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v
THE FLOWERS COLLECTION
VOL. V. J.H.&WB. SEALS,}
ATLANTA GA., MAY 10, 1879.
Terms in advance:} No. 20L
evestiauties.
[From the German of Heine.]
O sluggish and silent sea.
Where never a barque hath sailed;
O shores of the realm to be.
When the summit of hope is scaled;
In the vastness of Time, shall we,
When the day star on high hath paled,
Abide by that desolate sea,
Where never a barque hath sailed.
REPLY BY CHARLES W. HtYNIS,
A sluggish and silent sea,
Where never * barque hath sailed
Thou art not,O Eternity !
When the summit of hope is scaled,
A wcndrous fair sight shall be
To the eye of the soul unveiled—
A vision that hidden shall be
Till the day-star o'earth hath paled.
From out of the halcyon sea
Happy isles, where Ike Blessed dwell,
In star-like infinity,
And verdure perennial,swell;
And thitherward ceaselessly
Thou sailest, O Azrael!
Swift over the opaline sea,
With ghosts in thy shadowy shell!
THE DUELLO;
015,
A FOINTOF HONOR.
The True and Tried Hero.
A Thrilling Sketch, Complete in this issne.
One evening in the autumn of the year 1S42, seven
i „ . . in lu.i'vc-j.ys'-tf ere «•'ling nptl ch«etinc
in a state of hilarious gay.ety in front of Setter Ar-
guellas’ country-house, a mile or so out of Santiago
de Cuba, in the Eastern Intendancia of the Queen
of the Antilles, and once its chief, capital, when an
incident occurred that as effectually' put an extin
guisher upon the noisy mirth its if a bomb-shell had
suddenly expl< ded a! our feet.
Three of our company were merchants—South
erners and smart traders, extensively connected
with the commerce of the Colombian Archipelago,
and designing .0 sail on the morrow, wind and
weather permitting, in the bark Neptune— Starkey,
master and part owner—for the Morant Bay, Ja
maica ; one was lieutenant in the Spanish artillery,
and nephew of our host; another was a M. Dupont,
a young and rich creole, of mingled French and
Spanish parentage, and the reputed suitor for the
bund of Donna Antonia—the daughter and sole
heiress of Senor At guellas, and withal a graceful
and charming maiden of eighteen—a t-.^g age in
that precocious clime ; the sixth guest v as Captain
Starkey of the Neptune, 3 gentlemanly, fine-look
ing English seaman of about ihiriy years of age ;
the seventh and last was myself, at that time a mere
youngster, and hut just recovered from a severe fit
of sickness which a twelve month previously had
necesitated nty removal from Jamaica to the much
more temperate and iqua 1 climate of Cuba, albeit
ti e two islands are only distant about live degrees
from each other. 1* was also one of Captain
Starkey’s passengers, and so was Senor Arguellas,
who lias business to w ind up in Kingston. He w as
to be accompanied by Senora Arguellas, Antonia,
the young lieutenan*, and M. Dupont. The Nep
tune. had brought a cargo of sundries, consisting of
hardware, cottons, etcetera, to Cuba, and was re
turning about half-laden with goods. Amongst
these, belonging to the American merchants, -was a
number of barrels of gun-powder that had proved
unsalable in Cuba, and which, it was thought,
might find a satisfactory market in Jamaica. There
was excellent cabin accomodation on board Captain
Starkey’s vessel, and as the weather was fine, and
the passage promised to he a brief as well as pleas
ant one—the wind lia\ ing shifted to the north w est,
with the intention it seemed of remaining there for
some time—we were all, as I have stated, in exceed
ingly good-humor, and discussing the intended trip,
Cuban, American, and European politics, the com
parative merits of French and Spanish wines, and
Havana and Alabama cigars, with infinite glee
and gusto.
The evening, too was deliciously bright and clear.
