The National tribune., 1902-07-24

brief period, she gave it up, went about.
and steered toward onr boat, which had
been sent out with a prize crew as soon
as We observed this last movement.
The boat was soon alongside and the
officer asccnded to the deck. The prize
proved to be the Sophia Thornton, of New
Bedford. and having dispatched the Cap
tain and his Mates in one of their own
boats of to us, they remained in charge,
while we Stated in pursuit of the other,
under steam and fore and aft sail, at the
rate of II kI:ets an hour.
Before the close of the first dog watch
we brought her to with a shot from our
% 2-pounder Whitw orth rifle. which whis-
tied past her stern. She had crowded on
al! the sail She could carry, but it availed
her little in her laudable efforts to avoid
capture.
She proved to he another New Bed
forder. the JeriaL Swift, commanded by
Capt. Williams. native of that city. He
was said by Manning to have about S15,-
600 in specie on board. the proceeds of a
quantity Of oil he had lately sold. but as
Capt. Williams readily made oath that
there was no such amount in his vessel,
| and we had already discovered that our
| neriy-eniisted Ships Corporal was a most
| accomplished liar, among his other engag-
| ing characteristics, we did not enter into
very close examination.
Within 30 minutes after the .Ief.iah
| Swift was captured she was in flames,
| and having seen her crew en- route for the
| Milo in their Own boats, we were off in
| chase of aI.other fellow, that, however,
| finally escared into the ice.
Several cf the vessels which We had
| frs. seen engaged in trying out blubber we
now discovered were surrounded by such
extensive fields of ice that we dared not
venture after them; so for once these
hardy yoyagers had occasion to thank as
l,t.
often prove their destruction.
PRISONERS ASSIGNED AN UNPLEASANT
TASK.
Cant Waddel now determined to give
| the prisoners permission to take whatever
| they desired from the Sophia Thornton,
| in the way of provisions and ether neces-
saries to make them comfortable on their
passage to San Francisco, so we stood
| back to her vicinity, where this decision
| was made known and was received with
general satisfaction. There was an ac-
companying order, however, that did not
meet with so much appreciation. 1t was
to fire the ship when they had finished
taking whatever they wanted away from
her. This they reluctantly promised to do,
but fearing. in case favorable breeze
| sh Md spring up, the temptation to run
| ar-v with her weuld prove too strong for
II r virtue, We cut away the spars. and
& ing them to understand that they would
| he within range Of our eight-inch shells,
which would certainly be dropping down
among them. if our instructions were not
| implicitly obeyed. we again got under way.
As We glided seaward, still standing to-
| ward the frozen region of the Arctic Cir
Gle. we could see the disabled vessel. with
her masts dragging alongside. and the
paroled prisoners in their whale boats.
transferring from her TO the Milo what
ever suited their fancy / have no doubt
the craft was thoroughly ranSackcd, but
ere the sun made its brief disappearance
below the horizon, bright tongue of
| iafne shot heayenward, telling us that the
prisoners had performed their distasteful
task. A more unpleasant duty, i trust,
| was never again assigned to any of them
1t is hard enough to see the oaken cradle
| in which one has rocked for so many
| weeks and months destroyed by the incen-
diary torch but when necessity compels n
sailor TO light with his own hand the fire
that is TO consume the ship he has learned
to love, he has good grounds for COM
plaint against the fates for the ungenerous
usage to which they have subjected him.
The next morning we fell in with and
captured the brig Susan Abigail, trader
from San Francisco. She had a miscel
ianeous cargo, consisting of guns, pistols,
needles. calico. Irvine, and Yankee notions
in general. such articles in short MS wonId
be acceptable TO the Esquimaux. with
whom it was the Captains intention to
barter for f,Irs.
1t Was a money making trade, I should
judge from what learned of it.. Fnr an
old gun and some ammunition. Il or 20
| sabies were freely given in exchange. and
a good knife would purchase almost any
thing.
The Captain of the Susan Abigail, when
he came on board, wore magnificent fur