CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 46, 7 October 1863, Page 1 (Supplement)

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

THE CONFEDERATE STEAMERS "ALABAMA" and "GEORGIA."

From the Cape Argus, August 20. Our English readers will learn with considerable astonishment that the Confederate steamers Alabama and Georgia have paid the Cape a visit, put into our bays, repaired, cleaned, painted, taken in a good supply of fuel—that one of them, the Alabama, made a splendid capture of a Federal barque within sight of Table Mountain, and that the Georgia is still in Simon's Bay, refitting, repairing, and obtaining supplies. As may be supposed, the arrival of these ships caused immense excitement, thousands of colonists visited them, and were well received. It had been predicted that the commanders of the Confederate steamers might take it into their heads to pay the Cape a visit, with an eye to homeward-bound Federal merchantmen from India and China; but few paid much attention to the prediction. Two or three times a laugh had been raised by the announcement that a steamer " like the

Alabama" had been sighted off Algoa Bay. The laugh over, no one thought more about it until one of our coasting craft—the Hover—arrived in Table Bay, the commander of which reported to the port captain that he had been boarded by Captain Semmes, of the Alabama, who had asked for information respecting the various bays along the coast, and such further particulars relative to the colony and the number of Federals in Table Bay as showed that the gallant Confederate captain intended to pay us a visit, and make some captures. Two or three days after this, the Atlas came down from Saldanha Bay and brought the following letter from Captain Semmes to His Excellency:— " Confederate States Steamer, Alabama, Saldanha Bay, Aug. 1,1863. His Excellency Sir Philip Wodehouse, Governor, &c.

Sib,—An opportunity is offered me by the coasting schooner Atlas to communicate with the Cape, of which I promptly avail myself. I have the honor to inform your Excellency that I arrived in this Bay on Wednesday morning last, for the purpose of effecting some necessary reFairs. As soon as these repairs can be completed will proceed to sea; and in the meantime your Excellency may rest assured that I will pay the strictest attention to the neutrality of your Government. I have the honor to be, &c., R. Semmes, Captain C. S. Navy."

This letter, made public in the morning of Wednesday, the sth inst., caused no little excitement. The step of the Commercial Exchange was crowded with merchants, knots of citizens were collected at the corner of every street; business was almost, if not altogether suspended. All that could be gleaned, in addition to the information in Capatin Semints' letter to the Governor, a copy of which was sent to the United States Consul immediately it was received, was, that the schooner Atlas had just returned from Malagas Island, where she had been with water and vegetables for men collecting guano there. Captain Boyce, the master of the Atlas, reported that he had himself actually seen the Alabama; a boat from the steamer had boarded his vessel, and he had been on board her. His report of Captain Semmes corroborated that given by everyone else. He said the Captain was most courteous and gentlemanly. He asked Captain Boyce to land thirty prisoners for him in Table Bay, with which reqnest Captain Boyce was unable to comply. Captain Semmes said the Florida was also a short distance off the Cape, and that the Alabama, when she had completed her repairs, and was cleaned and painted, would pay Table Bay a visit. He expected.to be there, he said, very nearly as soon as the Atlas. Now it may be well imagined that in a place like Cape Town, where " sensations" are few and far between, and the few not of the most thrilling sort, this news created something more than a considerable stir.

Shortly after the Atlas arrived, a boat brought up some of the prisoners from Saldanha Bay, and amongst them, one of the crew of the Alabama, who said he had left the ship. All these waited upon the United States Consul, but were unable to give much information beyond what we had already received. About * noon, " a steamer from the north-west" was made down by the signal-man on the hill. Just after one it was made down " Confederate steamer Alabama, from the N.W., and Federal barque, from the S.E." Here was to be a capture by the celebrated Confederate c raft, close to the entrance of Table Bay. The inhabitants rushed off to get a sight. Crowds of people ran up the Lions Hill, and to the Kloof road. There were about thirty cabs upon the stand ; evej) one was chartered instantaneously, and off they sped as fast as horses could be whipped to go over the Kloof, round to Sea Point, down to the light-houses, wherever a peep could be got at the ship. A writer who saw the affair from Brighton, thus described the Capture of the Sea Bride:— " There lay the Alabama within fifty yards of the unfortuDate Yankee. As the Yankee came round from the 6.E., and about five miles from the Bay, the steamer came down upon her. The Yankee was evidently trken by surprise. The Alabama find a gun and brought her to. When we first got sight of the Alabama, it was difficult to make out what she was doing; the baique's head had been put about, and the Alabama lay ofi quite immovable, es if she were taking a sight < f the " varmint." The weather was beauiituily calm and clear, and the sea as suiout:. and transparent as a sheef ot gias-. Tl.e

