Original. THE ESCAPE OF THE ATALANTA. BY W. S. MAYO, M. D. Does a squall strike a ship unexpectedly ?-there has not been a proper look-out. Is a spar lost? -the rigging is bad, or badly set up, or the spar was defective, or sail had not been reduced in time. Is a ship uneasy in a heavy sea-way ?-her THE deeds of our naval officers are embla- stowage is bad; or, does she find herself in danzoned in the page of history-the memory of their gerous proximity to land, or an ice-berg?-the triumphs preserved in the hearts of their country-reckoning is bad, or the lead, and the thermomemen, but the feats of our commercial marine, ter have been neglected. the gallantry, courage, and skill of its officers however strikingly evinced, pass unrecorded and unknown. We will relate one authentic fact, which, if it had occurred in the public service, would have rendered the name of the actors famous in the annals of the sea. In going out to Vera-Cruz, on her first voyage, the schooner was over-hauled by an English sloop-of-war, and carried into Nassau, New-Providence, as a prize; but as there were no circumstances to justify her capture, the courts were compelled to set her free.. Without further adventure, she arrived off the port, and showing her speed to an English frigate upon the station, easily slipped in. The officers of the frigate, knowing the object for which she had come, and confiding in the speed of their ship, were not unwilling to entice such a prize to sea, but it was several weeks before an opportunity that was thought available, occurred. At length, getting under way late in the evening, Captain Mran boldly out into the offing, without passing near enough to see any Englishmen, and without suspecting that any saw him. For several days the schooner ploughed her way before a good stiff breeze until the fifth, which closed with the usual order to the man at the mast head to "take a good look around the horizon for sails," and the response "that nothing was in sight." In the middle of the night, while lying awake in his berth, the Captain fancied that he heard the swash of the water against the sides of a ship, and starting instantly to the deck there was to be perceived the hull and spars of a large vessel not twenty rods off, on the weather beam. The watch of the frigate, as she proved to be, were equally sleepy, and the proximity of the schooner had not been discovered. Blowing out the binnacle lights, and putting the helm down, the schooner was directed across the ship's wake, but at the moment when right astern, the flapping of a sail or the cracking of a block aroused the watch of the frigate, and a hoarse hail of "ship ahoy! what craft is that?" thundered from the lofty quarter right down upon the schooner's deck. It was a few years previous to the last war, that the giant strifes of Christian Europe had reached their highest point. The flood of battle rolled its reddest tide, desolating the fair fields of civilized man, and tinting with its sanguinary hue the waves of every sea. Then was carried out to the fullest extent, that stupenduous system of aggression upon the rights of neutrals, in which the two great belligerents vied with each other in acts of violence and injustice, and which reduced our growing commerce to a precarious struggle with national bucaneers. Paper blockades, Berlin and Milan decrees, and orders in council, furnished excuses for all kinds of insults and piracies, and embarrassed our communication with more than half the ports of the globe. Among other places thus interdicted to us, was the port of Vera-Cruz, which, as a Spanish possession, was included in the comprehensive blockade of all the coasts of France and her allies, by England. This place, then, as now, sustained important commercial relations with the United States, which were, for a time, interrupted; and large quantities of gold and silver, the produce of the Mexican mines, had accumulated there, the exportation of which had been prevented by the strict watch kept up by British cruisers. At last, however, its want began to be severely felt. Extensive commercial transactions, which had this blockaded specie for a basis had taken place, and it was resolved, by those most interested, to attempt getting it at all hazards. For this purpose, a clipper schooner was expressly constructed; and a commander being required, combining activity, energy, prudence, and skill, Captain M-, was selected. His good luck was proverbial, having never cost the underwriters a dollar, and good luck in a seaman's life is generally but another name for good conduct. His own maxim was, that there Still no answer. The ship was now all alive. is no accident happening at sea, which cannot be The drums beat to quarters, battle lanterns were attributed to a want of either prudence or skill.lighted, carropades cast loose, pointed, and