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There
could
be
no
doubt
that
early
success
would
be
a
direct
profit
to
it
,
but
there
could
also
be
no
doubt
that
its
success
would
be
a
vast
benefit
and
profit
,
not
only
to
the
business
enterprises
in
which
these
men
were
severally
engaged
,
but
to
the
business
of
the
whole
country
.
To
save
the
United
States
from
a
dragging
war
,
and
to
save
themselves
from
the
effects
of
it
,
were
the
prompting
motives
for
the
formation
of
the
Syndicate
.
Without
hesitation
,
the
Syndicate
determined
that
the
war
in
which
it
was
about
to
engage
should
be
one
of
defence
by
means
of
offence
.
Such
a
war
must
necessarily
be
quick
and
effective
;
and
with
all
the
force
of
their
fortunes
,
their
minds
,
and
their
bodies
,
its
members
went
to
work
to
wage
this
war
quickly
and
effectively
.
All
known
inventions
and
improvements
in
the
art
of
war
had
been
thoroughly
considered
by
the
Syndicate
,
and
by
the
eminent
specialists
whom
it
had
enlisted
in
its
service
.
Certain
recently
perfected
engines
of
war
,
novel
in
nature
,
were
the
exclusive
property
of
the
Syndicate
.
It
was
known
,
or
surmised
,
in
certain
quarters
that
the
Syndicate
had
secured
possession
of
important
warlike
inventions
;
but
what
they
were
and
how
they
acted
was
a
secret
carefully
guarded
and
protected
.
The
first
step
of
the
Syndicate
was
to
purchase
from
the
United
States
Government
ten
war
-
vessels
.
These
were
of
medium
size
and
in
good
condition
,
but
they
were
of
an
old
-
fashioned
type
,
and
it
had
not
been
considered
expedient
to
put
them
in
commission
.
This
action
caused
surprise
and
disappointment
in
many
quarters
.
It
had
been
supposed
that
the
Syndicate
,
through
its
agents
scattered
all
over
the
world
,
would
immediately
acquire
,
by
purchase
or
lease
,
a
fleet
of
fine
ironclads
culled
from
various
maritime
powers
.
But
the
Syndicate
having
no
intention
of
involving
,
or
attempting
to
involve
,
other
countries
in
this
quarrel
,
paid
no
attention
to
public
opinion
,
and
went
to
work
in
its
own
way
.
Its
vessels
,
eight
of
which
were
on
the
Atlantic
coast
and
two
on
the
Pacific
,
were
rapidly
prepared
for
the
peculiar
service
in
which
they
were
to
be
engaged
.
The
resources
of
the
Syndicate
were
great
,
and
in
a
very
short
time
several
of
their
vessels
,
already
heavily
plated
with
steel
,
were
furnished
with
an
additional
outside
armour
,
formed
of
strips
of
elastic
steel
,
each
reaching
from
the
gunwales
nearly
to
the
surface
of
the
water
.
These
strips
,
about
a
foot
wide
,
and
placed
an
inch
or
two
apart
,
were
each
backed
by
several
powerful
air
-
buffers
,
so
that
a
ball
striking
one
or
more
of
them
would
be
deprived
of
much
of
its
momentum
.
The
experiments
upon
the
steel
spring
and
buffers
adopted
by
the
Syndicate
showed
that
the
force
of
the
heaviest
cannonading
was
almost
deadened
by
the
powerful
elasticity
of
this
armour
.
The
armament
of
each
vessel
consisted
of
but
one
gun
,
of
large
calibre
,
placed
on
the
forward
deck
,
and
protected
by
a
bomb
-
proof
covering
.
Each
vessel
was
manned
by
a
captain
and
crew
from
the
merchant
service
,
from
whom
no
warlike
duties
were
expected
.
The
fighting
operations
were
in
charge
of
a
small
body
of
men
,
composed
of
two
or
three
scientific
specialists
,
and
some
practical
gunners
and
their
assistants
.
A
few
bomb
-
proof
canopies
and
a
curved
steel
deck
completed
the
defences
of
the
vessel
.
