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diff --git a/old/67614-0.txt b/old/67614-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4550cac..0000000 --- a/old/67614-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10099 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Boy’s Book of the Sea, by Eric -Wood - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Boy’s Book of the Sea - -Author: Eric Wood - -Release Date: March 12, 2022 [eBook #67614] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Brian Coe, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY’S BOOK OF THE -SEA *** - - -[Illustration: “Shells fell upon her like hailstones, sweeping her -decks, crashing into her sides.... She was on fire”] - - - - - THE BOY’S BOOK OF - THE SEA - - BY - ERIC WOOD - - Author of “The Boy’s Book of Heroes,” “The Boy Scouts’ Roll of Honour,” - etc., etc. - - WITH FOUR COLOUR PLATES AND TWELVE - ILLUSTRATIONS IN BLACK-AND-WHITE - - [Illustration] - - NEW YORK - FUNK AND WAGNALLS COMPANY - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - NAVAL WARFARE--OLD AND NEW 1 - - _A comparison of ancient and modern naval warfare - is most interesting, and here, in the stories of the - Battles of Trafalgar and the Bight of Heligoland, the - comparison--nay, contrast--is particularly striking._ - - THE MEN WHO DISCOVERED THE WORLD 29 - - _The men who ventured forth on the unknown seas - laid the foundations of nations and commerce, and - opened up new worlds; and the stories of their voyages - are amongst the finest in the world’s history._ - - SOME EARLY BUCCANEERS 45 - - _The glamour of romance has been thrown around - the buccaneers, and not unjustly, for anything more - romantic--not to say exciting--it would be hard to - imagine than the story of those men who, from being - hunters of wild animals, became scourers of the seas: - heroic ruffians!_ - - MORGAN: BUCCANEER AND GOVERNOR 57 - - _Sir Henry Morgan, most renowned of the buccaneers, - was a born leader of men and a doer of mighty - deeds. He would have made a capital admiral or - general; as it was, he was merely a buccaneer, who - later forsook that profession for the safer one of - Governor of Jamaica._ - - UNDER THE JOLLY ROGER 76 - - _Who has not read with many a thrill the imaginative - stories of pirates? But no novelist can conceive - anything more dramatic than the deeds of the real - pirates whose tales are told here._ - - BLOCKADE RUNNING 94 - - _For peril, adventure, and courage blockade running - would be difficult to beat, and the man who succeeds in - slipping through earns all the money that he gets._ - - ADVENTURES ON A DESERT ISLAND 102 - - _The life and adventures of our old friend Robinson - Crusoe have always entertained us--old and young; - but we have no need to go to fiction to find adventures - quite as thrilling as any poor old Robinson Crusoe - experienced. Here is a tale of shipwrecked and - castaway mariners._ - - ADRIFT WITH MADMEN 113 - - _When the “Columbian” was burnt in the Atlantic - one of her boats, laden with sixteen men, was adrift for - thirteen days--days of terror, in which men went mad - from thirst._ - - FRANCIS DRAKE’S RAID ON THE SPANISH MAIN 122 - - _Drake and Hawkins went slave-trading on the - Main, and, having been played a treacherous trick - by the Spaniards, a few years later Drake went back - to take his revenge; and though ill-luck stepped in and - kept him from doing all he would, yet he exacted good - toll, and came back well pleased._ - - A GALLANT FISHERMAN 140 - - _The men who garner the harvests of the seas have a - perilous, adventurous life; here is a fisherman’s yarn - of heroism._ - - FIRE AT SEA 145 - - _There are few things more terrible than fire at sea, - where salvation depends, not on outside help, but on - the resource and heroic work of the endangered sailors._ - - ROMANCE OF TREASURE-TROVE 158 - - _Scattered about the Seven Seas are islands on which - tradition has it that vast hoards of treasure have been - hidden; and men have fitted out expeditions to find - them. Sometimes they are successful--sometimes not._ - - ADVENTURES UNDER SEA 166 - - _Father Neptune’s kingdom down below has been - invaded by presumptuous man, who not only goes upon - the sea in ships, but under as well; while when the - need arises he doesn’t even bother about a ship! These - are stories of divers and submarines._ - - CHASING PIRATES IN THE CHINA SEA 177 - - _Some tales of modern pirating._ - - A VOYAGE OF DANGER 186 - - _Of all the chapters in the sea’s history few are - more thrilling than those which tell of mutiny, and the - affair of the “Flowery Land” is a classic._ - - THE GUARDIANS OF THE COAST 196 - - _Coastguards and lighthousemen are hardy, noble - men, whose duties are manifold and arduous. Here - are some stories of the men who keep watch and ward - over the coasts, and in the doing of it win for themselves - glory._ - - GREAT NAVAL DISASTERS 206 - - _The Loss of the “Formidable” (1915) and the - “Victoria” (1893)._ - - INCIDENTS IN THE SLAVE TRADE 219 - - _Although Britain spent millions of pounds to put - down the slave trade, yet she also had to spend the lives - of many gallant sailors before the work was done._ - - A RACE TO SUCCOUR 226 - - _A story of a brilliant achievement by American - revenue men and lifeboatmen._ - - A TRAGEDY OF THE SOUTH POLE 233 - - _The quest of the South Pole lured men for years to the - ice-bound regions of the earth, and at last success crowned - the efforts which cost life and treasure and gave undying - honour to the conquerors._ - - STORIES OF THE LIFEBOAT 247 - - _The lifeboatmen are the saviours of men who sail - the seas, and their story is one of sublime indifference - to death and of glorious heroism._ - - TALES OF THE SMUGGLERS 260 - - _Stories of smugglers have always had a fascination, - and these incidents of smuggling days are full - of thrill and virility._ - - MODERN CORSAIRS 274 - - _When the Great War of 1914 turned the armed - hosts of Europe loose, the British Navy found before - it a gigantic task: the keeping open of the trade routes. - German cruisers and armed liners swept hither and - thither, holding up merchant vessels, as the privateers of - olden days did; and the “Emden” and the “Königsberg,” - etc. became the corsairs of the twentieth century._ - - THE WRECKERS 282 - - _False lights that lured the mariner astray and on to - the rocks; bold, unscrupulous men who lay in wait - for the ships to run to their doom; the looting of vessels - rendered helpless--all these things and many others go - to make up thrilling chapters in the story of the sea._ - - THE TRAGEDY OF A WONDER SHIP 295 - - _The “Titanic” was the finest ship in the world. - She was pronounced unsinkable--but, out of the night - there loomed an iceberg which ripped her plates asunder - like so much paper, and the safest ship in the world - dived beneath the surface with hundreds of unfortunate - passengers and crew._ - - MYSTERIES OF THE SEA 309 - - _Queer stories of ships that disappeared._ - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - COLOUR PLATES - - “SHELLS FELL UPON HER LIKE HAILSTONES, SWEEPING - HER DECKS, CRASHING INTO HER SIDES. SHE WAS ON - FIRE” _Frontispiece_ - - FACING PAGE - - “SWORD IN HAND, ROBERTS LED HIS MEN TO THE FIGHT, - DASHING THROUGH A VERY HAIL OF SHOT” 90 - - “THE FUNNELS AND VENTILATORS WERE BELCHING FORTH - MIGHTY COLUMNS OF FLAME, EVERY PART OF THE SHIP - WAS ABLAZE” 150 - - “THOUGH HER MEN WORKED HARD AT THE PUMPS, THEY - COULD NOT SAVE HER” 226 - - - BLACK-AND-WHITE PLATES - - FACING PAGE - - “KENNEDY, WITH A COUPLE OF MIDDIES AND FEWER THAN - THIRTY MEN, RUSHED ABOARD” 8 - - “A MIGHTY GALE CAUGHT DIAZ, AND CARRIED HIS FRAIL - CRAFT BEFORE IT” 30 - - “PROMPTLY BOARDED THE _Vice-Admiral_. ‘SURRENDER!’ - YELLED THE BUCCANEERS” 50 - - “THERE WAS A WHOOSH! WHOOSH! OF A ROCKET HEAVENWARDS--THE - WARNING TO THE BLOCKADING FLEET” 94 - - “WEYBHAYS AND HIS MEN FELL UPON THE PIRATES” 108 - - “‘FOR THE HONOUR OF THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND, I MUST - HAVE PASSAGE THIS WAY!’ CRIED DRAKE, AND DISCHARGED - HIS PISTOL” 134 - - “THE SHIP WAS NOW IN ONE BLAZE, AND HER MASTS BEGAN - TO FALL IN” 154 - - “SWINGING FROM THIS SIDE TO THAT AS HE WAS ATTACKED, - THE DIVER MANAGED TO WARD OFF THE TIGERS OF - THE DEEP” 176 - - “TO THE RIGGING THEY FLED, SCRAMBLING UP IN FRENZIED - HASTE” 200 - - “IT WAS SIMPLY AGONISING TO WATCH THE WRETCHED MEN - STRUGGLING OVER THE SHIP’S BOTTOM IN MASSES” 216 - - “SHE FOUGHT BRAVELY AGAINST THE TUMULT, BUT WAS - DRIVEN BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN” 250 - - “MEN, STRONG-LIMBED, FULL-BLOODED, WITH THE ZEST - AND THE LOVE OF LIFE IN THEM, STOOD CALMLY BY” 300 - - - - -THE BOY’S BOOK OF THE SEA - - - - -NAVAL WARFARE--OLD AND NEW - -Trafalgar and Modern Fights in the North Sea - - -Not the least remarkable of the changes which have taken place during -the last hundred years--it is less than that, really--are those which -have come to pass in the sphere of warfare; and the accounts of the -battles here given show how different naval fighting is to-day from -what it was in Nelson’s time. Then wooden ships, now steel leviathans; -then guns that fired about 800 yards, now giant weapons that hit -the mark ten miles off; then close fighting, boarding, hand-to-hand -conflicts, now long-range fighting, with seldom, if ever, a chance -to board. Then shots that did what would be considered little damage -beside that wrought by the high-explosive shells which penetrate thick -armour-plate, and which, well-placed, can send a ship to the bottom. -Then none of those speeding death-tubes, the torpedoes, which work such -dreadful havoc with a floating citadel; then casualties in a whole -battle no more than those suffered by a single ship nowadays. And so -one could go on, touching on wireless telegraphy, fire-control--that -ingenious system which does man’s work of sighting the guns--aircraft -and submarines, which constitute so serious a factor in present-day -warfare. But the story of Trafalgar, that well-fought battle against a -noble foe who is now a gallant ally, and those of the North Sea, 1914 -and 1915, will show the revolutions in modern naval warfare. - -Nelson had determined to meet and beat Villeneuve, in command of -the allied French and Spanish fleet, which left Cadiz at the end of -September, 1805. The French admiral did not know how near Nelson was. -To-day the means of communication are vastly different, and battleships -are able to discover the proximity of their foes much more easily than -in those other days. It is one of the great changes in naval warfare. -So it was that the allied fleets were dogged until Nelson decided it -was time to strike. - -On the 21st the rival fleets met. The English fleet was in order of -battle--two lines, with an advanced squadron of eight fast-sailing -two-deckers. Nelson, in the _Victory_, led one column, Collingwood, in -the _Royal Sovereign_, the other. - -About half-past eight Villeneuve ordered his fleet to draw up in -such array and position that, if necessary, they could make for -Cadiz; but the manœuvre was badly executed, and the fleet assumed a -crescent-shaped formation, into which the English columns were sailing. - -Nelson was longing for the fight; so were his men. But, although the -officers on board the _Victory_ were eager for the fight, they would -have been content to forgo the honour of opening the fight in favour of -some other ship, fearing lest Nelson should be killed. - -Nelson was asked: “Could not the _Temeraire_ take the foremost place of -the column?” - -Nelson replied: - -“Oh, yes, let her go--if she can!” - -Captain Hardy hailed the _Temeraire_ to give her instructions; but, -meanwhile, Nelson was moving about the decks giving orders that made -the _Victory_ leap forward and hold her place in the vanguard. - -“There!” he said to Hardy, as he came back. “Let the _Temeraires_ open -the ball, if they can--which they most assuredly can’t! I think there’s -nothing more to be done now, is there, till we open fire? Oh, yes, stay -a minute, though. I suppose I must give the fleet something as a final -fillip. Let me see. How would this do: ‘Nelson expects that every man -will do his duty?’” - -Hardy suggested that “England expects” would be an improvement. Nelson -agreed. The order was given; and the message was soon fluttering in the -breeze. - -What shouts of enthusiasm greeted the signal in Trafalgar’s Bay! Every -man took it as a message to himself, and forthwith vowed to do what was -expected of him. - -“Now,” said Nelson. “I can do no more. We must trust to the great -Disposer of events and the justice of our cause. I thank God for this -opportunity of doing my duty!” - -For all his apparent good spirits the Admiral had a foreboding of -impending ill, and when Captain Blackwood left him to take up his place -on the _Euryalus_, the Admiral gripped him by the hand and said: - -“God bless you, Blackwood! I shall never see you again.” - -The battle was opened by the French ship _Fougueux_, which fired upon -the _Royal Sovereign_. - -“Engage the enemy more closely,” was now Nelson’s signal, and the -English closed in upon the foe. Collingwood broke through the enemy’s -line astern the _Santa Anna_. He reserved his fire until he was almost -at the muzzles of their guns, then, with a roar, his port broadside -was hurled at the _Santa Anna_, and four hundred men fell killed and -wounded, and fourteen of the Spaniard’s guns were put out of action. - -The starboard guns spoke to the _Fougueux_ at the same time. Owing to -the dense smoke and the greater distance, the damage done was not so -great. - -“By Jove, Rotherham!” cried Collingwood to his flag-captain. “What -would Nelson give to be here?” - -“And,” says James in his Naval History, “by a singular coincidence -Lord Nelson, the moment he saw his friend in his enviable position, -exclaimed: ‘See how that noble fellow Collingwood carries his ship into -action.’” - -Collingwood now pressed still closer on the _Santa Anna_, and a smart -battle began between the two great ships, till four other ships bore -down upon the _Royal Sovereign_, so that she was very soon the centre -of a ring of fire. So close were the ships, and so continuous was the -fire, that often cannon-balls met in mid-air, though more frequently -they fell on board and did much damage. Badly aimed shots often passed -over the _Royal Sovereign_, and found their mark on the decks of French -or Spanish vessels. Presently the four new-comers veered off when they -noticed that other British ships were bearing down upon them. - -With a roar the British _Belleisle_ sent a broadside into the _Santa -Anna_ as she passed; and then Collingwood was alone with his foe. -For over an hour the duel raged, and the _Royal Sovereign_, although -she carried a dozen guns fewer than the _Santa Anna_, suffered less. -Battered, mastless, with hundreds of men lying in pools of blood, the -_Santa Anna_ still fought on, refusing for a long time to strike her -colours. At last, however, there was nothing for it but to give in, and -the Spanish flag fluttered down the mast. - -When the battle began the foe opened fire at the _Victory_, which they -knew was Nelson’s flagship. The English Admiral had made sure that he -should not be lost sight of, for he had hoisted several flags lest one -should be carried away. The _Victory’s_ maintopgallant sail was shot -away, and broadsides were hurled at her, but still she kept on. - -Nelson wished to encounter Villeneuve, and, despite a raking fire -poured in upon him by the _Santissima Trinidad_, he kept on his way, -taking the _Victory_ into the thick of the fight. He refused to have -the hammocks slung higher lest they should interrupt his view, although -they would have afforded shelter from the enemy’s fire. Men dropped -all about the ship, shots ploughed up the deck or bored their way -through the sides, yet the gallant _Victory_ held on her way for the -_Bucentaure_, which Nelson knew carried Admiral Villeneuve. - -Eight ships, however, surrounded her, and made it impossible for the -_Victory_ to be brought alongside. These, belching forth their heavy -fire at her, smashed her wheel, hurled her mizzen-mast overboard, -shattered her sails. The wind had dropped, too; the _Victory_ was -almost at a standstill, and it was impossible to bring a gun into -action. - -Pacing his quarter-deck Nelson waited for his time to come. While doing -so, a shot passed between him and Hardy, bruising the latter’s foot, -and tearing the buckle from his shoe. Both stopped in their promenade, -looking anxiously at each other. - -“This is too warm work to last long, Hardy,” said Nelson. - -“The enemy are closing up their line, sir,” said Hardy. “See! We can’t -get through without running one of them aboard!” - -“I can’t help that,” said Nelson, “and I don’t see that it matters -much which we tackle first. Take your choice. Go on board which you -please.” - -Villeneuve on the _Bucentaure_ was therefore given a treble-shotted, -close-range broadside, which disabled four hundred men and put twenty -guns out of action, and left the ship almost defenceless. - -Then, porting his helm, Nelson bore down on the _Redoutable_ and the -_Neptune_. The latter veered off, but the former could not escape the -_Victory_, which she therefore received with a broadside. Then, fearing -that a boarding party would enter her, the lower deck ports were shut. -Meanwhile the _Temeraire_ had fastened on to the _Redoutable_ on the -other side, and the most momentous episode in that great day’s work -took place. In it we can see the difference between the naval fighting -of a century ago and that of to-day, the latter being fought at long -range, with no attempt at boarding. - -The _Victory’s_ guns were depressed so that they should not do damage -to the _Temeraire_, and broadside after broadside was poured into -the _Redoutable_, which made a brave show. The two ships were almost -rubbing sides (now we fight at eight-mile range or more!), and men -stood by the British guns with buckets of water in their hands, which, -immediately the guns were fired, they emptied into the hole made in the -_Redoutable’s_ side lest she should catch fire, and so the prize be -lost. - -In the _Redoutable’s_ top riflemen were posted, and throughout the -fight picked off man after man--a practice which Nelson himself -abhorred. It was from one of these snipers that the great Admiral -received his death-wound. - -While pacing the poop deck, Nelson suddenly swung round and pitched -forward on his face. A ball had entered in at the left shoulder, and -passed through his backbone. - -Hardy, turning, saw three men lifting him up. - -“They have done for me at last, Hardy,” Nelson said feebly. - -“Oh, I hope not!” cried Hardy. - -“Yes,” was the reply; “my backbone is shot through!” - -The bearers carried him down the ladders to the lower deck. On the -way, despite his awful agony, Nelson had thoughts for nothing but the -battle; he ordered that new tiller ropes should be rigged to replace -those which had been shot away at the moment the _Victory_ had crashed -into the _Redoutable_. Then, that they might not recognise him, he -covered his face and stars with his handkerchief. - -They carried him into the cockpit. We will leave him, and return to the -conflict. - -The men in the _Redoutable’s_ top still kept up their galling fire, as -also did the guns of the second deck, and in less than fifteen minutes -after Nelson had been shot down, no fewer than fifty of the _Victory’s_ -officers and men had met a like fate. - -Then the French determined to board. As it was impossible to do this by -the bulwarks, they lowered their main yard and turned it into a bridge, -over which they scrambled on to the deck of the _Victory_. - -“Repel boarders!” - -It was a cry like that of a wild beast, and it brought the lion’s -whelps from the lower decks. They hurled themselves at the venturesome -Frenchmen. With pistol and pike, cutlass and axe, the English fought -with the ferocity that had made them so dreaded in the past; when other -weapons failed they fought with bare fists, hurling the trespassers -overboard. - -It cost the _Victory_ thirty men to repel that attack. But it cost the -_Redoutable_ more; and very soon not a Frenchman was left alive on the -decks of Nelson’s ship. - -As we have said, while the _Victory_ was engaging the _Redoutable_ on -one side, the _Temeraire_ was tackling her on the other, the three -ships hugging each other with muzzles touching muzzles. Soon after the -attempt to board the _Victory_, the _Temeraire_ lashed her bowsprit to -the gangway of the _Redoutable_ so that she could not escape. Then she -poured in a raking fire until the Frenchman was compelled to surrender, -though not before she had twice been on fire, and more than five -hundred of her crew had been killed or wounded. - -Some of the _Temeraire_ men then turned to deal with the _Fougueux_, -which had attacked her during the fight with the _Redoutable_. - -Captain Hardy was too busy with the _Redoutable_ to do much; but -Lieutenant Kennedy quickly set a party to man the starboard batteries. -With these they opened fire at about one hundred yards, and crash! the -_Fougueux’s_ masts fell, her wheel was smashed, her rigging shattered, -and she was so crippled that she ran foul of the _Temeraire_, whose -crew lashed their foe to them, and Kennedy, with a couple of middies -and fewer than thirty seamen and marines, rushed aboard her. - -Five hundred Frenchmen were still fresh for battle on the _Fougueux_, -but the Britishers did not hesitate. With a bound they were on the -enemy’s deck, and, slashing and hacking at the crowd that came up -against them, drove them back and still back. Dozens were killed and -others leapt overboard to escape the whirlwind that had fallen upon -them. The remainder scuttled away below, the English clapped the -hatches on them, and the ship was won. - -[Illustration: “Kennedy, with a couple of middies and fewer than thirty -men, rushed aboard”] - -Meanwhile the _Victory_ had been pouring a heavy fire into the -_Santissima Trinidad_ on one side and the _Redoutable_ on the other. -Through and through the former was raked, her deck swept clear of men, -until the Spaniards dived overboard and swam off to the _Victory_, -whose crew helped them aboard. - -The _Belleisle_, which had hurled her broadside into the _Santa Anna_ -early in the conflict, had been pounced upon by about half a dozen -ships of the enemy, which poured in a deadly fire, battering her sides, -tearing her rigging to pieces, and twisting her mizzen-mast over the -aft guns, putting them out of action. Sixty men also had been sent to -their account, but the rest fought on with British courage. - -The _Achille_ bore down upon her and attacked her aft, the _Aigle_, -assisted by the _Neptune_, fell on her starboard, aiming at her -remaining masts and bringing them down. - -“Crippled, but unconquered,” masts gone by the board, nearly all -the guns useless, men mostly killed or wounded, the _Belleisle’s_ -few remaining men stood to their three or four guns and hurled -defiance at the foe. Pounding away for all they were worth, not a man -flinched--except at the thought that the flag had been shot away. They -fastened a Union Jack to a pikehead, waved it defiantly, yelled out -a cheer of determination, and fought on again, keeping their ship in -action throughout the battle, refusing to strike the pikehead flag. - -The English _Neptune_ assailed the _Bucentaure_, and brought her main- -and mizzen-masts down; then the _Leviathan_ came up, and at a range -of about thirty yards gave the French flagship a full broadside which -smashed the stern to splinters. The _Conqueror_ completed the work thus -begun, and brought down the flag. - -A marine officer and five men put off from the _Conqueror_ to take -possession. Villeneuve and two chief officers at once gave their -swords to the officer, who, thinking that the honour of accepting them -belonged to his captain, refused the weapons, put the Frenchmen in his -boat, pocketed the key of the magazine, left two sentries to guard the -cabin doors, and then pulled away to rejoin his ship. For some time the -little boat searched for the _Conqueror_, which had gone in quest of -other foes. Eventually, however, the boat was picked up by the _Mars_, -whose acting commander, Lieutenant Hennah, accepted the surrendered -swords, and ordered Villeneuve and his two captains below. - -The _Leviathan_ next tackled the Spanish _San Augustino_, which -opened fire on her at a hundred yards. The _Leviathan_ replied with -fine effect, bringing down the Spaniard’s mizzen-mast and flag. Then -she lashed herself to her foe. Clearing the way for boarders by a -galling fire, the English captain sent across his boarding party. A -hand-to-hand fight took place, and the Spaniards were steadily but -surely forced over the side or below, and at last the ship was won. - -The French _Intrépide_, seeing the plight of her ally, now bore down -on the _Leviathan_, raking her with fire as she came, and getting her -boarders ready for attack. They did not board, for the _Africa_ pitted -herself against the _Intrépide_, and smaller though she was got the -best of it, and the Frenchmen were compelled to strike their flag. - -Meanwhile the _Prince_ and the _Swiftsure_ were engaged with the -_Achille_, into which many English ships had sent stinging shots, -bringing her masts to the deck, and making the ship a blazing mass. -Unable to quench the flames, the crew began cutting the masts, -intending to heave them overboard. - -The _Prince_, however, gave her a broadside which did the cutting, -and sent the wreckage down into the waists. The whole ship immediately -took fire. The _Prince_ and the _Swiftsure_, ceasing fire, sent their -boats to save the Frenchmen. It was a noble but dangerous act, for the -heat discharged the _Achille’s_ guns, and many of the would-be rescuers -perished as a result. Blazing hulk though she was, the _Achille_ kept -her colours flying bravely, her sole surviving senior officer, a middy, -refusing to strike. The flames reached her magazine, and with colours -flying she blew up, carrying all her remaining men heavenwards. - -Meantime, Nelson lay dying in the cockpit of the _Victory_ in agony, -yet rejoicing that he was victorious. The rank and file were kept -ignorant of his condition, though the Admiral himself knew that the end -was near, and urged the surgeons to give their attention to others. -“He was in great pain, and expressed much anxiety for the event of the -action, which now began to declare itself. As often as a ship struck -the crew of the _Victory_ hurrahed, and at every hurrah a visible -expression of joy gleamed in the eyes and marked the countenance of the -dying hero.” - -Every now and then Nelson asked for Hardy. “Will no one bring Hardy to -me?” he cried; and when at last Hardy came, the two friends shook hands -in silence. - -“Well, Hardy, how goes the day with us?” asked Nelson presently. - -“Very well, my lord. We have got twelve or fourteen of the enemies’ -ships, but five of their van have tacked, and show an intention of -bearing down on the _Victory_. I have therefore called two or three of -our fresh ships round us, and have no doubt of giving them a drubbing.” - -“I hope none of _our_ ships have struck, Hardy?” - -“No, my lord; there is no fear of that.” - -“Well, I am a dead man, Hardy, but I am glad of what you say. Oh, whip -them now you’ve got them; whip them as they’ve never been whipped -before!” - -Hardy then left him for a time, returning somewhat later to report that -some fourteen ships had been taken. - -“That’s well,” cried Nelson, “though I bargained for twenty. Anchor, -Hardy, anchor.” - -Hardy suggested that Admiral Collingwood might now take over the -direction of affairs. - -“Not while I live, Hardy!” said Nelson. “Do _you_ anchor.” - -“Shall we make the signal, sir?” - -“Yes,” answered Nelson. “For if I live, I’ll anchor.” - -For a little while Hardy looked down at his admiral. - -“Kiss me, Hardy,” said Nelson; and Hardy kissed him. “Don’t have my -poor carcass hove overboard,” whispered Nelson, as Hardy leant over -him. “Get what’s left of me sent to England, if you can manage it. Kiss -me, Hardy.” - -Hardy kissed him again. - -“Who is that?” asked the hero. - -“It is I--Hardy.” - -“Good-bye. God bless you, Hardy. Thank God, I’ve done my duty.” - -Then Hardy left him--for ever. - -Nelson was turned on to his right side, muttered the words that he -would soon be gone. Then, after a little silence, he sighed and -struggled to speak, but all he could say was: - -“Thank God, I have done my duty!” - -Then Nelson died; and England was the poorer by her greatest sea -captain. - -Hardy took the news to Collingwood, who assumed command, and refused -to carry out Nelson’s instructions to anchor, because the fact that a -gale was blowing up would make it unsafe to do so. - -The battle was now over; the allied fleets had been defeated, eighteen -of their ships were captured, and with these Collingwood stood out to -sea. The enemy, however, recaptured four of the prizes, one escaped to -Cadiz, some went down with all hands, others were stranded, and one -was so unseaworthy that it was scuttled; and only four were taken into -Gibraltar. - - * * * * * - -Now for a different picture! - - * * * * * - -It was the early hours of August 28, 1914. Under cover of the darkness -and the fog, the first and third flotillas of our destroyers, commanded -by Commodore R. Y. Tyrwhitt, under orders from the Admiralty, had -crept towards Heligoland Bight, preceded by submarines E6, E7, E8, -and followed by the first battle cruiser squadron and the first light -cruiser squadron. - -The submarines, submerged to the base of their conning-towers, swept -into the Bight, and when the grey fingers of the dawn crept across -the sky the Germans behind the fortress saw what they imagined was a -British submarine in difficulties, with sister ships alongside, and two -cruisers, _Lurcher_ and _Drake_, in attendance, intent only on giving -her assistance until help could reach them. - -It was nothing more than a trap, into which the Germans fell. - -A torpedo boat destroyer swung out of the harbour, making full -steam ahead for the apparently helpless submarines, who kept their -hazardous positions until they saw that the Germans had come far away -from the island fortress. Then, one after the other, they sank, and -simultaneously the cruisers swung about and raced madly away from the -German torpedo craft. - -Search though they did, the Germans found no trace of the submarines; -all they could see were light cruisers tearing away from them at full -speed. These cruisers had acted as an additional decoy, and other -destroyers slipped out, bent on making short work of the Britishers -who had dared to flaunt themselves within sight of Heligoland. Then, -in the distance, appeared the funnels of other British cruisers and -destroyers; and it would seem that the Germans realised that they had -fallen into a trap, and endeavoured to escape, for Commodore Tyrwhitt’s -dispatch says: “The _Arethusa_ and the third flotilla were engaged with -numerous destroyers and torpedo boats which were making for Heligoland; -course thus altered to port to cut them off.” This was from 7.20 to -7.57 A.M., when two German cruisers appeared on the scene and were -engaged. - -It was a gallant fight. The jolly Jack Tars of Britain had been waiting -these many days for a smack at the foe, who had not dared to come out -and meet them until it seemed they were in overwhelming force; and now, -when the opportunity had come, they entered into the fight with a zest -worthy of the Navy that rules the seas. They watched their shots; the -gunlayers worked methodically, as though at target practice; and when a -shot went home, men cheered lustily and rubbed their hands with glee. - -And the Germans began to think they had a handful of work before them, -despite numbers. - -They had a bigger handful soon! Here and there, with startling -suddenness, periscopes dotted the water, to be followed by the grey -shells of submarines, which, getting the range for their torpedoes, as -quickly disappeared, and became a menace to the German ships. It began -to dawn upon the foe that they were being trapped. - -“Full speed ahead!” had come the command when the Germans were sighted, -and on went the destroyers in the van. “We just went for them,” said -one of the sailors afterwards; “and when we got within range we let -them have it hot!” - -Hot it was, when at last they did come to grips. But before that -happened other things were to take place. The cruiser _Arethusa_, -leader of the third destroyer flotilla--a new ship, by the way, only -out of dock these forty-eight hours, of 30,000 horsepower, with a -2-inch belt of armour, and 4-inch and 6-inch guns--sped on towards the -Germans, who, owing to the morning mist, could not see how many foes -they were to meet, and fondly dreamed they were in the majority. - -The German cruisers, like the destroyers, were successfully decoyed out -to sea, and then the real fighting began. - -The _Arethusa_ tackled some of the destroyers and two cruisers, one -a four-funnelled vessel. A few range-finding shots, then the aim was -obtained, and a shell put the German’s bow gun out of action. The -_Fearless_ and the _Arethusa_ were now in “Full action,” and, together -with the destroyers of the flotilla, were quickly engaged in a stern -piece of work. - -The saucy _Arethusa_ didn’t budge when the second cruiser (two funnels) -came at her, but simply fired away for all she was worth. For over half -an hour she fought the Germans at a range of 3,000 yards. What would -Nelson have thought of this long-distance fighting? And “it was a fight -in semi-darkness, when it was only just possible,” wrote one of her -crew, “to make out the opposing grey shadow. Hammer, hammer, hammer, it -was, until the eyes ached and smarted and the breath whistled through -lips parched with the acrid fumes of picric acid.” - -It was a gallant fight. Those deadly 6-inch guns of hers did their -proper work, and battered at the Germans; while, on the other hand, the -Germans battered away at her; apparently misliking her entertainment, -the four-funnelled German turned her attention to the _Fearless_, which -kept her men as busy as bees for a time. About ten minutes, and the -_Arethusa_ planted a 6-inch shell on the forebridge of the German, -and sent her scurrying away to Heligoland. But the _Arethusa_ had not -escaped injury in the stern fight, and once or twice, but for the -gallant assistance of the _Fearless_ and the destroyers, she seemed -likely to be even more severely damaged, if not destroyed. As it was, -a shell entered her engine-room, all her guns but one were put out of -action, a fire broke out opposite No. 2 port gun, and was promptly -handled by Chief Petty Officer Wrench. - -Presently the _Arethusa_ drew off for a while, like a gladiator getting -his wind, ready to come back again. - -And while the _Arethusa’s_ crew were working like niggers putting -things to rights, the _Fearless_ standing by to help, the British -destroyers were engaged in swift, destructive, rushing-about conflicts, -now with opposing destroyers, now with German cruisers. Two of the -British “wasps” tackled a couple of cruisers, for instance. Getting in -between their larger foes, they placed the latter in such a quandary -that they did not know what to do. To fire meant risking hitting each -other, and, seizing the hazardous opportunity, the destroyers worked -their will upon their opponents; and then, when it was not possible to -do more, sped off into the haze. The _Liberty_ and _Laertes_ did good -work during these early hours of the fighting. They opposed themselves -to several German craft, roared out their thunderous welcome “to the -North Sea,” and, with well-aimed shots, sent one boat out of the -fighting line with a hole clean through her hull, wrenched off the -funnel of another, smashed up the after gun of yet a third, and blew -the platform itself to pieces. - -Aye, ’twas a glorious scrum! Yet not without its nasty knocks -for the Britishers. Standing on his bridge, working his ship, -Lieutenant-Commander Nigel Barttelot heard the crash of a shell as -it struck his mast; and before he could move the whole structure had -fallen with a crash upon the bridge, killing him and a signaller -instantly. - -The _Laertes_, too, received her punishment. Her for’ard gun was -damaged, and its crew either killed or wounded, while the ’midship -funnel was ripped from top to bottom, and a shell sang its horrific way -into the dynamo-room, while another made havoc of her cabin. - -Presently the _Arethusa_, her wreckage cleared away, her guns--some -of them--working again, steamed into the battle area, and, undaunted -as ever, took on another couple of German cruisers. “It looked as if -she was in for a warm time,” said one of the crew; “but the fortunate -arrival of our battle squadron relieved the situation.” - -The first light cruiser squadron came first, and engaged the Germans. - -There is much meaning in that “fortunate arrival.” It had been planned -and carried out to a nicety. Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty and the -two cruiser squadrons had been waiting, as arranged--waiting for the -time to come when he should go to the aid of the torpedo flotillas. -While waiting the squadrons were attacked by German submarines, which -were not successful in wounding any of the ships. A German seaplane, -scouting over the North Sea, espied the squadrons, and sped back to -Heligoland with the news. They brought out reinforcements, which made -the flotillas signal to the vice-admiral for help. This was before noon. - -The first light cruiser squadron came first, and swept the Germans with -a tornado of fire. Then, when the _Fearless_ and the first flotilla -were returning, while the light cruiser squadron engaged the enemy, -the battle cruiser squadron came up: the _Lion_, the _Princess Royal_, -the _New Zealand_, and the _Invincible_, armed, the first two, with -13.5 guns, and the others with 12-inch. The work that the _Arethusa_ -and her smaller fry had commenced was now carried to a finish. The -German cruisers _Mainz_ and _Köln_ shook to the impact of the rain of -shells poured upon them; great holes were torn in their sides, flames -spurted out, and roared their angry way about the ships. The _Mainz_, -more badly wounded, was in a sinking condition before the arrival of -the battle cruisers, and now, tortured by the horrific projectiles, -began to sink rapidly by the head. With a _siss! siss!_ as the flames -met water, and a roar as the boilers exploded, the good ship _Mainz_, -after a plucky fight, went to her last anchorage, followed later by the -_Köln_. - -Destroyers which had been battering at the unfortunate Germans now -ceased their fire, and sped towards them on errands of mercy, seeking -to save their foes. A large number of the crew of over 350 of the -_Mainz_ still lived, and the destroyers’ crews were horrified to see -that German officers were shooting at their own men as the ship began -to sink rapidly by the head. The _Lurcher_ (Commodore Roger J. B. -Keyes) rescued 220 of her crew. - -British sailors helping to rescue the crew told later that the scene -on deck was terrible. Steelwork had been twisted and bent as hairpins -bend; the deck was a shambles--grim testimony to the deadly character -of the British fire. - -While the destroyers were still fighting, after the sinking of the -_Mainz_ and _Köln_, a third German cruiser, the _Ariadne_, appeared on -the scene, and, after the destroyers had tackled her unsuccessfully, -the battle cruisers, turning from their earlier victims, spoke to her -in the language of death. Shells fell all about her, battering her -sides, gouging great holes in her, wrecking her so completely that -within a short time she was going down to keep the _Mainz_ and _Köln_ -company. Later it was reported that yet a fourth cruiser had been set -on fire. - -We must now go back to the destroyer action, which was no less sharp -than the other. The small craft sped here and there, firing their -4-inch guns as rapidly as possible, and inflicting damage on one -another. Out of the chaos of the fighting there shone the bright light -of foes who would show mercy. The German destroyer V187 was so badly -mauled that there was no hope for her or her crew, and the British -destroyer _Goshawk_ ordered the others to cease fire while she lowered -her boats and sought to rescue the Germans, who, however, heeding not -the humane mission of their foes, opened fire on the _Goshawk_ at a -range of about 200 yards. The German official reports eulogised this as -“a glorious fight,” but the British tars saw in it something other than -“glorious.” Forced to fight even when they would save, they opened fire -in reply; and in double quick time the V187 was silenced, and began -to settle down, her men being flung or leaping into the shell-whipped -seas. British boats now endeavoured to save the lives of the men who -had fired at them when they would have done so before, and several -boats managed to pick up survivors. - -But, as if the blatant callousness of V187 were not enough, a -German cruiser came swinging up, and opened a deadly fire upon the -destroyers--the boats whose errand was a merciful one. The destroyers, -picking up what boats they could, made away at full speed; but some -boats, containing Britishers and Germans, were left behind. At that -moment, Lieut.-Commodore Leir, of submarine E4, appeared on the scene, -and engaged the cruiser, which altered her course before he could get -the range. Down went E4 for safety’s sake. - -The two boats of the _Defender_, left thus, were in a precarious -situation, shells flying all about them and their ship far away. Then, -to their amazement, there appeared on the surface the periscope of a -submarine; then, presently, the conning-tower. It was E4 again. This -time she hailed the boats, and, though she was a plain mark for the -cruiser’s fire, she remained on the surface, bent on saving whom she -could. She could not embark them all, but took a lieutenant and nine -men of the _Defender_. There were also two of the officers and eight -men of V187, unwounded, and eighteen wounded men, and, unable to take -them on board, Leir left an officer and six unwounded men to navigate -the British boats to Heligoland, taking steps to see that they were -provided with water, biscuits, and a compass. It was the British sailor -all over! - -Thus it was that the Battle of the Bight was fought--and won--by the -tars of Old Britain. They had hankered long after the outcoming of the -Germans, who sulked in their harbours, and had had to be lured out. -Boldly had the Germans issued forth when the odds had seemed all on -their side, when they saw before them but a few small vessels; and, to -their credit be it said, they fought well when the truth came to them. -It was the first engagement in the war worthy of the name of a naval -battle, and the British reaped the honours, though, when the tally -was taken, they had not escaped scot free. There were battered ships -amongst those that put into port later. The _Liberty_ had fourteen -great holes in her port bow, her bridge was smashed, her searchlight -gone, her wireless installation vanished, and nothing but a stump -remained of her mast. The _Laertes_, hit four times, had had to be -taken in tow for a while, and the _Arethusa_, who had started the fight -in good style, had, as we have seen, received much beating about. The -_Fearless_ also had honourable wounds, receiving no fewer than nineteen -hits, though none of them in a vital part. - -Beginning in the early morning, with the sea-mist shrouding the sea, -the battle had continued for six or seven hours; and then the Germans, -knowing themselves outmatched, drew off, dropping mines as they went, -while the British squadrons, finding there was nothing more to be -done when the Germans had scurried to the shelter of their harbour, -also drew away, without a ship lost, and with but comparatively few -men _hors de combat_. During the return journey some of the British -cruisers were attacked by submarines but escaped damage. The saucy -_Arethusa_, wounded pretty badly, steamed away at about six knots until -7 o’clock, and then, finding it impossible to proceed farther, drew her -fire in all boilers except two and called for assistance. Up came the -_Hogue_, at 9.30, and took her in tow, while the _Amethyst_ took in tow -the _Laurel_, which had also suffered a fair amount of damage. - -Thus, with the blood surging through their veins as they thought of the -victory won, and longing for the day to come when they might once more -meet their foes, the British tars steamed to port. Five months later -there was another action on a large scale. - -What would the hero of Trafalgar have said if anyone had suggested to -him the possibility of a running battle in which the opponents should -never be nearer than eight miles? He would probably not have regarded -it as a fight! In those good old times the guns could not carry much -more than a thousand yards, and the end very often came by boarders, -and the capture of the ship in a hand-to-hand fight. Nowadays sea -fights are at long range; and yet another account of a battle in the -North Sea (January 24, 1915) shows how greatly methods of warfare have -changed. It is difficult to imagine the story of such a fight, as -will be understood when the classes of ships engaged are considered: -mighty battle cruisers, such as the _Lion_, whose guns can fire 10 -miles, hurling a broadside of 10,000 lbs. twice in every minute; light -cruisers, speedy destroyers, and submarines; while over all hovered -the long grey shapes of airships and the darting forms of seaplanes -dropping bombs. And all the time the battling ships are tearing through -the seas at top speed, belching forth terrible high-explosive shells. - -The battle of January 24 was the outcome of a German attempt to raid -the east coast of England, as had been done before--Yarmouth first, -then the Hartlepools, Scarborough, and Whitby. In the case of the last -three towns a large number of defenceless women and children had been -murdered by the German fire, and the War Lord proclaimed it a mighty -victory for his navy. Issuing forth again, in the hope of achieving -something as noble, the German admiral brought with him four battle -cruisers, six light cruisers, and two flotillas of torpedo craft and -submarines. When about thirty miles off the English coast they were -sighted by a light cruiser, which engaged them and signalled to -Admiral Beatty’s squadron the news of the coming of the foe. Instantly -the British vessels, which had been cleared for action for over an hour -(it was now 7.30 A.M.), closed up and prepared to chase the raiders, -then 14 miles away. Admiral Beatty’s force, thus once more destined -to play its part in the drama of war, consisted of the battle cruiser -squadron--_Lion_ (flagship), _Tiger_, _Princess Royal_, _Indomitable_, -_New Zealand_, and several light cruisers and torpedo craft. The battle -cruisers were Britain’s most formidable fighting ships, outcome of -what proved to be a far-sighted policy, namely, that of big guns; the -first three carried twenty-four 13.5-in. guns, and the last two sixteen -12-in. guns, against which the German _Derfflinger_ (a new ship) had -eight 12-in. guns, the _Moltke_ and _Seydlitz_ twenty 11-in., and the -_Blücher_ twelve 8-in. guns. It will be seen, therefore, that the -British ships had the superiority in weight and range. - -As soon as the news was brought to the admiral he gave instructions for -the destroyers to chase the enemy and report his movements, while the -squadron steered south-east, “with a view to securing the lee position, -and to cut off the enemy, if possible.” - -The Germans, immediately they realised that they had been seen, and -that they were about to be met by a large force, turned tail and ran -away. It must not be thought that this was a sign of cowardice; far -from it, for in all probability the German manœuvre was deliberate, -and in keeping with the policy that had arranged the larger number of -heavier guns in the stern of the ships, so that, in the event of a -running fight, such as this was destined to be, the fleeing ships would -not be at a disadvantage. The British ships have the majority of their -guns fixed to fire ahead. One great disadvantage attaching to pursuers -lies in the fact that the ships fleeing before them may drop mines, -into which the chasing ships might run. - -Working at a speed of from 28 to 29 knots an hour, the British squadron -raced after the Germans, gradually overhauling them, and at 20,000 -yards opened fire upon the foe, keeping at it until, at 18,000 yards’ -range, the shots began to tell, and the fire was returned by the -Germans. The fight had begun in real earnest. The German destroyers -made a plucky attack, in the hope of torpedoing the British ships, but -the “M” division of British destroyers raced ahead of the cruisers and -engaged the Germans and drove them off. The German destroyers belched -forth great clouds of smoke, which screened the cruisers from their -pursuers. - -The British _Lion_, of course, led the way. Steering clear of the -German submarines, which were to the starboard, she pounded after the -great cruisers, and her great shells began to fall in a shower upon the -_Blücher_, which, being the slowest ship, was at the tail of the German -line. Not only the _Lion_, but practically every British ship poured in -smashing salvoes. They fell upon her thick as hailstones, sweeping her -decks, crashing into her sides, smashing upon her guns and wrenching -them from their turrets, disabling whole gun crews. Funnels were sent -toppling over, masts fell; a shell pitched in the very heart of the -ship, where a large number of men were gathered, and killed them all. -Her armoured sides were riddled through and through; she was on fire; -but she still kept up her replies with the guns left her, and her men -cheered as they fought, although they knew they were fighting a losing -battle. Instructions had been given that the flag was not to be struck, -and that she was to go down with it flying. Within half an hour of the -opening of the battle 300 or 400 men were killed or wounded. She was -an unforgettable sight. She turned to port, to give her men a chance to -put out the fire, but after awhile swung back and made after the other -ships. - -Without waiting to see the result of their attack on the _Blücher_, -the British big ships pounded on their way after the other vessels. A -devastating cyclone of shells fell upon the _Derfflinger_, which caught -fire forward and had many guns put out of action, while the _Seydlitz_ -or the _Moltke_ steamed on like a sheet of flame. The roar of the guns, -the crash of the explosions, the thunder of the great engines of war as -they romped through the seas, the flashes of fire as shells left the -maws of the terrific weapons--all went to make up a scene of horror, -of impressiveness. It was a battle between rival giants at giants’ -distance, while simultaneously another battle was raging between the -smaller cruisers and torpedo craft. There is no doubt that one reason -why the Germans chose a running fight was that they hoped to be able -to lure their pursuers into the minefield round about Heligoland. -But, after chasing them for about a hundred miles, Admiral Beatty, -realising that it was hopeless to catch them before they reached the -field, turned back from the great cruisers and set his attention upon -the smaller ships, seeking to turn them off, drive them down upon the -British cruisers which were in hot pursuit. He did great damage amongst -them, despite the difficulty of the work, there being so many ships -engaged. Though many of them were very seriously mauled, they succeeded -in getting to the minefield--with guns dismounted and hulls battered. - -About 11 o’clock the _Lion_ had her speed reduced very considerably, -owing to a chance shot that had caught her in the bows and damaged her -feed-tank, putting her port engines out of action. Admiral Beatty -therefore changed his flag to a destroyer, and, later, to the _Princess -Royal_, which then took the foremost place in the fight. The _Lion_, -whose starboard engine also got out of working order later, and had -only one engine working, was shielded by the _Tiger_, which pluckily -placed herself in the way of the enemy’s fire, and in doing so lost -half a dozen of her men, though she gave the Germans a good battering -in return. The _Lion_ was then taken in tow by the _Indomitable_, and -eventually taken into port. An eye-witness on the _Tiger_ told of the -part the _Tiger_ played in this thrilling action between big ships: - -“On the gun-deck, where I was stationed, you could hardly see one -another for the smoke, but our chaps stuck it like Britons. They did -work hard; but they did it with a good heart, and I believe at one time -our ship was engaging three of the enemy’s ships. Four of their ships -were on fire, but they could still keep on firing, and I believe one or -two of our poor chaps who got on deck to have a look at them did not -live long. I myself was very anxious to go on deck and have a look, but -I am glad I did not. I saw the start, and then went below. We lost ten -of our chaps, and several were wounded. - -“A message came down from the deck, ‘All hands on deck to see the -enemy’s ship sink,’ and in less than five minutes after we could see -nothing of her, and our destroyers drew near to pick up survivors. - -“Our ship at one time stood all the brunt of the firing, as we -sheltered the leading ship in our line when she got winged. Still, -thank goodness for everything, we are still alive and happy. I do not -think they will want to meet us again.” - -Meanwhile, the _Blücher_ was living her last moments. Suddenly, while -the Germans’ guns were pounding away, there slipped from behind -the bigger ships the saucy _Arethusa_, intent on finishing the work -thus well begun. The _Blücher_, being wounded almost to the death, -had no way upon her, and offered a fine mark to torpedo. Commodore -Tyrwhitt, of the _Arethusa_, knowing this, gave instructions, and, as -the _Blücher_ fired her remaining guns in rapid succession, a couple -of torpedoes sped through the seas towards her. The second caught her -amidships, exploded, and rent a great gap in her. Listing already, -she now simply heeled over “like a tin can filled with water,” as one -eye-witness put it. - -It was a dramatic moment, crowded with heroism. Her flag was still -flying, and her men were crying, “Hoch! Hoch!” as they lined the side -of the vessel, ready to jump clear. From the _Arethusa_ there came the -cry of “Jump!” and almost at the same time hundreds of men leaped into -the water, most of them equipped with inflated rubber lifebelts, which -kept them afloat until the boats lowered by the English picked them up. -While the British tars were employed in this humane work there swung -out from Heligoland an airship and a seaplane, which hovered over the -rescuing boats and dropped bombs. Such methods naturally aroused the -anger of the British, who promptly, for their own sakes, had to give -up the work of rescue, and leave many struggling Germans to find death -when they might have had life. - -The _Indomitable_, before she took the _Lion_ in tow, had her share of -the fighting, as had the other battle cruisers. After having tackled -the _Seydlitz_, she was attacked by a Zeppelin which dropped a bomb -about forty yards away from her bridge. The _Indomitable_ gave her a -taste of shrapnel, as did the _Tiger_, and she cleared off. Then a -torpedo was launched at the _Indomitable_ by the _Blücher_; but the -speed of the British ship saved her. - -In addition to the _Blücher_ sunk, other ships suffered considerable -damage, as we have seen. Previously one of them had been engaged by -the light cruiser _Aurora_, which opened a terrific fire upon her. The -first shot carried the midship funnel clean away, and others, poured in -rapidly, swept the decks and battered her hull, so that she was soon -in a deplorable condition and was fleeing at top speed for the safety -of harbour. Only the proximity of the minefield and the accident to -the _Lion_ “deprived the British fleet of a greater victory.” It was -not until the foremost cruiser, the _Derfflinger_, was within half an -hour’s run of the mined area that Admiral Beatty gave up the chase, -well pleased with the work that had been done. - -It had been a great fight and a brilliant victory; it had shown that -the British Navy was true to its traditions, that it could fight as -well as exert silent pressure upon the foe; that the commanders were -fearless men, and that the men behind the guns knew how to handle their -great weapons. The feature that stands out most prominently is the -accuracy of the British fire as contrasted with that of the German; in -the latter case shots seemed to fall anywhere but on the British ships, -as is clear when the only casualties were seventeen men wounded on the -_Lion_, one officer and nine men killed, and two officers and eight men -wounded on the _Tiger_; and four men killed and one man wounded on the -_Meteor_, which ship was attacked by the Zeppelin, while none of the -ships were at all badly damaged, and would be ready for sea again in a -few days. - -A fine victory, well won, and at little cost! - - - - -THE MEN WHO DISCOVERED THE WORLD - -Stories of the Early Voyagers - - -It is difficult for us who live in these days of swift travel, wireless -telegraphy, palatial ships, and so forth, to realise what it meant -to go a-voyaging in the Middle Ages and thereabouts. Then men set -out chartless, at one time compassless, in ships which were mere -cockle-boats, to traverse unknown seas (there are no unknown seas -to-day!) in quest of new lands, not knowing really whether there were -any new lands to discover. They went, as it were, into the darkness of -the unknown, with all its terrors and dangers; and going, discovered -the world. - -Tradition had it that out in the Atlantic were some islands called -by the ancients the Fortunate Islands; and the thirst for wider -geographical knowledge came with the discovery of these, and the -discovery of Madeira, in the fifteenth century; and out of the mists of -the legends there shone elusive islands which, though men sought, they -could not find. Then, as men grew bolder, and travelled overland to -Cathay, or China, to bring back wonderful stories, with all the glamour -of the East about them, Europeans cried for more and more light upon -the world beyond Europe. - -And the age of discovery began. - -In the mind of every voyager was the one great objective--Cathay. But -the way there? One school said westwards; the other said that only by -circumnavigating the coasts of Africa could Cathay be reached. We know -now, as they discovered after many, many years, that both routes led -to the East, but that in between Europe and Asia, via the West, lay a -mighty continent of whose existence they had never dreamed; and which, -when they did discover it, they thought was Asia. - -We cannot go into details of the many voyages which were undertaken -both to the south and the west; we must content ourselves with the -first voyage round the Cape of Good Hope, the first sea trip to China, -and the first voyage of the great Columbus. - -[Illustration: “A mighty gale caught Diaz and carried his frail craft -before it”] - -It fell to the lot of Bartholomew Diaz to achieve the first of these -great epoch-marking events in the world’s history. Many men, under the -patronage of Prince Henry the Navigator, of Portugal, had passed along -the African coast, and by 1484 Diego Cam had partly explored the Congo; -but two years later Diaz, heedless of the fears and warnings of his -crew, sailed past the Congo, with the firm determination to get into -the Indian Ocean, or at least to pass the extremity of Africa, if there -were an extremity. Of that no one was sure. Diaz went round that point -without knowing it; a mighty storm caught him, and carried his frail -ship before it, and when the gale passed over Diaz found himself off a -coast which trailed away eastwards and ever eastwards. His men, fearful -of they knew not what, beseeched him to turn back, but for several days -Diaz held on his way. This eastward trend of the coast meant something, -though what it was he could not say. At last the crew refused to go -any farther; the unknown held too many terrors for them, and they -considered they had done sufficient. They had gone farther, they knew, -than any mariners before them. Why keep on at the risk of being -lost? So Diaz had reluctantly to give way. He turned his vessel round, -passed down the coast, going southward, with the land on his right--to -him a significant fact. He realised its full significance later when, -passing a great promontory, which, because of the storms that prevailed -there, he called the Cape of Storms, he found the land still on his -right, while the ship was sailing northwards. He had been round Africa! - -Promptly Diaz landed, and, as was the custom, erected a pillar in the -name of the King of Portugal, and thus laid claim to the new land he -had discovered. Then home he went, full of joy at his achievement, to -receive a mighty welcome at Court when he had told his story. The name -of the southernmost cape thus discovered was renamed the Cape of Good -Hope; and thus it has been known ever since. - -One would have thought that this voyage would have spurred on other -voyagers to follow in the track thus laid down; but for some reason or -other it was ten years before an expedition was dispatched to carry it -farther and try to reach Cathay by that route. Vasco da Gama was the -leader of this expedition, which left the Tagus on July 7, 1497, five -years after Columbus had set out for the unknown West. It consisted -of three ships, which became separated soon after starting, only to -meet at Cape Verde Islands. Then for four months they fought their way -through storms until they reached St. Helena, where, although they were -badly in need of provisions, they could get none, because the natives -were so unfriendly. So southward they went, and at last came to the -Cape of Good Hope, which it took them two days to sail round, owing to -the terrific storm that raged. The crew, terrified at the tumultuous -seas, prayed da Gama to turn back. - -“We cannot pass this awful cape!” they cried. - -“If God preserve us,” answered da Gama boldly, “we will pass the cape -and make our way to Cathay. For that honour will be given us, and we -shall get much wealth.” - -But, though he thus appealed to their cupidity, the crew were not to -be calmed; and their dissatisfaction gave rise to conspiracy. They -intended to mutiny, and force da Gama to turn back, or else kill him -out of hand, and then do what they wanted to do. - -Da Gama, however, received information of the plot from some of the men -who were still faithful to him, and were willing to follow him where -he would lead. Knowing that stern measures would be necessary now that -softer ones had failed, da Gama plotted on his own account. He had each -man brought into his cabin to discuss the matter, and as soon as a head -showed inside the door the man was seized and put in irons. In this way -every one of the dissatisfied men was taken prisoner; and da Gama found -himself left with a mere handful of men to work the ship. Yet did he -persist in going on; he would not be deterred, and, though all worked -hard in face of what they thought was certain death, yet they weathered -the cape, and presently were on the way up the east coast of Africa. -Then da Gama freed his prisoners, who were shamefaced as they came on -deck, to find themselves in this new sea, safely past the storm they -had feared. - -On Christmas Day, after having been in at various places, da Gama -came to Natal, named thus in honour of the Nativity, broke up one of -his ships there, as she was unseaworthy, and then went on, reaching -Mozambique on March 10. Here he met trouble again. Mozambique was in -the possession of the Moors, who did a fine trade with the Indies and -the Red Sea, and, naturally, resented the intrusion of the Portuguese. -They saw their trade being taken from them. They therefore did all -they could to destroy or capture the intrepid voyagers, who, however, -outwitted them every time. At each place where they put in they fell -foul of the Moors, until they reached Melinda, where they were received -with honour, and were able to secure as many provisions as they wanted. - -Da Gama, always with his eyes open to discover what commercial -advantages were to be gained from his voyage, saw with delight that at -Melinda there were many large ships which bore the riches of India in -their holds; and, realising that that meant much to Portugal, as soon -as the monsoons would allow him, hurried on his way across the Indian -Ocean, having secured the services of a good native pilot. On May -20, 1498, the two ships reached Calicut--the first vessels which had -arrived in India by the direct sea route. - -It was an epoch-marking accomplishment, for it opened up the Far -East to Europe in a way that had not been done before; trade could -be carried on much more easily than by the overland route, with its -many dangers. All the riches of the East--spices, peppers, and what -not--were to be had by the Portuguese now. The commercial importance of -the voyage was greater than that of any voyage yet undertaken, for even -that of Columbus had not begun to bear the fruit it was to bear later -on. - -Da Gama, however, found that things were not so rosy as they had -seemed; the Moors held the trade of Calicut in their hands. It was the -trading centre of the merchants of Ceylon and the Moluccas--indeed, of -all the Malabar coast--and the Moors there, like those at Mozambique, -feared the coming of the Europeans. When they discovered that da Gama -had obtained permission from the zamorin, or native chief, to trade, -they plotted for his destruction, inducing the zamorin to take him -prisoner and capture his ships, telling him that these white men would -surely come in their hundreds and take possession of his territory. Of -course, the native viewed the prospect with anything but pleasure, and -when da Gama, laden with rich gifts, landed, he tried to capture him. -Da Gama, however, slipped through his fingers, reached his ships, and -sailed away, vowing to return and to take vengeance. - -Leaving Calicut in a rage, the voyager traded with another chief at -Cannanore, and, having laden his vessels with rich spices and peppers, -set out on the return voyage, reaching Lisbon in September, 1499; and -the whole nation went wild with delight at the glorious vista opened to -it. - -Da Gama went back to Calicut later on to take his revenge. He allied -the King of Cannanore with him, and wrought havoc with the zamorin’s -trading vessels; then sailed to Cochin China, where he established a -factory--the first factory in the East, and the beginning of