CHAPTER XV.
From the 2d of February to the 12th we had favorable winds, and for three or four days our speed had averaged ten or eleven knots an hour. At noon of that day, when in latitude 24° 1′ north and longitude 65° 58′ west, our captain and officers observed a sail in our wake, which gradually gained upon us, until it could be plainly seen that she was a steamer. At this time the wind had lulled, and we were only making eight knots an hour; so that about three o’clock in the afternoon the strange sail was distant from us perhaps six miles, and following directly astern, with the “stars and stripes” run up on her foremast. We had not thought of being molested by southern pirates,[42] but hoped she might prove to be a gunboat of our Government; and being nearly famished, after a five months’ fast, for news from home, were happy in the prospect of hearing how it fared with our country. A little before four o’clock I went to the quarter-deck, and seated myself on the starboard side, not far back of the stern. She was then directly in our track, and evidently making for us with much speed, having every stitch of canvas out, even to her studding-sails, and her steam power in full operation. Soon after this an order was given to unfurl our flag at the peak, and I observed that our captain, who was constantly using his glass, and watching the approaching vessel, seemed a little nervous and ill at ease. Indeed, doubt had already begun to settle upon us all, for the steamer was gaining upon us at the rate of three miles an hour, and her appearance, to say the least, did not bode us any good. We were making all the sail we could, and had the wind which had favored us the day previous continued, we could have kept out of the range of her guns until evening, and then probably have been able to elude her. But it was otherwise decreed, and down she came upon us, firing a shot when about three miles distant, which struck the water a ship’s length and a half astern of the Bell, on the port side. That shot was potential, carrying conviction to all that our vessel was doomed, and that we were about to fall into the hands of an enemy. It required but little reflection to make us painfully conscious of the fact, the whole truth of which flashed upon us as suddenly and unexpectedly as the booming of the distant gun which seemed to announce our doom; in an instant, as it were, paralyzing all thought and feeling. Directly on the firing of the gun Captain Frisbie rose up, and turning his face towards the bow, looked first at his ship and then at the sail, saying,—“Well, I guess you’ll heave to, now!” and ordering his men to “clew up the crotchet sail,” and back the yards, we quietly waited for the decision of our fate.
We had just sailed through the heat of the tropics, and having been ill for more than three weeks, and of course weak and easily perturbed, the firing of the gun sent me directly into the cabin; but, through Master Charlie, I learned that in about ten minutes after I had left the deck, the steamer, which proved to be the Florida,—a pirate, officered and manned by the rebels of the Southern States,—came round our stern to the port side, and when within two ship’s lengths of us ran up the rebel Confederate flag,—taking down the “stars and stripes,”—and hailed us. On being answered, and told whither we were bound, we were ordered to strike our colors; and no answer being returned, nor any movement made to carry the order into execution, there came a second and more peremptory summons, with which Captain Frisbee complied, and our colors were struck! The steamer, meanwhile, made a circuit once or twice around us for purposes of observation, very much in the same way that a cat toys with a mouse, after having made sure of her victim. Having no efficient armament, we were powerless; yet she did not raise the rebel flag until she had us broadside under her guns,—a circumstance which indicated, as clearly as anything could, the conscious guilt of these pirates, and their extreme care lest they should be caught in some trap, thus getting their retribution somewhat in advance of their calculations. The pirate captain then sent a boat alongside, with a prize-master; who, accosting Captain Frisbie, exclaimed—“You are my prize.” The captain replied—“But this is English property.” “I can’t help that,” rejoined the prize-master; “I must obey my orders.” Captain Frisbie then said—“Is this the way you take English property on the high seas?” “Yes, sir!” was the reply; “Lord John Russell has recently said that if English subjects put their property in United States vessels, they must look for pay to the Confederate Government.” The prize-master then told Captain Frisbie that he must prepare to go on board the steamer, while he took possession of the ship; and on being asked what was to be done with the passengers and crew, the officer said they were also to be taken on board, but that all private property should be saved, and after taking what they wished from the Jacob Bell, they should burn her.
There being no appeal from this ex cathedra decision, or rather doom, our captain went below and directly made preparations to leave. In a few minutes after this another boat coming from the Florida, in charge of one of their doctors, our crew were immediately taken on board, and we were only allowed the time taken for their transshipment,—which could not have exceeded half an hour,—to gather up a few things and get ready to follow.
Complying with the suggestions of our faithful and kind colored steward, I gathered together the few things that were in the drawers of my state-room, and throwing them hastily on my bed, tied them securely in the counterpane. I also put the few books which were in my state-room into a small calico bag; and notwithstanding my confused and nervous state, had sufficient self-possession and forecast to take a small hand-trunk, in which I put a change or two of linen, and a few night-clothes; being careful to add flannel articles, warm stockings, boots, and gloves for the cold weather on our coast, together with our toilet articles. To these I also added some pocket-handkerchiefs, one or two books valuable from association, a few pieces of jewelry, and some other articles, which, together with the little money we had with us, would be absolutely necessary in case we should never get any more of our luggage. We were bidden to make all haste, and the little trunk, together with two Chinese baskets,—the only articles that we could take with us,—were soon ready; our trunks of clothing for sea use having been also got out and placed in the cabin, along with our two emigrant-looking bundles. There was no time to give any attention to one’s personal appearance, and it certainly would not be entertaining to know what kind of plight I was in when taken on board the pirate. I have already alluded, however, to the fact of having been more ill than usual during our passage through the Atlantic tropics; and my lady-readers can readily imagine how they would look en déshabillé, with a loose gown of cotton print, an old shawl thrown about their shoulders, and a straw hat in place of a bonnet.
The boat came for the third time, when, with the captain, his wife, and child, we were transferred to the pirate. Happily for us the wind had continued to lull, and although there was something of a swell, there was no heavy sea running. For this we were thankful;—but to be fastened into a chair, and hoisted over the ship’s side by means of a rope-tackling, into a boat, and then to be re-hoisted in the same manner, and lowered upon the deck of an armed vessel prepared for piratical warfare, amid the gaze of brutalized and vicious men, whose vulgar, jeering expression of countenance was enough to make any one shrink back involuntarily with loathing and indignation, was a severe test for a woman, who, both in body and mind, was greatly weakened by a long voyage and months of disease in the tropics of the East; and yet all this was but a slight foretaste of what was to follow.
The flag of the Jacob Bell—claimed as a prize by the pirates—was to be taken with us on board their vessel; and Captain Frisbie laying it over the chair in which his wife and I were to be placed, in order to be hoisted into the boat, we gathered the loose folds into our laps, so as to partly cover us. The gleam of comfort and sunshine that flashed through my confused brain when my eye first rested on one particular star in those folds can never be forgotten. It was still a star of hope and trust, making even the heart of a feeble and unprotected woman glow with an emotion of joyful pride in that she was permitted to suffer in a cause like that of constitutional liberty; which, next to our holy religion, is more sacred and precious than anything else for which man can be called upon to lay down his life.
