ft
them without their having fired a shot.

Considering the heavy swell that was running, there was the merest
chance of their hitting us; in fact, to take a blockade-runner in the
night, when there was a heavy swell or wind, if she did not choose to
give in, was next to impossible. To run her down required the cruiser to
have much superior speed, and was a dangerous game to play, for vessels
have been known to go down themselves while acting that part.

Then, again, it must be borne in mind that the blockade-runner had
always full speed at command, her steam being at all times well up and
every one on board on the look-out; whereas the man-of-war must be
steaming with some degree of economy and ease, and her look-out men had
not the excitement to keep them always on the _qui vive_ that we had.

I consider that the only chances the blockading squadron had of
capturing a blockade-runner were in the following instances; viz., in a
fair chase in daylight, when superior speed would tell, or chasing her
on shore, or driving her in so near the beach that her crew were driven
to set fire to her and make their escape; in which case a prize might be
made, though perhaps of no great value; or frightening a vessel by guns
and rockets during the night into giving up. Some of the
blockade-runners showed great pluck, and stood a lot of pitching into.
About sixty-six vessels left England and New York to run the blockade
during the four years' war, of which more than forty were destroyed by
their own crews or captured; but most of them made several runs before
they came to grief, and in so doing paid well for their owners.

I once left Bermuda, shortly before the end of the war, in company with
four others, and was the only fortunate vessel of the lot. Of the other
four, three were run on shore and destroyed by their own crews, and one
was fairly run down at sea and captured.

I saw an extraordinarily plucky thing done on one occasion, which I
cannot refrain from narrating. We had made a successful run through the
blockade, and were lying under Fort Fisher, when as daylight broke we
heard a heavy firing, and as it got lighter we saw a blockade-runner
surrounded by the cruisers. Her case seemed hopeless, but on she came
for the entrance, hunted like a rabbit by no end of vessels. The guns of
the fort were at once manned, ready to protect her as soon as her
pursuers should come within range. Every effort was made to cut her off
from