The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-27

The attacking flotilla was composed OF
the launch. under Mr.. Smelie with me
Tor an aide; the first cutter, In charge Of
Mr.. Armitage, the third lieutenant; and
the second lieutenant: and the second
cutter In charge OF Mr.. williams. the
masters mate; the force consisting OF 40
seamen and four officers-auite strong
enough, in Capt. vernon's opinion. TO
give satisfactory account OF the three
slavers, which. IL was arranged. we were
10 attack simultaneously, one boat To each
vessel
The last parting instructions having
been given to Smellie by the skipper,
and rounded of with hearty hand-shake
and an earnest exclamation Of "T wish
you success" with a still more hearty
hand-shnke and Goodbye. Harold old
boy. good luck attend you!' from Mr.
Austin. the second lieutenant motioned me
into The launch followed me closely
down; the word 10 shove off was given
and away we went pune tually at half
past nine. TO the minute
The fog was still as thick as ever; so
thick, indeed. that II was as much as
we could do 10 see one end OF the boat
from the other: and Notwithstanding the
care with which. as | had an opportunity
OF seeing, the second lieutenant had
worked out all his calculations. / own
that 1t seemed 20 me quite hopeless 10
expect that we should find the place of
which we were I'm search. Nevertheless
we pushed out boldly into the opaque
darkness, and the boats heads were at
once laid IN the required direction, each
coxswain steering by compass, the lighted
pinnacle containing which had been pre-
viously masked with the utmost care
our object being to take the slaves
by surprise the oars were mufiied, and
the strictest silence enjoined Thus there
was neither light nor sound to betray our
whereabouts, and we slid over the placid
surface OF the river almost noiselessly
as so many mist-wreaths
In so dense a fog II was necessary 10
adopt unusual precautione I'm order to
prevent the boats from parting company.
We, therefore. proceeded i'm single
file. the launch leading. with the first
cutter attached by her painter. the sec
ond cutter, in her turn, attached by her
painter TO the f1rst cutter bringing up the
rear The cutters were ordered TO regu-
late their speed 40 that the connecting
rope between each and the boat ahead
should be just slack enough To dip into
the water and no more, thus insuring
that each boats crew should do it's own
fair share Of work at the oars.
Once fairly away from the ships side
we were Immediately swallowed up by
siderable time the fotilla glided gently
along. without a sight or sound to tell
wrong; without the utterance OF a word
on board either OF the boats; and with
only the slight muffied sound OF the
oars in the rowlocks and the gurgle OF
the water along the boats sides 10 tell
that we were moving at all. The silence
would have been oppressive but for the
slight murmuring swirl and ripple OF the
a .trV.f .feNaw rxff a IL
less millions OF insects which swarmed
IN the bush on both banks Of the stream.
THE latter sent forth so remarkable
xoIune Of sound that when first told IL
was created by insects alone ! found my
credulity taxed 20 its utmost limit ana IL
was not until / was solemnly assured
my Mr. Austin that such was the
case that / quite believed IL
II was not unlike the "whirr' OF machin-
cry. save that IL rose and fell IN disuhct
cadences and occasionally-as II by pre-
concerted arrangement on the part Oh
every individual insect In the disulct-
s,onned altogether for a few moments.
Then indeed. the silence become weird
onnressive. uncanny; making one inv0l-
,ntarilv shuttle nearer To ones nelshoor
"a Glance half fearfully over ones
"ho,,,5er Then, after a slight interval,
a ,a,,t far-off signal chirp chirp! wouid
he heard. and In an instant the who'e
insect-world would burst into tull cnorus
go more and the air would fa1rly
,.,rrote with sound. But the night had
other voices than this.
Mingled with the chirr of the insects
,here would occasionally float OF TO us
tbe srarlins roar ot some forest savage
tho barking call OF the deer. the yelplns
os a jackai. the blood-curdlins cry OF
hvena, the grunt OF the hippopotamus'
the weird cry OF some night-bird' and
nearer at hand. sometimes apparently
,,,,thin a ward or so OF the boats-sundry
nnvs,erlous pufflngs and blowings, and
sudden faint splashlngs Of the water
which latter made me for one, and prob
ably many Of the others who heard them,