The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-09-09
CONTINUED from Last Saturday,

Continued from Last Saturday,
There was now much confusion on
the deck of the pirate. 1t was nearly
4 O'Clock, p. NJ, and trunks, stray
articles from our packages, boxes of
the ships stores, and some of our
own, together with a few of the sail
ors' chests, bags of sailcloth filled
with clothing, and boxes of tea, were
lying about in every direction. The
pirates had become so completely en-.
crossed in their work of plumber as to
be oblivious of all else; and before
they were aware, the Jacob Bell, with
all her sails set, was fast drifting
against the Florida. That was ter
rible scene. She seemed a sentient
being,-"a thing of life. There was
little swell, but thanks to a kind
Providence, no sea; and as she came
down on the Florida her prov seemed.
absolutely to stretch eagerly forward
as if in haste to avenge her wrongs.
The fires of the steamer had been
banked, and as there was no steam to
enable us to back off, for time there
was general confusion; until finally
heard Captain Maffit giving orders to
put oil and tar on the fires. By this
time the jib-boom of the Jacob Bell
had become entangled in the fore-rig
ging of the Florida, and broken the
ratlines; when there was an attempt
made to cut it away,-all on board of
her being congregated at her bow for
this purpose. The crew of the Jacob
Bell, as well as those of the Florida
assisted by means of spars in keeping
the former out of the way; but she
finally came up with greater force, get.
ting the jib-boom under the main-top.
mast stay, but doing no serious dam
age. We very soon, however, got up
sufficient steam to move little out of
the way. To say that this was a scene
of imminent peril can impart, but a
faint idea of the overwhelming con-
sternation and dismay which we suf-
fered during these moments of intense
anxiety and terror. l was already in
a pitiable condition from the alarm
and agitation which a consciousness Of
extreme exposure produces; and not
having yet recovered from the shock
received on finding myself in the
power of lawless men, this new and
crushing terror seemed to subdue and
benumb every faculty.
AS soon as the pirate had become
tors having placed combustibles in
three places on board of the Jacob
Bell, she was fired about o'clock
when she was abandoned, and we
steamed away from her neighborhood
The distressing circumstances under
which we were placed rendered it i'm
, possible for us to feel the sublimity of
the spectacle she presented while the
, flames crept steadily up her sails,
, spars, and rigging, until she became a
, pyramid of fire. Not that our thoughts
dwelt so much upon the wicked de.
? struction of property as upon the fact
| that we were being completely cut off
, from home and country; and knew
not how, when, nor where we could
! look for release. To us the last sight
! of our noble ship a little before her
masts fell, when with her sails and
rigging all a-blaze, she was quietly
floating on, impressed us with scene
of awful and melancholy grandeur.
The sublimity of such a spectacle de-
ponds altogether upon circumstances
under which we behold it. Our ideas
of things are merely relative, and de-
pend for their moral effect upon the
power of association. Hence, the con
temptation of any widespread r. IN
may be the height of the sublime TO a
disinterested spectator; but to an
other, whose worldly interests, or, as
was feared in this instance, whose life
is depending upon the character and
extent of the calamity, it can be moth
ing else than a scene of horror and
dismay.
The next day Saturday, the 14th)
we had a fair wind, and the steamer,
having only enough Goals for two
days use, was put under sail, and her
screw raised upon deck. The arma,
ment of the pirate was very heavy
there being six sixty-eight Founders
three on each side of the ship; and
two immense guns, called chasers, OF