A Sailor of King George
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Title: A Sailor of King George
Author: Captain Frederick Hoffman
Editor: A. Beckford Bevan
H. B. Wolryche-Whitmore
Release date: December 13, 2008 [eBook #27520]
Most recently updated: June 20, 2020
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27520
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SAILOR OF KING GEORGE ***
[Illustration: Captain F. W. Hoffman, R.N.]
A SAILOR
OF KING GEORGE
THE JOURNALS OF
CAPTAIN FREDERICK HOFFMAN, R.N.
1793–1814
EDITED BY
_A. BECKFORD BEVAN_
AND
_H.B. WOLRYCHE-WHITMORE_
_WITH ILLUSTRATIONS_
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET
1901
BRADBURY, AGNEW, & CO. LD., PRINTERS,
LONDON AND TONBRIDGE.
PREFACE.
In a memorial presented in 1835 to the Lords of the Admiralty, the author
of the journals which form this volume details his various services. He
joined the Navy in October, 1793, his first ship being H.M.S. _Blonde_. He
was present at the siege of Martinique in 1794, and returned to England
the same year in H.M.S. _Hannibal_ with despatches and the colours of
Martinique. For a few months the ship was attached to the Channel Fleet,
and then suddenly, in 1795, was ordered to the West Indies again. Here he
remained until 1802, during which period he was twice attacked by yellow
fever.
The author was engaged in upwards of eighteen boat actions, in one of
which, at Tiberoon Bay, St. Domingo, he was wounded in the head, and
entirely lost the hearing of his left ear.
As first lieutenant of H.M.S. _Volage_, while attempting to cut out an
enemy’s vessel laden with tobacco from under the guns of the Moro Castle,
St. Jago de Cuba, after a running fight of two hours with three Spanish
privateers, he was obliged to surrender, and was carried prisoner to St.
Jago, where he remained for six weeks until exchanged. In 1802 he returned
to England in the _Volage_, which was then paid off.
In 1803 he was appointed lieutenant of H.M.S. _Minotaur_ on the Channel
Service, but in 1804, in consequence of a very severe attack of rheumatic
fever, which completely prostrated him and for several months necessitated
the use of crutches, he resigned his post.
On his recovery, in the summer of 1805, he was appointed to H.M.S.
_Tonnant_, and was senior lieutenant of her lower deck quarters in the
Battle of Trafalgar, concerning which he gives several new and interesting
details. During the battle he was slightly wounded in the left hand.
His next ship was H.M.S. _Diamond_ (to which he was appointed March 8th,
1806), ordered for service on the West Coast of Africa. In 1807 he became
commander of the _Favourite_ sloop of war in consequence of the death of
her captain, and three months afterwards took the last convoy of slave
ships to the West Indies.
In 1808, while in Jamaica, he was attacked by fever, which affected his
eyesight, nearly producing blindness; and, on the advice of the doctor at
Port Royal Hospital, Admiral Dacres gave him permission to exchange into
the _Goelan_ sloop of war, which was shortly afterwards ordered to England
with convoy.
In 1810 he was appointed to command the _Apelles_ on the Downs station,
and in this capacity he was actively employed until May, 1812, when,
during the middle watch, and in a dense fog, the _Apelles_, with the
_Skylark_, her leader, unfortunately grounded on the French coast, near
Etaples, on “the infant ebb of a spring tide.” All efforts to float the
sloop were vain, and, after being for three hours under the incessant fire
of a French battery, which riddled her hull and cut away her masts, and
having meanwhile sent away all the crew which the boats were capable of
containing, the author and eighteen others were compelled to surrender.
The following is the sentence of the Court Martial held at Portsmouth on
the conduct of Captain Hoffman for the loss of H.M. sloop _Apelles_, Sir
George Martin, Bart., President:—
“That there is no blame whatever attached to the conduct of Captain
Hoffman; that he is fully and honourably acquitted.
“That great praise is due to him for remaining with his ship.
