by Jules Verne
Chapter VI
SULLIVAN ISLAND CHANNEL
Two days after the meeting with the _Iroquois_, the _Dolphin_ foundherself abreast of the Bermudas, where she was assailed by a violentsquall. These isles are frequently visited by hurricanes, and arecelebrated for shipwrecks. It is here that Shakespeare has placed theexciting scene of his drama, _The Tempest_, in which Ariel and Calibandispute for the empire of the floods.
The squall was frightful; James Playfair thought once of running forone of the Bermudas, where the English had a military post: it wouldhave been a sad waste of time, and therefore especially to beregretted; happily the _Dolphin_ behaved herself wonderfully well inthe storm, and, after flying a whole day before the tempest, she wasable to resume her course towards the American coast.
But if James Playfair had been pleased with his ship, he had not beenless delighted with the young girl's bravery; Miss Halliburtt hadpassed the worst hours of the storm at his side, and James knew that aprofound, imperious, irresistible love had taken possession of hiswhole being.
"Yes," said he, "this brave girl is mistress on board; she turns melike the sea a ship in distress--I feel that I am foundering! What willUncle Vincent say? Ah! poor nature, I am sure that if Jenny asked me tothrow all this cursed cargo into the sea, I should do it withouthesitating, for love of her."
Happily for the firm of Playfair & Co., Miss Halliburtt did not demandthis sacrifice; nevertheless, the poor Captain had been taken captive,and Crockston, who read his heart like an open book, rubbed his handsgleefully.
"We will hold him fast!" he muttered to himself, "and before a week haspassed my master will be quietly installed in one of the best cabins ofthe _Dolphin_."
As for Miss Jenny, did she perceive the feelings which she inspired?Did she allow herself to share them? No one could say, and JamesPlayfair least of all; the young girl kept a perfect reserve, and hersecret remained deeply buried in her heart.
But whilst love was making such progress in the heart of the youngCaptain, the _Dolphin_ sped with no less rapidity towards Charleston.
On the 13th of January, the watch signalled land ten miles to the west.It was a low-lying coast, and almost blended with the line of the seain the distance. Crockston was examining the horizon attentively, andabout nine o'clock in the morning he cried:
"Charleston lighthouse!"
Now that the bearings of the _Dolphin_ were set, James Playfair had butone thing to do, to decide by which channel he would run intoCharleston Bay.
"If we meet with no obstacles," said he, "before three o'clock we shallbe in safety in the docks of the port."
The town of Charleston is situated on the banks of an estuary sevenmiles long and two broad, called Charleston Harbour, the entrance towhich is rather difficult. It is enclosed between Morris Island on thesouth and Sullivan Island on the north. At the time when the _Dolphin_attempted to force the blockade Morris Island already belonged to theFederal troops, and General Gillmore had caused batteries to be erectedoverlooking the harbour. Sullivan Island, on the contrary, was in thehands of the Confederates, who were also in possession of MoultrieFort, situated at the extremity of the island; therefore it would beadvantageous to the _Dolphin_ to go as close as possible to thenorthern shores to avoid the firing from the forts on Morris Island.
Five channels led into the estuary, Sullivan Island Channel, theNorthern Channel, the Overall Channel, the Principal Channel, andlastly, the Lawford Channel; but it was useless for strangers, unlessthey had skilful pilots on board, or ships drawing less than seven feetof water, to attempt this last; as for Northern and Overall Channels,they were in range of the Federalist batteries, so that it was no goodthinking of them. If James Playfair could have had his choice, he wouldhave taken his steamer through the Principal Channel, which was thebest, and the bearings of which were easy to follow; but it wasnecessary to yield to circumstances, and to decide according to theevent. Besides, the Captain of the _Dolphin_ knew perfectly all thesecrets of this bay, its dangers, the depths of its water at low tide,and its currents, so that he was able to steer his ship with thegreatest safety as soon as he entered one of these narrow straits. Thegreat question was to get there.
Now this work demanded an experienced seaman, and one who knew exactlythe qualities of the _Dolphin_.
In fact, two Federal frigates were now cruising in the Charlestonwaters. Mr. Mathew soon drew James Playfair's attention to them.
"They are preparing to ask us what we want on these shores," said he.
"Ah, well! we won't answer them," replied the Captain, "and they willnot get their curiosity satisfied."
