In one case, however, a Russian commander was ready to help the North.

Rear-Admiral Papov with six vessels in the harbour of San Francisco was appealed to by excited citizens on rumours of the approach of the _Alabama_ and gave orders to protect the city.

He acted without instructions and was later reproved for the order by his superiors at home.] [Footnote 992: _The Liberator_, March 6, 1863.] [Footnote 993: American opinion knew little of this change.

An interesting, if somewhat irrational and irregular plan to thwart Southern ship-building operations, had been taken up by the United States Navy Department.

This was to buy the Rams outright by the offer of such a price as, it was thought, would be so tempting to the Lairds as to make refusal unlikely.