The breeze, pronounced by Captain Starkey to he
rising to a five or six knot one at sea, only’ suffi
ciently stirred the rich and odorous vegetation of
the valleys, stretching faraway’ beneath us, gently’
to fan the heated faces of the party with its grate
ful perfume, and slightly ripple the winding rivers,
rivulets rather, which everywhere intersect and ir
rigate the island, and which were now glittering
with the myriad splendors of the intensely-lustious
stars that diadem a Cuban night. Nearly all the
guests had drunk very freely of wine, too much so,
indeed ; but the talk, in French, which all could
speak tolerably,did not profane the calm glory of the
scene, till some time after Senora Arguellas and her
da ught* r had left us. The senor, I should state, was
still detained in business which it was necessary he
should dispose of previous to embarking for Ja
maica.
“Do not go away,” said Senora Arguellas, ad
dressing Captain Starkey, as she rose from her seat,
“till I see you again. \Vhen you are at leisure,
ring the sonnette on the table and a servant will
inform me. I wish to speak further with you rela
tive to the cabin arrangements.”
Captain Starkey bowed. I had never, I thought,
seen Antonia smile so sweetly ; and the two ladies
left us. 1 do not precisely remember how it came
about, or what first led to it, but it was not very
long before we were all conscious that the conver
sation had assumed a disagreeable tone. It str uck
Jt me that possibly M. Dupont did not like the ex-
^, pression of Antonia’s face as she courtesied to Cap-
tain Starkey*. The after-unpleasantness did not
however arise ostensibly from that cause. The com
mander of the Neptune had ngreed to take several
free colored families to Jamaica, where the services
of the men, who were reputed to he expert at su
gar cultivation, had been engaged, at much higher
wages than could be ob'ained in Cuba. The Amer
ican gentlemen had previi usly expressed disappro
bation of this arrangement, and now began to be
very literal indeed with their taun's and sneers rt 1-
ative to Captain Starkey's “negro principles,” : s
y pleasantly termed that gentleman's very torn -
4 w
C?ne, two, three, fire!” The sharp rep Ti |t ransr on the still air.
perafte vindication of the right of colored people to She, however, at the request of
their own si ulsaml bodies. This, however, would, stantlv led the way Into the bouse.--
plain. Hi
vin''- the rest
M. Dupont’s smothering ill-humor in a flame, and I 1 sa.l the in-xt
gatheied from his confused maledictions that he
bad suffered in property from the exet tions of that
force. The storm of angry wools raged fiercely*.
The n:o ives of the Engl sh for inter!ering with the
slave-traffic were denounced with comemptuous
bitterness on the one side, and as warmly and an
grily defended on the 0!her. Filially—the fact is,
they were both flustered with wine and passion,
and scarcely knew what they said or did—M. Du
pont appiii d an epithet to the Queen of England,
at that moment partially* opened. In my still
weak state, the terror of the sight—for the recol-
wder on board flashed
—for several moments
1 but that I caught in
I should have fallen
ine o'clock | prostrate on the deck. A wild outcry of “Fire!
\ renewed torrent of rage, content it, and scorn , tire!”—the most fearful cry that can lie heard at
broke forth at this announcement, lad a duel at 1 sea—mingled with and heightened the dizzy*ringing
one time seemed inevitable between* Lieutenant | in my brain, and I was barely sufficiently conscious
Arguellas and Mr. Desmond, the last-named gentle- j to discern, amidst the runnings to and fro, and the
mail manifesting great anxiety to shoot somebody I incoherent exclamations of the crew, the sinewy.
morning precisely* ml
athletic figure of the capta n leap up, as it wen
from the companion-ladder totl.e deck, and with
his trumpet-voice command immediate sil nee, in
stantly followed by* the order again to batten down
the blazing hatchway. This, with his own assist-
ther in vindication of his Anglo-Saxon lineage.
This, however, was over-iuled, and the party broke
up in angry* disorder.