When we were alongside the Florida, the officer who had us in charge, while re-arranging the chair in which we were to be re-hoisted on deck, proposed substituting the rebel flag in place of our own; but our captain, with prudent tact, in an apparently indifferent manner, said,—“This will do just as well,”—whereupon, no objection being made, we were again wrapped in our own colors, which was doubtless the last honorable service of the flag of the ill-fated Jacob Bell. On being lowered to the deck of the steamer, and freed from our chair-tackling, I heard a rather cultivated voice on my right, saying,—“Please take my arm, madam.” I saw nothing, for my first glance at the deck and the rough men with upturned faces rudely gazing as I hung in the air, had caused both head and eyes to droop. But woman’s natural instinct, when in a position of fearful suffering and rude exposure, to readily and gratefully receive civility and protection,—no matter from what source it may come,—led me to accept the proffered arm, and suffer myself to be conducted by Captain Maffit,—the leader of this band of buccaneers, (as he proved to be,)—to his cabin. This was done with a cool sang-froid, and also with the patronizing, host-like air of one about offering the most agreeable hospitality. Soon the whole of our party were in the cabin, which we were told was at our disposal; and also that the captain’s private state-room, leading out of it, could be occupied by one of the ladies. It was, however, only appropriated by us for one night, it being dark and close; and we therefore abandoned it for sleeping-purposes, greatly preferring the cabin lockers, where mattresses—some of them taken from the Jacob Bell—were placed, and the remainder of our party slept.
The knives of our crew were taken from them, and they made to sign a paper that they would offer no resistance while on board. There had been great haste made in transferring us, in order to follow up another United States vessel then in sight; and it being late in the afternoon, it was not possible for them to pillage the Jacob Bell and destroy her that night. A prize-crew was therefore put on board of her, and told to steer in a certain direction, while we were to steam after the “Yankee,” as they sneeringly called her; but during the evening she managed to get out of their range; and as ours was a case of misery not admitting of a wish for company, we silently rejoiced, giving thanks that the prowling marauders were foiled of their prey. Our speed was then lessened, and in the morning we were again in the neighborhood of the Jacob Bell.
That was a fearful and strangely eventful day to us; and although we had been told that our private effects would be saved, I had many doubts in regard to the fulfilment of the promise. During the first part of the night previous I plainly heard, from the place where I was lying, portions of a conversation held by the ward-room officers, who had been on board the Jacob Bell for the purpose of seeing what plunder could be taken from her. They were making out an inventory of what things were to be brought on board the Florida for their own use; and it being evident that they were arranging for a long day’s work, I feared that the captain would perhaps demur to the trouble of saving and bringing on board the packages belonging to us; it, however, never once occurred to me that they might open and plunder them there.
Before leaving the Jacob Bell our captain obtained permission of the prize-master to leave his steward and a waiting-man on board, who were to look after his effects and our trunks of sea-clothing; which, with our bundles and a small basket of stores that they were to put up for us, we hoped to receive on board the Florida. In the morning, on learning that Captain Frisbie had already gone on board the Jacob Bell, I handed Captain Maffit, as requested, a list of the packages we had in the ship, which having read, he returned to me, saying,—“Mrs. W—— I cannot take all your things on board; for we have not room, and we cannot have much on deck, as it will prevent the free working of the guns.” I then said, “It will be very hard, Captain Maffit, to lose all our packages; for those in the hold contain the greatest and best part of our wardrobes, besides some household supplies, and many other articles of rare value; and we were assured by your officer when taken that all our private effects should be saved.” “Yes,” was the reply, “but it is quite impossible in this case; and you must take what you most need. I shall then allow you more than is usual in such cases.” After this conversation I mentioned to Captain Maffit the fact of my having a small insurance on my property, but remarked that I was not sure of its being good for anything in this case. At his request I then handed him the policy, which he read and returned to me, saying,—“Yes, that is a war risk.” In a few moments after, he asked to look at the policy again; and once more having conned it apparently with great care, remarked, “Yes, your policy is good in this case, and I am surprised that any one will attempt to travel with valuables in these times without being properly insured. I advise you to leave the insured packages. They are not numbered, and you can take whichever parcels you please, only be sure to leave twenty packages, for if you do not, your policy will be contested.”[43] In this seemingly disinterested manner he advised me what to do; telling me he could not save our property, but at the same time appeared to deplore the necessity of the case, and expressed his regret at what I must suffer in seeing the destruction of so much of the nice, curious, useful, and valuable. He thus so completely deceived me that I never once suspected his object; nor that his officers would be allowed to break open and plunder our property. He then told us that he was going on board the Jacob Bell, and would send the few packages that we were to have on board his vessel. I directly handed him the meagre list, saying,—“Then all the rest, Captain Maffit, must burn and go down with the ship.” I also interceded in every possible way that I could, in order to save Master Charlie’s large box-like trunk, which was not insured, but was of great value to him, and was in the hold with my packages. I was the more anxious on this point for the reason that Charlie’s father, who was a missionary in China, was sending him home to be educated; and the package contained books and articles of value, the loss of which the lad would feel during his whole course of study. Charlie was much perturbed when we were first taken; and from agitation failed to secure the effects which he had in his state-room. It therefore became necessary that he should go on board and look after them, and another boat putting off for the Jacob Bell soon after Captain Maffit had gone, I obtained permission of the officer in charge for him to go on board also.
While I was still remaining on deck the crew commenced bringing boat-loads of property from the ship, although I am not positive that any luggage had as yet been sent. In a short time, however, to my amazement I observed some of the officers and crew of the pirate coming over the side of the vessel, each with an armful of things from my packages. There was bed and table linen, towels made up and in the piece, articles of my wardrobe, silver plate, a box of rare china, two chairs from Canton, Oriental table-mats, a box of India sweetmeats, our stores, and two cases of claret; which, with the sweetmeats, were marked with my name in full. There were also boxes of spools of sewing-silk and sewing-cotton, boxes of pins and of dress-trimmings, and various other articles required for personal or housekeeping use. There was therefore no mistaking the fact that our boxes, trunks, camphor-chests, and camphor-chest of drawers had all been rudely broken open, and plundered by these outlaws. The officers of the Florida—the so-called boasted chivalry of the South—were now shamelessly enacting the burglar and shop-lifter, directly before my eyes; and carrying my property in tumbled, confused masses,—some of it dragging and trailing on the deck,—into their ward-room. I saw Lieutenant Reed with a huge armful of cotton-sheeting and unmade table-linen,—grasping at the same time in one hand my cake-basket, (the wrappers of which being torn off it was exposed to my gaze,)—rush from the side of the ship to the ward-room entrance; when seeing that I was watching him in mute astonishment, he dropped his eyes and hurried below like a detected thief. This scene of pillage continued for several hours. Finally, Charlie returned, and related to me the scenes he had witnessed on board the Jacob Bell. He saw my packages brought up from the hold of the vessel, and also saw the officers of the Florida split and break them open, rummaging their contents, and tearing off wrappers of small parcels in the greatest eagerness, which if not desirable, or such as they could not make use of, were thrown on deck and trodden under foot in a manner which would have almost made an ordinary pirate blush. Laces, and other delicate fabrics, were thus used; and a valuable bonnet was soiled and destroyed in the same manner. Private papers also, and photographs of friends, met a like fate; nothing, in fact, escaped their shamelessly sacrilegious hands. There was a large number of curious, rare, and elegant Oriental articles,—presents from friends and acquaintances in the East,—beside many that were not only handsome, but useful, which I was bringing home as presents for friends; all of which met the same fate. One officer was seen examining and helping himself from a box of fans,—taking them out one by one, and fanning himself, to see which he liked the best. Another laid hold of a hoop-skirt, and putting it on, tripped over the main-deck with a grace and delicacy doubtless unattainable except by a representative of Southern chivalry!
