From the 26th December to the 13th of January the Alabama steadily pursued her course, meeting with little adventure.  Only four sail were seen in the period, and these all proved to be neutrals.  On the last day of the year 1863 the North Indian Ocean was entered, and the ship’s head once more laid in the direction of the Cape.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

The Emma Jane—­Quilon—­An alarm—­Landing prisoners—­Johanna and Mohilla—­Friendly authorities—­Slavery—­A trading monarch—­Distance lends enchantment to the view—­Cousins-german of the Sultan—­Princes gardens—­Mahommedan sympathy—­Off again.

On the 14th January, as the Alabama was lazily drifting in a north-easterly direction, near the Malabar coast, a ship was discovered running down towards her.  The useful decoy—­the United States flag—­was at once hoisted, and the same colours were run up by the stranger.  A gun brought the Yankee vessel to, and the Alabama forthwith took possession of the Emma Jane of Bath, Maine, bound from Bombay to Amherst in ballast, and at 8.30 P.M. the prize was set fire to.

About this period the cruiser experienced a series of calms, and she drifted with the current rather than sailed.  On the 16th of January the Ghaut Mountains were made, and Captain Semmes makes the following entry in his journal.

Saturday, January 16th.—­At meridian made the town of Quilon, and bore up east 1/2 south for the town of Angenga, which we made about 2 P.M.  At 4.30 came to in the road abreast of the fort, and despatched a Lieutenant on shore to see about landing my prisoners.  In the evening the residing magistrate’s son came on board, and I arranged the matter with him.  There being no external trade or shipping at Angenga, the prisoners could not well get away by sea; but my visitor stated that there was lagoon navigation inland all the way to Cochin, some seventy-five miles to the northward, and that at Cochin there were always means of reaching Bombay and other ports.  Native boats were passing every day between Angenga and Cochin, and if I would send the necessary provisions on shore for the prisoners, his father would see them transported to Cochin.  I sent a Lieutenant on shore after night with the son, to arrange the matter with the father; and as the boat was delayed much beyond her time, and we heard some firing as of revolvers and muskets, and as there was also some surf running, I became uneasy, and despatched the First Lieutenant in another boat to look into the matter.  The chief magistrate had only been at public worship—­the cause of the detention of the boat.  Both boats returned about 11.30 P.M.