Gale continues; the wind (E.S.E.) not having
varied a hair for the last sixteen hours. Barometer gradually falling;
ship rolling and pitching in the sea, and all things dreary-looking and
uncomfortable. I am supremely disgusted with the sea and all its
belongings; the fact is, I am past the age when men ought to be
subjected to the hardships and discomforts of the sea. Seagoing is one
of those constant strifes which none but the vigorous, the hardy, and
the hopeful--in short, the youthful, or at most, the middle-aged--should
be engaged in. The very roar of the wind through the rigging, with its
accompaniments of rolling and tumbling, hard, overcast skies, gives me
the blues. This is a double anniversary with me. It was on the 8th of
September that I received my first order for sea-service (1826); and it
was on the 8th of September that Norton's Division fought the battle of
Moline del Ray (1847). What a history of the United States has to be
written since the last event! How much of human weakness and wickedness
and folly has been developed in these years! But the North will receive
their reward, under the inevitable and rigorous laws of a just
government of the world.

Another week passed with a solitary excitement in the shape of an
obstinate English skipper, who stoutly refused to heave to. The
following account of this affair is extracted from the journal of one of
the Alabama's officers:--

Towards evening of the 10th of September the wind fell considerably. At
8.30 P.M. a sail in sight on weather bow. Immediately we turned to
windward, and stood in chase. At 9.45 fired a gun to heave chase to.
Chase, however, still kept on her course. At 10.35 we ran up alongside,
and the officer of the deck hailed her--"Ship ahoy!" "Halloa! heave to,
and I will send a boat on board." "What do you want me to heave to
for?" "That's my business." "Are you a vessel of war?" Captain Semmes
then waxing wroth, replied, "I'll give you five minutes to heave to in."
"You have no right to heave me to unless you tell me who you are." "I'll
let you know who I am." To officer of the deck--"Load that gun with
shot, sir, and rain on that fellow--he's stupid enough to be a
foreigner." "Tell me who you are," yelled out the master of the ship.
"If you are not hove to in five minutes I'll fire into you." Addressing
the officer of the watch, Captain Semmes asked, "Is that gun ready for
firing, sir?" "All ready, sir." "Then stand by to fire."

The