d of superior force, and as their
shattered vessel sank beneath their feet, crowded round the very captain
with whom the hard bargain had been driven, imploring him not to yield.

Finally, the bargaining resulted in the shipping of a crew, all told, of
eighty men; a larger number, perhaps, than Captain Semmes had himself
anticipated, but still not so many by at least twenty-five as were
required for properly manning and fighting the vessel. With these,
however, the Captain was fain to be content, trusting to volunteers from
future prizes to complete his complement. A hard evening's work followed
in preparing allotments of pay to be sent home to the sailors' wives,
and also in paying their advance wages, and sending small drafts for
them to agents in Liverpool. It was not till 11 P.M. that this task was
completed, and then Captains Bullock and Butcher took a final farewell
of the ship, and returned on board the Bahama, which with the remainder
of the two crews steamed away for Liverpool, and the Confederate cruiser
was left alone upon the wide ocean, and had fairly started on her
adventurous career.

No sooner had the two steamers parted company than sail was made on
board the Alabama. The fires were let down, fore and main topsails were
set, the ship's head turned to the N.E., and by midnight Captain Semmes
was able to leave the deck, and thoroughly worn out with the day's
excitement and exertions, turn in to an uneasy berth in search of a few
hours' repose.

Of this, however, there was not much to be obtained. The Alabama was no
sooner under way than the wind began to freshen, and soon increased to a
moderate gale. This was accompanied by one of those ugly seaways so
common in the North Atlantic, and the vessel rolled and tumbled in a
manner sufficiently trying, without the addition of the manifold
discomforts inseparably attendant on a first start. These, too, were, as
may well be supposed, not a little aggravated by the hurried manner in
which the transhipment of stores from the Agrippina and Bahama had
perforce been conducted. Everything, in fact, was in the wildest
confusion. The ship herself was dirty and unsettled, and her decks below
lumbered in all directions with all manner of incongruous articles. No
one was berthed or messed, nothing arranged or secured. Spare
shot-boxes, sea-chests, and heavy articles of baggage or cabin furniture
were fetching away to the destruction of crockery and other brittle
wa