barque was making her way slowly from the steamer with every bit of her canvass spread. The Alabama, with her steam off, appeared to be letting the barque get clear away. What could this mean ! No one understood. What it meant was soon seen. Like a cat watching and playing with a victimised mouse, Captain Semmes permitted his prize to draw off a few yards, and he then up steam again, and pounced upon her. She first sailed round the Yankee from stem to stern, and stern to stem again. The way that fine, saucy rakish craft was handled, was worth riding a hundred miles to see. She went round the barque like a toy, making a complete circle, and leaving an even margin of water between herself and her prize of not more than twenty yards. This done, she sent a boat with the prize crew off, took possession of the barque in the name of the Confederate States and sent her to sea. The Alabama then made for the port." This took place at about six miles from land.

The same writer went on to remark" As j we came back we found the heights overlooking i Table Bay crowded with people; the road to I Green Point lined with cabs; the windows of the villas at the bottom of the hill were all I thrown up, and ladies waved their handkerchiefs, and one and all joined in the general enthusiasm. Over the quarries, along the Malay burialground, the gallows-hill, and the beach, there were masses of people—nothing but a sea of heads as far as the eye could reach. Along Strand-street and Adderly-street the roofs of all the houses from which Table Bay is overlooked were made available as standing places for persons who could not get boats to go off to the vessel. The central, the north, the south, the coaling jetties were all crowded; at the central jetty it was almost impossible to force one's way through to get a boat. "We went off in our boat in the midst of a vast fleet of dingies, cargo boats, gigs, and wherries—all as full as they could hold. Nearly all the city was at sea. The rowing clubs in uniform pulled off with favored members of their respective clubs on board. We passed the Federal barque Urania at her anchorage, and that ship, regardful of the enemy, sported all her bunting with becoming pluck. The stars and stripes floated defiantly from her mizen peak, and her name from her main. On getting elongside the Alabama we found about a dozen boats before us, and we had not been on board five minutes before she was surrounded by nearly every boat in Table Bay, and as boat after boat arrived, three hearty cheers were given for Captain Semmes and the Alabama. " Visitors were received by the officers of the ship most courteously and without distinction, and the officers conversed freely and unreservedly jof their exploits. There was nothing like brag j about their manner in answering the questions 1 put to them. They are a fine and gentlemanly set of fellows. Most of them are young men. The guns alone are worth going off to see, and everything about the ship speaks highly for the ; seamanship and discipline of the commander and his officers. Until we arrived on board we did not know the name of the ship captured. The i second officer told us that it was the Sea Bride, and pointed out her supercargo, who stood aft i conversing with a number of people who had ! gathered around him. 1 This sir,' said the officer, 'is our fifty-sixth capture. We have sent her off with about ten of our men as a prize crew, and we left a few of their men on board of her.' We walked across to get a little chat with the prisoner so recently captured. He is a superior i man, and spoke of the loss of his cargo in the j spirit of a philosopher. In answer to our remark, j that an hour more would have saved him, he j said,' Yes, it would. I had not the remotest j idea of a capture at this end of the world. I never supposed that she was in this direction. I was in my cabin washing,' said he 'and the mate j came down and said there was a steamer in sight, i Capital, I answered, it is the English mail ' steamer; I shall be just in time for my letters, j He t went up again, and shortly returning said, • she is going to hail us.' Hail us, I answered. What can ahe want to hail us for ? and I went on deck. I looked at that (pointing to the Confederate flag), and I soon saw who we were 1 falling into the hands of. I said good-bye mate, •we shall not be long here. ' This, sir, he went ;on to say,'' is the second time I have been captured coming to the Cape. I left New York in I the M. J. Calhoun, and was captured by the ! Florida in 33 ° west, and between 28 ° and 29 ° ! north. I went home all right, and left New ! York again on the 28th May direct for the Cape." j His name is Mr. H. Spaling. The next we had I an opportunity of conversing with was the chief 1 officer. This gentleman, who by the way stands ! about six feet four out of his shoes, showed us j round his ship with just pride. He pointed out : to us the peculiar qualities of the magnificent i guns. One of Biakely's rifle pieces is a terrible looking weapon. It throws conical shells of a hundredweight; and he remarked, " When we fought the Hatteras these conical shells struck her one after the other in capital style; they exploded with magnificent effect, and lit up her whole broadside."