We were all on board by the appointed time on
the follow ing morning. Captain Starkey* received
which instantly brought a glass of wine full in his * 1 * 11 us with civil indifference, and 1 noticed that the anco, was promptly effected, and then lie disap-
face from the hand of C< pfctin Starkey. Thi y elaborate sneers which sat upon the countenances 1 peaivd down the forecastle. The two or three niin-
were all in an instant on their feet, and apparently j of Dupont and the lieutenant did not appear in the I utes he was gone—it could scarcely have been more
sobered, or nearly so, by the unfortunate issue of j slightest degree to ruffle or affect lent: but the i than that—seemed interminable: and so completely*
the woidy tumult. averttd eye and scornful air of Donna Antouia as ; did it appear to be recognize d that our fate must
Captain Starkey* was the first to t peak. His | she passed w ith Senora Arguellas towards the cab-i depend upon his judgment and vigor, that not a
flushed and angry features paled suddenly to an ! in, drawing her mantilla tightly round her as she
almost deg!! ly wlite, Mid he stammered out. "1 | swept by, as if— sol perhaps wrongfully interpreted
beg your pardon, M. Dupont. It was wrong—very j the action—it would he soiled by contact with a
wrong in me to do so, though not inexcusable.” I poltroon, visibly touched him—only, however, for
“Pardon! Mille tanneries P' shouted Dupont, a few brief moments. The expression of pain
who was capering about in an ecstasy of rage, and quickly vanished, and his countenance was as cold
and stern as before. There was, albeit, it was soon
found, a limit to this, it. seemed, contemptible for
bearance. Dupont, approaching him, gave his
wiping his face with his handkerchief. “Y
bullet through your head shall pardon you—noth
ing less !”
Indeed, at cording to the then notions of Cuban
si ciety, in other alternative but the duello appeared
possible. Lieutenant Arguellas hurried at once in
to the house, and speedily returned with a ease of
pistols. “Iiet us proceed,” he said in a quick whis
per, “to the grove yonder ; we shall be there free
from interruption.” He took Dupont’s arm, and
both turned to move off. As they did so, Mr. Des
mond, the elder of t he American gentleman, stepped
towards Captain Starkey*, who w ith recovered calm
ness, and with his arms folded, was standing by the
table, and said : “1 am not entirely, my* good sir, a
stranger to these affairs, and if I can be of service
I ihail
word was spoken, nor a finger. I think, moved, till
he reappeared, already scorched and blackened
with the fire, and dragging up what seemed a dead
body in his arm--, lie threw bis burden on the
deck, and passing swiftly to where Hawkins stood,
said in alow, hurried whisper, but audible to me;
“Run down and rouse the passengers, and bring my
pistols from the cabin-loeker. Quick ! Eternity*
hangs on the loss of a moment.” Then turning to
thoughtaudiblei xpression, exclaiming, loud enough the s art led but attentive seamen, he said in a raj
for several of the crew to hear, and looking stead- id but firm voice: “You well know, men, that 1
ily in the captain’s face: “LadieHe would have j would not on any occasion or for any motive de-
turned away, hut was arrested by u gripe of steel, ceive you. Listen, then, attentively. Yon drunk-
“Keoutez, monsieur,” said Captain Starkey: “indi- en brute—he is Lieutenant Arguellas’ servant—has
v dually, I hold for nothing whatevei you may say; tired with his candle the spirits he was stealing, and
but 1 am captain and king 111 this ship, and I wid the hold is a mass of fire which it is useless to waste
permit no one to heard me before the crew, and | one precious moment in attempting to extinguish.”
thereby lessen my authority over them. Do you j A cry of rage and terror burst from the crew,
presume again to do so, and 1 will put you in soli- 1 and they sprang impulsively towards the boa f , but
tary (onfineinent, perhaps in irons, till we arrive the captain’s authoritative voice at once arrested
at Jamaica.” He then threw off his**’ J ’
startled audi-1 their steps. “Hear me out, will you ? Hurry and
tor, and walked forwards. The passengers, colored : confusion will destroy 11s all. but with courage and
as well as white, were •-.11 on board: the anchor, j steadiness every soul on board may be saved before
■‘Thank you, Mr. Desmond*” replied the English already apeak, was brought home; the bows of the I the flames can reach the powder. And remember,”
captain; “but I shall not require your assistance, ship fell slowly off, and we were in a'few moments he added, as he took his pistols from Haw kins and
L : eutenanf Arguellas, you may as well remnin.
am no duellist, and shall not fight M. Dupont.”
“What does he say ?” exclaimed the lieutenant,
gazing with stupid bewilderment round the circle.
•‘Not fight !”
