USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics. Volume II > Part 67
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" When I was young, sir, I was called a leetle the best shot in Kennebunk, and I guess I could fetch a turkey at a hundred yards now with a straight rifle."
" Then, sir, do you take charge of the twelve muskets, and let Jim load for us as fast as you fire, while the Doctor and I will keep my own tools busy ?"
The pirate's launch was now manned and pull- ing ten oars at us lustily, while a group of men were collected forward and in the stern sheets of her, perhaps twenty or twenty-five altogether scarcely a mile astern, and as we were almost entirely becalmed, gained rapidly on us. There was no occasion to call the people aft to give my orders, for they were collected round the capstan with anxious faces and blanched checks.
" If they succeed in getting alongside, boys," said I, " we will retreat with our arms to the cab- in, and let them board us, and through the win- dows and cabin door we may clear the decks; if not, I shall reserve my last pistol for the powder magazine, which is at hand, and we will all go to- gether, and disappoint the rascals."
" But I trust it will not be necessary to come to that. Nail down the forecastle, Mr. Turner. If they get alongside, mind every one retreat to the cabin, or die like a dog on deck, if he pleases."
" There they shoot, sir, and pull ahead as if af- ter a whale," said the mate; " and here comes a little breeze too-perhaps it will strike us before the villains get near enough."
" They are in the range of the rifle, sir."
" No, sir, wait until they get near enough to be sure of the leader-within a hundred yards.
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There she breezes, thank God! 'Good full,' Brown, and nothing off. We have the breeze be- fore the schooner, but it is very light yet, and the launch gains fast. Now, Doctor, stand by, mind you, ram the balls home, be cool, never mind the patches. Stand by, Tompkins, aim at the group in the bow, while I take the stern; are you ready ?"
" Yes sir!"
" Fire!" and down went the rascal at the til- ler, and one also at the bow.
" Load her quick, Doctor, and let me give them Joe Manton; in the mean time fire away Tomp- kins, as fast as you please, only take good aiin- be cool."
" Cool as a cucumber, sir."
My double-barrelled gun dropped one oar in the water, and caused some confusion in the after part of the boat.
" Put it into them, sir-we have not lost a ball yet. Give me the rifle, Doctor."
" Yes, sir, she is ready. I spit on the bait for luck."
This discharge caused them, with the increased breeze, to lay on their oars an instant, and then pull round for the schooner; they had only six | oars out.
" 'Three cheers my lads, and fire as long as you can reach then. There, the schooner begins to feel the breeze. Mr. Turner, run up the weather studding sails-keep her off two points, for he must pick up his boat. There, she breezes, thank Heaven! steady, Mr. Brown, steady."
" Steady, sir."
" Keep her straight, for your life. Steward, give the lads a glass of grog at once."
By the time the schooner had picked up her boat and hoisted her on board, we had gained a mile or two, and we were now going eight or nine knots with a free wind.
" Watch her close, Tompkins; let me know if she gains on us."
" Ay, ay, sir."
" Mr. Turner, we are a little by the stern; car- ry every thing portable chock forward-carpen- ter's chest, harness; roll those two after casks forward-be lively, sir. Swab those guns out, Doctor, we'll have another dab at them yet, I fear, for he sails like a witch."
" Yes, sir, him going to Africa, ivory and gold dust-dat's what they call nigger trading."
" She gains, sir, but slowly; he hasn't got the bsst of the breeze yet, perhaps."
" So, that will do, Mr. Turner, now get a small pull of your weather top-sail and top-gallant bra- ces. Well, sir-well all!"
" They are hoisting that great square sail, sir, and she springs to it like a tiger."
" Mr. Turner, slack a little of your top-mast, and top-gallant backstays to the windward-care- fully, sir, not much-and then send all chock for- ward-every pound will help."
" Four bells, sir; hold the reel."
" No, never mind the bells, nor the reel, Tomp- kins; what use is it to us now? Keep your eye on the schooner, and let me know when the six pounders will tell on him; and we may shoot away his top-mast by good luck."
" Ay, ay, sir."
Tompkins was so mechanically correct in every thing that he would, no doubt, have brought his quadrant on deck and observed for the sun, if it had been noon, and I had not inter- fered. He was as cool as possible, and his con- duct seemed to put nerve into the men.
