Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[295] but dared not run the risk of blowing her up after what the Captain had threatened, for they knew they would not deserve to be picked up by us, after our warning. Our First Lieutenant, engineer, carpenter, and a picked crew boarded her at once, found four feet of water in her, plugged the holes and leaks, put the pump in action, and the water in her hold lowered, and hopes were entertained that she might float and be saved.

The vessel is the iron steamer Calypso, of about six hundred or seven hundred tons. The steamer will probably bring sixty thousand dollars, and her cargo has been variously estimated at from forty thousand dollars to sixty thousand dollars. She has not yet, (while I write this,) however, been fully examined, and her cargo may be found to be worth more. Rum, molasses and medicines is what I have heard reported as being the principal part of what they have found so far. To-morrow (if the mail don't go before I have a chance) I will give more particulars about the matter. The Captain has just sent out to know if she is sinking, for our men on board of her are halloaing out to us, and we fear we shall lose her after all. Lieutenant Green answers back, but whether he says she'll sink or swim, I can't make out. Will hear by morning.

P. S.--Later--June 12.--Our prize steamer looms up splendidly this morning, all right; and we have learned from the prisoners and list of cargo that she is even more valuable than was at first estimated. The English, I am told, sold the vessel alone (which is quite new) to her owners for forty-five thousand pounds--about two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars in American currency; and her cargo they say is worth one hundred thousand dollars-she is estimated by some of them to be worth at least two hundred thousand dollars.