The National tribune., 1898-05-05

was even more unique. The officers were
Americans, Irish and French. The petty
officers were similarly divided in nation
ality. AS already stated, the whole force
of marines, three commissioned officers
and 1872 enlisted men, were all French, and
not one of them could speak English; very
few being able to understand il. OF the 23t
sea officers, petty officers and seamen less
than 100 were familiar with the English
language, the others being French Portu
gueSe and a few Swedes and Maltese. d
the sea officers, Capt. Jones, Lieut.. Dale
and Midshipmen Mayrant, Linthwaite and
Tanning, could speak both English and
French; Lieuts. Stack and Macarty could
speak English, French and Portuguese
But three of the French sailors could
speak English. Which, by the way, they
! had learned in English prisons. They
were Pierre Gerard and Pierre Fanchot
whom Jones rated Quartermasters, and
Leonard la Roche Jacquelin, whom he
rated Quarter Gunner. In one OF his let
|, tiers to the Countess de la Vendahl, Jones
says: My forecaStie is a Babel, and my
ward-room not much better. Commands
on board are uttered indiscriminately in
English French and Portuguese. | do not
know what | would do without Stack and
Macarty, your young Irish protegeS oi
Walsh's Marine Artillery, who are regular
polyglotS and who alone are masters of all
the languages that must be spoken in
tldDCllHg tic snip! fortunately tDcy are
as good sailors as they are linguists.'
With such an improvised squadron and
such a motley crew, Paul Jones sailed
Aug. Il, 1879, from IOrient. Running
around the west coast OF Ireland he went
to Scotland, north about, making several
prizes and alarming the British coasts as
they had never been alarmed before. Pass
ing over these comparatively common
place events, we observe that on Sept. u
1873, he learned from vessel captured off
Spurn Head that the Baltic merchant feet
had Just arrived from that sea and rem
deZvGused in Bridlington Bay, under the
lee Of Fianlboro Head. He at once resolved
to attack them.
Any injury he could do this feet would
be directly felt by the British navy, be-
cause the caTgos of the Baltic ships were
almost wholly composed Of naval stores,
particularly hemp, ship timber and resin.
IN SIGHT OF HIS ENEMY.
So, about midnight, the 22d, he wore
ship around Spurn Head, and bore up,
looking Tor the Baltic feet in BridIington
Bay. In order TO keep off shore and out
OF sight OF the enemy's signal stations,
Jones made long reach north by east
until he had well mortified Flamboro Head,
when he tackled to the southwark and
westward and with northwest wind abeam.
stood straight in for the land. About
p. m.," says Jones in his journal, "the
Richard, with the Pallas in company,
brought Flamboro Head on her weather
beam, bearing due west, distant about
seven miles, the wind west northwest and
moderate, the sea smooth
Notwithstanding Jones's precaution OF
keeping of shore, il appears that the news
Of his movement had been semaphored
along the coast, and as he rounded Flam-
boro Head, he saw the Baltic feet, about
forty or forty sail, under way, reach
ing out of Bridlington Bay, on a bowline
with heavy frigate and slOop-of war
in Convoy, stretching TO windward and
interposing between them and the Richard
and Pallas.
The Alliance was at that moment hull
down to leeward and the little Vengeance
out of sight astern.
Jones signalled TO Capt. Cottineau in
the Pallas To chase the sIoop- of-war and
leave the frigate to him; crossed royal
yards on the Richard and wore ship.
which brought the frigate on his lee bow
about a mile and half distant.
BY this manuver Jones held the weather
gage, and edged down toward his big adj
versary, who, under all sail, was standing
bold out to sea, evidently wishing to draw
him of shore and away from the convoy.
The ship with which the Bon Homme
Richard was now closing was the Brit
ish man-of-war, the Serapis, a., Captain
Richard Pearson. She belonged to a
special class known in that period of
naval construction as two-decked forty
fours, built expressly for the duty of
conveying merchant fleets; they were too