like fate; nothing, in fact, escaped their shamelessly sacrilegious hands. There was a large number of curious, rare, and elegant Oriental articles,--presents from friends and acquaintances in the East,--beside many that were not only handsome, but useful, which I was bringing home as presents for friends; all of which met the same fate. One officer was seen examining and helping himself from a box of fans,--taking them out one by one, and fanning himself, to see which he liked the best. Another laid hold of a hoop-skirt, and putting it on, tripped over the main-deck with a grace and delicacy doubtless unattainable except by a representative of Southern _chivalry_! While this scene of rioting and plunder was going on, Charlie begged of them three times to save his large trunk, but was told that nothing from the hold could be taken on board the pirate; nor was his package brought from the hold until he left the _Jacob Bell_ to return to the _Florida_. Then some of our crew, who were still remaining on board the ship, saw it brought up, broken open, and plundered in the same way they had served mine.[44] But to cap the climax of this scene, a fat pig,--one of the animals remaining of the _Jacob Bell’s_ supplies,--was killed on her main-deck in a most barbarous manner, and pieces of the creature being savagely cut from its sides, the marauders took such portions as they desired, while the entrails were thrown about the deck, where the blood had been permitted to flow in every direction, and in which articles of my wardrobe, expensive fabrics, family relics, and souvenirs of friends left in the East, were also thrown, and mingled with the clotted mixture in the most offensive and disgusting manner. After witnessing this, Charlie returned on board the steamer, and approaching me with teeth firmly set, while indignation flashed from his eyes, exclaimed in an undertone, “I never was so mad in all my life! O! it was a fearful scene; I shall never forget it;” and afterwards added--“I hope yet to meet them with a gun in my hand!” I was frightened as well as surprised to see the gentle, quiet boy wrought up to such a pitch of indignation; but that scene, together with the compulsory piratical cruise of five days and nights which followed, seemed to arouse and mature in the boy all the noble and brave qualities of the man. He only wished that we could meet one of our cruisers, and have an engagement with her; declaring that he would gladly serve his country by going to the bottom, if the steamer could be sunk, carrying down with her the piratical officers and her crew; nor would the boy ever acknowledge to an emotion of gratitude to Captain Maffit for the common personal civilities we received; but if it was referred to, always said that he saw too much of the plundering scene to desire anything but the destruction of the captain and his officers.