Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-02-08
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
J Admiral Blake Among the Pirates
Page from the History Of Tunis
\ BY David Ker.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


into the Bay of Tunis under the
spleHdor OF the African sunrise
"thsre is the place where battle was
fought which you EngIshmen ought
all TO know by heart"
Admiral Blake's attack on Goletta,
yoS Mean%
"3ust so. Yonder, where that sand
bank juts out, stood the five forts
that defended the place, and the pr
sNts ships were moored just behind
them, IN that little bay. Not much
Sgn HsAll that now, is there?"
Index. it was not easy to call up
INV tkcSght of battle amid the un'
troubled stiffness and repose of that
glorious landscape. Far along the
eastern sky the great purple morn-
tains stood out in endless range,
crowned with the two-peaked summit
OF the mighty Hamet-El-Lif.
Through the deep, narrow gorges
that cleft the huge mountain-wall
every here and there the first rays OF
sunrise were just streaming across
the vast expanse of blue, sparkling
sea that stretched away to the north
far as the eye could reach, with
few tiny white sails dotted over it like
wreaths of foam.
Along the western shore OF the bay
extended q line Of low, green hills,
upon the crest Of which a mass OF
erumbAng masonry marked the spot
where the ancient citadel Of Carthage
had fallen before Scipio and his Ro-
mana
Just at the nearer extremity Of the
broad yellow sand-bar that spanned
the whole breadth of the deep blue
b.y nestled the dainty little town Of
Gelctta, and on the opposite hillside
Law, like drift of snow, the countless
white houses, and crumbling walls,
and tell minarets, and clustering palm
trees of imperial Tunis.
Rat despite the perfect peace OF the
spot which once witnessed the finest
battle fought there since the fall OF
Carthage, the memory Of that days
work will never die while one man OF
Anglo-GaNoEs blood remains to keep
alive BE instinct Of courage and fair
play, and standing up against the
strong in behalf of the weak.
II Is well worth while for anyone,
however he may hate war and blood
shed in general, to look back and see
what was done here on a certain
fine spring morning, two centuries
ago.
It is the Sd Of April, 1853, and the
whole city of Tunis is in an uproar'
Wild faces, livid with fear or black
with rage, crowd the narrow, wind
ing, gloomy streets, which echo with
the elamor of countless tongues, the
tramp of feet, the clatter Of horse
hoefs and the rumble of artillery
wheels.
Hundreds of swarthy figures, sword
in belt and matchbox on shoulder
are snvarunng over the decks OF the
nine huge war-galleys which lie
moored close under the forts of Co
letta-
In the forts themselves crowds OF
ren are hard at work running out
feavy guns, piling up cannon-baus
filing powder-chests, or laying sand
bags along the ramparts as an ad
ditional shelter; and all eyes are
turned watchfully toward the en-
trance of the bay, and the five great
hne-of-battle ships that are gliding
into it, with the black mouths o.
loaded cannon gaping hungrily
through their open ports, and the ret
cross of England-not yet altered
into the. union jack-futtered 5aunt
f1y at the mizzen.
CHigh on the poop of the English flag
@ip stssfs tall, handsome man, II
The uniform of British admiral. Hi
fine face is perfectly calm, but clos
observer would notice that he wear
the same set, stern look that 1t wor
when be held Tauntontown years age
against the bravest of Charles LIS cava
: liers.
In truth hard fight against over
whelming odds Is nothing new to Rob
ert Blake, the worthy foserunner o
Rodney and Nelson; and the cause Il
!. which he is to fight to-day might we
, nerve any man to do his best. Yonde'
/, behind those batteries that frown upol
him from behind the shore, are thou
sands of Christian captives-many o
:, them Englishmen like himself
chained, ragged, half-starved, bib
tered by the scorehing sun, and seame
with the scars Of whip and brandin
! irons And now, after years of hideou
n bondage among brutal pirates. whic
have made the memory of home On
friends. and the hope Of one day return
e ing to them, seem dim and distant
: half-forgotten dreams, their wear
= ewes see once more the waving OF En-
fish flags over a feet coming to the
rescue.
J. Well may the haggard faces brighte
J. despite the curses and blows of the
, savage taskmasters. When Admir-
Blake came here three weeks ago wi
a demand for the surrender of Q
:, Christian captives," and sailed ava
again with no answer save an insole
defiance from the hey of Tunis and
y pirate chiefs, there was many hea'
Of heart among the prisoners. But
:, day Ire is here again, no longer
threaten, but to do; and the messaI
= which he brings this time is one whi'
Tunis will long remember.
: "Don't thee be troubled, lad" sa.
IN one of the admirars crew to curl
: haired boy who is looking wistfully
Il, ward the shore. "Wen get thy faith
: :, out of their claws yet, never fearl"
The boys face glows at the words al
: there is fight in his clear blue ey
3 which shows that If fighting is to
" done to-day he will not be hindmost:
In