The morning news., 1892-03-19
"ROLD FAST. TOM"
An Interesting Incident in British
Naval History.

49, @1~1- NoeAL5 AISA4SnL III DIlbl5a
Naval History.
DdTid Ker IN March 81. NiohoIaS
The Dutch garrison at Jamestown, on the
island Of St. Helena, in the year 1913 were
awaiting the opening Of siege from fleet
OF British ships under Capt. Richard Num-
den. The Dutch had given their whole at
tention to the attack in front, feeling sure
that this was the only point from which
they could be assailed. And they reasoned
we'll; for everywhere else the coast was
merely one great precipice OF several hum
dred feet. rising so sheer out of the sea that
it seemed as if nothing without wings could
possibly scale it.
But they might perhaps have been less
confident had they seen what was going on
just then at the.topposlte side of the island.
When the English ships first advanced to
the attack, the hindmost of them, while
still hidden from the Dutch by the huge
black pyramid of Sugar loaf Point, had
lowered several large boats filled with armed
men, which instantly shot away around
the great rocky bluff of"the Barn" as fast
as eight oars apiece could carry them.
Away they went past headland after
headland. while every eye was fixed upon
the rocky shore, as if seeking something
which was not easily TO be found.
At length just when they rounded the
bold. craggy promontory of King and Queen
Point, dull boom reached their ears, fol-
lowed instantly by the thunder of sustained
cannonade At that familiar sound the
sailors clinched their teeth sevagely, as they
looked up at the tremendous precipices that
seemed TO shut them out from all hope Of
taking part In the battle.
Cant we get up anywherep growled the
captain of the frigate, who was In the fore
NNVI
they do the job without us. )"
with your honor's leave" broke in
stalwart young topman, touching his thick
brown forelock. II think / could get up
that rock yonder. and fasten rope for the
rest TO climb by."*
What up thereg' cried the captain
glanciug doubtfully from the young sailors
bright, fearless face to the tremendous
height above. "Well my lad, il you can do
it. I'll give you so guineasn'
''It's for the honor of the flag. not for the
money. STRIP answered the seaman. spring
ing from the boat to the lowest ledge Of the
terrible rock.
Up. up, up, ever higher ne clambered,
with the rising wind fling ng his loose hair
to and fro, and the startled sea-birds whirl-
ing around him with hoarse screams of
mingled fear and rage. To the Watching
eyes far below, the tiny points of rock to
which he clung were quite invisible, and be
seemed to be hanging in mid-air, like fly
on the side Of a wall.
Aud now he was two-thirds Of the way up
the precipice; and now he was within a few
yards OF the top; and now his hand almost
touched the highest ledge, when suddenly
his feet were seen to slide from under him,
and in a moment he was swinging in the
empty air, grasping projecting crag. with
the strength OF desperation, Hold fast,
Tomw yelled his comrades, as they saw him.
Tom did hold fast, aud the strong HANDS
that had deded the full fury Of an Atlantis
gale to loosen them from the slippery rig
ging did him good service once more. He
regained his footing. and the indrawn
breath of the anxious gazers below sounded
like hiss in the grim silence as they watched
the final effort that brought him safely
to the top.
The rope was soon fixed, and the last man
had scarcely mounted when the daring
band we're hurrying across the rIdgy interi-
or of the island toward the spot whence the
cannonade still doomed upon the evening
air. And there it was at last, as they
crowned the furthest ridge, the tall masts
standing up through hillowy smoke, and
the batteries marked out amid the gather
ing darkness by the flashes of their o wn can
non. A deadly volley of English muskerry
cracked along the cliff, and several OF the
Dutch were seen to fa !, while dismay and
confusion spread fast among the survivors
Thus caught between two fires, with the
British ships laundering upon them from
below, and the British marksmen shooting
them down from above, the defenders had
no chance; and at length brave old Van
Gebhardt, with look of bitter grief on his
iron face, slowly hauled down the Dutch
flag in token of surrender.
"Mynheer," said he 20 the English cap
tain, AS the latter came marching into the
fort at the head of his men, my followers
have done all that men could do; but yours
have done more"
"And if We had not done more, we could
never have beaten the gallant DutchInen,"
answered the captain, taking off his bat
tered cooked hat with a polite bow
Thus it was that the English regained st.
Helena, over which the British flag flies to
this day. Nor has the brave fellow who
led that daring attack been forgotten; for
when visited the island 1 found that the
crag which he scaled Cand very grim look
ing crag it Isl still goes by the name of
"Holdfast Tom."
*The capture of Gibraltar by Sir George
Rookie, in 1903. was aided by q feat of the same
kind.