THE 'ALABAMA' IN THE INDIAN OCEAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 84, 19 February 1864, Page 4

THE 'ALABAMA' IN THE INDIAN OCEAN.

(JftoiH liiu " Penny Ar^us.") Tlie miowned Confederate wnr stmraer 'Alabama' may probablyyet Unw the g-nod folks of our island ii.lu a ht!il<j of plcasiuii. cxcituimiiit, similiai to tbat olt by the i-rsjdcrts ,'. Cape To.ni w ] l(3 , ,h c captured the &,„ !;,.„),.■ ,sh e flpi , fc ., r ,. to V)(3 cl , lisi thc ltidi.m OcL-iin on ii s!iav], look out fovl-Va-ind vu-s«cls-""iw i l :: ,ut,JI "l'? KU ?- i-'naKinns that, shi.- cveri.auled •in J-ngli Kl , iimre-T :i.tm:. u ,-loao to Sincere : .,,.l alter txa.i-m.iir- ]~.,- ~,,jK i,. t her w ; bore down upon tbf'KhunLea, , while on h.. v Wiiv to UalUs whu:u vessel by the British cnsjjrn. \\ o laani irom the fryfa £'xt<»>iner thut "ti-j atJ uiiother Cwiieicrato v-etiol, Uis

' Tuscalusia,' had both jmt into Simon's P>;ty, and were evidently destined for a cruising expedition iiloii" tlie Africiin "eoai-t. Tlie latter had eiiptured the American ship l Srtuteo, , bound from liangoon to I-'iilmouth, but as she curried « valable cargo belonging to British ownita-s she was allowed to cin j giving a bond for l;>0,()00 doll;:re. fNibseqncntly the •; Cliina clipper ship ' Know .Squall' was fallen in wifh, i but she managed to escape, being 'he faster of the i two. "We hear that• a telegnmi has ju=.t been received J by a mercantile house here, which announces that no i American ship now in Calcutta'will for the present . venture out to sea, in consequence of a rumour to the ; elfcet that two vessel;. , answering to the diseriplion of ! tin; ' Georgia' and the ' Tusuilusia' have been re.cen- ; tly seen in these waters. A special 0.-lcgram for tho i Oiwrra- stat.-s that the ' Florida' had l-aptured the : largo American vessel 'Anglo iS-txon' oil' thf coast of j Ireland. If mav interest our readers to know that up to the 11th of .May this Confederate. ! steamer had desiroved £9,7l)o,ooo'worth of Northern commerce." While the ' Alabama' was at anchor in Saldanba li.ty, 1b!•<•<) seiimen descried from her. One of them reached Cape Town yesterday morning, and reported himself a! the American Consulate, and gives the following accoii:it of his crni;o in the ' Alabama':—• " 1 wa.s an irdinary seaman in the 'Loit-'it! Hatch , (American shiii), (;a])tain O. Grant, laden with coals, and bound from Cardiff to I'oint do Galle. Wo were taken on tho Sth April by the Confederate steamer Alabama. A prizn crew was put onboard :>\'.r vessel, and the steamer kept us in company for a week. We then put into the convict island of l-'ernando-reno, with the ' Alabama,' when all the prisoners were lauded ex<-e].l three men—one man from Charleslown, anotb-r IVo!., Holyhcad, and myself—who did not wi.-h to be landed on that coast, and preferred to join the crew of tin: Confederate. The ' Alabama' coaled iit this place-, and while;, there saw two American whalers, which she went all-r and captured. These, together with the ' Louisa Hatch," were taken out to sea aud burnt. The next vessel she took after thii.wasa whaler bound to the North Atlantic. I foi-ii-ct her name, for w>! took so many that no particular attention was given to the names. Hhu was made firs of, and the crew taken prisom-rs. The Captain had his wife and family with Inn ; thoy were all taken em board tlie ' Alabama.' She aite-"-wards captured tho ' VnU.n Jack,' a barque belonging to Boston, and bound to China ; the ship ' Sea Lark' bound from. New York to San Frsmckoo; and the ' Don-as I'rince, , ship, from New York to China. These vessels were also burnt, and the crews made prisoners ; the Captain of the last named had wlso his wife with hiui. We had now four crews on board—about 1011 prisoners in nil. The Captains and their wives were not ooiiliiictl, or in irons ; they had sti.ei-igcac-couiiiieida(iouyiv<;;;t!ier,i;butliiecrcwswcre;bandciincd and had to .-iecji anil live on deck—mi otlicer being always on guard over Diem. They were all well treated, and tho same rations as the other seamen. Tin; vc.-.