THE WESTERN FLOTILLA.
443
undertaking, andall expressed areadiness to makethe venture. In or-der to resist board-ing parties, in caseof being disabled,the sailors werewell armed, andpistols, cutlasses,muskets, board-ing-pikes, andhand-grenadeswere within reach.Hose was att achedto the boilers forthrowing scaldingwater over anywho might at-tempt to board.If it should befound impossibleto save the vessel,it was designed tosink rather thanburn her. Dur-ing the afternoonthere was a prom-
clear.
in
i
sm-v
ise oi amoonlight night,
and it was determined to wait until the moon was down, and then to makethe attempt, whatever the chances. Having gone so far, we could not abandonthe project without an effect on the men almost as bad as failure.
At 10 o’clock the moon had gone down, and the sky, the earth, and theriver were alike hidden in the black shadow of a thunder-storm, which hadnow spread itself over all the heavens. As the time seemed favorable, Iordered the first master to cast off. Dark clouds now rose rapidly over us andenveloped us in almost total darkness, except when the sky was lighted up bythe welcome flashes of vivid lightning, to show us the perilous way we wereto take. Now and then the dim outline of the landscape could be seen, andthe forest bending under the roaring storm that came rushing up the river.
With our bow pointing to the island, we passed the lowest point of landwithout being observed, it appears, by the enemy. All speed was given tothe vessel to drive her through the tempest. The flashes of lightning con-tinued with frightful brilliancy, and “ almost every second,” wrote a corre-spondent, “ every brace, post, and outline could be seen with startling