The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-04-06
BEAT THEIR cAPTORS,
Curious Contest That Occurred
on a British Frigate.
ALL NIGHT BATTLE OF SONG.
The Grew Of an American Priyatssr,
Prisoners on Board the Lesndsr, Out.
sane tho English Tsrs--An Odd In
oidont Of the War OF 1912.

A curious defiance OF captors by
their prisoners was that Of the crew
Of the American priyateer Prince de
Neuchatcl when confined ON board the
British frlgate Leander. Toward the
close oS tho war Of 1872 the frlgats
had captured tho priyateer easily
enough and, taking her crew on board,
gave them quarters In the cable tier,
making them stay In those confined
quarters among the spare cables from
o'clock every afternoon until 8
o'clock the next morning. To while
away the long hours OF their conHne.
ment In the dark and dismal hole the
captives one night began 10 sing In
chorus rousing songs which told OF
American naval victories.
The captain Of the Leander sent
word that such concerts were not at
NIL to his taste and must be stopped.
This set the Yankees to singing louder
than ever. Then the captain picked
out six OF tho best singers In his crew
and. joining a dozen more to them for
tho chorus, stationed them at the
hntchway and ordered them to sing the
Yankees down.
The British choir started In with a
song descriptive Of the capture Of the
Chesapeake by the Shannon The
Americans waited In silence until the
British song OF victory was ended and
then burst forth with that grand old
sea song, "The Constitution and the
Cncrriere," telling how
| The iirat hroadaido we poured carried her
mninmast by the board.
which made this lofty srigate look
abandoned. OH
| Our second told 10 well that her fore and
rnizEen fell
And we doused the royal ensign neat
and handy obi
They fairly made the timbeFs OF his
majeaty's frigate ring as with one
mighty shout they ended with the line,
.The Yankee boys for lighting are the
dandy. oh!'
TO this the British singers retorted
with a song composed In honor Of the
taking OF the Wasp by the poictiers,
and in return the Americans gave them
"Bainbridge's Tid.Re-I," which tells
how the Java was taken and has such
pleasing little verses as:
FOR now. my hearts. we've played oui
parts:
Proud John once more we've humbled
| OH
| II may be said bull he made
On Yankees whom he stumbled. OIL
| And II he comes 10 run his Aums
well give proud John s<asting, OIL
And 30 the battle OF song went on un
III the British, running cot OF ballads
celebra ting their victories over Ameri
cans, began to sing Tbs Battle OF ths
Nile" Britannia Rulef the Waves,
etc. At this the Yankees cried out
mot fair" and clalme. the victory
as their songs Of victory <Ter the Eng
lish had not begun to be Exhausted.
Thereupon the British aand OF sons
withdrew. acknowledged their defeat
while the Americans continued theiI
saengerfest with such roa1ing ballads ai
"The Yankee Man.of-Wsr' and "Wher
the Yankee Thunders RcE"
It was now past midnight, not sou
aboard the frigats had Rad wink o.
sleep because Of the hEssterous con
cert, and the British capGSin determin
ed to try another mode n overcoming
the Americans. He ordsred a file O
marines. with loaded H5N~kets, to tn
hatchway and shouted aown to tn,
singing sailors that II ttfy did not stoI
their racket the marirts would fir
down into them,
"Flre away, ms heaAses!" shouted
back the elated Americash as they bur
rowed beneath the cabl,ts. you ma!
kill us, but you'll spoil VAR best bowe
cable In the doing Of IT.
The captain had seriously intended f
shoot down among his ifrisoners. I'll
thought better Of II ans withdrew tn
marines, whose depnrtuss was the sig
nal for more cheers foN the stars ant
stripes and the Ioaring ht of anothe
ballad abusive OF the B5dlsh,
All that night they ss5lg, and surel,
old ocean never before q aince saw tn
spectacle of British fAsate plungin
through the waves, tau and trim AM
still in his majesty's erylce, Will
from her depths surge. out over tn
dark sea choruses wlsso dehed tn
British power ond sans 4 British de
feats.
That captain was n Il = ~ good sor
OF fellow. Hls name %!ts Sir Georg
Collier, and he deserve. 20 be remen
bered. AS things went II those days
IL he had had his pris,sters soundl
fiogged the next morning ne would no
have been thought to t,ve exercises
undue severity, Most ctstains woul
have done at lanst that, even II the
had not ordered the ilu.tlnes to FIR
into the cable tier, AZ It was, 81
George transferred the csptive Amer
leans to the first homA ward boun
British man-of.war he mas and declal
ed that, while he admire their spiri
as guests he considered Them tritl
nolsy.---IrvinE King In Me-" York Pres:
IL -----------
English Sunday Laws.