While this scene of rioting and plunder was going on, Charlie begged of them three times to save his large trunk, but was told that nothing from the hold could be taken on board the pirate; nor was his package brought from the hold until he left the Jacob Bell to return to the Florida. Then some of our crew, who were still remaining on board the ship, saw it brought up, broken open, and plundered in the same way they had served mine.[44] But to cap the climax of this scene, a fat pig,—one of the animals remaining of the Jacob Bell’s supplies,—was killed on her main-deck in a most barbarous manner, and pieces of the creature being savagely cut from its sides, the marauders took such portions as they desired, while the entrails were thrown about the deck, where the blood had been permitted to flow in every direction, and in which articles of my wardrobe, expensive fabrics, family relics, and souvenirs of friends left in the East, were also thrown, and mingled with the clotted mixture in the most offensive and disgusting manner. After witnessing this, Charlie returned on board the steamer, and approaching me with teeth firmly set, while indignation flashed from his eyes, exclaimed in an undertone, “I never was so mad in all my life! O! it was a fearful scene; I shall never forget it;” and afterwards added—“I hope yet to meet them with a gun in my hand!” I was frightened as well as surprised to see the gentle, quiet boy wrought up to such a pitch of indignation; but that scene, together with the compulsory piratical cruise of five days and nights which followed, seemed to arouse and mature in the boy all the noble and brave qualities of the man. He only wished that we could meet one of our cruisers, and have an engagement with her; declaring that he would gladly serve his country by going to the bottom, if the steamer could be sunk, carrying down with her the piratical officers and her crew; nor would the boy ever acknowledge to an emotion of gratitude to Captain Maffit for the common personal civilities we received; but if it was referred to, always said that he saw too much of the plundering scene to desire anything but the destruction of the captain and his officers.
There was now much confusion on the deck of the pirate. It was nearly four o’clock, P. M., and trunks, stray articles from our packages, boxes of the ship’s stores, and some of our own, together with a few of the sailors’ chests, bags of sailcloth filled with clothing, and boxes of tea, were lying about in every direction. The pirates had become so completely engrossed in their work of plunder as to be oblivious of all else; and before they were aware, the Jacob Bell, with all her sails set, was fast drifting against the Florida. That was a terrible scene. She seemed a sentient being,—“a thing of life.” There was a little swell, but thanks to a kind Providence, no sea; and as she came down on the Florida her prow seemed absolutely to stretch eagerly forward as if in haste to avenge her wrongs. The fires of the steamer had been banked, and as there was no steam to enable us to back off, for a time there was general confusion; until finally I heard Captain Maffit giving orders to put oil and tar on the fires. By this time the jib-boom of the Jacob Bell had become entangled in the fore-rigging of the Florida, and broken the ratlines; when there was an attempt made to cut it away,—all on board of her being congregated at her bow for this purpose. The crew of the Jacob Bell, as well as those of the Florida, assisted by means of spars in keeping the former out of the way; but she finally came up with greater force, getting the jib-boom under the main-top-mast stay, but doing no serious damage. We very soon, however, got up sufficient steam to move a little out of the way. To say that this was a scene of imminent peril can impart but a faint idea of the overwhelming consternation and dismay which we suffered during these moments of intense anxiety and terror. I was already in a pitiable condition from the alarm and agitation which a consciousness of extreme exposure produces; and not having yet recovered from the shock received on finding myself in the power of lawless men, this new and crushing terror seemed to subdue and benumb every faculty.
As soon as the pirate had become disentangled from our vessel, our captors having placed combustibles in three places on board of the Jacob Bell, she was fired about four o’clock, when she was abandoned, and we steamed away from her neighborhood. The distressing circumstances under which we were placed rendered it impossible for us to feel the sublimity of the spectacle she presented while the flames crept steadily up her sails, spars, and rigging, until she became a pyramid of fire. Not that our thoughts dwelt so much upon the wicked destruction of property, as upon the fact that we were being completely cut off from home and country; and knew not how, when, nor where we could look for release. To us the last sight of our noble ship a little before her masts fell, when with her sails and rigging all a-blaze, she was quietly floating on, impressed us with a scene of awful and melancholy grandeur. The sublimity of such a spectacle depends altogether upon the circumstances under which we behold it. Our ideas of things are merely relative, and depend for their moral effect upon the power of association. Hence, the contemplation of any wide-spread ruin may be the height of the sublime to a disinterested spectator; but to another, whose worldly interests, or, as was feared in this instance, whose life is depending upon the character and extent of the calamity, it can be nothing else than a scene of horror and dismay.
The next day (Saturday, the 14th) we had a fair wind, and the steamer, having only enough coals for two days’ use, was put under sail, and her screw raised upon deck. The armament of the pirate was very heavy: there being six sixty-eight pounders, three on each side of the ship; and two immense guns, called chasers, one at the bow and the other at the stern, which were said to be one hundred and twenty pounders. There were about[45] one hundred and sixty men on board beside the officers, the latter consisting of the captain, a sailing-master, four lieutenants, four midshipmen, and two physicians, besides three or four minor officers. The small arms of the Jacob Bell which were taken enabled some of the crew to supply themselves with fine cutlasses, and thus complete their accoutrements. The lieutenants and physicians were very young men, none being over twenty-five years old; and the midshipmen were quite young striplings,—mere boys in fact,—but some of them hard-looking youngsters. Both the lieutenants and midshipmen were evidently regarded as belonging to the class called “Southern gentlemen!” There was a Reed from Charleston, and a Floyd from Georgia,—(of the former I shall say more by and by,)—both of the best blood of the South, and the rest of the officers were also reputed to be of highly respectable lineage. One officer—a young man from Mobile, whose name I have forgotten—became so intoxicated, on some brandy we had among our stores, that he was put under arrest, which was the only case of discipline that occurred while we were on board. The steamer was shockingly dirty, and in an almost filthy condition,—the deck affording no place where a woman could remain with unsoiled skirts. Indeed, excepting in the most miserable hovels of the foreign poor in the outskirts of the city of New York, I never met with such disgusting untidiness and want of cleanliness. With these surroundings personal neatness was out of the question, and my garments became shockingly soiled and unsightly. But malgré this pitiable plight, with all its attendant exposure to the vulgar gaze and criticisms of the low and degraded men composing the officers and crew of the Florida, it was, with the exception of an occasional emotion of contempt and righteous indignation, entirely lost sight of in the absorbing thought and prayer for a speedy deliverance from such an unhallowed atmosphere.