“That the Court regrets he was under the painful necessity of becoming a
prisoner, and that his services were lost to his country for the period of
two years.”
After reading the sentence Sir G. Martin spoke as follows:—
“Captain Hoffman,—In the name of the Court and myself I present you the
sword, which by your conduct you so well merit.”
The author spent about two years in France, and during his captivity there
did excellent service to his country by opening and superintending a
school for the midshipmen who were also prisoners of war at Verdun.
It appears that he wrote these records of his life while residing at Dover
in 1838. He evidently intended to have them published, but for some reason
or another they have never hitherto been printed.
The Editors, in presenting them to the public more than sixty years after
they were originally written, think that they will prove of general
interest, not because they lay claim to literary excellence, but because
they present a simple, unexaggerated picture of the everyday life in the
navy a century ago, and give us an insight into the characters of the men
who helped to build up the sea power of Great Britain, and to bring her to
her present position of political and commercial greatness.
_November, 1901._
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
EARLY EXPERIENCES.
My mother consents to my going to sea—Journey to Portsmouth—Join H.M.S.
_Blonde_—Take General Prescott and suite on board—We sail—Supply West
Indiamen with provisions and in return impress six seamen—Windbound at
Falmouth—Again sail—Attacked by four French frigates, but escape and again
make Falmouth—Finally sail for West Indies—Amusements in crossing the
Equator.
_pp. 1-17_
CHAPTER II.
WEST INDIES.
Arrival in West Indies—Cruise among the French Islands—Bombardment and
capture of St. Pierre, Dominique—Attack on Fort Bourbon—Capture of
Forts—Surrender of General Rochambeau and the French garrison.
_pp. 18-29_
CHAPTER III.
RETURN TO ENGLAND.
Sail for England with despatches—A lunar rainbow—A two-tailed fish—Reach
Falmouth after passage of fifteen days—To Plymouth to refit—All leave
refused—Sailors’ frolics ashore—To sea again—Cruise off French coast and
Channel Islands—Run aground off Guernsey—Return to Plymouth to repair
damages—Rejoin fleet—French fleet escapes into Brest—Return to Plymouth to
refit for foreign service—Transhipped to H.M.S. _Hannibal_—Description of
the ship’s officers—Tricks played on the Irish chaplain.
_pp. 30-45_
CHAPTER IV.
OFF USHANT.
Join the Channel fleet off Ushant—Capture the French frigate _Gentille_,
also a twenty-four-gun ship five days later—Fleet returns to
Portsmouth—Prize-money—To sea again in charge of a convoy—Transport with
two hundred Hessian troops on board founders off Cape Finisterre—Suddenly
ordered to West Indies—Fight between a negro and a shark at Port Royal,
Jamaica—Dignity balls—Collision with H.M.S. _Sampson_—Outbreak of yellow
fever—Ordered to sea—Capture two French ships and two privateers.
_pp. 46-56_
CHAPTER V.
WEST INDIES AGAIN.
Owing to ravages of yellow fever go to Jamaica to obtain more
seamen—Difficulties and humours of impressment—Author attacked by yellow
fever—Proceed to Cape St. Nicholas mole—Great mortality among the
officers.
_pp. 57-68_
CHAPTER VI.
TOUGH YARNS.
Tough yarns—The sea-serpent—The fair-wind sellers of Bremen—Mermen and
mermaidens—Capture of Spanish schooner with mulatto laundresses on
board—Boat attack on, and capture of the French privateer
_Salamandre_—Outbreak of malignant scurvy—Novel method of treatment—French
women dressed as men—A voyage of discovery.
_pp. 69-85_
CHAPTER VII.
CRUISING OFF PORTO RICO.
A ball on board—Fishing with a seine—Ordered to cruise off Porto Rico—News
of the Battle of Camperdown—The boasts of Napoleon—Views on matrimony—A
sailor’s courtship—Futile boat attack on a Spanish war vessel at St.
Domingo—Author loses the hearing of his left ear from effect of a wound.
_pp. 86-99_
CHAPTER VIII.