fired, To this question no answer was returned, and it was immediately followed by a peremptory order to "heave to." "Heave to! or I'll fire into you." sails! We can afford to indulge that fellow in his humor for studding-sails." The Atalanta fell off before the wind, bringing the frigate nearly astern-a point of sailing, in which square-rigged vessels generally have the advantage-but of no use in the present case, as the schooner had the unusual quality, for vessels of her class, of sailing as well before the wind as close-hauled. In this way they continued for some time, the Atalanta rapidly increasing the distance from the frigate, when a sail to leeward, and ahead was announced. In a few minutes it but with an aim so uncertain, that, although several shot struck the schooner, no material damage was done, while the chances each instant diminished as she rapidly stretched out into the pitchy darkness to windward. In a few minutes the carronade shot fell short, when the|| frigate's gun-deck ports were opened, and a shower of iron started from the muzzles of her long thirty-twos-but it was too late-the chase was safe, and the dangerous adventure at an end. The result of this voyage led to several others, all equally successful, but abounding in similar adventurous and narrow escapes. In the last,|| was ascertained that she, too, was a man-of-war. and most important, from the amount of specie involved, the vigilance of the British cruisers came near being rewarded with a splendid prize. It was just at the break of day, when Captain M- tired out with the watchings of an anxious night, had retired to his berth, that the unwelcome announcement of " sail ho!" broke upon his ear. "Where away?" he shouted up the companion way, to Mr. Jones, the first mate, who was officer of the watch. In a moment, Captain M― was on deck with his glass, and there, plainly to be perceived in the dull grey of the morning, was a large ship five or six miles to windward. Dropping his glass from his eye, after a momentary survey, he turned to Mr. Jones. "Well, sir, what do you think?" “I think, sir, it is mighty suspicious." "Suspicious! there is no suspicion about itthat is an English frigate as plain as the nose on your face the very fellow that has chased us so often." "Ay, ay, sir, there can be no doubt of it," returned Mr. Jones-" you see she has got the identical brown fore-top-gallant-sail-she is coming along like a race-horse.” "Ay, she's got a fresh breath of wind; we shall get it in a moment more, when I hope Atalanta (the name of the schooner,) will show a little of her usual activity.” "Never doubt, sir, the old girl can show her heels to any thing in his majesty's service; and we have tried this fellow too often not to know his rate. To be sure, if we were up there to windward, close-hauled, it would be a little more easy, but as it is, she can do it without straining." Well, ease off the sheets, and set the square Orders were given to brace up, bringing the "This is something more than we bargained for, Mr. Jones," exclaimed Captain M. "Ay, sir, this is coming thicker, and faster, and considerably more of it. If that chap ahead is a Johnny Bull with his teeth cut, we shall be in a regular fix." "Well, a fix it is, then," said the Captain, with his glass to his eye, "there's the hull of a two-decker beneath that mass of spars." The sun was now fairly up above the horizon, dispersing, by his warinth, a slight haze which had obscured objects at a distance, and disclosing two more sail, one on the starboard, and the other on the larboard bow. "We are in a nest of 'em, by Heavens!" exclaimed the Captain. "What do you think, Mr. Jones?" "A regular trap, sir, and I think the sooner we turn tail, and try to creep out the way we got in, the better." "We never could do it-these two chaps could rub us to chips between the muzzles of their guns, without firing a shot." "Well, then, Captain, I'm really afraid that it is a gone case with us. Oh! if we were only up there," pointing to windward, "we should be safe enough." "Well, we must get there." "Impossible or not, we must try—they can't do more than sink us. Take in the gaft-topsails! Haul aft the sheet! Luff! Luff up! Let her come to it as close as she will lie!" In an instant, the schooner had altered her course; heading up to the wind in a direction obliquely across the bows of the rapidly ad- in a direction contrary to that the frigate was vancing frigate. pursuing. Following the example, the frigate "There, well all that!" exclaimed the Cap-also tacked, but it took her much longer, and tain, taking the wheel into his own hands, "now men, go below, all of you! We shall catch a grist or two of grape, and you may as well keep under cover as much as you can." The two vessels were now rapidly approaching each other-the frigate steadily pursuing her