e
pay in gold of their respective grades.

As the Giraffe's crew was shipped only for the voyage to Nassau "and a
market," it was necessary to cancel the engagement of those who did not
wish to follow her fortunes further. A few of them preferring their
discharge were paid off, and provided with a passage to England; and the
balance signed articles for Havana "and a market." Everything being in
readiness, we sailed on December 26th, 1862. Having on board a
Charleston pilot, as well as one for Wilmington, I had not determined,
on sailing, which port to attempt; but having made the land near
Charleston bar during thick weather on the night of the 28th, our pilot
was afraid to venture further. We made an offing, therefore, before
daylight; and circumstances favoring Wilmington, we approached the
western bar on the night of December 29th. We had been biding our time
since twelve o'clock that day close in to the shore about forty miles
southwest of the bar and in the deep bay formed by the coast between
Wilmington and Charleston. The weather had been so clear and the sea so
smooth that we had communicated with the Confederate pickets at several
points along the coast; and no sail was visible even from aloft until
about three o'clock in the afternoon, when a cruiser hove in sight to
the north and east. As she was coasting along the land and approaching
us we turned the Giraffe's bow away from her, and got up more steam,
easily preserving our distance, as the stranger was steaming at a low
rate of speed. A little while before sunset the strange steamer wore
round, and we immediately followed her example, gradually lessening the
distance between us, and an hour or more after dark we had the pleasure
of passing inside of her at anchor off New River Inlet. She was
evidently blockading that harbor, and had run down the coast to
reconnoitre. Before approaching the bar I had adopted certain
precautions against disaster which I ever afterwards followed. Any one
who showed an open light when we were near the fleet was liable to the
penalty of death upon the spot; a cool, steady leadsman was stationed on
each quarter to give the soundings; a staunch old quartermaster took the
wheel and a kedge, bent to a stout hawser, was slung at each quarter.
All lights were extinguished; the fire-room hatch covered over with a
tarpaulin; and a hood fitted over the binnacle, with a small circular
opening for the helmsman to see the compass through th