Tales of Whalers in the Civil War 375 



she was running into the arms of an enemy. . . . 

 This large ship proved to be the Ocean Rover, of 

 New Bedford, Massachusetts. She had been out 

 three years and four months, cruising in various 

 parts of the world; had sent home one or two 

 cargoes of oil, and was now returning herself 

 with another cargo of eleven hundred barrels. 

 The master, though anxious to see his wife, and 

 dandle on his knee the babies that were no longer 

 babies, with true Yankee thrift thought he would 

 just take the Azores in his way home, and make 

 another 'strike' or two, to fill up his empty casks. 

 The consequence was, as the reader has seen, a 

 little disappointment. I really felt for the honest 

 fellow, but when I came to reflect for a moment 

 upon the diabolical acts of his countrymen of 

 New England, who were out-heroding Herod in 

 carrying on against us a vindictive war, filled 

 with hate and vengeance, the milk of human kind- 

 ness which had begun to well up in my heart 

 disappeared, and I had no longer any spare sym- 

 pathies to dispose of. 



"It being night when the capture was made, I 

 directed the prize to be hove to in charge of a 