Besides
equipping
this
little
navy
,
the
Syndicate
set
about
the
construction
of
certain
sea
-
going
vessels
of
an
extraordinary
kind
.
So
great
were
the
facilities
at
its
command
,
and
so
thorough
and
complete
its
methods
,
that
ten
or
a
dozen
ship
-
yards
and
foundries
were
set
to
work
simultaneously
to
build
one
of
these
ships
.
In
a
marvellously
short
time
the
Syndicate
possessed
several
of
them
ready
for
action
.
These
vessels
became
technically
known
as
"
crabs
.
"
They
were
not
large
,
and
the
only
part
of
them
which
projected
above
the
water
was
the
middle
of
an
elliptical
deck
,
slightly
convex
,
and
heavily
mailed
with
ribs
of
steel
.
These
vessels
were
fitted
with
electric
engines
of
extraordinary
power
,
and
were
capable
of
great
speed
.
At
their
bows
,
fully
protected
by
the
overhanging
deck
,
was
the
machinery
by
which
their
peculiar
work
was
to
be
accomplished
.
The
Syndicate
intended
to
confine
itself
to
marine
operations
,
and
for
the
present
it
was
contented
with
these
two
classes
of
vessels
.
The
armament
for
each
of
the
large
vessels
,
as
has
been
said
before
,
consisted
of
a
single
gun
of
long
range
,
and
the
ammunition
was
confined
entirely
to
a
new
style
of
projectile
,
which
had
never
yet
been
used
in
warfare
.
The
material
and
construction
of
this
projectile
were
known
only
to
three
members
of
the
Syndicate
,
who
had
invented
and
perfected
it
,
and
it
was
on
account
of
their
possession
of
this
secret
that
they
had
been
invited
to
join
that
body
.
This
projectile
was
not
,
in
the
ordinary
sense
of
the
word
,
an
explosive
,
and
was
named
by
its
inventors
,
"
The
Instantaneous
Motor
.
"
It
was
discharged
from
an
ordinary
cannon
,
but
no
gunpowder
or
other
explosive
compound
was
used
to
propel
it
.
The
bomb
possessed
,
in
itself
the
necessary
power
of
propulsion
,
and
the
gun
was
used
merely
to
give
it
the
proper
direction
.
These
bombs
were
cylindrical
in
form
,
and
pointed
at
the
outer
end
.
They
were
filled
with
hundreds
of
small
tubes
,
each
radiating
outward
from
a
central
line
.
Those
in
the
middle
third
of
the
bomb
pointed
directly
outward
,
while
those
in
its
front
portion
were
inclined
forward
at
a
slight
angle
,
and
those
in
the
rear
portion
backward
at
the
same
angle
.
One
tube
at
the
end
of
the
bomb
,
and
pointing
directly
backward
,
furnished
the
motive
power
.
Each
of
these
tubes
could
exert
a
force
sufficient
to
move
an
ordinary
train
of
passenger
cars
one
mile
,
and
this
power
could
be
exerted
instantaneously
,
so
that
the
difference
in
time
in
the
starting
of
a
train
at
one
end
of
the
mile
and
its
arrival
at
the
other
would
not
be
appreciable
.
The
difference
in
concussionary
force
between
a
train
moving
at
the
rate
of
a
mile
in
two
minutes
,
or
even
one
minute
,
and
another
train
which
moves
a
mile
in
an
instant
,
can
easily
be
imagined
.
In
these
bombs
,
those
tubes
which
might
direct
their
powers
downward
or
laterally
upon
the
earth
were
capable
of
instantaneously
propelling
every
portion
of
solid
ground
or
rock
to
a
distance
of
two
or
three
hundred
yards
,
while
the
particles
of
objects
on
the
surface
of
the
earth
were
instantaneously
removed
to
a
far
greater
distance
.
The
tube
which
propelled
the
bomb
was
of
a
force
graduated
according
to
circumstances
,
and
it
would
carry
a
bomb
to
as
great
a
distance
as
accurate
observation
for
purposes
of
aim
could
be
made
.
