The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-07-11
THE SHAPING SAL.
A Little Brig Which a Terror to the Big Vessels
Story Of the Seas of Long Ago.

It was in the days when Frances powe
was already broken upon the seas. an
when more of her three-deckerS lay rottin!
IN the Midway than were to be found il
Brest harbor. But h@r trgates aud cor
vettes still secured the ocean. closely fol
lowed ever by those of her rival. At thu
uttermost ends Of the earth these dainty
vessels, with sweet uames of girls OF
flowers, mangled and shattered each other
for the honor of the four yards of bunting
that Mapped from Their gailS.
1t had blown hard i'll the night. but the
wind had dropped with the dawning, and
now the rising tinted the fringe of the
storm wrack us it dwindled into the west
and slinted on the endless crestS of the long
green waves. To north and south and west
lay Il skyline which was unbroken save by
the spout OF foam when two of the great
Atlantic seas dashed each other into SPRAY
To the east was Il rocky island jutting out
into crag@y points, with few scattered
clumps of palm trees and Il pennant of mist
streaming out from the bare conical bill
which capped it. y heavy surf beat upin the
shore, and 1T Il safe distance from it the
British thirty-two-%un frigate Ieda. Cap
tain \. L. Johnson, raised her black. gliS-
telln2 side upon the crest of a wave, or
sWOoped down into an emerald valley, dip
ping away to the norirc! under easy
sail. On her snow-white quarter deck
stood stiff little brown-faccd man, who
swept the horizon with his glass.
MIR. WHARTON, he cried, with voice
like Il rusty hinge.
thin, knOck-kneed officer shamhled
across the poop to him.
Yes, sir
I've opened the sealed orders, Nj Whar-
ton"
\ glimmer of curiosity shonc upon the
meager features of the first lieutenant. The
Ieda had sailed with her consOrt, the Dido
from Antigua, the week before and the adj
miral's orders had been contained in
sealed envelope.
We were to open them on reaching the
deserted island of Somb"icrC, lying i'll north
latitude + degrees, 80 minutes, west lon
gitude ti:' degrees. % minutes. S0m5riero
bore four miles to the northeast from our
\ port bow when the gale cleared, Mr. Whar-
/ ton
3 The lieutenant bowed stfly. He and the
captain had been bosom friends from child
I1pd. They had gone to school together.
Joucd the navy together and married into |
each others families. but as long as their !
feet We're on the poop the iron discipline of |
the service struck all that was human out |
OF Is+..iAz LILO sIt1lnrior and tht, |
subordinate. Captain h,,sol>51,>,5,~c I-iun |
papcr from his pocket WHICH Ci"' NY " !
Tbc thirytwo=un frigates Ieda aRd 1,,drn ao
n,,ntair, 4 T. johnson aii James -iu u.s.
are cruise from the p p0 th, mouth of the
1'arjihean sea in the h?pe 81 'hTG ni,.h has
the French trigate la 'rl"i5ir .bins in that
l g,,~.l! II NJ frgate> arc also dlrcctcu :"
hunt down the pr2lirail ,i !Ft and Sometimes as
Ii'DeS i ~ 'r Hudson" which has piundcT@n
The British ships as per in's SIe is a small
hlrpaI ,.rrinir ten light guns with one one
twGnv four-pound carr9nadG f@r ,t;;io 70 The
was iasf srcn upon the go 1,r .imro 10 ''''
nor'h ,Si.ns cd the J 'si MoXTGoN1bGEiY[
< Colossus. Antigua.
w, appear to have lost our co,i;"i ~;
soid Canfi,in Johnson, folding up ms III
s ~ -, IiS aIass. SHE drew away after we
rnnf,,I down. 1t would be = pity - wy NIX iho'
his heavy Frcfchman without INC Ai'0'
MIR. WhartOn-ch! ,.,o, ,,;1o1
The lieutenant twlnkled anu Siii'it t}a main
,,<sLn has cightcen-pounderS on me man
.2.lr L. 1" of fhe 1,1op. sir" said the cap
3 ~ she carries 400 to our 81 NJ
tain dc AIilon is the SiliiL'c't l,.'' III rive
French service. ON, Bobby poA' i ii ",
,. hnfps Of my flag To rub my Guy uP
ny her" He turned on MS NJ
%i,,,cI Of his mom"nlarH lapHe' vi.
Wharton" said he, looking back S'ci .l;lE>.
over his shoulder. get th"sc "i, aint more.
shaken out and pear away -
10 ~. AZ bTie ', On the port bow" came voice
from the furcc"Stlc 49, :. oil rho lion
a brig on the port DOW S"'' ''i0 ''
ti;'n ,.qnfain snrang UP on the bniWarhS
- h.ld an 10 the miZZcn shroudS; 1t So "i-
little figure with flying skirts "l'u iiS nnCj,
- Tho loan lieutenant Crahru ms h'1\
eyes. Nv - c,unaton the SECOND, Whlc
officers and men came popping up Il".'' ~, III
a,,d clustering. along the weather ran
H." 1;,,,. +bnir ewes with their hands, Tor 'i'c
sn,"';,a'7I ,,t, WIS already clear of the palm
ltFtS. IN ,,1.,.ina, estuary and it WAS
already obvious chat she coul" h's' Co..
without uassing under the guns vi .hs -
a't' - - I:
her hcd ief al. zoos. NJ Wharton" said
keep ner Il. Tur 10 I,,.rrth while clearing
the caplalh-, i'|1t,"! ,or hut the men can
COR acton, VI. So ~ cnSn she tries to pass
stand by the guns ~ nn yc5 and send the
SnaII.grn men "H l, u" +" its quarters hose
y hrillSh re" 3" II, ,r,pitv of men ON their
days WITH me P,,'' few minutes, without
Illif tm','lv. 81 tie. s,ilors were knntted
iu>N or S 80 rho marines were drawn
aT'und ma ' IrapGg 1 On ihcir musEcs and the
~ 't an ii',r,,T.it f,oiuird straight for her
irlS"ic """0i'''
MI -. !, SIanrir. Sal. SIR