Portuguese -power in the Orient. - -We must now go back a few years, and glance at the story of the first -voyage of Columbus, the man who stands out as a landmark in the history -of the world. He marks the beginning of the new geographical knowledge; -the old world is one side of him, the new the other. For years he had -been studying all the maps and charts that he could get hold of, and -had imbibed the new knowledge that was being taught regarding the -shape of the earth, until at last he came to believe that Asia could -be reached by sailing to the west. He tried this Court and that, only -to receive rebuffs and meet with delays that sickened him. He sent -his brother Bartholomew to the King of England; but his messenger was -captured by pirates, and when he was released, and proceeded on his -way to the English Court, where his proposal was accepted, it was too -late; Christopher Columbus had set forth upon his venture perilous, -under the patronage of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, who, after -much vacillation, and not a little treachery, had agreed to father the -expedition, which consisted of three small vessels. These were the -_Santa Maria_, on which Columbus himself sailed, the _Pinta_, commanded -by Martin Alonzo Pinzon, and the _Nina_, captained by Pinzon’s brother, -Vincente Yanez Pinzon. - -After receiving the blessing of the Church, the expedition set sail -from Palos with a pressed crew, for few men could be found willing -to embark on such a desperate venture. In less than a week they were -compelled to put in at the Canaries to refit the ships, which had been -buffeted about by adverse winds and stormy seas. When this work was -done, Columbus set out again, despite the murmurings of his pressed -crew, who often cast longing eyes back to the East, hardly daring -to think of what might await them in the West, whither men had not -ventured before. The unknown held dread terrors for them, and at -every league they became more disaffected, so that Columbus found it -necessary to keep two reckonings--one correct, for himself, and the -other incorrect, for the satisfaction of the crews. His own showed the -real distance from home; theirs showed them that they were nearer home -than they had imagined themselves to be. - -Two hundred leagues west of the Canaries a ship’s mast was seen -floating, and the frightened crews became more scared than ever; they -took it for a portent of their own fate. Then the needle of the compass -showed a variation; it ceased to point to the North Star, and this -was the most dreadful thing of all to these men, who knew nothing of -hemispheres. Columbus did his utmost to cheer and inspire them with -confidence, telling them of the glory that awaited them when the voyage -was over, and assuring them that they could not be a very long way -from land. As if to prove him true, next day, September 14, two birds -hovered round the ships; later weeds were seen floating on the surface -of a kind that grow on river banks and among rocks; then, later still, -more birds were seen--birds that they knew never slept on the sea. And -all these things seemed to be heralds of land. - -So the dissatisfied crew took heart again, and, with a steady breeze -helping them, the ships sped on their unknown way, every man eagerly -looking out across the vast sea in the hope of being the first to sight -the land, the reward for which was to be a pension. - -But as day succeeded day, and no land was seen, the spirits of the -adventurers drooped, and when they ran into a vast sea of weeds, which -made it difficult for the vessels to hold on their way, all hopes of -ever reaching home again were dashed to the ground. Then the wind -dropped, and the ships were becalmed. Never did Fate play so scurvy a -trick with a mariner as it did with Columbus, who knew that the success -of his voyage--the great ambition of his life--depended upon the men -who sailed with him. He heard their murmurings, knew that it would not -be long before they broke out into open mutiny; but still he would not -swerve from his purpose. - -Then one day they came to him with determination in their eyes and -black murder in their hearts. They would go back, they said; they would -venture no farther on this mad voyage which could lead to nowhere but -death. They had, indeed, made up their minds to pitch him overboard if -he would not turn the ship about and go home. - -Columbus, firm in his own belief that land lay to the west, and -determined that he would not turn back until he had seen it, stood -before the mutineers boldly. He argued with them, coaxed them, even -bullied them, vowed he would hold on to the course he had mapped out. -Then, seeing that he must temporise, he promised that, if they would -stand by him for three more days, he would turn back if no land were -discovered. He gained his point; the crew returned to their duties, -and, by the greatest good luck, shortly afterwards new signs of land -came to cheer the men. - -Besides a quantity of fresh weeds, such as grow in rivers, they saw a -green fish of a kind that keeps about rocks, then a branch of thorn -with berries on it, and recently separated from the tree, floated by -them. Then they picked up a reed, a small board, and, above all, a -staff, artificially carved. - -And where there had been mutiny and threats there was now discipline -and rejoicing; and no man murmured, or thought of the distance they -had come. All were eager to be the first to catch sight of the land -they believed to be near. Columbus himself, overwhelmed with joy at the -thought that triumph was at hand, did not sleep that night, and had -the ships hove to, lest they miss the land in the night darkness. On -each vessel every man was wide awake, straining his eyes through the -darkness. At about one o’clock Columbus thought that he saw a light -shining in the west, far away from the ships. He immediately pointed -it out to; the men on his vessel; but with one exception they attached -little importance to it. They thought themselves fools when, an hour -later, a sailor cried: - -“Land! Land!” And, pointing, showed them a dim outline on the horizon. -Daylight came, and with it clearer vision; and before them stretched a -low, tree-covered island. - -The sight of it drove them almost wild with joy. Here, after weeks of -voyaging through seas unknown, they had come to land, when they had -told themselves there was no land to be found, when they had harboured -thoughts of murder against the man who led them. They threw themselves -on deck at his feet, and implored his forgiveness; and Columbus knew -that he had these men fast in his grip, that they would follow him -anywhere. - -As for himself, his pleasure knew no bounds; all the dreams of the -years were to be fulfilled, all his hopes were to be realised, the -glory of reaching Asia via the west was to be his. Had he but known! -Had he but realised that something even greater than this had been -achieved; that near at hand lay a vast continent undreamt of by his -fellows, despite the tradition that the Norsemen had hundreds of years -before found a country to the west, far north from this spot. - -On October 12, 1492, Columbus, in all the glory of his official robes -as representative of the majesty of Spain, landed on the island with -his men and the officials sent by the King to give authority to the -expedition. The Royal Standard of Spain was planted, and the adventurer -fell upon his knees, kissed the ground, and declared the land to belong -to the dominions of the Spanish sovereigns. - -The island was inhabited, and from the natives Columbus learned that it -was named Guanahani. The Spaniards renamed it San Salvador--its present -name. It is one of the group known as the Bahamas, at the entrance of -the Gulf of Mexico. - -The natives themselves, when they saw the strange ships coming towards -the island, fled, not knowing what they might be, for never had they -seen anything like them. As they were not pursued, however, they -plucked up enough courage to come back, and very soon were making -friends with the new-comers, who, thinking they were on one of the -islands off the coast of India, called the natives Indians--the name -still borne by the aborigines of the New World. - -Almost every one of the natives was bedecked with ornaments made -of gold; and the Spaniards were eager to find out whence the metal -came. The natives told them by signs that it came from the south--far -away; and the three vessels were presently ploughing the seas again, -exploring the coast of San Salvador, by the aid of several guides. -Other islands were seen in the neighbourhood, and these, too, were -explored, Columbus believing that they tallied with Marco Polo’s -description of certain islands lying off China. But no trace of gold -was found; each time the natives pointed them to the south, and -referred to a great king, whom Columbus imagined to be the Great Khan. - -Then one day he gathered that near at hand was a great island called -Cuba, and from the description given him believed it to be Cipango -(Japan), which reports had credited with vast riches--gold and precious -stones. So to Cuba the three ships sailed, reaching the island at the -end of October, and taking possession of it in the name of the King of -Spain. - -Here the natives, after a time, received him kindly, and the answers -to the sign-questions he put to them made him more convinced than ever -that this was Cipango. He therefore searched it, seeking for the Great -Khan; but at last gave up in despair, and sailed off to discover other -islands. At this time Martin Pinzon, in the _Pinta_, deserted him, and, -although Columbus waited many days for his return, he did not come -back; and when, in December, Columbus set sail, he went with only two -ships. On December 6 they sighted a large island, which, because of its -beauty and similarity with Spain, they named Hispaniola. Here, again -the natives were friendly, and parted with many of their gold ornaments -in exchange for little trinkets the mariners had brought with them. -What filled them with joy that they could hardly contain was the news -that the island abounded in riches. Gold, they were told, was to be -obtained in plenty; and Columbus, who had taken the island in the name -of Spain, resolved, when misfortune robbed him of another of his ships, -to leave some of his men behind to learn the language of the natives, -trade with them for gold, and explore the island for gold mines. - -The disaster, which left him with only one ship, occurred through -negligence. The _Santa Maria_ was wrecked, and Columbus and his crew -only escaped with great difficulty. By hard work they managed to get -all the goods and guns out of her before she went to pieces, and -with the latter Columbus built a fort for the security of the men he -intended to leave behind, calling it La Navidad. - -Then, on January 4, 1493, Columbus set sail from Hispaniola in the -smallest of the vessels he had come out with, namely, the _Nina_, -steering eastward along the coast. Presently he fell in with Pinzon, -whom he reproved for his desertion. Pinzon asserted that he had been -separated in a storm, but actually he had left Columbus, intending -to return home and claim the honours that were due to his leader. -Columbus, however, rather than have bitterness aroused, hid his anger, -and the two ships sailed in company until February 1, when a terrific -gale separated them again. - -So dreadful was the storm that Columbus despaired of ever reaching -home with his wonderful news; and many were the vows taken as to what -the mariners would do if Heaven spared them. Lots were cast as to who -should undertake a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalope, and it fell to -Columbus. But the storm still held on. Then they all vowed to go in -their shirts to a church of Our Lady, if she would vouchsafe them a -safe voyage home. - -The poor _Nina_, tossed about, seemed as though she would turn over -at every big wave that broke upon her; all her provision casks were -empty, and so she was in a poor way through lack of ballast. Columbus -solved that problem by filling the casks with water, which steadied -the ship, and enabled her to ride out the storm, during which Columbus -had been afraid lest he should never reach Spain with the wonderful -news of his discovery. He therefore wrote down an account on parchment, -which he signed and sealed, wrapped in oilcloth and wax, and consigned -to the deep in a cask. Another copy was packed in a similar way, and -set upon the top of the poop, so that if the _Nina_ went down the cask -might float and stand a chance of carrying its precious contents to -some port, or be picked up by some ship. But, fortunately, the storm -eased off, and presently they reached harbour at St. Mary’s, one of the -Azores. - -The mariners, exhausted after their struggle with the storm, but -grateful for having been able to come through it, saw a hermitage on a -hill, and resolved that some of them should undertake a pilgrimage of -thanks at once. So half the ship’s crew went ashore in their shirts, -carrying candles; but hardly had they landed when the Portuguese -Governor of St. Mary’s came down with a large body of soldiers and took -them prisoners. The Portuguese were jealous of the great sailor, and -what he had achieved. - -Columbus was angry at this treachery. He vowed that if his men were not -given back to him, he would land the rest and sack the whole island. -The Governor gave in. - -Leaving these inhospitable shores, the mariners sailed away for home, -only to meet with another storm which caused them to make more vows. -Then the sailors worked hard, and managed to get the ship running -before the storm, which drove her into the Tagus. - -Forced to take shelter in another Portuguese port, therefore, this time -Lisbon, Columbus went ashore, where the King of Portugal received him -with many expressions of delight and congratulation, though beneath -the smiling face was a jealous heart. Portugal had taken so great a -part--had been the pioneer, in fact--of the exploration of the century, -that the king felt that this accomplishment of Columbus was a personal -affront! His counsellors advised him that the best thing to do was to -kill Columbus and his men out of hand, and, taking his charts, send an -expedition out to take possession of the new lands. - -King John, however, would not consent to the murder of Columbus, whom -he dismissed; and then ordered his own mariners to hurry off with an -expedition to take by force of arms the lands which had been discovered -for Spain. It may be said that when the question of ownership of these -lands was laid before the Pope of Rome, that arbiter of the fate of -people and nations in the fifteenth century, the Portuguese were made -to understand that Spain had the prior claim on the new territory. - -It was on March 15 that Columbus arrived at Palos, less than eight -months after he had set out from that port on a voyage from which few -ever believed he would return. And now, here he was! Great crowds met -him and hailed him, and marched in procession with him to the church, -where he gave thanks to Heaven for the success of his voyage. Then, he -sent a letter to the king, who commanded him to attend Court, where -he was received with all due honour, and told his wonderful story -which thrilled the king and queen, and soon set all Spain by the ears. -He had brought many evidences of the truth of his tale, including -several natives and many gold ornaments; and according to the terms -of the engagement entered into, he was appointed Governor-General of -all the lands discovered. Then, still believing that he had found the -way to the East, he went out again on September 25, 1493, discovering -new islands, and going to Hispaniola, which he found was rich with -gold. His fort had been destroyed, however, and his men killed by the -natives. With his adventures during this voyage we have no time to -deal. There was dissatisfaction amongst some of his followers, and -accusations were made against him which necessitated his going back to -Spain to clear himself, which he succeeded in doing. In 1498 he was -allowed to go out again, and it was on this voyage that he discovered -the mainland of America, although he never knew it. First he landed on -an island which he called Trinidad (its present name), in honour of the -Holy Trinity, and from there he could see land, which, believing it to -be an island, he called Isla Santa (Holy Island). It was, as a matter -of fact, the mainland of America. He went down the coast as far as -Grenada, and began to think that the length of it pointed to the fact -that it was more than an island: that it must be the mainland of Asia. - -Passing over the trials of Columbus which followed upon the accusations -made against him at Court, we must go on to a brief résumé of his -fourth and last voyage. On this, which started from Cadiz in May, -1502, he went seeking a strait by which he could get farther east. He -reached Honduras, then later, Veragua and Nicaragua, the farthest point -reached being El Retrete, when he sailed for Veragua again, thence to -Hispaniola. Many troubles beset him. Jealous followers brought him -sorrows; disorders at Hispaniola brought him displeasure at Court, -and he sailed for home, reaching Spain in November, 1504, to die two -years later in neglect; “no local annals mention even his death.” And -he, the greatest mariner who had ever lived, the man who had brought -to Spain--although no one realised it then--a New World, with all its -treasures. - - - - -SOME EARLY BUCCANEERS - -The Beginning of Buccaneering - - -The buccaneers were educated in a hard school. From being peaceful -hunters in the woods of Hispaniola they developed into hunters on the -seas, seeking more valuable game than oxen. They took up this new -profession from a sense of being ill-treated, and primarily with the -object of obtaining vengeance. - -In the early part of the seventeenth century there were on the island -of Hispaniola a number of Frenchmen who lived by buccaneering--a word -derived from the Indian word _boucan_, meaning, first, the hut in which -the flesh of oxen was smoked, and, secondly, the wooden frame on which -the meat was dried. Eventually the hunters themselves received the -name of buccaneers, from which it will be seen that there was nothing -sinister in the name or profession at the outset. In course of time -larger numbers of Frenchmen gathered at Hispaniola to follow the wild -industry, and the Spanish rulers of the island came to the conclusion -that they would rid Hispaniola of them. - -The buccaneers at the best were not an inviting-looking crowd, nor -were they the most gentle of men. Their mode of life made them rough -and wild, and their attire gave them an appearance of ruffianism. Long -blouses or shirts, covered with grease and blood-stains, and held -in at the waist by strips of green hide; short drawers that reached -only half-way down the thigh, sandals of hog’s skin or bull’s hide; -short guns, called “buccaneering-pieces,” slung from their shoulders, -short sabres from their waists, calabash powder-horns and skin bullet -pouches hanging at either side, with mosquito nets rolled up at the -waist--imagine men thus rigged out, with unkempt hair and not too clean -a skin, and you have buccaneers in all their glory. Certainly they were -not calculated to inspire confidence when one met a little band of -about a dozen out hunting, with dogs following the quarry. But, at any -rate, they were comparatively peaceful--except when, after a successful -hunt, and a still more successful piece of trading by which they got -rid of their spoils, they were out on a carousal. - -Now, as we have suggested, the Spaniards grew jealous of the growing -prosperity of the buccaneers; had the latter been Spanish, all would -have been well, but the Dons, ever since the New World had been -discovered for King Ferdinand, had sought to keep it and its wealth for -themselves; so that, when the Frenchmen on Hispaniola grew in numbers -and wealth, it seemed to the Spaniards a case for repressive measures. -They therefore instituted mounted patrols of lancers, armed with -lances. There were some four hundred of these, and their work was to -harry the buccaneers as much and as often as possible. - -This warfare between the lancers and the buccaneers went on for -many years; but the Spaniards found that the hunters refused to be -intimidated; and if the truth were known, they probably enjoyed the -occasional bout with the Spaniards. In any case, they would not give -up their hunting for all the lancers in Hispaniola. The Spaniards -therefore resorted to other means. If the buccaneers would not go, then -their livelihood should be taken from them, and the powers that were -in Spain sent orders for the destruction of all the wild cattle in -Hispaniola. - -The orders were carried out to the letter, and the buccaneers, finding -themselves without the means of living and trade, shook the dust of -Hispaniola from their feet, and in 1637 made their way to the island -of Tortuga, about six miles to the north of Hispaniola. There their -already large numbers were increased by the coming of a cosmopolitan -crowd of ruffians, till, feeling themselves strong enough, they -determined to take vengeance on Spain for having cast them adrift. - -They fell upon Hispaniola, not once nor twice, but time after time, -until the Dons came to the conclusion that Tortuga must be under the -yoke of Spain and the buccaneers be swept away. So, timing their -descent well, they went over to Tortuga when the French were away -on the mainland, hunting, and the English were far off on a cruise. -Landing soldiers, they took the island within an hour, seizing a large -number of hunters before they had time to defend themselves. Some they -killed out of hand, others they made captive, but a good many succeeded -in escaping to certain hiding-places, whence, with the coming of night, -they slipped down to the shore and hurried off to the mainland in -canoes. - -The Spaniards, feeling that this vigorous action would be sufficient to -keep Tortuga within bounds, sailed back to Hispaniola. But, instead of -having quashed the buccaneers, they found that they had but added fuel -to the fire, for when the rovers came back from cruising and hunting, -and discovered the condition of their island, they were filled with -anger. They went mad! Off to the French island of St. Christopher they -sailed, and Governor De Poncy, falling in with their plans, sent an -expedition to Tortuga, which was recaptured, and put in such a state -of defence that the disillusioned Dons had a shock next time they went -over to carry out a second attempt at terrorism. Two hundred Spaniards -bit the dust that day, and the buccaneer--the real buccaneer--was born. - -For the Spaniard was successful in his efforts to kill the hunters’ -trade; he stamped out the trading-hunter and gave life to a -particularly romantic kind of pirate-freebooter. The men of Tortuga -fell to preying upon the shipping of Spain. They were determined to -have their revenge. - -It would appear from all accounts that the first successful buccaneer -who took to sea-roving was one Pierre le Grand, a native of Dieppe, who -had found his way to the New World in quest of fortune. Baffled in his -attempts to make the smiling lands yield up their wealth, he gathered -a congenial company about him, and went to sea in a small boat holding -himself and a crew of twenty men. The exploit that made him famous was -that by which he captured the vice-admiral of a Spanish fleet near Cape -of Tiburon, to the west of Hispaniola. - -They had, it seems, been at sea a good while on the look-out for a -prize worth having, and, finding none, were getting disheartened--and -hungry, incidentally, seeing that they had used up most of their -rations. Then, like a gift from the gods, there came into view a -Spanish fleet, with a large ship standing some distance off from -the rest. Pierre decided that it would be impious to let such an -opportunity slip. He knew that it was a case of long odds, because the -Spaniard was a fine vessel, and no doubt well manned; but, nothing -venture, nothing have! So, waiting until the dusk of evening, Pierre, -who had received solemn oaths from his companions that they would stand -by him to the last, sailed towards his prey, hoping in his heart that -the Dons might be unprepared for battle. - -He did not know it then, but later he found out that the captain of -the ship had had the little cockle-boat pointed out to him, with the -suggestion that it might be a pirate craft; whereupon the gallant -sailor had exclaimed: - -“What, then, must I be afraid of such a pitiful thing as that is? No! -though she were a ship as big and as strong as mine is!” - -Determined to hazard all upon a gambler’s throw, when Peter drew near -the great Spaniard, under cover of the twilight, he made his surgeon -bore holes in the sides of his boat, so that, with their own vessel -sinking quickly beneath them, his men might be impelled to put all -their energy into the attempt to board the Spanish ship. - -So, with “all or nothing” as the unspoken battle-cry, the buccaneers -swarmed up the sides of the ship, hurled themselves aboard without -being seen, and rushed pell-mell to the captain’s cabin, where they -found him playing cards. - -Pierre le Grand held the trump card--in the shape of a loaded pistol, -which he promptly presented at the captain’s head, calling upon him to -surrender. - -“Jesus bless us!” cried the Spaniard. “Are these devils, or what are -they?” - -The uninvited guests showed what they were; while Peter the Great kept -the captain quiet, others rushed to the gun-room, seized all the arms, -and then dispersed about the ship, taking prisoner whoever preferred -that to being killed out of hand. There was no gainsaying them, and -the captain gave in, with the result that Pierre found himself master -of a fine ship filled with treasure, and a crew that he hardly knew -what to do with. He solved the problem by setting ashore all he didn’t -want, and the rest he kept on to sail the ship to France. For the gay -buccaneer discovered that he was rich enough to retire, and never again -showed his face in the New World. - -But if he did no more pirating himself, he set fire to the buccaneers -of Tortuga, who told themselves that what Pierre le Grand had done -they could do. If they had but ships! They were going to set up in -“business” that required good craft, and there they were with only -canoes. Well, canoes would do to get them where they could find -suitable ships, and, pushing off day after day, the buccaneers cruised -about Hispaniola and the neighbourhood, seizing small Spanish vessels -carrying tobacco and hides. These they took back to Tortuga, disposed -of the cargoes profitably, fitted out the vessels, and set out to sea -again, now to seek larger ships; with the result that, in a couple of -years, a score of buccaneer ships were sailing the seas proudly, taking -toll of the Spaniards for having stopped their peaceful livelihood. - -Of these earlier buccaneers we must mention another Peter--Pierre -François. Like Peter the Great, his forerunner, he had been cruising -about a long time without a satisfactory prize turning up; and as -away at Tortuga were a number of men--whom we, in these modern days, -call “duns”--waiting for him to settle up various little accounts, he -thought it behoved him, for his creditors’ sake, to garner a harvest -that was worth while. - -So, standing out from the neighbourhood of Hispaniola, Pierre François -ventured farther afield. Away down at Ranceiras, near the River Plate, -there was a fine rich bank of pearl, to which year after year the -Spaniards sent about a dozen large ships a-pearling, each squadron -having a man-o’-war to protect it. - -[Illustration: “Promptly boarded the _Vice-Admiral_. ‘Surrender!’ -yelled the buccaneers”] - -Pierre François felt he would like to have some of the pearls which -other men had obtained. When he came up with the fleet, he found the -warship, the _Capitana_, of twenty-four guns and a couple of hundred -men, lying half a league away from the rest of the vessels; and, well -versed in the ways of the wily Spaniard, he knew that the man-o’-war -would be certain to hold the greater part of the harvest of the sea. -Wherefore, of course, Pierre decided that nothing less than the -_Capitana_ would pay him for the trip down the coast. - -But first he must put himself in the way of being strong enough to take -the war vessel, and to this end he resolved to capture one of the other -ships to begin with. Pretending that his ship was a Spanish craft, he -pulled down his sails, rowed close to the shore till he reached the -pearl-bank, and then promptly boarded the _Vice-Admiral_, of eight guns -and threescore men. - -“Surrender!” yelled the buccaneers. - -“Never!” cried the Spaniards, and fell to fighting stubbornly; and then -did what they said they wouldn’t do--they surrendered. - -So far so good. Pierre was elated. But he did want that man-o’-war! - -First he sank his own vessel, which was in a pretty bad way. Then he -hoisted the Spanish flag on his prize and sailed away. The captain of -the _Capitana_, fearing that one of his convoy was running off with -treasure--those Spaniards never trusted each other!--set sail after the -runaway. Pierre let him come, and then, when within hailing distance, -made his prisoners yell: “_Victoria! Victoria!_ We have taken the -thieves!” - -Whereupon the _Capitana_, believing that everything was all right, hove -to, drew off, and disappeared in the darkness, promising to send to -fetch the prisoners away in the morning. - -During the night François decided to slip away. Perhaps he didn’t like -the look of the _Capitana_ after all; perhaps he was satisfied with -his haul. He should have been, for it contained pearls of the value -of 100,000 gold pieces of eight, and a large store of provisions. But -he had come to the end of his lucky lode, for the _Capitana_, having, -apparently, grown suspicious, suddenly hoisted sail and followed in -pursuit. Pierre hoped to be able to show a clean pair of heels before -daylight came. But Dame Fate played him a nasty trick; the wind fell, -and left him becalmed. And when dawn broke he saw that the _Capitana_, -becalmed also, lay within sight, waiting for the wind to freshen. - -Evening came, and with it a breeze; and instantly Pierre hoisted all -sail and stood away, with the _Capitana_ in hot pursuit. Then Pierre -found he had made a mistake; the ship was unable to bear the burden of -so much sail as he had hoisted, and the fickle wind, bursting upon him, -brought his mainsail down with a rush. - -That did it! The _Capitana_ sped through the water towards the -_Vice-Admiral_, and, coming within range, sent a few shots hurtling -at her, expecting to see her haul down the flag. Instead of which -Pierre, resolved to fight in the hope of coming out best, opened out -with his eight guns, and pounded away for all he was worth. He took -the precaution first of clapping his prisoners in the hold and nailing -down the hatches. And then, with but twenty-two men fit to fight--the -rest were either killed or wounded--he prepared to give battle. For -hours they fought, bravely and well; but all in vain. The man-o’-war -was too much for them, and at last Pierre signified his willingness -to surrender--on conditions. These were that they shouldn’t be made -slaves, nor be made to work on the plantations. The Spaniards agreed; -and within a short time François and his men were on board the Spanish -vessel--prisoners. - -They were taken to Carthagena, where the Spaniards broke their word, -and made the prisoners slaves for three years, after which they were -sent to Spain. - -Bartholomew Portugues, another of the early buccaneers, sailing off -Cuba in a small vessel of three guns and thirty men, fell to chasing a -big Spaniard of twenty big guns and seventy men. The Spaniards showed -fight, and beat Bartholomew off with losses he could ill afford. But, -determined to succeed or die, the buccaneer brought his vessel back -again, and, getting alongside, led his crew aboard the Spanish ship. -All fighting like demons, in the end they captured it, and found -themselves in possession of a vessel worth having, with a treasure on -board of 120,000 lbs. of cocoa and 75,000 crowns. - -Joyful over their good fortune, the buccaneers bethought themselves of -returning to Jamaica, whence they had set out; but, as they were now -but twenty all told, they did not know how to keep their prisoners. -They solved that problem by bundling them into a small boat and turning -them adrift, after which they hoisted sail and set off to Cuba to -repair, as the wind was not favourable for Jamaica. - -All would have gone well had they not fallen in with three large -ships bound for Havannah, which, becoming suspicious, gave chase, -and, as they were much faster vessels than the new-found prize of the -buccaneers, they quickly overhauled it, battered at it with their guns, -and before long had made the captors captives, with whom they set sail -for Campechy. - -Portugues had a reputation that was not warranted to make him loved -in Campechy, and when he arrived there men lifted up their voices and -cried: - -“Behold, this is Bartholomew Portugues, the biggest scoundrel in the -world, who has done more harm to Spanish trade than all the other -pirates put together.” And in due course the governor, in the name of -the King of Spain, sent soldiers, who took the buccaneer to another -ship, where he was clapped into irons to await the morning--and the -gallows, which were promptly erected. Bartholomew, made aware of the -preparations being made in his honour, considered it necessary to do -something on his own account for his safety. So in the night he freed -himself from his shackles, and, being ingenious and a non-swimmer, -fashioned strange water-wings, in the shape of a couple of leathern -jars he found in his cabin. Then, having waited till silence on the -ship told him that everyone was asleep--excepting, he surmised, the -sentry at his door--he resolved to make a bid for freedom. The sentry -he stabbed with a knife he had concealed, and then slipped over the -ship’s side, clambered down the mainchains into the sea, and, supported -by his jars, made his way to shore. - -Into the woods he darted, and for three days hid there, on a diet of -wild herbs, listening to the sounds of baying bloodhounds and angry -citizens seeking him high and low. Fortunately for the buccaneer, his -place of concealment was in a hollow tree partly covered by water, -which put the bloodhounds off the scent. - -In due course the searchers became convinced that the pirate had eluded -them, and gave up the search, and Bartholomew decided it was safe to -venture forth. He wanted to get to Gulfo Triste, 160 miles away, and -thither he bent his steps. It was a long way and a weary way, and a -hungry and thirsty way, too, for he had no provisions and little water. -He came to rivers that he must cross, and he had no boats. He found a -board with a few old nails in it, and out of these he fashioned crude -knives, with which he laboriously cut down branches of trees, and -made a raft by which to cross the rivers. Sometimes the rivers were -fordable, but were filled with alligators. At these he flung stones -to scare them away, and then sallied forth across the stream. Once a -mangrove swamp lay between him and the place where he would fain go. -There was no road; only the swamp, that would swallow him up if he put -foot upon it. He solved the problem of progress by swinging from bough -to bough of the mangrove, travelling for miles in that way. Truly, -Bartholomew was a hardy traveller! - -Thus for a whole fortnight the buccaneer kept on his lonely way, and at -last reached Gulfo Triste, where he found what he had hoped would be -there--a buccaneer ship, careening. - -The pirates were friends of his, and he poured into their attentive -ears the story of his adventures and misadventures. They listened -even more attentively when he told them that, if they would help him, -he would put in their way a ship that would enable them to brave any -vessel that the Spanish Dons might send out against them; besides which -it contained goodly treasures. - -“Give me a boat and thirty men,” he said, “and I will go back to -Campechy and bring back the ship that took me prisoner.” - -His friends gave the boat and the men, and Bartholomew set out, hugging -the coast, and eight days later came to Campechy. Then, under the cover -of darkness, he put his boat alongside the great vessel, scrambled up -her side, and prepared to rush. The sentry challenged him. Bartholomew, -in Spanish, murmured soothingly that they were part of the crew -returning, after an evening ashore, with smuggled goods, and the sentry -kept quiet. He was quieter still soon, for a knife-thrust laid him low. - -Then, with a rush, the buccaneers fell upon the watch, overpowered -them, cut the cable and set the vessel adrift; after which they ran -below. The sleeping crew awoke in a great fright, and, with pistols at -their heads, were compelled to surrender. - -The ship was won! - -Bartholomew, however, seemed dogged by hard luck, for while he was -making his way past the Isle of Pines, bound for Jamaica, a great storm -burst upon him, and drove his prize upon the rocks, where she held fast -until she was broken to pieces. - -The ship was lost! - -The buccaneers, however, succeeded in escaping to Jamaica in a canoe, -from where, according to Esquemeling, the chronicler of the dark deeds -of the bold pirates, “it was not long before Bartholomew Portugues went -on new adventures, but was never fortunate afterwards.” - - - - -MORGAN: BUCCANEER AND GOVERNOR - -Tales of the Remarkable Exploits of the Greatest Buccaneer - - -Before telling the story of the buccaneer who became Governor of -Jamaica, we must mention the change which had taken place in the -methods of the buccaneers. From being mere rovers of the sea, bent -on taking toll of shipping, they had developed into a brotherhood -which made bold attempts on cities. The Spaniards, weary of their -depredations and finding that they could not cope with them, had -reduced the amount of shipping, so that the buccaneers had to turn to -more profitable fields of enterprise. Hence, says Esquemeling, “the -pirates finding not so many ships at sea as before, began to gather -into greater companies, and land upon the Spanish dominions, ruining -whole cities, towns and villages; and withal pillaging, burning, and -carrying away as much as they could find possible.” - -And now to Captain Henry Morgan, the most famous of the buccaneers. -He was a Welshman, who, after various little “affairs,” found himself -in command of a pirate vessel, with which he was successful. Later, -he allied himself with Mansvelt, a notorious buccaneer, and after -the death of that worthy, Morgan was appointed to the command of the -Brethren of the Coast. - -At the head of his band of rogues, he captured the towns of Port au -Prince, Cuba, and Porto Bello, Panama--both after stiff fights--and -from the latter he extracted a heavy ransom, was cheeky to the -governor of Panama, after he had waylaid and beaten an expedition sent -out to wipe him off the Spanish main, and promised the governor that he -would come later and sack his city for him! - -Then he turned his attention to Maracaibo. - -First of all, he held a review of his force; it consisted of eight -ships and five hundred men, quite a formidable little army. With these -he sailed, and in due course arrived off Maracaibo. The buccaneers held -off till night came, sailing in under cover of the darkness until they -arrived near the bar. The Spaniards, sighting the strange vessels, were -taking no risks, and opened fire immediately, pounding away at the -pirates as they put out their boats and manned them, ready to sweep -in and land. Of course, Morgan’s ships gave the Spaniards as much as -they received, and during the day a fine little fight was kept up. Then -night came again; and Morgan, meaning to take advantage of it, swooped -in, to find that the Spaniards in the fort had bolted precipitately -when night fell. - -They had taken the precaution, however, of setting a fuse train to a -barrel of gunpowder, sufficient to hurl the fort and the buccaneers -into the Great Unknown. Fortunately, Morgan’s men, scouring about for -such a likely thing, hit upon it in about a quarter of an hour, and -soon destroyed the fuse. - -That done, the fort was ransacked and demolished. Next day, free from -hindrance of the fort, the eight pirate ships passed into the harbour, -and went on to Maracaibo. The water, however, being too shallow to -allow of the ships passing up, the buccaneers took to small boats -and canoes, and in this way made their way to the town. Landing, -they immediately rushed Fort De la Barra, only to find that it was -deserted; the Spaniards here had fled like their comrades farther -down, as also had the people in the town, with the exception of a few -old folk. - -Truly, Morgan was having an easy time. - -Searching the town to make sure that there were no soldiers hidden in -the houses to open fire upon them as they passed through the streets, -and finding none, the buccaneers dispersed about the city, some taking -up their abode in the church, for nothing was held sacred to these -terrible scourgers of the sea and sackers of cities. - -Although Morgan captured a number of fugitives and a good deal -of booty, he realised that there was nothing much to be gained -from Maracaibo, and decided to assault Gibraltar. First he sent a -batch of prisoners to the city, to warn the inhabitants that they -must surrender, or else they would receive no quarter; and almost -immediately followed them with his ships. Gibraltar, however, was -determined not to surrender at the behest of a scoundrelly buccaneer, -and Morgan was met by a terrific cannonading. - -Nothing daunted, the buccaneers accepted their welcome philosophically, -counting it but the bitters before the sweets. Early next morning, -they landed and marched on the town, taking the safe route through the -woods, the Spaniards in the fort little expecting them to come by that -way. However, the dons, aware of the reputation of Morgan, had followed -the example of their compatriots at Maracaibo and had fled, leaving -only one old man to receive the buccaneers. They had taken all the -munitions of war, all the treasure, and as much of their goods as they -could cope with, and they had spiked all the guns. - -There were a number of murderous and cruel incidents connected with -the prisoners they succeeded in taking later on. From one of these -unfortunate men they learned of a certain river where there was a -richly laden ship and four boats filled with treasure; he also told -them that he knew where the governor of Gibraltar was hidden. - -This was good news. Morgan went off with a large force to capture the -governor, and sent another body of men to take the ship and the boats. -Morgan was unsuccessful in capturing the governor, who had heard of his -coming and had taken up a strong position on a mountain; so that the -buccaneer had to forgo the pleasure of capturing him, and, moreover, -had to make a perilous retreat, owing to the fact that the rains had -come and the ground was swampy--sometimes, indeed, the men had to wade -waist deep. Many female prisoners and children died of exposure; some -of the buccaneers died also, and all their powder was wet and useless, -so that, if the Spaniards had had the gumption of mice, they would have -fallen upon Morgan and utterly routed him. But they hadn’t; and they -didn’t. - -Morgan, therefore, arrived safely back at Gibraltar, where two days -later his other men turned up, bringing the four boats and some -prisoners, but little treasure. The Spaniards had taken it out of the -ship and the boats. - -Having held Gibraltar for five weeks, and having committed all sorts of -cruelties to extract treasure from the prisoners taken, Morgan decided -that it was time to be moving. He first of all sent prisoners into the -woods to collect a ransom for the city, failing which the place would -be burnt out. The searchers came back minus ransom; they could not -find anyone who would give them money, they said. Morgan was furious; -but the inhabitants begged him to allow them time, offering to give -themselves up as hostages. Morgan, who was anxious to get back to -Maracaibo before the Spaniards had had time to refortify it, agreed to -this, and eventually sailed away, taking a goodly treasure with him and -all the slaves he had captured. - -Reaching Maracaibo, he found that the Spaniards had not yet come back, -but learned from an old man that three Spanish men-o’-war were lying at -the entrance to the river, waiting for him, and that the fort had been -repaired. Here was a pretty pass! Safety lay in getting out, and three -battleships were hovering about! - -Morgan, however, like the bold adventurer he was, refused to regard -himself as caught. He sent a messenger to the admiral of the Spanish -ships, Don Alonzo del Campo d’Espinosa, with an ultimatum! - -“Ransom of 20,000 pieces of eight for Maracaibo, or I’ll burn the -city!” was the trend of that ultimatum; as though Morgan were master of -the situation. - -The messenger came back, bringing a letter from d’Espinosa, informing -Morgan that, seeing his commission was to secure the buccaneers, and -as he had a good backing of ships, besides the repaired fort, he would -see Morgan to the deuce before he took any notice of the latter’s -ultimatum. He made one concession, however; that if Morgan would refund -all he had taken, and quit the Spanish Main for England, he would allow -him to pass freely. Otherwise, the Spaniards would give fight, and put -every buccaneer to the sword. - -Morgan read the letter, said a few strong things about Spaniards in -general and d’Espinosa in particular, and then called a council of -his men in the market-place of Maracaibo, and was gratified to know -that they would all stand by him in a vigorous offensive against the -Spaniards. One of them propounded a scheme for destroying the Spanish -vessels. Fireships! That was the suggestion. - -Notwithstanding their determination to fight, the buccaneers had -another try at corrupting d’Espinosa. They sent saying that they would -compromise by doing no damage to the town, or exact ransom from it; and -that they would release half the slaves taken, all other prisoners, and -forgo any ransom from Gibraltar, if the Spaniards would allow them to -pass through unmolested. D’Espinosa, of course, refused the terms, and -gave the buccaneers two days to fall into line with his own suggestion. -He would have done better if he had attacked them out of hand, for -Morgan immediately began to put himself in fighting form. He secured -his prisoners, had all arms prepared, and then fixed up a fireship. She -was drenched with tar and brimstone, logs of wood were placed upright -on her decks, surmounted by hats, to resemble men; dummy cannons were -fixed in her portholes and on her decks. - -All being ready, they went down the river to seek the Spaniards, the -fireship leading the way. At night they came within sight of the -enemy, dropped anchor, determined to fight all night if the Spaniards -attacked. But morning came, and the foe had not opened the battle, so -Morgan opened it instead. He sent the fireship ahead; she grappled the -admiral’s ship, and almost simultaneously burst into flame. Instantly -there was confusion on the Spanish ship, which tried to cut herself -free. But in vain; the flames caught her rigging and canvas, even her -timber, so that within a very short time the stern of the ship was -ablaze, the forepart sank, and the great ship perished. Meanwhile, the -other Spaniards were horror-stricken; one ship ran for the shelter of -the fort--anywhere to get away from such a fate; the Spaniards sank her -themselves rather than that she should fall to the foe. The third ship -was attacked by the buccaneers and captured; and Morgan knew that his -bold plan had been successful. - -The buccaneers, gladdened at their victory, landed, with the intention -of assaulting the fort; but, finding it well armed and manned, and they -themselves having only small pieces with them, thought discretion the -better part of valour for the time, though they had a little fight with -the Spaniards, just for fun, which cost them thirty men dead and as -many wounded. The Dons, fearing another attack both by land and sea, -entrenched themselves during the night; but Morgan was not intending to -assault them again, but rather to find a way out, for the fort still -stood between him and escape. First of all he left one ship near the -scene of the fight, to watch the vessels which had been burnt, and -which he heard contained a large treasure. Then he returned with the -prize to Maracaibo, where he refitted her, and then went back to his -other ships near the fort. - -Master of the situation, he now sent to the governor demanding the -ransom--now 30,000 pieces of eight and 500 cows; otherwise, the city -should be burnt in eight days. In two days the cows were forthcoming, -and 20,000 pieces of eight, the ransom finally agreed upon. Meanwhile, -the governor was working hard at getting the fort in a thorough state -of repair, so that he might dispute the passage of the pirates as they -tried to force their way through. Having salted all the meat supplied -him, Morgan asked the governor to allow him free passage. It was -refused. The buccaneer replied by threatening to hang his prisoners -in the rigging, so that they should be shot by the fort guns as the -vessels swung past. The governor refused to budge, even when the -prisoners made a frantic appeal to him. - -“All right,” was Morgan’s answer. “If he will not let me pass, then -I’ll find a way without him.” - -The vessel which he had left near the burnt ship had been successful in -getting many pieces of eight out of her, and a large quantity of plate -and molten gold. - -As the governor refused him safe passage, Morgan, having divided the -booty of the expedition, amounting to 250,000 pieces of eight and a -large quantity of merchandise, turned his attention to finding the -means whereby to escape. Fertile in invention, cool in execution, he -soon found a way. It was a bold piece of strategy that he hit upon. On -the day he had decided to leave despite the governor, he sent boats, -fully manned, to the shore, but instead of landing, the men, under -shelter of the trees overhanging the river, simply lay down in the -boats, which were pulled back to the ships, only to be sent off again -to follow the same procedure. The Spaniards in the fort, seeing such -large numbers of men apparently coming ashore, prepared themselves for -a fierce night attack. They therefore mounted all their big guns on the -landward side, which was just what Morgan had hoped they would do! - -Night came; the buccaneers weighed anchor, and with lights out and -no sails set, but trusting to the tide, they drifted down river till -they were abreast of the castle, when they spread their sails with all -haste and made for the open sea. Instantly the Spaniards perceived -how they had been hoodwinked, and in frantic haste moved their guns -back to their original positions, and began firing at the buccaneers, -who, however, favoured by a good breeze, were able to swing by without -receiving much damage. - -Safely past the fort, Morgan hove to, and in the morning sent some -of his prisoners to the governor, who dispatched boats so that the -others might be sent ashore, Morgan, however, detaining the hostages -from Gibraltar, as the city had not yet paid its ransom. Then the -buccaneers, giving the Spaniards a parting salvo of seven great guns, -dipped their flags in derision and went away, to run into a great -storm, which threatened to do what the Spaniards had not been able to -do--destroy them. However, they rode it out, and eventually reached -Jamaica, highly pleased with themselves. - -As was the custom with the buccaneers, Morgan’s men soon dissipated -the fortune they had made in their raid on Maracaibo and Gibraltar, -and the chief was besieged by men who wanted him to undertake another -expedition. Nothing loath, Morgan called a council of buccaneers at -Port Couillon, on the south of Hispaniola, on October 24, 1670. Here -he propounded a mighty big scheme, and one that had to be carefully -worked out. First, provisions were necessary, and the buccaneers sent -an expedition to the mainland to scour for maize, while another went -hunting for animals; and when all these were obtained they met again -at Port Couillon, where the final arrangements were made. Everything -being ready, they set sail for Cape Tiburon, where they were joined by -a number of other ships, which brought the fleet up to thirty-seven -vessels and two thousand men, all well armed, and each ship with large -guns aboard. Morgan, finding himself the leader of such a formidable -expedition, organised it properly, forming it into two squadrons, -appointing a vice-admiral and other officers for the second squadron, -he himself leading the first. - -Having fixed these little matters up, the buccaneers discussed their -expedition. Where should they go? The votes fell for Panama, which was -counted the richest city to plunder. As they were not familiar with the -overland route, they decided to seize guides from the island of St. -Catherine, and in due course the armada appeared off the fort of that -place. They sent messengers demanding its surrender, and the governor -gave in, whereupon the buccaneers busied themselves in laying in all -the stores they wanted; and that being done, enlisted three pretty -rogues to act as guides to them in their great venture. - -Then Morgan sent off a fairly large party to assault the castle of -Chagre, as a sort of preliminary canter; and when this had been -successfully done, he himself went to the castle, rebuilt it, and so -secured his line of retreat--if Fate should make it necessary for him -to flee before the Spaniards at Panama. Five hundred of his ruffians -were left as a garrison, and 150 guarded the ships, 1,200 going with -Morgan when he set out for Panama, which he did as soon as everything -was ready. - -The buccaneer received information that the Spaniards were aware of his -projected expedition, and had prepared against it, placing ambuscades -on the line of route. But, instead of scaring Morgan, it really only -made him alter his plans to the extent that, instead of carrying as -many stores as he would have done, he relied upon sending the Spaniards -scurrying from their ambushes, and taking their stores for himself. - -On January 18, 1671, therefore, the buccaneers left Chagre in -boisterous spirits, with songs on their lips, and with the good wishes -of their comrades ringing in their ears. Drums were beaten, flags -waved, blunder-busses were fired, as the intrepid 1,200 embarked in -boats and canoes. - -Their troubles began at once. The day was hot, the boats none too -commodious to contain all the men, and the result was that the -buccaneers were sun-scorched and cramped as they made their way up the -river against the stream, with the water lapping over the gunwales, -so crowded were the craft. Six Spanish leagues only were covered that -first day, and when evening fell the buccaneers scrambled ashore to -seek for food. They found little or none. Morgan had not bargained for -the Spaniards taking such effective measures to render his expedition a -failure; but the Dons had given instructions all along the route that -every particle of food was to be removed, animals driven away, and -what could not be cleared off to be destroyed. Esquemeling says that -“this day, being the first of all their journey, there was amongst them -such scarcity of victuals that the greatest part of them were forced -to pass with only a pipe of tobacco, without any other refreshment.” -The following day the journey was resumed, but the same troubles beset -them, and when they arrived at Cruz de Juan Gallego, in the evening, -they had to abandon their boats and canoes, because the river was -shallow and filled with fallen trees. - -Morgan’s guides told him that two leagues farther on the country -was good for travelling on foot, and the buccaneer, leaving 160 men -to guard the boats, set out next morning to cut a way through the -thick jungle. The travelling was so hard that the men could not cope -with it, and, fearing lest, if they got through, they would be worse -than useless to withstand an attack, Morgan went back to the river, -determined to make a portage. He sent the strongest of his men by land, -and embarked the remainder on the canoes, which forced a way up river -and met the other party--hungry, weary, disappointed at not having come -across either Indians or Spaniards. They wanted food so badly, and -could find none. - -From this point Morgan divided his army into two parties, one going -by land, the other by river, with a guide scouting before them on -the look-out for ambuscades. Incidentally, the Spaniards also had -their spies, who were so efficient that they could warn the Spaniards -six hours before the coming of the buccaneers. It was in this way -that Morgan came to an ambuscade too late to meet the Spaniards, 500 -of whom, he judged, had been there. Not a scrap of food was left -behind; the only things about were a few leathern bags, upon which the -buccaneers fell ravishingly, and quarrelled amongst themselves as to -the biggest shares! After they had feasted themselves upon the tough -rations, they moved forward again, to come to another place where an -ambuscade had been made, only to find it as deserted and as barren as -the other. They searched here, there, and everywhere for food, finding -none. Not a horse, not a cow was to be seen; they could not find even -rats, and on the fifth day they were so famished that it seemed as -though the expedition would be a failure. Then they lighted upon a -grotto, and in it found two sacks of meal, wheat, etc., and a couple -of jars of wine and some fruits. Such heaven-sent gifts! Morgan caused -them to be distributed amongst the weakest of his men, whom he put in -the canoes, making the others go by land. - -Next day they came to a plantation with a barn in it filled with maize. -They broke that barn open, and fell to eating the corn raw, and then -distributed the rest. Unfortunately for them, they presently saw what -they thought was an ambuscade of Indians. They felt that now they -would be sure to find food, and, throwing their maize away, rushed at -the ambuscade; but the Indians slipped away, carrying everything with -them, and standing on the other side of the river, taunted them, and, -shooting arrows, succeeded in killing several of the buccaneers. - -The way now lay across the river, and it was necessary to wait until -next day to cross. That night the men began to grumble, cursing -Morgan for a fool, and vowing that they would go back. However, better -counsels prevailed, and in the morning, having seen to their arms, -they crossed the river, and travelled on to the village of Cruz. Smoke -issuing from the houses cheered them up, for they said, “Where there’s -smoke, there’s food!” - -Again they were disappointed, for the Spaniards had fled with -everything eatable and of value, setting fire to the houses ere they -left. A few cats and dogs were found; they made a feast for the -buccaneers that day. Then some nosing scoundrel discovered a few jars -of wine and a sack of bread. They fell upon those goodies with a will; -and then almost died after drinking the wine, which was too strong -for their weakened stomachs. This little matter delayed them till -next morning, for the men were too ill to move, and it was a case of -everyone walking now, because the river was too shallow to take them -farther. Morgan, therefore, next morning sent his canoes back, lest -they should be captured, and with the remainder of his men marched -forward, meeting that day with the first opposition. A flight of some -four thousand arrows darkened the air, and caused a panic amongst -the buccaneers, who could not see whence they had come. Presently, -however, they espied a band of Indians in a position which, if defended -stanchly, would have prevented the buccaneers passing. But, contenting -themselves with shooting a few more arrows, the Indians took to their -heels. Then, a little later, the raiders met another company, and had a -stiff little fight with them. Yet again, in a wood, Indians appeared, -backed by a number of Spaniards. These, however, soon fled, and the -pirates held on their way, experiencing in the evening and during the -night a terrific rainstorm, which caused them much hardship, as the -majority had to sleep out in the downpour, a few being told off to -occupy some small huts in which the arms and powder were stored. - -The ninth day came, and the buccaneers ascended a hill, from the summit -of which they caught the gleam of the great South Sea. And, better -still, fertile plains rolled beneath them, with herds of cattle quietly -browsing. - -Down the hill-side raced the buccaneers, hurling themselves amongst the -cattle, which they killed and cut up for eating, many not waiting to -cook the meat. - -Having thus satisfied their animal cravings, they moved forward, -sending out a band of fifty to scout, in the hope of being able to -capture some prisoners, from whom they might learn the disposition -and strength of the Spaniards. Morgan was growing anxious at the -elusiveness of the Dons, fearing, no doubt, that they were simply -leading him on into a well prepared trap. But he never swerved from -his intention; he had come to take Panama and sack it, and he would -do so despite all the Spaniards in the New World. Towards evening a -couple of hundred Dons appeared and shouted at the buccaneers, who, -however, could not catch what they said; and soon after the Spaniards -had gone away the picturesque horde of pirates came in sight of Panama. -Mighty cheers rent the air, trumpets blared, ragged caps were flung -up; the men who had found the utmost difficulty in dragging themselves -along the tortuous paths now leaped for very joy. They already had by -anticipation the wealth of Panama in their hands! - -They pitched their camp that night with Panama before them, barely -contenting themselves with the idea of having to wait until the morning -before the work really began. They need not have worried; the Spaniards -saw to it that they had little rest. Fifty horsemen trooped out of the -city, headed by a trumpeter, who blared away at them, while the Dons -cried in derision: “Come on, ye dogs! We shall meet ye!” and then rode -back, leaving an outpost to keep an eye upon the buccaneers. Almost -immediately afterwards the great guns of Panama began to speak _their_ -taunts, and the pirates found themselves bombarded by heavy fire, -which, however, did little damage. - -Morning came, and the raiders prepared for the assault of the city. -There was little need for silence as they moved forward, and the -buccaneers made a terrible row, what with shouting, singing, and -trumpeting. They were an army by no means to be despised; about a -thousand strong, with loot as their aim, and what they lacked in the -way of uniform--for they were as ragamuffin an army as ever took -the field--they made up in courage and equipment. On they went, and -then suddenly came to a standstill at the word of command from their -chief. One of the guides had remembered that there was a better way to -enter the city than risking an encounter by going in full view of the -Spaniards. It was a difficult road, passing through a thick wood, but -Morgan decided to take it. So the army turned off, and the Spaniards, -seeing them do so, were filled with dismay, for they had not dreamt the -foe would take that road, and had fixed all their batteries to oppose -them on the other. - -It ended by the buccaneers coming on the town at a side totally -unprepared for attack, and the Spaniards had hastily to leave their -barricades and batteries. From the summit of a hill the pirates looked -down upon Panama--and what seemed to them a whole host of Spaniards. -The governor had turned out all his forces, consisting of two squadrons -of cavalry, four regiments of foot, and a fair amount of artillery. -The sight of so many foes for a while struck fear into the hearts of -the ragged horde, who had known but little fear till then. Some of -them spoke of going back. But, taking counsel amongst themselves, they -decided that, after all, it was desirable to do what they had come out -for, and to go into the fight with fierce courage, giving and taking no -quarter. - -Morgan divided his army into three battalions, sending in advance a -company of 200 real buccaneers--that is, the hunters of wild cattle. - -And the fight began. - -The Spaniards sent forward their cavalry at the gallop, shouting “Viva -el Rey”; but the rain had soddened the ground, and the horses became -unmanageable, especially when the pirates’ advance guard dropped to -their knees and sent in a withering fire of well-aimed shots. But the -Dons put up a bold defence, foot aiding horse, artillery supporting -both, till presently Morgan manœuvred so that the infantry were obliged -to separate from the cavalry. And then the buccaneers knew they were on -the way to victory. - -The Spaniards, however, had a card up their sleeve. When they debouched -from the city, they brought with them a herd of wild bulls, in charge -of a band of Indians. It was one part of the army with which they -meant to oppose the buccaneers. Finding that the battle was going all -against them, the Dons gave the word, and the herd of bulls, maddened -by the cries and lashes of the Indians, went full pelt across the -plain, straight for Morgan’s gallant little army. It looked as though -there were going to be a bull-fight instead of a battle between men. -Instead of that, the noise of the conflict, which still went on between -buccaneers and Spaniards, so scared the bulls that they turned and -ran away. A few, however, broke through the English battalion, but -did no more damage than to tear the colours. The result was that the -buccaneers found themselves with enough meat to last them many days. - -The Spaniards, disappointed at the failure of their ruse, held on -with the courage of despair, fighting for two more hours, having the -greater part of their cavalry killed, the rest fleeing for their lives. -The infantry and artillery, however, kept up the fight till, with a -rush, the buccaneers swept down upon them; and then, firing only the -shots that were in their muskets, away the Dons went, flinging their -arms aside as they ran. The buccaneers, battle-worn, were too weary to -follow them, and hundreds managed to reach the safety of the woods, -those few that remained on the field being killed out of hand. - -Six hundred Spaniards died that day, while Morgan “found both killed -and wounded of his own men a considerable number.” However, he was -victorious, and