course, apparently confident that the prize was within her grasp; while the Atalanta, with the luff of her fore-sail shivering, was, in the expressive language of the sailor, "eating into the wind," at a rate which put all the calculations of her pursuer at fault. Soon, she was nearly athwart the fore-foot of the frigate, and within musket shot. A flash from the bow-port, and a twenty-four pound shot dashed up a cloud of foam directly beneath the schooner's bows. In an instant another, evidently aimed at her, passed a few feet astern; and in a moment more the frigate braced sharp up, and let fly all the guns she could bring to bear. This manœuvre lessened her head-way, and before she could repeat the discharge, the schooner had got so far up to windward as to be out of range of her lee-broadside. Although unable to hold her wind with the schooner, and rapidly falling off to leeward, the frigate advanced through the water with a velocity that soon brought her close-to on the lee-quarter of the Atalanta. Falling off a little, which, while it made her lose ground, enabled her to open her weather broadside, she sent forth a storm of shot, which, at first, hurtled harmlessly over the little craft. Again and again it came, but with better aim, enveloping her in a shower of grape, riddling her sails, which were fortunately new and strong, and tearing the splinters from her bulwarks, masts, and booms; but still not an essential rope was cut, or a spar materially injured, while each instant the distance between the two vessels was increasing. "You are hit!" exclaimed Mr. Jones to the captain, observing his left hand drop from the wheel, shattered by a grape-shot. Ready about!" was the only reply, shouted in a tone which brought the sailors instantly to the deck. "In a minute more we shall be within shooting distance of this other fellow ahead." "Down with the helm, Mr. Jones!" "Helm's a-lee !" when she came round, and gathered the headway she had lost, the Atalanta was more than a mile off, hugging the wind with a closeness and tenacity peculiar to fore-and-aft clippers, and chopping her way up to windward after a fashion which would have rendered pursuit by any squarerigged vessel perfectly useless. A shot from the frigate's bow chasers sunk, its force quite spent, a few feet astern. "Hurrah!" shouted the mate, unable any longer to control the pent up excitement of the chase. "Hurrah!" and swinging his cap round his head, he gave it a shie over the lee quarter. "Hurrah," echoed the crew with responsive enthusiasm, and imitating the monkeys in the well known story of the sailor and his caps, they followed the example of their officer, and in an instant a dozen tarpaulings were floating in the wake astern. Whether the Englishman fished any of them up as he came by, is not known, but at any rate, it was his only chance for a prize. At daybreak the next morning, the frigate was no where to be seen, and the schooner, with her cargo, without any further adventure, arrived in safety at New York. As may be supposed, Captain M― received the congratulations and approbation of his employers, comprising several of the richest merchants, bankers, and agents for foreign houses. A sum of money was voted to him, with a piece of silver, and inducements were held out to him by one who was principally interested, and who had become a large land-holder in the then wilderness of the northern part of the State of New York, to go on there and settle. The inducements were too strong to resist. He moved to to the banks of the St. Lawrence, and commenced the construction of the first schooner employed in the lucrative trade between the flourishing village of Ogdensburg and the ports on Lake Ontario. SUCH is the diligence with which, in countries completely civilized, one part of mankind labor for another, that wants are supplied faster than they can be formed, and the idle and luxurious find life stagnate for want of some desire to keep The jib-sheets were loosened, and the schooner it in motion. This species of distress furnishes came up, fore-reaching when in the very eye of a new set of occupations; and multitudes are the wind, at the rate of three or four miles the busied from day to day in finding the rich and hour, and then falling off upon the other tack, "the fortunate something to do.