Saturday wore slowly away, and after another fearful night the Sabbath found us again chasing one of our vessels. On such a ship as the Florida any appearance of properly regarding the day would have presented an anomaly,—the habits of both officers and men, and the iniquitious business in which they were engaged, being so thoroughly in keeping with their surroundings. The crew were at work as usual during the whole day, some scraping the masts, and all on the qui vive, and animated with the idea of bagging and burning another “Yankee.” Captain Maffit did not know that it was Sunday until the fact was alluded to by one of our number in his presence, which caused him to exclaim,—“Sunday! Is it Sunday? I did not think of its being Sunday!” The burden of our prayers during the day was for the final escape of their anticipated victim, which proved to be a schooner, and got rid of her pursuers by skilful management, obliging them to tack ship repeatedly. The crew of the pirate, not being experienced sailors, were awkward and slow in performing their duties. They were mostly composed of the lowest class of Irish, with some few English and Scotch,—most of whom had formerly been in the rebel army, and were mere tyros in nautical matters. Captain Maffit told us, however, that he had drilled them at the guns until they could manage them with great celerity and effect.
Early in the afternoon Captain Frisbie, on coming below, remarked that we were gaining on the schooner, and he feared she would be taken; and at a later hour Captain Maffit descended into the cabin with a countenance beaming from delighted exultation, and, throwing something of the theatrical into his air and manner, seated himself, remarking,—“Well, I fear there is ‘one more unfortunate’!” He did not proceed with the quotation, but it was continued in some of our hearts by the supplication,—God forbid that she should come “to her death” by you and your lawless crew! It is almost needless to add that we secretly rejoiced and gave thanks, when, as the shadows of evening gathered around us, the expected prey escaped.
When the Jacob Bell was captured we had nearly used up all our fresh animal food, and there was but little poultry and one pig remaining. To the killing and disposing of the latter I have already alluded. The few fowls left were also killed and taken on board the Florida, and we were once served with a dish of them, and once with the fresh pork. With these exceptions, we lived almost entirely upon salt-beef and pork, together with a little rice and hard biscuit. Captain Maffit said he gave us the best he had, and professed to regret not having better for the ladies. Our food, however, was of little moment, no one having the heart to expend any thought upon our common sea-fare, and some of us being too ill to care for such matters. We suffered most from want of good water,—that on board the Florida being condensed steam, and evidently produced in a defective apparatus, which imparted to it so strong a taste of kreosote that one could scarcely swallow it. Indeed we feared that it was injurious, and dared not drink it; nor was the tea and coffee made of it at all palatable.
All but one of the packages promised me from the Jacob Bell were sent on board; that contained a valuable article,—a present from a French baron, formerly one of the French legation at the court of Peking, but now Commissioner of the Imperial Customs at Fuh-chau. Captain Maffit, on being told of its elegance and rare value, and that it was in a part of the ship near my state-room where it could be readily found, and transferred with our trunks of sea-clothing, and Captain Frisbie’s luggage to the steamer, said, in an earnest manner, “Mrs. W——, you shall have the box, and I will see that it is sent on board”; but on returning to his own vessel very coolly said that he had looked for it, but it could not be found. I was not sensible of any feeling of indignation in relation to the pillaging and wanton destruction of our property. A kind Providence had ordered that the stunning effect of our unexpected capture should render me unfit to care for or realize the loss of my property; nor, with the exception of some occasional agitation,—when a view of our terribly fearful position, and the perils with which we were environed flashed across my mind,—was I conscious of any emotion, but was much like Dr. Livingstone when the lion’s paw was on him,—“without feeling.”
Captain Maffit had said, when we were first taken, that we would be only two or three days on board his ship, as he would probably, by that time, meet some friendly vessel, and be able to transfer us, but if not, he would take us into a neutral port; yet day after day we continued sailing in every direction, and unfurling the flag of whatever nation best suited his purpose, in order the more successfully to play the corsair. In the course of three days the debilitating effects of the increasing heat warned me that we were again seeking the heat of the tropics; and nearly at the same time the fact that the captain feared to attempt entering a neutral port, and that in essaying to do so we must run the risk of an encounter with some of our Government cruisers, began to dawn upon my excited imagination, making the possibility of an early release from our unhappy condition seem more remote than ever. This unnatural excitement was followed by great depression,—a sort of despair,—under which nature gave way, and, like a child, I could not allude to our painful situation without weeping. Despair is said to give courage to the weak, but it failed in my case; and when the day closed, and the gloom of night settled around us, the fear and anxiety which seemed to make up the sum of those dismal hours may be perhaps imagined, but no description of their terrors can be given which will not fall short of the reality. A soul suspended in Dante’s “Limbo” could scarcely be more hopeless. We could not disrobe, but laid ourselves down to rest in the clothes worn during the day. Sleep was far from being the “sweet restorer,” and every movement of the armament above, or noise about the ship, roused me, until everything seemed one confused and horrid nightmare. One night, after slumbering a short time, I was awakened by an unusual noise on deck, and as the wind had increased, and we were sailing more rapidly, I feared that a heavy gale was approaching. The most courageous rarely desire a repetition of a storm at sea, and the timid are always agonized in the prospect of one. Belonging to the latter class, an undefinable sensation of fear and dread seized me. There was no light in the cabin, but quickly rising and groping in the dark as best I could, I reached the companion-way, and on climbing the stairs, a man stationed at the top, armed cap-à-pie, forcibly reminded me of our captivity. Fearful of giving offence, I asked the sentinel to excuse me, and added that I was very timid at sea, and observing that the wind seemed to be increasing, feared that we were about to have a gale. The man,—who was one of the rough crew,—after civilly assuring me that all was right, and that we had only a fine breeze, added, “I knows you’s not fit for the likes of this.” There was real kindness of heart in the tones of Erin, and I was sorry that the “likes of him” should be engaged in so desperate a business. I afterwards learned that several of the crew from Mobile and New Orleans, in private conversation with the crew of the Jacob Bell, deplored being on the Florida; but said that they had been compelled to ship so as to get food, as they were without employment and without means. Moreover they expressed regret that they also were not to be transferred to a neutral vessel, or to be landed at some port from whence they could go to the North.
I knew nothing of Captain Maffit’s antecedents, nor of his standing when an officer in our navy. I learned, however, from Captain Frisbie, that he had at one time been attached to the coast-survey, and that his charts were much used by mariners. The captain himself valued them highly, and spoke of the author as having been one of the first officers in our service in point of ability. When we were first taken on board the Florida he simulated the air and tone of an honorable man, and stoutly disclaimed all wish or intention to war on women and children, telling us that all our private effects should be respected and saved for us, and was altogether so civil that although we could only look upon him as a sort of buccaneer, we were led to hope that he might still retain enough of the elements belonging to the character of a civilized man of the nineteenth century, as to really mean what he said; in other words, we did not suppose that it was a part of his code of chivalry to impose upon a defenceless woman and child. In this, however, we were mistaken; for with the exception of a box of Captain Frisbie’s china which was stolen by the ward-room officers, and the general pilfering practised by the pirates upon the powerless crew of the Jacob Bell, Master Charlie and I were the only persons plundered; and Captain Maffit, notwithstanding his fine words, seemed to make us the special objects of his treachery. He affected to regret the necessity which he was under of destroying our captain’s favorite ship, and pretended to be sorry that the charts and most of the nautical instruments belonged to the latter, as the orders of his Government were imperative, and obliged him to take them as his prize. He was very sorry such misfortunes should fall upon men like Captain Frisbie, but assured him that all his private property should be saved; and all of it, consisting of several trunks and chests, beside a number of well-filled sailcloth bags, and four boxes of china, were taken on board the Florida. All of this property but one box of china (to which reference has already been made) was safely transferred to the Danish bark. The officers probably kept the one box of china by order of their captain, so as to give the impression that they had not expended all their purloining energies upon us.