making his men rest before going up to the city, -examined a few prisoners who were brought in. One captain told him that -the troops in Panama consisted of 400 horse, twenty-four companies of -infantry of 100 men each, and 2,000 bulls, while in the city trenches -had been made and batteries dotted about to enfilade the streets up -which the buccaneers must go. - -Morgan and his men, however, vowed to go on, and after resting marched -forward against the city, which, when they approached, opened up a -terrific fire from the batteries, the guns being loaded with pieces of -iron and musket-balls. The cannonade wrought havoc with Morgan’s men, -who, however, pressed forward, nothing daunted, and after a stern fight -lasting three hours, they entered the city, rushing up the streets, -which, guarded by the great guns, swept lanes through their ranks. It -was a case of fighting from barricade to barricade, taking battery -after battery; fighting a way up one street, and then down another. For -three hours the fierce fight went on, and still the buccaneers were -winning. - -Then came the end. Gathering his forces, the governor opposed the -pirates gallantly, and a fierce hand-to-hand conflict waged, out of -which the buccaneers came victorious, and the city fell. Morgan had -achieved what he had set out to do. Through the streets the raiders -rushed, killing every soul who opposed them, giving no quarter; and -when the work of blood was done, Morgan called his men together. - -He commended them on their gallant fight, and then scared them into -sobriety. He knew what kind of men he had to deal with, and knew that, -if they once fell to the lure of wine, they would be at the mercy of -any small band of Spaniards who might return. Morgan lied to his men. - -“All the wine in the city has been poisoned!” he cried. “Drink but one -cup, and you will die!” - -Sadly disappointed--for they loved nothing so much as debauchery, -except it were a fight--the buccaneers promised to keep off the drink. -Though some of them in their hearts told themselves that he lied, -they were too scared to try to prove it. So Morgan became leader of a -_sober_ army of buccaneers! - -Then there began the looting of the city. The inhabitants had taken the -precaution of removing a great deal of their valuables; but there was -still sufficient left to provide much spoil for the buccaneers, who -ransacked every building in Panama. When all had been taken, Morgan -commanded many of the largest houses to be fired. The people who still -remained in the city had been tortured indescribably to make them -reveal the secret hiding-places of their wealth, and a veritable reign -of terror lasted while the buccaneers remained in Panama. - -It was not until February 24, 1671, that Morgan and the remains of his -army evacuated the city; and when they did so they had 175 beasts of -burden laden with gold, silver, and other precious things. They took -600 wretched prisoners with them to sell into slavery. - -Truly, they had wrought well from their point of view. Morgan made -every man allow himself to be searched to show that he had nothing -concealed about him when they arrived at Chagre. Then, having sent to -the island of St. Catherine to ask the prisoners he had left there to -ransom the castle, and receiving the reply that the buccaneers could -do just what they pleased with it, Morgan got down to the distribution -of the spoils. In this matter there was some dispute; the buccaneers -accused Morgan of having stolen part of the treasure. They were utterly -discontented with the share of 200 pieces of eight each, knowing full -well that the haul had been large enough to provide more. Morgan -listened to their complaints, kept a still tongue in his head, kept, -too, the treasure, and one night, going aboard his ship secretly, -slipped out to sea, followed only by three or four vessels whose men -were in the plot, and made for Jamaica. - -There the buccaneering days of Captain Morgan ended. He changed his -spots, became a law-abiding citizen, received pardon for his misdeeds, -and ended up by receiving a knighthood! Before that great day, however, -he had been Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica. Finally he was made -Governor, with power to put down piracy. And of all the governors of -Jamaica Sir Henry Morgan was the most severe on buccaneers and pirates! - - - - -UNDER THE JOLLY ROGER - -Thrilling Stories of Pirates - - -Pirates! - -The word conjures up visions of ferocious men with pistol in hand, -knife in mouth, clothes stained with blood, planks run out of a ship’s -side, and unfortunate, blindfolded men being driven to their death; -treasure in galore; high jinks ashore till the call for action came -again. - -A pretty picture--perhaps; and only too well founded on fact. - -When, in 1689, France and England joined hands in the determination to -sweep the buccaneer from the seas, and to effect this closed all used -harbours to him, the ruffian adopted new methods. As we have seen, the -buccaneers were something of a community, recognised up to a point by -different nations, and the French and English buccaneers waged private -war against the Spaniard. The assumption of so much power, as shown -by Morgan, made the nations anxious, and the result was that when -they decided to put an end to the buccaneer, whether he only attacked -Spaniards or not, that worthy, finding himself a general outcast, -declared against everybody; he became a pirate to whom no ship was -immune. - -Previously the scourges of the sea had been able to use frequented -harbours to dispose of their prisoners and treasure; now they found -themselves compelled to find new ports, and these were generally -desert islands. Here they marooned their prisoners, or hid their -treasure against the time when they could come and dig it up. - -To take Blackbeard first. - -Blackbeard was his nickname, given him because of the long whiskers -that he wore, tied up with ribbons on occasions, if you please! -Altogether Captain Edward Teach, to give him his right name, was a -somewhat picturesque ruffian, with a sling over his shoulders to carry -three brace of pistols, lighted matches under his hat, his beribboned -beard and his flamboyant costume made up of things he had purloined -during his cruises. He began life as a seaman on a privateer, rising -to the command of a sloop in 1716. The sloop, by the way, was a prize -captured by his friend Captain Hornygold, with whom in 1717 Teach -sailed on a voyage down the American mains. After a fairly prosperous -cruise the pirates parted company, Teach having command of a new prize, -a large French Guineaman, and Hornygold going to Providence, where he -surrendered to the King’s mercy, probably having had enough of the -life adventurous and realising that a recent proclamation gave him an -opportunity to leave his profession without sacrificing his life. - -Blackbeard, however, was but just beginning, as it were, and he turned -his Guineaman into a formidable fighting ship, mounting forty guns in -her, and giving her the new name of the _Queen Anne’s Revenge_. All -being ready, he sailed, and almost immediately fell in with a large -ship called the _Great Allen_, off the Isle of St. Vincent. He soon -overcame any resistance made, took out of her all that he wanted, -marooned the crew, set fire to the ship, and sent her drifting out to -sea, a flaming testimony to the methods he was going to adopt in his -profession. - -A day or so afterwards he came up against a different kind of ship; she -was an English man-o’-war, the _Scarborough_, thirty guns. There was -a fine set-to for some hours, for Teach was nothing loath to accept -a really good scrap when the opportunity arose, especially when, as -in this case, he was stronger than his foe. The guns blared out their -thunderous music, there were some near shaves for boarding; but in the -end the _Scarborough_ found that she had undertaken too big a task, -and sheered off. Mighty pleased, Teach now got swelled head, and felt -himself strong enough for anything, and felt stronger still when, -sailing for the Spanish Main, he joined forces with another pirate, -Major Bonnet, who, finding a planter’s life too monotonous, had taken -to the sea as a gentleman adventurer. Teach soon found out that Bonnet -was no sailorman, and likely to be more bother than he was worth in -command of a ship; so he put one of his comrades named Richards in -command of the sloop and took Bonnet on his own ship. It was no good -Bonnet protesting; Teach spoke, and it _was_! He was an autocrat, this -merry pirate! - -The two vessels now put in at Turneffe, near the Gulf of Honduras, -to take in water, and while doing this an unfortunate sloop, the -_Adventure_, came along; whereupon Richards slipped out after her. All -unsuspecting, the _Adventure_ held on. Then came consternation--the -pirate had hoisted the Jolly Roger! - -And the _Adventure_ struck and surrendered, which gave Teach another -ship for his little Armada. Then away to Honduras, where they -discovered a large ship, the _Protestant Cæsar_ (Captain Wyar) and four -sloops. Sailing boldly in, the pirates hoisted the black flag, banged -away at the ships, and called upon them to surrender. Immediately Wyar -and his crew took to a boat and raced ashore, leaving the _Protestant -Cæsar_ at the mercy of the pirates, who took possession, and after -rifling her, burnt her, as they did one of the sloops. The other three -they let go. - -Leaving Honduras, the pirates sailed about the neighbouring seas, -taking prizes at their will and reaping a rich harvest. Finally, -they came to anchor off the bar at Charlestown, Carolina, where they -continued their depredations, capturing many ships, one of them a -brigantine full of negro slaves. Blackbeard’s sojourn off Charlestown -was nothing more or less than a blockade, and a very effective one; -no ship dared try to enter or leave the port, and the whole trade of -the town was at a standstill, while day by day Teach was adding to the -number of his prizes. - -Finding that he stood in need of a medicine-chest, Teach decided that -the best way to get it was to apply to the Governor of Charlestown. -Confident that he held the trump cards in the game, the pirate sent -Richards and two or three other men into Charlestown, sending with them -one named Marks, whom they had taken prisoner on one of the ships. - -The pirates landed, swaggered into the town, bearded the authorities -brazenly, and in none too courteous manner told them that they wanted -medicines, and that the council of Carolina must provide them. If they -were not forthcoming, and if the envoys were not allowed to return -unmolested, then Teach threatened that he would burn every one of the -large number of ships he had captured, would kill every man found on -them, and send their heads to the governor. - -Mr. Marks interviewed the council, and Richards and his companions -sauntered about the town flaunting the people, who dared not lay a -finger upon them! The council, in a quandary, argued about the matter -amongst themselves; but as the lives of so many people were at stake -(by the way, one of their own number, Mr. Samuel Wragg, was a prisoner -to Teach), they soon came to the conclusion that, however disgraceful -it might be, there was nothing to be done but meet the pirates’ -demands. So when the sloop went back it carried a medicine-chest worth -nearly four hundred pounds! - -Teach, true to his word, set the prisoners free, rifled the ships of a -small fortune, and then sailed away to North Carolina. Here Blackbeard -put into execution a little plot. He had succeeded in gathering a fine -harvest of riches, and felt that it was a shame to have to share it -with so many folk. He therefore decided to get rid of some of them. -Running his own vessel ashore, while Israel Hands (in the plot with -him) ran one of the sloops ashore as well, the precious pair rowed out -to the third sloop with forty men, took possession of her, and marooned -seventeen of her crew on a small deserted island well away from the -coast. Fortunately for them, Major Bonnet, at this time in command of -another sloop, came up two days later and took them off; otherwise they -would have perished. - -Having got rid of some of the crew, Teach now landed and, accompanied -by twenty of his men, called on the governor of North Carolina, -not with the intention of plundering him, but for the purpose of -surrendering under the clement proclamation. Governor Charles Eden gave -him his pardon, and the pirate, now fairly wealthy, soon became friends -with him; so much so that when Blackbeard cast covetous eyes upon one -of the ships he had captured some time before, the governor called the -Court of the Vice-Admiralty, which condemned the vessel as a prize -taken from the Spaniards by Captain Teach. This was straining things -rather, seeing that Teach had never held a commission in the King’s -navy! No doubt Governor Eden made something out of the deal. - -Teach’s idea in getting the ship was that he felt the time ripe for -resuming the old life; and he felt that, with a friend at court, he -would have a much easier time of it. So in June, 1718, after having -married a young girl of sixteen (his fourteenth wife, a dozen still -being alive!), Blackbeard put to sea, shaping his course for the -Bermudas. He had a rollicking time for several months, taking rich -prizes, terrorising the captains who traded thereabouts, and going back -to North Carolina occasionally to square things up with the governor, -who was now so far in the ditch that Teach felt strong enough to be -saucy to him--just to teach him his place! - -No matter what protests were entered at North Carolina, no matter -how many angry captains appealed to the governor for redress and -protection, nothing was done; and Teach held sway. Things assumed -such a pass that a deputation of captains was sent to the Governor -of Virginia, to request that steps should be taken against Teach. In -the James River were two men-o’-war, the _Lima_ and the _Pearl_, and -two sloops were manned by sailors from the warships under command of -Lieutenant Maynard, of the _Pearl_. Then, after a proclamation offering -rewards for the apprehension, dead or alive, of the pirates, the sloops -set out for where the pirates were at anchor in the Okercok inlet, in -the James River. Maynard had taken the precaution to stop all vessels -from going up the river, lest news of his coming should be given the -pirates. Governor Eden, aware of the expedition, sent four pirates from -Bath Town to warn Teach what was afoot. The pirate, however, had had -several other warnings, which he refused to believe, and he took the -news the governor sent him with a grain of salt. The result was that -Maynard was able to get within sight of the pirate vessels without -hindrance. And then Teach believed! - -Roaring out orders to the twenty-five men on board, he quickly cleared -for action, determined to show fight. Then, when all was ready, he -calmly sat down to supper and a carousal, knowing that the shoals were -too dangerous for Maynard to attempt cutting him out till daylight came. - -Hardly waiting for the sun to rise, Maynard next morning sent a boat -ahead to take soundings in the intricate channel, and drew near to the -pirate ship. Within gunshot, he was subjected to a heavy fire by Teach, -who, when the sloops hoisted the King’s colours and raced at him with -sail and oar, cut cable and tried to make a running fight of it. He -brought all his big guns to bear upon the sloops, but these pushed on -through the hail of shot, and, having no guns mounted, kept up a rain -of small-arm fire. They hung on like leeches, dodged the pirate, and -made him dodge to such an extent that Teach was at his wit’s end what -to do, and at last ran ashore. Maynard’s sloop was of deeper draught -than the pirate, and could not get near until the ballast was flung -overboard and the water-casks staved in. Then, lightened considerably, -she was able to get close enough to Teach to make him uncomfortable. - -“Who are you?” yelled Blackbeard. “Where are you from?” - -“We’re no pirates,” retorted Maynard, “as you can see by our colours.” - -“Send a boat, then, so that I can see who you are,” said Teach. - -“Sorry,” answered Maynard, “but I can’t spare a boat. I’ll come aboard -with the sloop, however, as soon as I can!” - -“Seize my soul,” cried Teach, quaffing wine, “if I give you quarter, or -take any from you!” - -A sentiment with which Maynard told him he heartily agreed. - -The pirate ship was now afloat again, and the battle started once -more. As the sloops were no more than a foot high in the waist the -crews were exposed to fire as they tugged at the oars; and Teach took -advantage of this. He discharged a whole broadside of small shot, which -killed twenty men on Maynard’s ship and nine on the other, which was -disabled, and fell astern as the pirate vessel went broadside to the -shore in order to present but one flank to attack. Maynard, fearing -another broadside, ordered his men below, and he and the helmsman alone -remained on deck as the sloop ran alongside the pirate. - -Down below Maynard’s men were ready for the word of command that should -send them scrambling up the pirate’s side. Up on Teach’s deck men lined -the side with hand grenades made of case-bottles filled with powder, -slugs, small shot, and fired with a quick-match; and as the sloop came -alongside these were hurled down into her. - -Teach, looking over, saw only Maynard and the helmsman alive, with many -dead men lying about the deck, and, thinking that he had effectively -put them out of the fight, cried to his men: - -“They’re all knocked on the head except three or four. Let’s jump in -and cut the rest to pieces!” - -Down into the sloop, therefore, went Teach and fourteen of his -cut-throats, expecting an easy triumph. The smoke from the grenades -obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but -as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called -upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon -the pirates. - -Maynard tackled Blackbeard himself. The two fired simultaneously, and -Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from -engaging in some sword play with Maynard. In the midst of that fighting -crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, -until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the -mercy of the pirate. He stepped back quickly, cocked his pistol; but -ere he could fire Blackbeard had swung down upon him with his cutlass. -For a moment it seemed that Maynard was done, but, with a yell, one of -his men hurled himself at Teach, slashed at him with a cutlass that -gashed his throat and neck and put him off his stroke, so that Maynard -received only a slight wound on his finger. - -Still the fight went on, thirteen men against fifteen, the odds in -favour of the pirates. The deck was slippery with blood; men whom the -firing had laid low were trampled upon as the yelling, cursing, hacking -crowd swayed this way and that. Now the fight seemed to be going in -favour of the pirates, now of the royal crew; and Teach cheered on his -men savagely, cursing them, exhorting them. - -Blackbeard, although wounded in several places, was a game scoundrel, -and kept on with the fight; he was literally covered with pistols, -which he kept drawing and firing; and when the fight ended he was -smothered with wounds--twenty-five of them! And one wound was mortal, -for he dropped dead to the deck, to keep eight of his fourteen company -in death. The other six flung themselves overboard, but were captured. -Then, the second royal sloop coming up, the remainder of the pirates on -the big sloop were attacked, and after a stiff fight they surrendered. - -When the vessel was captured, it was found that Teach had arranged for -it to be blown up, with its living freight, as soon as Maynard boarded -her; and the negro who had had the task allotted to him was with -difficulty dissuaded from carrying it out when he found out that Teach -had been killed. - -Blackbeard’s head was cut off and hung at the bowsprit end of the royal -sloop, which sailed with it to Bath Town, where Maynard, having found -papers incriminating Governor Eden, forced that gentleman to return the -spoils that Teach had given him; and in due course sailed back to the -men-o’-war with fifteen prisoners, who were brought to justice. - - * * * * * - -Captain Howell Davis, who adopted much the same tactics as the old -buccaneers, mutinied against his captain and assumed command of the -ship, which he turned into a pirate craft. After several little -affairs, in which he gained much treasure and many reinforcements -of men, till he had seventy under him, he aimed at something higher -than merely holding up ships on the seas. He thought he would like to -capture Gambia Castle, on the coast of Guinea, a place where there was -always a good store of money. Sailing in, he sent all his men below, -except a few who were needed to work the ship, and, coming to anchor -under the fort, hoisted out a boat, manned it with six men dressed like -any ordinary sailormen, and sent the doctor and the master with them as -merchants. - -The governor, named Foyle, had seen the ship come in, and sent a -company of soldiers down to the shore to welcome the new-comers, who -were taken into the castle, where the governor greeted them kindly. -The pirates lied glibly, telling the governor that they were from -Liverpool, bound for Senegal, but, having been chased by a couple -of French men-o’-war, had put in at Gambia for safety. Would the -governor trade with them for slaves? Gathering that the merchants had -a large cargo of plate and iron, the governor agreed to barter, asking -incidentally whether they had any liquor aboard. Davis said they had, -and promised him a hamper for his own use, if he would care to accept -it. - -Overwhelmed at the generosity, the governor invited Davis and his -comrades to dinner with him; Davis accepted, but said that he must go -on board first to see that everything was all right. He would return in -time for dinner, bringing the liquor with him. - -Davis had been taking notes of everything in the fort, and when he got -back to his ship was able to assure his rascally crew that before night -the fort would be in their possession--if they didn’t get drunk. They -promised to be good, and to send twenty men on shore directly they saw -the flag of the fort struck--the signal that Davis had captured it. -Davis took the precaution, in the evening, of securing the crew of a -little sloop that lay in the harbour, lest they should hear anything -and give warning to the governor. - -Then, taking the hamper of liquor, Davis entered his boat, which had a -number of men in it, each armed with two pairs of pistols, carefully -hidden, and with instructions to mingle with the soldiers in the -guard-room while Davis was engaged with the governor. When Davis fired -a pistol through the governor’s window they were to set about the -soldiers at once, and seize all the arms in the guard-room. - -In due course the pirate was with the governor, waiting dinner, -and making a bowl of punch to while the time away. Never was man -more surprised than that luckless governor when, in the midst of the -convivialities, Davis poked a pistol in his face, and told him that -unless he surrendered the castle and all the money it contained, he -would shoot him like a dog! - -What could a man do? the governor evidently asked himself. Foyle gave -in. Davis and the coxswain, the master and the doctor, having closed -the door, took possession of all the weapons in the governor’s room, -and loaded all the pistols. Then Davis fired through the window, -as arranged. Instantly his men in the guard-room got to work; they -placed themselves between the soldiers and their piled-up arms, and, -with cocked pistols at the heads of the soldiers, called upon them to -surrender. They did so; it was no use trying to resist ruffians who -were so well armed! The soldiers were locked in the room, the flag -was struck, reinforcements came from the ship, and during the day the -pirates enjoyed themselves to the full, plundering everything, and -reaping a fairly rich harvest. Davis, who felt he wanted more men, -prevailed upon certain of the soldiers to join him; the others he -placed on board the sloop, having taken the precaution of removing all -sails, etc., from her, so that they could not escape. - -Then, having got all that was to be obtained, Davis ordered the -fortification to be destroyed and the guns dismounted, and, considering -it time to be gone, weighed anchor. Just as the ship was setting sail -the pirates saw a vessel bearing down upon them. Not knowing what -kind of a ship she might be, whether friend or foe--they had very few -friends, and far too many foes!--Davis had all his men to arms to -receive the new-comer, who, when near enough, let fly a shot across -the pirate’s bows and hoisted the black flag! Davis, overjoyed at the -turn of events, returned the compliment both with shot and flag, and in -a few minutes the two captains were hobnobbing together. Davis found -that the new-comer was a pirate under the command of a Frenchman named -La Bouse; and, joining forces, the precious pair sailed down the coast -to Sierra Leone. - -Here they saw a tall ship riding at anchor, and decided that she would -make a good prize. The thing that worried them was that she did not -attempt to escape, which made them wonder whether she might not be a -heavily armed vessel, who felt sure of herself and didn’t mind a fight. -However, Davis sailed in boldly, and his ship literally staggered back -as she received a full and heavy broadside; and up went the stranger’s -flag--a black one! Truly Davis was meeting some queer adventures! It -did not take long to explain matters, and Davis and La Bouse found -themselves in company with another band of pirates, under a rogue named -Cocklyn. They fraternised together for three days, the first two being -spent in true pirate fashion--feasting and debauching; on the third -a council of war was held, at which it was agreed to join forces, -Davis being appointed to supreme command. However, the friends soon -quarrelled amongst themselves, and the three captains nearly came to -blows one day while they were engaged in a debauch. - -Davis decided that the affair must end at once, before worse happened. - -“Hark ye, Cocklyn and La Bouse!” he cried. “I find that, by -strengthening you, I have put a rod into your hands to whip myself. -However, I am still able to deal with you both; but since we met in -love, let us part in love, for it’s very plain that three of a trade -can never agree.” - -The other pirates saw the wisdom of Davis’s opinion, and the result was -that they parted company. We will leave the others, and follow Davis to -his tragic end. Ambitious as ever, he captured a big Dutch ship with -thirty guns in her, and, mounting twenty-seven more, sailed to the Isle -of Princes, which he thought to raid. To the governor he passed himself -off as the captain of an English man-o’-war searching for pirates. The -governor welcomed him and feasted him, and, to return the compliment, -Davis, presenting him with a dozen slaves, invited him on board to a -feast, asking him to bring some of the chief men and friars from the -island. The governor agreed, and Davis was highly pleased, for he had -fashioned a little plot whereby, as soon as the governor boarded the -ship, he and his friends were to be taken prisoner, and held to ransom -for £40,000. - -Poor Pirate Davis! He was doomed to disappointment on this occasion. A -negro, watching his opportunity, that night slipped overboard, swam to -the shore, burst like a tornado upon the governor, and warned him of -the plot. - -Next morning, when Davis went ashore, the governor met him with smiling -face, invited him to join him at the house in a little refreshment, -and, chatting affably, the party walked up. Presently the governor -shifted somewhat, and at a given signal a withering volley was poured -in at the pirates, who, with one exception, fell to the ground. The -plot had failed! - -Davis, wounded in the bowels though he was, rose to his feet and -endeavoured to get away; he dropped in his tracks, and in the moment -of death pulled out his pistols, and fired them point-blank at his -pursuers. - -When those on board the ship saw what had happened, they hurried away -post-haste, and, once clear of the island, elected a new captain. -The choice fell upon Bartholomew Roberts, and a really fine pirate -chief he made. He was a born fighter and leader of men; he stood no -nonsense from anyone, and the man who disputed his authority knew it -to his cost. He cared for nobody, and, although we need not follow his -whole career, he did so much damage amongst shipping, both off Africa -and America, that his name became a byword amongst mariners. He was a -terror of the seas. - -He cut a picturesque figure when he went fighting. He would overhaul -a ship, pound at her for all he was worth, and then, entering his -longboat, row over and tackle her. All his men were extravagant in -their tastes regarding dress, but Roberts was worse than all; he -dressed in a rich crimson damask waistcoat and breeches, wore a -large black hat with a crimson feather, a gold chain round his neck, -with a diamond pendant, a silk band hanging from his shoulders to -carry his pistols. Thus, sword in hand, he led his men to the fight, -dashing, very often, through a very hail of shot, and, with shouts and -curses, urging his men on as they tried to board. A stiff fight very -often ensued, and then the pirates, having run the gauntlet of fire, -scrambled up the side of the ship and, after a fierce hand-to-hand -fight, had her beaten. - -[Illustration: “Sword in hand, Roberts led his men to the fight, -dashing through a very hail of shot”] - -But, though he played this game many a time with much success, Nemesis -was at hand. The _Royal Fortune_, as he called his last ship, had as -consort the _Ranger_, and the two ships caused such depredation that -the British cruiser _Swallow_ scoured the seas to find them, eventually -running them to earth in the River Gaboon. The _Royal Fortune_ lay -well up the river, but the _Ranger_ was at the mouth, and, seeing the -_Swallow_ approach with portholes closed, her crew hugged themselves -with delight in anticipation of another prize. They thought she was a -sugar ship, and they badly wanted sugar. They therefore hoisted sail -and gave chase, which was just what the _Swallow_ wanted. Lieutenant -Sun, in command, had realised that the _Ranger_ had made a mistake, and -he led her on till she was well away from the river and out of gunshot -of the _Royal Fortune_, which he meant to tackle later on. - -The pirates, lured on by the thought of the sugar cargo sped after the -_Swallow_, drew near enough to fire their bow chasers, and then opened -on the quarry. Up went the black flag at the same time--as though the -_Swallow_ wanted to be told who they were!--and then, after a little -further chase, drew alongside and prepared to board. The ruffianly -looking crew lined the side of the _Ranger_. That moment the lower -ports of the _Swallow_ opened, and a terrific broadside crashed into -the side of the astonished pirate. They had been bitten, deceived. -They cursed their foes and drew off, though not before the black flag -came fluttering down to the deck. Then, having hoisted another Jolly -Roger, they tried to get away; but the _Swallow_ was swifter than their -own ship, and her guns better handled, with the result that, after a -running fight of two hours, the black flag came down again, this time -struck by the pirates; and the _Ranger_ was captured. - -They were a cheerful lot of pirates which the _Swallow_ took aboard; -they did not seem to mind the prospect of the gallows, but joked and -laughed, and treated the whole affair as a huge joke. They even tried -to blow the _Ranger_ up before they were taken off, with the pirates -and the Navy men on board. Lieutenant Sun sent the _Ranger_ into port -with a prize crew, and then made off for the Gaboon River again, to -tackle Roberts, in the _Royal Fortune_. While the fight had been going -on, Roberts had been busy; he had captured a ship, and was sailing -away with her when the _Swallow_ sighted him on February 9, 1722. Sun -kept as far away as possible, so that Roberts should not suspect he -was being followed, and allowed him to anchor in a bay near Cape Lopez -for the night. Roberts, who, if he had known, might have given the -_Swallow_ the slip, remained there, all unconscious of the fate coming -to him. He was at breakfast next morning when news was brought him of -a tall ship being near at hand. Roberts said it must be the _Ranger_ -returning, or a slave ship; anyway, it was nothing to get into a -turmoil about. He soon found his mistake, for the stranger hoisted her -colour, opened her ports, and showed Roberts that he was in for a scrap. - -“It’s only a bite!” he cried. “Get ready!” - -While his men rushed to arms, Roberts stood on his deck in all the -glory of his pilfered attire. There came to him one of his men who, a -deserter from the Navy, had once sailed aboard the _Swallow_, and knew -her powers. - -“She sails best before the wind,” he said; “and we can escape, if we -want to, by running for it.” - -Roberts thought a while. He knew that he was in a tight corner, for the -_Swallow’s_ men were brilliant fighters, and she was a sturdy ship. He -decided, after all, he would run for it, making up his mind that, if -everything else failed, he would either run the ship ashore, and let -his men shift for themselves, or else dash down upon the _Swallow_, -board her, and blow up both ships! - -So the orders were given, and the _Royal Fortune_ swooped down upon -the _Swallow_, intending to give her a broadside as she passed. The -_Swallow_ opened fire as the black flag fluttered aloft; Roberts -returned it, and then swung away. But, just as he thought he was safe, -the _Royal Fortune_ failed them. Something went wrong; she did not -answer to the helm, and failed to catch the wind. The _Swallow_ drew -near! - -What Roberts would have done it is impossible to say; what he did, -however, was to die at that moment. A grapeshot hurtled across the -deck, struck him in the throat, and killed him outright. He dropped to -the deck in a sitting posture. The helmsman, thinking he was fooling, -cursed him roundly, and tried to get him on his feet, but, finding the -pirate chief dead, began to cry, and prayed that the next shot might -kill him off too. The remainder of the ruffians seized the captain and -pitched him overboard, as he had instructed them to do in case of death. - -Then, leaderless, they scarcely knew what to do; they were half drunk -most of them, and though they put up a little resistance, and some of -them sought to blow up the magazine, they at last struck their flag; -and the _Swallow_ had cleared Roberts and his herd off the sea. - -So much for some of the pirates of long ago. - - - - -BLOCKADE RUNNING - -Tales of Adventure in Eluding Watchful Blockaders - - -The Great War of 1914-15 showed what the command of the sea really -meant. It showed that even although the greatest navy in the world had -little opportunity in the early stages to meet its foes in a decisive -battle--through the latter lurking in their harbours--yet there was -much work to be done: the guarding of the ocean routes, the exertion -of silent pressure upon the enemy, who found his shipping held up -in harbour, and was unable to import food by the coast even before -a blockade had been declared. On the other hand, in another chapter -we have shown how German raiding cruisers also played havoc with the -Allies’ shipping, and pounced upon outlying places--only at last to be -brought to book. Here we are concerned only with ships that have run -blockades, slipping through the cordon drawn around coasts, running the -risk of being sunk or captured. - -[Illustration: “There was a whoosh! whoosh! of a rocket -heavenwards--the warning to the blockading fleet”] - -To go back to an earlier date, and a war which was as nothing compared -with the world war, we find that during the American Civil War the -Federals imposed a strict blockade of the southern ports whence the -much-needed cotton was shipped. As a result cotton soared in price, and -men found a means to make fortunes by slipping into blockaded ports -with cargoes of stuff wanted by the Confederates and taking cargoes -of cotton in their place, and then running the gauntlet of the -watchful ships. Blockade running attracted hardy adventurers of all -nationalities--men to whom adventure was the spice of life, and who, -incidentally, found the spice pretty hot! - -One of the most daring of these runners was Captain Hobart, an -Englishman who joined the Royal Navy in 1836, worked hard and well in -the suppression of the slave trade in South America, served later in -the Crimean War, retiring in 1860. When the Civil War broke out he -took service as a blockade-runner, and many were the daring trips he -made. Wilmington was his favourite port, although at the mouth of the -river the Federal fleet were in strong force, bombarding Fort Fisher -and keeping up the blockade, holding up ships that were not fortunate -enough to slip by in the night, and chasing those which did not stop on -command. - -Hobart didn’t stop, although on one occasion he was chased for many -miles by a Federal cruiser. In his cotton-laden ship he had slipped -out of the river and passed Fort Fisher at eleven o’clock one -night, knowing full well that lying off the mouth of the river were -twenty-five ships waiting to catch such as he. - -It was pitch dark, and the blockade-runner, with no lights showing, -went at full steam ahead through the channel over the bar, guided only -by the faint lights the Confederates had cunningly placed to enable -ships to enter the river safely. Hobart navigated his vessel by these, -and crossed the bar; and then saw that a large barge had been placed by -the Federals at the entrance for the purpose of signalling if any ship -tried to slip out. The cotton ship almost ran the barge down, but by -quick manœuvring avoided doing so, and steamed on. Next instant there -was the _whoosh! whoosh!_ and a rocket sped heavenwards--the warning -to the blockading fleet. Then there was the boom of a gun; but Hobart -pushed forward, turned eastward, steaming a mile or so from the coast. -Now and then there came the sound of guns being fired, sometimes quite -close at hand; but they saw no ship, neither were they seen by any -apparently, for nothing untoward happened until about nine o’clock the -next morning, when through the rising mist they saw a large cruiser -bearing down upon them. - -It was a case of running for it, and the cotton ship sped on with her -engines pounding out every ounce of power there was in them. After her -came the cruiser, gaining at every yard, for the cargo of the runner -was very heavy, and she was unable to show a clean pair of heels to the -pursuer. - -Some of the bales of cotton were shifted aft in order to sink the -screws as deep as possible, and so increase the speed; but even this -did not help them much, and the cruiser was still gaining. Then Hobart -had a stroke of luck. About a mile in front of him he saw peculiar -ripples which he knew betokened the proximity of the Gulf Stream. If he -could only get his ship into the stream quickly he might stand a chance -of escape, for the Gulf Stream, going at the rate of three miles an -hour, would help them on their way considerably. The course was altered -at once, and the cotton ship sped on towards the stream, into which -she entered; and immediately her speed was accelerated. Meanwhile, the -cruiser had also changed course, but had not got into the bosom of the -stream, with the result that after a time Hobart found he had gained -some seven miles on her. - -Then about twelve o’clock the cruiser entered the stream, and again -the distance between the two ships lessened, till by five o’clock -only about three miles separated them; and shortly after the cruiser -opened fire without result. Seven o’clock, and she was still nearer, -for her shots went over the cotton ship, and Hobart began to think it -was a case of giving up. Then night fell, and the sky was overcast; -fortunately the cotton ship was in shadow cast by the moon shining over -edge of clouds. This made a huge difference to their chance of escape, -for when it came out from behind the clouds it showed the chasing -cruiser quite plainly, but did not reveal her quarry, although she was -barely a mile away. Luck was certainly on Hobart’s side! - -Changing his course, in order to confuse his pursuer, who was still -firing guns in rapid succession, although she could not see her aim, -Hobart presently gave the order to “Stop!” and the cotton ship came -to rest, steam was blown off under water, and the still and silent -ship remained there till presently the men on board saw the cruiser go -racing past them, firing madly at nothing! - -Hobart got that cargo of cotton through all right! - -Another Confederate blockade-runner was Captain William Watson, of the -_Rob Roy_ schooner. He was also a dispatch-carrier on the occasion we -are about to narrate, Major-General Magruder having entrusted him with -important documents which he was to deliver to the Confederate States -consul at Havana. - -The night decided on to make the run was dark, and there was a good -strong wind, but an uncertain one; outside the mouth of the Brazos -River lurked a number of Federal cruisers and gunboats. Watson had for -company two other schooners, the _Hind_ and the _Mary Elizabeth_. The -_Rob Roy_ took the pilot aboard and led the way down the river and over -the bar; the _Rob Roy_ and the _Mary Elizabeth_ managed to get away -without being seen, but the _Hind_ dropped astern and was captured. -Once clear of the mouth of the river the other two schooners sped -under all the sail they dare hoist, having to be sparing with it lest -the white show against the cliffs and reveal their presence. They had -something like ten or eleven hours of darkness before them, and hoped -to be well away from the watchful cruisers by that time. A gale sprang -up, for which they were thankful, as it carried the ships along at a -rattling pace. The _Mary Elizabeth_, however, was separated from the -_Rob Roy_, which romped through the seas at a speed that delighted -Watson, for by noon next day they had come a hundred and thirty miles -without anything unforeseen happening. The only unfortunate thing was -that the ship was now in the track of Federal cruisers searching for -blockade-runners between New Orleans and Point Isabel; and while Watson -was thinking seriously of this the wind dropped and the schooner was -becalmed. The sails were lowered, so that the ship should not be so -noticeable to any passing vessel, and Watson paced his deck eating his -head off with impatience, expecting every minute to see a cruiser on -the horizon. At two o’clock he saw a ship which he knew spelt danger. -Instantly he made up his mind what to do. In the Brazos River they had -picked up a couple of sweeps, and these were brought into use, together -with boat oars. Then all the men available bent their backs to the -task of rowing the schooner! They steered her so that she would go out -of the course of the new-comer, and after working like niggers for -goodness knows how long they managed to get her three miles, and then -saw the other vessel pass them seven miles away. Watson thanked his -lucky stars that he had taken in his sails, for the bare poles he knew -would be scarcely visible to a steamer at such a distance away. - -So far, so good. Towards evening a light breeze came up, sails were -set once more, and the schooner went on her way until early next -morning, when the wind dropped again, and the sails were lowered as -before. She was becalmed for that day and the following night; and in -the morning there appeared a large ship which some of the men aboard -were sure was a man-o’-war. So it was out sweeps again to get the -schooner out of danger. When they were some nine miles away from the -man-o’-war the wind came up, which--strange how men get what they want -when they would rather be without it!--they regarded as unfortunate, -for they dared not hoist sail lest they be discovered. - -Eventually, however, it was decided to take the risk, and every inch of -canvas was crowded on, and away sped the _Rob Roy_, Watson hoping to -get clear before the man-o’-war had a chance to hoist her sails. They -had gone some distance when they noticed that the wind had caught the -warship, and that she had hoisted all her canvas and was pelting along -after them as fast as she could sail. Watson suddenly tacked, and the -large vessel, keeping on her port tack, passed by to leeward some six -miles away. Then, when she tacked about to follow them, Watson went -back to his old course, and once more gained on her, for every time the -warship changed course she had to lose way. - -So the queer chase went on; but the warship gained upon the _Rob -Roy_, and Watson’s one hope was that he would be able to keep at a -safe distance, out of range of her guns, until night fell, when he -would stand a better chance of giving her the slip. The sailors on the -man-o’-war, anticipating that the wind would soon drop, worked hard to -get their vessel as near to the runaway as possible, so that if that -should happen they might be able to tackle her in their boats. Watson -knew this, and still kept tacking about to increase the distance, -until at last the wind did fall and the two ships were becalmed. - -The man-o’-war was some four miles off then, and Watson had his sweeps -and oars out again, the men falling to with a will; but as there was a -slight sea against them they were not able to propel the ship so far -as they had done previously. Soon Watson saw a couple of boats put off -from the warship, their men pulling with all their might, hoping to -catch the schooner before the breeze came up again. When they were a -mile away the wind came, and the _Rob Roy_, aided by the sweeps, began -to make some way, but not sufficient to outpace the boats, one of which -came to within a quarter of a mile. The men on board now began to think -that all was up, that they might just as well surrender; and Watson got -his dispatches ready to throw overboard. He had wrapped them in canvas, -weighted with a piece of chain, so that they should sink and not fall -into the enemy’s hands. - -Just when it seemed that they must be overhauled the wind became -stronger, and the men, working hard at their sweeps, the sails bulging -out as they caught the breeze, carried the schooner along at a pace -that soon left the boats far behind; and the men stood up and waved -their hands tauntingly to the sailors who had thought to have them in a -few minutes. - -A rifle-shot rang out across the waters, then others, and the bullets -whistled across the deck, narrowly missing the men. The warship now -made after her boats, to pick them up, and this gave the _Rob Roy_ a -better chance of escape. Then the wind freshened so much that Watson -became nervous; too much wind was not good for the overladen _Rob Roy_, -and the sea was getting very boisterous. To make matters worse, the -schooner was leaking very badly, and some of the men had to be told off -to work the pumps for all they were worth. - -As night fell the warship had gained considerably, and opened fire -with her guns, the shots, however, falling short. Then the _Rob Roy_ -was hidden by the darkness. Watson at once changed his tack in order -to baffle the pursuer, and all through the night the schooner scudded -before the wind, and by morning had left the cruiser far behind, -reaching Tampico in due course without further adventure. - - - - -ADVENTURES ON A DESERT ISLAND - -The Story of Some Castaways--and a Scoundrel - - -In October, 1628, there sailed from the Texel a Dutch ship, the -_Batavia_, under the command of Captain Francis Pelsart. Now Pelsart -wasn’t the best of navigators, and after having been at sea for nine -months he lost his way on a trackless ocean, and, though he did not -know it, he was close to the islands known as Houtman’s Abrohos, or -Houtman’s Rocks, off the west coast of Australia--the seas in that -quarter of the globe not being, as every schoolboy knows, the best -known in those far-off days. As a matter of fact, Captain Pelsart was -having a run of hard luck--lost, sick, and with a coming wreck in -front of him, and not far off, either. While Pelsart lay in his cabin, -without warning of any kind except the booming of the breakers, the -_Batavia_ went pounding on a shoal off Houtman’s Rocks, where she stuck -fast. - -Jumping out of his cabin, Pelsart rushed on deck, and, seeing the -position of things, soundly rated the master for his neglect; whereupon -that worthy pointed out, quite convincingly, that he wasn’t to blame, -seeing that as the place where they were had not been visited by anyone -else before--so far as he knew--how was he to know the reefs and -shoals? This argument, of course, commended itself to Pelsart, who, -realising that the best must be made of a bad job, bethought himself of -getting the _Batavia_ off the shoal. He had the cannon with which the -ship was armed pitched overboard, in the hope that this would lighten -her sufficiently to float her. But the _Batavia_ refused to be floated, -and when a sudden and heavy squall came down on her Pelsart really -thought everything was over; but the _Batavia_ weathered it all right, -and, taking a last desperate chance, the captain ordered the mainmast -to be cut away. This was done, but in such a way that, instead of going -clear over, it fell on the deck. - -Convinced finally that there was no chance of getting his ship off, -Pelsart wondered what was to be done for the safety of his passengers -and crew. Just a little distance away, in the bright moonlight, he -could see two small islands, while some three leagues off lay a larger -island. He resolved to have the islands inspected to see what they -were like, and therefore sent the master of the ship on that errand. -Meanwhile, on board the _Batavia_ reigned a miniature pandemonium; -women were shrieking, children crying, grown men were raving; and the -ship was beginning to break up, so that altogether poor Pelsart had -his hands full, and was relieved when the master returned and reported -favourably on the islands. There were, all told, 230 people on board, -and, women and children going first, 120 were landed on the large -island and forty on the smaller one near at hand, leaving seventy still -to be landed. These also would have been rescued but for the fact -that the crew behaved as no sailors ever should; they began to drink -heavily, and got out of hand, for which reason only a very few barrels -of water were landed, and twenty barrels of bread. Now, one would -imagine that a castaway crowd’s first thought would be to conserve the -food they had got, but this particular crowd did quite the other thing, -and began to waste both food and water, with the result that one of -the crew went back to the ship, by which Pelsart was still standing, -telling him not to send any more provisions for a while. Pelsart -therefore went ashore, leaving an officer and seventy men on the ship. - -Arrived on shore, the captain discovered that the tale brought to -him was quite correct; scarcely any water was left. Resolved to make -this good, he tried to return to the ship to supervise the sending -of further barrels; but the weather had become too rough for him to -venture, and he had to hold back. Meanwhile, the ship’s carpenter, -taking his life in his hands, swam ashore with the news that the ship’s -crew on board were in a pretty bad way, and that unless something were -done they would be all flung headlong into the sea when the ship broke -up. Pelsart, unable to go himself, prevailed upon the carpenter to go -back and tell the crew to hold on a while, and busy themselves with -making rafts on which to float to shore. But the crew, although they -did all they could, were unable to get to shore because the sea was -now running heavier than ever, and to trust oneself on the pounding -waves was to court disaster. Therefore they had to remain on the wreck, -while Pelsart fumed and fretted at the thought of not being able to do -anything for them. - -Neither the larger island nor the smaller one, on which Pelsart himself -was stranded, had any water besides that which had been brought; and -this was little enough, in all conscience. The people who had been so -prodigal of it at the beginning now came to see that without water they -would surely perish. What was to be done? Water they must have; and -they urged Pelsart to go to some of the neighbouring islands in quest -of it. - -With a captain’s loyalty to his ship’s company, Pelsart refused to go -without the consent of all. Why should he take the main chance of being -able to get away to safety while all the others remained stranded, cast -away without means of sustenance? No, if he went at all, everyone must -agree to his going. The folk on the small island argued with him, but -argued in vain. - -“I’ll go over there,” he said, pointing to the larger island, with its -120 poor souls, “and get their consent; or else I’ll go back to the -ship and perish with her.” - -There was no gainsaying that, anyway; and so they let him push off the -boat, taking in her a crew sufficient to work her. They were a wily -clique, that crew! When the captain got well away from the island they -refused to take him to the other island. They feared, no doubt, that -the people there would not agree to Pelsart’s going, and they knew -that out at sea Pelsart was helpless against them. The captain raved, -threatened; but raved and threatened in vain. They would not let him -go, and when he jumped up and made as though he would fling himself -overboard and swim back, they none too gently grabbed at him and held -him down by force. - -Pelsart scowled and growled at his mutinous crew; but neither black -looks nor hard words moved them, and eventually Pelsart had to come to -an arrangement whereby he agreed to go in search of water, provided he -received a manifesto, signed by all his men, approving of this. Things -being fixed up thus, the captain at last set out on his quest; and a -long, long quest it proved to be. - -Day after day he sailed amongst the islands, seeking water, but finding -none; and all the time the supplies were running short. At last he -resolved to go farther afield, and struck off across the trackless -sea, and in a little while found himself off the coast of Australia, -then a continent without a shred of civilisation. He hit the coast at -the spot where Geraldton now stands, and tried to put in at a small -cove; surf, however, romped at the boat, and flung her back each time -she pushed her nose shorewards. Pelsart at last gave up in despair -and sailed to the northwards, following the coast, looking for a -likely spot to land. In due course this was found; but when they did -land the men found no water, and only succeeded in frightening a few -natives, who fled for their lives at the sight of the strange white -men. Off again, to land, probably, at the North-West Cape, where they -found water--rain water! This was not at all hopeful, and, as the -coast had been trending away to the east, Pelsart determined to strike -north-east, where he knew lay Batavia, in Java. - -Twenty-two days after leaving his shipwrecked company Pelsart found -himself at Batavia, having sailed nearly sixteen hundred miles in an -open boat. At Batavia, in due course, Pelsart was able to obtain a -frigate, with which he set out to return for his castaways. - -Meanwhile, however, things were happening on the islands away down -south. And such things! - -The men whom Pelsart had left on the wreck had succeeded in getting -off in safety after many days of anxious waiting, and the last man to -leave was the supercargo, an ex-apothecary of Haarlem who rejoiced in -the name of Jerom Cornelis, and who had ambitions. He wanted to be a -pirate, and thought that he had found a splendid opportunity. He worked -out his plans with delightful thoroughness. First he would kill off all -the honest men of the company, and then, having formed his pirate crew, -take the captain by surprise when he came back, as he firmly believed -he would. Probably Cornelis’s further plans allowed for seizing -Pelsart’s boat, and sailing away with it until he came up with some -large vessel, whose crew his piratical company would eventually succeed -in overpowering, when they would find themselves in possession of a -ship suitable for their purpose of scouring the seas. - -But the first step was to get rid of the true men; and as there seemed -to be more of this calibre than Cornelis felt he could deal with at one -operation, he resorted to an artful ruse. Forty men, under the chaplain -and a Mr. Weybhays, were dispatched to another island in search of -water, with instructions to light three fires as a signal of success. -The little band were successful, and lighted their beacons as agreed. -But there was no answer! - -What had happened? They were soon to know. Even at the fair distance -he was away Mr. Weybhays could see that something untoward was taking -place on the island, and presently several men sprang into the sea and -began swimming towards him for dear life. What a tale they told when -they reached the island! Hardly had Weybhays left when Cornelis and -his scoundrelly crew had begun to butcher the honest men left behind, -and had succeeded in killing nearly forty! _Now_ Weybhays knew why he -had not received the answering signal; he had evidently been sent off -merely to get rid of him and his company while the ex-apothecary did -his fell work, after which, no doubt, their turn would come. - -In this latter surmise Weybhays was right; but first Pirate Cornelis -had other fish to fry. Away on the smaller island were some forty men -who had been landed before Pelsart departed, and Cornelis decided -to go over and wipe out all those who would not throw in their lot -with him. What he was afraid of was that either party might be able -to warn Pelsart on his return, and thus frustrate Cornelis’s evil -plan. So, without loss of time, the pirates rowed over to the small -island, landed, and after a little trouble with the men, who did not -really want to die, succeeded in killing them off, saving only seven -youngsters and five women. On the island, also, they found a number -of chests which had been washed ashore from the wreck, and these -they broke open. They were filled with rich apparel, and the pirates -bedecked themselves in wonderful attire, Cornelis incidentally forming -a bodyguard clothed in scarlet livery. He felt almost a king, I’ll -wager! - -For some days the pirates had a gorgeous time, drinking and rioting, -for some of the rum casks had been washed ashore. Then, considering -it time he got to pirate’s business again, the captain-general, as -he called himself, decided to tackle Weybhays and the forty odd men -he had with him. Gathering all the arms he could find, Cornelis took -twenty-two men with him in two light shallops, and went over to settle -accounts with Weybhays. - -Weybhays very nearly settled Cornelis, whose crew got a good -thrashing and put back to their island, a sadder and angrier crowd. -The pirate-in-chief, however, refused to be scared, and, arming -thirty-seven men, went back to the attack. He wondered vaguely why -he had got beaten before, for Weybhays’ men were unarmed, except for -roughly fashioned clubs, fitted with long nails. Cornelis felt that it -was a bad start for a pirate gang, and determined to wipe the stain -out. Instead of which, when the second expedition got near the island, -Weybhays and his men, dashing out into the water, fell upon the pirates -with vigour, and, after a fine scrimmage, succeeded in driving them -back, beaten a second time. - -[Illustration: “Weybhays and his men fell upon the pirates”] - -Cornelis felt hurt. He could see his plans being altogether upset -unless he could cope with Weybhays, and clearly he and his dastardly -crew were no match for that fearless man and his gallant company when -it came to fighting. He must try other means; and try them quickly, -lest Pelsart return and Weybhays be able to warn him. - -Cornelis therefore thought of a scheme to outwit Weybhays. Amongst the -latter’s party were two French soldiers, whom the pirate thought might -be willing to come to terms with him and play the traitor--if he could -but get into communication with them. He opened up negotiations with -Weybhays, hoping thereby to be able to correspond with the Frenchmen. - -He promised Weybhays that, if the latter would return the boat he had, -his party should not again be attacked, and that some of the salvage -from the _Batavia_ should be given up. Weybhays agreed to this after a -while, and Cornelis hugged himself as he thought that, without a boat, -Weybhays could not warn Pelsart when he appeared; and he hugged himself -more when, during the negotiations, he succeeded in smuggling letters -to the Frenchmen, offering them six thousand livres each if they would -turn traitor to Weybhays, who had insisted upon the treaty being drawn -up in proper order and being signed by both parties. - -The captain-general, sure in his own mind that the Frenchmen could not -resist the temptation of his gold, waited serenely for the morning to -come, when he was to go over to Weybhays’ island and sign the treaty; -but in the meantime the gallant French soldiers had decided that it -was better to be honest than to be pirates, and they therefore warned -Weybhays. - -Morning came, and with it Cornelis and three or four of his men. He -was in high spirits, anticipating that he was about to get the better -of Weybhays. Instead, he received a shock. Weybhays, making no sign -that he knew aught of Cornelis’s stratagem, went down to the beach and -helped him run his boat up; and then, before Cornelis knew what had -happened, Weybhays and his men fell upon him, knocked him on the head, -and put _hors de combat_ two of his companions, the others succeeding -in escaping in the boat. - -Poor old Cornelis! When he came round he found himself trussed like -a fowl for the cooking. Gone all his lofty hopes, shattered all his -ambitions. Weybhays had triumphed. - -But away on the other island Cornelis’s ruffianly crew were plotting -and planning on his behalf--also on their own, by the way, for they -felt that Cornelis was the corner-stone of their own safety, and that -unless he were free they did not know how to cope with Pelsart, should -he return. So without delay they tumbled into their boats and went over -to Weybhays’ island, intending to do great deeds and rescue Cornelis. -Weybhays was ready for them, and sent them scuttling off again--soundly -beaten! - -And then a frigate appeared on the horizon; and though the pirates did -not know it, albeit they made a very good guess, Pelsart was standing -on her deck, looking across at the islands he had left so many days -ago. He was wondering what had happened during his absence, whether his -company were still alive, or whether they had starved to death or died -of thirst. He little knew that there had been worse foes than hunger -and thirst at work! - -Presently a column of smoke lifted its filmy head over one of the -islands, and Pelsart realised that some at least still lived. A boat -was lowered immediately, filled with provisions, and Pelsart embarked -in her and started to make for the island. At the same instant a small -boat sped out from Weybhays’ island; in her was Weybhays, who, when he -reached Pelsart’s boat, hastily told the captain his story, and urged -him to return to the frigate, named the _Sardam_, lest the pirates put -out and overpower him. - -Pelsart looked at Weybhays as though he were bereft of his senses; but -confirmation of his words was soon forthcoming, for suddenly a couple -of boats shot out from the larger island, and began speeding towards -Pelsart’s boat. That was enough. Off went Pelsart to the frigate, -followed hard by Weybhays. It was a race for life; and Pelsart won. -Just as he had scrambled aboard the pirate boats drew alongside. - -And a gallant-looking crowd they were! Their fanciful costumes showed -signs of bad handling by Weybhays, but their weapons--swords and -pistols--looked very workmanlike, and when Pelsart asked them what they -meant by daring to come near the ship in such a condition, they replied -that they would very soon show him. And they began trying to board the -frigate. - -Pelsart’s answer was quick and to the point. - -“You see that gun?” he cried, pointing to one of the frigate’s cannons, -frowning down at them. “If you don’t surrender--and at once--I’ll have -it sink you where you lay!” - -There was no arguing with that gun. The pirates laid down their arms, -very soon to be joined by their whilom captain-general, and in a little -while were on board the _Sardam_--in irons. Their piracy had come to an -inglorious end. - -That night the frigate lay off the islands, and next day a boat was -sent off to try conclusions with the remainder of the mutineers, -who, however, seeing that the game was up, flung down their arms and -surrendered. - -There is little more to be told. The wreck was salved of all that was -valuable in her; the gold and silver that Cornelis and his ruffians -had purloined was collected and taken on board the _Sardam_, where, of -course, the remainder of Weybhays’ company had already found quarters. -And then Pelsart held a court. Cornelis and his would-be pirates were -tried, and executed on the spot. It was no time for delay, because the -_Sardam_ contained a goodly treasure, and to keep Cornelis would be -to run the risk of the ambitious scoundrel breaking out again. Then -Pelsart weighed anchor and went his way, after a series of adventures -such as seldom fall to a man’s lot. - - - - -ADRIFT WITH MADMEN - -The Burning of the “Columbian,” and the Sequel - - -On May 3, 1914, there flashed across the ether a wireless message, -picked up at Sable Island, as brief as it was dramatic: “Hurry up! We -are on fire!” No ship’s name was given, nor indication as to position, -and the world held its breath and wondered. - -Then, two days later, the Cunard liner _Franconia_ picked up a boat -containing thirteen survivors from the steamer _Columbian_; and as they -had been adrift since the 3rd, a connection was at once seen between -the faint, incoherent wireless message and the _Columbian_. A little -later the _Manhattan_ rescued fourteen more _Columbian_ survivors, -including Captain McDonald, from whom it was found that yet a third -boat, with sixteen men, was missing. Immediately all the ships round -about were notified, and a search was prosecuted; but it was not until -thirteen days after the disaster that the boat was found, and in her -were only five men. The rest had died. - -Behind this epitome there is one of the great tragic stories of the sea. - -It was during the night