Page:The Wreck of a World - Grove - 1890.djvu/92

76 our two ships, which we renamed the "America" and the "Hope," were found well stocked. It was evident that they had been about to be commissioned for a distant cruise. The Roanoke, however, required stores of all sorts; for these her crew foraged pretty successfully in New Orleans, sailors being good hands at such work. Dana took command of his own ship, but spared the best of his non-commissioned officers to Gell and myself, who were nominally in command of the others. The Roanoke's crew were equally divided amongst us, giving about thirty men to each; little enough to work such ships as ours. Fortunately we could supply our own engineers.

It was five o'clock on the 22nd of July, 1949, when we weighed anchor. As we began to glide away in stately procession past the banks I felt a desire to call for three cheers, but respect for the dead man lying on board the Roanoke withheld me. But Dana, without my consent, and much against my judgment, thought proper to fire twenty-one guns as a salute to the old country. For this freak we had to pay. For the sound of his fire roused our watchful foe, who had passed down the river in the night, after their unsuc-