While on the deck of the Florida, the day after the burning of the Jacob Bell, one of the officers did the agreeable by offering to lend me books to read; but looking at him with surprise, I directly exclaimed,—“Books! it would be impossible for me to read just now,—neither in body or mind am I equal to the task!” It certainly betokened a great degree of impudence and hardihood, for one to assist in the plundering of our private effects, and then unblushingly attempt to recommend himself in this way to my regard. I also had, during the same day, a few words of conversation with another officer in regard to the rebellion; in the course of which he made some malicious remark that led me to say,—“We do not hate you as you seem to hate us. Why is it that you at the South hate the North so much?” With the coolest effrontery he answered,—“We have more reason to hate you.” The tone and manner in which this was said was too much even for the benumbed senses of a powerless and defenceless woman, and I quickly answered,—“No, you have not, sir. I feel that I am suffering in a good cause, nor should you hear a murmur from me were I strong and in good health.” Thus to beard the lion in his den was unquestionably imprudent and unsafe; but the unmitigated arrogance and impertinence of one who, from what we had experienced, could be classed only among shoplifters, was rather too much for our sense of honor to let pass unrebuked, and the words leaped from my lips like the “stir of an unbidden thought.” Although outwardly civil, it required no extraordinary power to see plainly that, could it have served their purpose and benefited their cause, it would have cost them no pang to act the pirate to the death, as they were acting it to the life; but to carry their feelings of hatred to such an extent, they well knew, would array the whole civilized world against them.
Captain Maffit boasted of his daughter, and related the circumstance of the capture of the rebel vessel—in which she was going from Nassau to Charleston—when attempting to run the blockade. He commented with great goût upon her bravery, in telling the Government officials—before whom she had to appear in New York—that she acknowledged no Government but that of the Southern Confederacy, and no President but Jeff. Davis. He also told us of a letter written by his youngest son, in which the hopeful youth requested his father to “send him a Yankee’s head with the teeth all in!!!” The boy, we understood him to say, was only five years old![46] None of us dared to give utterance to the thoughts suggested on hearing of so savage a request from such a child,—if, indeed, the child ever made it;—and it is difficult to think that Christendom, in this age of the world, is capable of producing a father willing thus to advertise the disgustingly precocious ferocity of his little son. The bloody request indicated the Nero-like training to which the child had been subjected, and the malicious hatred he was already capable of bearing towards his kind. If this is the child, what will be the horrid proportions of the man?
From a late New York paper—for the perusal of which we were indebted to Captain Maffit—we learned of the noble generosity of the merchants of that city, in sending a ship loaded with food to the starving Lancashire operatives; and on observing the name of A. A. Low, Esq.,—the owner of the Jacob Bell,—as one of the most active in that work of mercy, we involuntarily looked around the cabin, the finishing of which, with all its furniture and fixtures, told us what was too true, that to England—or rather to a class of her grasping and unprincipled merchants and cotton-brokers—Mr. Low owed the loss of his ship, and we our fearful perils and captivity. Whatever else may be forgotten, it certainly is to be hoped that when the history of this war is written, the noble and truly Christian manner in which the New York merchants returned good for evil will not be lost sight of.
Captain Maffit was much in the cabin during the day, making himself very facetious, and was always full of anecdote. He often mentioned incidents in regard to the rebellion,—giving us what he termed the truth as to the condition and suffering of the North,—which, not then knowing his true character, and having been months without news from the United States, gave us painful uneasiness.
On the afternoon of Monday, February 16th, we were in hot pursuit of a bark that bore the French flag, and early in the evening, getting within hailing distance, brought her to without firing a gun. She was boarded by some of the piratical officers, and proved to be what her colors indicated; and being direct from the island of Martinique, bound to Havre, the pirates neither gained a prize nor were able to dispose of us by transferring us, as passengers, on board of her. This was a sad disappointment, for we had hoped she might prove a neutral vessel bound to some of the West India islands, and be willing to take us to her port of destination. But another long night, with its doubts and fears and weary hours, came and passed away, when, with heavier and more hopeless hearts, we greeted the morning of the 17th, the evening of which day was to bring the wished-for release.
As usual, the beardless midshipmen, armed to the teeth, were constantly ascending aloft and prowling at the mast-head, or on some of the higher parts of the rigging, watching for more prey; when, early in the afternoon, some one of them on the lookout descried a sail far off upon the horizon, which, from the whiteness of her canvas, as well as from its arrangement, was pronounced a “Yankee.” The Florida was put speedily on her track, but not until late in the afternoon were we sufficiently near the stranger to enable Captain Maffit to play the decoy; which he essayed to do this time by unfurling the English flag at the mast-head. The bark then ran up the colors of Denmark, and, courting our vicinage, seemed for a time to be bearing towards us. At the sight of the strange flag, (for strange it was, indeed, not one of the officers or crew of the pirate being sufficiently versed in nautical matters to tell to what nation it belonged,) there was an extraordinary fluttering among these highly cultivated and well-read (?) men, which finally ended in their referring to the officers of the Jacob Bell for the desired information. This point being settled by our not overlettered “Yankee” captain, and the bark not appearing to be in any hurry about courting our acquaintance, but, if anything, gradually shying off from us, Captain Maffit sailed more directly for her, and in the evening, after eight o’clock, fired one of his guns at her, which brought her to, and an officer boarded her.
Captain Maffit had told us in the afternoon that, should the bark prove to be a Danish vessel, bound for any of the islands, he should transfer us to her in case they would take us as passengers. We were, therefore, in no ordinary state of solicitude,—not daring to hope for our release, for fear of meeting with another painful disappointment.
The boat returned from the bark, and, after a little consultation among the pirates, was despatched a second time. It was already quite dark, and we, to all outward appearances quiet and composed, were sitting in the cabin,—the prey to thoughts and emotions which cannot be expressed,—silently awaiting our fate. When the boat returned for the second time, Captain Maffit held a consultation with several of his officers on a retired portion of the deck; after which, descending into the cabin, he told us that the vessel was a Dane, bound for the island of St. Thomas, and that her captain had consented to take us as passengers. Then, turning to Captain Frisbie, he said: “What do you say to taking her?” “I say take her; any port in a storm,” quickly replied the captain. It was then after nine o’clock. The sky was clear, and a few stars were shining, but there was no moon. There was, also, a sharp breeze, and considerable swell in the ocean; enough, certainly, to impress us with a sense of the formidable character of the adventure which we were about to make, the fearfulness of which now flashed upon our minds in all its appalling reality. It was like being on the roof of a house with all on fire beneath and around. Liberty, and life, for aught we knew, both depended upon facing the danger, and it did not take us long to understand and weigh the dreadful contingencies of the case; but, trusting ourselves to the guiding hand of that same kind Providence who had hitherto protected us, and hoping to reach the deck of the friendly bark in safety, we gathered up the remnant of our luggage, and prepared to take our departure.
