Produced by Norman M. Wolcott The Blockade Runners by Jules Verne [Redactor's Note: _The Blockade Runners_ (number V008 in the T&M numerical listing of Verne's works) is a translation of _Les forceurs de blocus_ (1871). _The Blockade Runners_, a novella, was included along with _A Floating City_ in the first english and french editions of this work. This translation, which follows that of Sampson and Low (UK) and Scribners (US) is by "N. D'Anvers", pseudonymn for Mrs. Arthur Bell (d. 1933) who also translated other Verne books. It is also included in the fifteen volume Parke edition of the works of Jules Verne (1911). There is another translation by Henry Frith which was published by Routledge (1876). Both of these stories are about ships; _Floating City_ about the largest ship of the time, the _Great Eastern_, and _Blockade Runners_ about one of the fastest, the _Dolphin_. This text version was prepared from public domain sources by Norman M. Wolcott, 2003, nwolcott2@post.harvard.edu] The Blockade Runners Table of Contents I THE _DOLPHIN_ II GETTING UNDER SAIL III THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM IV CROCKSTON'S TRICK V THE SHOT FROM THE _IROQUOIS,_ AND MISS JENNY'S ARGUMENTS VI SULLIVAN ISLAND CHANNEL VII A SOUTHERN GENERAL VIII THE ESCAPE IX BETWEEN TWO FIRES X ST. MUNGO THE BLOCKADE RUNNERS Chapter I THE _DOLPHIN_ The Clyde was the first river whose waters were lashed into foam by a steam-boat. It was in 1812 when the steamer called the _Comet_ ran between Glasgow and Greenock, at the speed of six miles an hour. Since that time more than a million of steamers or packet-boats have plied this Scotch river, and the inhabitants of Glasgow must be as familiar as any people with the wonders of steam navigation. However, on the 3rd of December, 1862, an immense crowd, composed of shipowners, merchants, manufacturers, workmen, sailors, women, and children, thronged the muddy streets of Glasgow, all going in the direction of Kelvin Dock, the large shipbuilding premises belonging to Messrs. Tod & MacGregor. This last name especially proves that the descendants of the famous Highlanders have become manufacturers, and that they have made workmen of all the vassals of the old clan chieftains. Kelvin Dock is situated a few minutes' walk from the town, on the right bank of the Clyde. Soon the immense timber-yards were thronged with spectators; not a part of the quay, not a wall of the wharf, not a factory roof showed an unoccupied place; the river itself was covered with craft of all descriptions, and the heights of Govan, on the left bank, swarmed with spectators. There was, however, nothing extraordinary in the event about to take place; it was nothing but the launching of a ship, and this was an everyday affair with the people of Glasgow. Had the _Dolphin_, then--for that was the name of the ship built by Messrs. Tod & MacGregor--some special peculiarity? To tell the truth, it had none.