er. But
customs-house officials do things slowly; and, while they were getting
ready for the seizure, Capt. Semmes, who had taken command of the new
ship, duped them, and got his vessel safely out of English waters.
Private detectives and long-shore customs officers had been visiting
the ship daily on visits of examination; but, by the aid of champagne
and jolly good-fellowship, their inexperienced eyes were easily
blinded to the manifest preparations for a warlike cruise. But finally
came a retired naval officer who was not to be humbugged. A sailor on
board thus tells the story of his visit: "He was evidently a naval
officer, alert and resolute, and soon silenced the officer's
explanations. He looked at the hatchways, shot-racks, and magazines;
and, surveying the hammock-hooks on the berth-deck, said, 'You'll have
a large crew for a merchant-steamer.' We had taken on board some heavy
oak plank, that lay on the main deck; the officer remarked that they
were for anchor-stocks, and was shortly answered, 'Wouldn't make bad
gun-platforms, sir,' which, indeed, was just what they were intended
for. With a 'Good-morning, sir,' our visitor mounted the side and was
gone." This visit alarmed the Confederates; and immediate preparations
were made to run the ship, which still went by the name of the "No.
290," out of the British waters the next day. To disarm suspicion, a
large party of ladies and gentlemen were invited aboard; and the ship
started down the Mersey, ostensibly on her trial trip, with the sounds
of music and popping corks ringing from her decks. But peaceful and
merry as the start seemed, it was the beginning of a voyage that was
destined to bring ruin to hundreds of American merchants, and leave
many a good United States vessel a smoking ruin on the breast of the
ocean. When she was a short distance down the river, two tugs were
seen putting off from the shore; and in a moment the astonished guests
were requested to leave the ship, and betake themselves homeward in
the tugs. It is unnecessary to follow the voyage of the "No. 290" to
Nassau, and detail the way in which cannon, ammunition, and naval
stores were sent out from Portsmouth in a second vessel, and
transferred to her just outside of Nassau. It is enough to say that on
a bright, clear Sunday morning, in the latter part of August, 1862,
Capt. Rafael Semmes, late of the Confederate cruiser "Sumter," a
gentleman of middle height, wearing a uniform of gray and g