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P. 240: “The Mexicans themselves had but one or two small vessels on the coast, and the English and French seemed to have entered into that business to but very small extent. It was left for our money-loving countrymen to follow the example set in times past by the Dutch, of old,
p. 241: of selling to the enemy the arms wherewith to defend themselves. Among the vessels belonging to the Mexican fleet on this coast at that time, was one, to which, from the strange vicissitudes of her career, (if a vessel may be said to have a career,) a good deal of romance attached. This was the Malek Adhel, a fleet little brig. She had been, first, smuggler, on the coast of China, then pirate, next slaver, and finally was bought by the Mexicans, taken into the Mexican Navy, and captured while lying under the guns of the fort at Acapulco, by the boats of the United States sloop of war Warren. She was a very finely built vessel, and it was reported would sail like the wind. Certainly, if sharp bows and square yards, breadth of beam, and tauntness of rig indicate a clipper, she was one. Her story was a strange one. As it was told to me, by one who had been in her when she was a slaver, it ran as follows: She was built in Baltimore, and had been originally fitted out for an opium smuggler. After running in that trade two years, proving herself the while the fleetest of the fleet, her crew, on a return passage from China, mutinied, and, killing the officers, hoisted the black flag, and boldly steered for the Atlantic, laying under contributions all vessels they met with on their way. As the vessel, while in the smuggling trade, was well provided with arms, the piratical crew found her ready fitted to their hands. After robbing several Indiamen, and one or two country ships, they got round the Cape of Good Hope, and steered for the Coast of Brazil, where
p. 242: they committed various depredations, until, ere long, their actions came to the ears of the authorities, and they found the American and English men-of-war hot in chase. As those seas were no longer safe for them, the mutineers resolved to take a flying trip through the West India groups, and here the vessel was captured, after a hard fight, and those of the crew left alive, were gibbeted in Havana. The vessel now came into the possession of a slaving captain, who refitted her, thoroughly armed her, and shipping a crew of thirty of the most desperate characters he could pick up in the pulperias of Havana, sailed for the Coast of Africa. Here, in too much haste to proceed in the usual manner to procure his cargo of slaves, and forgetting the old proverb of “honor among thieves,” he lay in wait for, and intercepted two homeward-bound slavers, and robbed them of their ill-gotten freight. Having in this way made up his cargo, he set sail on his return. Several days after meeting with and robbing the slavers, the vessel was chased by a British brig of war. With a roaring breeze, the Malek Adhel held her own for two days, but found it impossible to shake off the Britisher. All manner of devices were tried, but without success. Even the horrible expedient of throwing a portion of his slave cargo overboard, was resorted to, thinking by thus lightening the ship she would sail faster - but all in vain. Now the monster who commanded her grew desperate, and double shotting his guns, and arming his crew, he put the brig about, and steered down for the British
p. 243: cruiser, determined to decide the fate of the day in the speediest manner. The two brigs fought for three hours, not coming however during all the time to a hand-to-hand conflict, as, in such case, the slaver's captain was aware that the advantage of superior numbers was with the cruiser. Each tried by skillful gunnery to cripple the other, and finally the captain of the slaver, by a lucky shot, succeeded in destroying the foremast of the British brig. Hauling his wind immediately, he now quickly ran down athwart the bows of his almost helpless enemy, and discharging two raking broadsides at her, which swept her decks fore and aft, he set all sail, and in a few days had his slaves landed on the Island of Cuba. The vessel made two more trips under the command of the wretch who was her captain on the first voyage, and then fell into the hands of Brazilians, Who still however kept her in the slave trade, although procuring their cargoes in the more legitimate manner of paying for them on the coast. On the last of these voyages, she had been closely pursued by an American vessel of war, but had succeeded in throwing her off the scent. She ran into one of the smaller bays not far to the northward of Rio de Janeiro, and there succeeded in landing her slaves. Scarcely had they gotten on shore, when an American schooner-of-war made her appearance at the mouth of the harbor. At sight of her, the entire crew, officers and men, of the Malek Adhel, seeing escape hopeless to the vessel, put off hastily for the shore, leaving her an empty prize in the hands of the American schooner.
p. 244: By them, she was condemned as a prize, stripped of her armament, and sold to an American firm, who resold her to the Mexican Government, and she had been for some time already doing duty on the California coast when she once more fell into the hands of the Americans. Of her after history, I know nothing, except that some of our oldest tars prophesied no good for her. There had been too much blood spilt upon her decks to make her a lucky craft, they said.”
Source
Chas. Nordhoff, Man-of-war life: A Boy’s experience in the United States Navy, during a voyage around the world, in a ship of the line. Cincinnati, 1856.
