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"I have your sailing orders, Captain." Fox pushed over the sealed envelope.
"I would appreciate it if you would read them now."
Captain Green opened the envelope and quickly scanned the contents. The
orders were brief and to the point. He passed the sheet of paper to Lathers.
Who read it and shook his head in puzzlement.
"SalinaCruz inMexico ? Why I've never even heard of the place!"
Captain Green smiled and tapped the chart that lay open on the table between
them. "You've not been keeping up with the news. This used to be a small
fishing port inMexico , on the shores of theGulfofTehuantepec ..."
"Of course! This the Pacific port where the British have landed all those
troops."
"The very place." They both turned to look at Fox. "I imagine you brought
this order in person for reasons of your own," the captain said.
"I certainly did. I want to tell you what you are going to do when you reach
this port. You are being sent to make our presence felt down there, and yours
will be the first American ship to have that honor. We want you to use your
bestjudgement as how to do that. There are British ships there and we want
them destroyed. You are to leave forMexico as soon as your coal bunkers are
full and supplies boarded."
The two officers smiled together at the thought. Lieutenant Lathers traced
his finger down the Atlantic coast of South America, to Tierra delFuego , and
through the Drake Passage and pastCape Horn .
"Damned long way to go," he said. "All the way south, then back up the
Pacific coast."
"But we can do it," Green said. "We will steam as far asMontevideo . Then we
fill our coal bunkers there, then full sail to theCape . Get through theDrake
Passage under steam so we won't have to beat about for weeks. We'll be a good
deal slower than usual, but we'll make it. Then once we reachMexico " He
slammed his fist down on the chart.
"The cat will be among the pigeons!" He turned to Fox. "Do we have any idea
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what is waiting for us there?"
Fox smiled happily. "The last report said that there were transports only.
Some of them armed I am sure. But no ships of the line were reported.
Certainly no ironclads. With a little bit of luck..."
He did not need to finish the sentence. They all knew what the firepower of
this ship could do.
"You are to sink any and all ships in the port. If you can fire on any of the
shore positions without endangering your ship, why you are to do that as well.
When you are done you will sail toSan Francisco where orders will be awaiting
you. Any questions?"
"None, sir. But I do want to thank you for the assignment. It will be
done just as you said."
Two days later, in a pelting rainstorm, they took in their lines and under a
full head of steam headed south. After coaling inArgentina , they would not
touch land again until they reached the Pacific coast.
They encountered the usual storms at the Cape, and westerly winds greeted
them when they reachedTierra delFuego . Instead of beating about waiting for
favorable winds, they lit the fires in the boilers and steamed through the
Drake Passage and around theCape . Then, with their fires damped, they sailed
north until they reachedEl Salvador and went ashore atAcajutla . There they
emptied out the foul green water from their barrels and filled them with sweet
spring water, while the cook bought fresh fruit and vegetables. When they left
it was on a west-north-west heading that would take them into
theGulfofTehuantepec .
Dawn revealed a narrow stretch of jungle off their starboard bow, backed by
the jagged mountains of the Sierra Madre. The westerly trade winds moved them
along briskly and there was no need now to dip into their irreplaceable store
of coal. The engine was silent, the boiler cold since they had not used it
since they had forced themselves west against the headwinds while rounding
theCape . Only when theOaxaca mountains were visible ahead, with the tiny
white specks of a village rising above the shore, did the captain order the
engine room to raise steam. He did not know what he would find ahead and he
was on a lee shore. Not for the first time did he bless the steam engine that
could get a sailing ship out of trouble.
"Sails ho!" the lookout called out: Captain Green trained his glass at the
coast ahead. "Three, four maybe five," he said. "What a gorgeous sight."
Black smoke puffed from the stack as the sails were lowered andHartford aimed
for the enemy ships. They had surely been seen because white sails suddenly
blossomed along the bare masts of the British ships. But they were late, far
too late, for the warship was bearing down upon them at a good eleven knots.
They were fat Indiamen, all of them, and not very used to setting sail with
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