Its
force
was
brought
into
action
while
in
the
cannon
by
means
of
electricity
while
the
same
effect
was
produced
in
the
other
tubes
by
the
concussion
of
the
steel
head
against
the
object
aimed
at
.
What
gave
the
tubes
their
power
was
the
jealously
guarded
secret
.
The
method
of
aiming
was
as
novel
as
the
bomb
itself
.
In
this
process
nothing
depended
on
the
eyesight
of
the
gunner
;
the
personal
equation
was
entirely
eliminated
.
The
gun
was
so
mounted
that
its
direction
was
accurately
indicated
by
graduated
scales
;
there
was
an
instrument
which
was
acted
upon
by
the
dip
,
rise
,
or
roll
of
the
vessel
,
and
which
showed
at
any
moment
the
position
of
the
gun
with
reference
to
the
plane
of
the
sea
-
surface
.
Before
the
discharge
of
the
cannon
an
observation
was
taken
by
one
of
the
scientific
men
,
which
accurately
determined
the
distance
to
the
object
to
be
aimed
at
,
and
reference
to
a
carefully
prepared
mathematical
table
showed
to
what
points
on
the
graduated
scales
the
gun
should
be
adjusted
,
and
the
instant
that
the
that
the
muzzle
of
the
cannon
was
in
the
position
that
it
was
when
the
observation
was
taken
,
a
button
was
touched
and
the
bomb
was
instantaneously
placed
on
the
spot
aimed
at
.
The
exactness
with
which
the
propelling
force
of
the
bomb
could
be
determined
was
an
important
factor
in
this
method
of
aiming
.
As
soon
as
three
of
the
spring
-
armoured
vessels
and
five
"
crabs
"
were
completed
,
the
Syndicate
felt
itself
ready
to
begin
operations
.
It
was
indeed
time
.
The
seas
had
been
covered
with
American
and
British
merchantmen
hastening
homeward
,
or
to
friendly
ports
,
before
the
actual
commencement
of
hostilities
.
But
all
had
not
been
fortunate
enough
to
reach
safety
within
the
limits
of
time
allowed
,
and
several
American
merchantmen
had
been
already
captured
by
fast
British
cruisers
.
The
members
of
the
Syndicate
well
understood
that
if
a
war
was
to
be
carried
on
as
they
desired
,
they
must
strike
the
first
real
blow
.
Comparatively
speaking
,
a
very
short
time
had
elapsed
since
the
declaration
of
war
,
and
the
opportunity
to
take
the
initiative
was
still
open
.
It
was
in
order
to
take
this
initiative
that
,
in
the
early
hours
of
a
July
morning
,
two
of
the
Syndicate
’
s
armoured
vessels
,
each
accompanied
by
a
crab
,
steamed
out
of
a
New
England
port
,
and
headed
for
the
point
on
the
Canadian
coast
where
it
had
been
decided
to
open
the
campaign
.
The
vessels
of
the
Syndicate
had
no
individual
names
.
The
spring
-
armoured
ships
were
termed
"
repellers
,
"
and
were
numbered
,
and
the
crabs
were
known
by
the
letters
of
the
alphabet
.
Each
repeller
was
in
charge
of
a
Director
of
Naval
Operations
;
and
the
whole
naval
force
of
the
Syndicate
was
under
the
command
of
a
Director
-
in
-
chief
.
On
this
momentous
occasion
this
officer
was
on
board
of
Repeller
No
.
1
,
and
commanded
the
little
fleet
.
The
repellers
had
never
been
vessels
of
great
speed
,
and
their
present
armour
of
steel
strips
,
the
lower
portion
of
which
was
frequently
under
water
,
considerably
retarded
their
progress
;
but
each
of
them
was
taken
in
tow
by
one
of
the
swift
and
powerful
crabs
,
and
with
this
assistance
they
made
very
good
time
,
reaching
their
destination
on
the
morning
of
the
second
day
.
