Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-06-16
HOBBS AND HIS FLAG.
AN EPISODE OF WAR DAYS IN THE
HARBOR OF HONG-KONG.

Confidence In His Ship and Who Dared
the Alabama-Flying Two Flags In Neu-
trail waters--How the Escape Was Made.
During the greater part of the war;"
said the retired skipper, "there were a
large number of American clippers stall
ed in Hong-Kong harbor, having orders
10 remain there from their owners, who
feared the Alabama. This arrangement
did not at all please the captains and
officers, as many of us were anxious to
go home and ship in the navy, but orders
were orders. We could not leave the
ships, and the frequent visits of the Ala
bama herself to the harbor, forcing her
self into our midst as the saying goes,
were very vivid reminders that neutral
waters were pretty good sort of an in
vention.
Although we passed the long weeks
and months as pleasantly as we could,
with all kinds of arrangements for kill
ing time, both on shipboard and on
shore. there was of course a continual
and concerted growl going up from our
little band of Yankee shippers, and old
Hobbs was the star growler of ms all.
"His ship was the Humming Bird, a
brand new clipper hailing from Boston.
The trip out to Hong Kong had been her
maiden one, ard it was chatting to Hobbs
not very smooth temper to have her lie
idle so early in her career. Having great
faith in the ships speed and in his own
seamanship, he was more than anxious
to put to sea and let Semmes catch him
if he could; but, like the rest of us, his
orders to remain were positive.
occasionally ship would manage to
clear by sailing under some foreign flag,
but as it was a complicated process in
volving fathoms of red tape and very Of
ten fell through just when everything
seemed favorable it was not resorted to
very often When it was tried, however,
old Hobbs would go on his beam ends
with wrath. He would fume and rant,
casting aspersions on the patriotism of
the owners, the agents. the officials, and
even the Chinese. crew. He was so in
tensely patriotic that to see a good Yam
kee craft sail under false colors would
keep him boiling for week.
you can see what his feelings were
to Sumatra under the British flag. He
funed, rantod and swore and then
fumed ranted and swore over again,
with few extra choice nautical anath-
emas thrown in for emphasis. This nee
essary operation over, he sent ashore to
the native sailmaker's for a British flag
the smallest to be had. When it came
aboard-it was about ? by feet in size
Hobbs looked at it askance and or
dered it to be put out Of sight until sail
ing day.
Sailing day arrived, and the British
flag was seen Guttering quietly from its
proper place on the Humming Bird. II
attracted mighty little attention, how
ever, for the Alabama was entering the
harbor. She foated slowly along and
dropped anchor exceedingly close to the
Humming Bird. About this time the
harbor master was seen in his boat be-
ing rowed rapidly toward Hobbs ship,
and huge bundle of bunting about the
size of an old shellbacks sea chest was
rapidly hauled to the maintop of the
Humming Bird.
1.-THE harbor master pulled up along
side the Humming Bird and yelled for
the captain. II could be seen that he
was angry about something. Hobbs
came to the rail in his plug hat and long
tailed bottle green coat, the customary
uniform of skipper in those days,
and asked the harbor master what he
could do.
al want you to take down that flag
instantly, sir said the harbor master.
"Guess not, said Hobbs.
ats disgrace, sir, and an insult to
hoist such a flag as thatr
"'Whats the matter with the flag?
said Hobbs, surprised.
cts all wrong, sir; the proportions
are all wrong. The field is too long fol
its width, and the rest of it is too wide fol-
its length. The crosses are wrongly ar
ranged, sir, and it is vile caricature o
an honored flag, sir! Remove it imme
diatelyr
"Guess not said Hobbs again. 'Tha
flag was bought in a British port ant
made by British subject. He was
Chinaman, but that is neither here no
there. | don't care if it is the flag O
Patagonia, so long as it was sold to m
for that of England. Good morningr
1.-THE harbor master had nothing to sa
to this and started back. but he had n
sooner done so than the main ballard
were pulled, the bundle at the pea
broke out, and in a second the stars an
stripes were waving before the aston
ished eyes of the harbor master, the Yai
kee shippers and Captain Semmes of ii
Alabama. Indeed, so large was Oh
Glory in this particular case that it a
most brushed the Alabamas decks, II
vessels being sonear together. The hue
flag had been presented to the ship
her launching and to the excited spe
tators on this occasion seemed larg,
than the ship herself.
nThe harhnr master mt ahnnt annri.