The ensuing morning when I went on deck the first object that met
my eyes was the mount of Monte Video towering grandly from the
horizon about nine miles distant, crowned with its angular fortress.—
The hill, as we approached it, presented a beautiful appearance. It is
shaped like a cone, and is three hundred feet in height, and the rest of
the land around it being low, it is visible at a great distance.

As we advanced, the towers and turrets and dome of the cathedral
of the city of Monte Video lifted themselves over the surface of the
intervening country, while near them was visible a forest of masts, the
hulls of the numerous vessels being still concealed by the intervening
land. It was a beautiful morning; one of those soft, balmy atmospheres
peculiar to this climate. The sun, reflected from the distant
towers, flags, and battlements of the fortress, gave brilliancy to the
scene. Up the river higher, were two or three vessels of war, which
carried the Brazilian flag. One of them was a brig at anchor, the
other two schooners, moving along under easy sail, as if merely sailing
for pleasure off the harbor. The harbor of Monte Video opens boldly
from the main shore of the river with a entrance, entrance, flanked on
the west side by the mount and its fortress, and on the east or right
hand by a strongly built battery. The shape of the harbor is not unlike
that of a pear, made a deep, spacious basin a mile wide, and more
than that distance in length inland. The city lays within the eastern
curve, upon gradually rising ground, and as we came in sight of it
presented a fine appearance, its roofs rising one above the other, and
the whole crowned by the cathedral with its dome and numerous
towers.

As we approached the mouth of the harbor, about a mile distant
from it, I went aloft to get a more open view. From this elevation I
was enabled to command a wide and beautiful prospect, of city, harbor,
shipping, forts, the mount, the suburbs dotted with white flat-rooted
villas, gardens and clumps of bright green trees. I enjoyed the scene
with a zest that can only be appreciated by those who have heen sixty-two
days on the ocean without seeing land. It seemed like a new

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world opened to my inspection; for the general features of what I
beheld were all foreign and new to my eyes.

We at length came nearly opposite the harbor, so that we could look
in and see a huge ship-of-the-line dismantled and anchored directly in
its mouth, pointing her triple battery towards us. The Captain told
us this was called `The Guard Ship,' and was a mode much in use
with the Spaniards and Portuguese for protecting harbors. We thought
the town pretty well protected with the fort on the mount, the battery
on the opposite point, and the guard ship lying between them with
scarce room for two vessels to pass abreast, between her and the shores.
Beyond the guard-ship we saw a fleet of at least two hundred vessels
thickly crowding the basin, so that, as I have before said, their masts
presented the appearance of a forest in autumn.

`I don't like the looks o' that at all,' said the Captain, twisting his
mouth up as he gazed into the crowded harbor through his spy-glass.

`Don't like the looks of what?' I asked, for I was standing near him
in in the main top, to which he had ascended with his spy-glass.

`Of so many vessels anchored in the harbor. It looks as if things
were not altogether right!'

`Why, what do you apprehend?' I inquired.

`There are at least twenty-five Yankee flags flying at the mast-heads
in the harbor, and half as many English. I don't see what the
deuce they are doing there; and, besides, the harbor is full of Brazilian
men-of-war—frigates, sloops, gun-brigs and schooners! There
comes an English armed brig out and standing down for us! If she
comes nigh enough, I will speak her, for things look squally. Keep
away a little there, on deck, and meet that English brig! She is
luffing for us.'

`Aye, aye, sir,' answered the mate, and we came to a point and a
half.

The Captain then descended to the deck, while I remained in the
top watching the approach of a large armed brig with English colors
displayed at her peak, that had just come out of the harbor, and was
standing down the river towards us as if bound to sea. As she approached
it was plain that she intended to speak us, for she luffed up
for us. The Captain called for his trumpet and sprang into the main
rigging, where he took his stand, awaiting her; for he was anxious
to learn the news; for he had began to suspect the true state of
things.

