en
done by abler pens than mine.

While in New York I was greatly struck with the calm confidence of the
bulk of the Northerners in the ultimate success of their arms against
the South. If I gained nothing else by running the land blockade, I at
least got an insight into the enormous resources possessed by the North,
and a knowledge of the unflinching determination with which the Federals
were prepared to carry on the struggle to the end. I must confess that I
left New York with my confidence that the Confederates would achieve
their independence very much shaken.

Not being desirous of going through the risk and inconvenience of
running the land blockade again, I returned to Nassau by steamer from
New York.

CHAPTER XVII.

I ENTER THE TURKISH NAVY.

After superintending, as it were, the adventures just detailed, I found
that there was still a year to pass before my time for service as a
post-captain came on; so I determined on making a Continental tour to
fill up the space. After wandering about in different countries, I more
by accident than design visited Constantinople.

While there, I called upon that great statesman Fuad Pasha, the Grand
Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, to whom I presented my letters of
introduction. He received me most cordially, and, during our
conversation, mentioned that for some years Turkey had had to deal with
a serious insurrection in the island of Crete, which it was found
difficult to suppress, owing to the assistance from without which the
revolutionary party received from Greece; also on account of the
somewhat doubtful laws existing as to blockade-running. For, although
Turkish men-of-war were continually on the look-out, vessels mostly
under the Greek flag, carrying warlike stores, provisions, &c., evaded
the watch of the cruisers on one pretext or another, and so managed to
keep a lively communication with the insurrectionary subjects of the
Sultan in Crete. Only one vessel had been captured _in flagrante
delicto_ after a sharp fight, and had been condemned as a lawful prize.

The Turkish authorities were told that, according to international law,
a blockade-running vessel could not be followed more than ten miles from
the coast, though having been seen breaking the blockade, and that as
soon as a blockade-runner was within four miles of any island not
belonging to Turkey, she could not be touched, &c. &c.; in fact, laws
were _fabricated_ to defend the blockade-running