before was lying in the port into which she was taken.
Her captain, when he saw the prize, said: 'I must go on board and shake
hands with the gallant fellow who commands that vessel!' and he did so,
warmly complimenting C---- on the courage he had shown, thus proving
that he could appreciate pluck, and that American naval men did not look
down on blockade-running as a grievous sin, hard work as it gave them in
trying to put a stop to it. They were sometimes a little severe on men
who, after having been fairly caught in a chase at sea, wantonly
destroyed their compasses, chronometers, &c., rather than let them fall
into the hands of the cruiser's officers. I must say that I was always
prepared, had I been caught, to have made the best of things, to have
given the officers who came to take possession all that they had fairly
gained by luck having declared on their side, and to have had a farewell
glass of champagne with the new tenant at the late owner's expense. The
treatment received by persons captured engaged in running the blockade
differed very materially. If a _bona fide_ American man-of-war of the
old school made the capture, they were always treated with kindness by
their captors. But there were among the officers of vessels picked up
hurriedly and employed by the Government a very rough lot, who rejoiced
in making their prisoners as uncomfortable as possible. They seemed to
have only one good quality, and this was that there were among them many
good freemasons, and frequently a prisoner found the advantage of having
been initiated into the brotherhood.

The 'D----n's' crew fell into very good hands, and till they arrived at
New York were comfortable enough; but the short time they spent in
prison there, while the vessel was undergoing the mockery of a trial in
the Admiralty Court, was far from pleasant. However, it did not last
very long--not more than ten days; and as soon as they were free most of
them went back to Nassau or Bermuda ready for more work. C---- came to
England and told me all his troubles. Poor fellow! I am afraid his
services were not half appreciated as they ought to have been, for
success, in blockade-running as in everything else, is a virtue, whereas
bad luck, even though accompanied with the pluck of a hero, is always
more or less a crime not to be forgiven.

CHAPTER XV.

RICHMOND DURING THE SIEGE.

After the excitement of the last six or eight months I could not long
rest in