" He gains fast, sir; I can see the red cap on the rascal at the helm-let me give him a shot, sir."
" Well, sir, fire away ii you think you can reach him. Doctor, bring your loggerhead, and when I give the word, touch her quick! So, lift her breech a little Tom, so, so, stand by -- give it to her!" and away went our little shot and struck the water about two-thirds of the way to the schooner.
" Load up again, Tompkins, and leave out the- canister, and the shot will go straighter; aim higher than before, say the royal-now give it to him!"
"Plump into her square sail, sir; but forty thousand such would'nt hit him hard. Oh, if we only could borrow his Long Tom for an hour or two. The Sarpint is sure of us or he would fire it himself."
At this crisis the chase was only a mile or a mile and a half astern, and could easily have bored us through; but I presume he was afraid to yaw his vessel enough to bring the gun to bear, and it would no doubt kill his wind in a consid- erable degree, and, as he was gaining preceptibly, he calculated to be alongside of us long before night.
" Load up again, sir, and I will try my luck for it must be a mere chance shot that does him any harm."
" All ready, sir."
" Stand by, Doctor, and when I give the word touch her quick -- fire."
The shot struck the water just under the bow. " Now for the other gun; I shall do better- ready-fire ! His top-mast totters! it falls, by heavens!"
A spontaneous cheer from our crew seemed to assure us of safety. "Give me the glass boy. They are cutting the wreck away as fast as pos- sible, still determined to overhaul us. Keep off two points, round in the weather braces a full, run out that lower studding-sail-be handy, lads. Watch the rascals, Mr. Tompkins, and let us know if we gain on him."
" Ay, ay, sir."
The breeze was now fresh, well on the quar- ter, and we were sure to gain on him until his top-mast can be replaced, which, with a large and active crew, bent on revenge, would cost him but an hour's work.
" She drops, sir, she drops! I can but just see that nigger's head on the flag; half an hour ago I could see the marrow bones."
" Very well, sir, let the people get a bite of din- ner, for we shall have more work to do yet to get clear of him, if we do at all."
" I don't know what more we can do sir, un- less we grease the bottom," said Tompkins, with a smile.
'. We have yet one principal resort, my dear sir, and we will do it the moment we get some- thing to work upon, if he gains upon us."
Tompkins cut a new quid of tobacco, of which he had made uncommonly free use that mern- ing, and by that only did he show any sign of anxiety.
" Get your dinners, Mr. Tompkins and Mr. Turner; I can't go down to eat while that fellow is dogging us. Send me a bite of biscuit, and a glass of wine,"
" Ay, ay, sir."
It was now about one o'clock, and the schoon- er dropping slowly, while the preparation to fit a new top mast were accordingly progressing .-
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In ten minutes all hands were again on deck, anxiously watching. As Tompkins came on deck, I heard him say to Turner-
"Consarn me, if I know what the old man is going at; we've done all human nature can do, and he's not given to praying."
".How long, Tompkins, will it take him to catch us, when he makes all sail again, at the rate he gained before?"
"Three or four hours, sir. He will be along- side before sunset, I reckon."
By two o'clock, his top-sail and tog-gallant were again set; and twenty minutes more, in his studding sails, royal and ringtail, and it was evi- dent that he began to gain apace, though now more than four miles astern.
" Mr. Tompkins, we will now try our last re- sort."
" Ay, ay, sir."
" Break open the hatches, saw the rail and bul- warks off abreast them, and tumble up those bales as fast as possible."
This idea had evidently never entered into the heads of any of the crew or officers; and the long faces with which they had seen the pirate gain- ing on us, were instantly changed to faces of hope. In ten minutes the cook and the second mate had sawed off the rail and bulwarks, the hatches were off, and the bales coming up faster than any ever before came out of her, and over- board.
" Look to your trim, Mr. Tompkins, do not take too many from one side, Send boy Jim on the poop to keep an account of the number as they pass by. Over with them, boys, you are now working for your lives." But no encour- agement was necessary, for the men, striped to their trousers only, worked like tigers.
" Mr. Tompkins, cut away the stern boat; every little helps-let her go, sir, at once-that's it. These large bales will oblige him to steer wild or to run against them."