-ls which b.ul bee.-n taken hail valuable cargoes: but nothing was taken outol'them excepting fiii-h stores .an were wanting—(lour, b-.-f, or pork, I toLacco, n.H-.i.*, preserves, 'si.iiit.-., and other -.mall i stori.-s. WilU ('nose prisoners wo pur into V.ahia, in ! rw.-iy, and land, d them there. The ' Alabama' -laved { (hero al.oul a week. Alter she had been (line ; tw.-nty-lour hoars, aii'ilher Confederate steamer, the I 'Georgia.' .■aiiie in and wimted to ecal out of an ! Kuiriish bnxjue. in h;.i'o.mr ; but the Government ! stuped that, :;nd she iia-1 to be supplied, like the I • Alabaiie.i,' iron, shove. The ' Georu'ia' is u screw steamer, e ; !;crently bniit iioin t!ie Alabama': shelias two masts, brig-i-ia-'j-cd, find about- r.r.ft tons. Captain .Mt.ury is the iomr.,andcr-not -Maury tho bydrograpiier (who is in Knclai-.d lookin-j after C'onI federate inten-sts then;) but" a cousin of his. The i Cl--W v.-.-i.- o-.M-iiy Eii.tsiisli aud Irish. She had taken I one ])i-;:;e e..i the ]ias.-aj:i. out—a ship bemad for LiverI p.'oi to C.leniia with t.-.it. Her intended movements j were kept >c-e-rct. j "We let-,, llehia, and storing right out to sea, I ev'ptured Die Ainazonian, a barrjue hound Iroin New A oik to liuenos Ayr-s. witli pvs'.'iia-e-i-s , ; (yok ail on hoard e.H", and .-(■ i fire to ),er. V,' c elid not know then wliicli was al'fjrwards Mated, tliat she had some ei-ht en-nine thousand dollars of speeie on b-.arel. the crew anil passengers were traiisfeiTed to a Danish schooner that was going to Kio. Alter that we took llio 'Talisiiiiin.' bound from New York to China. Sin- hail lour brass guns besides sonic ammunition on board, and the.-.; were taken li-om her. Next we took a Philadelphia barque, bound from P.ucnns Ayri-s to N.-w Yoi-k, with wool—a e-lippcr barque painted lead colour, and Captain C-e-iitnies had litteel her out as a privief-i-r. Low, the third olHe.-r, and a crew of the -Alabama,' (selected by lot) we.iv put on board of her, with the guns taken iVom the ' Talisman.' She was taken on Saturday, and on the Sunday attrntoon sin- hoisted the Conledovalc liag and ji.'-iidant, and line! a gun ; she wa.s called the 'Tuscalusia,' Die namo of a town in Ainbaiua. We wero then pK.-tfy close; to iiio. That night we spoke an English ship leaky, and C.-ipluin S.'-mnies put the crew of the 'Talisman' iiml the I'liiladeiphia hack on !/oard, and gave an order for them to the- Amcrie-an Consul. \Ve jifti-rwanl.s took tin;' S. GUden<leevcs' ship, with j coals, from Sliields to tin; l-ia.-t, and bun.t her, the e-rew taken on: also a Baltimore barmie, from ! Kio to Ha'tiuu're. The e-hicf otiice-r was in ehanre of I the latter vessel, and a.-, the Captain bad fallen overj board a few days before, she was ransomed by J Ciijitain SenuiH-s, and the ciewof the ' S. G-.ldensleeve' j was tniiisfi.'i-j-i.-d her. Alier that we took a. ship belonging t;i New York; the; bad been at St. Thomas' in djstn.-ss, anil was bound to San Fneneiseo willi a cargo of railway iron. She; was ransacked, and burnt Ihe same evening. A sail in sight was observed shortly atterwards.'aud the ' Alabama' gave e-ba.-e. It was a beautiful moonlight night: "tin; ! ' Alabama' lircd a gun to bring lie-.- was j answered in i, moment I'.v another -un. The' Alabama' I furl;.-il ail sail, srot ii]> steam, ami all hands were beat i t<i oiuirt.Ts, «hile she went alter the vessel, at the i rate of fourteen knots mi hour. In the chase', we J passed the burning vessel, and saw two barqiees, one ; supjiosed to be- an'Aiiioiii'iin, close by her. The ship i we were in chase- of ran right past the burning ves- ; si'l, with the wind free ami nil sails set, with Die exception of te. reef in the; topsails. Wo ran. right up uiongside to her, and asked what she was. She answered her steam frigate Clio, 22 guns, aud asked what we were. She was told, tlie Confederate steamer ' Alabama.' Shi; then asked, if we hud burnt the vessel, and if she wasau American. We replied \vs. The frigate then said she was bound , home. \V, ; t ; u . n paited company. We then cap- ' tnred the ship ' F.xpivss,' loaded with cuano, from ,' Clmiehn hounel to AulMcrp. 