It
was
on
a
breezy
day
,
with
a
cloudy
sky
,
and
the
sea
moderately
smooth
,
that
the
little
fleet
of
the
Syndicate
lay
to
off
the
harbour
of
one
of
the
principal
Canadian
seaports
.
About
five
miles
away
the
headlands
on
either
side
of
the
mouth
of
the
harbour
could
be
plainly
seen
.
It
had
been
decided
that
Repeller
No
.
1
should
begin
operations
.
Accordingly
,
that
vessel
steamed
about
a
mile
nearer
the
harbour
,
accompanied
by
Crab
A
.
The
other
repeller
and
crab
remained
in
their
first
position
,
ready
to
act
in
case
they
should
be
needed
.
The
approach
of
two
vessels
,
evidently
men
-
of
-
war
,
and
carrying
the
American
flag
,
was
perceived
from
the
forts
and
redoubts
at
the
mouth
of
the
harbour
,
and
the
news
quickly
spread
to
the
city
and
to
the
vessels
in
port
.
Intense
excitement
ensued
on
land
and
water
,
among
the
citizens
of
the
place
as
well
as
its
defenders
.
Every
man
who
had
a
post
of
duty
was
instantly
at
it
;
and
in
less
than
half
an
hour
the
British
man
-
of
-
war
Scarabaeus
,
which
had
been
lying
at
anchor
a
short
distance
outside
the
harbour
,
came
steaming
out
to
meet
the
enemy
.
There
were
other
naval
vessels
in
port
,
but
they
required
more
time
to
be
put
in
readiness
for
action
.
As
soon
as
the
approach
of
Scarabaeus
was
perceived
by
Repeller
No
.
1
,
a
boat
bearing
a
white
flag
was
lowered
from
that
vessel
and
was
rapidly
rowed
toward
the
British
ship
.
When
the
latter
saw
the
boat
coming
she
lay
to
,
and
waited
its
arrival
.
A
note
was
delivered
to
the
captain
of
the
Scarabaeus
,
in
which
it
was
stated
that
the
Syndicate
,
which
had
undertaken
on
the
part
of
the
United
States
the
conduct
of
the
war
between
that
country
and
Great
Britain
,
was
now
prepared
to
demand
the
surrender
of
this
city
with
its
forts
and
defences
and
all
vessels
within
its
harbour
,
and
,
as
a
first
step
,
the
immediate
surrender
of
the
vessel
to
the
commander
of
which
this
note
was
delivered
.
The
overwhelming
effrontery
of
this
demand
caused
the
commander
of
the
Scarabaeus
to
doubt
whether
he
had
to
deal
with
a
raving
lunatic
or
a
blustering
fool
;
but
he
informed
the
person
in
charge
of
the
flag
-
of
-
truce
boat
,
that
he
would
give
him
fifteen
minutes
in
which
to
get
back
to
his
vessel
,
and
that
he
would
then
open
fire
upon
that
craft
.
The
men
who
rowed
the
little
boat
were
not
men
-
of
-
war
’
s
men
,
and
were
unaccustomed
to
duties
of
this
kind
.
In
eight
minutes
they
had
reached
their
vessel
,
and
were
safe
on
board
.
Just
seven
minutes
afterward
the
first
shot
came
from
the
Scarabaeus
.
It
passed
over
Repeller
No
.
1
,
and
that
vessel
,
instead
of
replying
,
immediately
steamed
nearer
her
adversary
.
The
Director
-
in
-
chief
desired
to
determine
the
effect
of
an
active
cannonade
upon
the
new
armour
,
and
therefore
ordered
the
vessel
placed
in
such
a
position
that
the
Englishman
might
have
the
best
opportunity
for
using
it
as
a
target
.
The
Scarabaeus
lost
no
time
in
availing
herself
of
the
facilities
offered
.
She
was
a
large
and
powerful
ship
,
with
a
heavy
armament
;
and
,
soon
getting
the
range
of
the
Syndicate
’
s
vessel
,
she
hurled
ball
after
ball
upon
her
striped
side
.
