1884.]
��Captain George Hamilton Perkins, U.S.N.
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��came to join the storeship Release, which vessel after a three months' cruise in the Mediterranean returned to New York to fill up with stores and provisions for the Paraguay expedition. That expedition had for its object the chastisement of the Dictator Lopez for certain dastardly acts committed against our flag on the River Parana.
Owing to the paucity of officers, so many being absent on other foreign service, Midshipman Perkins was ap-
pointed acting sailing-master, a very
responsible position for so young an officer, which, with the added comforts of a stateroom and well-ordered table in the w^ardroom, was almost royal in its contrast with the duty, the darksome steerage, and hard fare on board the Cyane. It would be difficult to make a landsman take in the scope of the change implied, but let him in imagination start across the continent in an old-fashioned, cramped-up stage- coach, full of passengers, with such coarse fare as could be picked up from day to day, and return in a Pullman car with well-stocked larder and res aurant attached, and he will get a glimmering as to the difference between steerage and wardroom life on board a man-of-war. The Release was somewhat of a tub, and what with light and contrary winds and calms took sixty-two days to reach the rendezvous, Montevideo, arriving there in January, 1858. She found the whole fleet at anchor there, and officers and men soon forgot the weariness of the long passage in the receipt of letters from home, and in the joyous meetings with old friends. All admired the fine climate, and, as that part of South America is the greatest country in the world for horses, the young sail- ing-master rejoiced in the opportunity offered to indulge in his favorite pastime
��of riding. He also showed his prowess as a devotee of the chase in the fine sport afforded on the pampas that enabled him to run down and shoot a South American tiger.
Meanwhile Commodore Shubrick, in command of the expedition, had com- pleted his preparations for ascending the Parana, and the fleet soon moved up to a convenient point, the Commo- dore himself continuing on up the river in a small vessel to Corrientes to meet Lopez and convey to'him the ultimatum of the United States. After some " backing and filling," as an old salt would characterize diplomacy, Lopez concluded " discretion to be the better part of valor," and making a satisfactory amende, the Paraguayan war came to a bloodless end, and the hopes of expect- ant heroes with visions of promotion dissolved like summer clouds.
Young Perkins was now, August, 1858, transferred to the frigate Sabine for passage home to his examination for the grade of passed midshipman. Passing that ordeal satisfactorily, aided by handsome commendatory letters from his commanding officers, he spent three happy months at home, and then received orders for duty on board the steamer Sumter, as acting master, the destination of that vessel being the west coast of Africa, where, in accord- ance with the provisions of Article 8 of the Webster- Ashburton treaty (1842), the United States maintained a squadron, carrying not less than eighty guns, in co-operation with the British govern- ment, for the suppression of the slave trade. That article continued in active observance nineteen years, when the United States, having a litde question of slavery to settle at home, gave the stipulated preliminary notice and re- called the ships.
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