The Cairo bulletin., 1907-08-30
'a'RE: FRlIE:ME)L..Y
WHALE.

|
1T was in the year 1896" he said
that / was bound to the ivory coast
on the English brig Plowsoy, Capt
Scott. commander She was a dry
craft. Well found, but very slow and
although those we're risky days along
the heathen coasts owners Of crafts
were stingy abont arming them foI
protection We had two old six
Founders, which had been purchased
at u sale of condemned ordnance, and
item or dozen muskets and cutlasses
OF but little value.
a THE captain was informed that a
French ship had been plundeted and
sunk between there and the tropic
only two weeks before, and that TWO
d three suspicious sail were cruising
along the coast We felt brave enough
~ we sailed to the south with those
two old cannon on deck, and the wish
vas expressed time and again that
we might fall in with q pirate
we got light and battling winds
along the Barbary coast but We're
nearing the tropic, when, one afters
noon an hour before sunset. strange
sail was seen standing out from the
coast to cut MS OFF She was also q
| brig, and FROM the very first sight OF
her there was no doubt in our minds
that she was n pirase. We altered our
course a few points to the west, and
then began to get ready for her
I'VE had no sooner set about load
ing the guns than ii was found that
our cannon balls were all too large
for the bore. Not one of them could
be mQde to fit
The stranger walked up on us at a
rapd rate and when darkness came
on he was not more than four miles
away. Our captain went into the rig
ging with his glass for long squint,
and when he came down he called us
aft and said there was no longer room
to doubt The stranger was pirate,
and there was no hope of escaping
MIN. At that very moment the wind,
which WAS OF land, began to fan, and
ton minutes later we hadn't enough
to blow a feather
1--WE could no longer see the stran-
ger. owing to the darkness. We knew
that he must have lost the wind first.
and that he was all Of three miles
away. II the calm held through the
night he would have to attack in
boats. If at all. and we chen stood
some show OF beating him off.
Midnight came, and we had heard
nothing The fog was now very
thick. ana every man was listening in
tently to catch the first sound, when
al of sudden there was terrific
crash, followed by shouts and shrieks.
There was another crash. more shouts,
and then splash in the water as il
an iceberg had rolled over. In a
minute or two we got swell which
lifted the brig like a cork and kept
her dancing for three or four min
utes. When 1t subsidized the captain
and mate agreed il had been caused
by a whale preaching. Both had
sailed in Whaling ships, and they
asserted that nothing else could have
caused the connection.
From midnight until dawn every
man stood at his post When daylight
came we saw the pirate brig about
two miles off Between the two yes
sells was a lot of wreck stuff which
the captains glass made out to be
the shattered remnants Of several
small boats Only four men could be
observed aboard the brig. and as the
captain was watching them they got
into fight one was killed. one ran
below. and the two men left on deck
got a white cloth from the cabin and
sent it aloft in place of a flag.
In about half an hour we got the
wind and ran down to her, lowered a
boat and went aboard. | went in the
boat, and followed the mate on deck,
where we were welcomed by two men
who spoke English. 1t was queer
ease. as YOU will agree.
"C Of Tie men was al Eaglish-
luan 81 sole survivor OF an English
vessel ofecAed on the Barbary coast
five years before The other was an
American who had deserted his ship
AT the Cape Verde islands three years
and while making a voy-
age in a coaster had been captured
and spared by the vessel he was now
on
ION the previous night, when the
wind went down, they got their boat
and towed the brig about a mile. The
entire crew. with the exception of the
four men. then armed themselves, and
the boats set off 70 attack us. What
followed could be pretty safely
guessed at. The four boats were in
company when The Whole struck at
least one of them as he came up.
tie must have thrown this boat many
feet into the air He might have
fallen upon the others or shattered
them with a rap OF his llukes, but that
ne destroyed them the evidence was
before MS.
Not a man had escaped. and. in
stead Of being captured and made to
walk the plank. as We had reason to
sxucct. We had turned about and cap
tn.cd the piradcal craft without firing
a shot. She was fine prize. | can
tell you. having over ss0.00o worth