Acadians -- History -- Juvenile fiction; Nova Scotia -- Description and travel -- Juvenile fiction; Vacations -- Juvenile fiction
"There's one bit of harbor history that I shall speak of," said Lucian,
as they turned homeward. "No, Martine, you needn't try to stop me.
Everybody remembers Captain Lawrence and his 'don't give up the ship.'
Well, do you know that he died here in Halifax? The 'Shannon' brought
the 'Chesapeake' as a prize into this very harbor where we are now
sailing. It was the first Sunday in June, 1813, and the town was in the
greatest excitement. The news of their coming went quickly through the
town, and every one who could get hold of a small boat pushed out to see
the ships. The men were swabbing the decks, and the scuppers ran red
with blood."
"Don't, Lucian," cried Martine.
"Oh, but this is history, and the kind you should remember. The
'Shannon' had set out from Halifax but a short time before, and when the
two ships met in Boston Harbor they fought a fierce duel. The 'Shannon'
had less than a hundred in killed and wounded, and the 'Chesapeake'
nearly two hundred, all in about twenty minutes; so no wonder it's
called one of the bloodiest fights on record. The ships must have been a
sight to the quiet Haligonians. Then," continued Lucian, "Captain
Lawrence and Lieutenant Ludlow were buried with high honors in the old
English burying-ground here, and there was a great procession from the
King's Wharf, with the coffins covered with our flags, and six British
post captains bearing the pall."
"You'll have to visit the grave, Amy," said Martine, mischievously.
"Can't be done. An American brig with a flag of truce came for the
bodies in August, and they were carried back to their native country."
"How in the world did you remember so much?" asked Martine. "I never
realized before that you took an interest in history."
"This is the result," retorted Lucian, "of travelling with an
intelligent companion," and he pointed to Fritz.
"No, I didn't do it; don't blame me," rejoined Fritz. "He ran across a
history yesterday, or book of annals, or something of that kind, and
naturally the mention of the 'Chesapeake' and the 'Shannon' interested
him."
"Enough said--in excuse," replied Martine, while Priscilla added, "I
wonder if we shall visit Melville Island before we go. You know that is
where they kept the American prisoners during that war. I had a
great-grand uncle who was taken prisoner, and I've always remembered
that he was at Melville Island, Halifax. My mother has his diary."
"Why, that is interesting," said Amy. "Perhaps it may sound like wishing
ill to my forebears, but I'd even be willing to have had a relative or
two imprisoned here, just for the sake of having a closer association
with Halifax."
"That's a very silly remark, Miss Amy Redmond," cried Fritz,
disapprovingly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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