W., AND FEDERAL BARQUE
FROM THE S.E." Here was to be a capture by the celebrated Confederate
craft, close to the entrance of Table Bay. The inhabitants rushed off
to get a sight. Crowds of people ran up the Lion's-hill, and to the
Kloof-road. All the cabs were chartered--every one of them; there was
no cavilling about fares; the cabs were taken and no questions asked,
but orders were given to drive as hard as possible. The barque
coming in from the south-east, and, as the signal-man made
down, five miles off; the steamer, coming in from the north-west,
eight miles off, led us to think that the Kloof-road was the best
place for a full view. To that place we directed our Jehu to
drive furiously. We did the first mile in a short time; but the
Kloof-hill for the next two and-a-half miles is up-hill work.
The horse jibbed, so we pushed on, on foot, as fast as possible,
and left the cab to come on. When we reached the summit, we
could only make out a steamer on the horizon, from eighteen to
twenty miles off. This could not be the Alabama, unless she
was making off to sea again. There was no barque. As soon
as our cab reached the crown of the hill, we set off at a breakneck
pace down the hill, on past the Roundhouse, till we came
near Brighton, and as we reached the corner, there lay the Alabama
within fifty yards of the unfortunate Yankee. As the Yankee came round
from the south-east, and about five miles from the bay, the steamer
came down upon her.
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