The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-02-23

HOW BAFThOLEMY CAPTURED A
HUGE SPANISH MERCHANTMEN

HOW BAR hOLEMT CAP lURED A
HUGE SPANISH MERCHANTMEN.
His ktrst Attack Failed The Little Pirate
Then Lay Within Short Range. and with
Rifles the Spanish Force Was Reduced
and Finally Conquered.
y series of sketches by Frank r.
Stockton ON Tho buccaneers of Our
Coast" Is one of the features of st.
Nicholas. NV. Stockton tells of the adj
ventures of Bartholemy portugue2,
who, with Il small crew i'll small YES.
sci, captured IA huge Spanish merchant
man i'll the Caribbean sea Mr. Stockton
says: The little pirate sailed boldly to-
ward the big Spaniard and the latter
vessel, utterly nstonished Mt the audao-
ity of this attack-for tho pirates flag
was tlying-lay to, head to tho wind,
and waited, the gunners standing by
their cannon. When the pirates had
come near enough to see and understand
the size and power Of tho vessel they
had thought of attacking, they did not,
and sail away Mt the best of their yes
sells speed, but they kept straight on
their course, as if they were about to
fall upon great, unwieldy merchant.
man manned by common sailors
Perceiying tho foolhardiness Of tho
little vessel. tho Spanish commander
determined to give it IA lesson which
WpnlI ianRh pun Ia nI
better tho relative power of great YES.
sells and little Ones SO as soon as the
pirates vessel was near enough he or
dered II broadsido fired upon it. The
Spanish ship had great many people
on board. 1t had crew of 20 men, and
besides these there We're some pasSen-
gers and regular marines. and, know
ing that the captain had determined to
fire upon the approaching vessel every
body had gathered ON deck TO see the
little pirate ship 20 down
But tho ton great cannon balls which
woro shot out at Bartholemy's little
craft all missed their aim, and before the
guns could be reloaded or tho grent ship
be got around So As To deliver her other
broadside the pirate vessel WAS along
sido Of her. Eartholamy had fired nom
of his cannon. Such guns were useless
against 50 huge II foe. Mint lie was aft
or was u hand 20 hand combat on the
deck of the Spanish ship.
The pirates were all ready for hot
work. They had thrown aside their
coats and shirts as if each Of them We're
going into n pri2ciight and with their
cutlasses IN their hands and their PTS.
tolls and knives IN their helts they
scrambled like mols.eys up the sides Of
the great ship. But Spuniards arc bravo
men and pued lighters there were moro
than twice ~ many of them rs there
were oi the pirates--and 1t was not
long before the latter found oct that
they could not capture that vessel by
boarding 1t. So over the side they tum-
bled as fast Ms they could 20, leaving
some of theirnumber dead and wounded
behind them. They jumped into their
own vessel, and then they put of to u
short distance To take breath and get
ready FOR different kind of fight The
triumphant Spaniards now prcpsc d 10
get rid Of Ills boatload of half naked
wild beasts, which they could easily do
If they took better aim with their can
non thnu they had done before
But Ia their mmnZement they soon
found that they could do nothing with
tho guns, nor were they allie to work
their ship SO rs ia get it into position
for eiIeotual shots. Burtholomy and his
men laid aside their outlaAses and their
pistols and took up muskets, with which
they Were we'll provided. Their vcfsel
lay within very short rangeot the span
ish ship, and Whenever Il man could lbs
seen through tho portfolios IN showed
himself III the rigging Gr anywhere else
whore II waa necessary t0 90 in order
to work the ship he uude himself n tar
get for the Road aim of the pirates. Tho
pirate vessel could move about as IT
pleased, for II required but II few men
to manage 1t, and 81 it kept out of
the way Of tho Spanish guns. and It's
best marltsmen, crUuchlng el0se to tho
deck, fired and fired whenever Span
ish head was to bo seen.
For five long hours this unequal con
test was kept up. II might have re-
minded ono Of II man with IL slender rod
and u long delicate line who had
hooked "a big salmon. Tho man could
not pull i'll tho salmon, but, on the other
hand, the salmon could not hurt the
man, and III the course of time the big
fish would be tired out and the man
would get out his landing net and scoop
him in.
Now, Bnrtholomy thought he could
| scoop III the Spanish vessel. SO many
| Of her men had been shot that the two
crews would be more nearly equal So
he boldly ran his vessel alongside the
big ship and again boarded her. Then
there was another great fight ON the
decks. The SpaniaIds had ceased TO be-
triumphant, but they had become des-
perate, and in the furious combat ten
Of the pirates were killed and four
wounded. But the Spauiards Jared
worse thun that More than half Of the
men who had not been shot by the pi-
rates went down before their cutlassea
and pistols, and it was not long before
Bartholemy had captured the great
| Spanish ship
1t was II fearful and costly victory
he had gained. A great part Of his own
mon were lying dead OF helpless On the
deck and Of the Spanards only 10 were
left alive, and thcse, 1t appears from
| the accounts, must have been nearly all
| wounded or disabled.
| Don't lay ~.
IL have no place 10 lay my head, +"