The National tribune., 1898-04-21

"Vous avez raiscf1, Madame: je ne suis
pas assez fort pour tirer lie canon: mais,
neanmoins j'ai ea lhenneur d'arporter
les Ioudrcs ct lesGtcuiets dc canon Eour
caisser les tetes de nos ennemisp ("You
are right, Madame, 4 amp not strong enough
to fire cannon; but, nevertheless, have
had the honor to trirg powder and cannon
balls to smash thefheads of cur enemies" y
The Duchess then turned to Capt. jones,
saying: "Quel petit Spartiatel Donnez lie
moi. Je veux FAVOR chez moi CONNIE
prOtege." C"What little Spartan. Give
him to me. wish to have him at home
as my protege.O s.
The result was that Jones detached
young Downes from the ship, and the
Duchess took charge of him. She placed
him in the Academy at Brest, which the
| children of the French officers attended;
provided him munificently with clothing,
and arranged for his maintenance in one of
the families of her suite. She also gave a
lawn fete, or garden party, of children in
his honor.
Here he remained quite ccnteEted until
the following May or June-nearly Il year
when, learning that Capt. Jones was about
to sail from Iorient in the Bon Homme
ltIchard, he ran away from school, made
his way to IOrient. and demarGod to be
shipped in the Richard. After vainly try
ing to persuade him to return To his bene
factress, Jones firally shirred him as
Captains apprentice and watch boy"
Downes survived the carnage of that
cruise and became an officer MASTER in
the Regular Navy in 1884. His sen and
namesa!Se, born about nine years after
these events, reached the rank OF Commo-
dore in the Navy and achieved fer the
name lasting and enviable distinction.
1t may lie worth while at this point to
explain how it happened that this little
apprentice, a boy of the Ranger, bern at
Salem, Mass, ard Only IA years old, was
able to converse with the Duchesse de
ChartreS in her own tongue. 1t is ex-
planned by Lieut. Hall in his Journal, pub
lished at Portsmouth, N H., 1887, entitled
Journal of the Cruise of the Hanger; and
The Character of her Captain and Crew."
Lieut.. Hall says (pp. 1889:
"As soon as the ship got fairly under
weigh and clear of the land Capt. jones
formed a school of instruction for the Mid
shipmen and also the apprentice-boys on
board, some 20 in number. They were
taught the mathematics pertaining to navi-
cation and the French language. Our
Hezekiah Ford, was instructor in mathe-
matics; the preceptor in French being
Capt. Jones himself The Captain also
gave lectures or talks on the elements OF
naval warfare, discipline, and the proper
relations of officers to each other and to the
men. These classes, though much inter
rupted by the vicissitudes of cur extremely
hard and hazardous services, were yet very
and all who had the benefit of
them derived much advantage.
"The Captain impressed upon his pupils
that they were the pioneers and founders
of naval service destined to become the
greatest and most honorable in the world,
and therefore they should make up in dill
gence and application toward the acquire
ment of professional knowledge, for the
lack of regular means of naval instruction
under which our country labored in con-
sequence of its newness and poverty.
despite the severity of our service and
our incessant privations, all these young
people made great progress in their studies
during the eight months that Capt. Jones
the Ranger; some of the
young apprentice boys, in particular, ac-
curing no little fiuency and correctness Of
speech in the Frsnch55 language, besides
making good PROGRESS in other studies.
The Captain all The time assured them
hat alliance with Ffance was certain,
which would lead Them into much associa
ion with French officers and sailors,
where knowledge of that tongue would be
to success, as well as con- |
Iucive to good fellowship in service to- |
,ether." -