The record-union., 1898-05-02
PRIVATEERING.
Dash;ug Seafarers and Their Big
Prizes.

The first mention of prlVateeflllS-
possibly in this case 3iracy-In connec-
ton with Liverpool is in the year Io13
when a ship belonging to Sir ThomaS
Stanley, son of the Earl of Derby,
| brought a prize into the Mersey amid
great rejoicings." It was in the reign
of George II, however, that priVatear-
ing was taken u0 as a business enter-
prise by the Liverpool merchants. In
1774 Liverpool possessed four priva-
teers, which, during the French and
Spanish war. captured about a dozen
ships-a small set-Off, however, to the
round hundred sailing TO and taken
from Liverpool by the enemy.
The breaking out of the seven years
war, in 1106. came as q blow to Liver
pool, whose trade in ''black ivory had
been making prodigious strides. SWarns
of French privateers found their way
into the Irish Sea and at one time act
ually blockaded the town for several
weeks Insurance rates went uD enor-
mously, and trade was practically at
standstill. The merchants, however, did
not wait for ruin with folded hands.
Taking the hint from the enemy, they
not only fitted out their useless ships as
privateers but built new vessels for the
service. These they let loose on the
enemys commerce. and the result was
remarkable One of the first priVateerS
to leave port returned in a few weeks
with French West Indiaman worth
go, coo: other equally valuable prizes
followed in quick succession. Then the
whole country became mad after prl-
Watering" and the mania even spread
tc the colonies. The Liverpool priVa-
teersmen, second to none in courage
and seamanship. made many prizes, but,
on the whole. the result of the war TO
the merchants was disastrous. In the
first four years alone 143 vessels belong
ing to the port were captured by The
French, and this more than counter
balanced the gains of the privateers.
The experiences Of the seven years
war were repeated during the American
war for independence. The Americans
at the outset sent forth a fleet of Dri-
vateers, and soon the trade Of Liver
pool sank 10 small dimensions. Yet it
was only when the French and Span
iards joined in the war that Liverpool
entered with its old energy into the
privateering business. But. once
started, so great was the zeal displayed
that between August. 111S, and April,
1873, 120 private cruisers were fitted
out An entire stop was put to the COM
mercial oro-ress of the port, however
and, beyond the occasional hustle of
numerous sales By auction of the car
goes Of prizes taken from the enemy,
there was little business transacted"
1t was. indeed, only the activity and
success of the 3rivateers that saved
many of the Liverpool merchants from
ruin.
The greatest of LiverpoOrs privateer-
ing heroes was q parsonage famous in
his day and not yet utterly forgotten
namely, Captain Fortunatus Wright.
Soon after the outbreak of the war with
France in 1744 he, conformity with some
English merchants in Leghorn, fitted
out the Fame privateer to cruise
against the French. The Gentle
mans Magazine" for December. 1746.
stated that the Fame Captain WrighO
had captured sixteen French ships in
the Levant worth 100000 Captain
Wright's most remarkable achieve
ment, however, was in 1856 when the
renewal of the war with France be-
came imminent. In that year he built
a small vessel at Leghorn. called the
st. George, to cruise against the en-
emy. His project becoming known a
French xebec of sixteen guns and two
hundred and eighty men bore down
upon Leghorn and hovered outside the
harbor in order to capture him when
he came out. SO much injury had
Wright done to French commerce dur
ing the last war that the French King
had promised the honor of knighthcod.
a pension of 1900 livres per annum for
life and the command of a sloop-of war
TO whoever should bring him into
France. alive or dead. The candidate
for knighthood. therefore, impatiently
waited for him. The Tuscan Govern
ment, being at this time in close sym
pathy with the French. would not al
low Wright to leave port with more
than four guns and twenty-five men.
With this armament he left the harbor
on July 18th, having three other small