_
The Alabama was again out of luck. For the second time since her
departure from Terceira, nearly a fortnight passed without bringing a
single prize. It was, indeed, hardly to be expected that the splendid
success which had attended the first three weeks of her cruise could be
maintained. From the 1st to the 18th of September, she had captured and
destroyed no less than ten vessels, of an aggregate value of nearly two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Then had followed an interval of a
fortnight, during which one vessel only was overhauled, and proving to
be French, permitted to proceed. This dull period over, the 3rd October
had seen the commencement of another run of good fortune, extending over
nearly a fortnight, during which she succeeded in capturing five more
vessels, all of considerable size, and for the most part with valuable
cargoes. In this fortnight alone damage was inflicted upon United States
property to the amount of more than half-a-million of dollars; and it
was but natural that, after so splendid a gift, fortune should for a
time hold her hand.
Accordingly, for the next ten or twelve days the Alabama lay helplessly
on the ocean, tossed and beaten about by a succession of gales from
every point of the compass, culminating, as we have seen, in the
hurricane of the 16th October. The season was, indeed, most unusually
severe, this month of October being commonly one of calm and fine
weather.
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