We continued this work for nearly an honr, before we began perceptibly to gain on the schooner. But by four o'clock he had dropped more than a mile; yet to make sure, we did not abate our exertions until five o'clock, when four hundred out of a thousand bales had been thrown over. During the operation I could hardly re- frain from laughing at the remarks which escaped from the men after we began to gain.
" Huzza, boys!" said one, "over with them, the under-writers are rich."
" Watch there-watch!" cried another, as he rolled a bale over; " them will do for him to buy niggers with."
" I wish my old woman had a bale of that," said the Doctor.
As soon as the pirate discovered that we were gaining, he gave us several shots from his Long Tom, but the distance was too great, and by sun- set he was hull down from the poop; a few min- utes after he hauled in his square-sail and stud- ding-sails, and rounded too; and when last seen, was very busy in picking up the bale goods, which would no doubt come in play, though not quite so acceptable to him as the dollars would have been, sweetened with blood. At dusk, we could but just discern the villain, lying to.
" See all secure in hold, Mr. Tompkins, and put on the hatches; and as we have a steady trade-wind, let her go till midnight South South- West; and let all hands get some rest. I must do the same, for I am nearly done up."
The excitement being over, I was nearly pros-
trate, and after thanking God with more fervor and sincerity than I prayed before, I threw my- self into my berth, but had a feverish and dreamy sleep till twelve o'clock, when my trusty mate called me according to orders.
" Twelve o'clock, sir."
" How is the wind and weather?"
"Fresh trade, sir-clear and pleasant -- moon just rising-going nine, large."
" Take in the lower studding-sail, Tompkins, and haul up South and East, if she'll go it good full."
" Ay, ay, sir."
It is sufficient to inform the patient reader that we saw no more of the pirate, and made much better progress now that our bonny barque was in ballast trim only. We finished our passage without further trouble. Many were the jokes cracked by all hands, as they talked over the events of that day's excitement. The under- writers not only paid for the cargo thrown over- board at once, on receiving the news, but, on learning the particulars, voted a piece of plate for me, and a gratuity in cash for the mates and men in equal value.
In conclusion, I have merely to remark, that the above tale is founded on facts, and is not ex- pected to interest any, except nautical men, being too full of technicalities to amuse the general reader, and too imperfect to claim the notice of the literati.
Recollections of the last Sixty Years .- No. 9. BY Col. J. JOHNSTON, of Piqua.
I spent some of my early years in the ancient town of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in the family of an aged, respectable citizen-the late Judge John Creigh. Gen. Armstrong was born in that town-the son of Gen. John Armstrong of the revolution-who was from the same parish in the county of Fermanagh, Ireland, from which my honoured father and mother emigrated to the United States, sixty years ago, and where I was born, in the year 1775. In passing home from Washington to the west, I think in 1809, I took the town of Carlisle in my route; and called to see my old and venerable preceptor, Judge Creigh. The conversation turned upon Gen. Armstrong, then the Minister of the United States in France. The old Judge remarked-he was born here; I have known him from infancy; was a bad boy, is a bad man; and although possessed of talents, he never had any good principles-and added, that the President could not have sent a more suita- ble tool to the Court of St. Cloud-alluding to the total disregard of the just rights of nations and individuals which dictated the policy of Bona- parte. This was the opinion of one who knew the author of the Newburg letters, and corres- ponded exactly with that which I afterwards formed of the man, on reading some of his orders to Gen. Harrison-orders which if carried out, would have disgraced any civilized nation in the world.