The Anglo Saxon blood, I saw, flushed as hotly
in the veins of the Americans as it did in mine at
this exhibition of the white feather by one of our
race. “Not fight, Captain Starkey 1” said Mr. Des
mond with grave earnestness after a painful pause:
“you w hose name is in the list of the British Royal
navy, say this ! You must be jesting !”
“I am perfectly serious—I am opposed to duel
ling upon principle.”
“A coward upon principle !” fairly screamed Du
pont, with mocking fury, and at the same time
shaking his clenched fist at the Englishman.
The degrading epithet stung like a serpent. A
gleam of fierce passion broke out of Captain Stark
ey’s dark eyes, alid he made a step towards Dupont,
but resolut'ely checked himself.
“Well, it must be borne 1 I was wrong to offer
j*ou personal violence, although your impertinence
certainly deserved rebuke. Still, I repeat I will
not fight with you.”
“But you shall give my friend satisfaction 1” ex
claimed Lieutenant Arguellas, who was as much
excited as Dupont; “or by Heaven I will post you
as a dastard not only throughout this island but Ja
maica 1”
Captain Starkey for all answer to this menace
coolly rang the sonnette, and desired the slave who
answered it to inform Senora Arguellas that he was
about to leave, and w ished to see her.
■‘The brave Englishman is about to place himself
under the protection of your aunt’s petticoats, Al-
phonso 1” shouted Dupont with triumphant mock
ery.
“I almost doubt whether Mr. Starkey is an Eng
lishman,” exclaimed Mr. Desmond, who, as well as
his two friends, was getting pretty* much incensed;
‘ but, at all events, as my father and mother were
born and raised in the old country, if you presume
to insinuate that—”
Senora Arguellas at this moment approached, and
running before the wind, though but a faint one, j cocked one of them, “that I will send a bullet af-
for Point Morant. 1 ter any man who disobeys me, and I seldom miss
No one could be many hours on board the Nep- my aim. Now, then, to your work—steadily, and
tune without being fully* satisfied that, however w ith a will !”
deficient in duelling courage her captain might be, 1 It was marvellous to observe the influence his
he was a thorough seaman, and that his crew— bold, confident, and commanding bearing and
about a dozen of as fine fellows as I have ever seen ! words had upon the men. The panic-terror that
—were under the most perfect discipline and com- had seized them gave place to energetic resolution,
maud. The service of the vessel was carried on as 1 and in an incredibly* short space of time the boats
noiselessly and regularly as on board a ship of war; j were in the water. “Well done, my fine fellows !
and a sense of confidence, that should a tempest or j There is plenty of time, I again repeat. Four of
other sea-peril overtake us, every reliance might be i vou”—and h'e named them—“remain with me.
placed in the professional skill and energy of Cap- Three others jump into each of the large boats, two
tain Starkey, was soon openly or tacitly ac- j into the small one, and bring them round to the
knowledgeil by all on board. The weather through-j landward side of tlie ship. A rush would swamp
out continued fine, but the wind was light and va- the boats, and we shall be able to keep only one
riable, so that for several day*s after we had sighted i gangway clear.”
the blue mountains of Jamaica, we scarcely ap-j The passengers were by this time rushing upon
peared sensibly to diminish the distance between ! deck half-clad, and in a state of wildest terror, for
them and us. At last the breeze again blew steadily | they all knew there was a large quantity of gun-
from the north-west, and we gradually neared i powder on board. The instant the boat touched
Point Morant. We passed it, and opened up the
bay at about two o’clock in the morning, when the
voyage might be said to be over. This was a great
relief to the cabin passengers—far hey*ond the or
dinary pleasure to land-folk of escaping from the
tedium of confinement on shipboard, there was a
the starboard side of the bark, the men. white as
well as colored, forced their way with frenzied e&
gerness before the women and children—careless,
apparently, whom they* sacrificed so that they
might leap to the shelter of the boats from the
fiery volcano raging beneath their feet. Captain
constraint in the behuvioi of everybody that was I Starkey, aided by the four athletic seamen he had
exceedingly* unpleasant. The cuptain presided at
table with freezing civility*; the conversation, if
such it could be called, was usually restricted to
monosyllables; and we were all very'heartily glad
that we had eaten our last dinner in the Neptune.
