Page:The Wreck of a World - Grove - 1890.djvu/80

64 had long died out, and they were now occupied only by a few white and half-breed farmers.

On the return of Gell's party I learnt—first, that the city was (as I had supposed) quite deserted; secondly, that there were several ships of war lying in the docks and river, which though in view of the latest improvements considered obsolete, were fine roomy sea-going vessels, and, so far as they could judge, in sufficiently good order to put to sea. I did nothing more that day, but next morning before daybreak I sent him again with all our engineers with instructions to select the two vessels which he thought most suitable and easiest to get out of the river without observation, and to put their engines and appliances in working order. The voyage we proposed to undertake was a dangerous venture. For though our engineers were familiar with river steamers, and our pilots knew every yard of the Mississippi, they were quite unaccustomed to ocean-going ships, quite ignorant of the coast and sea-pilotage, and what was worst, we had not a single seaman amongst us. As for navigation I had a theoretical knowledge of that science, but it is obvious that starting under such conditions