that, with startling suddenness, there was -a terrific explosion which shook the ship from stem to stern. First -Officer Tiere, whose watch it was, instantly gave the fire call, -and the crew--some of whom were asleep, others at their posts of -duty--rushed up on deck. Smoke issued from below, and told them what -had happened. Then there was another mighty explosion, in the coal -bunkers this time, and the whole deck was ripped up as though it had -been made of tin-foil. There followed clap after clap, as hatches were -burst open by other explosions, and in an incredibly short time the -whole ship was one blazing mass. So instantaneously had the calamity -fallen upon them that there was no time to lose, no time even to dress -or to put sufficient provisions into the boats, which were immediately -lowered. Men, scantily attired, some only in vests and pants, tumbled -into them, and strong backs bent to the oars, seeking to pull away from -the terrific heat and to get out of the range of danger from the ship, -which seemed as though she must soon go down. - -What followed was a nightmare--especially for those in First Officer -Tiere’s boat, the story of which is to be told here. She carried -sixteen souls, with only a twenty-gallon cask of water and a tank of -biscuits to last them till--till they were picked up. In these days, -when the seas are ploughed by thousands of ships, it seems incredible -that a boat should be at the mercy of wind and wave for many days -before being picked up; but it is always the unlikely thing that -happens, and these castaways little realised how long it was to be -before they were rescued. Soon it seemed to them as though rescue would -never come. But that is anticipating. - -When the boat pushed off from the flaming _Columbian_ there was a -strong southerly wind blowing, which carried them to the northward. -They had no navigating instruments on board, and the weather was misty; -they were thus helpless in their endeavours to keep in the track of -shipping, on which their sole chance of rescue depended. - -Anxious eyes peered through the darkness to catch glimpses of passing -lights; at any moment they knew that some mighty leviathan might push -out of the blackness, and smash into their frail craft before they -could cry aloud, even if their voices would be heard above the noise. -Fortunately this did not happen, and towards morning their eyes were -gladdened by the gleam of lights in the distance, coming nearer and -nearer. Salvation was at hand, they told themselves, and hunted about, -seeking matches, so that they might give a feeble light to the racing -greyhound. But not a dry match could they find; a great sea had been -shipped as the boat was lowered, and every match was useless. - -Torn with agony, those sixteen men stood up in their boat and screamed -themselves hoarse, hoping against hope that the sound would carry to -the big ship, which, because of her size, they believed was the liner -_Olympic_. But, though they yelled till their voices cracked and -they were exhausted, no sign came that they had been heard, and the -_Olympic_, a floating, gleaming palace, passed them by. - -Despair now seized them; but, as the grey fingers of the dawn crept -up, they took heart again, believing that they could not be passed -by in daylight as they had been in the darkness. They were to be -disillusioned once more, for presently they saw, about six or seven -miles away, a large tramp steamer, to which they signalled frantically, -using Tiere’s raincoat on an oar to wave with. They waved till their -arms ached, taking it in turn; but the tramp passed on, and left them -despondent, crazed. - -During the afternoon hope was born afresh; away--far away--they saw -a big liner heave in sight, and then come to a standstill. Eyes -strained across the water, and presently the castaways realised that -the new-comer was taking a boat on board; and they came to the only -conclusion possible, that one of the other lifeboats, more fortunate -than they, had been noticed. Strange as it may seem in the reading, -and tragic in the event to those who watched, the rescue ship saw them -not, although she steamed away in a circle, as though looking out for -any other waifs. She was the _Franconia_, and her human salvage was -thirteen souls, while within a few miles of her there tossed a boat -with sixteen men on board, who cried in their anguish as they saw her -steam off, their hopes dashed for the third time. - -First Officer Tiere now found plenty of work to do. The sea was very -rough, and the lifeboat pitched and rolled dangerously. There was no -fear of her sinking, because she was fitted with air-tanks, but the -ever-present danger was that she would be overturned as the great seas -played shuttlecock with her. The men worked hard at baling her out; -and then, to give her some sort of steadiness, rigged up a sea anchor -out of oars and old canvas, and so held her head to the seas. All the -time a sharp look-out was kept for signs of vessels, but none was seen, -and Tiere, realising how serious things were getting, apportioned the -rations. The water was allotted out--a pint a day per man, with a -biscuit per meal; and for a week they subsisted on this fare, thinking -themselves fortunate. Then the water began to give out, and the -portion was reduced. But economy in this direction meant suffering; -the men, weak and faint from want of food, parched with thirst, -became delirious; and although there was some rain on Thursday, the -7th, and some more on the following Monday, it did not increase their -water-supply sufficiently to make any difference. - -And some of the men, maddened with thirst, took to drinking sea-water. -It was the beginning of the end. One man died, mad, on the 11th, and -they dropped him overboard, Tiere saying what part of the burial -service he could remember. Next day another man died, and two more on -the following morning--all of them victims to their insatiable thirst, -which grew more maddening as, against all advice, they swallowed great -gulps of sea-water. - -Tiere, fighting for their lives, when they would not fight themselves, -commandeered the sole dipper they had in the boat, so that they could -not drink so much; then, when, exhausted, he would lie down to snatch a -few hours’ sleep, they would creep round him and steal the dipper, and -drink the water that meant death until he awoke and fought for the cup. -Whereupon, with the pangs of thirst eating into their very vitals, the -raving men, shouting curses at him for his interference, and defying -him to stop them, would lean over the gunwales and lap up the water -like dogs. - -Then came delirium; raving, cursing, struggling mad they went. And then -into the Great Unknown, singing in their madness. - -Even the men who contented themselves with the small portion of fresh -water which Tiere had allotted to them, even these knew the agonies of -that dreadful voyage, which was leading nowhere; mists and fogs hung -around them all day; the cold winds of night blew upon them and, in -their weakened strength, sapped at the very roots of their life. - -Thus the nightmare held on, with death and awful suffering to make -these unfortunate men sure that it was real. They were almost foodless -now, as well as waterless. - -On the Friday there came the most tragic incident of all: Jakob, a -big Russian, an oiler of the _Columbian_, thrown off his balance by -thirst, had imbibed great quantities of salt water. The effects soon -began to show themselves, and Jakob, a raving maniac, sat in the bow of -the boat with an axe in his hand, vowing he would kill the whole crew. - -“I’m going to shore--getta drink,” he cried, and the fear-stricken -men expected every moment to see him hurl himself overboard. Instead, -he sat muttering foolishly, toying with the axe they dreaded, leering -viciously at them, gesticulating savagely. Tiere, weakened, emaciated, -staggered along towards the six-foot Russian; he must get that axe -away. There was a mist before his eyes, a vagueness in his mind, and -a half-formed thought that somehow the Russian would bring the end -sooner were he not disarmed. He talked to him, hardly knowing what he -said, bullied him, coaxed him, humoured him, while the crew looked on -in anxiety; and the madman at last gave up the axe. Then Tiere made him -lie down, settled him as comfortably as possible, and himself went to -snatch a little sleep, of which he was sorely in need. - -For a while all was still; darkness was now upon them; only the howl -of the wind and the lap, lap of the water against the sides broke the -silence. Then slowly along the boat there crept a dark form, with -madness in its eyes; it was Jakob, and in his hands he carried the boat -stretcher. He was making aft to where the other men were, intent on -killing them all. Fortunately someone saw him coming, and instantly all -were alert, ready for him. - -Cursing in Russian and broken English, Jakob hurled himself upon them, -vowing to murder them all. He wanted the water that was left, and he -would have it. Aye, he would have it! The wretched men, gathering up -the remnants of their once full-blooded strength, tackled him bravely, -wrenching the stretcher away and seeking to tie him up. How they -fought, to the danger of being pitched overboard to death, and with the -prospect of being kicked to pulp by the Russian’s heavy boots! It was -like a scene from some book of wild adventure, that fight in so strange -a setting; yet to these men it was real, and life and death hung upon -its issue. There was no light by which to see whether one struck friend -or foe, only the curses of the Russian to show when a blow landed -upon him; and the night was made hideous by yells as the frenzied men -struggled madly for control. At last it was over: the giant lay inert -in the bottom of the boat, tied securely and lashed to a thwart, where -for five or six hours he lay screaming, cursing, struggling to release -himself, and then died. - -Despair--it is a feeble word to describe their feelings--was now upon -the remaining men, who for another week were tossed about, hither and -thither, until they had lost all count of their bearings. The sun kept -behind the clouds, and fogs and mists enwrapped them in their wet, cold -folds. In one sense this was a blessing in disguise; it kept the pangs -of thirst under somewhat. But as they shivered in the bottom of the -boat, huddling together to keep each other warm, they were in no mood -to thank Heaven for fogs which they knew hid them from passing vessels. -By Saturday morning eleven men had died and been thrown overboard, and -the five survivors looked dumbly at each other, reading in bleared eyes -the question, “Whose turn next?” - -It was the turn of Peter Preive, the mess-room steward, of whom a -strange story is told. Before he left Antwerp on the _Columbian_ he had -dreamed a dream--that he would be a fortnight adrift in an open boat -before he died. On the morning of the thirteenth day Preive lay at the -point of death, for the hundredth time telling his comrades his dream -and assuring them they would be picked up on the morrow. - -It sounds like fiction, but it is solid fact, and those mariners took -heart of courage: if some parts of the dream had come true, why not -another? And so they lived on, as they had for some days past, with -Preive’s dream as encouragement, though they could not altogether look -with equanimity upon the prospect before them; ere the fourteenth day -dawned some of those five that remained might have gone to join their -comrades! - -They had been reduced now to trying to make a paste out of the boot -leather and the remains of the biscuits--anything to stave off hunger. -But even their craving stomachs could not take kindly to the mixture, -and the men knew that they were now face to face with death at last. -They looked in the biscuit tank again, and found there--crumbs, simply -a few crumbs, which they scooped up in order to mix some more of the -unpalatable paste. And then, like a messenger of hope, they saw a -smudge on the horizon, watched it grow larger and denser, saw the hull -of a ship grow out of the mist. Four of them yelled themselves hoarse -again, waved their signal, took out their oars and tugged away at them -like mad. They bent their backs to the work, they pulled till their -arms ached, and got hardly any way on her; they were too weak to pull -against the sea effectively. Then the big ship stopped, and they saw -her taking some soundings. She got up steam again and moved forward; -and the castaways knew that they had been seen. - -The reaction set in; the men who had borne up for thirteen days against -hunger, thirst, who had fought against madness and death, crumpled up -and fell in the bottom of their boat. They were done. - -Meanwhile the big ship was punching her way towards them. She was the -_Seneca_ (Captain Johnson), who had been searching for the missing -lifeboat for many days, having crossed from the spot where the -_Columbian_ burnt out to Nova Scotia and back time after time without -sighting the unfortunate men. The captain had, indeed, given up hope -of ever finding them; and when the look-out sighted the boat, and the -_Seneca_ plunged towards her at full steam, Captain Johnson scarcely -believed it possible that anyone could be alive in her. - -When they came up with her they saw the five men lying in the bottom -of the boat, helpless, emaciated, eyes sunken, bodies trembling. -Preive, alive when the _Seneca_ came up, died from the shock of the -sight of her; Tiere, who had commanded all through, and had done much -to encourage the others, tried to lift himself up, but fell back -exhausted, and the other four living men had to be helped out of their -boat. - -Their cruise was at an end. They were saved; but the terror of it will -never leave them. - - - - -FRANCIS DRAKE’S RAID ON THE SPANISH MAIN - -How Drake Took Toll for Spanish Treachery - - -In 1567 Francis Drake had accompanied John Hawkins on a slave-trading -expedition to the Spanish Main; the worthy pair had gone across to -Africa, where they had captured a number of Africans, whom they shipped -to the West to sell as slaves, seeing that the Spaniards were sorely -in need of labourers. Now, it was a maxim with the Dons that the -Wealthy West was for Spaniards only, and they very much resented the -coming of the Englishmen, so that, while professing the desire to trade -with them, they really played them false; and it was only by the skin -of their teeth that Hawkins and Drake managed to escape to England, -even then having to leave a number of their men in the hands of the -Spaniards. - -Drake was angry. He vowed vengeance. Henceforth he determined not to go -on trading expeditions, but to sally forth to the Spanish Main to take -toll of the riches that the Spaniards were harvesting year by year. He -did nothing in a hurry; he worked things out, went on a voyage or so to -get the lie of the land, and in 1572 left Plymouth--bound for Panama! -On one of his previous voyages he had laid up stores at a place on the -mainland which he had called Port Pheasant, because he had seen a great -number of those birds flying about there. Arrived at Port Pheasant on -this new voyage, he received a mild sort of shock. Nailed to a tree was -a leaden letter: - - “CAPTAIN DRAKE, - - “_If you have fortune to come into the port, make haste away, for the - Spaniards which you had with you last year have betrayed this place, - and taken away all that you left here. I departed hence this present - 7th of July, 1572._ - - “_Your loving friend_, - - “JOHN GARRET.” - -Now, although Drake knew the seriousness of the position, he refused -to be frightened away. He had work to do--the fitting up of his -pinnaces--and he resolved to do this before leaving. He therefore set -his men to work, and in a week was ready to sail for Nombre de Dios, -his first place of call on the Spaniards. Just as he was about to start -there came to the port an English barque commanded by Captain James -Rouse, who threw in his lot--and his thirty-eight men--with Drake; and -the company set sail for Nombre de Dios. At a small island called the -Isle of Pines they stopped a while, and Drake appealed to the cupidity -of his men, in the hope of making them even firmer than ever in their -determination to do their utmost. - -“Comrades,” he cried, “before us lies the world’s treasure-house. You -are brave; and with your help I am confident of success. Follow me, -and yours shall be the Spaniard’s wealth; yours shall be the fame that -comes from great deeds, and we shall be able to take to your Queen much -treasure and have good stores for ourselves!” - -That put good heart into his men, and when they came to Nombre de Dios -they were ready for anything, although they murmured, some of them, -against attacking in daylight, as was Drake’s intention. However, Drake -had to alter his plans, for when they came into the harbour they found -a big ship there. Someone aboard saw them, and the vessel was headed -for the shore to give the alarm. The English soon stopped her little -game; the pinnaces raced after her, headed her off to seaward, and -then, feeling safe, the men landed, fondly believing that they were -unnoticed. - -They were mistaken. While the rest of the garrison slept or made merry, -or were on guard to landward against an attack from Cimaroons, one -gunner was at his post in the fort. One gunner, one shot, and the town -was in alarm; and away went the Spaniard racing into the town to tell -of the coming of the hated English. There ensued a hubbub in Nombre de -Dios; bells rang out their tocsin call, trumpets blared, drums rolled, -and men rallied up to withstand the foe. As for Drake, he grasped the -situation promptly, and had his plan working without delay. He divided -his men into two companies, leading one himself and sending the other -forward under his brother John and John Oxenham, hoping by this means -to delude the Spaniards into thinking that a large force had come -against them. - -It was a queer scene. Every man Jack of Drake’s companies carried a -firepike, whose flaming torch lit up the place weirdly; they made -unearthly noises on trumpets, and rent the air with war-cries which -struck terror into the Spaniards. So much so that, hearing the advance -of men from two quarters, the Dons, forgetting all about the treasure -in their stores, took to their heels and ran for dear life. - -It was all so easy, thought the Englishmen; and then found they had -counted their chickens before they were hatched, for when they reached -the market-place they saw that the Spaniards had taken new courage and -had massed themselves for a gallant fight. Moreover, they, too, had -resorted to a stratagem; they had strung a line of lights across the -dark street, and made it appear that there were many, many men with -torches awaiting the foe! - -Nothing loath to accept a good fight, Drake’s men plunged in; and -although the Dons met them boldly and fought well, nothing could stop -the men out for treasure and revenge. Using their firepikes as weapons, -they charged the Spaniards, and although Drake and others were wounded, -and the trumpeter was killed, they put the Dons to flight, and found -themselves in possession of Nombre de Dios, with the treasure of King -Philip theirs for the taking! - -They hurried to the governor’s house, where they saw much treasure in -the form of stacks of silver bars; they marched to the treasure-house, -which Drake ordered them to force open. They proceeded to do so. But -just then a terrific thunderstorm broke over the town; the men were -drenched to the skin, their bows, with which they had done good work -in the attack, were loosened and rendered useless, so that they began -to fear lest the Spaniards, whom they could hear massing on the hills -after their flight, should burst down upon them, when they would be -practically powerless against them. - -They spoke of going back to the boats, but Drake, who heard them, -chaffed them for their cowardice. He knew it wasn’t that! - -“You would fly!” he cried. “On the very threshold of the world’s -treasure-house you would fly! I have brought you to the mouth of the -treasury of the world, which if you do not gain none but yourselves -will be to blame! Break open the treasure-house!” - -And without waiting to see if they followed he sprang at the door to -set them the example; but even as he did so his sight failed him, the -strength which had been ebbing with the flow of the blood from his -wound gave out, and he fell, a crumpled heap, at the threshold! - -Instantly all were alarmed, and they fell to binding up his wound. -That done, they urged him to come away. But Drake refused to budge; -whereupon, knowing how much depended upon his safety, they picked him -up in their strong arms and carried him to his pinnace. Not all his -entreaties or threats could move them, and the only satisfaction he -could get out of them was: - -“What’s the good of the treasure of the Spanish Main if we have not -Francis Drake?” - -Thus it was that Drake found himself back in his pinnace, heading out -for sea. But the night’s adventures were by no means over. In the -harbour they found a big ship coming in. They promptly boarded her and -took her, finding her to be well stocked with wines and other good -things; and, taking her along with them, they made their way to a small -island a little distance from Nombre de Dios, where they rested and -refreshed themselves. - -The Spaniards discovered where they were, and sent a messenger to -Drake; they wanted to make sure who had attacked them. Drake received -the emissary courteously, answered his questions frankly, assured him -that the English arrows were not poisoned, and that he was indeed -Francis Drake; gave him a present for himself, and then sent him back -with a message to the Governor. - -“Tell him,” he said, “to keep his eyes open, for if God lend me life -and leave I mean to reap some of your harvest which you get out of the -earth and send into Spain to trouble all the earth!” - -Away went the Spaniard and delivered his message, no doubt to the -consternation of the Governor. - -In a couple of days Drake felt that it was time to go to the Isle of -Pines, where he had left Rouse and his men. Arrived here, he told of -his misadventures, and Rouse, growing disheartened, washed his hands -of the whole affair and went home; which Drake didn’t really mind, for -he preferred to work on his own, and was by no means despondent. He -decided that he would tackle Carthagena, the chief town on the Spanish -Main, which, if he could surprise it, would amply repay him for his -voyage. - -The Governor of Nombre de Dios, however, had taken the precaution of -warning Carthagena of the proximity of the Dragon, as they called Drake -now, so that when the English appeared off Carthagena they were met by -shots from the town, which told Drake that his surprise attack would -not come off. He knew, too, that the town was too strong to attempt -to assault it openly, so he contented himself with seizing a number -of ships lying at anchor in the harbour--right under the noses of the -Spanish guns. - -Then he sailed from Carthagena, deciding to lie low awhile in the Gulf -of Darien till the excitement had subsided, when he would sally forth -again. One thing worried him: he hadn’t sufficient men to man the ships -and the pinnaces. He resolved to get over the difficulty by sinking -one ship--the _Swan_--commanded by his brother John. He had to do this -secretly, for he knew that his men would never consent to her being -sunk. So, taking old Tom Moore, his carpenter, into his confidence, he -succeeded in overcoming his qualms and arranging for him to bore holes -in the ship’s bottom; and in due course the _Swan_ began to fill and -to settle down. Drake, passing by in one of his pinnaces, asked John -what was the matter with his ship; had she sprung a leak? Instantly -it was “All hands to the pumps!” But pumped they never so quickly the -water gained, and soon the men had to abandon the ship, which presently -plunged beneath the surface; and Drake had achieved his purpose. - -Then away to the Gulf of Darien, where they rested and amused -themselves at various good old English games. Here Drake learnt from -a negro he had with him, one Diego, that the Cimaroons, who hated the -Spaniards like poison, would no doubt be willing to join forces with -him against them; and Drake sent his brother John to the mainland to -negotiate with the Cimaroons. The mission was successful, and John -returned to report that the Cimaroons, eager to take their vengeance on -the Spaniards for all the evil they had wrought, would be willing to -co-operate with the English, and would lead them anywhere they liked. -Drake, following the counsel of the Cimaroons, decided to postpone -operations until the rainy season was over. Now, as the waiting period -had to be filled in somehow, or his men would grow weary of waiting, -Drake, knowing that inactivity is the worst thing for sailors and -soldiers, determined to be up and doing on the sea. So, moving to a -safer harbour, he made that his headquarters, leaving there a number of -men under command of John. With the remainder he set out in a couple -of pinnaces to see what was to be picked up along the coast. First he -dashed into Carthagena harbour, and cut out two frigates from under the -muzzles of the guns; later, when the Spaniards grew weary of being at -the mercy of the Dragon, and sent out two big ships to take him, Drake -met them, and though they were well armed and well manned he sent them -scurrying back to their harbour. One of his two prizes he sent to -the bottom, and the other he burnt; and then, wanting to feel terra -firma beneath his feet, pulled to the shore. Something told him that -the Spaniards had prepared an ambush for him; but Drake determined to -land, and, springing ashore, he defied the hidden Spaniards to do their -worst! And instead of doing that they bolted! - -Meanwhile, John Drake had been busy. He did not want to be out of all -the fun, so one day, espying a Spanish ship, he put off in a pinnace, -taking only one man with him, and tried to capture her. The result was -a foregone conclusion--both the intrepid and foolhardy Englishmen were -killed. John was never so lucky as Francis! - -Thus it came about that when Drake returned to his headquarters to give -his men a rest he found his brother gone, and suffered an agony of -spirit, for the hardy mariner had loved his brave brother. Still, what -is done cannot be undone, and the Englishmen had to resign themselves -to fate. The hot weather having now set in, they had other troubles to -think about; fever had laid its fell grip upon them, and took a heavy -toll during the time of rest. Then came the Cimaroons with news of the -Spanish fleet. This heralded the dispatch of the treasure from Panama -across the Isthmus of Darien--a journey which up till then had been -unattended by danger from a European foe, although now and again, no -doubt, the Cimaroons had sought to get a blow in at the Spaniards. - -Drake now intended to give the Dons a shock; he meant to march inland -and waylay the treasure mule-train. He had only eighteen of his men -who were fit to travel, but he picked out thirty Cimaroons and Pedro -to go with him. Pedro, by the way, had whetted the curiosity of Drake -by telling him of a great sea far away beyond the hills, and the -adventurer told himself that this must be the wonderful South Sea of -which the men of the past had spoken. He decided to have a look at it, -with a view to future exploring. - -So off across the isthmus went the little band of black men and -white--strange companions, who had at least one bond of sympathy, -namely, hatred of the Spaniards. The Cimaroons knew the way, and led by -the most favourable route--through forests and over hills and across -rivers. On every side were new and strange sights to the Englishmen, -who marched by day, and slept by night in branch-houses built by the -Cimaroons to shelter them from the mists which bring fever. - -After a fairly uneventful journey, the company arrived at the other -side of the isthmus, and found before them a high mountain, up which -they toiled, to see, as Pedro had told them, the great sea. The summit -being reached, they saw that on a tree-trunk the Cimaroons had cut -steps, and in its branches had erected a platform. Drake clambered up -to this, and stood there facing the sea--the mighty Pacific rolling -before him, the great Atlantic spread out behind him. He had come -within sight of the South Sea--the first Englishman to do so. - -A moment’s silence. The sight seemed too much for the adventurer; then, -bursting out a vow that he would be the first Englishman to sail its -waters, he cried: - -“But one thing do I ask of Heaven, and that to sail once in an English -ship in that sea!” - -Then, having feasted his eyes upon the scene before him, he called up -his company, and there, one by one, the English sailors registered -their vows to follow him wherever he went, and when. - -But there was no time to dally. Pressing work must be attended to; the -future must be left to itself. So away towards Panama City Drake and -his men went, cutting their way through the forest and keeping a good -look-out lest they be surprised by Spaniards. However, they escaped -notice, and after two days’ hard work came to open country, and before -them lay Panama, the city of gold and silver; and away in the harbour -rode the treasure fleet, waiting to disgorge its rich cargoes. - -The day was still young when they came within sight of their objective, -and, knowing that they must not be seen yet, Drake kept his men under -cover until night, meanwhile sending a Cimaroon to spy out the land and -to discover when the treasure-train would set out on its journey to -Nombre de Dios. - -Anxiously the adventurers waited, longing to get to business, wondering -whether it might happen that they would have to wait hidden very long. -But presently the spy came back with news that cheered, and made them -feel that they had the treasure in their hands already! That very night -the treasure-train was to set out for Nombre de Dios--a train of fifty -mules, heavy laden, to be followed the next night by two other trains -of like size. How those Englishmen’s fingers itched! - -But they knew there would be stern work before them ere their hands -laid hold on the treasure, and, wasting no time on anticipatory -visions, they marched forward through the darkness till they came -to the junction of the Nombre de Dios and Panama roads. Here Drake -disposed his forces carefully, dividing them into two companies of -eight Englishmen and fifteen Cimaroons--a company on each side of -the road, under command of Drake and John Oxenham respectively. The -companies were posted, not exactly opposite each other, but in such -positions that one could seize the hindmost mules and the other the -foremost, and so get the Spaniards between two fires. - -There followed an anxious time of waiting, during which a man dared -hardly breathe, let alone speak. Then through the night air came -the cheery tinkling of bells, and they knew that the train was -approaching. The only thing that worried them was that the tinkling -came from two ways--from Venta Cruz and from Panama. They knew that the -treasure-train would not come from Venta Cruz; but the question was -which would get there first? - -They needn’t have worried; the whole matter was settled for them! One -of Drake’s men had been drinking too much, and the neat brandy had got -into his head; so that when he heard the bells he got muddled and lost -his sense of locality. When the bells from Venta Cruz drew nearer he -thought they were the bells from Panama. Now, the former heralded only -the approach of a single Spanish officer, who would have been allowed -to proceed without molestation had not the drunken sailor raised -himself up from the long grass to hurl himself at the Spaniard. Quick -as lightning a Cimaroon hauled him back. But too late; the officer -had seen the white shirt which the man wore--as did his comrades, for -identification--and, suspicious that there should be anyone lying in -wait at such a spot, and at such a time, he urged his mule on towards -Panama at top speed, expecting to be followed. - -But none followed him; for Drake’s orders were to lie low, even now. - -On, therefore, went the officer, to meet the treasure-train, which was -in charge of the Treasurer of Lima, who was naturally pretty startled -to see the galloping figure. - -“A miracle has happened!” cried the officer. “El Dragon has -come--though how, Heaven only knows--and he lies in wait for the -treasure!” - -Now, the Treasurer of Lima, like most of his compatriots, had a -wholesome dread of Drake, and though it passed his comprehension that -such a thing should have taken place, yet he considered it wise to -adopt precautionary measures, lest there should be any truth in the -scared officer’s apparently wild tale. - -So, keeping back the actual treasure-train, he sent on a line of mules, -two of them with loads of silver, the rest with provisions, just to -act as a decoy; and Drake, having kept his men quiet, and hearing the -tinkling of the bells as before, imagined that everything was going -quite smoothly, and that after all the Spanish officer had not seen the -drunken sailor. - -The mule-train came to the ambush; there rang a shrill whistle-call, -and the Englishmen and the Cimaroons leapt to their feet, fell upon the -Spaniards, seized the mules, and began to rifle their packs, expecting -to find a rich haul of treasure. - -And all they found were the two loads of silver and an assortment of -victuals! - -However, there it was; and the important thing was to square things up -somehow, and to get back to the coast before the Spaniards could stop -them. The way back lay through Venta Cruz. It was the easier way, and -Drake vowed he’d go by that road, even though it meant fighting his way -through. He must hurry on before the men of Panama had time to warn -Venta Cruz. The Cimaroons pledged themselves to follow him through -thick and thin, and with this assurance Drake immediately set out. - -The Cimaroons went on in front as scouts, and presently reported that -they had located the presence of Spanish troops by the smell of the -gun-matches. Whereupon Drake got ready to fight, thinking he might have -to cut his way through. On they went, silently, carefully; but soon the -Spaniards saw them, and they were challenged. - -“Who goes there?” they cried. - -“Englishmen!” came back the bold, proud, staggering answer that -wellnigh sent the Spaniards fleeing for their lives. - -“In the name of the King of Spain, yield!” cried the captain of the -troop. - -“Never!” bellowed Drake. “For the honour of the Queen of England, I -must have passage this way,” and discharged his pistol full at the -captain. Then, with good Queen Bess’s name on their lips, the English -opened fire upon the Spaniards, who responded promptly, with fatal -effect to one Englishman and wounds to others, including Drake himself. -Still the little band kept up their fire, and presently the Spanish -fire slackened somewhat, and Drake’s whistle sounded the “Charge!” -There was a sharp volley of English shot, a flight of Cimaroon arrows, -and then “St. George and England!” yelled the English, “Yo peho, yo -peho!” cried the Cimaroons, and away they went at the Spaniards, -scattering them, sending them helter-skelter into Venta Cruz, whither -the foe followed them--into the heart of the city! - -And that little mixed band captured Venta Cruz, and ransacked it! -But for all their roughness and eagerness for treasure, the English -behaved, as Englishmen always do--courteously; and neither women nor -children nor unarmed men had aught to say against them for their -treatment. - -[Illustration: “‘For the honour of the Queen of England, I must have -passage this way!’ cried Drake, and discharged his pistol”] - -Staying only long enough to take what treasure they could find, Drake -and his men pushed on from Venta Cruz towards the coast, which they -reached in due course, to find the sick men well, though it was but -natural they were all downcast at the failure of the journey to Panama. - -Shortly afterwards, Drake joined hands with a French privateer, and -proceeded to make other plans for capturing some of the treasure from -the South. He knew that by this time the Spanish Main would be up in -arms and watchful against him; but he had come a long way, and felt he -ought to be paid for his trouble. - -Oxenham was sent with a pinnace to cut out a provision ship; which -he did, capturing a fine frigate laden with sufficient food to serve -their purpose. Drake himself went along the coast towards Veragua, -stopping a frigate on the way, relieving her of some of her treasure, -and gathering from the captain--probably under pressure--that in the -harbour at Veragua there rode a Spanish ship with over a million -of gold in her hold. This was fine news indeed, and off to Veragua -hastened Drake, staying for nothing. - -The pinnace shot into the harbour--and received a broadside from the -Spaniards, who were warned of their coming! Back went Drake. Clearly, -his luck was out! - -But he would have one more try. He discovered that a treasure-train -was due at Nombre de Dios from Venta Cruz, and he made up his mind to -make an attempt to intercept this near Nombre de Dios. Putting back -to his harbour, he boarded his little fleet, consisting of the French -privateer and a couple of frigates captured from the Spaniards. The -_Pacha_, his own ship, was unseaworthy by this time, and he left her -“to the Spaniards” as something in return for those he had captured! -Sailing along the coast for another harbour, he left his vessels there, -and embarked in his pinnaces with fifteen Englishmen, twenty Frenchmen, -and a number of Cimaroons. On March 31 he landed the majority of his -forces at a river near Nombre de Dios, leaving the remainder to watch -the pinnaces. - -Striking inland, the mixed band came within easy distance of Nombre de -Dios, and took up positions along the road, waiting for the coming of -the treasure-train as they had waited before. Across the still night -air came the sounds of carpenters hard at work repairing the ships -which awaited the treasure for King Philip; and then, just at the break -of day, there came the tinkle of bells--the sweetest of music to the -adventurers’ ears! - -They could hardly believe their eyes; coming towards them were 190 -mules, heavily laden, as the Cimaroons had told them, with gold and -silver--so much that they wouldn’t know what to do with it! Thirty tons -of silver and gold awaited the taking--when they had disposed of the -guard of forty-five Spanish soldiers. - -Drake’s whistle rang shrilly again, and on the instant the raiders were -amongst the Spaniards, who, fighting bravely, kept their attackers busy -for a while. But the allies were not to be daunted, and presently the -Spaniards, thinking discretion the better part of valour, took to their -heels and ran. - -Letting them go, Drake and his men fell upon the mule-trains and, -tearing open the packs, found that this time the lines had fallen in -good places for them. There was so much treasure, they could not carry -it all! They, therefore, hurriedly hid about fifteen tons of it in -the burrows of land crabs, in the bottom of a shallow river, under -trees--anywhere they could think of; and, every man carrying as much -as he could bear of gold, they started for the coast. - -Meanwhile, the scared Spaniards had given the alarm in Nombre de Dios, -and while the raiders hurried off with the loads, troops were sent out -after them. Coming up with the deserted and rifled treasure-train, they -rejoiced to find some of the mules still laden, and these they sent -into the city while they looked about them, knowing that the Englishmen -could not have taken all the rest away. They discovered many of the -hiding-places, and seeing that they had succeeded in locating the major -portion of the treasure, they contented themselves with gathering it -up (employing 2,000 Mamoras and negroes to do this), and sending it -post-haste to Nombre de Dios, preferring not to go after the bold -raiders. - -Drake, meantime, was hastening to the coast, where he expected, -naturally, to find his pinnaces. But when, elated at their success, -his men came within sight of the coast, their pinnaces were no longer -there, and in their places were seven Spanish pinnaces! - -More hard luck! Here he was, with the first good haul he had made, and -yet unable to get away with it. He told himself--and his men--that come -what might he was going to get to his frigates somehow. Fortunately -for the boaster, the Spanish pinnaces, unaware of the presence of the -raiders so near at hand, weighed anchor and set out for Nombre de Dios. -But the question that faced Drake was how to get away? No pinnaces! He -solved the problem by building a raft at once, rigging up a sail out of -an old biscuit sack, and calling for three volunteers to go with him to -find the pinnaces. - -Everyone volunteered, but he took the three he wanted, and then set out -on his crazy craft. At times it threatened to capsize, at others it -had them waist deep in the water; and at all times while they sailed -the blazing sun poured down upon them. At last they saw the pinnaces -they had lost; but the men in the boats did not see them, and they were -too far off for a hail to reach them. The pinnaces were lost sight of -as they rounded a headland, and Drake, taking the risk, beached his -raft and tore along the shore, in the hope of finding the boats run up -on the beach. - -Sure enough, when the four racing men turned the headland they saw the -pinnaces lying ashore, and, incidentally, gave the sailors a scare, -for they thought that this sudden appearance betokened the failure and -pursuit of Drake. Drake, feeling it too good a joke to miss, let them -believe this for a time, and enjoyed the crestfallen look on their -faces. Then, with a shout, he told them all, and away went the pinnaces -to bring back the treasure and the men left behind. - -In a little while all were on board the ships, jubilant at their -success, though three Frenchmen were missing. Drake sent a party ashore -to search for these, and to bring back the treasure that had been -hidden. Only one Frenchman was found, and none of the silver, which, as -we have seen, had been unearthed by the Spaniards. - -Drake was angry at the loss, but taking comfort that he had really -managed to get a good haul, decided that it was time to return to -England. First of all he laid in a stock of food by capturing a -provision ship as they sailed tauntingly by Carthagena. Then, with -hearty farewells to Pedro and his Cimaroons, whom they allowed to take -whatever they wanted out of the ships, Drake and his merry men set sail -for England, where they arrived on Sunday, August 19th, 1573, and were -received with great joy by the people, who, forgetting all about the -preacher, rushed out of church to welcome the coming of the man who by -this time had grown to be one of their idols. - -Queen Elizabeth, however, gave him a dubious welcome--that is, -publicly--for she was just then desirous of being at peace with Spain; -though it is by no means certain that she was not as delighted as Drake -at the success of his voyage, which had gained him much wealth and a -fine reputation as a leader of men. - - - - -A GALLANT FISHERMAN - -A Brave Rescue in a Storm - - -Captain Albert Gempton, of Brixham, ranks amongst those men who have -helped to make England the mistress of the seas, being a gallant hero -with a whole host of brave deeds to his credit. A fisherman--a son -of Devon, which has produced so many hardy sons of the sea--probably -one of the most arduous pieces of work he ever undertook was when he -went to the rescue of two lads on a fishing smack off Lundy Island on -December 16, 1910. Incidentally, it shows the kind of thing that very -often befalls the fisherman, who, going out to reap the harvests of the -seas, encounters untold dangers, while we at home go to our breakfast -tables, and all unthinking eat the fish to catch which may have cost a -man his life. - -On this particular day there had been a severe storm, which swept -along the coast and caught many fishing vessels at their work, a good -number of them being wrecked and all hands lost. The smack _Friendship_ -was off Lundy Island when the storm broke out, and for a time bravely -battled against it; she held two men and two apprentices, and these -gallantly worked her, seeking to get into port. But Fate was unkind; -first the skipper was taken bodily by the angry waves and carried -overboard, and was not seen again. Then, almost immediately afterwards -the other man suffered a like fate; and the two apprentices, mere lads -learning the trade of the sea, found themselves alone on a smack they -knew not how to manage. - -To make matters worse, it was night; and for hours the two boys -struggled gamely with their vessel, fighting the elements as best they -knew how. The great waves reared white-crested heads, swooped down -upon the smack, filling it with water; now she was on the crest of a -terrific wave, now in the trough, and the boys thought that each moment -would be their last. Their one hope was to keep the water under, and -for hours and hours they worked hard at the pumps; but as fast as they -pumped the water out more swept in, and they gave themselves up for -lost. One, two, three o’clock came and passed, and still they were -fighting for life, and with little hope of coming through. Then their -hearts gave a bound; they wiped the water from their bleared eyes and -looked across the waste of sea, scarcely believing what they saw. A -light! - -Forgetting the necessity for working the pumps without cessation, they -rushed to the side and yelled themselves hoarse, seeking to attract -the attention of the men on the boat they knew was there. Above the -roar of the storm their voices were soundless; they might have yelled -till Doomsday and never been heard. But those men on the other vessel -had seen--which was just as good--and with sail set she rode before -the wind, drove her way through the water, and made for the derelict. -It was hard going, but Captain Gempton knew that his little smack, the -_Gratitude_, was a sturdy sailer; and he realised that something was -amiss. - -After a stern struggle the _Gratitude_ came near enough to the -_Friendship_ to bawl out for information; and the two boys yelled out -the story of their plight. - -“Save us!” they cried. “Save us! We’re alone, and the water’s gaining -on us!” - -“Righto, sonnies!” cried Gempton. “Keep pumping. We’ll have you off in -a twinkling!” - -They were brave words, but Gempton knew that a “twinkling” was a -comparative term. It would be no light task to get alongside the -_Friendship_ without smashing into her, bobbing up and down as she was -to the will of the waves. He manœuvred his vessel carefully to get her -into the best position from which to try to effect the rescue, knowing -that it would be asking the boys to jump to death to leap out and try -to swim to the _Gratitude_. If they were to be got off, they must be -fetched; and he knew it. - -But try as he would, the _Gratitude_ could not be got within distance -from which the boys could be saved. There was only one way to do it; -and that was to lower a boat and row over to the smack. - -“I’m going, boys!” said Gempton presently. “Lower away!” - -And his men hoisted the boat. Gempton, swathed in his oilskins, took -his seat in it; and at the same time another man, John Tidmarsh, jumped -in with him. - -“I’m coming too, skipper,” he said. - -“Good,” said the captain; and the two men took their seats, each of -them carrying a lifebuoy. Then, pushing off, they bent their backs to -the oars, and sought to pull the boat over the waves. What a tussle -that was! What a fight against the elements! The wind caught them -and hurled them forward; the waves broke upon them and hurled them -backwards. Huge mountains of water fell upon them, swamping the boat, -almost filling it; and while one man rowed the other bailed. Then on -again--only to meet the same fate; bail again, and then onward through -the darkness and the noise of Nature till eventually they came near to -the _Friendship_. - -Then was careful handling called for, lest the boat be dashed into the -side of the smack and broken to pieces. - -“Easy!” cried Gempton; and Tidmarsh grasped his oars, plied them -masterfully, and just as it seemed that the boat was going to be -smashed, she swung round and missed the _Friendship_ by the fraction -of a yard. And meanwhile the two boys were pumping for very life, -straining eyes through the darkness to catch a glimpse of the heroes -making for them. - -“They’ll never do it,” said one of them. - -“God grant they do!” said the other. “See--they’re here!” - -Sure enough, Gempton had brought his boat alongside, where she lay -rocking at the mercy of the waves, but held in check by the firm hands -on the oars. - -“Quick!” bawled Gempton. “Quick, for your lives!” And instantly the -two boys forsook their pumps and rushed to the side, ready to jump -overboard at the word. - -“Jump!” “No!” The two words seemed to come simultaneously. Gempton had -given the first, Tidmarsh the second, as the boat swung away from the -smack. Then, with a mighty tug at the oars the boat was brought back -again. “Jump!” And this time a boy jumped, landing in the boat, and -sending it pitching and tossing, and threatening to overturn it. Again -she swung out, only to be pulled back; and once more a boy jumped, and -landed fairly in her. - -They were saved! Not yet. The journey to the _Gratitude_ had still to -be made, and now the wind was against them, blowing down upon them in -greater fury, as though angry at being robbed of the prey it had fought -for all through the hours of the howling night. It had seemed hours -getting out to the _Friendship_; it seemed years getting back. Time -and time again the water broke in upon them, and filled the boat so -that she could not easily ride the storm; the boys bailed like madmen, -and kept on bailing, and the two men held on at their oars and rowed in -the race against death. - -They reached the _Gratitude_, where, with the waves breaking upon them, -and the wind battering at them, the little company of four climbed -perilously into the ship--exhausted all of them, grateful two of them, -and well pleased the other two for having been able to effect the -rescue. - - - - -FIRE AT SEA - -Tragic Tales of Burning Ships - - -It is almost impossible to imagine anything more appalling than a fire -at sea. The floating home of perhaps scores, maybe hundreds, of people -blazing away, iron and steel melting in the fierce heat, explosions -taking place here, there and everywhere; men trapped in cabins and -being roasted to death; heroic sailors fighting the flames which there -is no fire brigade to fight for them--all these things go to make up a -scene of horror that beggars description. - -Such were the circumstances on December 8, 1914, when the oil-tank -steamer _Vedra_ took fire off Walney Island. She had left Sabine, -in Texas, some while before, and run the gauntlet of the few German -commerce raiders in the Atlantic; and Captain Brewster was telling -himself, when he arrived off Barrow on December 7, that his voyage -was at an end, and that he would soon be able to unload his cargo -of benzine. He counted his chickens before they were hatched, for -Dame Fortune was bent on playing him a scurvy trick. For some time -the weather had been rough, and the _Vedra_ had been forcing her way -through in the teeth of a gale which played shuttlecock with her. But -the sturdy steamer had fought hard and long to get to her port; and now -she was within sight. Across the darkening waters signals were sent for -a pilot to come aboard and guide her into harbour. - -Meanwhile, the storm increased in fury, and the _Vedra_ found herself -fighting against the titanic forces of the deep. Now on the crest of a -wave, now in the trough the vessel lay, hovering at times, it seemed, -on the very edge of the pit of destruction, and at others diving down, -down, down, and then righting herself as by a miracle. - -The waiting men saw a tug put out and head towards their ship. - -“The pilot,” they muttered. “He’s in for a rough trip!” - -A rough trip it was, and one that was never finished, for ere he could -reach the _Vedra_ the latter was taken up, as it were, by giant hands -and flung shorewards; then swung about again and hurled towards Walney -Island. Firm as a rock Captain Brewster stood to his post, and worked -his ship like the mariner he was; but it was a hopeless task, and very -soon there was a grinding that told she had run ashore. The engines -were immediately reversed, and the ship strained to her utmost in the -effort to get off the shore. As the waters poured over her she seemed -to shake herself like a great dog. There was the hum of the engines -below, the swish of the propeller as it churned up the water, but never -a move backward did the _Vedra_ make; rather, she bumped more heavily -and got farther in. She was fast held. - -Captain Brewster, realising now that it was useless to try to float -her by her own engines, signalled to the shore for assistance, and -the guardship _Furness_, lying off the port, immediately put out and -hurried to render what aid she could, while at the same time the tugs -_Walney_ and _Cartmel_ pushed their noses through the water in her -direction. Captain Hill, of the _Furness_, worked his vessel as near -to the _Vedra_ as was possible with safety, and then, calling on the -crew to stand by, hurled a hawser towards her. Time and time again the -hawser was flung, only to fall short; but at last it was successfully -thrown, and caught by some of the _Vedra’s_ crew. It took but a little -while for them to hitch it securely; and when this was done the word -was given to the _Furness_, whose engines were reversed, and away she -bore till the hawser stretched taut from ship to ship. - -But the _Furness_ found she had undertaken a task that defied all her -strength, and, strain though she did with every ounce of steam in her -and every horsepower in her engines, she could not make the _Vedra_ -budge from the fast hold in which she had been caught. Suddenly, too, -there was a crack that sounded above the roar of the wind, and the -_Furness_ went staggering back as a child staggers when someone lets go -of a rope he is straining at. The hawser had snapped in two. A sharp -command, and the _Furness_ eased up, and once more she steamed towards -the _Vedra_; another hawser was hurled, and again, eventually, was -hitched on. Then back she pulled, more carefully than ever this time, -with the hawser tightening between the two vessels. Would it hold? -Would the _Vedra_ move? Would the _Furness’s_ engines stand the strain? -Such were the questions that raced through many a mind in those anxious -moments. On the _Vedra_, the captain still at his post, men waited -tensely, holding on to anything at hand, lest they be pitched off into -the boiling sea below, while the whole ship seemed to throb to the -racing of her engines as they worked at high pressure. But she refused -to move. - -Things were now assuming a very serious aspect, though the coming of -the two tug boats at this time, under command of Commander Bisset, -R.N., Harbour-master of Barrow, heartened the captain and crew, who -refused to heed exhortations thrown at them to leave the vessel. - -“No!” bawled the captain through his funnelled hands. “I’ll not leave -her till there’s no hope. I think we can refloat her!” - -So, as the men would stick to their duty, there was nothing to do -but to strive the utmost to get the ship off, and the tugs and the -guardship worked nobly with this end in view; but all unavailingly. -And while they worked the news had been signalled along the coast, and -the lifeboats at Piel and Fleetwood put out to succour the stranded -mariners. Just as the Piel boat reached the spot, however, a great -calamity had come to pass. - -The buffeting of the wind and sea bumped the _Vedra_ heavily at every -blow. The straining of her engines had begun to tell; the engines soon -gave up the fight and refused to work any more; and the vessel lay a -helpless hulk, at the mercy of the elements--wind and water, which were -soon to be reinforced by a third--fire! While the firemen below had -been working like niggers to keep their engines going, other men had -been busy at the pumps, pumping the oil out of the tanks in order to -lighten the ship and give her a better chance of life. But pumped they -never so feverishly, never so lustily, they could not work fast enough; -they were fighting against Nature, which, red in tooth and claw, -delights to show man that, despite his ingenuity, he is but puny. - -Just as the engines gave up, the copper oil tank gave way, and -instantly the oil began to run out. Now, it has always been a problem -with oil-ships, this bursting of the tanks when the vessel goes -ashore--a problem with a very serious point in it, and that is that -the oil is then almost certain to run into the engine-room. It did -so in this case; while the men at the pumps were sweating with their -exertions, the oil was running quickly towards the engine-room. There -was no stopping it, and very soon it reached the engines. There was a -burst of flame, followed by a terrific explosion. - -Horror-stricken, the men in the ships lying around looked across the -troubled waters at the now flaming vessel. They knew only too well what -had happened, and how utterly helpless everything was; but they steamed -forward as closely as they dared, and in the brilliant light could see -men standing about the rails of the vessel with agony-drawn faces and -already scorched clothes. - -The men on the _Vedra_? Down in the engine-room there were only things -that once were men; trapped in that inferno, every man of them had -been burned to death. Some, standing on deck, had rushed, as many as -possible, to the weather side of the ship, where, as the flames were -blown away from them, they stood a better chance of escape. Here they -clung, maddened with fear, waving a jersey to attract attention--as -if any attraction were needed! The light from the blazing ship showed -clearly and distinctly to the watchers the whole tragic scene. Others, -who were in the fo’c’sle, were caught in a trap, and the would-be -rescuers could see them at the portholes, frantically calling for the -help that could not be given them. - -All around the ship the sea was a blazing mass, for the oil which -had been pumped overboard had caught fire. The two lifeboats sped -through the sea towards the flaming ship, but were driven back by the -intense heat. Ever and anon there were reports as of great guns--with -a roar the oil tanks exploded, and added to the volume of flame which -enveloped the hapless ship and men. Then lesser reports; the steel -plates of the vessel were being blown out. - -“No hope--no hope!” cried the entrapped men; and then, driven mad by -despair, determined to take all risks. Some of them flung themselves -overboard into the flaming cauldron. They were never seen again. - -Then there took place one of those deeds of heroism which will never -die while men have lips to tell of courage and endurance. The chief -engineer was seen by those on the tugs to be standing on the poop with -three other men; hurriedly they saw him give his comrades a lifebuoy -each. They expected to see him don one himself, but, looking again, -realised that he had not one left. In the brilliant light they could -see him urging his comrades to jump; could see them reluctant to leave -him; but, pressed by the brave man, at last they leapt clear of the -ship--into the sea of fire on which were floating several lifebuoys -and belts thrown out by the tugs and lifeboats. They disappeared for a -moment, then came to the surface again, and could be seen striking out -towards the _Furness_, which, pushing as near as was possible, went to -their rescue. By the greatest of good luck, after a fearful struggle -for life against sea and fire, two men, Second Engineer McLoughlin and -Fourth Engineer Dixon, were picked up, sadly burnt, almost exhausted, -but alive. The third man was not so fortunate, and was not seen again. - -[Illustration: “The funnels and ventilators were belching forth mighty -columns of flame--every part of the ship was ablaze”] - -Meanwhile, the chief engineer had himself jumped overboard, without -any lifebuoy, and fought his way yard by yard through the sea of flame -till he came within an arm’s length of the boat which had been put off -to rescue him. As though angry at being robbed of the other men, the -sea, seeming to gather in fury, at that moment picked up the engineer -on a tremendous wave and hurled him back into the inferno, then back -against the death-ship, battering him to death. - -It was evident now that there was no hope for any other of the stricken -crew. The funnels and ventilators were belching forth mighty columns -of flame--every part of the ship was ablaze. Only one man was still -visible on deck, and he was so scared that he could do nothing but cry -agonisingly for help. - -“Jump!” they yelled to him. “Jump!” - -“I can’t swim!” was the tragic answer; and, fearing to trust himself to -the treacherous sea, he remained where he was, to become the victim of -a still more treacherous foe. - -So ended the tragedy of the _Vedra_. Although the tugs and lifeboats -loitered about all night in the hope of finding some survivor, they -were unsuccessful. Morning came. The ship was still burning furiously, -great columns of flame and smoke ascending to such a height that they -were visible at Fleetwood and Blackpool, twenty miles away. Her plates -were red hot; all her tanks had long since exploded with terrific -reports; and when night fell she was nothing but a shapeless skeleton, -glowing in the sea, which itself was like a burning oil well. - -Out of a crew of thirty-six only two men were taken off, and that -despite all the gallant efforts that were made. Even of these two only -one lived, for a week later one of them died in hospital from burns and -shock. - - * * * * * - -The story of the burning of the _Earl of Eldon_, one of the finest -trading vessels then afloat (it was on September 27, 1834, that the -fire was discovered), is an instance of the spontaneous combustion of -a cargo such as has often sent good ships to their doom. The _Earl of -Eldon_ left Bombay on August 24, carrying forty-five souls, including -three ladies and a baby amongst her passengers. She was laden with -cotton bales, screwed so tightly that when the time came to move them, -in order to try to save the ship, it was found impossible to shift them -sufficiently. Before the cotton was put aboard it had been allowed to -get thoroughly wet through, but, knowing the danger of wet cotton in a -ship’s hold, the owners had had it dried before shipment. Apparently -the drying had not been thorough, because the only explanation of -the fire on the _Earl of Eldon_ is that, in just the same way that a -haystack takes fire from the firedamp that generates inside it, so -the cotton bales generated their own fire. As stated above, the first -signs of anything wrong were discovered on September 27, when some of -the passengers noticed steam issuing from the fore-hatchway. Captain -Theaker, however, assured them that it was only steam, which was a -usual thing on cotton-loaded ships. Presently, however, the smoke -became so dense that the passengers were really alarmed, and an officer -of the Madras Artillery, who was on board as a passenger, was not at -all surprised when Captain Theaker knocked at his door and informed -him that part of the cotton was on fire, and that he wished all the -gentlemen passengers to come on deck for consultation. The rest of the -story cannot be better told than in the words of the Indian officer. - -“Being assembled,” he says, “the captain stated the case to be that -some part of the cargo appeared to have spontaneously ignited, and he -proposed removing the bales until they should discover the ignited -ones, and have them thrown overboard, as also those which appeared to -be in the same damaged condition. He said that there did not appear to -be immediate danger, and that he hoped we might be able to avert it -altogether. However, at eight o’clock the smoke became much thicker, -and began to roll through the after-hatchway--the draught having been -admitted forward in order to enable the men to work. Several bales were -removed, but the heat began to be intolerable below; the smoke rolled -out in suffocating volumes, and before nine o’clock we discovered that -part of the deck had caught fire; in short, the men were obliged to -knock off work. The captain then ordered the hatches to be battened -down, with a view to keep the fire from bursting out, and to hoist out -all the boats and stock them in case of necessity. This was done, and -about half-past one the three ladies, two sick passengers, an infant, -and a female servant were put into the longboat, with two hundred and -sixteen gallons of water, twenty gallons of brandy, and biscuits for a -month’s consumption, together with such pots of jam and preserved meats -as we could get at, and the day’s provision of fresh and salted meat. - -“It was now about two o’clock; the hatches were then opened, and all -hands set to work to endeavour to extinguish the fire. The main hatch -being lifted, and a tarpaulin removed, there was a sail underneath -which was so hot that the men could hardly remove it; when they did, -the heat and smoke came up worse than ever, and it being now known from -inspection that the fire was underneath that part, orders were given to -hoist out the bales until the inflamed ones could be got at; but when -the men laid hold of the lashings to introduce a crane-hook, they were -found to have been burned through beneath, and came away in their hands. - -“The case now appeared bad, indeed. However, we cut a bale open and -tried to remove it by handfuls, but the smoke and heat became so -overpowering that no man could stand over it, and water only seemed to -have the effect of increasing it, in the quantities we dared to use, -for had the captain ventured to pump water into the ship to extinguish -the fire, the bales would have swelled so much as to burst open the -deck, and have increased so much in weight as to sink the ship, so -that either way destruction would have been the issue. Under these -circumstances, perceiving the case to be utterly hopeless, the captain -called us together on the poop, and asked if anyone could propose any -expedient likely to avail in extinguishing the fire and saving the -ship, as in that case ‘we will stick by her while a hope remains.’ -It was unanimously agreed that all had been done that could be done; -the men were all perfectly sober, and had been indefatigable in their -exertions, but one and all seemed coolly and positively of opinion that -the case was hopeless. The heat was increasing so much that it became -dangerous to leave the poop; the captain therefore requested us to get -into the boats, told off and embarked his men, and at three o’clock he -himself left the ship, the last man, just as the flames were bursting -through the quarter-deck. We then put off, the two boats towing the -longboat. The ship’s way had been previously stopped by backing her -yards. She was now in one blaze, and her masts began to fall in. The -sight was grand, though awful. Between eight and nine o’clock all her -masts had fallen, and she had burned to the water’s edge. Suddenly -there was a bright flash, followed by a dull, heavy explosion--her -powder had caught. For a few seconds her splinters and flaming -fragments were glittering in the air, and then all was darkness, and -the waters had closed over the _Earl of Eldon_! - -[Illustration: “The ship was now in one blaze, and her masts began to -fall in”] - -“Sad was the prospect now before us! There were in the longboat the -captain and twenty-five persons, including an infant four months old; -the size of the boat 23 feet long by 7-1/3 feet broad. In each -of the others ten individuals, including the officer in charge. One -of the boats had some bags of biscuit, but the chief provision was -in the longboat. We were, by rough calculation, above 1,000 miles -from Rodrigue, and 450 from Diego Garcias, the largest of the Chagos -Islands; but to get there we must have passed through the squally -latitudes we had just left, and been subject to variable winds and -heavy weather or calms, neither of which we were prepared to resist. -Seeing, then, that our stock was sufficient, we determined on trying -for Rodrigue. About eleven o’clock we accomplished rigging the boats -and were under sail. We carried a lantern lashed to our mast in the -longboat to prevent the other boats from losing us during the night; -and when day broke sent them sailing in all directions around to -look-out for ships. While the wind was light they could outsail us, -but when it became strong, and the sea very high, the difference of -speed was rather in our favour, as the weight and size of the longboat -enabled her to lay hold of the water better. - -“On the third day of our boat navigation, the change of the moon -approaching, the weather began to wear a threatening aspect; but as we -were in the Trade, we did not apprehend foul or contrary winds. In the -course of the night it blew fresh, with rain. We were totally without -shelter, and the sea, dashing its spray over us, drenched us, and -spoiled a great part of our biscuit, though we happily did not discover -this until we were nearly out of the want of it. - -“In the course of the next day the weather grew worse, and one of our -small boats, in which was Mr. Simpson, the second mate, with nine -others, was split by the sea. She came alongside, and we put the -carpenter into her, who made what repairs he could, but with little -hope of their answering. We then proceeded to fasten a spray-cloth -of canvas along our gunwale, having lashed a bamboo four feet up the -mast, and fixed it on the intersection of two stanchions at the same -height above the stern. The spray-cloth was firmly lashed along this, -so as to form a kind of half-pent roof, and had it not been for this -imperfect defence we must have been swamped; and we still shipped seas -to so great an extent that four men were obliged to be kept constantly -employed in bailing to keep her clear of water. Towards evening it blew -hard with a tremendous sea, and, not thinking the other damaged boat -safe, we took in her crew and abandoned her. We were now thirty-six -persons, stowed as thick as we could hold, and obliged to throw over -all superfluities. We had not more than eight inches of clear gunwale -out of water! - -“This night I shall never forget. Our situation was indeed awful. Wet, -crushed, and miserable, the night passed away, and the day broke at -last. A tremendous sea came roaring down, and I held in my breath with -horror; it broke right over our stern, wetted the poor women to their -throats, and carried away the steersman’s hat. The captain then cried -out, in a tone calculated to inspire with confidence he afterwards told -me his heart did not re-echo: - -“‘That’s nothing! It’s all right! Bail away, my boys!’ - -“He never expected us to live out that night; but, harassed as he was -in mind and body, he gallantly stood up, and never by word or deed -betrayed a feeling that might tend to make us despair. He stood on the -bench that livelong night, nor did he ever attempt to sleep for nearly -forty-eight hours. - -“The morning broke and passed away, and, after the change of the moon, -the weather began to moderate, and we enjoyed a comparative degree of -comfort. We had three small meals of biscuit and some jam, etc., and -three half-pints of water per day, with brandy, if we liked it. The men -had one gill of spirits allowed them daily. We had plenty of cigars, -and whenever we could strike a light we had a smoke, and I never found -tobacco so great a luxury. The ladies were most wretched, yet they -never uttered a repining word. - -“On the thirteenth evening we began to look out for Rodrigue. The -captain told us not to be too sanguine, as his chronometer was not -to be depended upon after its late rough treatment. The night fell, -and I went forward to sleep, and about twelve was awoke by the cry -that land was right ahead. I looked and saw a strong loom of land -through the mist. The captain had the boat brought to for an hour, -then made sail and ran towards it, and at half-past two it appeared -still more strongly. We then lay to until daylight. I attempted to -compose myself to sleep, but my feelings were too strong, and after -some useless attempts I sat down and smoked with a sensation I had long -been a stranger to. With the first light of dawn, Rodrigue appeared -right ahead, distant about six miles, and by eight o’clock we were all -safely landed. A fisherman who came off to show us the way through the -reefs received us in his house, and proceeded to feed us, and in the -meantime sent to tell the gentlemen of the island of our arrival. Two -of them came down immediately, and, having heard our story, said that -we had been miraculously preserved. They then gave our bundles to their -negroes, and took us to their houses, where everything they had was set -before us--clean linen and a plentiful dinner. They shook us down four -or five beds in an outhouse, and we enjoyed what we had not known for -the last fortnight--a sound sleep.” - - - - -ROMANCE OF TREASURE-TROVE - -These are True Stories of Treasure, and they are as Strange as Fiction - - -Interwoven with the story of the sea there is a vast amount of romance -that wraps itself around hidden treasure. Ever since the days when -the pirates roamed the seas at their own sweet will and took toll of -shipping, these tales of treasure have been told. Dotted about here -and there are small islands where tradition has it that the pirates -hid their hoards of gold, silver, and precious jewels, intending -to come back for them at some future date; but, being caught and -hauled to justice, they died with their secret unrevealed, and the -treasure remained. Then someone was told--or perhaps imagined--that -such-and-such an island held it, and expeditions would be fitted out to -seek for the treasure, which, as time rolled on, grew in size and value -till it assumed fabulous proportions. - -Of course, there _are_ hidden treasures secreted by the old pirates, -and there are, too, other hoards which it would be well worth while to -salvage, if the exact places were known. One can go back as far as the -reigns of Tiberius and Caligula and find mention of richly laden ships -which foundered with all their treasure; two galleys, for instance, -containing plate, gold, art treasures, and many jewels were lost in the -Lake Nemi, and nothing has ever been recovered, although the lake at -this spot is only little more than a hundred feet deep. - -Coming to a much later date, the seventeenth century, there is an -authentic record of the recovery of a vast quantity of lost treasure -which was lost off Hispaniola, when a great Spanish galleon went -down very many years before. A ship’s carpenter named John Phipps -by some means became aware of this sunken treasure, and after some -time prevailed upon the Duke of Albemarle to fit out an expedition to -recover it. That expedition lasted a year, and folks at home began to -think that Phipps’s idea had been all moonshine, and that nothing had -come of it. Then one day the one-time carpenter turned up with treasure -worth £300,000. The story was romantic. Phipps had been searching about -the sea round Hispaniola, for he had no sure idea as to exact locality, -and perhaps he himself had a suspicion that his information had been -incorrect, for he could find no trace of the wealth he sought. Then one -day, when off Port de la Plata, looking over the side of the _Periaga_, -a man “spied,” says the account written by a New England historian, -“a feather growing, as he judged, out of a rock, whereupon one of -their Indians (whom they had brought for the purpose) dived in, and, -bringing up the feather, brought them withal a surprising story that he -perceived a number of great guns in the watery world where he had found -his feather, the report of which great guns exceedingly astonished -the whole company, and at once turned their despondencies for their -ill-success into assurances that they had now lit upon the true spot of -ground which they had been looking for; and they were further confirmed -in their assurances when, upon further diving, the Indian fetched up -a ‘Sow,’ as they styled it, or lump of silver, worth perhaps two or -three hundred pounds. This news was communicated to Phipps. ‘Then,’ -said he, ‘thanks be to God, we are made’; and so away they went, all -hands to work.... Now, most happily, they fell upon that room in the -wreck where the bullion had been stored up, and they so prospered in -this ‘new fishing’ that in a little while they had, without the loss of -any man’s life, brought up _thirty-two tons of silver_! For it was now -come to measuring silver by tons. Thus did there once again come into -the light of the sun a treasure which had been half a hundred years -groaning under the water. Besides that incredible treasure in plate of -various forms thus fetched up from seven or eight fathoms under water, -there were vast riches of gold and pearls and jewels.” - -Carpenter Phipps received a boisterous welcome in England when he -returned, and was knighted, and in due course became Governor of -Massachusetts. - -Sometimes seekers after treasure go forth on their quest and are never -heard of again. In 1888, for instance, there left the Thames a little -steamer called the _Seabird_, which was destined, so it was said, for -coastal work in South America. Some three months later she was seen -off Descada, and from that time to this has not been heard of. Plainly -one of those mysteries of the sea referred to in another chapter; but -a mystery with something behind it. The accepted explanation is that -the owners had gone to seek treasure-trove buried by La Fitte, a French -pirate, in the early days of the nineteenth century, on one of the -Leeward Islands, either Marie Galanti or Descada, where the _Seabird_ -was sighted. There might be little in that to connect the _Seabird_ -with treasure-hunting, were it not for the fact that when she left the -Thames she had two divers aboard, who were ranked on the books as -steward and cook’s mate. Twelve months after the _Seabird_ disappeared -the mother of Rider, the “steward,” heard from her son, who sent her a -draft on a San Francisco bank for £100, and a letter saying that she -would hear from him again, and that he and the “cook’s mate,” Cadman, -had been “lucky.” He was as silent as the grave as to the fate of the -_Seabird_; and neither he nor any of the crew has been heard of since. - -If the pirates were alive, and would only speak! If Blackbeard, that -picturesque scourge of the sea, could but reveal the place where he hid -his treasure, unseen even by his own men, what a rush there would be! -What a hoard might be found! Though not perhaps so large a one as the -tales that are told lead one to suppose. Poor old Captain Kidd’s hidden -wealth, for instance, started with £300--according to a man who sailed -with him--and after the captain was hanged it grew and grew and grew -until it was so large that not one, nor two, but dozens of places were -necessary to hold it! So do myths arise from the flimsiest of facts. - -During the sixteenth century, when English ships scoured the seas to -wring wealth from Spain, many a Spanish ship was sunk, with all her -treasure, rather than it should fall into the hands of the “English -devils”; and when the Invincible Armada was put to flight, and, -storm-tossed, sought to reach home by sailing round the north coast of -Scotland and the west coast of Ireland, numbers of the vessels were -wrecked; and, as they contained huge treasures, fortunes might be -gained by properly organised search parties with the latest dredging -and diving apparatus. - -Sometimes the romance of treasure-trove is over-clouded by tragedy; -and very often for nothing. The story is told of the foundering of the -American ship _Reliance_, Captain Harding and his crew of twelve men -barely escaping with their lives in the boats. Then a storm broke upon -them and separated the boats, and Hiram Manly, mate, and nine men found -themselves alone on the watery waste, being buffeted about, in danger -every minute of being swamped. They worked desperately to keep her -afloat, happy to be so far safe. Then one man was washed overboard by -a huge wave, another fell dead from his exertions, and the survivors, -day after day under pitiless sun, and night after night, held on -their way, economising the few provisions and little water they had, -becoming delirious as the anxiety told on them. Two more men were lost -one night--perhaps the madness seized them, and they flung themselves -overboard to end it all; perhaps a wave took them. But, whatever it -was, they disappeared without a sound. The survivors, after what seemed -an eternity of suffering, were at last flung upon a coral island, where -they found water, which, because of the uncontrolled thirst upon them, -killed two of them. Then fish was found; Hiram built a fire from drift -wood, lighted it by the crystal glass of a watch and the sun’s rays, -and then went to rouse his sleeping comrades. One man was dead. - -Then the three castaways fell to eating their first good meal for many -a day, and afterwards set out to explore the island, Manly going in one -direction and the other two--Dillon and Harper--in another. They found -no sign of human beings, and presently Dillon and Manly met. - -“Where’s Harper?” asked Manly. - -“We’ll never see him again,” was the reply. “He’s dead.” - -“Dead!” cried Manly. “Where did it happen, and how?” - -“Sharks!” said Dillon. “He went to bathe, and--and they got him!” - -“Did the body come ashore?” Manly asked, filled with horror, and -wondering when his own turn would come. “Let’s go and see!” - -“No!” exclaimed Dillon. “It’s no use. We should never find him!” - -But Manly persisted, and ran off in the direction from which Dillon had -come; and in half an hour came upon the body of Harper, with a knife -wound in his chest! - -Instantly Manly’s thought flew to the agitation of Dillon when he -suggested seeking the body, and he knew that there had been treachery. -But why? Why should Dillon kill Harper, a man with nothing of value on -him? Not even his clothes were worth having, torn and ragged as they -were. - -Manly raised himself from beside the dead man, turned, and, turning, -saw Dillon creeping towards him with an open knife in his hand. -Weaponless, Manly for a moment was filled with terror; then, catching -up a handful of sand, he flung it into the murderer’s eyes, blinding -him for the minute. Then, with a bound, Manly was upon him, clutching -him by the throat and wrestling for the knife. For a long time the two -men fought, biting, scratching, Dillon seeking to use his knife, Manly -trying to seize it; but at last, with a sharp twist, Manly sent the -murderer headlong to the ground, and the next instant was upon him, -and, joy! he had the knife. - -Again they fought.... And Dillon met the fate of the man he had killed. - -Panting from his exertions, Manly sat on the sand beside the dead man, -and his bleared eyes looked out to sea. He leapt to his feet, weariness -all gone, all thought of the tragedy forgotten; he waved his hands -frenziedly, yelled hysterically: - -“A sail! A sail!” - -Away out there was a ship. - -Tearing his shirt from his back, Manly rushed to the water’s edge and -waved it long and feverishly, waved it till there came from the ship -the boom of a gun, that told him he had been seen. And then reaction -set in; he dropped senseless to the earth. - -They found him thus; found Dillon, too, lying dead, and knew that some -tragedy had been enacted on the silent, lonely strand. When Manly came -round he blurted out his story, telling all. - -“But why should he have killed Harper?” said the officer who had come -ashore with the boat party. - -“It fails me,” said Manly. - -The next moment the pair were startled as a seaman rushed towards them -with a cry upon his lips. He placed something in the officer’s hand. -They were two small golden coins. - -They were coins such as Manly knew none of his comrades had possessed, -and there was a gleam in his eyes as he looked at the officer, neither -speaking a word. - -Quietly they walked over to Dillon, searched him, and found three more -coins of the same kind. - -“Reckon that was the motive, sir,” said Manly. “They found these while -they were exploring the island, and Dillon, thinking he had come across -treasure-trove, decided to kill us both off. Harper went first, and my -turn would have come very soon. Thank God I went in search of Harper!” - -The officer agreed with Manly in his suggestion, and soon had his men -searching the beach; but not another coin was discovered. Instead, they -found the skeleton of a man--of some poor mariner, no doubt, who had -been cast ashore, his worldly possessions consisting of the five gold -coins that had roused the cupidity of Dillon, and had brought tragedy -upon them. - -Presently Manly was taken on board the _Bristol_, and sailed away from -the coral island, the scene of a tragedy of treasure that never existed. - -Everyone has heard of the treasure of Cocos Islands, off Panama, -to which many expeditions have been sent, though without success. -The treasure was hidden by a pirate named Beneto Bonito, and hidden -so securely that, although many expeditions--some of them recent -ones--have been sent out to find it, none has yet succeeded. But, -despite failure, year after year men go forth, secretly and well -equipped, seeking the hoards of riches that they fondly believe they -will some day find. - -Perhaps they will. - - - - -ADVENTURES UNDER SEA - -Strange Happenings to Submarines and Divers - - -Man, not content with fighting Father Neptune for mastery on the seas, -has gone farther than that, and has sought to show that he is not -afraid of any terrors beneath the seas: he would be master over all. -So men have become divers; so ships which can sink and rise again have -been made. And the diver and the submarine boat have added to the tale -of man’s conquest over Nature; their chapter is as full of vigour and -vim and adventure as any chapter in the tale. - -We are not concerned with the make-up of the submarine, but with the -adventures of the brave and hardy sailors who man them, and the part -the boats play in great naval wars. The latter may be dismissed by -saying that the submarine’s work is to dash forth from the security of -harbours, and make sudden attacks upon the bigger craft of the enemy -in the hope of reducing their number. These were the tactics employed -by Germany in the great war of 1914-15. Aware that Britain’s navy was -vastly superior to her own, and that the only hope for success in -a great encounter would be when the British navy had been reduced, -Germany kept her Dreadnoughts and other big craft safe in her harbours, -contenting herself with sending out submarines to strike sudden blows -at the British patrolling vessels guarding the seas. Britain employed -her submarines for the purpose of luring the Germans from their -harbours (as the account, given in another chapter, of the Battle of -the Bight of Heligoland shows). - -While British and German submarines were playing the risky game of -scouring the seas, French submarines were not idle; and in the latter -days of December, 1914, there was told the story of an adventure as -thrilling as ever fictionist wove for the delight of his readers. - -The number of the submarine was not given; neither was the name of -the place where the incident took place. All that was told was that -on a certain Saturday morning the submarine left port, and at three -o’clock on the following morning had reached its objective--namely, -an enemy port. Two miles out the boat dived, and going at the rate of -about three miles an hour, made for the entrance of the port where -the Frenchmen hoped to find some battleships which would provide good -targets for their torpedoes. In due course they reached the entrance; -it was guarded by a boom, on the other side of which were several -battleships and destroyers. - -Chagrined at the fact that the boom prevented them from firing at the -warships, the French sailors hung about awhile in the hope that the -enemy would perhaps issue forth. Meanwhile, the officer kept his eye -upon the mirror, which through the periscope showed him what was going -on, and which, incidentally, was a source of danger to the submarine; -for the eye of the submarine, sticking up about eighteen inches -above the surface, is easily seen in good light by the look-out of a -battleship; and in time of war a very sharp watch is kept for these -bobbing “eyes,” which betoken the presence of death-dealing boats. The -Frenchmen knew their danger, but they had come out to do something, and -refused to give up until they found it impossible to carry out their -mission. - -So they stayed there--waiting for something to happen. - -Then it happened. - -The man at the mirror saw the battleships and destroyers moving, and, -giving the order to stand by, he waited until they passed within a -short distance of the submarine. They were anxious moments for every -man in her; they knew that at any minute some watcher on the enemy’s -decks might detect them and heavy shells come hurtling towards them, -perhaps to snap the periscope and turn the cigar-shaped craft into a -blind, helpless thing, when, if she kept below, she might run foul of -a ship’s bottom, and if she rose to the surface be at the mercy of the -waiting foes. Into such moments is crowded the spice of war, and these -gallant Frenchmen were quite prepared for it. - -Luckily the foes passed by without noticing the lurking boat, and the -officer, anxious to get within a distance which would enable him to -take a more accurate aim, gave orders for the submarine to draw nearer -to them. Stealthily she approached, every man in her at tension and -at his post, ready for the time to come when they could launch their -death-tube. - -Suddenly the boat seemed to shiver, then to strain as a dog strains at -the leash, then to shiver again; and there was a grinding noise. Then -the boat came to a standstill, though her engines were still going. - -Instantly the men sprang into action, seeking the cause of this -unfortunate event. What had happened? they asked themselves. They -soon knew. Investigation showed them that steel cables had caught -the rudder of their boat and held her prisoner. Apparently this was -a method adopted by the enemy to trap them, for the cables drew them -upwards--ever upwards, till they were close to the surface, and at the -same time torpedoes came swishing through the water towards them. -Time after time these death-tubes sped at them, to miss them by merest -fractions of inches, it seemed. Simultaneously shells fell thick -and fast around them, sending the water up in great spouts. It was -literally an inferno, from which the Frenchmen realised that there was -little chance of escape. But what chance there was they took. - -Boxed up in their little citadel they waited for death--waited for the -crash that would tell them a shell had found its target; waited for the -explosion which would end the suspense and bring the death that was so -slow in coming. This waiting in helplessness was far worse than taking -the chances of death in an encounter with the foe when they were free -to fight manfully against them. - -But though they knew that death was so near to them, and though escape -seemed impossible, yet they bent their every effort in an attempt to -free the boat from the grip of the cables. They filled the water tanks -to their utmost capacity, and every man joined in pressing on the -steering wheel; the perspiration of energy and anxiety stood upon their -brows as they worked; the atmosphere was electric; they knew that the -next few minutes must decide their fate. How they worked! What prayers -for life they prayed, these men of death! - -Suddenly the grim silence of the interior was broken by the cries of -the men--cries of joy. With her engines at full speed, the little -craft had fought and strained against the impeding leash, had fought -victoriously, for with a jerk the cables broke away and the submarine -bounded forward; the men at the wheel felt it answer to their pressure, -and down the boat went at full speed to a depth of sixteen metres. - -They were saved! - -Ecstatic in their joy at deliverance the Frenchmen embraced each other, -and for a moment forgot that above them rode the giant foes who, -unaware yet that they had escaped from the cables, were no doubt still -potting away at the spot, and still sending their torpedoes in that -direction. But very soon the sailors came back to the world of action, -and realised that they were still far from safe; they must hurry away -immediately if they would escape. There was little chance of doing any -damage to the foe, who were now on the _qui vive_; and only one course -was open to the French, and that was to get away. They dared not rise -to the surface, and they had to chance their luck and keep below. For -two hours--hours full of anxiety--they went along under water, well -aware that they were pursued by the foes, whose guns continually spoke -as the periscope was fired at. Knot after knot was eaten up, and still -the pursuers kept on after them; but at last they were shaken off, and -the men in the submarine knew that they were indeed safe. - -But, cautious even now, they still remained beneath the surface till -the shades of evening fell; and then, and then only, did they dare to -rise, after having been submerged for nothing short of twelve hours! -Twelve hours as full of peril and thrill as any hours man ever spent! - -They were not even then out of the wood; for shortly afterwards they -sighted another of the enemy’s ships, and again they had to dive and go -on their way beneath the water; but eventually they reached their port -safely, happy to have escaped, but chagrined at not having been able to -do any damage to the foe. - - * * * * * - -Because we do not reap the benefits in daily life of the work of the -diver, few of us give him much thought; but for a hazardous, heroic -vocation, that of the man in the diving suit is probably without equal. - -A thousand little things may happen, and each one of them be sufficient -to cut the slender thread of life for the diver; a man in the boat -above, for instance, may make a slight mistake, and--but there is no -need to moralise. Take the case of John Edward Pearce, a diver, who one -day in 1868 was hard at work in eighty feet of water, where the sunken -barque _Mindora_ lay off Dover. You couldn’t have seen the diver, of -course, but the cutter riding to the swell, and the man aboard her -holding the lifeline, would have told you plainly enough that below the -water was a man working amidst the remains of what was once a proud -little ship. - -That man with the line was in touch with the man below; he held the -thread of life and death. Suddenly he received a signal from below, and -called out to another man, a diver: - -“Slack away the wreck rope!” - -“Aye, aye!” cried the man. And it was done. Then the two men waited, -expecting to see the diver’s helmet appear above the surface, and ready -to haul him aboard. - -But there was no sign of Pearce; only something was happening down -there, for the man with the lifeline could tell by the pull. - -“What’s he up to?” the diver asked, for he knew that it was unusual for -a diver to give the signal to come up and then to remain below. - -“I don’t know,” was the reply, “but he seems to have gone back into the -hold again.” - -“Reckon you’re wrong,” said the diver. “The line’s too deep for him to -be in the hold. Something’s gone wrong.” - -They signalled down to Pearce again and again, but getting no answer -began to haul away at the hoisting tackle. - -After an anxious time of straining at the ropes, they succeeded -in bringing the diver to the surface, hauled him into the cutter, -unscrewed his helmet and--thought him dead. Applying artificial -respiration immediately in the hope of his being alive, and forcing -brandy between the clenched teeth, they were fortunate enough to bring -Pearce round; and then the mystery was explained. The signal man had -made a mistake; he had called “Slack away!” when he should not have -done, with the result that the diver had slipped from the deck of the -sunken _Mindora_, to fall heavily on the floor of the ocean, cutting -his air supply and knocking himself unconscious. A few moments more -down there, with the air supply cut off, and he would inevitably have -died of suffocation. - -This was by no means the only adventure that befel Pearce in the course -of his work in the depths, and although the following incident took -place in a river, and not at sea, it may be included in this record. He -was at work on the s.s. _London_, which had sunk in the Tay, and his -task was to attach the bales of cotton with which she was laden to the -large drag hooks which men in the vessel above were letting down to -him. What made the job a ticklish one was the fact that the water was -thick, and, as he himself said, “I had to do all my work by feeling!” - -It is easy to imagine that Pearce found it very hard to manipulate the -drag hook which, after hauling a bale up, would descend to him again, -perhaps narrowly missing knocking him on the helmet, to the danger of -the glass front, which, breaking, would mean death. However, this did -not happen; instead, after he had fixed the four-pronged hook in a -bale it slipped, and in doing so, and before Pearce could jump aside, -caught him in the palm of his hand. The winches above, of course, were -hauling away at the chain which, going up, carried Pearce with it, -and soon he found himself in intense agony on the upper deck of the -_London_. By good luck he managed to wrench the hook out of his palm -just then, and the chain went upwards without a load, and the men above -believed that the bale had slipped as it was being hoisted. They little -knew what kind of a load it had had on it--a human load! Once free of -the hook Pearce, suffering severely, and feeling faint from loss of -blood, gave the signal to be hauled up, and in a short time was on the -surface. The men in the lighter quickly attended to him, and they found -that his palm had been torn completely open, and that the hook had -penetrated the third finger. That accident cost Pearce three months’ -work, and for a long time he despaired of ever being able to use the -hand again. - -Jim Hartley, diver, had an adventure of another kind under the sea. -A vessel had sunk off Honolulu, and Hartley, who was stranded at the -island after roving around a bit, undertook to explore the wreck if a -diving suit could be found. The island was ransacked and a suit found, -whereupon Hartley donned it, and rowed out in a small sloop with one -man to help him. The people on the shore had told him to beware of -sharks, and Hartley took with him a large knife--and it was a good job -he did! The first time he went down he couldn’t do much good, because -he landed amongst a lot of sharp rocks which threatened to cut his -airpipe; so he went up again, and ventured down on the next good tide. -This time he lighted on the sunken ship, which had a big hole in her -port bow. Thinking he would inspect the other side Hartley started to -go round, when there was a swirl of water, a sudden darkening, and a -jerk at the signal line and air pipe. - -Instinctively Hartley knew that a big fish had fouled him, and thoughts -of sharks entered his mind. Looking up through the now cloudy water, -he saw a huge shark. Presence of mind is the great thing for a diver -to possess, and Hartley had it. Quick as lightning he dropped on to -his back and lay there, waiting for the shark to come, knowing that -in that position he had a better chance if it came to a fight than he -would have if he stood upright. His great fear was that the shark might -cut the air-hose, and that if the man in the sloop caught sight of the -shark he might begin to haul up. In that case, the diver knew that he -would be at the mercy of the great fish, which would swoop down upon -him as he was going up, and while he had no leverage for his feet. - -Fortunately the man in the sloop did not see the shark, and Hartley, -lying there on his back, with his large knife held in his right hand, -waited--anxiously, watchfully--wondering what the shark would do. As -though playing with its prey the huge fish swam back a few yards, then -forward again, and this time it was lower down, and so nearer to the -supine man, who expected that every minute the shark would swoop down -upon him. But no; back it went again, only to swim forward once more -until it was three feet above him. - -This was Hartley’s opportunity; he knew that if the shark hauled off -again, the next time it would come right on to him, and then----Hartley -took opportunity by the forelock; he rose from his back, and, with a -terrific lunge, thrust his knife at the shark. Instantly the water was -dyed red, the great tail lashed the water angrily and caught Hartley -a terrific thwack, which sent him headlong to the ground again. The -water was now so thick that it was impossible to see anything, and -life depended on being able to find the signal line. Groping about in -the dark, by great good luck the diver caught the rope, gave it a sharp -tug that told the man above to haul away, and up went Hartley, nervous -until he reached the surface lest the blow he had given the shark had -not been sufficient to give it its quietus. However, all was well, and -in due course the diver was able to go down again and complete his work. - -A more terrifying fight with a shark was that which a diver once had -in a diving bell. In this case the diver sat on a small seat suspended -in the bell, which slowly descended into the water. To the horror of -the diver, when the bell rested on the bottom forty feet down, he -discovered that he had a companion--a shark! The great fish darted -hither and thither about the bell, and a whisk of its tail knocked the -diver off his seat. Quick as lightning the man scrambled to his place -again and sat there, a hopeless prisoner, with the tiger of the seas -almost brushing against him as it swooped around the bell, seeking to -find a way out of the prison. It grew angrier and angrier every moment, -and the diver knew that it would soon turn upon him unless he could -manage to kill it at once. Round and round the bell went the maddened -fish; silent, anxious, the diver waited for his chance; and as the -shark drew near to him, he made a sudden grab at its dorsal fin with -one hand, and with the other drove a sharp tool into the gleaming side. - -It was but the beginning of things. The blow seemed to make the shark -more angry than ever; and the blood-red water was lashed to a fury as -the fish turned and swept down upon the man, seeking to catch him in -its capacious maw. How he held on to his seat the diver never knew, -but he did so; and every time the shark dashed near him he stabbed at -it viciously with the tool. It was, indeed, a duel to the death, this -fight between the stabbing man and the flashing fish. The diver, who -had given the signal to be hoisted up, prayed that the men above would -not take long, for he was becoming weary of the struggle. His arms were -aching, his head was swimming, and, despite all his pluck, there was -the haunting dread that the giant fish might be victorious. Luckily -for the man the shark was also weakened, though even in its death -agonies it made attacks upon the diver, who was presently gladdened -at the sight of daylight and the ship. Quickly the crew had the bell -aboard, and before their eyes was a strange sight: a dying shark, in -death-travail, lashing its tail on the deck, and a man, faint, weary, -nauseated, who dropped beside the victim. - -Here is another picture of a man’s adventure among sharks. A cattle -ship had been wrecked. A diver went below to overhaul it, and found -that a school of sharks had got there before him, attracted by the -smell of the feast they nosed about after. Laying a charge and blowing -off the hatches, the diver saw the carcasses of the cattle rise from -the hold, to be attacked immediately by the hungry sharks which swarmed -about him. There were two alternatives open to him: either to remain -below and risk having his airpipe severed, or to go up and risk being -attacked as he went. He chose the latter as being the lesser of two -evils. So the signal was given; the men above began to haul him up. As -he went he had to pass through the school of voracious fish, some of -which turned their attention away from the dead cattle to the living -man. Swinging from this side to that as he was attacked, the diver -managed to ward off the tigers of the deep, and, by a very miracle, -reached the surface with no more hurt than an injured hand. - -[Illustration: “Swinging from this side to that as he was attacked, the -diver managed to ward off the tigers of the deep”] - - - - -CHASING PIRATES IN THE CHINA SEA - -Tales of Modern Pirate Hunting - - -It must not be supposed that all pirates lived in the far distant past, -or that there are no pirates nowadays. It is true that the picturesque -gentlemen whose acquaintance we have made so far have disappeared -from the high seas, but fellow rogues of theirs still ply their trade -far away in the East. The coasts of China have always been infested -by pirates; of course, they are not so numerous or so open in their -methods to-day as they were, say, forty or fifty years ago, for China -has awakened from her lethargy of ages, and her ancient civilisation -is being supplanted by a newer one which will not tolerate pirates. As -a matter of fact, the old Chinese civilisation did not tolerate them; -but the officials were so slack, and so cowardly, that the freebooters -laughed at them and their efforts to suppress piracy. It was for this -reason that Great Britain had gunboats in the Far Eastern waters -whose mission it was to destroy the pirates--rout them out of their -strongholds, and sink or capture their junks. - -The Gulf of Tonquin, the island of Hainan, and the length of coast -from that point to Macao, were--and are--what might be termed the -hunting-ground of the Chinese pirates. Macao, as a glance at the map -will show, is on the opposite side of the Canton River to Hong-Kong, -the British naval base. The trading was done chiefly from Hong-Kong -to the northward, the country below Macao being practically unknown -to Europeans. The British steamer _Takon_ was held up on April 27th, -1914, by pirates off Kian, to the north of Macao. It was late at night, -and the captain was on his bridge. The pirates swarmed along the deck, -killing as they went, and instantly all was confusion. There were two -hundred and thirty people on board, including passengers and crew, and -it was a bold attempt the pirates made. The officers and crew opposed -them nobly, and tried to force them back; but nothing could stop them. -Across the deck they went towards the bridge where the captain stood, -revolver in hand, blazing away at them as fast as he could. Here so -good a stand was made, that the pirates found they would be unable -to win, and, while some kept the captain and his few men engaged, -others rushed below and set fire to the ship. Very soon the vessel was -a blazing mass, with women and children screaming, pirates jumping -overboard to escape capture, the crew launching boats and trying to get -the women and children off. - -Naturally, after the turmoil of the fight, there was much confusion, -for people had lost their heads, and though incoming steamers rescued -over a hundred and fifty from the ship, which was burnt to the water’s -edge, when the toll was taken next morning it was found that a hundred -and eighty were missing, including the chief officer, Evans, who had -been last seen clinging to a floating oar. Of the rescued, some showed -signs of the encounter with the pirates, several of whom had been -killed and a number of others wounded. - -To go farther back, in 1865, a large junk, with a fine cargo of opium, -left the port bound for Swatow in the north. Now, as the junk was well -armed and well manned, having no fewer than a dozen 12- to 18-pounder -guns and some forty-five men on board, it seemed unlikely that she -would be molested by the pirates. For this reason a number of people -sailed in her, thinking themselves safe. The better not to be noticed -by any prowling piratical craft, the junk slipped out of harbour at -evening, but, the wind falling, she had to anchor about nine o’clock a -few miles from the outer roads of Hong-Kong, the crew, despite their -strength, and the passengers, despite the crew, feeling anything but at -ease in their minds; at any moment they knew they might be swooped down -upon by a number of pirate junks, and then--well, here is the “then.” - -At midnight, while the passengers were tossing about uneasily, a dark -shape loomed out of the night, there was a grating of ship’s side -against ship’s side, the patter of running feet on deck, and before -the crew or the passengers could gather themselves together--before -they even knew what was afoot--they were clapped under the hatches, -prisoners to pirates. Eighty-three people had been captured by, -perhaps, half that number! - -Once having secured their prisoners, the pirates set the junk’s sails, -and under cover of the darkness took her back towards Hong-Kong, -keeping well away from the coast until they were on the south side of -the island. Here, at daybreak, they ordered the prisoners to come up on -deck one by one. - -They came; and as each one showed head above the hatch, he or she--for -there were women and children aboard--was seized by the pirates, bound -hand and foot, and pitched headlong into the sea; these ruffians didn’t -trouble about planks! A man stood too much chance of being saved if he -walked off a plank, and very little if flung overboard with his feet -and hands tied. - -Eighty-two of the batch were treated in this way, the sole exception -being a child of twelve years of age, whom they decided to keep and -turn into ship’s boy. Then away went the pirates to a snug little -harbour near Macao, where they shared their spoil--no little lot, -either, for the ship had been well laden. Then the captured junk was -burnt, and the pirates broke up into little companies and went anywhere -they felt inclined, to spend their ill-gotten gains, and then to return -to their trade. - -Seven of the rogues, taking the little boy with them, boarded a steamer -bound for Hong-Kong. The pirates, used to such ventures, maintained -a fine pose, but the poor little laddie, scared out of his wits and -wondering what was likely to happen to him, attracted the attention of -the captain. - -“What’s the matter?” asked the captain. And, with nervous glances about -him, lest a pirate should catch him confiding to the kind-hearted man, -the boy told him the story of the tragic night on the junk. Telling him -to say nothing to anyone else, the captain, when the steamer arrived -at Hong-Kong, stopped in the middle of the river, and hailed the -police-boat. This arriving, the whole batch of passengers, numbering -over a hundred, was lined up, and the boy made to pick out the seven -pirates, who were taken prisoners and sent to the lock-up. - -The people of Hong-Kong were in a fine stew over the matter already, -for the previous evening one of the men who had been flung overboard -had, by a miracle, succeeded in getting his hands and feet free, -and, being a good swimmer, made his way to a small island near at -hand, whence he took a fishing-boat to Hong-Kong and told his story. -But though the authorities made inquiries none of the pirates were -captured, except the seven mentioned, who were duly tried and hanged. - -The terror which the pirates struck into the inhabitants of the small -coast towns--and large ones, too--is clearly shown in the following -story, told by Captain St. John, R.N., who commanded one of the -gunboats detailed to tackle the rovers. He was cruising about the coast -in 1865, shortly after the incident above-mentioned, when a sampan -hailed him, and the fisherman in it cried excitedly: - -“Have got pilong!” (pirate). - -“Where?” he was asked. - -“Can makee see,” was the answer. And he pointed to a couple of junks -which were making out to sea. That was enough for St. John. After them -he went, and the junks had no chance against the steam gunboat, which -rapidly overhauled them. Before the British vessel could get alongside, -however, a number of other junks swung out from the shore, and there -began a miniature battle--much noise, much smoke, though probably not -much damage on the part of the official junks, anyhow; for it was -left to Captain St. John to effect the capture of the pirate junks. -Anchoring off shore with his prisoners, the captain interviewed the -mandarin who came aboard. In true Oriental fashion the latter thanked -the Britisher for what he had done, considering it a vast achievement -to have captured a couple of junks and twenty-one men. - -“These two junks,” he said, “have given me a great deal of trouble -for four days; they have blockaded the place; neither a fishing nor a -trading junk has been able to get out!” - -Naturally, Captain St. John was surprised that two miserable junks, -with twenty-one men and a two-pounder gun, could have effectively shut -up a port in such a way. The mandarin excused himself and his people by -saying that they were very, very scared of pirates, and on being asked -if he hadn’t any soldiers, replied that he had eight hundred ashore. -Eight hundred soldiers, and a hundred or so junks knocking about the -harbour, and yet the two pirate craft could hold up a whole port’s -trade for over half a week! And the port had 4,000 inhabitants! - -“Well,” said the captain to the mandarin, “if I were a Chinaman, -I think I would turn pirate at once. They must lead very jolly, -independent lives!” - -“Yes, they do,” answered the mandarin, not appreciating the captain’s -humour. “The only things they fear are English gunboats.” - -Pickshui, one of the strongholds of the pirates, had already been -burned down twice by Captain St. John; but, having been rebuilt, it was -determined that once and for all it should be razed to the ground. A -large expedition, consisting of fifty-three war-junks, sixteen hundred -Chinese troops, four English gunboats and a steamer was detailed to do -this, Captain St. John being in command, though the part of his own -little force was rather to encourage the Chinese than anything else. -The armada arrived off Pickshui, which from its situation was as good -a place for the pirates to lurk in as could be found. The way in was -through a channel between two islands, and vessels passing through -were at the mercy of the pirate junks inside. The mandarin in charge -of the Chinese section of the expedition knew this, and was pathetic -in his refusal to venture in, or allow his own ships to do so, unless -an English gunboat led the way. So in went the English, followed by -the Chinese, who, indicative of their dread of the pirates, directed a -heavy fire upon the village before they dared land a single man. Then, -when they had plucked up sufficient courage, the celestial warriors -leaped ashore, and a great mass of them rushed at the village, -from which the inhabitants fled in terror. Then looting began; and -afterwards the village was burned to the ground--for the third time. - -But the work was not done; large numbers of pirates were hidden amongst -the trees, and kept up a continual fire upon the Chinese troops who -were told to clear them out of the woods. Eight hundred of the soldiers -were detailed for this task, and for a time they kept up a brisk, -though useless, because ill-directed, fire upon the pirates. Then they -refused to advance a single inch; it was only courting death, they said. - -“My troops cannot take the place!” cried the mandarin to Captain St. -John, in an awful agony of spirit. - -“Go in at them,” exclaimed the captain, “and they’ll run as fast as -their legs can carry them!” - -A blank refusal was the only answer, and the captain realised that if -the expedition was to be a success, he would have to make it so. He -therefore promised to help, and, taking one sailor and one marine, -he landed and went to where the Imperial cowards were waiting. The -mandarin, fear written all over his face, took his stand with his men, -but the captain and his two companions went forward alone, getting -close up to where the pirates were concealed. - -These three intrepid men opened fire upon the lurkers, and what all the -desultory firing of the Imperial troops had failed to do, they did; -they alone sent the pirates fleeing for their lives! - -And that little affair upset the ruffians at Pickshui! - -How scared the pirates were of a handful of Englishmen is shown by an -encounter which Captain St. John had with them in another little bay, -where the gunboat could not enter, the entrance being too narrow and -the water too shallow. As the pirate junks would be lined up inside, -ready to meet with a heavy fire any attacking boats, some other way had -to be devised, and the captain hit on a method which, as it turned out, -was successful. He landed at a spot some distance from the entrance, -taking seven men with him, and arranging for another boat to put out -when the gunboat reached the entrance of the channel. - -The way to the pirates’ rendezvous lay through a quarter of a mile of -scrubby bush and long grass, and up the side of a hill. Cautiously this -ground was covered and the summit of the hill reached. Down in the bay -lay three large junks, broadside on to the entrance, ready to give a -good fight to any who tried to get in. Their men were at the guns, -twenty-six in all--a fair armament, and one likely to cause havoc in -any boats which dare attempt to enter. As for men, there were about ten -to one against the English; but the job had to be done. - -Grounded on the shore was a small sampan, hidden from the junks by some -trees; and Captain St. John resolved that he would have this sampan. -Just as he had made up his mind to obtain it, the gunboat appeared -at the entrance and the pirates began to get to business. But before -they had a chance to fire, St. John and three of his men had scrambled -into the sampan, pushed off, and took them in the rear. They were seen -immediately, before ever they got near enough to board, and the three -other men, who were coming along the shore, were also seen. - -Never were mortals so scared as were those poor pirates! Seven -men--white men, Englishmen! So vast an army had come out against them! -It was more than piratic endurance and pluck could stand; and over the -side went the raiders, some being fortunate enough to drop into the -boats alongside, others tumbling headlong into the water. Such a scene -you never saw! Such yells of fear you never heard! - -And four of those seven men were in a sampan that simply refused to -be steered, but spun round and round and round, so that they could -neither get aboard nor grab any of the pirates. Then, to add to the -consternation of the ruffians, another boat, with more Englishmen, -appeared in the entrance; and there were no men at the guns to fire the -grapeshot which they had hoped would blow the sailors from the sea! - -And instead of doing that the pirates splashed and scrambled about in -frantic efforts to reach shore, all of them managing to do so except -about half a dozen who were taken prisoners. Then the Englishmen had a -bonfire, the junks forming the fuel for it. - -Truly, pirate-hunting in the Far East is a fine sport! - - - - -A VOYAGE OF DANGER - -The Mutiny on the _Flowery Land_ - - -It is significant to note that, in the merchant service, most of the -mutinies on the record of shame have as their ringleaders--and rank and -file--foreign sailors aboard British ships; and the mutiny on board the -_Flowery Land_ was no exception. - -The _Flowery Land_, laden with wines, and a mixed cargo besides, left -the Port of London on July 28, 1863, bound for Singapore. Crew and -officers numbered twenty, the captain bearing the honest, if common, -name of John Smith; with him, as a passenger, sailed his brother George. - -They had not been at sea long before Captain Smith found that he -had a very tough set of men to deal with. They were a cosmopolitan -crowd--Spaniards, Turks, Greeks, Norwegians, Chinamen, and a sprinkling -of Englishmen, these latter being Karswell, the first mate, and William -Taffir, the second mate. The seamen, being far from sweet-tempered, -and giving evidence every now and then of insubordination, had to be -taken pretty strongly in hand, which took the form of rope’s-ending -some of them occasionally to quell their unruly spirits. Such -treatment, however, only seemed to arouse the antipathy of the crew, -who secretly plotted against the captain and his officers; and when one -day George Carlos, the Greek, after a particularly flagrant piece of -insubordination, was hauled on deck and strapped to the bulwark for a -while, it made them more determined than ever to get their own back. -Not that this treatment of Carlos was anything out of the way; it was a -very frequent form of punishment for the law-breaker at sea. And, as a -matter of fact, Carlos did not get all he deserved, for Captain Smith -took pity on him, and had him released sooner than he need have done, -and went so far as to physic him and let him go to his bunk for a rest. - -But what harsh treatment did not effect, kind was unable to, and Carlos -nursed revenge in his heart. With his cosmopolitan comrades he worked -up a mutiny which broke out on September 10, at about three o’clock in -the morning. - -The captain was below at the time, and Karswell was on deck, it being -his watch; and the conspirators had timed things so that the two -could not help each other. Suddenly the storm burst; one party made a -rush for Karswell, who, taken unawares, was felled to the deck with -handspikes. - -“Mercy!” he cried in his agony; but the ruffians were out for blood, -and, not heeding his cries, struck him again and again, battering in -his head and smashing his face. Then, having taken so much of revenge, -they picked the still screaming man up from the deck, carried him to -the side, and heaved him into the sea. - -Meanwhile, down in the cabin, the captain had heard the noise, and, -jumping up, had rushed half-way up the companion-way. He got no -farther; several men met him, including Francisco Blanco and Brasilio -de los Santos, and, armed with handspikes and daggers, they fell upon -him with fury. Clinging to the ladder, seeking to work his way up, the -captain was hacked, stabbed, and stabbed again, and then chased below -and beaten till his body was racked with pain. - -Taffir, the second mate, also roused by the hubbub, tried to get on to -the deck, but was stopped by a struggling crowd on the companion, who -were treating another man as they had treated the captain. A handspike -sent him spinning down again; but once more he ran up, and caught hold -this time of the man, and tried to pull him out of danger. He did not -know then what had happened to Smith, and he called out lustily on the -captain for help. There was no answer; only another blow that sent him -hurtling below. - -Picking himself up, he ran to the captain’s cabin, only to find it -empty. From there he hurried to the main cabin, and here the flickering -light of the untrimmed lamp showed him the captain lying in a pool of -blood. The mutineers had finished him off there. He was dead. Half -maddened by the horror of it all, Taffir rushed to the berth of the -captain’s brother. That also was empty. George Smith had been beaten -on the head with handspikes till the life was out of him, and then had -been pitched overboard. Realising now that there was little mercy being -shown to whoever fell into the mutineers’ hands, Taffir sought safety -in his own cabin, where he locked himself in, and waited in anguish for -about three-quarters of an hour, refusing to answer the calls of the -seamen as they pounded at his door. - -In the meantime the mutineers were having a clean sweep up; they -knocked the carpenter, Michael Anderson, on the head, and ransacked -the ship to see what they could find. Then they bethought themselves -of Taffir again. Although he did not know it, Taffir was destined to -be saved, for the sole reason that, now that they had disposed of the -other officers, he was the only man who knew anything about navigation; -and, even when you’ve got a ship in your hands, it’s not much use -unless you can do something with it. - -So down they went to Taffir’s cabin, and on his refusing to open the -door to them, they smashed it in and marched into the cabin, where, as -bloodstained, ruffianly looking a crew as man ever saw, they stood in a -half-circle round his berth. - -“Come out!” cried John Lyons, a Spaniard. “Come out!” - -Thinking that acquiescence was the safest thing, Taffir got out and -stood before them. - -“Are you going to kill me?” he asked, anxiously waiting for the answer, -and half fearing what it might be. He had little reason to expect mercy -from men who had so far shown none. - -“No,” said Lyons. “But we’ve killed the skipper and the mate, and the -captain’s brother has got away somewhere. We want you to work the ship -to somewhere. Will you do it?” - -For a moment or so Taffir thought. To say “Yes” was to lend himself to -the crime; to say “No” was to ask for death. And, after all, refusing -would do nothing for the men who had been killed, whereas to agree -might lead to the bringing of the ruffians to justice. - -“All right,” he said presently, and the party went on deck again. - -Going to the main cabin, Taffir saw that Captain Smith’s body had a -rope round it, and that Watto, the Turk, was going to haul it up on -deck to heave it overboard. - -“Hold! Let me sew it up in canvas,” cried Taffir, with all the sailor’s -reverence for the dead; and the mutineers, knowing that, after all, -they must humour the mate, consented. Taffir performed his sad office, -and Captain Smith had a decent burial at sea, minus the service. - -It was five o’clock before Taffir went up on deck, and as he did so he -passed Santos, who flourished a big knife at him, as though he would -much like to do with Taffir as he had done with the captain. - -Having seen that the ship was going all right, Taffir went back to the -cabin, and remained there till about eight o’clock, when all the hands -except the man at the wheel came down to interview him. - -“Come into the captain’s cabin,” said Lyon sternly. - -“What for?” Taffir asked, though he had already guessed what was afoot. - -“We want to see what money and clothes he’d got,” was the reply; and -although he did not say so, Lyons’s idea was that, if they got Taffir -there, and made him share with them, they could say that he was a party -to the whole affair. - -Needs must when the devil drives; and so Taffir went into the cabin, -standing by while Santos, Blanco, Carlos, Watto, and Lopez ransacked -it for everything of value. They broke open boxes and chests, wrenched -open the desks, and, gathering all the money they could find, took it -into the main cabin, where they laid it upon the table for division. - -“Dole it out in seventeen parts,” said Lyons to Taffir. - -“No!” screamed the Turk. “Make it eight!” - -“Shut up!” said Lyons threateningly, and Taffir thought that the -thieves were going to quarrel amongst themselves. However, the matter -was smoothed over, and Lyons had his own way. - -Into seventeen parts the money was divided. - -“Here’s yours,” said Lyons to the mate. - -“I won’t touch a cent of it,” said Taffir, seeing what the idea was. - -“You’ll do as I tell you,” cried Lyons, “or----” - -He let the rest go by default, and Taffir knew what he meant. There -was nothing for it, and, taking the share, the mate carried it to one -of the writing-desks and put it in there, though he never saw it again. -Perhaps the greedy Turk had it. - -Next the mutineers allotted out the captain’s clothes, though they did -not give Taffir a share of them. When they came to Smith’s watch they -decided that, as they couldn’t very well divide that, they would keep -it till they landed, when they might be able to sell it. The timepiece -was therefore put into the writing-desk with Taffir’s money; but that -also disappeared, and later was a source of trouble. - -Having settled up these little matters fairly amicably, the question -was to get to land, and Taffir was made to navigate the vessel, -while the crew, when it was not necessary for them to work, regaled -themselves with champagne and overhauled the cargo for valuables. - -For some days everything went on smoothly, and then a ship was sighted. -She proved to be the _Friends_, of Liverpool, and Taffir steered the -_Flowery Land_ towards her. Acting on instructions from Carlos, who was -in charge of the ship, and had ordered her to be set for Buenos Ayres, -under threat of death Taffir told the _Friends’_ captain that she was -the _Louiza_, bound for Valparaiso. - -Then the two ships parted company; and barely had the _Friends_ got -away when the crew rushed towards Taffir, and, with daggers drawn, -stood and jabbered at him like so many monkeys. Although he couldn’t -understand what they were saying, there was no mistaking their -attitude. Evidently they were angry with him for something, and it -would have gone ill with Taffir had not Lyons come along. Quieting the -angry crew, he abstracted from them the fact that they thought Taffir -had just told the _Friends_ the whole story of the mutiny. Lyons soon -put them right on that little matter, and they went back to their -champagne, appeased. - -The incident showed Taffir how slender was the thread on which his life -hung, and he knew that he would have to be careful, for if these men -suspected that he was playing them false there was little doubt that -they would kill him out of hand, and risk what happened afterwards. -They were like so many madmen, and one day Taffir saw the Turk go up -to the Chinese steward and gash his arm open with a large knife for no -apparent reason whatever. It turned out that they were forcing him to -collect all the ship’s papers, which they threw overboard. Then they -had a row about the captain’s watch, which was missing, and accused -Taffir of having stolen it. It never was found, and was a sore point -all through. - -On October 2 land was sighted, and now that they had no further use -for him, the mutineers sent Taffir to Coventry. No one spoke to him or -took any notice of him; they even refused to let him work the ship, -which they turned about. They sent Taffir to his cabin then, where he -remained all day. At night Blanco went down and ordered him up on deck, -where he found that they were clewing up the sails and getting the -boats out. - -“What are you going to do?” he asked Lyons. - -No answer; only surly looks. - -“What’s going to be done with the ship?” he asked another of the -Spaniards present, Marsolino. “And what about me? Are you going to kill -me?” For Taffir was convinced that momentous things were about to take -place. - -“We’re going to scuttle the ship,” said Marsolino. “And as for you”--he -leered--“as for you, I’m not going to kill you--but I rather think -Blanco is,” he added grimly. - -Naturally, Taffir was now all anxiety. Here he was, with a ship full of -mutineers whose hands were already stained with innocent blood, and who -were evidently preparing to leave the ship he had navigated for them. -What a prospect was before him! He could almost feel the dagger eating -its way into his body as the bloodthirsty Blanco looked across at him -every now and again. - -Three-quarters of an hour of such anxiety passed, and then Taffir was -flung into one of the boats, which contained the cook, the steward, -Frank Powell, Watto, and the ship’s boy, named Early. Evidently he was -not going to be murdered after all. In another boat, riding at the -stern, were several other men, while the rest were still on board the -_Flowery Land_. - -Presently the boat in which Taffir had been thrown was pulled away from -the ship, but had only gone about a hundred yards when those on the -_Flowery Land_ called her back. Taffir’s heart sank. Was he, after all, -going to be hauled back to death? He took heart again the next instant, -for the men in the boat, with the exception of Watto, did not want to -go back, and refused to pull towards the ship. Powell, who steered, -refused to turn her head round, and Taffir thanked him in the silence -of his own heart. Suddenly Watto, seizing an oar, threatened to knock -Powell’s brains out if he didn’t do as he was told; and the boat’s head -swung round, and she sped towards the ship. They were anxious moments -for poor Taffir, whose mind was not set at rest when Lyons, on the -_Flowery Land_, ordered the lot of them to get back on deck. - -Why they were called back Taffir did not know, and was not told; -probably it was because the others did not want one boat to start -before the rest. Anyhow, for a long time Taffir was kept on deck; and -though he could see but little in the darkness, he heard the noise -made as the scoundrels loaded the boats, not forgetting the champagne, -bottles of which they lowered into the craft riding at the sides. The -Chinese steward fell into the water while trying to get aboard from -the boat, and while struggling for life was pelted with bottles of -champagne till he sank. Taffir saw his own fate there. - -Soon, however, as though to prolong his agony, they threw him into a -boat, this time the one in which