When we doubled Point Morant, all the passengers
except myself were in bed, and a quarter of ail
hour aftewards Captain Starkey* went below, ami
was soon busy, I understood, with papeis in his
cabin. For my part I was too excited for sleep,
and I oontinued to pace the deck fore and aft with
Hawkins, the first mate, whose watch it was, ea
gerly observant of the lights on the well-known
shore, that I had left so many months before with
but faint hopes of ever seeing it again. As I thus
gazed landward, a bright gleam, as of crimson
moonlight, shot across the dark sea, and tumin
selected for the duty, hurled them fiercely back.
“Back, back!” he shouted. “We must have funer
al order here— first the women and children, next
the old men. Hand Senora Arguellas along: next
the y*oung lady* her daughter: quick!”
As Donna Antonia, more dead than alive, was
about to be lifted in the boat, a gush of flame burst
up through the main hatchway with the roar of an
explosion; a tumultuous cry burst from the fren
zied passengers, am! they jostled each other with
frightful violence in their efforts to reach the gang
way*. Dupont forced his way through the lane of
seamen with the energy of a madman, ami pressed
so suddenly upon Antonia that, hut for the utmost
exertion of the captain's herculean strength, she
must have been precipitated into the water.
“Back, unmanly*dastard! back dog!” roared Cap-
strange aspect of the company she It..
res*rained quickly round, I saw that it was caused tiva tall j.-t 1 tain Starkev. terribly excited by the danger of the
‘ * *’ 1 * “ — - ’ ' * ' ' ' ' - ' ’ ~ * ly
look
the irate American with some difficult . _ , =
h : mself. The lady appeared si r"' s d at the I of flame shooting up from the main hatchway*, 1 lady: and a moment after, seizing Dupont fierce
sad so iuidy left. | which two seamen, for some purpose or other, had I by the collar, and aildel: “or if you will, kx
there but a moment,” and he pointed with his pis-
tolhaiiu to the nns of several nuui'Ks plainly visible
in the glai ing light at but a few yards distance
| from the ship.
“Men,” he added, “let whoever presses out of his
turn fall into the water.”
“Ay, ay, sir, was the prompt and lnechauicaJi
response.
This terrible menace instantly restored order; the,
colored women and children were next embarked,
and the boat appeared full.
“Pull off,” was the order; “ you are deep enough
for safety.”
A cry*, faint as the wail of a child, arose in tbs
boat. It was heard and understood.
“Stay one moment; pass along Senor Arguellas
Now then, off with you aud be smart!”
The next boat was quickly loaded, the colored
lads and men, all but one aud the Americans, went
in her.
“You’re a noble fellow,” said Mr. Desmond, pau
sing an instant, and catching at the captain’s hand;
“and I was but a fool 10 ”
“Pass on,” was the reply: “thereis no time t>
bandy compliments.”
The order to shove off had passed the captain s
lips when his glance chanced to light upon me, as I
leaned, dumbed with terror, just behind him against
the vessel’s bulwarks.
“Hold on a moment!” he cried. “Here is s
youngster whose weight will not hurt you;” and he
fairly lifted me over, and dropped me gently* into
the boat, whispering as he did so: “Remember me,
Ned, to thy* father and mother should I nut see
them again.”
There was now only the small boat, capable >f
safely containing but eight persons, and how, it
was whispered amongst us—how in addition to the
two seamen already in the boat, can she take off
Lieutenant Arguellas, M. Dupont, the remaining
colored man, the four seamen, and Captain Star-
key! They were, however, all speedily embarked
exeept'the captain,
“Can she bear another!” he asked, and although
his voice was as firm as ever, his countenance, I
noticed, was ashy pale, yet full as ever of unswer-
virg resolution!
“\Ye must any, will, sir, since it is you; but w<*
are dangerously Vrowded now, especially with von
ugly’ customers swimming around us.”
■‘Stay one mon>ent; I can’t quit the ship whilst
there’s a livingsoiul on board.”
Hesteppfd basl’ 1 v forward, and presently reap
jir-n-i " it ti ti.o ,v. ill sensei-ss A,.1«
'of the lieuiepaut'' servant in his arms, and (ill yne.l
it over the side into the boat. There was a cry of
indignation, but it was of no avail. The boat's
rope the next instant was cast in the water.