The English brig came down towards us beautifully, and as she approached,
clewed up her topsails to deaden her head-way. I could look
down upon her clean decks and see the double battery of dark guns
and groups of men upon her forecastle; while upon the quarter-deck
stood two or three officers in uniform. Our Captain, as soon as he
had called for his trumpet, had ordered the colors to be set in answer
to those flying on board the English vessel.

`Ho the brig, ahoy!' shouted a stern voice from the quarter-deck
of the Englishman, as the two vessels neared each other on opposite
tacks.

`What brig is that?'

[figure description] Page 058.[end figure description]

`The Josephus, of Portsmouth, bound to Buenos Ayres. What brig
is that?'

`The English Letter of Marque `Queen Bess,' bound to London.
I have borne down to you,' continued the obliging Captain. `supposing
you were bound up the river, to say, that war has been declared
between the Republic of Buenos Ayres and Brazil, and that the blockade
of the river above Monte Video was enforced five days ago. You
will have to put into Monte Video, as five leagues above this the
blockading fleet is stationed, and to reach Buenos Ayres will be out of
the question.'

`Thank you, thank you,' answered Captain Pright, waving his
speaking trumpet towards him, and touching his hat in acknowledgment
for his courtesy.

`Not at all, not at all,' responded the Captain of the Letter of Marque,
as he sheeted home his topsails again, while we filled away. for
we had backed our main-topsail as he came near us.

`Now this is what I call slipping between the cup and the lip,' exclaiming
Captain Pright with looks of angry disappointment. `After
sixty-two days' sail to reach a place, and get within twenty-four hour's
run of it, to be told we must go home again or put into some other
port!'

`Why what is the matter?' cried old Mr. Bedrick, coming hurriedly
up on deck, for he had been shaving below all the while; `what is it
the English Captain says?'

`He says that Buenos Ayres is blockaded by a Brazilian squadron!'
answered the Captain in a tone of ill-humor.

`Well, what is to be done?' asked the old man, pale with the news.

`To be done! We must either run the gauntlet or I must find some
other port for the cargo of flour and Yankee notions. But I am not
to be turned back unless I am compelled. If Buenos Ayres is blockaded
I can get good prices for every thing on board if I can get up
there. So I will just keep quietly on and see if I can't give them Portuguese
the slip!'

`But if they catch us trying to run the blockade,' said Bedrick,
`they will capture the brig and take her into Monte Video as a prize,
and condemn her, and make us prisoners.'

`I will put it to the vote of the passengers, and the majority shall
govern my conduct,' answered the Captain. `Come, gentlemen, shall
we stand on, or put into the harbor that is already filled with American
vessels?'

We four voted in favor of keeping on, and also the younger Bedrick;
but the old man and his elder born, proposed that we should stop at
Monte Video!'

`I shall keep on,' answered the Captain. `Flour will be a drug in
Monte Video, for I dare say, every Yankee vessel there has it on
board. If I can reach Buenos Ayres, I shall make my fortune, and
enrich the owners. So I shall stand on and trust to the keel of my
brig; for I dare swear she is faster than any of the Portuguese craft in
these waters!'

`You will stand on at your peril, Captain Pright,' cried the old man.

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`You know if we are chased and overtaken, we shall be fired into, and
you will be answerable for life and limb! And then if you are taken,
the vessel is detained as a fair prize, and we will no doubt be thrown
into a Portuguese prison!'

`I will, at all event, run the risk. The wind is fair and —'

He was here interrupted at this crisis by the report of a gun. We
looked up and saw a cloud of blue smoke curling above the bows of a
Brazilian gun brig that had just poked her nose out of the harbor and
was bearing for us under all sail. She was about half a league distant.

`There, sir! Do you hear that?' cried Mr. Bedrick as white as a
sheet.

`Yes, sir, do you see that?' repeated his elder born, looking whiter
than his parent, if possible. `I command you, Captain Pright, to stop
your vessel before we are all killed!'

`Gentlemen, I command this brig. If you interfere with my duties,
I shall be compelled to order you below!'