Lyons and Blanco were to sail. The -fact that it was Blanco’s boat was anything but pleasing to Taffir, -who remembered what Marsolino had told him, and trembled for his life. -Durrano and Lopez, other Spaniards, also got into this boat, which was -presently pushed off; and almost immediately afterwards the _Flowery -Land_, which had been scuttled, and had begun to settle some time -before, gave a final plunge and dived beneath the surface. Through the -darkness Taffir could see the Chinese boy and the cook clinging to the -top; they had been left to their fate, and not a hand was held out to -save them. - -Lyons’s boat towed the other towards land, which was reached at four -o’clock in the afternoon of October 9. Taffir was told that, if he -valued his life, he was to say that the vessel was an American ship -from Peru, bound for Bordeaux, and that she had foundered a hundred -miles from land, that the captain had got into one boat, and had not -been seen since, and that the two boats which had come ashore had been -at sea for five days and nights. - -In his heart Taffir had made up his mind to tell of the tragedy as soon -as an opportunity presented itself. That night the party slept at a -farmhouse, and the next day the farmer drove them to Rocha. Watching -his time, Taffir managed to find out that at a place called Camp, -twenty miles away, was a man named Ramoz, who could speak English; -and one night he slipped out of Rocha and made his way to Camp. He -located Ramoz, to whom he told his tale, and later he was taken to the -authorities, where once more he recited the events that had taken place -on the _Flowery Land_, with the result that eight of the mutineers were -captured, and in due course put on their trial at the Central Criminal -Court, London. Lyons, Durrano, Santos, Watto, Blanco, Marsolino, and -Lopez were found guilty of murder, Carlos being acquitted. - -Altogether, the mutiny of the _Flowery Land_ is a lurid story of the -sea. - - - - -THE GUARDIANS OF THE COAST - -Stories of Coastguards and Lighthousemen - - -Although the coastguard and lighthouseman live their lives on land, -they are inalienably a part of the sea and its story. Day by day, night -by night, they are on guard along the coasts, and never know what may -happen; but, whatever it is, they are ready. - -And they are always modest of their achievements, as the letters I -have received from some of them testify. It’s the hardest thing in the -world to get them to talk about themselves; but, by dint of judicious -questioning, I managed to get some of them to give me the plain stories -of what really did happen. - -The first concerns Lighthouseman William Hunter, of Flamborough Head, -who, standing outside the lighthouse on a fine morning, talking with -his superior officer, saw a gallant little band of boys of the Lads’ -Brigade coming along. Presently there was a sharp command, and the -lookers-on saw the boys disperse, and in a few minutes the laddies were -scattered here, there, and everywhere, enjoying themselves to the full. - -But suddenly there was the blare of bugles, the cries of boys, the -hoarse shouts of men, and Hunter turned quickly to his officer and said: - -“There’s something wrong!” - -“Go and have a look,” was the reply; and off went the -lighthouse-keeper. Following the sounds, he found himself down on the -beach, just below the lighthouse. What a sight met his eyes! Before -him was a group of boys staring up the cliff, fear writ large upon -their faces as they saw one of their comrades clinging frenziedly to a -shrub, able neither to go up nor to come down, while down on the beach, -amongst the boulders, lay the huddled form of another boy. - -The two boys had been engaged in a wild scramble up the cliff, seeing -which could reach the top first. Half-way up the foremost boy had -displaced a large stone, which hurtled down, hit his comrade, and sent -him tumbling down to the beach, where he now lay with a broken arm. - -As soon as the boy above realised what had happened, fear took -possession of him; his wits left him, and he, finding that he had -reached a position where it was impossible to move with safety either -way, he sent up haunting screams for help! As though the call had been -necessary! The boys on the beach had seen the accident, and instantly -the bugles had blared out their calls for help. And so Hunter had -arrived on the scene. - -Like lightning he dashed across an intervening gut of water, slipping -over seaweed as he went, and stumbling over rocks till he reached the -foot of the cliff. Then, hand over hand, gingerly but quickly, Hunter -made his way up the cliff, seizing anything that seemed likely to -afford a handhold to help him up; now making a fierce grab for a shrub -as the earth gave way beneath him. And at last, after a feverish few -minutes, during which the watchers down below held their breath and the -folk above sent for further help, he came almost within reach of the -boy. - -“Hold on, sonny!” he cried. “I’m coming!” - -“Come quickly!” cried the boy, shaking with fear. “I can’t hold out -much longer!” - -Spurred on by the evident terror of the lad, Hunter covered the last -few feet quickly, and came alongside him just in the nick of time, for -the youth was almost exhausted. His hands were bruised and cut from -clutching at stones, and the lighthouseman’s were little better. - -“You’re all right now, sonny,” he said. “We’ll soon have you down.” - -But, though he said the comforting words, there was a little thought -at the back of his mind that it might be some time before they reached -safety, for he, too, found that the position was none too safe a one; -that while he himself might have been able to get away alone, he could -not hope to carry the unfortunate boy without further help. There was -no use in looking down; help could not come that way. But it might come -from above, and, glancing up, his heart gave a great bound as he saw -that the coastguards, under Chief Officer Young, had arrived on the -scene, bringing with them the one thing that was necessary--a rope! It -was a very lifeline to Hunter. - -Down the rope fell; and then the lighthouseman saw that, owing to the -projecting edge of the cliff, it hung more than an arm’s length away -from him. He would have to move carefully away in order to reach it. -The boy seemed to realise this, and before Hunter moved an inch he -called out in fear: - -“Don’t leave me, sir. I can’t hold on!” - -“Now, see here, laddie,” was the reply. “You’re all right. I won’t let -go of you. But I’ve got to get that rope. Keep still.” And, holding on -to the boy with one hand, he moved gingerly away, digging his heels -deep in the cliffside as he did so to get a purchase. Once, twice, nay, -thrice he tried to catch the rope, and at last did so; but the strain -of holding the boy at the same time that he reached out for it was -terrible, and the soft earth gave way more than once, threatening to -send the pair of them hurtling below. - -So far, so good. The next task was to fasten the boy on the rope. Once -again footholds had to be dug in the cliff--deep holes that would -not give way beneath his weight as he laboured. Adept at knotting, -accustomed to work of this kind, Hunter soon had the boy fast in the -rope. And then: - -“Lower away!” he cried; and the coastguards let the rope out inch by -inch, while the rescuer steadied it, and kept it from swinging round -and round. - -“Easy!” he yelled, as clods of earth and great stones, dislodged by -the rope as it slid over the edge, came tumbling about his ears, -threatening to knock him from his perch, threatening, too, to smash -into the boy being lowered to safety. And “easy” it was! Those -coastguards knew their work. - -At last it was done; the boy was on the beach, thoroughly shaken, -dreadfully scared, but safe, thanks to the pluck of the lighthouseman, -who was soon hauled to the top, and, as he told me, “went indoors -and forgot all about it” until later he received a letter from the -secretary to the Carnegie Hero Fund Trustees, commending him on his -bravery and suitably rewarding him, though it goes without saying that -his best reward was the knowledge that he had been able to save the -life of the unfortunate youth. - - * * * * * - -Even when the sun is shining in a blue sky overhead there is an awesome -splendour in the majestic ruggedness of the coast about Land’s End; -but when the grey fingers of the dawn are creeping into the heavens, -and the elements are waging a tumultuous war, when waves dash with -tremendous force upon the rocks, to break upon them with a resounding -roar, and when some unfortunate ship has been caught in the grip of -the storm, then the scene is sufficient to strike terror into strong -hearts. - -Such was the scene on the morning of March 15, 1914, at five o’clock, -when the coastguard at Sennen Cove was alarmed to see signals of a -vessel in distress. Away along the coast could be seen the dark hull -of a ship, stationary, except when great seas beat upon her and shook -her from end to end. Ever and anon the rockets whizzed into the air, -brilliant appeals for help. Instantly all was activity; the life-saving -apparatus and the lifeboat were summoned, and the work of rescue had -begun. - -Coastguard A. Oddy, of Sennen, was in charge of the life-saving -apparatus. There was no time to be wasted, for the scene of the wreck -was four miles away, and every minute was precious, for it could not be -long before the vessel broke in two, hurling her human freight to an -awful death. - -The wagon was got ready, the horses put in, and away went the wagon at -top speed. Just as daylight was breaking the coastguards reached the -point of the coast off which the unfortunate ship lay. What a sight -met their eyes! The ship, the Swedish barque _Trifolium_, had been -taken up by the waves and hurled ashore as though she had been but a -shuttlecock. She was held fast by the rocks, with a boiling sea around -her, with mountainous waves rearing angry heads, which dropped with -a staggering shock and a thunderous roar upon the deck, long since -deserted by the crew. To have remained there would have been to court -death, for no man could keep a footing on that sloping deck, swept -every minute by heavy seas. - -[Illustration: “To the rigging they fled, scrambling up in frenzied -haste”] - -So to the rigging they fled, scrambling up in frenzied haste, and -hanging on like grim death, watching, waiting for some answer out -of the darkness to their appeals for help. As they saw the life-savers -pull up upon the shore they raised a faint cheer. They were numbed, -wet to the skin; they had been staring death in the face for what had -seemed an eternity; and now help was at hand. Men would cheer then, -even if it were with their last breath! - -Oddy and his companions immediately set to work to rescue those seven -luckless men. The tackle was got out, the rocket apparatus fixed up, -and the next instant a rocket went speeding away across the tumult -of the waters, carrying a lifeline. It went right over the vessel, -as also did a second one that was fired; but, though the lines were -across their ship, the men in the rigging dared not leave their hold, -precarious though it was, to fix the lifelines, by means of which they -could have been hauled ashore. To have left the rigging for the deck -would have been fatal. The avalanche of water that fell upon the ship, -and swirled away every loosened thing, was too terrifying to face; -certain and awful death lay that way. - -So, with help so near, the sailors clung to the rigging, wide-eyed, -anxious-faced, wondering what could be done, what would happen. Very -soon they realised that whether they jumped or not, there was nothing -but death before them, for the ship, buffeted by the waves, rolled -dangerously on the rocks, and seemed as if about to heel over. - -One man, taking his fate in his hands, watched his opportunity, and, -fully dressed in oilskins as he was, suddenly let go of the rigging and -jumped. Luckily he jumped wide enough, and plunged into the boiling -surf below; had he fallen on to the deck he would have been smashed to -pieces. His friends in the rigging gasped, staggered at the risk he -took; the watchers on the shore shuddered as they saw him disappear -beneath the waters; but all heaved a sigh of relief when they saw him -reappear and begin to battle with the seas. He was making for one of -the lifelines. - -Cumbered with his oilskins, weighed down by his heavy sea-boots, the -man struck out boldly for the line. Yard by yard he drew nearer to it, -and it seemed that he would reach it; then he was caught upon the crest -of a wave, was flung high, dropped low, and the line was as far away as -ever! Yet once again he made for it, and, after a terrific fight, he -managed to grasp the line. Staying awhile to take breath and gather his -strength for the final struggle, he turned towards the shore, and began -to haul himself along by means of the rope. The men in the rigging -watched and waited; it meant much to them, this fight with the sea, for -if their comrade won through, they might do so as well. The rescuers on -shore stood to their work, waiting for the man to come nearer in, and -ready to plunge to his assistance, if necessary. - -Yard by yard he drew nearer, and the coastguard could see that he was -almost at the last gasp; it was a case of going to his help. Instantly -Coastguard Oddy answered the call of duty. With neither lifeline nor -lifebuoy he went into the boiling sea. By a stroke of luck he missed -the hidden rocks, on which he might have been pounded to death, and -in a few moments reached the now drowning man, whom he seized with a -strong hand, and snatched from the maw of the sea in the very nick of -time. Then he set out to the shore with his burden. It was, indeed, -a fight for life, the struggle of a brave man with the force of a -mighty sea, which, as though taunting him, let him get within an ace -of safety, and then flung him back into the angry cauldron of the -deep. Foiled, but by no means beaten, Oddy once more set his teeth -and struck out for the shore, still holding his precious burden. On -and on he went, and then back again, only to push forward with more -determination; and the coastguard fought his fight to such good purpose -that at last he was again near the shore, found a footing, drew himself -up, and proceeded to drag the helpless man after him. - -But in the moment of his victory the angry foe, as if to rob him of -this life won from the jaws of death, returned to the fray; a mighty -wave swooped down upon him, there was a noise as though heaven and -earth had met as the wave fell in a thunderous roar upon the rocks, the -sailor was wrenched from Oddy’s grasp, and he himself flung heavily on -to the rocks. - -He had tried valiantly--but he had failed! So said the men who watched -him in his fight for a fellow-man’s life. They saw him now, unable to -move, his legs jammed between rocks so that he could not free them. It -seemed but a matter of minutes ere he should be sacrificed on the altar -of heroism. - -Oddy strained every effort to free himself. Even in that moment of -peril he wondered what had happened to the sailor, and realised that -unless something almost miraculous happened the end had come. There was -no fear of death, only the thought of having failed in what he had so -bravely set out to do. And for it all to end like this! - -Then the miracle happened. The very sea that had conquered him set him -free! Wave after wave had broken over him, and presently one of greater -volume than any of the others hit him with such force that it did for -him what he himself had tried so vainly to do; it lifted him out of the -imprisoning rocks. He was free! Flung face downwards on the rocks, Oddy -felt the sea rushing over him, and as the force of it spent itself -he got upon his feet, and, counting not the danger, went back for the -drowning man. - -He found him--whether alive or dead he knew not--but without loss of -time struck out with him for the shore, and, after another stern fight, -succeeded in getting him into safety--alive. It had all been worth -while! - -Meanwhile, the men on the _Trifolium_ had been watching anxiously and -hopelessly, for it seemed to them that it was useless to expect to be -saved. But as soon as they saw their comrade safely ashore they took -heart. If it were possible to save him, then they might all be saved. A -second man plunged boldly into the surf, seized a lifeline, and hauled -himself within reach of the shore. Several of the coastguards pluckily -went to his assistance and got him out. - -Before the other five men on the vessel had time to follow the example -of their comrades the sea had completed its fell work. It pounded -upon the hapless ship, wrenched her plates apart, battered her sides -and tore great holes in her. Held fast as she was by the cruel rocks, -there was but one end to her--she broke her back. The great iron vessel -parted amidships as though she had been a toy, and in that instant, -with death all around them, the five men in the rigging jumped. They -were in the nick of time; another minute, and they would have been -crashed to death with the wreck of what was once a proud vessel. Three -of them found lifelines, and were hauled towards the shore; and once -again Oddy plunged into the surf and succeeded in bringing one of -them to safety, while in the case of the others, Oddy and two other -life-savers joined efforts and managed to rescue them. The remaining -two men who had been on the ship unfortunately died; one was killed by -a falling mast, the other was drowned, and though he was got ashore, -and artificial respiration was used for nearly four hours, it was all -in vain; death had claimed him. - -For seven hours the rescuers had watched and worked, and had not worked -in vain; and when Lieutenant A. S. Chambers, R.N., the divisional -officer, arrived on the scene, he had the gratification of knowing -that, although he had not been present, his men had done their duty -nobly. - - - - -GREAT NAVAL DISASTERS - -The Loss of the _Formidable_ and the _Victoria_ - - -“You never know when anything may happen,” wrote Captain Noel Loxley, -of H.M.S. _Formidable_ a day or so before 1915 elbowed 1914 into the -past; and before the New Year was much more than an hour old H.M.S. -_Formidable_ was holed by a German torpedo, and Loxley and a gallant -band of noble sailors died like heroes for their king and country. - -The _Formidable_ left Sheerness on December 31 with a crew of 750 men, -all in high spirits, to keep vigil on the Channel. At 1.30 next morning -she was steaming at about eighteen knots, fighting her way through a -south-westerly gale, a bright moon shining overhead when not obscured -by thin clouds that sifted a drizzly rain upon her as she drove at the -high seas. - -Suddenly, above the howl of the wind and the thump of the engines, -there was the report of a thunderous explosion on the starboard bow. -The ship seemed to shiver, then reel. Down in the stokeholds men looked -at each other in wonder; like the noise of a distant gun the sound came -to them, and they thought, and hoped, that it meant an engagement with -the enemy. Then again, from port, this time, there came another of -those muffled reports--so near that they knew something had hit their -ship. - -“Torpedoed!” said one. “By Heaven, they’ve got us!” - -And up on the bridge, standing there with his commander, Ballard, -Captain Loxley also muttered “Torpedoed!” Its periscope hidden by the -darkness and the swelling of the seas, a German submarine had crept up -within striking distance, had launched her two death-tubes, seen them -take effect, and then slunk away into the night. - -Immediately he realised what had happened, Loxley, as calm as though he -were at practice, ordered the water-tight doors to be closed and the -men to be piped to collision quarters. Up on to the deck the startled -men swarmed--startled men, truly, but calm--men who could stand at -attention in the face of death and laugh and joke about “A fine New -Year’s gift for us, this!” Men who could cry as they stood naked and -shivering on the deck, “Here we are again! Undress uniform--swimming -costume!” Men, too, who could enter into the spirit of the captain on -the bridge, who could signal to another ship in the neighbourhood: - -“Keep off! Submarines are about!” - -Loxley knew what might happen to that ship if she stood by, as he had -no doubt her officers would be prompted to do. Only a month or so -before three British cruisers had been sunk in the North Sea, two of -them through standing by to help the other. The Admiralty had issued an -order that in such circumstances ships were not to attempt rescue work, -but, as if to make assurance doubly sure, Loxley had given his signal; -he wanted no risks to be run; he and his men were willing to take their -chance of life and death without bringing others into danger. It is the -spirit of the British Navy. - -But if he would not allow others to help them, he used all his efforts -to save his crew. There was no hope for the _Formidable_, he knew, and -she would have to be abandoned. She was listing to starboard already. - -“Out pinnaces and the launch!” was the order, and while the boat crews -worked to carry it out there came another: “’Way barges 1 and 2!” -Lieutenant Simmonds superintended the lowering of the boats, and by his -fine work earned Loxley’s encomium, “Well done, Simmonds.” - -Into one boat there scrambled seventy or eighty men, and she got -away from the starboard side; soon after a second boat, with seventy -men, pushed off from the port side, and, acting on instructions, she -remained near the sinking ship for about an hour. All this time the -gale had been blowing fiercely, and mountainous seas made the work -of hoisting away the boats anything but easy. It was, indeed, found -impossible to lower further boats, because the ship listed so much that -only the starboard boats could be hauled out. One barge which they -tried to launch slipped in the davits, and hurled her crew of sixty men -into the water below. Dozens of men leapt overboard and swam to the two -successfully lowered boats, and the captain, thinking of others all the -time, told the boats to stand by and try to pick them up. The darkness, -however, prevented this being done. - -Meanwhile, on the _Formidable_ was a strange scene. On the deck stood -lines of men, naked many of them, calm all of them, puffing away at -cigarettes or passing along a smoke to a comrade who had not brought -his up from below. From somewhere there came the sound of a piano; -a man sat playing breezy tunes to cheer his comrades in the face of -death. In the stokeholds begrimed heroes stuck to their posts until, -with a lurch, the ship knocked them off their feet and sent the fires -rushing out at them; heroes who, when the word came, raked out the -fires, while elsewhere engineers shut off the steam--all so that, when -the ship sank, there should be no explosion. - -Not a man lost his head. Their example was pacing the bridge, smoking, -just as though the ship was riding in harbour with anchors down. -“Steady, men; it’s all right!” he cried to them. “Be British! There’s -life left in the old ship yet!” - -But there was not much life; listing, she gave a sudden plunge, and all -knew that it was the end. - -“Every man for himself!” came the order; and those that could jumped -as she took her final plunge. About half the company got clear of her; -but the two boats could not take many, and in addition to those in the -boats only seventy were saved--by a light cruiser which later came upon -the scene. - -Loxley went down with his ship, as did hundreds of the men, standing -in line, saluting the Old Jack for the last time. “The last impression -on my mind,” said a survivor, “was of a long line of saluting figures -disappearing below the skyline.” - -For the men in the two boats there now began an anxious time. Many -of them had no clothes beyond vests and pants--some none at all, and -these had to be wrapped in the few blankets that were in the boats. -The night was bitterly cold, the gale was blowing its hardest, the sea -was running high. The first boat that put off found her difficulties -at once; she shipped water by the ton, and the men had to improvise -bailers. Those who had boots on took them off, and used these; a -blanket, held at each corner by a sailor, was also brought into play -for the purpose; caps and coats, too--every man doing something to -clear the boat of water. For hours they toiled, expecting every minute -to be their last. All through the night, till early morning, they -drifted whither the waves would take them, and when dawn came they -found themselves out of sight of land, with never a ship in view. - -During the night they sang the modern warriors’ song, “Tipperary,” till -they grew tired even of that; and the daylight brought them no relief -from the monotony, till, about nine o’clock, their hearts gave a great -leap. A liner appeared on the horizon. Shouting lustily, they hoisted a -blanket on an oar and waved it madly, seeking to attract attention; but -the liner changed her course and dipped over the horizon, leaving them -to the waste of waters. - -This hope of being taken up by a passing ship was renewed no less than -eleven times during the day, each time to be dashed to the ground; and -one survivor later said that he didn’t think much of the look-out on -those ships. - -As the day progressed the gale became stronger, and the boat was -pitching and rolling, swinging high upon the crest of a wave, now -racing down into the trough, the men becoming drenched through again -and again, those who were nearly naked suffering extreme agony. No less -than nine of them died of exposure. - -At about one o’clock land was sighted; but when the crew, pulling -sixteen oars, tried to make it, they found that they could not cope -with the strong tide that was running. Darkness came, and found them -still adrift. Then their eyes were gladdened by the sight of two red -lights gleaming in the distance, and Leading Seaman Carroll, who had -been the life and soul of the party, wielded his oar, with which he -had all along been steering, and kept the boat headed for the lights -of hope. Fortunately for them, the wind and tide were now with them; -otherwise, so exhausted were they, never would they have made the -haven--for haven it was. They heard the sound of breakers, saw in the -shimmering moonlight the white foam of the water, pulled like mad to -the “Pull, boys, pull!” of Petty Officer Bing, and after seven miles -of stiff rowing were caught in a mighty wave that carried them straight -to the beach at Lyme Regis, where very soon crowds of people gathered -to give them help and drag them ashore, for they were too exhausted to -help themselves. They had been adrift twenty-two hours. - -It is time now to return to the second boat, which, after having -picked up as many swimming men as possible, had to get away from the -_Formidable_, lest she be dashed into her side by the raging sea. The -story of the sufferings of the men in her is much the same as the -others; but in this case nearly all the oars were smashed and the boat -had a hole stove in her side. One of the men, whipping off his pants, -stuffed them into the gap, and then sat there to keep them from being -washed away. The little craft filled with water time and time again, -and they bailed her out as fast as they could. - -About nine o’clock in the morning someone noticed a large fishing -smack to windward, and an oar was hoisted, with a black scarf on it -as a signal of distress. It was seen by John Clark, third hand on the -smack _Providence_ (Captain Pillar, Brixham), and he immediately told -the captain and his comrades, the second hand, Dan Taylor, the cook, -and Pillar, the boy. Instantly they fell to work, set the storm jib, -shook out a reef in the mainsail, and stood after the boat, which by -this time had drifted far away, and was continually hidden by the heavy -seas. Through the now blinding rain the smack pushed, and, coming near, -found that it was impossible to get close enough on the present tack -to do any good. Captain Pillar therefore decided to take a desperate -chance; he would gybe the boat--that is, swing all her sails over -violently--and get upon the other tack, which would put him in a much -better position to effect the rescue of the men. - -This was done successfully; and then the fishermen tried to get a rope -to the boat. Three times they failed, but at the fourth attempt the -rope pitched into the boat, where it was made fast, the other end being -round the capstan of the smack. Then, working his vessel in a manner -that won the praise of every sailor there, Pillar hauled the boat to a -berth at the stern, and eventually got her to leeward. - -Once alongside, Pillar gave the word, and the sailors began to jump -aboard the smack. It took half an hour to get that bunch of men off, so -difficult was the work as a result of the gale; over thirty feet the -waves mounted sometimes, and many a man wellnigh tumbled into the sea, -from which his chance of rescue would have been small. - -When all were safe on board the _Providence_, Captain Pillar turned her -about and made for Brixham, his men meanwhile attending to the comforts -of the sailors, who were exhausted and frozen to the bone. Hot coffee -and food were served out, and never did men enjoy a meal as they did -on board the _Providence_ on that January afternoon. Near Brixham the -_Providence_ fell in with the _Dencade_, which took her in tow and -brought her into Brixham, where the people on the wharves heard the -lusty voices of men singing “Auld Lang Syne,” as though for hours they -had not been adrift, helpless, hopeless, as though they had never felt -the shock as the _Formidable_ received her fatal wound, as though they -had never stood face to face with death. - -It is the cheery fortitude of the British Jack Tar that has helped old -England to the command of the sea; and it is such men as Captain Pillar -and his gallant crew who reveal the courage that lives in the hearts -of men whose work keeps them in the field of peace--where as great -victories are won as on the field of battle. - - * * * * * - -While, during war, great disasters such as that of the _Formidable_ -are to be expected, when the wings of the Angel of Peace are spread -the shock of a catastrophe is infinitely greater, because it comes -when there seems to be no reason why it should. Such was the case of -the loss of the _Victoria_ battleship in June, 1893. A steel-armoured -turret-ship of 10,470 tons and 1,400 horsepower, 39 guns and 8 -torpedo-tubes, she was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir George -Tryon, commanding the Mediterranean squadron, which, in addition to -the _Victoria_, consisted of twelve other vessels, including the -_Camperdown_, the ship which rammed her. - -The squadron was steaming line abreast, bound from Beyrout for Tripoli, -and going at eight knots an hour, when the admiral, calling his staff -in, decided to form the squadron in two columns ahead, six cables’ -length (1,200 yards) apart, the course to be later on reversed by -the lines turning inwards. Staff-Commander Hawkins-Smith pointed out -that, as the turning circles of the _Victoria_ and the _Camperdown_ -(the latter leading the port column) were six hundred yards (or three -cables’ length), the inward turn would involve a collision between this -vessel and the _Victoria_, which was leading the starboard column. - -“It will require at least eight cables, sir,” said Hawkins-Smith, to -which Tryon replied, after a moment’s thought: - -“Yes, it shall be eight.” - -The staff-commander left the cabin; and then the admiral gave -instructions to his flag-lieutenant to signal the order for the -manœuvre he had in mind--to line ahead _at six cables apart_. Tryon had -evidently changed his mind. - -On board the _Victoria_ several officers approached the admiral, and -queried him on the matter, pointing out that he had agreed that eight -cables’ length was wanted. But he adhered to his command, saying: -“That’s all right; leave it at six cables.” - -So the fatal order fluttered in the breeze. - -Rear-Admiral Markham, on the _Camperdown_, was staggered. - -“It is impossible!” he exclaimed. “It is an impracticable manœuvre!” -and did not answer back, thus giving the _Victoria_ to understand that -he had not grasped the signal. “It’s all right,” he said to Captain -Johnstone. “Don’t do anything. I have not answered the signal.” And -then gave instructions for the flag-lieutenant to ask for fuller -instructions. - -Meanwhile, on the _Victoria_ other signals were being hoisted, asking -Markham why he was not obeying orders, and reproving him for it. The -rear-admiral, knowing it was his duty to obey, decided to do so, -thinking that Tryon must be intending to make a wider circle, and so go -outside the _Camperdown’s_ division. - -The two ships therefore turned inwards, Markham and his officers -watching the _Victoria_ closely to see what she would do. On the -flagship, too, officers were discussing the movement, and Captain -Bourke asked Tryon whether it would not be as well to do something to -avoid the collision he saw was inevitable. It was a case for haste, he -knew, and he had to repeat his question hurriedly: “May I go astern -full speed with the port screw?” - -“Yes,” said Tryon at last, and Bourke gave the order. But it was too -late; three minutes and a half after the two ships had turned inwards -the _Camperdown_, although her engines had been reversed, crashed into -the starboard bow of the _Victoria_, hitting her about twenty feet -before the turret and forcing her way in almost to the centre line. - -Instantly excitement reigned on the _Victoria_; but the crew, never -losing their heads, rushed to carry out the orders which were now flung -hither and thither: - -“Close the water-tight doors!” - -“Out collision mats!” - -“All hands on deck!” - -In rapid succession the orders came; the doors were shut tight, the -mats were hung over the side, where, so great was the gap left when -the _Camperdown_ backed away, the water rushed in in torrents. Captain -Bourke, having visited the engine-rooms to see that all that was -possible had been done, rushed up on deck, and there found that the -_Victoria_ had a heavy list to starboard. On the deck all the sick -men and the prisoners had been brought up in readiness, and all hands -except the engineers were there, too. - -All this time the only thought in every man’s mind had been to save the -ship; actually, no one imagined that the fine vessel would presently -make a final plunge and disappear. Tryon had, indeed, signalled to the -other ships not to send the boats which were being lowered. Having -received the report that it was thought the _Victoria_ could keep -afloat some time, Tryon consented to her being steered for land. But -the helm refused to work. - -The admiral now signalled: “Keep boats in readiness; but do not send -them.” And then, turning to an officer, said: “It is my fault--entirely -my fault!” - -The seriousness of the position was now breaking upon him, though even -then he did not realise how near the end was. The crew worked hard but -orderly, hoisting out the boats, or doing whatever they were told, -while down below the engineers and stokers kept at their posts, albeit -they knew that they stood little chance if the ship dived beneath the -surface. - -Presently the men were drawn up on deck, four deep, calm, cool, -facing death without a tremor or sign of panic, which would have been -calamitous. - -“Steady, men, steady!” cried the chaplain, the Rev. Samuel Morris; and -steady they were, till Tryon, seeing that all hope was gone, signalled -for boats to be sent, and gave orders for every man to look after -himself. - -“Jump, men, jump!” was the command; and they rushed to the side, ready -to fling themselves overboard. As they did so the great ship turned -turtle, and men went tumbling head first into the sea, down the bottom -of the ship as she dived, her port screw racing through the air. - -The scene that followed beggars description; but the following extract -is from a letter written to the _Times_ by a midshipman who was on one -of the other ships. He was sent off in a boat to rescue the struggling -men in the water. - -[Illustration: “It was simply agonising to watch the wretched men -struggling over the ship’s bottom in masses”] - -“We could see all the men jumping overboard,” he wrote. “She continued -heeling over, and it was simply agonising to watch the wretched men -struggling out of the ports over the ship’s bottom in masses. All this, -of course, happened in less time than it takes to write. You could see -the poor men who, in their hurry to jump over, jumped on to the screw -being cut to pieces as it revolved. She heeled right over, the water -rushing in through her funnels. A great explosion of steam rose; she -turned right over, and you could see all the men eagerly endeavouring -to crawl over her bottom, when, with a plunge, she went down bows -first. We could see her stern rise right out of the water and plunge -down, the screws still revolving. It was simply a dreadful sight. We -could not realise it. Personally, I was away in my boat, pulling as -hard as we could to the scene of the disaster.... After pulling up and -down for two hours, we reorganised the fleet, leaving two ships on -the scene of the disaster; and, making for Tripoli, anchored for the -night. No one can realise the dreadful nature of the accident. - -“However, dropping the _Victoria_ for a minute, we must turn to the -_Camperdown_. She appeared to be in a very bad way. Her bow was sinking -gradually, and I must say at the time I thought it quite on the cards -that she might be lost also; but, thanks to the indomitable way in -which the crew worked, they managed to check the inrush by means of the -collision mat and water-tight doors. All last night, however, they were -working hard to keep her afloat. - -“You can imagine our feelings--the flagship sunk with nearly all hands, -the other flagship anchored in a sinking condition. We have a lot of -the survivors of the _Victoria_ on board, but their accounts vary -greatly.... Anyhow, what is quite certain is that the admiral did not -realise the gravity of his situation, or else he would have abandoned -the ship at once, instead of trying to save her. The discipline was -magnificent. Not until the order was given did a single man jump -overboard. - -“The last thing that was seen was the admiral refusing to try to save -himself, whilst his coxswain was entreating him to go. Another instance -of pluck was exhibited by the boatswain of signals, who was making a -general semaphore until the water washed him away. Unfortunately the -poor chap was drowned. Many of the survivors are in a dreadful state of -mental prostration. Most people say that Admiral Markham should have -refused to obey the signal, but I think that Admiral Tryon infused -so much awe in most of the captains of the fleet that few would have -disobeyed him. However, he stuck to his ship to the last, and went down -in her.” - -Thus was the _Victoria_ lost; less than a quarter of an hour after -being struck she was lying at the bottom of the Mediterranean, Admiral -Tryon and 400 gallant seamen going with her. - -At the court-martial Captain Bourke was absolved of all blame for the -loss of the ship, the finding being that the disaster was entirely due -to Admiral Tryon’s order to turn the two lines sixteen points inward -when they were only six cables apart. - - - - -INCIDENTS IN THE SLAVE TRADE - -Stories of the Traffic in Human Merchandise - - -We shall not here deal with the history and abolition of slavery, -because every schoolboy knows all about that, and will doubtless be -glad to have something more exciting. And of excitement there is -abundance in the annals of slavery. The trade was always attended by -risks, even before the days when it was illegal to ship slaves, for -there was ever the danger of the negroes breaking loose and running -amok on the ship; or, what was perhaps worse, the holds of the slavers -were often little less than death-holes, with fever and cholera -rampant. Altogether, it was a game with big profits--and mighty big -risks, as the following story will show: - -It was back in 1769 that the slaver _Delight_ (Captain Millroy) was the -scene of an uprising of negroes, which resulted in a rousing fight and -fatal effects to a good many aboard. - -About three o’clock one Sunday morning Surgeon Boulton and the men with -him in the aft-cabin were awakened by a chorus of screams and shrieks -overhead, a rushing of feet, a pandemonium of noise which told that -something serious was afoot. Boulton slipped out of his bunk and dashed -towards the captain’s cabin, half guessing what was taking place. He -reached the cabin, and, entering, shook Millroy fiercely to awaken -him. He had barely succeeded in rousing the captain when a billet of -wood came hurtling through the air and caught him on the shoulder, -and a cutlass pierced his neck. Turning, Boulton saw that a couple of -negroes had, all unseen and unheard, crept below, intent on putting the -captain _hors de combat_ while he was asleep; and, finding the surgeon -interfering with their plot, they attacked him in quick time. Millroy, -now properly aroused, joined forces with Boulton, who forgot his own -danger in the thought of what was happening above, and the pair chased -the negroes on to the deck, Boulton carrying a pistol and the captain a -cutlass. - -When they reached deck they found themselves in a very inferno. -Hundreds of negroes were swarming all over the place, some armed with -wooden spars, others with cutlasses; and with these weapons they were -hard at it taking vengeance on their captors. The herd of savages flung -themselves upon the seamen, cutting off legs and arms, mutilating -bodies dreadfully, their yells making the air ring. Boulton and the -captain, realising that it was a case for prompt and vigorous action, -hurled themselves into the heaving fight with a will. Down went one -negro, killed by Millroy’s cutlass; then another; while Boulton did all -he could. But the “all” of these two men was but little, and presently -Millroy fell to the deck, overpowered by numbers, and literally hacked -to pieces. Boulton, more fortunate, escaped injury, and made a dash for -the rigging, up which he scrambled till he came to the maintop, where -he discovered the cook and a boy had already taken refuge. - -Perched on their lofty platform, the three looked down upon deck, -watching as though fascinated the drama being enacted before their -eyes, seeing the now maddened negroes wreaking vengeance on the men -who were bearing them from freedom to slavery. The bloodlust was upon -them, and they searched the ship to take their fill. - -Suddenly the watchers saw two men come up from below and make a rush -across the deck to the rigging. Like lightning the negroes dashed after -them, and one man was brought to deck by a dozen billets flung at him, -and his body was cut to pieces. The second man, more fortunate, managed -to reach the rigging, and clambered up like a monkey. - -The negroes, having satisfied themselves that they had accounted for -all the crew with the exception of those in the maintop, whom they -decided to deal with presently, ransacked the ship, seeking arms; and -meanwhile Boulton, knowing that safety depended upon weapons, went on -a tour of exploration. He wormed his way into the foretop to see what -might be there, and luckily found a knife, with which he set out to -return to the maintop. On the way the negroes saw him, and began to -pelt him with billets of wood, all of which missed, however; so that -Boulton reached his comrades safely. The one dread in the minds of the -four survivors was that the negroes would find the arms-chest, in which -case it seemed to them hopeless to expect to escape. While the slaves -remained armed only with wooden spars and cutlasses, Boulton did not -feel particularly anxious, knowing that he and his companions would be -able to tackle any who dared to ascend the rigging to try and get them -down. One thing that kept him hopeful was the fact that another slaver, -the _Apollo_, was almost within hailing distance, and the _Delight_, -unsteered and sails untrimmed, was rapidly drifting towards her, which -would make the men on the _Apollo_ aware that something had happened. -But Boulton’s luck was out. The negroes found the arms-chest, and, -breaking it open, armed themselves with muskets, and set to work in -earnest to put the survivors out of action. - -Shot after shot sang by the maintop, and one of the men there, fearing -that he would be killed if he stayed, and might be saved if he trusted -himself to the mercy of the negroes, like a madman descended to the -deck. Barely had his foot touched it when a negro fell upon him with an -axe and split his head in two; and a dozen pairs of hands seized him -and pitched him overboard to the sharks which were following the ship, -their appetites whetted by the feasts already given them by the negroes. - -While this was going on, other slaves were still shooting away at the -maintop, fruitlessly; and Boulton was calling madly on the _Apollo_, -now not far away. Presently the captain of the other vessel, realising -what was afoot, gave the word, and a broadside hurtled across the deck -of the _Delight_, in the hope of frightening the slaves. They seemed -to take little notice of this, however, and Boulton began to fear that -all was over, especially as the negroes, seeing that they could not -hit the men in the maintop, ceased fire, and a giant black, cutlass -in one hand and a pistol in the other, sprang into the rigging, bent, -apparently, on storming the position. Boulton waited calmly. He had no -weapons but his knife and a quart bottle; but he felt that he was in a -good position to meet an attack. Presently the negro’s head appeared -above the platform, and then--_whack!_ The bottle fell upon it with a -sickening thud, the black lost his hold, and went hurtling into the sea. - -Meanwhile, the _Apollo_ was firing at the _Delight_, and the latter was -returning the fire as well as it could, the negroes evidently knowing -that to give in was to court disaster, and to lose what they had stood -in a fair way to gaining. For four hours they fought the _Apollo_, and -at the same time kept up their fusillade on the maintop. - -Then came the end. Not because the negroes were not able to keep up -any longer, but because a shot from the _Apollo_ fell into a barrel -of gunpowder and exploded it, with the result that the _Delight_ took -fire, and the slaves could not cope with the flames and their enemy -at the same time. The revolt fizzled out as quickly as it had arisen. -While the negroes rushed about seeking to put out the fire, Boulton, -taking his life in his hands, descended to the deck, at the same time -that a boat set out from the _Apollo_ with a crew to tackle the flames -and the negroes, who, filled with consternation, now stood quietly by -watching the fire-fighters. They were absolutely cowed; they had made -their bid for freedom, and had failed, and they knew it. They allowed -themselves to be driven below and secured. The result of their revolt -was that nine of the crew of the _Delight_ were butchered, one man -on the _Apollo_ was killed, and eighteen of the negroes found death -instead of liberty--perhaps death to them was better than freedom; -certainly better than the lot of those poor human cattle they left -behind them. - -Such incidents as this were of frequent occurrence, and the recital of -one must suffice. - -After the Abolition Act had been passed, severe measures were brought -into operation, giving the Navy a wide scope--so wide that, even -although a vessel had no slaves on board, yet, if the naval officers -had reason to suspect that slaving was her business, they could -apprehend her. Special ships were fitted out and commissioned to deal -with the traffic in the South Atlantic, both off Central America and -the West Coast of Africa. So effective were the measures taken that -the slavers resorted to all manner of disguises to turn suspicion -away from their vessels, which had hitherto been of a distinctive -kind--long, rakish craft with tall spars, the whole effect being one -of beauty, and the idea being speed. The traders changed all this by -having ships more after the fashion of the ordinary merchant vessel, -so that the hunters had a more difficult task in front of them. But -they worked energetically, and swept the seas month after month, on -the look-out for the human cattle-ships, and, as all the world knows, -succeeded in clearing them from the seas. - -The subjoined account from the Sierra Leone _Watchman_ for November 15, -1846, gives a striking picture of the conditions against which the Navy -were doing such good work. - -The vessel referred to is the Brazilian brigantine _Paqueta de Rio_, -captured off Sherbro: - -“The 547 human beings--besides the crew and passengers (as they -styled themselves), twenty-eight in number--were stowed in a vessel -of 74 tons. The slaves were all stowed together, perfectly naked, -with nothing on which to rest but the surfaces of the water-casks. -These were made level by filling in billets of wood, and formed the -slave-deck. The slaves who were confined in the hold--it being utterly -impossible for the whole of them to remain on deck at one time--were -in a profuse perspiration, and panting like so many hounds for water. -The smell on board was dreadful. I was informed that, on the officers -of the _Cygnet_ boarding the slaver, the greater part of the slaves -were chained together with pieces of chain, which were passed through -iron collars round their necks; iron shackles were also secured round -their legs and arms. After the officers had boarded, and the slaves -were made to understand they were free, their acclamations were long -and loud. They set to work, and, with the billets of wood which had -hitherto formed their bed, knocked off each other’s shackles, and -threw most of them overboard. There were several left, which were -shown to me. We will leave it to the imagination of your readers what -must have been the feelings of these poor people when they found they -were again free--free through the energy and activity of a British -cruiser. On examining the poor creatures, who were principally of the -Kosso nation, I found they belonged to, and were shipped to, different -individuals; they were branded like sheep. Letters were burnt in the -skin two inches in length. Many of them, from the recent period it had -been done, were in a state of ulceration. Both males and females were -marked as follows: On the right breast ‘J’; on the left arm, ‘P’; over -women’s right and left breasts, ‘S’ and ‘A’; under the left shoulder, -‘P’; right breast, ‘R’ and ‘RJ’; on the right and left breasts, ‘SS’; -and on the right and left shoulder, ‘SS.’ This is the same vessel that -cleared out from here about three weeks previous to her capture for -Rio de Janeiro. The slaves were all embarked from the slave factories -at Gallinas, under the notorious Don Luiz, and the vessel under way -in five hours; and had there been the slightest breeze she would have -escaped. Among the slaves there were two men belonging to Sierra -Leone--a man named Peter, once employed by Mr. Elliott, the pilot. He -stated that he had been employed by a Mr. Smith, a Popohman, to go to -Sherbro to purchase palm-oil, and that whilst pursuing that object he -was seized and sold by a Sherbro chief named Sherry.” - - - - -A RACE TO SUCCOUR - -An Incident of the United States Revenue Service - - -The records of the revenue men of the United States teem with heroic -deeds done in the execution of their duty. The present story is typical -of the thrilling determination of men who will not be beaten, and -incidentally shows a healthy rivalry between the revenue men and the -lifeboatmen. - -On January 11, 1891, the three-masted schooner _Ada Barker_ encountered -a terrific storm which played shuttlecock with her, and after a fierce -conflict pitched her on to the Junk of Pork, the euphonious name of a -large rock near outer Green Island, off the coast of Maine. The Junk of -Pork rises a sheer fifty feet out of the water, and all round it are -reefs and boulders, a literal death-trap to any unfortunate vessel that -should get caught there. The _Ada Barker_, after having her sails torn -to shreds and her rigging hopelessly entangled, began to ship water, -and though her men worked hard and long at the pumps, they could not -save her; then she was bowled on to the outer reef at night; the bottom -dropped out of her, and she heeled over. To the men on board it seemed -that the end of all things had come, and they gave themselves up for -lost. - -[Illustration: “Though her men worked hard and long at the pumps, they -could not save her”] - -As the ship heeled they heard the sound of something striking against -a rock; then again, as the ship rebounded and fell forward once more. -Eager to take the most slender chance of life, they scrambled to the -side, and saw that the mast was hitting against the Junk of Pork. - -“Boys!” cried the captain. “That’s our one chance!” - -The sailors knew what he meant. They had looked about them. To jump -into that boiling surf was to leap into the jaws of death; they would -be smashed to pulp, or drowned like rats. They saw now, however, that -the rock before them could be reached by scrambling up the mast, -which was crashing against it. But they must hurry; and hurry they -did. Like monkeys they swarmed up the mast, caring nothing for torn -hands nor the flapping canvas, which slashed them like whipcords and -threatened to knock them off into the cauldron below. They fought -their elemental fight, and one by one six men dropped on to the Junk -of Pork; and for hours and hours they clung to their precarious perch, -buffeted by strong winds, swamped by heavy seas and crouching in terror -as a mountain wave reared its head and, as if angry that the men had -escaped, broke upon them with a thunderous roar. At other times they -were flung headlong on the rock by a gust of wind which howled at them -as if seeking to drown their voices as they yelled for help, in the -hope that some ship might be near and hear them through the noise of -the gale. - -All through the long, dreadful night they remained thus, glad to have -found even so bleak a haven, but wondering whether, after all, they -would be rescued. Then their eyes were gladdened by the sight of a ship -away out on the horizon. Rising and falling as the still boisterous -seas kept up their see-saw motion, she was coming in their direction. -Would she see them? They knew that at the distance the ship was away -they could not be visible yet; yet, cold, drenched to the skin, almost -exhausted by exposure, they stripped themselves of their shirts and -waved--waved like madmen, fearing they would be passed by. Had they -but known it, the officer of the watch of the coming boat--the United -States revenue cutter, of Woodbury--thought he could see dark forms on -the flat top of the storm-wracked Junk of Pork in a state of frantic -activity. Levelling his glasses, he soon saw the forms of the six -men waving the torn and tattered shirts; and he knew that some ship -had been wrecked during the storm which the _Woodbury_ herself had -encountered and fought sternly against for hours on end since she left -Portland. - -It took but a few moments for everyone on the cutter to be made aware -of the position of things. - -“We’ll make her, boys” said Captain Fengar, who was in command. “We’ll -have those chaps off the Junk of Pork!” - -“Aye, aye, sir!” was the chorus; and, with engines pounding out every -ounce of steam, the cutter pushed her nose through the water, fighting -hard against the storm, which was raging as fiercely as ever. Nearer -and nearer they drove, whistling anon to encourage the stranded -mariners, who, weary and exhausted, cried for very joy as they realised -that they had been seen and that help was coming. Help was coming! -Their madness of anxiety gave way to a delirium of joy. Then their -hearts sank into an abyss of despair. - -The cutter was very near to them now, but the sea was too rough for her -to venture close to the rocks; the reefs were one cauldron of boiling -surf, and the stranded men knew that no boat from the cutter could hope -to live in such a sea, or hope to escape destruction on the reefs if -she ventured near. - -Help had come--and had proved helpless! - -They threw themselves down upon the rock and clutched at the bare -surface. They were frenzied. They wondered how much longer they could -withstand the gnawings of hunger, the agonies of thirst; how much -longer, too, they could retain enough strength to keep their footing -on the rock-top. They even thought of leaving their precious haven and -trying to reach the wreck of their once proud little ship, where there -was indeed food and water. But second thoughts showed them that certain -death lay that way, while there was hope that the cutter might be able -to get to them. They saw that she was hovering about, cruising here -and there to keep headway with the storm, her whistle shrieking out -encouragement, and letting them know that she was standing by, in the -hope that the storm would abate and enable them to launch their boats. - -Night came, but the gale still raged, and Captain Fengar decided that -there was only one way to bring about the rescue he was determined to -effect, and that was to put back to Portland and bring dories with -which to land on the rock at dawn next day. He could not hope to do -much good during the night, even if the storm eased off somewhat; the -danger of the breakers was too great. So, whistling across to the -wretched men on the rock, he let them know that he was going away, but -would come back, and then save them. - -The first shock of realising that they were to be left alone again -wellnigh crazed the men; they felt that they would prefer to wait there -for death with company than wait alone for salvation. But away went the -cutter, whistling as she went in answer to the wavings of the sailors; -and as the final scream died away the men sank down upon the rock in -desolation of despair, with nothing but the howling of the wind and the -roar of the breakers to keep them company. - -The cutter sped through the night, passing Cape Elizabeth on her way, -and giving the bearings of the wreck to the lifeboat station there. -Reaching Portland, she took her dories and raced back to the Junk of -Pork, arriving there an hour after daybreak. The feelings of the now -almost dead mariners may be better imagined than described when they -heard the siren of the cutter calling to them, telling them of the -coming of hope and help. They forgot the raging storm, for they knew -that these men who had come back had brought the wherewithal to save -them. - -On the cutter the revenue men were busy preparing to launch the boats -and the small white cutter, when the lifeboat from Cape Elizabeth -hove in sight. The very sight of her acted as an additional spur to -them, for they regarded this little matter as particularly their own, -and although they themselves had warned the lifeboatman of the wreck -they felt that it was their duty to effect the rescue. They vowed to -themselves that they would get the men off the rock. - -“Now, boys,” cried Captain Fengar, “we want to get those men off -ourselves! Hustle!” - -And they hustled. In the twinkling of an eye as it seemed a couple of -boats were lowered and the men were in their places. - -“You must not fail,” said Fengar as they pushed off. “God bless you!” -And away they went towards the boiling surf, beneath which they knew -lurked hideous, treacherous rocks. Lieutenant Howland, an old whaler, -had charge of the first boat, and with him went Third Lieutenant Scott -and Cadet Van Cott, who had entreated the captain to allow him to -go. Seamen Haskell and Gross manned the second boat. Like madmen the -Woodbury men pulled, straining every effort to win in the race they -had set themselves, knowing that the Cape Elizabeth lifeboat was -sweeping through the seas towards the rock. As for the lifeboat, its -crew were tired, weary with much fighting of the storm. But they were -game; they realised what the Woodbury men were intent on doing, and -they themselves determined to do their best to beat them in this race -for the lives of six unfortunate men. It was surely one of the queerest -contests ever engaged in, and at the back of it was but one idea--to -win through to the rock and get the stranded mariners to safety. - -The first honours went to the Woodbury men; the dory manned by Haskell -and Gross got there ahead of all; they swept through a narrow channel -between the reefs, were wellnigh battered to pieces against the foot -of the Junk of Pork, hailed the men on top--as though they needed -hailing!