“Now jin f >r your lives!”
The oars .mm the instinct of self-preservation,
instantly fell into the water, and the boat sprung
off. Captain Starkey, now that all except himself
were clear of the burning ship, gazed eagerly* with
eyes shaded with his hand in the direction of the
shore. Presently’ lie hailed the headmost boat.
“We must have been seen from the shore long
ago, and pilot boats ought to be coming out, though
I don't see any. If you meet one, bid him to be
smart; there may bea.chance yet.”
All this scene, this long agony, which has taken
me so many words to depict very impei feetlv from
my own recollection, and those of others, only last
ed, I was afterward assure 1 by Mr. Desmond" eight
minutes from the embarkation of Senora Arguellas
till the last boat left the ill-fated Neptune.
Never shall 1 forget the frightful sublimity of the
spectacle presented by’that flaming ship, .the sole
object, save ourselves, discerned amidst the vast
and heavy darkness, if 1 may nse the term, of the
night and ocean, coupled as it was with the dread-
iul thought that the heroic man to whose firmness
and presence of mind we all owed our safety, was
inevitably doomed to perish. We had not "roved
more than a couple of hundred yards when the
flames, leaping up everywhere through the deck,
reached the rigging and the few sails set, present
ing a complete outline of the bark and her tracery
of masts and yards drawn in lines of fire! Captain
Starkey, not to throw away the chance he spoke of,
had gone out to the end of the bowsprit, having
first let the jib and foresail go by the run, and was
fora brief space out of the flames, but this was but
a prolongation of the bitterness of death.
The boats continued to increase the distance be
tween them and the blazing ship, amidst a dead
silence broken only by the measured dip of the oars;
and many an eye was turned with anxiety shore -
ward with the hope of descrying the expected pilot.
At length a distinct hail—and I felt my heart stop
beating at the sound— hastily responded to by the
seamen’s throats, and presently’afterwards a swift
ly propelled pilot boat shot out of the thick dark
ness ahead, almost immediately followed by anoth
er.
“What ship is that?” cried a man standing on the
bows of the first boat.
“The Neptune, and that is Captain Starkey on
the bowsprit.”
I sprang eagerly to my feet, and with all tin*
force I could exert, shouted:
“A hundred pounds for the first boat that reach
es the ship!”
“That’s young Mr. Mainwaring’s face and voice!”
exclaimed the foremost pilot. "Hurra, then for
the prize!” and away both sped with eager vigor,
but unaware, certainly of the danger of the task.
I11 a minute or so anothershore-boat came up, but
after asking a few questions, ami seeing how mat
ters stood, remained and lightened us of a portion
of our living cargoes. We were all three too deep
in the water, the small boat perilously so.
Great God! the terrible suspense we all felt whilst
this was going forward. I can scarcely’ bear, even
now, to think about it. I shut my eyes and listened
with breathless, palpitating excitement for the ex
plosion that should end all. It came!—at least I
thought it did, and sprang convulsively to my feet.
So sensitive was my brain, partly, no doubt", from
recent sickness as well as fright, that I had mista
ken the sudden shout of the boats’ crews for the
dreaded catastrophe. The bowsprit, from the end
of which a rope was dangling, was empty! ami both
pilots, made aware doubtless of the danger, were
pulling with eagerness of fear from the ship. The
cheering among us was renewed again aud again,
during which I continued to gaze with arrested
breath and fascinated stare at tl.e flaming vessel
and fleeing pilot-boats. Suddenly a pyramid of
flame shot up from the hold of the ship, followed
by a deafening roar. I fell, or was knocked down,
I don’t know which; the boat rocked as if caught in
a fierce eddy; next came the hiss and splash of nu
merous heavy bodies falling from a great height
into the water; and then the blinding glare and
stunning uproar were succeeded by’ a soundless si-
sdnee and a thick darkness, in which no man
could discern his neighbor. The stillness was bro
ken by a loud, cheerful hail from oue of the pilot
boats: we recognized the voice, and the simultane
ous and ringing shout which burst from
l
sat