MUTINY ON H.M.S. _HERMIONE_.
Tea with the boatswain’s wife—News of the mutiny at the Nore causes
trouble among the sailors—Sent to cruise in consequence—A white squall and
waterspout—Capture of a Spanish cruiser—Return to Port Royal—H.M.S.
_Hermione_ seized by mutineers and carried to Porto Bello—Recaptured by
Captain Hamilton—An alarm caused by fireflies.
_pp. 100-113_
CHAPTER IX.
A MOCK COURT-MARTIAL.
Transhipped to H.M.S. _Queen_ (98)—Sailors’ appreciation of books—The ship
runs aground and sinks: with difficulty raised—A mock court-martial on the
master—Author made lieutenant with a commission on a twenty-four-gun ship.
_pp. 114-125_
CHAPTER X.
MORE CRUISING.
Requested to act as first lieutenant, but refuses—Description of
officers—A fruitless search for a Spanish treasure ship—Run on a coral
reef, but float off again—A tropical thunderstorm—A futile attempt to cut
out three schooners off Matanzas—Author becomes first lieutenant—Return to
Port Royal—The incriminating papers of an American sloop found in a
shark—Seize a French ship in ballast off St. Domingo.
_pp. 126-138_
CHAPTER XI.
A JAMAICA PLANTATION.
Visit to a Jamaica plantation—Condition of the slaves—A growl against the
House of Commons and the Admiralty—Author attempting to cut out a Spanish
zebec, is taken prisoner—His pleasant experiences while in captivity—At
last released.
_pp. 139-155_
CHAPTER XII.
FIGHTING EPISODES.
Returns to his ship—Capture of a French schooner—An episode with two
American sloops of war—Return to Port Royal—Attacked a second time by
yellow fever—Seize and burn a Spanish gunboat—Return to Port Royal—Wetting
a midshipman’s commission—Ordered home with a convoy—Pathetic farewells
with mulatto washerwomen.
_pp. 156-168_
CHAPTER XIII.
HOME AGAIN.
Ordered to the Black River—Meet the magistrate there, and “bow to his
bishop”—Sail with a convoy of thirty ships—Arrive at Deal—A cruise on
horseback on a baker’s nag, which conscientiously goes the bread round—The
author’s brother comes on board, but he fails to recognise him—Paid off at
Deptford.
_pp. 169-181_
CHAPTER XIV.
A HOLIDAY ASHORE.
On shore—Tired of inactivity—Apply for a ship—Appointed to H.M.S.
_Minotaur_ (74)—Prisoners sent on board as part of crew—Go to
Plymouth—Scarcity of seamen—Ruse to impress an Irish farm labourer—Ordered
to join the Channel fleet off Ushant—Capture French thirty-six-gun ship—In
danger off Ushant—Capture two small French ships and one Dutch one: Author
sent to Plymouth in charge of the latter—Placed in quarantine.
_pp. 182-198_
CHAPTER XV.
A LINE-OF-BATTLE SHIP.
The ship arrives—Captain’s attempt to form a band—Sail again—Attacked by
rheumatic fever and invalided ashore—Ordered to join H.M.S.
_Tonnant_—Proceed to Mediterranean—At Oran: experiences ashore.
_pp. 199-209_
CHAPTER XVI.
BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR.
Join Lord Nelson’s squadron—Battle of Trafalgar—Author’s
experiences—Occurrences during action—Severity of operations before the
use of anæsthetics—The _Tonnant’s_ casualty list—Proceed to Gibraltar—A
truce with Spain during horse races on neutral ground there.
_pp. 210-221_
CHAPTER XVII.
OFF BREST.
Return under jury-masts to England—Arrive at Spithead—The admiral, the
middy, and the dirk—Join H.M.S. _Diamond_ as first lieutenant—Attached to
Lord St. Vincent’s fleet off Brest—A change of captains—Weary waiting for
an enemy who never came.
_pp. 222-233_
CHAPTER XVIII.