--and the next instant a man leaped clear of the rock and -tumbled into the dory, which pitched and rolled dangerously at the -impact. Then, realising that they could not stay there any longer, -Haskell and Gross turned their dory about and made for the channel -again; careful steering took her safely through, and then, buffeted -by the waves, they pulled feverishly towards the cutter, where they -eventually got their man safely aboard. - -Meanwhile, Howland was keeping his men at it; the race now lay between -him and the lifeboat, and he meant to win. With shouts and heave-ho’s, -Howland urged his men on; and on they went, while across the waters -came the shouts of the lifeboatmen as they bent lustily to their task. - -The revenue boat won by a neck! With a thud she hit the breakers just -ahead of the lifeboat, shivered, and then, lifted up by a giant comber, -cleared a submerged reef, delved on the other side, and came up almost -filled with water. Shaking herself as a dog shakes the water from his -coat, she righted, and Lieutenant Scott leaped boldly into the surf; -but as he did so the undertow took the boat and, as he still had hold -of her, dragged him under water. For a moment his comrades thought him -gone, but presently he came up, almost frozen, but still hanging on to -the boat. And the next moment a roller caught the boat and pitched her -on to a slice of rock. - -Almost simultaneously the lifeboat plunged at the breakers. For a -second she hesitated. Her men were debating whether they should shoot -clear or land. They saw the revenue men land. Where they could go, -there could the men of Cape Elizabeth; and they put the nose of their -boat at it, heading straight for the rocks. Less fortunate than the -others, the lifeboat banged into a mighty rock, which stove in her bow -and rendered her unmanageable. - -Instantly the winners of the strange race saw that the lifeboat was -helpless and in danger; the men on the Junk of Pork could wait; they -were safe! The revenue men plunged into the surf, waded and swam to the -lifeboat, seized hold of her, and dragged her on to the strip of rock. -It was all done as in a flash; hesitation would have meant disaster. -But it was done, and the rivals stood together at the foot of the Junk -of Pork. Then, resting awhile from their herculean labours, they set -about the rescue of the stranded mariners, who were very soon in the -revenue boat, and being rowed across to the Woodbury cutter, which, -when all was done, steamed back to Portland, after forty hours of hard -fighting for the rescue of half a dozen men; forty hours well spent, -too. - - - - -A TRAGEDY OF THE SOUTH POLE - -The Thrilling Story of Scott’s Expedition to the Antarctic - - -The age-old dreams of hundreds of men have been realised; the ends -of the earth have yielded up their secrets--the Poles have been -discovered. Peary to the North, Amundsen and Scott to the South, hardy -adventurers all, with the wanderlust in their souls and science as -their beckoner--these men went forth and wrested from the ice-bound -regions something of what had been refused to the scores of men -preceding them; some of whom had come back, weak, despondent, while -others left their bones as silent witnesses to their noble failure to -achieve what they set out for. - -Of all the many expeditions which have set forth to the Polar regions, -none was more tragic than that commanded by Captain Robert F. Scott. -In practically the hour of his triumph he failed, because, no matter -how efficient an organisation, no matter how far-sighted policy and -arrangements may be, there is always the uncertain human element; there -comes the point when human endurance can stand out no longer, when the -struggle against the titan forces of Nature cannot be kept up. And then -there is failure, though often a splendid failure. - -Such was that of Captain Scott; he reached the goal he had aimed at for -many years only to find that he had been forestalled by a month, and -then, overtaken by unexpected bad weather, he and the men with him -had to give up the struggle when within eleven miles of just one thing -they stood in need of--fuel with which to cook the hot meals that meant -life. The story is one that makes the blood course through the veins, -makes the heart glow, makes the head bow in honour; because it is a -story of matchless bravery, heroic fortitude and noble effort. - -The _Terra Nova_, Scott’s ship, carried a complement of sixty men, -each one of them picked because of his efficiency, each one having his -allotted work. Geologists and grooms, physicist and photographers, -meteorologists and motor-engineer, surgeons and ski-expert and seamen, -men to care for dogs, and men to cook food--a civilised community of -efficient, well-found, keen, and high-idealed men. It was, in fact, -the best-equipped Polar expedition ever sent forth. Scott went out not -merely to discover the South Pole, but also to gather data that should -elucidate many problems of science. He took with him all the apparatus -that would be necessary for this purpose, and when the _Terra Nova_ -left New Zealand, on November 26, 1910, there seemed good reason for -the conviction that success must attend the expedition. - -The voyage out to the Polar Sea was uneventful, except that early in -December a great storm arose, and called for good seamanship to keep -the vessel going; and even then she was very badly knocked about. She -made a good deal of water, and the seamen had to pump hard and long; -but at last, under steam and sail, the _Terra Nova_ came through -safely, and was able to go forward again, and by December 9 was in the -ice-pack, which was that year much farther north than was expected. -This held them up so that they could not go in the direction they -wanted to, and had to drift where the pack would take them--northwards. -Christmas Day found them still in the pack, and they celebrated the -festivity in the good old English style. By the 30th they were out -of the pack, and set off for Cape Crozier, the end of the Great Ice -Barrier, where they had decided to fix their winter quarters. They -could not get there, however, and they had to proceed to Cape Royds, -passing along an ice-clad coast which showed no likely landing-place. -Cape Royds was also inaccessible owing to the ice, and the ship was -worked to the Skuary Cape, renamed Cape Evans, in the McMurdo Sound. - -A landing was effected, and for a week the explorers worked like -niggers getting stores ashore, disembarking ponies and dogs, unloading -sledges, and the hundred and one other things necessary to success. -The hut, which was brought over in pieces, was also taken ashore, a -suitable site for it cleared, and the carpenters began erecting it. - -During these early days misfortune fell upon them. One of their three -motor-sledges, upon which great hopes were built, slipped through the -ice and was lost. - -By January 14 the station was almost finished, and Captain Scott went -on a sledge trip to Hut Point, some miles to the west. Here Scott -had wintered on his first expedition, which set out from England in -1901. In this his new expedition the hut was to be used for some of -the party, and telephonic communication was installed. In due course -the station was completed; there is no need for us to go into all the -details of the hard work, or the exercising of animals and men, but a -short description of this house on the ice may be of interest. It was -a wooden structure, 50 feet long by 25 feet wide and nine feet to the -eaves. It was divided into officers’ and men’s quarters; there was -a laboratory and dark-room, galley and workshop. Books were there, -pictures on the walls, stove to keep the right temperature. Stables -were built on the north side, and a store-room on the south. In the -hut itself was a pianola and a gramophone to wile away the monotony of -the long winter night. Mr. Ponting, the camera artist, had a lantern -with him, which was to provide vast entertainment in the way of -picture-lectures on all kinds of subjects. Altogether, everything was -as compact and comfortable as could be wished. - -Naturally, there were various adventures during these early days; -once the ship just managed to get away from the spot where almost -immediately afterwards a huge berg crashed down, only a little later on -the same day to become stranded. Luckily, by much hard work, the seamen -managed to get her off. - -On January 25 the next piece of work was begun--namely, the laying of -a depot some hundred miles towards the south. Both ponies and dogs -were used for this work, which took nearly a month--the Barrier ice -was always dangerous--and both the outward and inward journeys were -beset by bad weather, bad surfaces, hard work, disappointments and -many dangers. Once, a party was lost, and found only after they had -experienced much suffering. - -It was not until April 13 that the depot laying party returned to the -hut, minus some of their animals, which had succumbed to the rigours -of the climate and the stiff work demanded of them. A few days later -the long winter night set in, and the men had to confine themselves to -winter quarters to wait until the coming of the sun before the main -object of their voyage could be attempted. The ship had returned to New -Zealand meanwhile. - -The long winter months were filled up with scientific studies of the -neighbourhood, and evenings were occasions for lantern lectures and -discussions on all kinds of subjects, including those which concerned -the expedition. There was plenty of work to do; things had to be -prepared, as far as was possible then, for the final dash; the animals -had to be looked after; and they were a source of trouble, because -it was essential that they should be kept fit. A winter party was -organised and sent to Cape Crozier, a journey that took them five weeks -under “the hardest conditions on record.” It was well worth while, for -many were the valuable observations made. - -Always the scientific aspect of the expedition was kept in view; and -when the sun returned a spring journey to the west was undertaken, -Scott and his little party being absent thirteen days, 175 miles being -covered in that time. - -We now come to the great journey to the Pole--a journey of 800 miles. -On October 24 the two motor-sledges were sent off, after a good deal -of trouble, Evans and Day in charge of one, and Lashly of the other; -they were the forerunners of the expedition to the Pole. On the 26th, -Hut Point rang up to say that the motors were in trouble, and Scott -and seven men went off to see what they could do. They came up with -the motors about three miles from Hut Point, and found that various -little things were causing trouble. Eventually, these difficulties were -overcome, and the sledges started off again, and Scott and his party -went back to Cape Evans to get ready for their own journey south. - -“The future is in the lap of the gods; I can think of nothing left -undone to deserve success.” - -Thus wrote Captain Scott the night before he set out on his last -great journey, and reading the remarkable journal which he left, one -is forced to the conclusion that he was right; if ever man deserved -success, if ever achievement with glory and safety should have been -vouchsafed, it should have been to Scott; but the lap of the gods is -often a sacrificial altar on which men lay down their lives for the -sake of great ideals. - -It was on November 1 that the Southern Party set out. It consisted of -ten men, in charge of ten ponies drawing sledges, and two men leading -the dogs which were to take the ponies’ places when the latter were -done. Everything was favourable for the send-off, and the company -arrived at Hut Point, the first stoppage place, quite safely. From -there they pushed on again in three parties, the slowest starting -first, and the others following at sufficient intervals for all to -arrive at the end of the day’s stage at the same time. The motor party -going on in front were putting up cairns for guidance, and Scott -himself on the journey to One Ton Depot had placed landmarks to guide -them. On the 4th Scott came across the wreck of the sledge worked by -Captain Evans and Day--a cylinder had gone wrong, and the motor had had -to be abandoned, the men going on with the other sledge. This was the -first bit of ill-luck, but the days to come were to bring much more. -The dash to One Ton Depot consisted of hard going over rough surfaces; -there were blizzards, trouble with the ponies; snow walls had to be -built to protect the animals at camp after a long and hard night’s -toil, during which they had journeyed seldom more than ten miles. Night -was chosen because it enabled them to escape the sun, which even in -that latitude was sufficient to make them sweat as they forced their -way over the terrible ground. They reached One Ton Depot at last, and -then picked up the motor party, commanded by Evans, on November 21. The -motorists had been waiting six days, unable to go any farther. - -The little band now plunged forward again, meeting the same difficult -surface, having the same trouble with the ponies, one of whom had -to be shot on the 24th, the day on which the first supporting party, -consisting of Day and Hooper, were sent back to the base. Two days -later a depot was laid, Middle Barrier Depot, and on the 28th, when -ninety miles from the Glacier, another pony was shot, and provided food -for the dogs. Ninety miles were still to be covered, and there was -only food for seven marches for the animals. It would be stiff going, -for Scott was relying upon the ponies getting him to the foot of the -Glacier. - -Having laid another depot on December 1, thus lightening the load, and -hoping to be able to make good progress, they were furiously opposed -by the elements. On the 3rd, the 4th, and the 5th, blizzards blew down -upon them, impeding them, making the work trebly difficult, and the -last one holding them up for four days, during which food, precious -food, and much-needed fuel were being consumed without any progress -being made. Impatient, bitterly cold, with the animals getting worn -out, Scott and his companions had to keep to their tents, eager to -go on, but realising that to venture forth was to court disaster. -Experienced Polar explorer though he was, Scott was at a loss to -account for the character of the weather at this, the most favourable, -only practicable, time of the year. It was disheartening, especially -when they had to start on the rations that they had reckoned would not -be needed until they reached the summit of the Glacier. But at last the -blizzard blew itself out, and, stiff and cold, the party set out again, -each day finding their ponies becoming weaker, until on the 9th, at -Camp 31, named the Shambles, all these were shot. - -Then it was a case of the dogs pulling the sledges, and on the 10th -the explorers began the ascent of the Beardmore Glacier, the summit -of which was thousands of feet above them. Meares and Atkinson left -for the base on the 11th, and the reduced party trudged forward and -upwards, now having to go down again to avoid some dangerous part, -toiling manfully up the Glacier, in danger of falling into crevasses, -sinking into soft snow, which made the surface so difficult that after -trudging for hours and hours only four miles were covered when they had -hoped to do ten or more. By the 22nd, when the next supporting party -left, they had climbed 7,100 feet (the day before they had been up -8,000 feet) and then a heavy mist enshrouded them, and hung them up for -some hours--when every minute was precious. - -When they started on the 22nd there were but eight men, and these -toiled on day after day, meeting all sorts of trouble, running all -kinds of risks, but never stopping unless compelled, dropping a depot -on the last day of the year, and sending back three men on the 4th. -This left only Scott, Captain Oates, Petty Officer Evans, Dr. Wilson -and Lieutenant Bowers to make the final dash to the Pole. They had over -a month’s rations, which was considered ample to do the 150 miles that -separated them from their goal. - -The party now had the small ten-foot sledges, which were neat and -compact, and much lighter than the twelve-foot sledges which were sent -back. The dogs had now gone back, and all the pulling was done by the -men. The difficulty of the surface made them leave their skis behind -on the 7th, but later on that day the surface become so much easier -that it was decided to go back for the skis, which delayed them nearly -an hour and a half. They were now on the summit, and were held up by -a blizzard which, though it delayed them, gave them the opportunity -for a rest which they sadly needed, especially Evans, who had hurt his -hand badly while attending to the sledges. On the 9th they were able -to start again, now swinging out across the great Polar plateau. They -cached more stores on the 10th, and found the lightening of the load -very helpful. But even then, so hard was the pulling, that on the 11th, -when only seventy-four miles from the Pole, Scott asked himself whether -they could keep up the struggle for another seven days. Never had men -worked so hard before at so monotonous a task; winds blew upon them, -clouds worried them because they knew not what might come in their -wake; snow was falling and covering the track behind them, sufficient -to cause them some anxiety, for they wanted that track to lead them -home again via their depots upon which safety depended. - -The weather! Day by day the weather worried them; only that could -baulk them in their purpose, and never men prayed so much for fine -days as did these. The 16th found them still forcing their way onward, -with lightened loads again, having left a depot on the previous day, -consisting of four days’ food; and they knew that they were now only -two good marches from the Pole. Considering they carried with them nine -days’ rations, while just behind lay another four days’, they felt that -all would be well if the weather would but keep clear for them. - -The thing that now troubled these men who toiled so manfully against -great odds was the thought that lurked in their minds that when they -reached the Pole they might find that they had been forestalled. For -they knew, everyone of them, that the Norwegian, Amundsen, was bent -on achieving what they were hoping to do: on being first at the Pole. -They knew, too, that things had been more favourable for him from the -very outset; that he had been able to set out from a much better spot -than they had. What if they attained the goal, only to find a foreign -flag flying bravely in the breeze? The thought was maddening; but the -Britishers were sportsmen. And when months before Scott had heard that -Amundsen was in the South, instead of trying for the North Pole, as he -had given out when he started, the gallant captain had made up his mind -to act just as if he had no competitor. - -Next day, the 16th, all their hopes were dashed to the ground. Away -out across the white expanse there loomed a tiny black speck, and -immediately Scott’s thoughts flew to Amundsen. Some of his companions -said it was one thing, others another. As they pulled hard at their -loads the five men debated amongst themselves, trying to cheer each -other up, seeking to cast aside the horrible thought that would force -its way into their minds. - -And then, the black spot was reached. It was a black flag, tied to a -sledge bearer. It was the sign that the Norwegians had won in the race. - -All around were signs of a camp, which to the filmed eyes of the -explorers were the tokens of their failure to be first. - -“It is a terrible disappointment,” wrote Scott in his diary, “and I -am very sorry for my loyal companions. Many thoughts come and much -discussion have we had. To-morrow we must march on to the Pole, and -then hasten home with the utmost speed we can compass. All the day -dreams must go; it will be a wearisome return.” - -And the next day the Pole was reached, and from out its solitude and -austerity the great explorer cried: - -“Great God! This is an awful place, and terrible enough for us to have -laboured to it without the reward of priority....” - -The great goal had been won; but the joy of achievement was dimmed; -Amundsen’s records and tent were found there, the Norwegian flag -had been hoisted and flaunted bravely in the wind. They had been -forestalled by over a month. - -Having fixed up their “poor slighted Union Jack,” as Scott called it, -the explorers turned northwards again, and began to retrace their -footsteps over the Polar plateau, which had cost them so much labour -to cross, then down the great Glacier with ever worsening weather. The -men themselves, who had been so fit coming out, were now beginning to -show signs of their gigantic labours; perhaps now, when the day dreams -were over, and hopes long deferred had been fulfilled and dashed to -pieces at one moment, they were disheartened; there was not the spur -of achievement before them. Evans and Oates began to show signs of -weariness--those two strong men of the party. Evans had his nose and -fingers frostbitten and suffered much agony. Then, while descending the -Glacier, he tumbled on the Glacier, fell among rough ice which injured -his head, and gave him a touch of concussion of the brain. Dr. Wilson -injured his leg, and snow-blindness was causing him much trouble. All -these things impeded the party, to whom time was everything; food -depended on picking up the depots on the right days--perhaps hours; and -when, as often happened, the track was not easily found, the anxiety of -the explorers was considerably increased. - -Then Evans grew worse; from being self-reliant, and the man on whom the -party had been able to look for help in any circumstances, he became -weak and wellnigh helpless; he lagged behind, and the party had to wait -for him to catch up. On February 17 at the foot of the Glacier, after -a terribly hard day’s work, Evans--poor man!--was so far behind when -the party camped, that his comrades became anxious and went back for -him. They found him. The limit of human endurance had been reached. -“He was on his knees, with clothing disarranged, hands uncovered and -frostbitten, and a wild look in his eyes.” They got him to the tent -with great difficulty, and he died that night. Scott mourned his loss; -and his journal is full of his praises of the petty officer who had -been so indefatigable a worker and so adaptable a man, doing everything -his inventive genius could think of to lighten the work for the -explorers. - -One day was now much like another to the four men left; they pushed on -and on, picking up depots as they went, and suffering every day from -the bitter cold, and feeling the effects of the hard work. On March -16, Captain Oates went out. Frostbitten hands and feet had made life -burdensome for him, and he knew that he was a burden to the gallant men -with him; without him, they could progress much quicker. - -“Go on without me,” he had said, earlier in the day. “I’ll keep in my -sleeping bag!” But they had prevailed upon him to keep on. Like a hero -he forced himself to struggle on until they camped at night. When the -morning came he awoke. Of him in those last moments Scott said: “He was -a brave soul.... It was blowing a blizzard. He said: ‘I’m just going -outside, and may be some time.’ He went out into the blizzard, and we -have not seen him since.... We knew that poor Oates was walking to his -death; but though we tried to dissuade him, we knew it was the act of a -brave man and an English gentleman.” - -He had sacrificed himself for the sake of the others. “Greater love -hath no man than this.” - -Reduced now to three men, the little party struggled on gamely, -fighting against the weariness that was upon them, making with all -haste for One Ton Depot. They had expected ere this to have met the -dogs which were to come out to help them back, but misfortune had -overtaken Cherry Garrard, who had been waiting at One Ton Depot for six -days held up by a blizzard. He had not sufficient food for the dogs to -enable him to go south, and he knew that the state of the weather might -easily make him miss Scott, whereas to wait at the depot was to be on -hand when Scott did turn up. - -Now the dire peril of their position forced itself upon them; though -they fought to drive the thoughts away, manfully cheering each other -up, none of them believed that they would ever get through, and on -March 18, when twenty-one miles from the depot, the wind compelled them -to call a halt. Scott’s right foot was frostbitten; he suffered from -indigestion; they had only a half fill of oil left and a small amount -of spirit. It meant that when this was gone, they could have no more -hot drink--which would bring the end. - -Despite their sufferings they went on again, until on the 21st they -were camped eleven miles from the depot, a blizzard raging round them, -little food, no fuel, and knowing in their hearts that when the next -day dawned they could not continue the journey perilous and laborious; -the end was at hand. - -Days before Scott and Bowers had made Dr. Wilson give them that which -would enable them to put an end to their misery; but now to-night, when -face to face with death, they resolved that they would die natural -deaths; it should not be said of them that they shirked. Each morning -until the 29th they got ready to start for the depot that was so near, -with its food, its fuel, its warmth, its companions; and each day they -found the blizzard howling about them, as effectual a barrier as if it -had been a cast-iron wall. - -“We shall stick it out to the end,” wrote Scott on the 29th, “but we -are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far. - -“It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. - -“For God’s sake look after our people!” - -And so they died, these heroes and gentlemen; and through Scott’s last -letters which were found with the dead bodies in the tent on November -10 there is but one thought running: the care of the people left behind -and the praises of the men who had accompanied him. Never were such -eulogiums written. “Gallant, noble gentlemen,” he called them, as death -brooded over him; and throughout every line there was the spirit of -cheeriness which takes life--and death--as becomes a hero who knows -that failure was no fault of his own, that man can do no more than -fight nobly against the forces arrayed against him. - - - - -STORIES OF THE LIFEBOAT - -Noble Deeds of Brave Men - - -The bluff and hearty men, heroes every one, who live all around the -coasts, ready to launch their lifeboats to go to the aid of shipwrecked -mariners, have a bright page in the history of the sea. They are -the saviours of those who go down to the sea in ships, and on every -errand of mercy they literally take their lives in their hands, place -themselves on the knees of the gods ready for sacrifice. - -Sometimes the gods accept the sacrifice. - -It happened so in the case of the Fethard lifeboat which, on February -20, 1914, pushed off to the assistance of the Norwegian schooner -_Mexico_, wrecked on the rocky island of South Keeragh. The _Mexico_, -losing her bearings when off the south coast of Ireland, was driven -into Bannow Bay, missed stays when her crew tried to put her about, was -caught by the fierce S.S.W. gale and the strong tide, and driven close -to the South Keeragh Island. - -On the mainland it was quickly observed that the _Mexico_ was in a -dangerous position, and about 3 P.M. the lifeboat _Helen Blake_ shoved -off to her assistance. The gallant lifeboatmen pulled their hardest, -hoping to reach the spot in time to help the _Mexico_ before the -howling wind and the strong tide had finished the work begun; but, -though they tugged as they had never tugged before, they were too late. -The _Mexico_ was picked up like an india-rubber ball and flung against -the rock island. There was a grating sound as the hull crashed into the -rocks; the ripping of her bottom seemed like a clap of thunder; and -then the heavily laden ship, carrying tons of mahogany logs, bumped and -bumped again upon the rocks, which held her fast. - -The men in the lifeboat, now fifty yards away, held their breath for -a moment as they saw the disaster; then on they went again, carried -this time not of their own free will, but by the relentless elemental -forces. A heavy breaker caught the boat, broke over her in a mighty -volume of water, and filled her up to the thwarts. - -“Let go the anchor!” was the cry; and instantly the anchor was flung -overboard. But, before it could bring her up, three or four following -seas, as though eager to ensure destruction, caught the boat, and with -her freight of heroes, hurled her with a mighty crash against the -rocks. She smashed to pieces as though she had been built of china. - -Fourteen men she had carried; and in an instant fourteen men were -struggling for dear life in the midst of a boiling sea. Pygmies -fighting against the giant forces of Nature, children beating puny -hands upon the leering face of death, striving to force the black angel -back; such were these men who, seeking to save others, were in danger -of losing themselves. And in the titanic struggle nine men were lost. - -Five of them won. Buffeted against the rocks, clutching and loosing, -they fought for handhold and foothold, and at last, scrambling over the -slippery points, they managed to fight to safety. - -Then, weary and half dead themselves, they thought of what they had -come out to do. The _Mexico_ was still bumping dangerously upon the -rocks, men clinging to rigging, or to anything near at hand, lest -the waves wash them away, or the lurching of the ship pitch them -overboard--to death. And those heroes, who had felt the wings of the -Angel of Death brush against them as he passed by, began the task of -saving the men on the _Mexico_. - -How they did it they never realised; but they knew they worked hard, -and one by one, by means of ropes, they brought eight men off the -wrecked ship on to the island. It is but a bald statement of the fact -that, but with untellable heroism, indomitable determination, and -sublime indifference to death and danger behind it. - -With no boats, no food or water except what the _Mexico_ men had -managed to bring with them, and that all-insufficient, the thirteen men -found themselves stranded on a barren island, with a raging tempest -about them and no help in sight. - -They passed the first night in shivering despair, huddling together to -warm each other. Morning came, and brought no signs of succour, though -during the night other lifeboatmen had sought to sally forth to their -help, but had been beaten back by the anger of the gale. - -The Wexford boat, _James Stevens_, and the Kilmore boat, _The Sisters_, -had swept through the darkness towards them, their men fighting -gallantly and the boats wrestling bravely with the waves and wind; but -all to no avail. They had to put back, her mission unfulfilled. - -Meanwhile, a message had been sent to the Chief Inspector of Lifeboats -in London, Commander Thomas Holmes, R.N., who was dispatched -immediately to take charge of the operations. - -Presently the stranded men saw through the haze of the storm a black -dot, tossing about on the bosom of the sea. It was the lifeboat _Fanny -Harriet_, from Dunmore East, whose gallant crew were making an attempt -to reach them. She fought bravely against the tumult, but was driven -back again and again, until her crew, realising that it was hopeless to -stay out any longer, reluctantly put back to harbour. Then once again, -and yet again, the Kilmore boat plunged into the sea, followed by the -Wexford boat, _James Stevens_. Yet all they could do was useless, and -they were forced to return to shore. Father Neptune was winning. - -When Commander Holmes arrived on the scene at 3 P.M. on the Sunday he -found the _Fanny Harriet_ lying in harbour at Fethard, her men eating -their heads off as they thought of their enforced idleness. Something -about the commander brought back to these heroes the determination to -succeed; and the boat was launched again, and fought her way towards -the island. Once again, however, they were frustrated. The ground swell -prevented them from getting anywhere near the island, and the stranded -men wrung their hands as they saw her turn about. Hungry, thirsty, they -looked forward to nothing but death. Already one of their number, a man -from the _Mexico_, had succumbed to the exposure, and they saw in his -fate the picture of their own, unless help came soon. They covered him -up with some canvas and clods of earth. - -[Illustration: “She fought bravely against the tumult, but was driven -back again and again”] - -To the imperilled men the night of Saturday, the 21st, had been a -terrible one. The gale that swept them was the worst known on the south -coast of Ireland for many years, and the lifeboatmen, who had passed -through many terrors of the sea, knew that they stood little chance of -being taken off. For the thirteen men there were but two small tins of -preserved meat and a few limpets. On the schooner were provisions in -plenty, but it was impossible to get into her to fetch them off; and, -with food so near, they were face to face with hunger. Water, there -was none; their drink consisted of a little brandy and half a pint of -wine, which the _Mexico’s_ captain had managed to bring with him when -leaving the vessel. The biting wind blew down upon them, cutting them -to the bone; the spray flung up by the breaking waves drenched them, -and they had no shelter from the pouring rain. Yet the Fethard men bore -up bravely, encouraging the Norwegians and giving them hope, for they -knew that no efforts would be spared to get them off. - -As, one by one, they saw the lifeboats try to reach them, only to be -beaten back, not all the cheering words of the Irishmen served to keep -up the spirits of the foreigners; and in their own hearts the Fethard -men realised the hopelessness of it all. They might stay there until -death came; for succour, it seemed, could never come. - -But in Fethard Commander Holmes was not idle. When the _Fanny Harriet_ -came back on the Sunday evening, he telephoned to Wexford, informing -the lifeboatmen that, on the Monday morning, another attempt would be -made, and asking them to proceed to the scene on the chance that the -weather would have moderated sufficiently to allow of something being -done. Of course, the Wexford men said “Yes,” and, all being arranged, -at six o’clock in the morning Holmes entered the _Fanny Harriet_. She -carried a Dunmore East crew, and a Fethard man to pilot them, for the -whole locality was strewn with hidden rocks and boulders. Fortunately, -the gale had subsided somewhat, and the lifeboat was able to approach -the vicinity of the wreck. Her men could see the stranded wretches, who -waved at them frantically, urging them onwards. - -But the ground swell breaking outside the remains of the _Mexico_ -was still so heavy that it was necessary for the lifeboat to cruise -round the island before a spot could be found whence it was possible -to approach the shore. At last the boat was anchored in a fairly -good position some hundred yards off the rocks; and the lifeboatmen -immediately attempted to effect communication with the castaways. -Rocket after rocket was fired, and eventually they succeeded in getting -a stick-rocket ashore with a cod-line attached. By this means a strong -line was hauled in by the men, and a small skiff which had been brought -by the lifeboat was attached to the line, and veered successfully to -within ten yards of the island. It seemed that rescue was really at -hand, and the shivering, exhausted men brightened up. They would be -saved! - -Then their hopes were dashed to the ground. A heavy sea caught the -skiff, a great wave broke upon her, filled her, and drove her with a -crash against the rocks, which smashed her to pieces. But one ray of -hope came to those men. A lifebuoy which was in the skiff was washed -near to the shore, and a man plunged in, grasped it, and brought it -ashore, and felt that all was not lost. - -Commander Holmes hailed them, and sought to get them to trust -themselves to the lifebuoy, which the rescuers would drag through the -seas with its living burden. It was asking much, and all knew it. It -meant casting oneself upon the mercy of a tumultuous sea, meant giving -oneself up to the danger of being flung upon rocks and boulders, to be -dashed to death. The stranded men looked at each other; no one spoke. -Then one man, the desire of life surging through him, took up the buoy, -to which the rope had been fastened, placed himself in it, and hurled -himself into the water, to be pulled into the lifeboat--safe! Another -man, seeing this, followed his example; but the others, worn out by -their experiences, preferred to wait for some surer way to safety than -that, and elected to stay on the island. - -While this was going on, the Wexford boat arrived on the scene, having -been towed out by her tug. It was now a quarter past eight in the -morning, and she anchored close to the _Fanny Stevens_, but in a rather -better position; and, to the rapture of the men on the island, she had -brought with her a strong punt, which was more suitable for the work in -hand than the skiff brought from Fethard. - -Two men of the Wexford boat, heroes both of them, volunteered to work -the punt. They were William Duggan and James Wickham. They got into -her, veered her down, with a rope attached to her bows, from the _James -Stevens_, and, after a fearful experience, seized the opportunity that -a “smooth” offered, and got her close enough to the rocks to snatch two -of the men. Then, with a heave-ho! they dragged them into the punt, -which was at once hauled back to the lifeboat. - -Then out again in the same way the two heroes went. But this time they -were not fortunate enough to escape damage. A wave caught them, and, as -though the punt had been a toy yacht, flung her upon the rocks, which -she hit with a crash; and, when the retiring waves dragged her back, -the two men found that she had a hole in her side. Resourceful, calm, -they grabbed up a loaf of bread and some packing, and with this stopped -up the hole that had threatened to send the boat to the bottom; and -then struck out once more for the rocks. That time two more men were -saved; and so the work went on, Duggan and Wickham getting to shore -no less than five times, taking off two men at each attempt, until -the whole party of weary and almost frozen men were brought to the -lifeboat. Death had been in attendance all along; but they braved it. -They stuck stubbornly to their self-appointed task, and they succeeded. - -It took but little time for the tug to take the lifeboats in tow, and -in due course the survivors of the tragic wreck were landed. The end -had come to one of the most heroic episodes in the history of the -lifeboat. Nay, not the end, for there was still the work of caring for -those whom the death of the gallant men had left behind; and the Royal -National Lifeboat Institution did all in its power to assist, while -Their Majesties of Norway contributed to the fund opened, as also did -the Storthing. And, later, the men who had worked so heroically, and -had done so well, had their efforts recognised, though to them the -greatest satisfaction was in knowing that they had wrought well, and -had snatched precious lives from the greedy maw of the sea. - - * * * * * - -A still more recent instance of heroic endeavour on the part of the -lifeboatmen was on the occasion of the wreck of the hospital ship -_Rohilla_. She had been taken over by the Government for use as a -hospital ship, and on Friday, October 30, 1914, when on her way to -Dunkirk, she ran into a terrific E.S.E. gale. She had 229 people on -board, including a medical staff and five nurses, bent on doing their -best for the maimed heroes who had fought for country and honour on the -battlefields of Belgium and France. - -The official report of the Royal Lifeboat Institution, on which this -story is founded, is a vivid and graphic description of a tremendous -calamity. - -It was soon after four o’clock in the morning that the _Rohilla_ -encountered the storm, and, though her captain and crew did their very -utmost, she ran on to a dangerous reef of rocks and lay at the mercy -of a furious sea. Captain Neilson, who commanded, tried to get all the -men to go forward, but those on the poop and aft could not cross the -after part, over which giant seas were breaking. Pounded by mountainous -waves, the _Rohilla_ quickly broke in halves, and many of those on -the after part of the ship were washed away at once, and perished. As -soon as she struck, signals of distress were made, and Coxswain Thomas -Langlands was promptly called. The sea was far too heavy to do anything -until daybreak, when the No. 2 Lifeboat, _John Fielden_, was hauled on -skids under the Spa Ladder--a gangway from the East Pier at Whitby to -the cliff--and along the rocky scaur to the scene of the wreck. This -necessitated getting the boat over a sea-wall eight feet in height--a -most formidable task. - -In transporting the boat she was stove in in two places. She was, -nevertheless, launched, and succeeded in reaching the wreck, which -lay surrounded by a mass of rocks. Twelve men and five women were -saved and brought ashore. The boat was then again launched, and, after -a fearful struggle with terrific seas, got to the vessel and saved -eighteen more, the heavy waves which swept through the ship or broke -over her deck filling the lifeboat time after time. Unfortunately, the -boat soon became unfit for further service, owing to repeated bumping -on the rocks. Captain John Mil-burn, a member of the local committee, -then sent for the Upgang lifeboat, which was, with great difficulty, -transported to the vicinity of the wreck. - -By means of ropes the boat was lowered down the almost precipitous -cliffs, and preparations were made for her launch, but nothing could -be done in the tremendous seas running. In the meantime the Teesmouth -motor lifeboat and the lifeboat stationed at Scarborough had been -called by telephone to the assistance of those still on the wreck. - -Meanwhile, the Whitby coastguards were firing rockets in rapid -succession, in the hope of getting lines to the ship; but only one was -secured--and this was of no use to the shivering people who were on the -bridge, which at any moment might give way. - -The Scarborough lifeboat, _Queensbury_, in tow of the steam trawler -_Morning Star_, started as soon as possible. It was quite dark -when they arrived, and in the gale it was hopeless to establish -communication with the wreck. Both craft, however, remained at hand -through the night, and the endurance of the lifeboatmen was severely -tested during their long vigil. At daybreak, finding that it was still -impossible to get near the wreck, they returned to Scarborough. - -In view of the tremendous seas making up the river at Teesmouth, it -was decided not to dispatch the boat until daybreak next morning. -This decision was conveyed to Whitby by telephone, and at 5 A.M. next -morning the crew left Redcar for Teesmouth, accompanied by the Tees -Commissioners’ tug. In crossing the bar the lifeboat encountered -tremendous seas, and, as a result of falling into the trough of a -mountainous wave, she sprang such a serious leak that she became -disabled, and it became necessary for the tug to take the crew on board -and tow the lifeboat back to Middlesbrough. - -On Saturday morning the Upgang crew made a further attempt to rescue -the survivors who were huddled together on one small portion of the -wreck. For over an hour the crew struggled manfully to reach the wreck; -but the sea and the strong current running between the “Nab” and the -wreck was too strong for them, and eventually the men became totally -exhausted, and had to give up their hopeless task. - -When the unfortunate men on the wreck, who had held on so bravely -throughout the night, saw the hope of being rescued diminishing, some -of them jumped overboard and attempted to swim ashore, and a number of -the onlookers, with heroic disregard for their own safety, rushed into -the boiling surf and succeeded in dragging many to the shore. - -The Whitby No. 1 Lifeboat, in tow of a steam trawler, also got within -half a mile of the wreck, but the sea was too heavy for them to -approach any nearer, and the boat reluctantly returned to harbour. - -It now became apparent that only a motor lifeboat would be able to -render effective help, and the Tynemouth motor lifeboat was summoned by -telegram. On Saturday afternoon the gallant crew, under the command of -Coxswain Robert Smith, and accompanied by Captain H. E. Burton, R.E., -hon. superintendent of the motor lifeboat, started on their perilous -journey. To reach Whitby they were obliged to travel a distance of -forty-four miles through the night and storm, unaided by any coast -lights, which were all extinguished on account of the war. Thanks, -however, to Captain Burton’s intimate knowledge of the Yorkshire coast, -their gallant exertions met with the success which they deserved, and -at 1 A.M. on Sunday morning, November 1, the boat was skilfully brought -into Whitby Harbour. - -Four hours later, this boat, with Lieutenant Basil Hall, R.N., -Inspector of Lifeboats for the Southern District, on board, and the -Whitby second coxswain as pilot, left harbour for the wreck, a supply -of oil being taken to subdue the waves. - -The rescue of those who had survived the terrible ordeal for fifty -hours is well described by the representative of the _Yorkshire Post_, -who witnessed the scene, and from whose report we give the following -extracts: - -“The light was just rising over the sea at half-past six o’clock when -the boat crept out of the harbour again, and breasted the breakers like -a seabird as she headed straight out into calmer water. The lifeboat, -looking fearfully small and frail, throbbed her way towards the wreck. -Nearer and nearer she got; and then, when within 200 yards of the -_Rohilla_, she turned seawards.” - -She was burning flares, and from the shore a searchlight was playing -upon the group of huddling people who had spent so many hours in -darkness and the stress of storm. - -“Presently, when she had passed a few fathoms beyond and away from the -wreck, she stopped dead, and discharged over the boiling sea gallons -and gallons of oil. It seemed that the ocean must laugh at these puny -drops, yet the effect was remarkable; within a few seconds the oil -spread over the surface of the water, and the waves appeared suddenly -to be flattened down as by a miracle. In the meantime the lifeboat -turned about, raced at full speed past the stern of the wreck, and then -turned directly towards the shore. The most dangerous moment came when -she was inside the surf and broadside on to the waves; but, guided with -splendid skill and courage, she moved forward steadily, and a cheer of -relief went out from the shore when she reached the lee of the wreck, -immediately beneath the crowded bridge. - -“But there was not a moment to be lost, for already the effects of -the oil were beginning to pass off, and the waves were noticeably -higher. Quicker than thought a rope was let down to the lifeboat, -and immediately figures could be discerned scrambling down into the -boat. In less than a quarter of an hour more than forty men had been -rescued. While the rest were preparing to leave the wreck, two enormous -waves swept over the wreck and enveloped the lifeboat. Each time the -tough little craft disappeared for a moment, reappeared, tottered, and -righted herself gamely. Indeed, not a man was lost, not a splinter -broken. Closer still she hugged the vessel’s side, till every man -aboard--fifty of them in all--had been hauled into the rescuing boat. - -“The last man to leave his lost ship was the captain, and as he slipped -into the lifeboat the crew of the latter gave a rousing cheer that was -echoed again and again by the people ashore.” - -Even now the lifeboat had not finished its work; there was danger -ahead. Great heads reared at her; a tremendous sea swamped down upon -her, and she nearly capsized; but, shaking herself free, she laboured -away, making fair progress. Then another huge wave rose at her, -threatened her with destruction, was met boldly. Struck broadside -on, the lifeboat was almost on her beam-ends. Watchers on the shore -held their breath. Would she withstand the shock? She did, and swept -gallantly forward, and at last reached the harbour mouth. - -What cheers went up then! Men on shore cheered the gallant rescuers, -who cheered back, while the rescued men in the boat joined their voices -with the others. Then the boat came to the quay, and men ran down the -steps to help the saved ashore, where they were soon taken to shelter, -after having passed through a terrible experience. - - - - -TALES OF THE SMUGGLERS - -Stories of Smugglers’ Ways and Smuggling Days have always had a -Fascination - - -Anything more adventurous than the lives of the old smugglers would be -hard to find. Nowadays a man seeks to get prohibited goods into the -country by using false bottoms to his trunks, or swathing his legs in -bandages of rich lace; and maybe a woman smuggler cuddles to her bosom -a “baby” of most wonderful make-up--laces, tobacco, scent! But there -is little of the adventurous about that smuggling to-day, and we have -to hark back to the days when men literally took their lives in their -hands in the effort to outwit the Government and to avoid paying the -taxes. - -The strangest thing about smuggling is that all classes of people were -engaged in it--sailors, soldiers, fishermen, justices of the peace, and -even clergymen! When a village depended almost entirely for its trade -upon the illicit running of goods, perhaps it is not to be wondered at -that the parson had his sympathies with his parishioners. - -A good instance of this is to be found in the story of the smugglers of -Morwenstowe, Cornwall. A visitor from an inland town, strolling along -the beach, stumbled upon the scene of a “landing” one evening. The ship -lying in the offing, the boats hurrying to the beach laden with kegs -of brandy, the people lining the shore, waiting to roll the kegs away -to safety, soon made him realise what was afoot; and, being honest, -he was staggered. And being also very temperate, he was shocked to see -men knocking in the heads of kegs and taking their fill of brandy, and -becoming so far intoxicated as to quarrel amongst themselves. - -“What a horrible sight! Have you no shame?” he cried, addressing the -crowd in general. “Is there no magistrate at hand? Cannot any justice -of the peace be found in this fearful country?” - -“No, thanks be to God!” came the answer from somewhere amongst the busy -crowd. “None within eight miles.” - -“Well, then,” exclaimed the visitor, “is there no clergyman hereabout? -Does no minister of the parish live among you?” - -“Aye, to be sure there is,” was the reply. - -“Well, how far off does he live? Where is he?” asked the virtuous -gentleman, who next moment received another shock. - -“There! That’s he, sir--yonder with the lanthorn,” was the answer -that came to him; and looking in the direction indicated, he saw a -venerable-looking man, in his parson’s clothes, holding the light while -his parishioners worked at robbing the State! - -When smuggling began it would be hard to say, except that one would be -safe in supposing that as soon as a thing was taxed attempts were made -to slip it into the country untaxed. As, however, it is not intended -here to try to outline the history of smuggling, we need not worry -about that, but content ourselves with picking out here and there some -of the choice passages from the history. - -Something historical, however, must be allowed to intrude, because -it had a great bearing upon smuggling; and that is, that prior to -1816 there were no systematic attempts made to prevent the illicit -importation of taxed goods. True, the Government had excise men and -revenue cutters on guard; but they were all too few, owing chiefly to -the fact that the great wars of the eighteenth century took up most -of the men, while the general slackness tended to make it fairly easy -for the “free trader,” as he was called, to slip into some cove and -unload his illegal cargo. Sometimes, indeed, the revenue men themselves -had lapses and “ran” goods in on their own account! In 1816, however, -following the conclusion of the great peace, the Government instituted -a regular system of smuggling prevention. Kent and Sussex having been -the favourite playground of the smugglers, the coasts of these two -counties were blockaded. A man-o’-war, the _Hyperion_, was stationed -at Newhaven, in Sussex, and the _Ramilles_ in the Downs, off Kent; and -the martello towers which had been erected along the coasts against -the coming of Napoleon’s armies were used to house their crews. To all -intents and purposes these sailors were the first coastguards, and -in due course the system of blockading was carried out all round the -coasts of Britain, chiefly by means of the revenue men and cutters. -On these the Government drew, and duly formed the “Preventive Water -Guard,” whose crews were stationed at certain spots along the coasts to -keep watch and ward day and night. - -It is true that at the end of the seventeenth century there were Riding -Officers, whose work was to patrol the south-east coast on the look-out -against wood smugglers. But as there were only about three hundred -of them, and these all civilians, they were by no means an effective -check to the smugglers. Later on they were permitted the assistance of -the dragoons, who naturally resented being placed under the direction -of civilians, with the result that there was much friction, and the -service, instead of being improved, suffered a great deal, the soldiery -incidentally finding it a paying game to keep in with the smugglers. - -In 1822 changes were made, and the civilian riding officers disappeared -and their places were taken by men from the cavalry regiments, and -at the same time the Board of Customs was given sole control of the -preventive services, which then consisted, as we have seen, of the -revenue cutters, Preventive Water Guard, and Riding Officers. Seven -years later something more was done--the coastguard proper was born. -No man was eligible for the service unless he was between twenty -and thirty years of age and had served six years at sea or seven -years’ apprenticeship in fishing-boats. The new force justified its -creation, and in a few years took charge of the work that had been -done by the revenue men who had been detailed for the blockade system -along the east and south coasts; and then, later, the revenue men -were made liable to service on board the men-o’-war; so that to-day -the coastguard force is a part of the Royal Navy, and has even had -its taste of active service, having been found of immense use, for -instance, in the Crimean War. - -So much for the dry bones of history as seen in the development of the -coastguard force, which is bound up with the story of smuggling, from -which we will now cull some instances. - -The smuggler was honest--in some ways. For instance, away back in the -latter half of the eighteenth century there lived a man who, named John -Carter, received the sobriquet “The King of Prussia.” Carter’s home -was at Porth Leah, in Mount’s Bay, that wonderful place in Cornwall. -To Porth Leah was later given the name of Prussia Cove, in honour of -the “honest smuggler,” who did things so thoroughly that he erected a -battery with which to keep the revenue cutters at bay, cut a road by -which he could transport his cargoes from the harbour--which he also -built; and out of the many caves along the coast fashioned cellars in -which to store his goods. In fact, Porth Leah was what one might call a -smugglers’ community. - -The “King of Prussia” had a regular trade with regular customers, -to whom he would, like any other trader, make definite promises of -delivery; and, being a stickler for good business, he never let -anything stand in the way of his carrying out his contracts. One day, -while he was away, the excise officers found a cargo just arrived at -Porth Leah from France. They promptly seized the cargo and carried it -off to Penzance, and put it in the Custom House store under guard. -Thus it was that Carter, coming back, found his cargo gone--and he had -promised to deliver it to his customers on a certain day. - -“See here!” he exclaimed to his men. “Whaat be I to do? I be an honest -maan, and must keeap me woord. I tell ’ee, men, we be gwine to d’liver -they goods ’cordin’ to pledge!” - -His men knew that when Carter felt that his reputation as an honest -man was at stake he would take strong measures, and got themselves -ready against the coming of night. In due course they embarked on their -ship, and, armed to the teeth, as becomes men going on a perilous -errand, sailed across to Penzance. Arrived here, they fell upon the few -Customs officers left in charge, and before they knew what had happened -the latter were prisoners and the smugglers were rifling the stores, -seeking their confiscated cargo. Not a thing did Carter or his men take -away that wasn’t their own. They weren’t out thieving! Away they went -with their cargo to Porth Leah, where they quickly stowed it in their -cave-cellars, ready to ship again when the time came for Carter to -deliver his goods as per contract! - -Thus, while saving his reputation the King of Prussia added to it, for -when, the next morning, the revenue officers came to the Custom House -and found what had happened, they soon made up their minds who had been -at work: - -“It was Jack Carter,” they said. “He always was honest, and took -nothing that wasn’t his own.” - -The romantic stories of smugglers abound in incidents connected with -the caves they used for hiding their illicit cargoes. All along the -coasts may be seen these galleried caves, and if you can get hold of -the oldest inhabitant, he will tell you tales of wonder and danger. One -oldest inhabitant of a Dorset village told me such a story once. - -It would seem that on a certain night a cargo was to be run, and one -by one, at this inn and the other, men gathered to await the coming -of night. When twilight fell, men were posted at different points of -the cliff to keep a look-out for a revenue cutter, and in the event -of one coming, to endeavour to warn the men bringing the smuggling -vessel in. No cutter appeared, and in due time--almost to the minute -arranged--the smugglers came into view. Word was sent to the inns, and -the men hurried down to the shore, helped to pull the vessel up, and -then began the work of unloading her. Methodically, as though each man -had been trained to the work, the smugglers set about the task, getting -barrels, casks, and what not ashore in an incredibly short time; and -while one batch did this, another hoisted the bales on their own backs -or the backs of pack-horses. Then away they went into the night, making -for their secret store-house. This was a cave with a small entrance, -barely large enough for a man to squeeze through; but inside it opened -out into a large, roomy place with niches cut. In these holes the -goods were stored as, one by one, men came in with them; and the work -was almost done when there came from outside the sounds which told -them that trouble was afoot. The revenue men, perhaps warned by some -gossiper of what was going on, had dashed round a headland in their -cutter and interrupted the work. - -Before the smugglers knew what had happened the cutter had swept into -the little cove, there was a sharp command of “In the King’s name!” -followed by roars from the smugglers, who, thus trapped, began to think -of safety. The horses that were at hand were whipped up, men seized -whatever lay near them, and before the revenue men could land they -were running inland, keeping clear of the cave so that the Government -men should not find it. As quickly as possible the Customs men leaped -ashore, rushed after the fleeing men, called upon them to surrender, -were answered by curses, and immediately opened fire. - -It was the signal for a free fight. Armed, all of them, the smugglers -dropped their burdens and turned about. Shots rang out, the pistols -flashed fire, cries of men arose; revenue men fell to the ground, -smugglers bit the dust, but it seemed that the officers must win, when -suddenly there was a rush. Under cover of the darkness the men in the -cave had slipped out, made a detour, and then, with shouts and shots, -fell upon the revenue men, and in a few minutes had put them to flight. - -Then, wasting no time on the wounded officers, the smugglers went -back; some got into the boat and slipped out with her, while the rest -finished the work of hiding the goods. - -The “run” was over, and for several weeks the smugglers remained quiet, -lest they should be traced as having taken part in the murderous affray. - -We have referred above to the smugglers of Kent, and these gentry were -by no means the honest kind of folk like the Cornishmen. A typical -case of Kentish smugglers’ ways is that of the Hawkhurst gang, who, -under their leader, Thomas Kingsmill, earned such a reputation for -ruffianism that a special body called the “Goudhurst Militia” was -raised to resist them, and many a stiff fight did the two bands have. -The most disgraceful happenings in the career of the Hawkhurst gang -were those that followed the affair of the Poole Custom House, where an -illicit cargo of tea, valued at £500, had been taken into store by the -officers. This cargo had been destined for Sussex, and the Hawkhurst -gang and the Sussex men made a compact to break open the Custom House -and rescue it. - -Accordingly, on October 6, 1747, the smugglers set out for Poole, -having arranged that thirty of them were to make the attack and thirty -were to keep a look-out on the various roads. Arriving at Poole late at -night, they sent a couple of men into the town to see if the way was -clear. - -One of the scouts came back with information that a large sloop lay in -the harbour, in such a position that she might easily train her guns on -the door of the Custom House and blow them to the winds if they dared -to attack. The Sussex men were scared, and, preferring to lose the tea -than their lives, turned back as if to go away. But Kingsmill cried: - -“If you won’t do it, we’ll go and do it ourselves!” - -The result was a consultation, during which another man came from the -harbour to say that the tide was low and that the sloop could not -bring her guns to bear on the raiders. The consultation came to an -end, and the smugglers went forward, riding down a little back lane -on the left of the town until they came to the seashore, where they -left their horses. Then on to the Custom House, which they soon broke -open, and, taking their tea, carried it to their horses, packed it, and -rode away mightily pleased with themselves. Next morning they arrived -at Fordingbridge. Here they had breakfast and fed their horses, going -on afterwards to a place called Brook, where they obtained a pair of -steel-yards and weighed the tea, which was then divided amongst the men. - -The news of the raid set the Customs folk by the ears, and a reward -was offered for the apprehension of the raiders, but months passed -by without the Government officials being able to obtain a clue. “A -striking commentary, surely,” says Lieutenant H. N. Shore in “Smuggling -Days and Smuggling Ways,” “on the state of merry England in the year -of grace 1747! Here was a body of thirty armed men riding into a -seaport town, storming the ‘King’s warehouse,’ and passing openly and -undisguised the following morning with their booty through a portion of -the most civilised and thickly populated part of England, and yet not a -single individual of the many who witnessed the passage of the strange -cavalcade, and were acquainted with many of those composing it, could -be induced to come forward and assist the authorities in bringing the -offenders to justice.” - -Eventually, however, a clue was obtained. In the February following -the raid one named Chater, a shoemaker of Fordingbridge, was going, -in company with a Customs officer named Galley, to make a call upon -Major Batten, J.P. for Sussex. The couple arrived at the small village -of Rowland’s Castle, and put up at the “White Hart” for refreshment, -and probably, after dining not wisely but too well, they let slip the -information that they were bound for Major Batten. Now there were few -people in those days who were not hand in glove with the smugglers, and -the least suspicious sign was always conveyed to the smugglers to be -on their guard. Widow Payne, who kept the inn, had two smuggler sons, -and these she at once dispatched to give warning; and in due course -men began to drop into the “White Hart.” They chummed up with the -strangers, drank and talked with them, and at last Chater, inveigled -outside, volunteered the information that he was on his way to swear -against one of the men who had taken part in the Poole Custom House -affair. Galley, Chater’s companion, began to wonder what was afoot, and -came outside to see; and had no sooner shown his face out of the door -than he was knocked head over heels. - -“I am a King’s officer,” he exclaimed, “and----” - -“A King’s officer, are you?” said his assailant. “I’ll make a King’s -officer of you; and for a quartern of gin I’ll serve you so again!” - -The smuggler’s mates gathered round, and realising that open methods -would be rash, succeeded in soothing the irate King’s officer; and the -company went back to the inn to drink and feast. Sad to relate, Chater -and Galley got drunk, and had to be put to bed; and when they awoke -they found themselves on the back of a horse, being carried they knew -not whither, but with men slashing at them with whips and crying: - -“Whip ’em, cut ’em, slash ’em, curse ’em!” - -The smugglers had at first made up their minds to hide them for a -while, until the commotion had blown over, and then send them away -to France; but the smugglers’ wives had considered this too mild -treatment, and had called out for their death. “Hang the dogs!” they -cried. “For they came to hang us!” - -Eventually, however, gentler measures were suggested, and it was -decided that the men were to be secreted until it was discovered -what was to be done with the smuggler who had been arrested--the man -against whom Chater was going to give evidence. Each of the ruffians -had agreed to give threepence a week towards the keep of the two men, -but, drink-maddened, they soon forgot this, and set to work to belabour -the unfortunate men, who at last rolled under the horse’s belly, and -hung thus while the animal was driven like mad, the hoofs striking the -men’s heads as they went. Then they were hoisted on to the horse’s back -again, and the whipping renewed until the poor fellows were a mass of -bruises and weals and too exhausted to keep on the horse’s back. They -were then untied, slung across other horses, and carried on through the -night, till the men cried out in their agony to be shot through the -head. - -Presently unconsciousness came to their relief. Arrived at Rake, near -Liss, the smugglers drew up at the “Red Lion,” and induced the landlord -to admit them. Here they imbibed afresh, and, drink-sodden, no doubt, -they took Galley’s body and buried it in a sand-pit--probably while he -was alive, for when the corpse was exhumed it was found that his hands -were before his face, as though held there to protect it. - -Chater, exhausted and running blood, was taken to the village of -Trotton and chained to a post in a turf house, with two smugglers to -guard him, and with barely enough food to keep him alive, pending the -decision of the smugglers as to what to do with him. Next day they -spent in revelry, and at night they repaired to the turf house, where -one of them, drawing a large clasp knife, went up to Chater and cried: - -“Down on your knees and to prayers! I’ll be your butcher!” - -Chater, who was frightened almost to death, knelt, and the next instant -received a kick in the back. Gasping, he asked tremblingly what had -become of Galley. - -“We’ve killed him, curse you!” cried one of the ruffians. “And we’ll -kill you!” And drawing his clasp knife, slashed it across the man’s -eyes and nose, almost cutting out both eyes and slitting the gristle -of his nose! A second slash made a terrible gash on Chater’s forehead, -and after several other barbarities the unfortunate man was tied on a -horse and carried to “Harris’s Well,” in Lady Holt Park, where they -thought to drown him. First, however, they tried to hang him; but the -rope was too short to admit of a sufficient drop, and he hung over the -well. What did the smugglers do but cut the rope and send him hurtling -down the well head first; and then, finding that he still lived, they -pitched stones down at him until they were absolutely certain that he -was dead! - -A more revolting case it would be hard to conceive; and as the -smugglers took every precaution to hide traces of their crime, they -considered themselves safe. They overlooked one thing, however. -Galley’s greatcoat had been dropped on the journey from Rowland’s -Castle, and it was found later on, bloodstained, and sent to the -Customs men, who at once knew that the smugglers had been at work. -A large reward was immediately offered, and a free pardon promised -to anyone who would “peach”; but as the smugglers had vowed amongst -themselves not to “inform,” and had, indeed, been terrified by one -of their leaders, who swore to kill any informer, “whether one of -themselves or anybody else,” and as even the Custom officers were -timid in face of the open threats made by the smuggling community, it -did not seem likely that the butchers would ever be brought to justice. -It may seem incredible that such should be the case, but the picture -painted by a contemporary writer brings the facts home. “The smugglers -had reigned a long time uncontrolled,” says this writer. “They rode -in troops to fetch their goods, and carried them off in triumph by -daylight; nay, so audacious were they grown that they were not afraid -of regular troops that were sent against them into the country to keep -them in awe.... If any one of them happened to be taken, and the proof -ever so clear against him, no magistrate durst commit him to jail. If -he did, he was sure to have his house or barns set on fire, or some -other mischief done him, if he was so happy as to escape with his life!” - -But, Nemesis! What all the efforts of the King’s officers could not -accomplish an anonymous letter brought about. This letter, written by -someone who was in the know, was sent to the authorities, and it told -them of the likely place in which Galley’s body would be discovered. -Search was made, and the body found. A second unsigned letter gave -the name of a man concerned in the crime. This man was arrested, and, -fearing for his life, turned King’s evidence, told everything, and the -King issued a proclamation that unless they surrendered themselves -to justice at a day appointed the smugglers would be outlawed; and a -reward of £500 was promised for the apprehension of everyone who should -be convicted. - -In the end seven of the murderers were caught and put in prison. A -special assize was held at Chichester, January 16, 1749--nearly twelve -months after the crime--and the seven were sentenced to death, five of -them to be hung in chains as a warning. - -Later two more of the gang were captured and executed, and in April -of 1749 the Hawkhurst gang came to an end, for the crimes laid to its -account roused the Government to vigorous action, the smugglers were -caught one by one, and at last Kingsmill, the ringleader, was hanged at -Tyburn. - - - - -MODERN CORSAIRS - -How the German Rovers were Destroyed - - -The outbreak of the Great War of the Nations found various German -warships in the Atlantic and Pacific, ready to prey upon the Allies’ -shipping, and day by day the news flashed across the world of merchant -ships sunk or captured, and this despite the fact that Great Britain, -France, Russia and Japan were scouring the seas to find the destroyers. -First one and then another of the German marauders was caught and -sent to its doom. But even then a fair number were abroad; several -of them--the _Dresden_, the _Nürnberg_, _Leipzig_, _Scharnhorst_ and -_Gneisenau_--were tackled by Admiral Craddock, in command of a British -squadron of much inferior strength. The Germans won, only a few weeks -later to be trapped by Admiral Sturdee and a strong squadron off the -Falkland Islands. In the battle that ensued the Germans lost, and the -vessels were sent to the bottom. - -Before the battle of the Falklands took place, however, there had been -certain other events of scarcely less importance--namely, the hunting -down of the _Königsberg_ and the _Emden_, the most noted of the German -corsairs. That they did fine work for their country, even British tars -will admit. They were as slippery as eels, and turned up in the most -unexpected places and at the most inconvenient times for the British -trading vessels. But at last Nemesis overtook them. - -There was the _Emden_, for instance. She was at Tsing-tau when war -broke out, and immediately started out on her marauding cruise. -Slipping out of the harbour she steamed off for the Straits of Malacca, -with enemies hot upon her track. She hoodwinked them, and while they -were going southward, she swept into the Bay of Bengal, sinking various -vessels as she went, and finally shelling Madras, setting fire to the -oil tanks there. - -Thence she went to Ceylon, sending four more boats to the bottom, -making nine in all. Another she sent into port with the crews of the -sunken ships, and yet a further one--the collier _Buresk_--she held -on to for the sake of the coal she carried. So, aided by wireless -installations in different places and by supply ships, she kept on her -destructive way, until by October 19 she had captured half a dozen more -ships. - -Then something happened to annoy her. H.M.S. _Yarmouth_, which had -been following her doggedly, seized some of her supply ships; and the -_Emden_ slipped into hiding for a while, though trading vessels still -went in dread, expecting her to turn up suddenly. - -She did turn up suddenly, though her quarry was something better than -merchant shipping. On October 21--Trafalgar Day--a four-funnelled -cruiser swept into Penang roadstead, and the French destroyer -_Mousquet_ and the Russian light cruiser _Jemtchug_ little thought that -this was the _Emden_, which they knew had only three funnels. What had -happened was that Captain von Müller, her commander, had rigged up a -jury funnel out of woodwork and canvas, thus altering altogether the -appearance of his ship. - -The _Jemtchug_ saluted her with “Who are you?” - -“_Yarmouth!