. Recollections of a sea wanderer's life; an autobiography of an old-time seaman who has sailed in almost every capacity before and abaft the mast, in nearly every quarter of the globe, and under the flags of four of the principal maritime nations. fro in the of the streets were illuminated with all sorts of lightsin the windows and bonfires in the streets, and decoratedwith flags everywhere. If we had not got away as we did ina week or so we should have been of very little use as againstMexicans or even smugglers. We got ready for sea, and sailed under sealed orders onthe 4th A
. Recollections of a sea wanderer's life; an autobiography of an old-time seaman who has sailed in almost every capacity before and abaft the mast, in nearly every quarter of the globe, and under the flags of four of the principal maritime nations. fro in the of the streets were illuminated with all sorts of lightsin the windows and bonfires in the streets, and decoratedwith flags everywhere. If we had not got away as we did ina week or so we should have been of very little use as againstMexicans or even smugglers. We got ready for sea, and sailed under sealed orders onthe 4th April for the Gulf of Mexico. This sailing on a warfooting was a new experience to the crew of the Ewing, and,like the war horse, we sniffed the battle from afar, and 268 WAR WITH MEXICO. pictured ourselves returning with honor and glory and a goodswag of prize money. But even then there was an undercurrent of feeling andsentiment that came to the surface now and then when therewas no war spirit loose. The younger men would gather in HURRAH BOYS ! ORDERS FOR MEXICO. groups of four or five, under an awning, or in the focastle,or even about the guns or coils of rope, and talk or singsongs. We arrived off the passes of the Mississippi on the 2d. 270 AT THE POST OFFICE. of May, where we received orders which directed us to cruisein search of Mexican merchant vessels, and co-operate withthe navy in maintaining a blockade of the enemys ports. We captured several coasting craft creeping along shorebetween Vera Cruz and the Rio Grande, and which, witha prize crew aboard, were sent up to New Orleans foradjudication. During one of these cruises we encountered a very heavynorther, in which we sprung our foremast, and were onthe point of heaving our armament overboard, but a councilof officers decided against it. However, we were obligedto return to New Orleans and step a new foremast. While performing this operation a most melancholy ac-cident befell us—more sad, inasmuch as it happened
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectseafari, bookyear1887
