other
that could readily be made available for
its purposes, and accordingly the Talla-
poosa was purchased from the govern
ment and work Immediately begun upon
her Her engines and hull were put
into good condition, and outside of her
was built another hull, composed Of
heavy steel armor plates and strongly
braced by great transverse beams run
ming through the ship.
Still outside of this was placed an I'M
proved system of spring armor, much
stronger and more effective than any
which had yet been constructed. This,
with the armor plate, added nearly fif-
teen feet to the width of the vessel above
water. All her superstructures were re-
moved from her deck, which was COW
cred by a curved steeleoof, and under a
bomb proof canopy at the bow were
placed two guns capable of carrying the
largest sized motor bombs. The Talla-
poosa, thus transformed. was called Re
peller No. II.
The immense addition to her weight
would of course interfere very much
with the speed of the new repeller, but
this was considered of little Importance,
as she would depend on her own engines
only in time OF action She was now
believed to possess more perfect defenses
than any battle ship in the world.
Early OH a misty morning Repeller No
II, towed by four of the swiftest and
most powerful crabs, and followed by
two others, left a northern port OF the
United States, bound for the coast Of
Great Britain. Her course was Il very
northerly one, for the reason that the
syndicate had planned work for her te