-Johnson. Original. ANN MARIA HYDE. BY MRS. LYDIA H. SIGOURNEY. ANN MARIA HYDE was a native of Norwich, Connecticut, and born on the 1st of March, 1792. Her family were of high respectability, and her early years nurtured amid all that affluence and love could bestow. Indeed she was reared with much of that idolatrous tenderness which is wont to centre in an only child,—as her sister, being sixteen years old at her birth, and removed ere long, by marriage, to a home of her own,-the little remaining one became the object of the most ardent parental solicitude. And well did she repay it, not only by brilliant mental developments, but by the unfolding of the sweetest affections. Her gentleness of nature, breathing on all whom she knew, extended to animals, insects, and even reptiles; whom she could not endure to see troubled, or hurt. She derived entertainment from books, at an age when most children are occupied with the It Fondness for knowledge, led her early to love school, and her instructors. She distinguished herself, while there, by scrupulous regard to their wishes, whether expressed or implied,-by the clearness and beauty of her recitations—the classical correctness of her written thoughts, and a propriety of demeanor, which no evil example could warp or overcome. At twelve, she was well-grounded in the solid branches of a good education, though the bent of her genius led to rhetorical, philosophical, and historical studies, which she continued to pursue throughout her life. At the age of fourteen, she retired from school, and became the companion of her parents. Her love of nature now more fully unfolded itself, and the city of her birth, and the neighborhood of her residence, diversified as they were by rural and romantic scenery, became more and more dear. Her father, whose fine mind had been disciplined by the study and practice of jurisprudence, was gratified to perceive that his idol-daughter continued her daily intercourse with the best of authors, and her habits of profound thought, and frequent composition, while her mother was equally cheered by her affectionate participation in whatever promoted domestic welfare and happiness. In her shrinking delicacy of feeling, and favorite themes of contemplation, it was easy to discern the poetic temperament. In this, as in all her other attainments, there was a remarkable precocity. Her chosen subjects were unambitious, and such as the affections dictated. One of the first, which met the eye of her friends, was written at about the age of nine years, and descriptive of her infant nephew. So harmonious were its numbers, that one of her relatives, without her knowledge, sent it to the pages of a periodical, and when she saw it in print, she burst into tears. The following effusion was addressed "The purest bliss that man enjoys below, Are dim'd by sorrow, and defac'd with tears,— Another poem greets the birth of the second and youngest child of her beloved sister. "She comes, a little stranger here below, She thinks no ill,-no future danger fears, And death translate them to that blest abode Oh, Thou to whom our prayers ascend, From her deep, sisterly sympathy, sprang forth a noble principle-the desire, personally, to assist those, who, by this visitation, had sustained an entire reverse of fortune, and found every earthly prospect darkened. She made proposals, and obtained the consent of her parents, to engage in the work of education, and with an energy which astonished the friends who knew the diffidence of her nature, decided to become the member of a school, in a distant part of the State, in order to acquire that knowledge of painting, embroidery in silk, and some other accomplishments, which were, in those days, deemed essential for a teacher of young ladies. Then, she whose sensitive spirit had ever shrunk from association with strangers, and whose love for her own, sweet, sheltering home, was almost a morbid sentiment, braved privation and inconvenience, for several months, without a murmur. There, she might be seen, in the coldest winter mornings, taking her walk to school,-attending throughout the day, with a perseverance that allowed no moment to be lost, to those pursuits which were to qualify her for a sphere of future labor,-and in the evening, by the parlor fire of her boarding-house, or in her own little chamber, engaged with her needle, or in long and beautifully-written letters to the friends over whom her heart yearned, and for whom she sometimes, in Hitherto, the course of the sweet poet had been without a cloud. The first sorrow that overshadowed her youthful path, was painful sympathy for her only sister, the protracted absence of whose husband on a voyage he had been induced to take, caused the most agonizing suspense, which at length-(no intelligence ever being received of the ship in which he sailed)-secret, struck the mournful lyre. deepened into the dark gloom of widowhood. She continued, as long as possible, to spread the scattered fragments of hope before the eyes of the anxious family, but while the smile trembled on her lips, her private papers revealed with what prostration of spirit, she retired to weep for the bereaved and the fatherless. "Oh, Thou, who know'st the lot they share, The balm that sooths corrosive care, Be thou their trust,-their sure support, And all thy counsels wise, Nor frown with sceptic eyes. |