Governor Harrison was superintendent of In-
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dian affairs within Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan. His power and patronage were very extensive; in a great measure unlimited. Mr. Jefferson had the most unbounded confidence in his patriotism, wisdom, and integrity. I have no recollection of the Executive ever having nega- tived any of his recommendations. His numer- ous treaties with the Indians of the Northwest were conceived and executed in the spirit of pa- ternal kindness and benevolence: his government over them was distinguished for mercy and lib- erality, wisdom and justice. In 1840 I received a message from Caldwell, the Putawatimie chief, as follows :- My old friend and father Johnston, I still hold you fast by the hand, even up to the shoulder, (meaning that nothing could break his friendship for me.) I have been for three years past invited by my father, (meaning the repre- sentative of Mr. Van Buren) to come and make a treaty with him. I have shut my ears against him, for he is a liar and speaks with two tongues. But I hear my old friend and father, Harrison, is soon to become President, and when he becomes my father again, I will go and settle the business of my nation with him. And although I fought hard against him last war I know him to be hon- est, and will not cheat or tell me lies. About the same time I received many messages of gratula- tion from other Indian chiefs. They were all de- lighted at the prospect of Harrison becoming their great father. Poor fellows, his death blast- ed all their hopes. More than once the President declared in my hearing his firm purpose of hav- ing a total change made in the government of the Indians. They and the old soldiers of the cam- paigns of Harmar, St. Clair, and Wayne, were looking up to him for justice long delayed. Had Providence spared him they would not have been disappointed. Ycars before his election he told me he was so annoyed by the applications of old soldiers that he thought he should be compelled to spend a winter at Washington, in order to make known their claims to Congress; but he said his finances would illy justify the expense.
Pending the presidential election in 1840, Gen. Harrison was occasionally an inmate at Upper Piqua. He was there a few months previous to the death of my beloved wife, she had enjoyed his acquaintance for almost forty years, and took a deep interest in all that concerned his happi- ness and fame. She was an humble, pious and devoted christian, and cherished a sincere desire to see all others in possession of those hopes which sustained her through a life spent in the wilds of the west under circumstances of more than ordi- nary trial and difficulty. She sought an oppor- tunity of conversing with the General on the subject of religion, urging upon him that as he was getting old it was time he should turn his
attention to the close of his earthly career, and seek his peace with God in the gospel of his Son. He replied that he was long convinced it was his duty to make a public profession of christianity, that the people of the United States had made him a candidate for the Presidency, that if he was then to unite with the church it would be ascribed to a desire for popularity, and would do the cause of religion a serious injury and make himself the subject of uncharitable remarks in the political journals, but, said he, as soon as this contest for the Presidency is over, let it be adverse or pros- perous to myself, it is my purpose if my life is spared, to make a public profession of religion after the inauguration. It is well known that the President had the proper understanding with the Rev. Doctor Hawley of St. John's Church in Washington, to become a member of that church on Easter Sunday, April, 1841. The Dr. stated this fact over his remains. Late in March, 1841, I went to the President's house on a Sunday evening, the whole house was filled with visitors of all sorts, I was pained to see this, on account of the character of its incumbent; at last an op- portunity occured of my speaking to the Presi- dent, I told him I was sorry to see the house the resort of such a multitude of idle persons on the Sabbath day, that I feared those matters would get into the newspapers and injure his character. He said he regreted much himself that persons would visit him on that day, that the city was full of people and all wanted to see him, but as soon as the crowd dispersed and went home, that house in future would be closed against all visits on the Sabbath day. He remarked further, to shew you how much I have been engaged since coming into this house, I do not know a servant in it but the porter at the door, I do not know the man that cooks my dinner. Both before and after the inauguration, the President had seen fit to notice myself on several occasions, and made me the medium of confidential communication between himself and others; this gave me out of doors, with many persons, the character of a fa- vourite. I was therefore frequently called upon to present persons to the President elect and the President defacto. I evaded this as much as pos- sible, because the calls were so frequent as to give the General the most serious annoyance. At times I had so many individuals to present that it became necessary to have a written list of the names and read them off at the presentation. At length I concluded to decline all further service in that way, out of regard to the value of the President's time, his comfort and peace. A few days before I left the city, a member of Congress called on me to present a friend of his to the Pre- sident, remarking that he had not time to go him- self. I said I had declined taking any one there
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for some days, but to oblige him would take his friend, and named the hour at which I would be ready. The gentleman came, and we repaired to the White House; I introduced my friend, the Rev. Mr. Hand, of the Methodist church, from the lower counties of Pennsylvania. The Pre- sident replied, I am under obligations to the Methodists, for they all voted for me. Yes, said I, General, and all the praying people of the U. States voted for you. I believe it was so, was his reply. I spoke to him twice in favour of some democratic gentlemen in office who were apprehensive of being displaced. I knew them to be good officers, and as far as I could ascertain had not interfered with the elections of the peo- ple. He said he did not wish to turn any deserv- ing man out of office, but the office holders had so generally perverted their official influence and power to control the elections every where, that he believed if he did justice to the country very few of them could be retained; if his life was spared he would see that in future they would let the people do their own voting. An old resident in Washington remarked to myself, your Presi- dent will be the most popular man in Washing- ton of any that has ever occupied the White House. Although he has been here but a month, he is so much out among the people that more persons know him already than knew Mr. Van Buren in all his four years.
