The Washington herald., 1915-01-31
SHENANDOAH ARRIVES AT
AUSTRALIA.
January rs.


- Melbourne, Australia, to make repairs
Szfore proceeding to the Pacific Ocean. in
quest Of New England 'whalers.
The Shenandoah, which had left Eng
land early in October, had received her
armament from steamer at the Madeira
Islands, had left those islands on October
%, and had cruiscd to Australia by way
OF the Cape of Good Hope. Nine prizes
0rad been taken on tho voyage, OF which
= seven had been destroyed and two
bonded.
The voyage had revealed to Lieut..
James / Waddell. commander of the
Shenandoah, that his ship was scarcely
seaworthy. Her toPsidcs were so open
that in A heavy sea water came through
the seams in spray and her decks leaked
like basket. 1t had been found also
that a band holding her propeller to its
shaft was cracked and that docking of
the ship was necessary TO effect repairs.
The people of Melbourne greeted the
Confederate cruiser cordially, but the au-
thorltCs did not. Their orders to main
FLain British neutrality were strict. The
vessel was admitted grudgingly to a dry
dock, and while in dock was guarded by
militia and police, il being thought that
scamen were being enlisted contrary to
law.
When ths Shenandoah's crew were
given shore liberty. eighteen of the forty
seven men before the mast deserted.
Leaving the dock on February l. the
Shenandoah took on 80 tons of coal from
q vessel that had been sent to Melbourne
DOR the purpose with cargo from Car
din, Wales, and, having succeeded in
smuggling on board forty-two men. max
ing total of sevcnty-twO. Capt. Waddell
put 10 sea on February IS
At Ascension Island.
As the voyage of the Shenandoah
lasted until after the end Of the war
II may be summarized here. The first
object of the voyage was to find the
whaling fleets operating in Pacific wa
ters. The first point where it was eX-
Pccted whalers might be was Ascension
Island, one Of the Caroline group,
Which was reached on April l, after
stormy voyage.
Entering "A harbOr So small that it
was necessary to moor the ship fore
and aft TO trees. Lieut.. Waddell dis
played the Confederate flag to three
American whalers and another dying a
oahu la-. that lay in the little port.
The Offices .r tho whaIers were greatly
surprised ln see the Confederate flag,
which they rad never seen before One
8 ll. i
thought I'd live to sec jeff Davis flag"
The vessel flying the Oahu flag bore
the name Harvest Of New Bedford and
carried au American register. She was
therefore CuuliScated, as were the rest. !
ihc others being the Edward Cary, San |
Francisco: the Hector, of New Bedford. !
gHd the Pearl. of New London.
Their aggregate value was $4,000 |
Sud ftoir crews numbered 12O men. One |
n tn" whaling captains was found to |
hEEc commanded n vessel in the fleet of |
hulks from New England. that was :
used early in the war To block the /.
channel of CnIrIcstown Iarbor lie
WAS pat iu irons by Lieut. WaddeIl.
Ascension Island was governed by a
King, who. clothed only in an apron. I.
came aboard the Shenandoah to pay !
his respects. Under the influence or I.
Schi"dam schuapps the King became
friendly and agreed to supply a guard
"a keep evil-dispOsed persons away
rfom the ships moorings. In cxchanEr I.
for this service he was given - mus /.
kcts that had been brought for trade. .
and some clothing, as well a sword. {.
rhat had been taken from one Of the /
ShenandOah's prizes. He did not know .
tho use of the sword. but strapped il .
To- his right side On being trippcd by .
1t, he regarded If with suspicion.
Among the WhaIers.
Having landed his prisoners, pro-
Nvrding them with two of their own .
boats and some provisions, Lieut. /
Waddell on April 13-four days after .
the surrender OF Lee-left his retreat .
and shaped his course through the .
island-dotted Pacific for the northern .
waters frequented by the New Eng /
land whaling fleet.
Through many perfect days and F.
nights the ship sailed northward
In all the course of my sea-Iife .
I never enjoyed more charming wealth
err" wrote Lieut.. waddeII. The sun
ahone with peculiar luster from a
dark blue vaulted sky; while the vast
mirror below flashed with sprightli
ness as our great ocean pIow tore the
waters asunder. For ten consecutive
days / stood for hours on her deck on
that wonderful deep liquid world"
The weather gradually grew cold.
On May % the Kuril Islands. covered
with snow. were sighted, and on May
u the Shenandoah entered the
Of Okhotsk, her destined cruising
ground On May - she took her first
prize there, the bark Abigail, of New
Bedford.
No other prize being taken, the
cruiser proceeded to Bering Sea. There /
IN June % the ships William Thomp-
son, EUphrates, Milo, and Sophla
Thornton and the bark Jireh Swift
were taken; on June % the brig Susan
Abigail: on June 25 the ship Gen.
Williams: on June 26 the barks Eum-
rod, william c. Nye. Catherine, Gen.
pike, Gypsy. and Isabella, and on June
2S the bark waverley. ships Hillman,
James Maury, Nassau, Brunswick,
Isaac Rowland. and the barks Martha
Congress, Nile. Favorite, and Coving-
ton.
! BeIated News of Peace.
No word had come TO the Shenan-
doah of the closing of the war. In
Julv her course was shaped southwark.
No sail was met until August %, when
in latitute 16 degrees 20 minutes n and
longitude 90 degrees IL minutes W. she
spoke to the English bark Barracouta,
from San Francisco foT-Liverpool, thir-
teen days out. From her captain it
was learned that the war had been
over more than three months.
Lieut. waddeH promptly ordered his
sEip and crew disarmed. All warlike Z
material was slowed in the hold as
ballast, and the vessel shaped her
course for England. She arrived at