P. 240: “The Mexicans themselves had but one or two small vessels on the coast, and the English and French seemed to have entered into that business to but very small extent. It was left for our money-loving countrymen to follow the example set in times past by the Dutch, of old,
p. 241: of selling to the enemy the arms wherewith to defend themselves. Among the vessels belonging to the Mexican fleet on this coast at that time, was one, to which, from the strange vicissitudes of her career, (if a vessel may be said to have a career,) a good deal of romance attached. This was the Malek Adhel, a fleet little brig. She had been, first, smuggler, on the coast of China, then pirate, next slaver, and finally was bought by the Mexicans, taken into the Mexican Navy, and captured while lying under the guns of the fort at Acapulco, by the boats of the United States sloop of war Warren. She was a very finely built vessel, and it was reported would sail like the wind. Certainly, if sharp bows and square yards, breadth of beam, and tauntness of rig indicate a clipper, she was one. Her story was a strange one. As it was told to me, by one who had been in her when she was a slaver, it ran as follows: She was built in Baltimore, and had been originally fitted out for an opium smuggler. After running in that trade two years, proving herself the while the fleetest of the fleet, her crew, on a return passage from China, mutinied, and, killing the officers, hoisted the black flag, and boldly steered for the Atlantic, laying under contributions all vessels they met with on their way. As the vessel, while in the smuggling trade, was well provided with arms, the piratical crew found her ready fitted to their hands. After robbing several Indiamen, and one or two country ships, they got round the Cape of Good Hope, and steered for the Coast of Brazil, where
p. 242: they committed various depredations, until, ere long, their actions came to the ears of the authorities, and they found the American and English men-of-war hot in chase. As those seas were no longer safe for them, the mutineers resolved to take a flying trip through the West India groups, and here the vessel was captured, after a hard fight, and those of the crew left alive, were gibbeted in Havana. The vessel now came into the possession of a slaving captain, who refitted her, thoroughly armed her, and shipping a crew of thirty of the most desperate characters he could pick up in the pulperias of Havana, sailed for the Coast of Africa. Here, in too much haste to proceed in the usual manner to procure his cargo of slaves, and forgetting the old proverb of “honor among thieves,” he lay in wait for, and intercepted two homeward-bound slavers, and robbed them of their ill-gotten freight. Having in this way made up his cargo, he set sail on his return. Several days after meeting with and robbing the slavers, the vessel was chased by a British brig of war. With a roaring breeze, the Malek Adhel held her own for two days, but found it impossible to shake off the Britisher. All manner of devices were tried, but without success. Even the horrible expedient of throwing a portion of his slave cargo overboard, was resorted to, thinking by thus lightening the ship she would sail faster - but all in vain. Now the monster who commanded her grew desperate, and double shotting his guns, and arming his crew, he put the brig about, and steered down for the British
p. 243: cruiser, determined to decide the fate of the day in the speediest manner. The two brigs fought for three hours, not coming however during all the time to a hand-to-hand conflict, as, in such case, the slaver's captain was aware that the advantage of superior numbers was with the cruiser. Each tried by skillful gunnery to cripple the other, and finally the captain of the slaver, by a lucky shot, succeeded in destroying the foremast of the British brig. Hauling his wind immediately, he now quickly ran down athwart the bows of his almost helpless enemy, and discharging two raking broadsides at her, which swept her decks fore and aft, he set all sail, and in a few days had his slaves landed on the Island of Cuba. The vessel made two more trips under the command of the wretch who was her captain on the first voyage, and then fell into the hands of Brazilians, Who still however kept her in the slave trade, although procuring their cargoes in the more legitimate manner of paying for them on the coast. On the last of these voyages, she had been closely pursued by an American vessel of war, but had succeeded in throwing her off the scent. She ran into one of the smaller bays not far to the northward of Rio de Janeiro, and there succeeded in landing her slaves. Scarcely had they gotten on shore, when an American schooner-of-war made her appearance at the mouth of the harbor. At sight of her, the entire crew, officers and men, of the Malek Adhel, seeing escape hopeless to the vessel, put off hastily for the shore, leaving her an empty prize in the hands of the American schooner.
p. 244: By them, she was condemned as a prize, stripped of her armament, and sold to an American firm, who resold her to the Mexican Government, and she had been for some time already doing duty on the California coast when she once more fell into the hands of the Americans. Of her after history, I know nothing, except that some of our oldest tars prophesied no good for her. There had been too much blood spilt upon her decks to make her a lucky craft, they said.”
Source
Chas. Nordhoff, Man-of-war life: A Boy’s experience in the United States Navy, during a voyage around the world, in a ship of the line. Cincinnati, 1856.