'I'lie Caj.tain. his wife, anrl crew, taken o(V, and together with the other ] Ciijitaiii and ctcw em board, were transferred to an , Knjflish sJiip, the ' l'ride e>f lurin,' bo-.i-.ewaul bound. ■ This v.-as between -St. Helena and the Cape. Wo : spoke; Fcveml uniinportaut ; vessels one bound from tlie East to Liverpool we saw on a Sunday -, we lived a gun. but she did not heave to, or show her culours; ' a second gun was then tired inle. her bows, when sh" ; hove to, put tlm mainyard back, and hoisted the j cnsiKii: and yhen we sent a boat on boiml the Capi tain apologised, and stated that all hands had been : below ill. church. She liael passengers on board, who j cheered the 'Alabama.' We also spoke a vessel I bound to Melbourne, lired i< gun across her bows, and M-nt a boat on board : all the passengers and crew cheered our ship. Y\"e atierwanU spoke the ! seheioner ' I,'ovcr,' bound for Table l'.jy, and subse- | qucutly another schooner, the Captain of which came on bo.inl the ' Aiabam:;,' and a man named Yankee J John piloted us into Saldanlia J'-ay, wiiere we had j (he ship painied and li.\-e;d up. W'e th'..-n g.-.l jileuty of fresh pi-ovi.-.ioiu<, aud tlie ' Atlas,' which etinio ,:'p from (,'npe Town, ;11-jo supplied us with tome. I left the ve.jsei tl»;i>, ,-..-,■ 1 ,!i.l j)..,t wish to remain any longf-r in that service, and liad now a cll.ilife of avjtting to an i'inglish pent." " The Cuptain iiml ollicers of the ' Alabimm' are veiT much liked by all (ho siu-n, »:iel ill.:- eie«- .-„■<.. well treated, .'i'l-.ey are engaged for thve-o years at j Die rate of XI IDs. per month, besides prize money, j ami manv of them h.-ivo an arrangement by which i their families in Enciarid receive erne, half tfieir pay. j The ]iri;'.e mom-y is eon4derabl.;; some of Deem say I they have .fIS'JU or £l2olH> comina- to Ihein. A legister is keipt of ail r .hips taken, and ae'iair-.to accoimls | forwarded by Captain Semuies to the ConlWlerate I (Jovc'i-niucnt. No full v.nges are paid, however, till i the war is over; but money is occasionally aelv;:m.-.d ! for liberty. Kvorythin» on board is coiielucte d the ! same as m the ve-ss.ds of the United Sti.te;i Navy, i Slie ha:i got six broaiisiiic as pound sj-iins—but she ; is pierced for four at each siele and four pivots. Tiie j ciew number about 100 men." - ; FimcH.XEits i:; Ameuica.—Mr. Kr-nnedv, the i supenntendent of Census for ISCO, has compiled from I tho mass of iiprures now awaiting publication a lew i facts ol importance. Ho estimates tlmt forum iimni- j -mnis have) added to tho hr.rd cash in America no I less than lour hundiyd million dollars. Over iiftv i million of doliars wore sent home by inimb-rants between 1843 and ISO.); and this was, of eoui-e but a small proporum of the gain which, they had realised in the latjours to develop tho internal' resources of their adopted country. Mr, Kennedy also" estimates that, inrluiung Mississippi and so-called Tnms-Mis-aidiipfi titites, (Uc-re cannot bo ovoi 210,000 foreign-" '■

crs in tho States now occupied by the Confederate armies. He also states that the proportion of tbrciorii horn is largest in California, where thoy were, In 1863, as two to three natives. In Minnesota thev wore as ono to two. Thoy wcro a little greater in proportion in Wisconsin" than in JOnnosoti. Iα iJUiii they -.vcro something less. In the state of New York they vure as one to three. In Now Jersey they won: about as one to"fuur and a hall'. Tho following is believed to be a correct estimate of the number of naturalised citizens residing i»i tliu United States, with tlie countries whence thev have originated: Ireland 1,(>11,000, German States 1,198,000, England 430,001), British America i>50.000, Franco 109,000, ■Scotland 10.5,000, Switzerland 53,000,,,Wa1es 45,000, Norway, .13,000, Holland 28,000, Turkey 28,000, It lay 10,000, Denmark 10.000, Helium 9.000, Poland 7,l!00, Mexico 7,000. The Antilles 7,000 Cliina 0,(100, Portugal 4,0(1(1. Prussia 3,000, various countries ■20-1,000; tolul, 4,ia(i,000.