“Halloo-o-o!”
The fishermen stared at us open mouthed, rooted to the spot as if paralyzed by fear of us.
“Halloo-o-o-o, Captain!” I shouted for the second time. “I want to talk to you.”
After some time a figure emerged from the crowd, stepped up the stairway, and shouted some words that were not very clear but which sounded like:
“Here I am!”
I summoned my best English and told the red-nosed chap that I would have to sink before sundown the whole fleet of fishing boats, and furthermore I told him that I had selected him to take the crews of all the others aboard his steamer. I added he must immediately cut his nets and follow me at a distance of five hundred meters, and that I would promptly blow him to pieces if he, of his own accord, attempted to diminish this distance as I would then surely believe he intended to ram me.
The captain declared he was willing to obey my commands, cut the nets, and followed me. I ordered full speed ahead and hoisted to the mast the following signal:
“Leave the boat immediately!”
Then I rushed in among the excited swarm. With flashing eyes, the sailors were standing by our guns and waiting, lovingly fondling the shells, ready to begin firing.
First we went right through the crowd of fishing-boats and then along the edges of the fleet, in order to prevent the escape of the steamers furthest away. Nowhere did we take the time to stop to sink a ship, but only drove the crews away from their boats. Then the prey could not get away from us.