Page:The Fall of Maximilan's Empire.djvu/22

14 and the United States consul had not failed to express his appreciation of her services and of the beneficial restraining effect of the presence of an American gun-boat on the motley crowd that made and exercised the laws for that isolated community. Being now relieved, Captain Gherardi went to sea, as soon as he had put his successor au courant of affairs international, national, and municipal.

The other vessels lying at Sacrificios proved to be all men-of-war, flying English, French, Spanish, and Austrian colors. The usual civilities were soon exchanged, offers of assistance being sent immediately by the commanding officers, and promptly returned in person by Captain Roe. The Austrian was a single, and consequently noticeable, exception; but as his vessel was lying the other side of the reefs, well out, separated from the others, it was taken for granted that that distance and isolation had something to do with the apparent discourtesy.

The English vessel was the "Jason," a fine sloop-of-war, commanded by Captain C. Murray Aynesley, who proved to be a pleasant companion as well as efficient officer. Like many other members of that service, he had commanded a blockade runner during our civil war, and he thought at first that that might prove something of a bar to friendly relations with the American officers. On alluding to it, however, before many days passed, his mind