Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-29

miles distant, but she was cracking on
every inch Of sail before half gale Of
wind and was boldly steering close to the
edge of the reef, where the Rosario, with
her iron plates and her heavy draught did
not dare to 60. Captain Freemantle tried
the effect Of a shot from the Armstrong
pivot gun which served for a bow chaser;
but the only response the Karl made to that
was to dip her German ensign three times in
derision. When night came on, the brig
antlne vanished among the islands, where
the corvette could not follow her in the
dark. Captain Freemantle, however,
thought nothing Of that being certain Of
picking her up very few hours after day
light next morning.
When dawn came, the Rosario was still
in the channel between the islands, and it
was impossible for any vessel to pass her
without being seen. or to escape her as she
steamed ahead. She no sooner cleared the
group Of islands among which the Karl had
been lost sight OF the night before, than she
deserted vessel standing to the eastward,
crossing the course previously taken by the
Karl.
Captain Freemantle, thinking the enemy
had doubled on him, in the hope of leading
him astray among the perilous reels which
abound in those waters, cautiously changed
his course to cut him of. studying the chart
closely and keeping the lead line constantly
going. The way seemed clear enough and the
Rosario was soon under full head of steam
once more. By 10 o'clock she was near
enough to the sailing vessel to see that she
was brigantine ofmuch the same size and
build as the Karl, but painted black and fly
ing the detested black and white rag of the
kingdom of Fiji.
These were tricks which every naval
officer was quite prepared for, and Captain
Freemantle bore down on the briga1tine as
hard as he could 60, convinced that her liv-
ing freight would prove her to be the Karl.
He was rather surprised, however, to see
that she made no effort to get away; but
kept on an easterly course, as il she were
sailing from Townsville or some North
Queensland port to the islands of the Pa
cifc.
AN INNOCENT CRAFT.
He signalled to her to heave to, and she
hove to Immediately, at the same time
saluting the British flag. Captain Free
mantle lowered his launch and, taking
Lieutenant and "a men, he went off himself
to the brigantine, which now lay right uD-
der the guns of the Rosario. The COM
mander was received in the gangway BY a
6ne-looking, gray-haired man, who saluted
him respectfully and welcomed him on
board. He placed his men in charge of the
deck, and ordered the other to produce his
papers. These showed that the vessel was
the Annie Woods, of Levuka, bound from
Townsville to Tonga. Everything seemed
quite in order, but that proved nothing, for
forged ships papers were very common de-
vice. Captain Freemantle asked how many
men were on board, and was told that there
were 80, including IA men who had been
taken at their own wish from Thursday Is
land, where their ship had been left dis
abled. The crew were mustered on deck
and answered all questions satisfactorily.
Captain Freem .ntle was not at all de-
ceived. he m1rely admired the way in
which the thing was done. He now sent
the crew of the brigantine to the forecastle
and ordered his men to open the matches of
the main hold. The captain of the Annie
Woods made not the least objection, and for
a very good reason. The hold contained
nothing but barrels of water and a quantity
of bananas and pineapples. The bulkheads
were newly whitew ashed and the deck
scrubbed down, and there was not sign
throughout the ship of her having carried
labor for months.
TOO SMART FOR THE OFFICER.
What was a naval officer, bound by rules
and regulations and the decisions Of vice
courts, to do? The law said that
slavers were only liable to be seized on the
high seas when actually found with un-
licensed labor on board. Here there was
not trace of laborer, licensed or un-
licensed. If Captain Freemantle seized the
brigantine and was unable to prove any
thing against her, he would be liable to |
heavy damages, and would certainly be
reprimsnded by the Commodore for excess
Of zeal.
handed the ships papers back to the Cap |
tain of the Annie Woods, together with a
certificate from himself of having boarded |
her and found her all in order. The Rosario
steamed her way, and the Annie Woods |
sailed hers.
When the Commodore received Captain
report in his own stateroom on
board the Challenger, at Sydney, he asked
him what he thought Of the affair.
"Tm as certain as that I'm sitting here,
sir, replied Captain Freemantle, that the
Annie Woods was the Karl, painted black
in the night"
"But how about the 150 laborers?"
''That sanguinary scoundrel consigned
every one of them to the sharks between the
time when lost him in the evening and the
time when found him again next morn
ng."
"I've no doubt you're right" said the
Commodore kindly, "but you only did your
luty in letting him go.''
He was right; and many time afterward
Bully Hayes boasted OF how he had been one
100 many for the smartest naval officer on
the Australian station.
EDWARD WAKEFIELD.