A Glossary.
The modern peripatetics who go about picking pockets by law, take as many liberties with the English language as they do with the public at large. They not only call themselves by new names, as other depredators on society are known by aliases, but they assume time honored titles which have been borne by some of the most dis- tinguished names in Science and the Arts. As a landmark for future reference, I propose to re- cord what these titles once meant, lest that mean- ing should be lost sight of, as is threatened by their innovations and assumptions.
A professor once signified a man who having devoted almost a lifetime to the study of some particular Science, became so eminent for his knowledge as to be called to teach it within the walls of an University. Porson on Philology, Davy and Faraday on Chemistry, Lardner on Astronomy, were known as Professors world wide. Mcclellan and Mott, Silliman, Hare and Locke have sustained the same title in our own country, in various departments of Science with honor to themselves and the community of which they make a part. Now we have for Professors such men as Gouraud, Smith, Bronson, &c., mere vagabond empirics in mnemotechny, mesmerism, neurology, &c.
Originally the title Doctor signified learned and wise, and it has accordingly been confered in past ages upon men distinguished above their fellows in theology, law, medicine, &c. Now, every man, however illiterate, who practices medicine is a Doctor, equally with the most re- nowned physician. Every apothecary's boy also is dubbed Doctor now-a-days.
Once the performer on the fiddle was a fiddler, on the harp, a harper, on the fife, a fifer, on the drum, a drummer. These are now new named by themselves. The fiddler is a violinist, or vio- lincellist, the harper, a harpist, the piano and flute players are pianists and flutists. I believe we have not got so far yet as to honor the drummer and fifer by the title drummist or fifist-this, if they exhibited themselves in public halls, would doubtless have been long since the case.
What was once a milliner is now a modist. Do not mistake the word for modest. The two terms have nothing in common. The writing master is metamorphosed into a calligraphist, as the edi- tor will coubtless soon be into a paragraphist. The old fashioned pastry cook is now an artiste. What was a public singer in former days is in modern times a vocalist, if a squaller in petti- coats, a cantatrice. Cockatrice I should think a more expressive and appropriate term. An im- pudent hussy, whose exposure of her nakedness would once have brought blushes on the cheeks of the spectators, is a danseuse-Fanny Elsler for example. Let me not forget in this list of these distinguished characters the corn curer. He is in modern days a chiropedist.
The Ne Plus Ultra of Rivalry.
At New York and Philadelphia, as well as at Cincinnati and New Orleans, the security of Iron Fire Safes forms a subject of lively interest But I have never seen the professional spirit, as well as local characteristics, more fully developed than in a late New Orleans print, in which one safe dealer proposes to his competitor to submit their respective Safes to the usual ordeal of fire, each party to be locked up in his own safe! as test of the sincerity of his confidence in its incombustibility. His antagonist declines it, only, as he says, be- cause it would bring the parties under the strin- gent provisions respecting duelling incorporated into the new constitution of Louisiana !!
The Masonic Hall.
Only two years since and Cincinnati was more deficient in halls for concerts or lectures, than any city of equal size and importance in our re- public. We have now reversed this order of things in the erection of Concert Hall, Washing- ton Hall, Masonic and Odd Fellows Halls, the hall in Mr. Williams' buildings, corner Fourth
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and Walnut, and the great hall in the new Col- lege edifice. The last three are not finished, of course their, acoustic character and capacity for public use cannot be accurately known. But the hall of the Masonic building has now been fully tested, and the result is truly gratifyi g to our city pride. It has been pronounced by those who have given concerts within its walls to be unique in its adaptation to such purposes. Those who have cxhibited in the Musical Fund Hall, Phila- delphia, the Apollo Hall, Louisville, and the Ar- mory Hall, New Orleans, which bear a high repu- tation in this line, give the MASONIC Hall the pref- erence, and indeed assert that if this last were furnished in the style of the Armory Hall, it would be unrivaled for concert exhibitions by any saloon they have seen in London itself.
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