In the meanwhile the cruisers were coming on full steam towards the_Dolphin_, who continued her course, taking care to keep out of rangeof their guns. But in order to gain time James Playfair made for thesouth-west, wishing to put the enemies' ships off their guard; thelatter must have thought that the _Dolphin_ intended to make for MorrisIsland Channel. Now there they had batteries and guns, a single shotfrom which would have been enough to sink the English ship; so theFederals allowed the _Dolphin_ to run towards the south-west,contenting themselves by observing her without following closely.
Thus for an hour the respective situations of the ships did not change,for James Playfair, wishing to deceive the cruisers as to the course ofthe _Dolphin_, had caused the fires to be moderated, so that the speedwas decreased. However, from the thick volumes of smoke which escapedfrom the chimneys, it might have been thought that he was trying to gethis maximum pressure, and, consequently his maximum of rapidity.
"They will be slightly astonished presently," said James Playfair,"when they see us slip through their fingers!"
In fact, when the Captain saw that he was near enough to Morris Island,and before a line of guns, the range of which he did not know, heturned his rudder quickly, and the ship resumed her northerly course,leaving the cruisers two miles to windward of her; the latter, seeingthis manoeuvre, understood the steamer's object, and began to pursueher in earnest, but it was too late. The _Dolphin_ doubled her speedunder the action of the screws, and distanced them rapidly. Goingnearer to the coast, a few shell were sent after her as an acquittal ofconscience, but the Federals were outdone, for their projectiles didnot reach half-way. At eleven o'clock in the morning, the steamerranging near Sullivan Island, thanks to her small draft, entered thenarrow strait full steam; there she was in safety, for no Federalistcruiser dared follow her in this channel, the depth of which, on anaverage, was only eleven feet at low tide.
"How!" cried Crockston, "and is that the only difficulty?"
"Oh! oh! Master Crockston," said James Playfair, "the difficulty is notin entering, but in getting out again."
"Nonsense!" replied the American, "that does not make me at all uneasy;with a boat like the _Dolphin_ and a Captain like Mr. James Playfair,one can go where one likes, and come out in the same manner."
Nevertheless, James Playfair, with telescope in his hand, wasattentively examining the route to be followed. He had before himexcellent coasting guides, with which he could go ahead without anydifficulty or hesitation.
Once his ship was safely in the narrow channel which runs the length ofSullivan Island, James steered bearing towards the middle of FortMoultrie as far as the Pickney Castle, situated on the isolated islandof Shute's Folly; on the other side rose Fort Johnson, a little way tothe north of Fort Sumter.
At this moment the steamer was saluted by some shot which did not reachher, from the batteries on Morris Island. She continued her coursewithout any deviation, passed before Moultrieville, situated at theextremity of Sullivan Island, and entered the bay.
Soon Fort Sumter on the left protected her from the batteries of theFederalists.
This fort, so celebrated in the civil war, is situated three miles anda half from Charleston, and about a mile from each side of the bay: itis nearly pentagonal in form, built on an artificial island ofMassachusetts granite; it took ten years to construct and cost morethan 900,000 dolla
rs.
It was from this fort, on the 13th of April, 1861, that Anderson andthe Federal troops were driven, and it was against it that the firstshot of the Confederates was fired. It is impossible to estimate thequantity of iron and lead which the Federals showered down upon it.However, it resisted for almost three years, but a few months after thepassage of the _Dolphin_ it fell beneath General Gillmore's threehundred-pounders on Morris Island.
But at this time it was in all its strength, and the Confederate flagfloated proudly above it.
Once past the fort, the town of Charleston appeared, lying betweenAshley and Cooper Rivers.
James Playfair threaded his way through the buoys which mark theentrance of the channel, leaving behind the Charleston lighthouse,visible above Morris Island. He had hoisted the English flag, and madehis way with wonderful rapidity through the narrow channels. When hehad passed the quarantine buoy, he advanced freely into the centre ofthe bay. Miss Halliburtt was standing on the poop, looking at the townwhere her father was kept prisoner, and her eyes filled with tears.
At last the steamer's speed was moderated by the Captain's orders; the_Dolphin_ ranged along the end of the south and east batteries, and wassoon moored at the quay of the North Commercial Wharf.