We have already mentioned the fact that the officers of the Florida, although high-minded Southern gentlemen, were possessed of decidedly large organs of acquisitiveness. True to their natural or cultivated instincts, they could not let us depart without practising a little more of their honorable handicraft. When our luggage was brought out and piled on deck, just before our departure, we were assured that all of it should be safely sent on board. We had an undefined fear that some of it would be retained, but dared not intimate to Captain Maffit that we should like our things taken on board first, for fear of giving offence, and involving ourselves in some new trouble. We therefore concluded to patiently await the issue of events; but, as will be seen in the sequel, our fears proved well founded.
The reader must not lose sight, in what follows, of the fact that Captain Maffit had all along led me to believe that from kindly motives he had done all he could to protect us and our effects; and that, could he have controlled the pillagers, our packages would have remained untouched to burn with the ship. He also asserted that he had allowed us to have all the luggage he could, and that he greatly regretted we should have been so unfortunate. With these things in mind, the conversation held with him as he accompanied us from the companion-way of his cabin nearly to the bow of the vessel, where we were again to be lowered into the boat that was to receive us, will be readily understood; but we had little idea of the extent of the deception which he was again to practise upon us.
After remarking, as we passed the pile of luggage, that we had placed ours there, hoping it would all reach us safely, Captain Maffit said,—“It shall all be sent on board, Mrs. W——.” I then expressed my thanks for his civilities, adding, that we were grateful for his protection, and that our friends would also be thankful that, in our misfortunes, we personally had fared so well; whereupon he remarked something about it being very disagreeable for ladies to be situated as we had been, and expressed himself as extremely sorry for not having been able to make us more comfortable; after which I remarked,—“Captain Maffit, if you are taken, we hope you may be treated as well as you have treated us.” Responding quickly, he said,—“I hope I shall not be taken at all.” I dared not, in the midst of such surroundings, say, as I must, if a reply were given, that I wished him to be taken, and therefore was silent. Meanwhile we walked several steps, when the captain, divining my thoughts, continued,—“But I suspect, Mrs. W——, that you wish I may be taken?” This said interrogatively, enabled me to escape from my dilemma by the ready rejoinder,—“I shall not pray for it, Captain Maffit.” He then assisted me to disembark, and shaking hands, said, with great show of fervor and sincerity,—“Goodbye, God bless you”; which piece of acting being concluded, I was soon over the side of his disgusting vessel and being let down into the boat. This undertaking was no less perilous than our transfer to the bark, nor did we face either with undaunted nerves.
It was now half past nine o’clock. The steamer was rolling and pitching a good deal, and the wind had increased until the white caps, notwithstanding it was quite dark, were plainly visible. I shall not soon forget the terror experienced while suspended over the boat. Her appearance was as frail as a cockle-shell, and being tossed about like a feather, she was continually rising and falling with the sea, which rendered it difficult to keep her properly off from the steamer. While thus suspended, Captain Frisbie, sailor-like, clambered over and down the side of the vessel, and getting into the boat, called out,—“Now let her down easy.” Down went the chair for a moment, and then came the cry,—“Hold on! be careful! get her more from the side of the ship.” For a few moments a state of rest, with both mind and body in suspension, followed; then, again, was heard,—“Now, easy”; then up came the boat, reaching nearly to the top of the ship’s bulwarks; but directly I was lowered, and, being freed from the chair, grasped nervously the gunwale of the boat, and sitting down, awaited in dread and dismay the hoisting and lowering, in the same way, of the captain’s wife. The sailors then assisted Master Charlie and the captain’s little son down the ship’s side; and all being ready, we left, and were rowed half a mile in the darkness, through the breaking sea, while our boat leaked so much, that, although there was constant bailing, the water gained on us so fast that it was soon over the tops of my slippers, and I could feel and calculate its increase of depth. I observed that the sailors used great care, aiming to keep the boat in such a position that she would ride the waves as safely as possible; but Charlie, who sat near the bow, said that we twice came near shipping a sea and being submerged. On approaching the bark we found her also rolling and pitching fearfully, and the idea of getting sufficiently near her side to be taken on board seemed truly formidable; but, by God’s blessing, we also passed safely through this peril, and finding ourselves on her deck, were relieved of an herculean weight of anxiety and hopeless fear, such as no one can feel or understand unless made to pass through the same terrible ordeal.
The name of the bark was the Morning Star, then eight days from New York, and bound to the island of St. Thomas. She was in reality what the pirates first suspected, a “Yankee”; but having been recently sold, and placed under Danish colors, was saved from sharing the fate of the Jacob Bell. Like most of the small trading-vessels plying between New York and the West Indies, she was prepared to carry a few passengers, and had a nice cabin, with comfortable accommodations. We were received and welcomed on board in the most humane and kindly manner,—the captain directly giving up his private cabin, and having it arranged with two berths, for the use of Mrs. Frisbie and myself. Indeed, this little Morning Star, (Sterling, master,) proved herself a whole constellation of light, hope, and joy to us; her captain also proved a sterling commander; nor shall we cease being grateful to her officers for their warm-hearted civility and kindness.
It was after eleven o’clock when all the luggage was said to have been brought on board. The breeze had still further increased, and we were put under sail as speedily as possible; the captain and officers of the bark meanwhile congratulating one another on having escaped unscathed, and evidently glad to widen the distance between themselves and the pirate as fast as possible. I reached the deck of the bark not only with wet feet, but with the lower part of the skirts of my garments in the same uncomfortable condition. In my hand-trunk, it will be remembered, had been put what would make me comfortable in such an emergency; but the steward, after looking for it among the luggage as thoroughly as the confused state of things and the imperfect light of a lantern would permit, reported that it could not be found. We therefore conjectured that it was hidden under the pile of luggage, and would probably come to light in the morning. Happily Charlie was enabled, soon after we reached the cabin of the bark, to get at his trunk of clothing designed for the homeward voyage, and brought me a pair of his woollen hose, which were a comfortable substitute for my wet ones. The little trunk, however, not being found, I was compelled to seek another night’s rest in the same condition of personal discomfort in which we all slept on board the Florida.
In the morning my hand-trunk was still missing. It was secured by two locks; and, as already mentioned, was full to repletion with what was then to me more valuable than gold, and without which I must not only suffer, perhaps disastrously, from the cold weather on our coast, but be deprived of the means of making a respectable toilette. Through all the destruction of our property I had not thus far shed a tear for any of the many sacredly associated treasures destroyed so ruthlessly by men worse than Goth or Vandal; but the fact of the complete destitution to which I was reduced, in being deprived of all means of personal tidiness and womanly comfort, was too much, and the tears could not be repressed. My two trunks used for sea-clothing on the voyage were sent on board, but nearly all the supplies they contained when we left China having been worn and soiled, had been put into a large clothes-hamper, which was one of the lost packages. I was not certain, even, that I had clothes enough remaining to give myself a respectable garb; nor was it convenient, while on the bark, to get at the trunks in order to make a proper examination. Fortunately, on retiring I had placed my wet stockings where they dried during the night, and, as a dernier resort, was glad to be able to put them on again in the morning. Finding, also, in the counterpane bundle a forlorn old delaine frock, only intended to be worn in times of wretched sea-sickness, (when one, in order to recover, must be on deck in all kinds of weather,) it was soon appropriated, enabling my personal appearance to be only that of bare decency; while Miss Flora McFlimsey’s complaint of “nothing to wear,” (minus only the poetry,) came home to me in all the eloquence of unadorned truth. Perhaps some of the ungrateful Floras among my countrywomen might have learned a valuable lesson by being put to such straits; but I could not be wicked enough to wish any of them a taste of my experience unless they make themselves morally monstrous by claiming to sympathize with the Southern rebels, and boast of their disloyalty to our Government. For the thorough-bred Southern woman, with her rebelliously educated heart, I have much pitiful regard; but none for the shameless Northern defamer of her Government and the land of her birth.
