Journal of Voyages: Containing an Account of the Author's being Twice Captured by the English and Once by Gibbs the Pirate...Dunham, Jacob
History
Journal of Voyages: Containing an Account of the Author's being Twice Captured by the English and Once by Gibbs the Pirate...
Dunham, Jacob
Voyages and travels
On my arrival in New-York (being literally clothed with rags) I was met
on the way to my boarding house by some of my kind friends, who took me
to their houses and fitted me with a temporary suit of clothes, and some
of them advanced me money to purchase more. Mr. Luman Reed loaned me two
or three hundred dollars to pay the wages due my crew, and defray other
expenses. Soon after, I proceeded to Catskill with the schooner, sold
one half of my interest in her; and after paying my old friend, Mr. A.
Cooke, all the money he had advanced on the out bound cargo for me, I
proceeded to Charleston to claim my property, as I have before related.
On my return from that port we refitted the Combine with new sails,
rigging, &c. and agreed to take out an assorted cargo in her hold, and a
deck load of horses, to the Island of St. Domingo.
CHAPTER XXI.
Schooner Combine.--Second Voyage.
About the middle of May, 1822, we commenced loading at Catskill, and
finished in about ten days, when we sailed for New-York, where I shipped
a crew and left for Cape Francios, in the Island of St. Domingo. We met
with light winds and strong currents on the passage, which carried us
some distance to the leeward of our course, and obliged me to put into
the harbor of Port-au-Prince, where we arrived without any material
incident. I landed my horses, and having procured a stable for them, was
advised to select ten or twelve of the handsomest and proceed with them
to the president's country seat, about six miles from the city, where
he was confined by ill health. This I consented to as a matter of
courtesy, and a black colonel, named Burblong, volunteered to accompany
me. I took my hostler and an interpreter and proceeded to his house. At
his residence there was an extensive park enclosed by a high brick wall,
which we entered after passing two armed sentries, when we drew near to
a large wooden building fitted up in good style, having a piazza all
round it, and six or eight sentries walking on it, well armed and
uniformed. As we approached the outside door of the house we found a
sentry stationed there, who conducted us into the hall, where we found
another who conducted us into the president's room, which was splendidly
furnished, where I was introduced to his excellency by Colonel Burblong.
After the introduction was over, he invited us to take a glass of wine
with him. The horses were then brought near the door, which, having
examined, he said were worth two hundred dollars apiece; but since I had
been so polite as to call on him, he would give me two hundred and fifty
for as many as his groom should select. The president is about six feet
in height, of a mulatto color, rather thin in flesh, and makes a good
appearance on horseback, particularly in reviewing his army, who perform
their evolutions in the most graceful and soldier-like manner. I sold
the president one pair of horses, and disposed of a few to individuals
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