As he spoke, a second report was heard from the Brazilian. Instantly
we all dodged our heads; but the shot fell short of us, for we
could see where it struck quarter of a mile to the leeward, dashing the
spray high into the air.

Captain Pright looked perplexed and dissatisfied. He smoked away
at his cigar with unusual ferocity, while he glanced from his brig's
sails to the brigantine, and then back again to his own vessel, which
was sailing past the harbor at a speed of about five knots. The Captain
saw that he was running a great risk in standing on, for if he was
brought to his vessel might be seized for infringing the blockade; as
he knew the Brazilians would advance any pretext for the purpose of
getting possession of his vessel and cargo. He saw, also, that the
Brazilian brig was a fast sailer, and that if he even should out-sail her,
he would find it difficult to elude the blockading squadron stationed
fifteen miles higher up the river. The firing of the brig had also set
in active motion the two armed schooners to windward, and they were
rapidly standing for us. Affairs began, indeed, to look a little serious.
Captain Pright seemed to think so himself; for after taking a deliberate
inspection of the three vessels, one after another, and carefully calculating
his chances of being taken, he gave two or three fierce puffs at
his cigar, and issued an order in tones of thunder to square away the
yards! As the wind was from the south, and blew directly into the
harbor, this manoeuvre plainly made known to the three vessels that
we had concluded to behave ourselves and submit to the laws of war.
The two schooners at once hauled their wind and went off about their
own business, while the brig of war kept standing on for us, but without
firing any more guns, greatly to our gratification. She was a
black, ugly looking craft, with dark brown canvass, and a very smoky
appearance altogether, like almost all the Brazilian vessels of war.—
Her mainmast raked very much, while her foremast stooped a little —
She carried very square topsails, and an enormously large jib and trisail.
She showed six guns to a side, and was filled with dark-looking
men in red caps and red shirts.

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In about ten minutes after we had squared away, she came under our
stern, and hailed in good English:

`What brig is that?'

`The Josephus, of Boston, bound to Buenos Ayres,' answered Captain
Pright in a very cross tone.

`Did you know that a blockade was enforced? What do you mean
by standing on?' demanded the officer in a stern voice.

`How should I know? And if I did, it is my duty to do the best I
can to make the port I am bound to!'

`You will back your topsails, and receive a boat, with an officer to
take charge of you.'

`There, what did I tell you, sir!' cried Mr. Bedrick. `The brig is
lost, and we are all prisoners.'

`There will be little you will be likely to lose besides your liberty,'
answered Captain Pright, looking at us slyly. `But the vessel is not
to be taken. He only pays us the compliment to escort us safely in.—
We have not run the blockade yet, though I would have done it if I
could!'

We had now backed our maintoptsail and the brigantine had done
the same. She then sent a boat to board us. It contained a lieutenant
and a middy, and was pulled by four dark looking Portuguese sailors
in red caps with black locks and piercing eyes beneath. The boat
came along side; the gang-way ladder was let down to him; the Captain
stood about half way between the companion-way and the gangway
port to receive him. He came on deck, slightly bowed round to
us, and advanced towards the Captain. He was a slender, handsome
looking fellow, with a dark cheek, and a large fine eye. He was richly
dressed in the gold embroidered and gorgeous uniform of the Brazilian
naval service, and wore at his side a magnificent sword.

`You are the Capitan?' he asked of Captain Pright in broken English:
for he was not the officer who had hailed us, and who must
have been an Englishman in the Emperor's service, which was filled
with them.

`Yes, I am the Captain?'

`You were trying to run de blockade?'

`I was trying to make my port. I hove to as soon as I saw you
were firing shotted guns.'

`Well, you will let me see your papers, and resign to me command
of the vessel to take him into port! If you had stood on five
minutes longer, you would have forfeited your vessel! Fill away
again!'

Captain Pright then invited him into the cabin to show him the
brig's papers, gave him a glass of wine, and treated him with remarkable
civility, since, we all knew that it would afford him the greatest
pleasure to pitch him overboard. We now filled away and stood into
port, while the brigantine steered down the river after another vessel
that was just coming into view.

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