On further search it was discovered, that besides the small trunk, the outlaws had kept a small package, well tied up with a rope, which contained a folding-chair, designed for sea-travel; a large fur rug from the Amoor River, which had been purchased at Fuh-chau, for comfort and protection from the cold as we neared the coast; an East India pillow, covered with fine matting, and a most desirable article in the tropics; and a silk sun-umbrella, having an outer covering of white calico, after the fashion of the East, together with several other articles of value from association. On leaving the pirate we had little thought of losing the trunk, but did have some fears that the roped package might be retained. When obtaining permission for the folding-chair to be brought on board the Florida with the rest of our luggage, I was careful not to tell Captain Maffit that it was made of a piece of oak taken from the old English man-of-war Minden, on board of which Mr. Key, during his imprisonment, wrote the “Star-Spangled Banner”; but Charlie, on returning from the Jacob Bell to the steamer on the day of the plundering, said that Captain Frisbie had very unwisely informed Captain Maffit of its origin, and that when it was about to be taken into the boat in order to be transferred, Captain Maffit forbade it, remarking, that it could not be taken off the Jacob Bell. I had, however, been very intent upon saving an article so sacred by reason of its associations, and had asked a subordinate officer of the Florida—who went on board the Jacob Bell at about the time his captain left her—if he would be so kind as to see the chair sent on board. Not knowing the order of his superior in regard to the matter, he did so; and being on deck when it was handed over the side of the steamer, I gladly pressed forward to receive it; to which no one objecting, (I think Captain Maffit was present,) it was deposited with other articles in our cabin. The fact that, during the afternoon we were in pursuit of the Danish bark, Captain Maffit had informed Captain Frisbie of his hoping, at about night-fall, to get us taken on board as passengers, led us to make some little preparation towards our desired departure; and while Charlie was engaged in arranging and tying up the package, (already described as containing the chair,) Captain Maffit entered the cabin, and after looking thoughtfully at the boy for a few moments, said,—“Why, Charlie, you are beginning early to prepare for leaving.” I then repeated what we understood he had said to Captain Frisbie, remarking, that we thought it the better way, in order not to cause any delay, to be partly in readiness; that the fur rug would, in my delicate state of health, be an important article of comfort in helping to shield me from the severe cold as we approached our coast; and that nearly all the articles in the package were necessary to our wants. He said nothing more, but sat some minutes longer, regarding our movements in thoughtful silence. I watched his countenance narrowly, and in spite of the mask, at other times so effectually worn, read his thoughts so completely to my satisfaction, that the moment he went on deck I said to my young friend,—“Captain Maffit does not mean we shall have these things.” We did not, however, allow ourselves to think that he could be so cruelly contemptible as to retain them by stealth. All the articles, except the chair, were doubtless appropriated to his own use; and the latter, if not destroyed, was probably kept as a trophy, which, in connection with the loyal people of the North, will be made a subject of abuse and wanton ridicule.
The fact that the following incidents, which occurred during the first two or three days of our capture, did not really open my eyes to the character of the man with whom we had to deal, may seem extraordinary; but fright and anxiety, together with my unprotected and helpless position, had rendered me very timid, and strangely stupefied my faculties.
In giving Master Charlie’s description of the plundering scene, I have spoken of the articles discarded and thrown on the deck of the Jacob Bell by the marauders. Some few of these articles were picked up by the boy, and Captain Maffit being near, told him that anything thus procured could be presented to me, and be accepted, without injuring my insurance. On returning to the Florida, he repeated the same thing to me; and just then seeing a new table-cloth, with a dozen napkins to match,—(which I recognized as belonging to my trunk of table and bed linen,)—hanging over the rail, or side of the companion-way, I said,—“And are these, also, for me?” “No, those belong to the ship,” Captain Maffit quickly replied, and soon after they were taken to his cabin. Captain Maffit’s table, where we were entertained, was also found ornamented, at every meal, with my very nice and rare Oriental table-mats. There were two sets, each of a different style; and both kinds were indiscriminately used at the same meal. The silver taken from the Jacob Bell was also used at our table, while mine, as I shall show presently, was kept in the ward-room. Some who admire and sympathize with the self-styled gentlemen and polished officers commanding the rebel piratical vessels, may perhaps regard the placing so many familiar objects before us as only an evidence of their high breeding and kind desire to make our surroundings as pleasant and home-like as possible!
One day, when speaking of our losses and remarking on the pillaging, Captain Maffit, after saying that he could not control his officers nor prevent it, related how, at the time, one officer came to him, after a package of Oriental articles had been broken open, and told him that “now was the time for him to get a beautiful present for his daughter”; and how he replied to him,—“When I want to make my daughter a present I’ll pay for it.” To appreciate these incidents one should have seen the fine acting, and the very proper emotion to suit the sentiment, expressed in the captain’s face. A few days after our arrival in New York, an old Southern friend—a native of Charleston, and a branch of a family in high position in that city—informed us that Captain Maffit married a widow, Mrs. Reed, of Charleston, who was a Laurens, and of one of the most opulent families of that city. Lieutenant Reed is her son, and therefore Captain Maffit’s step-son.[47] This young Lieutenant Reed superintended the officers who broke open and plundered our property. After seeing a part of our silver carried into the ward-room, and mentioning the fact to Captain Maffit’s steward that some of the spoons were very valuable to me from family associations, and that I should like to get them, he told some one of the officers our wishes, but quickly returned, merely remarking, that Lieutenant Reed had ordered our silver taken into the ward-room, and from his manner we readily understood that it was useless to beg further for anything. Captain Maffit was undoubtedly in collusion with Lieutenant Reed, and not only ordered him how to proceed in the plundering, but directed that all the valuables should be taken into the ward-room, where they remained until we left the steamer. There is no question in my mind that the box, containing the valuable article from Peking,—which Captain Maffit coolly told me could not be found,—was at that time in Lieutenant Reed’s possession, and being safely kept for the captain, who was thus enabled to present his daughter not only with a beautiful, but a magnificent gift. The fact, also, that my small hand-trunk was well secured with two locks, and that I was careful to take it with me into the boat which conveyed us from the Jacob Bell to the pirate, probably inclined Captain Maffit and his officers to fancy that it might contain costly articles of jewelry; and the former, led by his cupidity, ordered it not to be delivered on board the Danish bark.
Had Captain Maffit, instead of masking his designs under this cowardly hypocrisy, at once told us that all the property on board the Jacob Bell was his prize, and that the most desirable and valuable things we had he and his officers wanted and would have, he would have commanded our respect as a straightforward, out-spoken, fearless enemy,—a sort of honorable freebooter,—who, although a traitor to the best of Governments, had not yet fallen so low as to be beneath either pity or contempt.
