The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-14
PORTUGUESE PIRATE
HOW BARTHOLEMY CAPTURED A
HUGE SPANISH MERCHANTMEN.


Then Lay within Short Range, and with
Rifles the Spanish Force Was Reduced
and Finally Conquered.
A series of sketches by Frank r.
Stockton ON 1.-THE Buccaneers of Our
Coast" is one of the features of St.
Nicholas. Mr. Stockton tells of the ad-
ventures of Bartholemy Portuguez,
who, with small crew in a small ves-
sci. captured huge Spanish merchant
man in the Caribbean sea. Mr.. Stockton
says: The little pirate sailed boldly to-
ward the big Spaniard, and the latter
vessel, utterly astonished at the audac-
ity of this attack-for the pirates flag
was fying-lay to, head to the 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 the vessel they
had thought of attacking, they did not,
as might have been expected, put about
and sail away at the best of their ves-
sells speed, but they kept straight on
their course, as if they were about to
fall upon q great, unwieldy merchant
man manned by common sailors
Perceiving the foolhardiness of the
little vessel, the Spanish commander
determined to give it lesson which
would teach it's captain to understand
better the relative power of great ves-
sells and little ones, so as soon as the
pirates vessel was near enough he Or
dered a broadside fired upon it. The
Spanish ship had great many people
ON board. 1t had crew of 70 men, and
besides these there were 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 go down.
But the ten great cannon balls which
were shot out at Bartholemy's little
| craft all missed their aim, and before the
guns could be reloaded or the great ship
be got around so as to deliver her other
broadside the pirate vessel was along
side of her. Bartholemy had fred none
| of his cannon. Such guns were useless
against so huge foe. What he was aft
er was a hand to hand combat on the
deck of the Spanish ship.
| The pirates were all ready,fori hot
work. They had thrown aside their
( coats and shirts, as if each Of them were
going into prizefight, and with their
cutlasses in their hands and their pis-
tolls and knives in their belts they
scrambled like monkeys up the sides OF
the great ship. But Spaniards are brave
men and good fighters-there were more
| than twice as many Of them as there
were Of the pirates-and it was not
| long before the latter found out that
they could not capture that vessel by
boarding it. So over the side they tum'
bled as fast as they could go, leaving
some of their number dead and wounded
behind them. They jumped into their
own vessel, and then they put off to Q
short distance to take breath and &c,
ready for different kind Of fight This
triumphant Spaniards now prepared tC
| get rid of this hmtload of half naked
!. r.ild hAasts, which they could easily de
IS ii they too.b~tter aim with their can
r non q IN they ha,douR before
But to their amazment they sool
n found that they could o,nnrhing will
a the guns, nor were they ale to- worl
v their ship so as to get it into osHitiol
i for effectual shots. Bartholemy aA hi
men laid aside their cutlasses and trai
4 pistols and took up muskets, with whit
!. they were well provided. Their vess
lay within very short range of the Spal
8 ish ship, and whenever man could
. | hn CHI
n himself in the rigging or anywhere ell
Z where it was necessary to go in ord
A to work the ship he made himself a ia
n get for the good aim Of the pirates. III
pirate vessel could move about as
pleased, for it required but few me
to manage it, and SO it kept out
! the way of the Spanish guns, and i
best marksmen, crouching close to Il
. deck, fired and fired whenever Spar
ish head was to be seen.
For five long hours this unequal col
test was kept up. 1t might have r
: minded one of a man with slender rC
I, and long, delicate line who ha
. hooked big salmon. The man cou
: not pull in the salmon, but, OH the 9th
hand, the salmon could not hurt Il
man, and in the course Of time the b
. fish would be tired out and the ma
!, would get out his landing net and scoC
+, him in.
Now, Bartholemy thought he coul
scoop in the Spanish vessel. So man
of her men had been shot that the tv
crews would be more nearly equal.
he boldly ran his vessel alongside I'll
big ship and again boarded her. The
there was another great fight ON IL
decks. The Spaniards had ceased to |
triumphant, but they had become de
perate, and in the furious combat te
> of the pirates were killed and TO,
wounded. But the Spaniards fare
: worse than that More than half of IL
4 men who had not been shot by the p
= rates went down before their cutlass
q and pistols, and il was not long befol
Bartholemy had captured the gre'
: Spanish ship.
q 1t was fearful and a costly victor
ha had eyoipo1 A eyroaf RI ~ his oxV