_” was the audacious answer. “Coming to anchorage!” And the -_Emden_ immediately swung round stern on to the _Jemtchug_. Forthwith -she loosed one of her deadly torpedoes at the Russian, following it up -with a shower of shells from her 4-inch guns. Down went the _Jemtchug_, -the French boat going after her almost immediately, stricken to death -by the crafty _Emden_. - -Having thus completed the destruction of her unsuspecting foes, the -German corsair went into hiding again, but on November 9 appeared off -the Cocos Islands--to meet her doom. - -For the Australian cruiser _Sydney_ received an interrupted wireless -message from the Cocos to the effect: “Strange warship ... off -entrance,” and at once sped off at full steam, and at 9.15 the -look-out saw the tops of the coco-nut trees of the Keeling Islands in -the distance. Five minutes later the _Emden’s_ funnels were sighted, -twelve or fifteen miles away. Game, the German opened fire at a long -range, the _Sydney_ waiting for a little while, and then sending her -explosive replies. It was a gallant fight; the _Emden_ made some fine -firing practice, smashing the _Sydney’s_ No. 2 starboard gun almost -immediately, and putting practically all the crew out of action. The -Australian’s aft control was blown to pieces, and a fire broke out, -which her men soon got under while the fight raged. - -The crew of the _Sydney_ worked well that morning, as the letter of one -of her officers testifies: - -“The hottest part of the action for us was the first half-hour. We -opened fire from our port guns to begin with. I was standing just -behind No. 1 port, and the gunlayer (Atkins, First-Class Petty Officer) -said: ‘Shall I load, sir?’ I was surprised, but deadly keen there -should be no ‘flap,’ so said: ‘No, don’t load till you get the order.’ -Next he said: ‘_Emden’s_ fired, sir.’ So I said: ‘All right, load, but -don’t bring the gun to the ready.’ I found out afterwards that the -order to load had been received by the other guns ten minutes before, -and my anti-‘flap’ precautions, though they did not the slightest harm, -were thrown away on Atkins, who was as cool as a cucumber throughout -the action. - -“All the time we were going 25 and sometimes as much as 26 knots. We -had the speed on the _Emden_, and fought as suited ourselves. We next -changed round to starboard guns, and I then found the gunlayer of No. 1 -starboard had been knocked out close to the conning-tower, so I brought -Atkins over to fire No. 1 starboard. I was quite deaf by now, as in the -hurry there had been no thought of getting cotton-wool. - -“This is a point I won’t overlook next time. - -“Coming aft the port side from the forecastle gun I was met by a lot of -men cheering and waving their caps. I said: ‘What’s happened?’ ‘She’s -gone, sir, she’s gone.’ I ran to the ship’s side, and no sign of a -ship could I see. If one could have seen a dark cloud of smoke, it -would have been different. But I could see no sign of anything. So I -called out: ‘All hands turn out the lifeboats, there will be men in the -water.’ They were just starting to do this when someone called out: - -“‘She’s still firing, sir,’ and everyone ran back to the guns. What -had happened was a cloud of yellow or very light-coloured smoke -had obscured her from view, so that looking in her direction one’s -impression was that she had totally disappeared. Later we turned again -and engaged her on the other broadside.” - -But, although she was still fighting gamely, the _Emden_ was in a poor -way; her three funnels and her foremast were shot away, and she was -on fire aft. To complete the work so well begun, the _Sydney_ swung -round again, and opened on her with the starboard guns, which sent her -running ashore on North Keeling Island. Then, having fought for an hour -and forty minutes, and realising that the _Emden_ could not escape, -the _Sydney_ went in chase of the German’s collier. Coming up with -her, they found that the crew had opened the seacocks and that she was -sinking rapidly. The crew was taken off, and the _Sydney_ steamed back -to have a look at the _Emden_. It was four o’clock when she arrived, -and almost immediately the Germans hauled down their colours and -hoisted a white flag; they were surrendering. In the ordinary course -the _Sydney_ would now have sent boats out on rescue work, but it was -too late in the evening to do that, especially in view of the fact that -at any moment another German cruiser--the _Königsberg_--might come into -sight, when the _Sydney_ would need to be ready to tackle her. She -therefore steamed away till morning, picking up a German sailor as she -went, making the fourth they had managed to rescue during the day. - -Early next morning the _Sydney_ looked in at the cable station, to find -that a landing party from the _Emden_ had smashed the instruments, and -then stolen a schooner and escaped. - -A little after eleven o’clock the _Sydney_ went back to where the -_Emden_ had run ashore, and an officer was sent over to her. He -was helped aboard by the Germans, and found the vessel an absolute -shambles. One hundred and eighty men were killed. Captain von Müller -gave his parole, and the wounded were quickly got over to the _Sydney_, -where they were attended to. The remainder of the crew were then -transhipped, and the _Sydney_ sped off for Colombo, where she received -a mighty welcome, though she went in silent, for her captain had -ordered that there should be no cheering over the defeat of gallant -foes, who had always behaved like gentlemen to those whom they had -captured. - -When we recall that during the days of her marauding cruise the _Emden_ -had captured and sunk shipping to the value of little less than four -and a half million pounds, it will be seen that the _Sydney_ had done -some very good work in bringing her career to an end. - -The _Königsberg_, which the _Sydney_ had half expected to turn up -at the Cocos Islands, met her doom at the hands of the British -light cruiser _Chatham_ in the Rufigi River, German East Africa. -The _Königsberg_ had also been a danger on the seas, but she had -only succeeded in sinking one trading vessel and disabling the -obsolete cruiser _Pegasus_. The latter had snapped at the Germans at -Dar-es-Salaam in German East Africa, and had then gone over to Zanzibar -to repair. She was, however, surprised by the _Königsberg_ while her -crew were hard at this work. Before they knew what was what a hail of -shells was poured into the _Pegasus_, which shivered from the shock; -her steel work was bent and twisted, men fell dead or wounded, and very -soon the _Pegasus_ men knew that they were fighting a hopeless battle. -But they fought it as became men with the tradition of unconquerable -pluck behind them. - -Their ensign was sent hurtling to the deck by a lucky shot; a man -seized it in his hand and held it aloft, a sign of defiance to -their overwhelming opponent. That man died waving the flag; another -snatched it from his dead hand, and flaunted it bravely; and when the -_Königsberg_, her work done, steamed away, the British ensign still -floated in the breeze above the shattered _Pegasus_. - -This one-sided action took place on September 19, and just over a month -later the _Königsberg_ was run down by the _Chatham_, and her career -came to an end. The _Chatham_ found her hiding in the Rufigi River, six -miles up stream. The British cruiser, owing to her great draught, could -not go up after her, and the _Königsberg_ landed part of her crew, who -dug themselves into entrenchments on the Mafia island at the entrance -of the river, expecting an attempt to assault them. The _Chatham_, -however, shelled her and the entrenchments, but the dense palm groves -amid which she lay made it impossible to tell with what effect. To -ensure that she should not escape, the _Chatham_ took measures to -bottle her up; a German East African liner, the _Somali_, was sunk in -the mouth of the river, and later the s.s. _Newbridge_ was also used -for this purpose. This ship (Captain Willett) had a cargo of coal on -board. She was protected aft by sandbags and sacks of coal, and her -steering gear and engine-room were shielded by steel sheets so that the -_Königsberg’s_ fire might not prove too destructive as the _Newbridge_ -made her way up river. - -The men in the entrenchments on Mafia Island were prepared for the -coming of the _Newbridge_. By some means the Germans had discovered -that she was to be sent; and as they were armed with Maxims and -quick-firers, it looked as though the collier would receive a pretty -warm reception. She did! - -Lieutenant Lavington, in command, and Captain Willett and two other -lieutenants were the sole officers on board, six or seven bluejackets -and a few artificers and stokers comprising the crew--a gallant company -going on a dangerous errand. As soon as the _Newbridge_ got within -range the Germans on the island began firing, without much effect. -Then, having passed the island, in spite of a perfect hail of bullets -and shrapnel, she was moored into the position decided upon, and the -last stages of the work begun. Down in her hold were several charges -of guncotton, with an electric wire connected to the launch that had -followed the ship. Having opened her port tank, so that the water -might pour in and give the _Newbridge_ a list up stream, and make -her satisfactorily withstand the strong current running, the crew -slipped into their boats alongside, the connection was set up; and -there followed three loud explosions. The _Newbridge_ sank; and the -_Königsberg_ was effectually bottled up. - -For the men who had hazarded everything on this mission the serious -task now before them was to get back to the open sea; and to do this -they had, of course, to pass the island, with its force of Germans. -They sped back as quickly as they could, meeting a shower of shot, -which caused considerable damage; but at last the gantlet was run and -the intrepid men were safe on board. - -Less than a week later the _Königsberg_ was sunk. As she was hidden by -the dense foliage, and had taken the precaution of covering herself -with leaves, the British had, as we have said, much difficulty in -telling whether the shell fire was effective. In order to get the exact -position, therefore, an aeroplane, brought by the _Kinfauns Castle_, -was used. The whirr of her engine, as she reconnoitred over them, told -the Germans that the end was very near, and they were quite prepared -for the well-placed shots which quickly followed the dropping of smoke -bombs, signalling the position of the lurking cruiser. The great, -destructive shells smashed into her, wrought havoc all through her, -broke her as though she had been a cardboard toy; and very soon she -sank. The _Pegasus_ had been avenged. - -These two cases are typical of the way the British Navy dealt with -the modern corsairs and showed Germany that Britannia still rules the -waves. - - - - -THE WRECKERS - -Stories of Human Ghouls - - -There are few things more fiendish to be found in the story of the -sea than the wholesale system of wrecking which was in practice from -early times up to comparatively recent years. The wreckers were nothing -less than ghouls who preyed upon mariners whom they had lured to -destruction. Very severe laws were made to deal with them, but it is to -be feared that they were very ineffective. - -On September 11, 1773, the _Charming Jenny_, Captain Chilcot, was -battling bravely against a storm off the Isle of Anglesea. For a while -all went well, and Chilcot thought that he could weather the storm. -Away in the distance there suddenly appeared lights as of ships passing -in the night. But, had he known it, they were false lights--lanterns -tied around horses’ necks. Scoundrelly men were leading the horses -along the cliff-heads, taking care that they were near the rocks which -poked their cruel noses above water. Chilcot, taking these lights for -those of ships passing in the night, steered his vessel towards them, -thinking he would thereby be safe. - -Then, when it was too late, he discovered his mistake; there was a -crunching, grinding noise as the _Charming Jenny_ hurled herself on the -rocks, and in an incredibly short time went to pieces, carrying all -her crew to destruction with the exception of Chilcot and his wife, -who were fortunate in getting on to a piece of wreckage, and after -some hours of agony and exposure were washed ashore in an exhausted -condition and were scarcely able to move. There, on the beach, they -lay for a while, hoping for succour, instead of which there came--the -wreckers. These, when they were satisfied that their fell work had been -successful, hurried down from the cliffs and, searching the shore, came -upon the almost lifeless bodies of the man and woman. - -Chilcot they seized and took away, stripped him of his clothes, even -cut the buckles from his shoes, and then left him to shift for himself. -His first thought was for his wife, and hurrying as fast as he could to -the shore, he found her--dead. The wreckers had killed her and carried -away the bank bills and seventy guineas she had in her pocket. - -The significant thing about this incident was that Chilcot, getting -assistance from two kindly people near by, put the authorities at -work, with the result that three men were arrested, and found to be -well-to-do folk--one of them, indeed, so wealthy that he could offer -£5,000 bail when he was arraigned at Shrewsbury Assizes! Probably these -gentry had fattened on the misfortunes of dozens of other unfortunate -mariners. - -An incident of wrecking in Cornwall in 1838 is typical in many -respects. The wreckers in this case were the miners of Sennen, who -one day noticed a ship trying to beat up the Channel against a fierce -storm. As it was daylight, the miners grumbled at the fate which seemed -as though it had sent a prize to taunt them, for they could not lure -the ship to destruction while it was light. But knowing, with that -instinct of the coast-dwellers, that the storm would hold on for some -time, and that the ship could not hope to make much headway, they -set a number of men on watch on the cliffs to keep the ship in sight -until night fell. Meanwhile the wreckers went on with their mining. -When night fell they rushed to the coast, and soon were sent to a -particularly dangerous part. They carried a lantern, which they set on -a cliff-head. - -To the mariners on the battling ship it seemed like a beacon. Where -they had been buffeting blindly before, with no light to guide them, -now they were able to take bearings. The captain set his course by the -light, but, past masters in their craft, the wreckers manipulated the -light so that the skipper was deceived, and, although he did not know -it, he was gradually getting closer and closer to the shore. - -Crash! The ship hit the rocks, and at once realising that he had been -trapped, the skipper shouted commands; men flew to do his bidding, but -the ship refused to budge; she was fast on the rocks. - -Then the wreckers fell to work. There were no fewer than two thousand -of them, and while the captain and crew were intent on getting ashore, -the wreckers busied themselves in taking out everything of value, -stripping the ship clean. The captain, knowing that the fiends had -lured him to destruction, rallied his men together to oppose them. -But what could a handful of men do against such a horde? Although the -mariners put up a gallant fight, they were defeated and many of them -cut down. - -Then the coastguard turned up. Again only a handful to oppose -thousands, who, in possession of a rich prize, were determined nothing -should rob them of it. So there was another fight, fierce hand-to-hand -tussles at first, for the coastguards did not wish to kill; then, when -the wreckers began to menace their very lives, the coastguards opened -fire. This only enraged the wreckers more, and they fell upon the -officers, who were at last driven off, unable to cope with the force -arrayed against them. - -Then the wreckers completed their fell work. - -In 1731--during the reign of George II., that is--there sailed from -Copenhagen a Danish East Indiaman, the _Golden Lion_, with a valuable -cargo, including twelve large chests of silver valued at about £16,000. -Captain Heitman, of the _Golden Lion_, after encountering bad weather -in the Channel and being driven northward to the Kerry coast, at last -put into the Bay of Tralee, near the northern shore of which there lies -another bay, called the Bay of Ballyheigue, abounding with sunken rocks -and sandbanks, a place of terror to mariners. - -How it happened is not clear, but on October 28 the _Golden Lion_ -entered this treacherous bay. It has been asserted that the men of -Kerry lured her by false lights, though they vowed their innocence. In -any case, the _Golden Lion_ was in a serious fix, and the only way to -save the crew was for Captain Heitman to steer his ship ashore. This -he did, and succeeded in saving the sixty men comprising the crew, and -also the £16,000 of silver and various other things, though the _Golden -Lion_ herself became a total wreck. - -To the credit of the Kerry men be it said that for a long time the -Danes were hospitably treated by them; the officers were housed at -Ballyheigue House, and their treasure was allowed to be stored in -an old tower, at the south-west corner of the court belonging to -the house. The crew were taken in to billet at various houses round -about. Meanwhile, Heitman sent news to London and Copenhagen of -his misfortune; but it would appear that these never reached their -destination, being held up in Ballyheigue, and the Danes had to wait -long, and as patiently as they could, for news that never came. - -Then there began to be a change in the attitude of the Kerry men. -Thomas Crosbie, owner of Ballyheigue House, died, and a relative named -Arthur Crosbie came to the help of his widow and mother, executors -of the late host. Now, Arthur Crosbie was a queer customer--hard up, -crafty, always with his nose in other people’s business. He felt -that the Danes should be made to pay something out of their hoard -for all the hospitality shown them. Heitman, nothing averse to doing -so, objected, however, to the charges put down by Crosbie--namely, -£4,000--and he sent a letter of complaint--though how it got through -goodness only knows--to Dublin. The authorities at Dublin sent back a -message that the Danes were not to be imposed upon; and Crosbie knew -that he had been foiled. - -But only in one direction, for his crafty mind soon set to work to -devise a plan whereby he could get some of that treasure in the vaults -beneath the square tower of Ballyheigue House; and he was not alone in -his plotting, for others of the Kerry men were of much the same mind as -he was. - -A pretty plot was in the way of being hatched. - -A man named Cantillon (a distant relative of the Crosbies) started -things seriously. He conferred with David Lawlor, who kept an inn -at Tralee, in April, 1732, and the result of their confab was that -they paid a visit to the farm at Beinaree belonging to the Protestant -Archdeacon of Ardfert, the Rev. Francis Lauder, who was also a J.P. The -plotters told their scheme to one named Ryan, tithe-proctor and steward -to the archdeacon, and he eagerly threw in his lot with them. The prize -was worth it. He promised to do his best to get other helpers, and that -night he tackled John Kevane, a labourer on the farm. - -Now, Kevane was wary; he was not at all opposed to the plot, but he -wanted to be sure that it had substantial backing in the shape of “the -gentlemen of the county.” Ryan was evasive on this point. - -“I’m going to see the master,” he said, “and feel sure that the gentry -will consent to it.” But Kevane was not at all convinced, and reserved -his opinion. - -Having so far committed himself, Ryan naturally had to follow the -matter up with Kevane and get him into the plot, lest he gave -information; and next day he tried again to persuade him. - -“If the gentry are really in it,” said Kevane at last, “then some of -them ought to appear in it, so as to spirit up the folk.” - -“We can’t ask them to do that,” answered Ryan craftily; “it would -hardly do. But I can tell you, Kevane, that their servants are going to -help us.” - -This sounded reasonable to Kevane, who therefore agreed to enter -into the conspiracy, and very soon Cantillon, Lawlor, and Ryan found -themselves with a fairly respectable (or disreputable) following, -including William Banner, the butler, and Richard Ball, the steward at -Ballyheigue, Captain Stephen Macmahon, and John Malony, his mate. - -There was one other man Cantillon was anxious to have in with him. -This was Denis Cahane, a poor smallholder at Kilgobbin, who refused -at first, but at last asked time to think it over. Thinking it over, -he felt he would like advice, and, having been told that the gentry -were in it, had a talk with his landlord, Mr. John Carrick, a J.P. The -magistrate soon put Cahane right, and told him to have nothing to do -with the matter, and the poor chap gave his promise. - -“Keep it quiet, sir,” he said tremblingly, “or they’ll kill me for an -informer!” - -Cahane knew Cantillon and his roguish comrades! - -The following Sunday, May 16th, Cantillon was coming for Cahane’s -answer, and the smallholder, worried almost to death, interviewed the -Protestant vicar in the morning, after the service at Kilgobbin. To -him he poured out his story, asking him to keep his informant’s name -secret. The vicar promised, and then went to see Mr. Carrick, whom he -asked to warn Lady Margaret Crosbie of the plot, so that she might put -the Danes upon their guard. Carrick promised, and then broke his word; -whereupon, some days later, the vicar himself called upon Lady Margaret -and told the whole of the tale. - -Lady Margaret thanked him, and promised to warn the Danes and get them -to remove the chests of silver from the vault to her house, where it -would be quite safe. - -As a matter of fact, the good kind lady was in the plot, and she did -not warn the Danes. The conspirators were able, therefore, to set about -maturing their plans which, with so many people concerned, it is not -surprising became common knowledge amongst the peasants, rumours even -reaching Tralee Custom House, whence Heitman was advised to obtain a -guard of troops from Tralee barracks. - -One would have thought that, in view of this information, Heitman would -have taken every precaution; but he did not. Instead of applying for -soldiers he contented himself with asking Lady Margaret to let him have -some of the arms which had been put under lock and key when the _Golden -Lion_ was wrecked; and when his request was refused, and yet another -that he might gather all his crew into the ground floor of the square -tower, he apparently shrugged his shoulders and let the matter slide! - -Then Dick Ball turned traitor; he confided to one of the Danes, John -Suchdorf, that there was going to be an attempt to steal the silver. -But for sheer foolishness these mariners want beating. Suchdorf -shrugged his shoulders, laughed all over his honest face, and told Ball -it was a really fine joke he was trying to play on him! And he doesn’t -even seem to have told the captain, though perhaps it would have done -no good if he had. - -It came about, then, that when the plotters considered the time ripe -everything was clear. The day determined on was June 5, when Lady -Margaret had a few friends come to her house on a visit. - -At dinner that evening Captain Heitman and his officers were invited -to join the party, probably to keep them out of the way, for while -the convivialities were in progress our old friend Suchdorf noticed -that three men were prowling about the foot of the square tower; and a -little later saw Lawlor and a companion go into Ballyheigue House. In -view of what he had been told previously, had Suchdorf been anything -but a muddle-headed man, he would have suspected what was afoot and -rushed off to Captain Heitman; but he did nothing, said nothing, not -even when, about seven o’clock, he came upon Ball and Malony and three -or four others gathered about the tower. So the plot, which was coming -to a head, was allowed to progress unimpeded, and soon after midnight, -when everyone had retired to rest, there was a fine hullabaloo--guns -were firing, men were shouting, women screaming, and doors being -banged, opened and shut noisily as folk awoke. - -The work was in hand! - -When they were sure that the people were in bed the conspirators had -rushed the tower, and, with cutlass and pistol, had fallen upon the -sentries which Heitman always had there. There was a stiff, stern -fight for a short while, and two of the sentries fell to the ground, -dead, the third managing to get away, wounded and bleeding, to arouse -Suchdorf and his other comrades. Suchdorf now began to realise that -there _had_ been something in Ball’s story, and, jumping out of bed, he -dashed down to the door, followed by Alexander Foster, Peter Mingard, -and George Jenesen. They put up a fine show, and succeeded in forcing -the thieves out of the tower and fastening the door; after which they -hurried upstairs and, looking out of a window, saw “a great multitude, -whose faces were blacked.” - -Here was a fine to do; the whole countryside seemed to be come out -against them, and the four men had only a case of arms and one gun -amongst them, and only enough powder and ball for one charge! They -conferred amongst themselves, and realising that they could make but -little resistance, and that futile, they would be better not to make -any at all, lest “it might be the means to have them murdered.” - -Meanwhile, in Ballyheigue House all was excitement. Heitman, hearing -the noise, and realising that his silver was perhaps in danger after -all, dashed downstairs, to find the hall filled with the guests and -other occupants of the house. - -“My silver!” he cried. “It is being stolen! Help me to drive the -thieves off!” He hurled himself at the door, trying to pull back the -bolts. Before he could do this, however, Lady Margaret, crafty woman -that she was, threw herself in front of him, and beseeched him not to -be foolhardy! - -“They will kill you!” she cried. “Stay here!” - -And Heitman stayed, while away over at the tower things were moving -pretty briskly. The conspirators had forced their way in, and, working -like Titans, got all the silver-chests out, and by various means -took them into certain places previously arranged. The holy Lauder, -archdeacon and magistrate, had considerately lent his chaise and -horses, and these bore away three of the chests to his farm, where they -were broken open and their contents divided amongst the thieves. Six -chests were left at Ballyheigue, to be shared later; one was carried to -Tralee for the same purpose, but was afterwards seized by the soldiers; -and two others were hidden safely at Ballygown. - -And the Lady Margaret and her family received half the proceeds! - -Poor Captain Heitman! When it was too late he called for the aid of the -authorities; and although the soldiers managed to seize the chest that -was taken to Tralee, and though Heitman offered a tenth part of the -treasure to anyone who would give information that would lead to the -recovery of the treasure, all he ever got back was some £4,000. A good -part of it probably went across the seas in Malony’s ship. - -Justice was very tardy; after many weeks nine or ten of the thieves -were caught, though only three were convicted. One was hanged, but a -second cheated the gallows by committing suicide; and the third was -pardoned, because Heitman thought he might turn King’s evidence, as did -some of the others who were caught. Seeing that the “gentry” were in -it, it is not surprising that justice was tardy, and that Heitman was -kept in Ireland until the autumn of 1735, waiting for justice and his -treasure--and got neither. - -Whether the Kerry men had lured the _Golden Lion_ to her destruction or -not, there is no doubt that they were of the family of wreckers. - - * * * * * - -It was in 1817--on February 19, to be precise--that the _Inverness_ -went ashore in the Shannon, through her captain mistaking Rinevaha for -Carrigaholt. Everything would have been all right, and the ship been -able to float at the next spring-tide, had not the peasants considered -it too good a chance to throw away. It was like turning good luck away! -So, banding themselves together, they went down to the shore, boarded -the _Inverness_, and, their numbers being large and their methods none -too gentle, succeeded in scuttling the ship and tearing away all her -rigging, having taken the precaution of sending to shore the barrels of -pork and other provisions with which the vessel was loaded. Then they -robbed the crew--even to their shirts, which they used as bags to carry -their plunder in! - -The news spread, and next day the police appeared on the scene, and -found the peasants still hard at work collecting their salvage. -Although there were only twelve policemen, a sergeant and the chief -constable, they pluckily threw themselves into the fray, routed the -wreckers, and stood guard over the provisions that still remained on -shore. All night they kept their vigil; but with the coming of dawn -they found themselves surrounded by thousands of peasants. Angry at -being robbed of their prey, the wreckers had aroused the countryside, -determined to get back what they had lost. - -They advanced in three companies, shouting threats, waving hats, -cheering--to keep their spirits up, probably--and vowed they would have -the salvage as well as the arms of the police guard. Although they knew -they had a ticklish job in front of them, those policemen were staunch -and bold; they refused to be intimidated. Forming into one body, they -faced the three mobs and waited for them to come on. They came on; and -there ensued a miniature battle; sticks and stones were flung at the -police, the wreckers charged down upon them with scythes and axes, and -the police replied by firing their pistols. But it was all in vain; -the mob was overwhelming in numbers, and the chief constable saw that -they could not hold out very long. He must have help. - -Off went one of the policemen, a mounted man, making for Limerick, -pursued by fleet-footed men, who, however, were soon left behind. In -less than two hours he returned with Major Warburton and a body of -twenty cavalry, with infantry behind them. They dashed down upon the -shore, to find that the police had been compelled to retire, which they -had done in an orderly manner, and that the wreckers were once more -upon the _Inverness_, hard at it breaking it up. Warburton and his men -boarded it; a hatchet blow narrowly missed the major, who promptly -turned and presented his pistol at the would-be murderer, and so scared -him that he flung himself overboard. But he did not escape, for one of -the soldiers charged at him as he waded ashore and cut him down. - -The wreckers now saw that they had brought a hornet’s nest about their -ears, and began to think of escaping. They flew for their lives, -pursued by the soldiers, who wounded some and took many prisoners. - -The thoroughness of the wreckers’ work may be gauged by the fact that -only nine barrels of pork were saved, and that the bowsprit, gaff, and -spars of the ship had been stolen; all her sails and rigging had been -taken away, her anchors and cables--and even her pump! - -An extract from an old book gives in the words of one present a picture -of another wreckers’ incident: - -“On Friday, October 27, 1811, the galliot _Anna Hulk Klas Boyr_, -Meinerty, master, from Christian Sound, laden with deals, for Killala, -was driven ashore at a place called Porturlin, between Killala and -Broadhaven. The captain and crew providentially saved their lives by -jumping on shore on a small island or rock. At this time the stern and -quarter were stove in. The crew remained two hours on the rock, when -they were taken off by a boat and brought to the mainland. - -“Shortly after, the captain’s trunk, with all the sailors’ clothes in -general, came on shore, which the country people immediately began to -plunder, leaving the unfortunate wreck. Then they cut away all they -could come at of the sails, rigging, etc., while hundreds were taking -away the deals to all parts of the country. Though the captain spoke -good English, and most pitifully inquired to whom he might apply for -assistance, yet he could not hear of any for fourteen hours, when he -was told that Major Denis Bingham was the nearest and only person he -could apply to. With much difficulty he procured a guide, and proceeded -to Mr. Bingham’s, a distance of twenty miles through the mountains. - -“In the meantime, after thirty-six hours’ concealment of this very -melancholy circumstance, Captain Morris, of the _Townshead_ cruiser, -who lay at Broadhaven, a distance of about ten miles from the wreck, -heard of it, and approaching it landed with twenty men well armed. In -coming near the wreck he first fired in the air, in order to disperse -the peasantry, which had no effect; he therefore ordered his men to -fire close, which had the desired effect, when he immediately pursued -them into the interior, from three to five miles distance, dividing his -party in different directions, when, by great exertion and fatigue, -they saved about 1,800 deals and a remnant of the wreck. - -“Captain Morris had some of the robbers taken, but, his party being so -scattered, they were rescued by a large mob of the country people.” - - - - -THE TRAGEDY OF A WONDER SHIP - -The Story of the “Titanic” Disaster - - -On Wednesday, April 10, 1912, there steamed out of Southampton the -largest boat in the world--a wonder ship, a veritable floating palace. -She was bound for America. It was her first voyage, and it was her -last, for five days later, from out the night, there loomed the white -form of a gigantic iceberg, which crashed into her starboard side; and -the _Titanic_ and most of the people aboard her had entered upon their -last two hours of life. - -There is a magic in figures, but even those which tell of the size of -the giant ship fail to carry the tale of her greatness. Still, they -must be given in order to show how this mammoth of the ocean was as a -pygmy in the grip of the elemental forces. - -She was a three-screw vessel of 46,328 tons gross and 21,831 tons net. -Her length was 852 feet, and her breadth 92 feet. From top of keel to -top of beam she was 64 feet, while her hold was almost 60 feet deep. -Her horsepower was 50,000. She was pronounced unsinkable, having -fifteen water-tight bulkheads and a water-tight inner bottom, extending -nearly the whole breadth of the vessel, and several other water-tight -divisions. She was fitted with six independent sets of boilers, -wireless telegraphy, submarine signalling, electric lights and power -systems; telephones and telegraphs communicated between the various -working positions; three electric elevators were installed to carry -passengers from one deck to another; and every appliance necessary -to enable the ship’s officers to ascertain depth of water, speed of -the vessel, and a hundred and one other things, were provided, while -life-saving appliances to the requirements of the Board of Trade were -included in her equipment. There were concert-rooms, smoking-rooms, -swimming baths, tennis courts, restaurant, libraries--everything in the -way of modern luxury. - -And yet when the crash came to this floating palace, this realisation -of the shipwright’s dreams, out of the 2,201 souls she carried, only -711 were saved--a tragic comment upon the impotence of man against the -forces of Nature. - -The _Titanic_ sailed from Southampton to Cherbourg, from Cherbourg to -Queenstown, then across the Atlantic by the then accepted outward-bound -route for New York, her passengers amazed at the luxury of the wonder -ship which was bearing them to the New World. The first two or three -days were uneventful, and on the 14th the magnificent lounge was turned -into a scene of fairy delight for a gala dinner. Beautiful music -filled the lounge and filtered through to other parts of the ship; -well dressed men and women sat and talked, or strolled about after -dinner in the _camaraderie_ of fellow-voyagers, all unsuspecting of the -catastrophe that was hastening down upon them from out the darkness of -the night. - -Earlier in the day a wireless message had been received from s.s. -_Caronia_, informing Captain Smith that “West-bound steamers report -bergs, growlers, and field ice in 42° N. from 49° W., April 12,” the -_Titanic_ then being about latitude 43° 35′ N. and longitude 43° 50′ W. -This was at 9 A.M., and at 1.42 P.M., when the vessel was about 42° 35′ -N., 45° 50′ W., another wireless message was received, this time from -s.s. _Baltic_, saying that “large quantities of field ice” had been -seen that day in 41° 51′ N., longitude 49° 52′ W. - -In order to understand the significance of all these warnings, flashed -across the ether, it is necessary to remember the following facts: - -Icebergs are gigantic masses of Polar glacier carried out to sea, only -about one-eighth of their mass being above the surface. - -Growlers are small icebergs. - -Field ice is frozen sea-water floating in a looser form than pack ice, -covering large areas of the Polar seas, broken up into large pieces, -driven together by current and wind, thus forming an almost continuous -sheet of ice. - -All these forms of ice masses are dangerous to shipping, and the ocean -routes were mapped out so that vessels might be able to steer clear of -them. As a matter of fact, although icebergs and field ice had been -seen as far south before, it was many years since field ice had been -observed so far south as at the time of the _Titanic_ disaster. Two -further messages were received on the ship during the day, one of them -giving news of large icebergs; but, except for the officers and men -whose watch it was, everybody on board the _Titanic_ turned into bed, -to dream of wonderful things, no doubt, and to wake up to a nightmare -of horror. - -Suddenly the stillness of the vast vessel was broken by a thudding -crash, a ripping of steel plates. Something had happened. Some heard -the sound--those in the steerage, who were near that portion of the -ship which was a city, and those officers who were on deck and the -bridge. The rest, asleep, lulled into the land of dreams by the motion -of the ship, were awakened by the strange feeling of stillness that -suddenly pervaded everything; there was no longer the throb of the -engines; the vibration of the ship ceased, and people were roused by -the utter emptiness of things, as it seemed. Heads popped out of cabins -and state-rooms, people strolled up corridors asking each other “Why?” -and “What?” and so forth; and getting no answer that meant anything -except assurances that all was well--all must be well! Was not this the -safest vessel in the world? And so they went back to bed. - -But other people, those whose duty it was to keep awake, to have their -fingers upon the pulse, as it were, of this leviathan, did not sleep. -First Officer Murdoch and his watch were on the bridge; the captain -was in his room. Murdoch, peering through the blue-blackness of night, -had seen a haze before the ship, and, quick to realise what was before -them, he issued sharp commands, which were obeyed instantly; but all -too late. That haze resolved itself into ice--a massive, towering -mountain of ice--into which the _Titanic’s_ bows cut their way. The ice -that the ether waves had been telling about all day had loomed out upon -them like a spectre in the night; nay, like the impersonation of Death. - -Captain Smith rushed to the bridge when he felt the ship stop. - -“We have struck ice, sir,” was the first officer’s reply to his -question. - -“Close the water-tight doors!” was the captain’s order, only to be told -that this had already been done. A movement of switches, and Murdoch -had set bells a-tingling and great steel doors a-sliding in their -grooves; bells to warn anyone that the doors were being closed, so that -they might not be cut off. - -But no closing of water-tight doors was to be sufficient to save this -giant ship. The damage wrought by that white, translucent mass ran over -a length of some three hundred feet, and it had all been done in--one -trembles to write it--_ten seconds_. Twenty knots an hour had the -vessel been travelling, and in ten seconds she had ripped her way along -the ice for three hundred feet, tearing her plates apart as though they -had been brown paper, and letting the water in in tons. - -The carpenter sounded the ship; Phillips, the Marconi operator, was -instructed to get ready to send out a call for assistance, in case -it was wanted. The carpenter made his report; and, because of its -character, Captain Smith went back to the Marconi room, and messages -were sent out to all steamers within reach. Still later, but only by -a few minutes, the C Q D and the S O S--international signals for -help--were dispatched, to be followed by: - -“We have struck a berg! Come at once!” Seventy-eight miles away that -message was picked up by the _Carpathia_, which answered: “Coming at -once!” - -And, meanwhile, what of the population of the floating palace whose -vitals were being swamped by hundreds of tons of water? She was listing -heavily to starboard. In various parts of the ship a few people were -still awake, asking what was afoot, for none had yet been told what -had taken place. If there is one thing the master of a vessel dreads -it is panic, and passengers must be kept in ignorance while there is -a chance to obviate the danger. But rumours floated here and there. -“We’ve struck an iceberg,” said one now and again; and, as if that were -nothing to be alarmed about, folks shrugged their shoulders and turned -into bed. So sure was everyone of the safety of this masterpiece of -science and industry that the thought of danger never entered their -heads. - -It was a fine joke, apparently, to have struck an iceberg, and a berg -was a rare sight to most of those people, who thought more of that -than of the ship. The great spectral mass was a thing of wonder; its -towering peak told them something of its gigantic size, since but -one-eighth of it showed above the surface. “What a corker!” said -someone, and then went to bed. - -Meanwhile, firemen were coming up from below; and each set who came up -reported that the water was pouring into their stokeholds. - -Captain Smith, convinced by the list of the ship that there was indeed -grave danger--she was very much down by the head, and diving now and -again at the rate of six or twelve inches--gave instructions that the -passengers should be gathered on the boat-decks; and the inhabitants -of the “safest ship in the world” received the command that could have -but one meaning, namely, that the vessel was in danger of going down. -Through miles of corridors and companion-ways stewards raced with the -news, rousing folk from the sleep of peace to the nightmare of reality, -yet careful, every one of them, not to cause panic. Reassuring, -optimistic, with unquenchable faith in the unsinkableness of the -boat, they told the passengers who asked questions that they thought -everything would be all right. - -“The Board of Trade regulations say that in times of danger the -passengers must put on lifebelts,” said one steward; “and even if the -boat should sink, she will be able to keep up for forty-eight hours at -least.” - -[Illustration: “Men, strong-limbed, full-blooded, with the zest and the -love of life in them, stood calmly by”] - -Those words are a picture of the attitude of wellnigh everybody on the -_Titanic_, which was, as a matter of fact, within the last minutes of -her life; but, obeying the call, they trooped up in their scores and -hundreds to the decks. Some grumbled at being brought from warm beds -to a cold, ice-strewn deck; others grumbled at the stringency of -the British Board of Trade. Imagine the scene, if you can: long lines -of stewards guarding the boats; a mighty crowd of men, women, and -children, some dressed, others half dressed, more with only a blanket -thrown about their night-clothes, dozens of them struggling into -lifebelts. Many were now anxious-eyed as, inexperienced as they were, -they saw that awful list to starboard, saw the tense looks on the faces -of some of the officers who _knew_. - -The women and children, now mustered on the boat-deck, were waiting -while the lifeboats and collapsible boats were got ready, for the -tragic cry of the sea, “Women and children first!” had rung out; and -men, strong-limbed, full-blooded, with the zest and the love of life -in them, stood calmly by and smoked while this was done, telling -themselves even now that the boat could not sink. - -Boat crews were shipped; and then the craft were swung out, though not -without trouble, seeing that, being new, the tackle was not easy to -work; and the women and children, ill-clad to withstand the rigours of -that bitter night, were helped into the boats and lowered away, out -of the floating palace they had thought so safe into a wide expanse -of sea, with all its possible dangers. Some women, indeed, refused to -leave the ship; they would not go without their husbands, pleaded that -they be allowed to come. Like heroes, the men refused to go, and so -husbands and wives stayed on the ship of death. - -While the work of embarking these helpless people was proceeding -officers stood ready with revolvers, lest the passion for life seize -the men and send them rushing towards the boats. There was only one -rush; some poor steerage passengers, foreigners, who had been near -enough to the point of impact with the iceberg to realise the terror -of it all, charged down upon one boat. An officer stopped them with -a couple of shots, and strong hands pulled them back. Their places -were taken in the boat by their wives and children, for, in this time -of disaster, social distinctions were forgotten, cast aside like the -trappings of life that they are, and rich women and poor, ragged -and well dressed, old and young, were herded together in the same -boat--companions in distress. The rich man’s child was cuddled to some -poor woman’s bosom; the offspring of some “down and out” nestled in the -arms of a bejewelled dame of high society. - -The work went on, the heartrending scene in this tragedy of the sea was -played through to the accompaniment of the noise of escaping steam, the -sobbing of wives and children as they said farewell to husbands and -fathers, and the peculiar noise that a crowd makes in circumstances -of stress; while from various parts of the ship there were the sounds -of rockets being fired, brilliant appeals for help which cast strange -lights round and about the doomed vessel. And more, this drama had -its own music; floating up from below came the sounds of piano and -orchestra playing lively tunes, which cheered the leaving women and the -staying men, who cried to each other: “Au revoir! We’ll meet in New -York!” - -Down, down, down, seventy feet or more the boats were lowered, some -having to pass the exhaust of the condensers, and running the risk of -being swamped. An incident connected with one of these boats is worth -mentioning. It was described by Mr. Beezley, a schoolmaster, who was in -her as helper. There were no officers on board to help them work the -boat, and no petty officer or member of the crew to take charge; and -when it was seen that the boat was in danger of being swamped by the -water from the exhaust, one of the stokers cried: “Someone find the pin -which releases the boat from the ropes and pull it up!” No one knew -where it was. “We felt,” said Mr. Beezley, “as well as we could on the -floor and along the sides, but found nothing. It was difficult to move -among so many people. We had sixty or seventy on board. Down we went, -and presently we were floating with our ropes still holding us, and the -stream of water from the exhaust washing us away from the side of the -vessel, while the swell of the sea urged us back against the side again. - -“The result of all these forces was that we were carried parallel to -the ship’s side, and directly under Boat 14, which had filled rapidly, -and was coming down on us in a way that threatened to submerge our boat. - -“‘Stop lowering 14!’ our crew shouted; and the crew of No. 14, now -only twenty feet above, cried out the same. The distance to the top, -however, was some seventy feet, and the creaking of the pulleys must -have deadened all sound to those above, for down she came, fifteen -feet, ten feet, five feet, and a stoker and I reached up and touched -the bottom of the swinging boat above our heads. The next drop would -have brought her on our heads. Just before she dropped another stoker -sprang to the ropes with open knife in hand. ‘One,’ I heard him say; -and then ‘Two,’ as the knife cut through the pulley ropes.” - -Almost immediately the exhaust stream carried the boat clear, and the -other boat slipped into the water, on exactly the same spot that the -first one had occupied. It was indeed a narrow shave, for the two boats -almost rubbed gunwales. - -Leaving the boats as they are being got away, let us go to some other -part of the ship to see what is happening. - -Down below, in the engine-room and stokeholds, begrimed heroes were -working hard at their duty. The black squad always occupies the most -dangerous place in a ship at such times; and to the credit of these -men, who are hidden from the gaze of the people who stroll leisurely -about decks, or while away the hours in concert room or card room, -let it be said that they rarely fail in the moment of danger. On -the _Titanic_, those men whose engine-rooms and stokeholds had not -been flooded, and who knew they would be wanted, stayed below; the -engines in the principal engine-room, which was still protected by its -bulkhead, must be run to keep the pumps working and the dynamos running -which supplied the electricity for light and the wireless. If the pumps -could be kept going, then the vessel could float long enough for help -to come; if the wireless could be kept working, then help could be -appealed for across the ether waves; and while the men below strove, -some at drawing fires to prevent explosions, others at stoking fires -that were safe, up in the Marconi cabin two men were sticking to their -posts. The men, Phillips and Bride, were heroes, and their names will -be remembered while men remember the story of the _Titanic_. - -They had sent out the first messages for assistance--SOS, the new call -for ships at sea, changing it occasionally to CQD, the old signal. -Then, when things grew more serious than ever, and the news was brought -down to them, the instruments began to buzz out longer messages, -that told ships scores of miles away what had happened, and what was -happening. And now and again there came a voice from the ether through -the apparatus on the operators’ heads, telling them that the signals -had been caught, and that this ship and that ship was coming at full -speed. From seventy miles away the _Carpathia’s_ operator sent such -a message; from 300 miles away the _Olympic_ also sent her message -saying that she was coming. And thus it went on, this long-distance -conversation on which so much depended, and which might stop at any -moment, for the captain had told Phillips and Bride that the dynamos -might not be able to hold out very long. It was the last quarter of an -hour, and Phillips, forgetting all about himself, refusing to think of -escape, stood to his work, tapping out the messages, urging the rushing -ships to put on every ounce of steam. And Bride, no less a hero, -bethought him of Phillips’s safety. He went and got their lifebelts, -put one on Phillips and one on himself. - -Captain Smith looked in just then, and said: “Men, you have done your -full duty; you can do no more! Abandon your cabin now. It is every man -for himself. Look out for yourselves. I release you.” - -“But Phillips clung on,” said Bride, “sending, sending. He clung on for -about ten minutes after the captain released him. The water was then -coming into our cabin.” - -A hero? Every inch a hero and a man! But what of another man? The one -who, creeping silently into that cabin, where a man stood hazarding -his life, juggling with death, lest haply he might do some good for -that helpless crowd above, tried to slip the lifebelt from the hero’s -back? What of that man? He had had a lifebelt himself, but, too scared -to fetch it, had thought of an easier way. Bride, catching him in the -act, had a desire for blood. “I suddenly felt a passion not to let that -man die a decent sailor’s death,” he said. “I wished he might have -stretched a rope or walked a plank. I did my duty. I hope I finished -him; but I do not know.” - -Phillips went down with the ship he had tried to save. Bride, more -fortunate, came through alive, as will be seen. He reached the deck -just as the end came. The last boat had gone--and there remained on -the ship some fifteen hundred souls, hundreds of them clinging now in -terror to each other. The gay tunes of the orchestra changed to the -solemn strains of a hymn. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the starboard -was sinking, dipping deeper and deeper, the stern rising higher and -higher, hundreds of people being clustered there, waiting for they -dared not think what. The full terror of it all was now beginning to -sink into minds that had refused to accept the possibility of disaster. -The water lapped up higher and higher, and men scrambled up the sloping -deck, seeking to outrace the water, which soon covered the bridge and -carried the captain away from the ship, holding in his arm some poor, -lonely babe who had been forgotten in the hurly-burly. “Boys!” he had -cried lustily ere he went, unwillingly, for he would have stayed by his -boat but for that wave that washed him overboard. “Boys, you can do no -more! Look-out for yourselves!” And men prepared to cast themselves -into the sea, realising now that there was no hope to be found in this -ship on which so many hopes had been set. But, instead of jumping, they -now found themselves compelled to hang on like grim death to anything -that was at hand--rails, stanchions, deck-houses, ropes--to save -themselves from being washed away, for the stern was now towering high -above the water, and the deck seemed like a sheer precipice, down which -one might slip--to death. - -Imagine the sight. A massive hulk, gleaming with a thousand lights, -belching forth showers of sparks from a solitary funnel; a crowd of -clinging figures; a crowd of figures, unable to cling, sliding down -that steel road to death. Imagine the sounds. Hear the thud and the -crash of the engines as, overbalanced, they tore themselves from -their beds and hurled themselves across the ship, to pound against -the steel sides and burst them with a deadening explosion; hear the -horrific cracks as the decks bend; hear, from under water, a mighty -explosion, followed quickly by another and another; hear the roar as -the fire-spouting funnel tumbles into the sea; hear, above all, the cry -torn from a thousand throats as the people on the stern of the boat -felt the last tremors, the death-struggles of the leviathan! Imagine -this sight and these sounds, and if you have the imagination of a Poe -you will not have glimpsed a hundredth part of the terrors of that last -two minutes of the life of the _Titanic_. - -And the next minute there was no _Titanic_ afloat; but the sea was -dotted about with hundreds of black dots, each dot a soul struggling -for life, each striving to reach something that might be floating near -it--deck-chairs, gratings, wreckage of all sorts, and every little bit -worth its weight in gold to him who might be so fortunate as to get it. -To follow all these people in their efforts for life is, of course, -impossible. And there is no need, for each was but a picture of the -other. - -Mr. Lightoller, the second officer, had a remarkable experience. As the -ship took her final plunge he had dived, to be drawn down against the -grating that covered the blower of the exhaust. An explosion hurled -him up to the surface again, where, having barely filled his lungs, he -was sucked down again, and drawn to the side of the sinking ship, near -the funnel draught pipes. Yet once more was he blown upwards by the -force of a terrific explosion, and when he came to the surface he found -himself near a collapsible boat; Lightoller clung to this, to which -Bride himself and half a dozen other people were also hanging. It was -capsized; but it provided some sort of refuge. - -The gallant captain, who had gone overboard with the baby in his arms, -fought his way through the swimming crowd, making for one of the boats -which were still in the vicinity, hoping to effect some rescues. He -went, not to save himself, but the child. He reached the boat, cried -“Take the child,” handed it up to the willing hands outstretched for -it, and then, refusing to be taken into the boat, cried “Let me go!” -and swam back to where the ship had disappeared. - -There were many acts of heroism in that dreadful sea. A man swam up to -the capsized lifeboat, now overladen. “Will it hold another?” he asked. -Those men on the boat knew, positively, that if one more man were on -her, she would pitch them all off, and they said so, not jealously, -not selfishly. And as unselfishly, the man who wanted to live cried: -“All right! Good-bye! God bless you all!” And turned away, only to sink -almost immediately. - -Another man, clinging to a crate, heard someone ask: “Will it hold -another?” He did not know; all he knew was that here was a man who -loved life as he himself loved it; and the crate might offer a chance. -“Try it!” he cried; “we’ll live or die together!” - -The story of the great disaster is told, and yet there are some things -which cannot be recounted--horrors, endings and partings. Into the -Great Unknown many hundreds had gone. Fewer hundreds were saved by -those giant ships rushing to their aid, brought by the call out of the -vast silences of the night. - -The appalling horror of it all staggered the world; but the great fact -stood out that Man the Ingenious is no match for Nature the Mighty! - - - - -MYSTERIES OF THE SEA - -Strange Disappearances of Ships at Sea - - -It is only to be expected that the sea, with all its glory and wonders, -its tragedies and its romances, should have its mysteries too. Some of -them have been cleared up; others remain unsolved to this day, despite -all the ingenious attempts at explanation that have been made. Some -of them go back to the distant past, such as the _Gloriana_ mystery. -She was a British brig, and in 1775 the captain of a Greenland whaler -ran across her amidst the ice-fields at 77 degrees north latitude. She -was a weird spectacle as she picked her way through a narrow channel -between two great icebergs, which seemed to be closing in to crush her, -with no one making an attempt to steer her safely through the danger. -The Greenlander looked in amazement. The _Gloriana’s_ sails were torn -to shreds and frozen hard, her rigging was a tangled mass that had not -been trimmed for Heaven knew how long; on her decks great mountains of -snow were reared, and her sides glistened with ice; she was a spectral -ship of the icy seas, a sight to strike fear into the heart of any -superstitious sailor. For a while the captain of the whaler did not -know what to do; the strange spectacle awed him; but clearly it was his -duty to look into the matter, and at last, summoning up courage, he -lowered a boat and rowed over to the _Gloriana_. - -If he had been amazed before, he was staggered now. Clambering up the -ice-cold side, he glanced in at a porthole and saw a man sitting at the -cabin table, holding a pen as though about to write in the log-book -that lay open before him. But there was no sign of life about the man. -He was stiff, cold, dead! The Greenlander, stiffening himself up to the -task before him, got aboard, walked gingerly, awesomely into the cabin -and found himself standing by the side of a dead man, frozen hard. -Peering over the dead man’s shoulder, he found that the last entry in -the log was dated Nov. 11, 1762--thirteen long years before! What had -happened? How came it that this man sitting in his cabin, writing, had -met death so suddenly that he could not finish entering his log? The -Greenlander could not say; no one could ever tell; and the mystery was -made no clearer when it was found that there were several other dead -bodies about, one of them being a woman. And not one showed any sign -that would lead to the solution of the mystery of how they had met -their death. - -Then take the _Marie Celeste_, which, leaving New York on Nov. 7, 1872, -with a cargo of petroleum and alcohol, was met a month later off the -Azores by the brig _Dei Gratia_. Hailing her, the captain of the latter -ship received no answer, and something arousing his curiosity, he went -aboard--to find not a soul on her. To heighten the mystery, there were -no evidences of mutiny, panic or disorder of any kind; the log showed -nothing that could have caused the desertion of the ship, the last -entry being dated ten days before the _Dei Gratia_ came up with her. -One boat was missing, and that alone showed how the crew, five men, and -the captain and his wife and child had gone. All the gear was in order, -her rigging being properly made fast, her companion-ways were open. -Down in the cabin a little organ had open music lying in front of it, a -sewing-machine had a piece of unfinished work in it, the men’s chests -in the fo’c’sle were unopened and not ransacked, the captain’s dinner -was half cooked in the galley. - -And all was silent. Though a score or more theories have been advanced, -no one has yet cleared up the mystery of what tragic happening had -taken place on the _Marie Celeste_ to make her crew desert her. - -These mysteries of the sea are not all of an early date; even recent -years have them on record. Thus in 1910 the _Inverness-shire_, which -left Hamburg in March, bound for Saint Rosalia, in California, was met -off the Falkland Islands in June by the Italian steamer _Verina_, with -no living being aboard except a few cats. She, too, was in perfect -order so far as arrangement went. Food was in a pot on the galley fire, -an open copy of the “Ancient Mariner” lay on the captain’s table, as -though he had been interrupted in his reading of the weird tale of the -sea. Perhaps he could tell a weirder one than that. The sails were set, -the deck shipshape, the cargo intact, and from the pack of cards which -lay scattered about the mess-room table it would seem that the crew had -been disturbed in a quiet game. And the explanation of it all? It was -said that the crew, thirty of them, had become obsessed with the idea -that the ship was unlucky; they broke out into mutiny, refused to obey -orders, and the ship was deserted. In due course the _Verina_ towed -her into Port Stanley, where, of course, she received her share in the -salvage. - -In 1913 the tank steamer _Roumanian_ came across a ship which was -acting so queerly that the captain decided to investigate. It was ten -days out from Port Arthur. The strange ship was a sailing vessel, but -though some of her sails were set, they answered no useful purpose, for -she was buffeted about at the will of the fickle winds. It took the -_Roumanian_ an hour or two to catch up with the erratic ship, and when -she did so her captain boarded and found that she was the _Remittent_, -a Norwegian barque. She was crewless, and the explanation of her queer -actions was that the rudder was unlashed and was banging about as the -vessel swung to the waves. There was nothing missing; her papers were -all intact, her cargo was there, her water was fresh, her provisions -plenty; and yet there wasn’t a man aboard, and no indication as to why -there wasn’t. And all her lifeboats swung at the davits. Inquiries -later showed that the _Remittent_ had left Rio Grande do Sul on Oct. -25, 1912, with a captain and a crew of six men. The _Roumanian_ towed -her for many days, and then, a gale breaking upon them, had to cast her -adrift, a danger to all shipping. - -It is this aspect of the unmanned ship that makes her a thing to be -disposed of. Whether derelict or simply deserted, she is a menace to -other ships; she may loom out of the darkest night and crash into -another vessel, to the danger of all aboard. On the other hand, she -may voyage for months--nay, years--and never come into collision. For -instance, the _Fannie E. Woolsten_, an American ship, was wrecked in -1891 off the United States coast, whence her battered hulk drifted -across the Atlantic, passed down the coasts of Europe, and then swung -out across the Atlantic again, going ashore a hundred or so miles north -of the place where she had been wrecked, having covered 10,000 miles in -her strange cruise. - - - PRINTED BY CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED, LA BELLE SAUVAGE, LONDON, E.C. - F 35.415 - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - - Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. - - Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY’S BOOK OF THE -SEA *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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