The captain of the Morning Star said that we were about two hundred miles north of the island of Sombrero when he took us on board; and as we had a fair breeze during the 18th and 19th, on the morning of the 20th we passed this island, together with that of St. Johns, entering the harbor of the island of St. Thomas a little after noon of the same day. The scenery in the vicinity of the harbor is attractive and lovely; and the little town—which is most picturesquely situated—consists chiefly of one long street lined with buildings, with an occasional dwelling perched on the bold hill-side or distant mountain-slope. The houses are mostly of brick, of one story, and are built and tiled in the Dutch fashion. I had neither heart nor strength to go on shore, to view and enjoy the scenery to better advantage; nor did I, in all my travels, visit any other place with such painful indifference. The desire and hope of being spared to get safely out of the tropics, and to reach home and friends, absorbed every other thought; and having entire possession of my being was the burden of all my reflections. Therefore, waiting only to learn how and when we could proceed on our journey to New York, we remained on the bark.
Although annoyed at the necessity, it seemed highly imprudent in Master Charlie and I—unprotected as we were—to risk sailing further under any but a neutral flag; and learning that the Delta—an English mail-steamer of the Cunard line, plying between St. Thomas and Halifax—was in port, and would leave on her return voyage, via the island of Bermuda, the next day at twelve o’clock, we hoped to take passage in her. Although this was a circuitous route, and the winter passage from Bermuda to Halifax was usually very tempestuous, if not perilous, it nevertheless seemed to be the most direct and safe way for us to get home, unless we chose to remain in the tropics a month or two longer.
On the morning of the 21st, Mr. Edgar, our consul at St. Thomas, a gentleman of pleasing address and refined manners, came on board to see if any of the crew of the Jacob Bell would ship for a year’s cruise in the United States man-of-war Alabama, which, together with two other of our vessels of war, was then lying in the harbor. The Alabama left at noon of that day, and steamed off in pursuit of the Florida. An opportunity presenting itself, I informed Mr. Edgar of our situation and wishes; whereupon he kindly advised us to take the Bermuda and Halifax route,—it being our best course,—and kindly begging me not to be anxious, nor to trouble myself any further as to our arrangements, said he would see that our passage was promptly secured.
Our few preparations were immediately made, and Captain Frisbie, who had gone on shore with Mr. Edgar, returning with our tickets, accompanied us to the steamer. Our shabbily forlorn and bizarre personal appearance, as we went on board the Delta, would have struck strangers as irresistibly amusing, had not the tale of our misfortunes preceded us. Our trunks were much soiled and marred,—one so much so as to render it necessary to be lashed together with a rope; and not having had an opportunity to pack away the contents of our counterpane bundle, nor the little bag of books, but taking them as originally tied up in our state-room into the boat with us, it may be safely said that we made up a picture, the tout ensemble of which must have been painfully ludicrous, and as thoroughly emigrant-like as any one could desire.
Through the humane and thoughtful kindness of Mr. Edgar, we were put in charge of Captain T. W. Walker, who, being on his return from India to his home in Boston, had also taken passage in the Delta. It was a gracious Providence that placed us in the care of one so kind and gentlemanly, and who did so much to change the current of our thoughts, then so sadly perturbed by the perils and anxieties through which we had passed. We shall ever hold him in grateful remembrance for his inestimable services and unfailing attention throughout the voyage, with its numerous detentions, until he had placed us safely in the hands of friends who met us at the Boston wharf. We also found Captain Hunter—the commander of the Delta—to be a noble specimen of the generous and polite English sailor, and indefatigable in his efforts to make us comfortable and happy. This kind interest in our welfare continued after our arrival in Halifax; and we shall not forget his active exertions in regard to our comfort on board the Arabia, nor his thoughtful message in relation to us, which we learned after leaving for Boston, he had sent to Captain Anderson and his officers.
I have spoken in another place of not having been able, while on board the friendly bark, to make any change in my clothing; nor was that luxury enjoyed until we went on board the Delta. We were there provided with a large state-room, where our luggage, bundles, and all, were deposited and examined; and for the first time (it being the ninth day after our capture) I made a thorough change of toilette.
We had a fine run, and were soon out of the withering heat of the tropics, and beginning to feel the life-renewing and bracing influence of a more northern atmosphere. With a change of climate our courage also revived, and we dared to look once more towards the dear home-land with grateful hope; losing our thoughts in the fond expectation of again meeting those from whom we had so long been severed, and to whom, it at one time seemed, we never should return.
The morning of the 24th of February found us within sight of the island of Bermuda. When a few miles out a pilot came alongside, and an old colored man was soon piloting us into the beautifully picturesque harbor of St. George. The keen, vigilant eye of this man seemed to pierce beyond the narrow, but lovely passage, we were entering; and when standing upon the upper deck,—his tall and straight figure, with head thrown back, and his dexter-finger pointing, now to the right and then to the left,—strongly reminded us of an oracular seer. The water of St. George’s harbor is very pellucid, and the beautiful coral formations at the bottom can be distinctly seen as you pass to the shore. Our stay at this island—which is a gem of the sea—was only for twenty-four hours, but long enough for us to visit the beautiful scenes in the vicinity of St. George, and to be charmed with the mere coup d’œil we took of them. Under more auspicious circumstances we should have been glad to remain there a month, as one of its opulent citizens kindly proposed we should do, in order to recruit for our further voyage to Halifax. Carrying wherever we went, with the story of our misfortunes, the first news of the destruction of the richest prize that had been taken by the rebel pirates, we naturally became objects of peculiar interest, and while on our little sight-seeing excursion to the settlement and vicinity of St. George, met with acts of civility and delicate kindness that deeply touched our hearts.
There were two long, low, lead-colored, sidewheeled English steamers, designed for running the blockade, lying in the port when we arrived; one of which was already loaded with merchandise, and was getting up steam to leave for Charleston as we sailed for Halifax. There was a rumor that she had caused a great dearth in the article of ladies’ gloves, her owners having purchased the entire stock of the little town of St. George to take to the ladies of Charleston.
Our passage from Bermuda to Halifax—especially through the Gulf Stream—was very boisterous, and attended with some peril. During our entire voyage from China—with the exception of the gale we encountered at the Cape of Good Hope—we experienced nothing comparable to it, and sometimes it seemed as though our little steamer must be engulfed. But Captain Hunter was an experienced and ready officer, evidently possessing, even to the uninitiated in nautical matters, that savoir-faire in his profession, which, united to his calm self-reliance and frank, gentlemanly bearing, banished anxiety, and gave us the greatest confidence in his ability and skill. The winter is too severe and stormy on this route for women, unless compelled by necessity, to incur the hazards of the season; hence I was the only female among the passengers. Our fellow-travellers were few, and mostly English gentlemen. Some of them were in Her Majesty’s service, and seemed amazed at the pirate-like treatment which we had received from such brave and high-minded gentlemen as, they supposed, were to be found among the officers of the “Confederate privateers!” Captain Walker had formerly been in our naval service, and between him and our English friends there was every day more or less earnest, but calm and reasonable, conversation in regard to the unhappy state of our country, as well as to the position and relative merits of the controversy between the North and South; but no unkind remarks were made, nor did I hear even so much as a bit of pleasantry repeated, at the expense of our Government, in my presence.