Repeller
No
.
1
made
no
reply
,
but
quietly
submitted
to
the
terrible
bombardment
.
Some
of
the
great
shot
jarred
her
from
bow
to
stern
,
but
not
one
of
them
broke
a
steel
spring
,
nor
penetrated
the
heavy
inside
plates
.
After
half
an
hour
of
this
,
work
the
Director
-
in
-
chief
became
satisfied
that
the
new
armour
had
well
acquitted
itself
in
the
severe
trial
to
which
it
had
been
subjected
.
Some
of
the
air
-
buffers
had
been
disabled
,
probably
on
account
of
faults
in
their
construction
,
but
these
could
readily
be
replaced
,
and
no
further
injury
had
been
done
the
vessel
.
It
was
not
necessary
,
therefore
,
to
continue
the
experiment
any
longer
,
and
besides
,
there
was
danger
that
the
Englishman
,
perceiving
that
his
antagonist
did
not
appear
to
be
affected
by
his
fire
,
would
approach
closer
and
endeavour
to
ram
her
.
This
was
to
be
avoided
,
for
the
Scarabaeus
was
a
much
larger
vessel
than
Repeller
No
.
1
,
and
able
to
run
into
the
latter
and
sink
her
by
mere
preponderance
of
weight
.
It
was
therefore
decided
to
now
test
the
powers
of
the
crabs
.
Signals
were
made
from
Repeller
No
.
1
to
Crab
A
,
which
had
been
lying
with
the
larger
vessel
between
it
and
the
enemy
.
These
signals
were
made
by
jets
of
dense
black
smoke
,
which
were
ejected
from
a
small
pipe
on
the
repeller
.
These
slender
columns
of
smoke
preserved
their
cylindrical
forms
for
some
moments
,
and
were
visible
at
a
great
distance
by
day
or
night
,
being
illumined
in
the
latter
case
by
electric
light
.
The
length
and
frequency
of
these
jets
were
regulated
by
an
instrument
in
the
Director
’
s
room
.
Thus
,
by
means
of
long
and
short
puffs
,
with
the
proper
use
of
intervals
,
a
message
could
be
projected
into
the
air
as
a
telegraphic
instrument
would
mark
it
upon
paper
.
In
this
manner
Crab
A
was
ordered
to
immediately
proceed
to
the
attack
of
the
Scarabaeus
.
The
almost
submerged
vessel
steamed
rapidly
from
behind
her
consort
,
and
made
for
the
British
man
-
of
-
war
.
When
the
latter
vessel
perceived
the
approach
of
this
turtle
-
backed
object
,
squirting
little
jets
of
black
smoke
as
she
replied
to
the
orders
from
the
repeller
,
there
was
great
amazement
on
board
.
The
crab
had
not
been
seen
before
,
but
as
it
came
rapidly
on
there
was
no
time
for
curiosity
or
discussion
,
and
several
heavy
guns
were
brought
to
bear
upon
it
.
It
was
difficult
to
hit
a
rapidly
moving
flat
object
scarcely
above
the
surface
of
the
water
;
and
although
several
shot
struck
the
crab
,
they
glanced
off
without
in
the
least
interfering
with
its
progress
.
Crab
A
soon
came
so
near
the
Scarabaeus
that
it
was
impossible
to
depress
the
guns
of
the
latter
so
as
to
strike
her
.
The
great
vessel
was
,
therefore
,
headed
toward
its
assailant
,
and
under
a
full
head
of
steam
dashed
directly
at
it
to
run
it
down
.
But
the
crab
could
turn
as
upon
a
pivot
,
and
shooting
to
one
side
allowed
the
surging
man
-
of
-
war
to
pass
it
.
Perceiving
instantly
that
it
would
be
difficult
to
strike
this
nimble
and
almost
submerged
adversary
,
the
commander
of
the
Scarabaeus
thought
it
well
to
let
it
alone
for
the
present
,
and
to
bear
down
with
all
speed
upon
the
repeller
.
