The Afro-American advance. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1899-19??, 1900-01-27
kssa1n1a1aSsA171a.S@41
: Admiral Blake Among the Pirates }
Page from the History Of Tunis
= BY David Ker.
&NxsNV.ox OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
nTzHERE.n said my French com.

panion, pointing southwark over
the smooth, bright water, as we glided
into the Bay OF Tunis under the
splendor of the African sunrise
'tbere il the place where battle was
fought which you Englishmen ought
all TO know by heart"
admiral BlalNe's attack on Goletta,
you mean?"
".Just so. Yonder, where that sand
bank juts out, stood the five forts
that defended the place, and the pr
rate ships were moored just behind
them, In that little bay. Not muen
sign Of all that now, is there?''
indeed IL was not easy to call up
uEy thought of battle amid the M
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 lInmet- 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 cxpanse of blue. sparkling
sea that stretched away TO the north
far ms the eye could reach, with a
few tiny white sails dotted over il like
wTenths of foam.
Along the western shore OF the bay
extended n line of low, green hills,
upon the crest of which mass of
crumblng masonry marked the spot
where the ancient citadel Of Carthage
had fallen before Scipio and his Ro-
mans.
just at the nearer extremity of the
broad yellow saBd.bnr that spanned
the whole breadth of the deep blue
bay nestled the dainty little town OF
Goletta, and on the opposite hillside
lay, like drift OF snow, the countless
white houses, and crumhling walls,
and tall minarcts, and clustering palm
trees Of imperial Tunis.
Hut 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
AnRlo-Saxon blood remains to keep
alive the instinct Of courage and fair
play, and standing up against the
strong In behalf of the weak.
II il well worth while for anyone,
however he may hate war and blood
shed IN general, To- look back and see
fine spring morning. two centuries
ago
II Is the ID 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 clamor of countless tongues, the
| tramp of feet. the clatter of horse
hcofs and the rumble of artillery
wheels.
Hundreds of swarthy figures, sword
| In belt and matcn-lock ON shoulder,
are swimming over the decks of the
nine huge war-galleys which lie
moored close under the forts of Go.
/ letta.
| In the forts themselves crowds OF
ren are hard az work running out
Heavy guns, piling up cannon-balls
( filling powder-chests, or laying sand
bags along the ramparts as an al.
/ ditional shelter; and all eyes are
turned watehfully toward the en-.
/ trance of the bay, and the five grea,
! hne-of battle ships that are gliding
into IL, with the black mouths ot
loaded cannon gaping hungrily
through their open ports, and the RED
cross OF England yet altered
| into the union jack -fiuttered jaunt
ily az the mi1xen.
High on the poop OF the English flag
ship stands u tail. handsome man. il
the uniform of British admiral. Iii,
fine face is perfectly calm, but a Gloss
observer would notice that he wear,
the same set, stern look that II wor,
when lac held rauntontown years ago
against the bravest OF Charles Is cava
licrs,
In truth hard fight against over
whelmlng odds is nothing new to Rob
ert Blake. the verify foreruhner o
Rodney and Nelson. and the cause II
which he Is "a fight to-day might wei
nerve any man 20 do his best. Wonder
behind those batteries that frown upper
him from behiud the shore. are thou
sonds of Christian captiyes many o
them Engiishmen like himself
chained. ragged. half.Stared hli.
tered by the seorching sun. and seamei
With thu sears of whip and hranGlnl
iron. And now, after years Of hideou
bondage among brutal pirates. whiel
have made the memory Of hone am
friends, and the hope at one day return
ing TO them. seem dim ard distant a
half forgotten dreams. their wear
ewes see once more the waving Of Eng
lish flags over a fleet coming TO thel
, rescue.
Well may the haggard faees brighter
despite the curses and blows of thci
savage ,aSkmastsrs. When Admirs
Blake came here shree weeks agu wit
q demand for the surrender Of a
Christian capsives.r and sailed ava
again with no answer save an insoles
defiance from tho hey oi Tanis and b
pirate chiefs. there was many a heav
heart amoug the prisoners, hat /