The National tribune., 1898-05-26

at Funchal. Linthwaite, in PAigIe, was
not ready then, but sailed few days
later.
In due time Mayrant and Tanning made
Their rendezvous at Funchal They waited
there reasonable time for Linthwate
The program of the French syndicate that
owned and equipped these privateers was
that they should cruise between the
Madeiras and the Windward Islands Of
the West Indies, to intercept the home
bound Spring trade ships of the English
But the seeds OF desperate daring that
Paul Jones sowed broadcast around him
had found fertile soil in the bosoms OF
John Mayrant and Nathaniel Tanning
| 30, despIsing the ignobie prey of the West
! Atlantic, they tore up the instructions Of
their owners, made new program OF their
C"n, and steered straight for the Indian
Ocean to rendezvous at the Isle of France
NOW the MauritilIs)
Llnthwaite arrived at Funchal after they
had left, but though they had left letters
Tor him he did not think his ship large or
well enough ouiftted to round the Cape of
! Good Hope, and SO cOntented himself with
the cruise mapped out by the syndicate
No record Of its results remains except
that he returned to DunkirIS in the Fall of
1880
There is, however, plenty of record of the
daring cruise Of Nathaniel Tanning and
John Mayrant with their little ships. the
Eclipse and Bonaventure, in the Indian
Ocean during the years 1880 and 1881 II is
not necessary To refer To Fanning's own
story OF it. Enough Of its history can be
found in the British Admiralty papers of
those years; in the archives OF the East
India Company; in the History OF French
PrlVateering. tMarchand Paris. 1SiS-f82t. J.
IN this remarkable book which so far as
| know, has not been translated into our
language, but which is by odds the most
graphic and thrilling description extant of
tan old 10
Tanning are classed with Jean Bart, Sur
couf. and la Touche Treville.
SHIPS OF TANNING AND MAYRANT.
Tanning says of their two little ships:
The Bonaventure was n Ship-slOoD of
248 tons, f.. NJ. NJ. French merchant
measurement. She carried 20 guns-18
long brass 9-pOunders i'm broadside and
two long SKIES in the bridle-ports. Her
complement was 143, of whom 81 came
from the Alliance at POrient and 76 were
on board at Dunkrk the latter all French
mostly fishermen. The ship was about
four years old
My brig lEclpse was brand new. hay-
ing been launched at Nantes the previous
September. | never saw so fine a vessel Of
her class. AT that time the French
notedly built the best ships, and they had
never built better one than this She
was high spared brig, carrying royals
coppered to stem and sternpost and copper
fastened, and, so far as i know spread
more canvas than any other sea boat of
her class and rig then afoat She tonned
200; Icing trife larger than Mayrantis
ship sioop, the Bonaventure; and she car
NED 10 guns-14 long mines in broadside.
Two long mines in bow ports either side Of |
the cutwater, for bow -chasers, and two long
SKIES in the cabin, for stern chasers.
ingenuity i'm devising prvateer had
reached its limit in her Eleven knots was
an easy log Tor her going free with all she
could carry, and once running southwest
from the Isle Of France | drove her PIP
knots IN "a hours, from one meridian OBJ
SeTvalon to the next, with half gale from
the eastward, abaft the beam. She was
rightly named. She was truly the Eclipse
OF all other briggs.
Her complement was 70 Americans from
the AIilance, including myself, and II
contempt the English used to have for the
french at sea was not maintained when
the French sailors were associated with
US.
This fact was well brought out in the
action between the Bon HOmme Richard
and the Scraps. And | had also a fu
experience OF IT during my command of
iEclIpse. The French sailor is light
hearted and happy under the most adverse
circumstances, and he is always fiercely
brave. But he sometimes lacks resource
and Is liable to collapse when he gets TO
his wits end in trouble. But give him an
American Commander who can rally him
in his own lingo and a few American ship
mates to show him an example of walking
away with mess Of trouble, and his
better is not to be found afioat
In the Richard, and also in my ship,
TINS was often apparent. The Frenchman
quickly took up the cold steadiness of his