2. THE INVINCIBLE.

 The provisional government of 1835 provided for a navy to serve the new Republic of Texas. It was not a very formidable navy. It consisted at first of two vessels¹—the schooners² the Invincible³ and the Liberty. Afterward⁴ were added the Independence, which became the flag-ship of Commodore Hawkins, commandant of the fleet, the Brutus, and several small sloops⁵, including the Champion and the Julius C?sar.

 

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These ships cruised about the Gulf⁶ of Mexico, watching the coast and doing what they could with their small guns to annoy the Mexican war-vessels. Early in April, 1836, the Invincible, commanded by Captain Jerry Brown, met the Mexican brig, the Montezuma, near Tampico and fired upon her. A spirited engagement followed which lasted several hours, and in which the Montezuma was badly disabled. She drew off, and in attempting to enter the harbor ran aground.

 

The Invincible sailed away unhurt, and the next day met and captured the American brig, the Pocket, which was on her way to a Mexican port with a cargo⁷ of supplies for Santa Anna’s army. Captain Brown brought the Pocket into Galveston, whence the supplies were forwarded to the army.

 

The Invincible, lying at that time in the bay, received from Captain Calder the first news of the victory at San Jacinto, and Captain Brown at once “turned loose Old Tom” to express his own joy therefor.

 

The Yellowstone came down from the Texan camp and landed the Mexican prisoners on the island; she then proceeded to Velasco, having on board the President and his cabinet officers, and General Santa Anna and his staff.

 

The Invincible was ordered to follow, and after signing the treaty, Santa Anna was conducted on board, and Captain Brown received orders to sail to Vera Cruz with the defeated general. The Texan commissioners⁸ empowered to treat with the Mexican government were also on board. As already related, Santa Anna was taken ashore⁹ again and placed in prison. The Invincible with the Brutus was soon afterward sent to New York for repairs. The Liberty conveyed General Houston to New Orleans, and was there sold to pay her war-expenses.

 

The new Congress was without means to meet the cost of repairing and refitting the Invincible and her sister ship. They were on the point of being sold when Henry Swartwout, the collector of the port of New York, with great generosity¹⁰ provided the money from his private purse. They were completely equipped and sent to sea the same year.

 

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In 1837 the entire fleet set out for a cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. The Champion and the Julius C?sar were taken by the enemy on the 12th of April. Both carried valuable cargoes¹¹, and their loss was a keen blow to the young government.

 

On the 17th of April the Independence encountered near Velasco two Mexican brigs of war,—the Libertador, armed with sixteen 18-pound guns and manned with one hundred and forty men, and the Vincedor, with six 12-pounders and one hundred men. The Independence had but thirty-one men. The action, in which the Texans behaved with great gallantry, was a short and severe one. It ended in the capture of the Independence. The crew were sent as prisoners to Matamoras.

 

 

Old Capitol at Houston (1837). From an old Print.

 

A little later the Invincible and the Brutus captured the Mexican schooners, the Obispo and the Telegraph. Both boats were sent in as prizes.

 

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In August the Brutus and the Invincible reached Galveston with another prize. The Brutus with the prize entered the harbor safely, but the Invincible did not succeed in passing the bar. She was attacked the next morning (26th) by two Mexican ships. The Brutus started out to assist her, but ran aground and lay helpless on the sand. The Invincible held her own against the enemy all day; at nightfall she struck on the breakers. Her crew were saved, but the gallant¹² old ship went to pieces.

 

The next year (1838) a new navy was voted by Congress. Several vessels were bought, but there was now no duty for them to perform. They were placed in the service of Yucatan, which was in revolt against Mexico. Some years later, when Texas was annexed¹³ to the United States, they passed into the navy of that country.

 

The Brutus, the last ship of the old Texan navy, was lost in a storm at Galveston Bay as late as 1867.

1 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 schooners   

n.（有两个以上桅杆的）纵帆船( schooner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You've already drunk three schooners of sherry. 你已经喝了三大杯雪利酒了。 来自辞典例句
• Might l beg the honour of pouring the privileged schooners myself? 请问我能不能自己倒尊贵的大杯酒？ 来自电影对白

3 invincible   

adj.不可征服的，难以制服的

参考例句：

• This football team was once reputed to be invincible.这支足球队曾被誉为无敌的劲旅。
• The workers are invincible as long as they hold together.只要工人团结一致，他们就是不可战胜的。

4 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

5 sloops   

n.单桅纵帆船( sloop的名词复数 )

参考例句：

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

8 commissioners   

n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官

参考例句：

• The Commissioners of Inland Revenue control British national taxes. 国家税收委员管理英国全国的税收。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The SEC has five commissioners who are appointed by the president. 证券交易委员会有５名委员，是由总统任命的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

9 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

10 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

11 cargoes   

n.（船或飞机装载的）货物( cargo的名词复数 )；大量，重负

参考例句：

• This ship embarked cargoes. 这艘船装载货物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The crew lashed cargoes of timber down. 全体船员将木材绑牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 gallant   

adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的

参考例句：

• Huang Jiguang's gallant deed is known by all men. 黄继光的英勇事迹尽人皆知。
• These gallant soldiers will protect our country.这些勇敢的士兵会保卫我们的国家的。

13 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。