“ORDERED FOREIGN.”
Ordered on foreign service—Visit Madeira, Cape de Verde, and
Goree—Experiences on shore—Sail for Cape Coast Castle—Difficulty of
landing—The captain’s black lady—Author appointed captain of H.M.S.
_Favourite_—Proceed to Accrah—Sacred alligators.
_pp. 234-245_
CHAPTER XIX.
WEST COAST ADVENTURES.
Cruise along West African coast—Dinner with the Danish consul at Cape
Coast Castle—Ordered to Sierra Leone—A trip inland—We proceed to the Los
Islands—A trip up the River Pongo—Quell disturbance on a slaver—A dinner
with a native prince—His presents.
_pp. 246-258_
CHAPTER XX.
WITH SLAVE CONVOY.
Return to Sierra Leone—Dinner party aboard—Sail with convoy of five
slave-ships—How the slaves were obtained—Arrive Barbadoes—Sail for Tobago
and Trinidad—Visit Pitch Lake—To Jamaica—Cruising off Cuba—Futile attempt
on two Spanish privateers—Capture small Spanish privateer—Return to
Jamaica—Arrange exchange with captain of home-going ship—A challenge to
Spanish corvette declined by the latter.
_pp. 259-268_
CHAPTER XXI.
HOME WITH MAHOGANY.
My new ship—Sail for Belize—Native and alligator—Sail for England with
convoy of ships—Hear of peace being signed between England and
Spain—Arrive in England—Paid off at Sheerness—Return home—Tired of country
life—Apply for ship—Appointed to H.M.S. _Apelles_.
_pp. 269-279_
CHAPTER XXII.
OFF BOULOGNE.
Brig sloop sent to watch the French flotilla off Boulogne—Monotonous
duty—Return to Sheerness to refit—Story of Billy Culmer—More cruising off
Boulogne—Return to England.
_pp. 280-289_
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE SAME WEARY ROUND.
Leave to return home for four days—Visit of the Duke of Clarence—Again off
Boulogne—Down Channel with a convoy—Boulogne once more—Refit at
Plymouth—Return Boulogne—Run aground on French coast—Part of crew escape
in boats—Author and nineteen men remain on board.
_pp. 290-300_
CHAPTER XXIV.
TAKEN PRISONER.
Taken prisoner, and removed to Boulogne gaol—Asked to dinner by General
Lemaroix—News of Perceval’s assassination—Parole refused—Marched to
Montreuil-sur-Mer—On to Hesdin; being footsore, Author insists on having a
carriage—Drives to Arras.
_pp. 301-310_
CHAPTER XXV.
AT CAMBRAY.
Meet an Englishman—At last put on parole—Dine with Lieutenant
Horton—Proceed to Cambray—Relics of Archbishop Fénélon—Meet Captain Otter
at Verdun—Prisoners’ amusements—Author and Captain Otter establish a
school for midshipmen—Author moves into country quarters—Severe censorship
of prisoner’s letters—Ordered to Blois—Purchase a cart and horses.
_pp. 311-320_
CHAPTER XXVI.
END OF CAPTIVITY.
Horses bolt, and cart upsets—Reach Blois after six days’
travelling—Miserable condition of French troops after return from
Moscow—Ordered to Gueret on the Creuse—A miserable journey of five
days—Poor accommodation—Allowed to move to country quarters at Masignon—An
earthquake shock—News of Napoleon’s abdication—Start for Paris—Reach
Fontainebleau in nine days—Proceed to Paris—Lodgings dear and scarce—State
entrance of Louis XVIII. into Paris.
_pp. 321-331_
CHAPTER XXVII.
HONOURABLY ACQUITTED.
Obtain a passport after some difficulty from Prince Metternich—Start for
England _viâ_ Rouen and Havre—Sail to Spithead—Amused at Englishwomen’s
queer dress—Return to family—Acquitted for loss of H.M.S. _Apelles_.
_pp. 332-334_
APPENDIX
_pp. 335-340_
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
CAPTAIN F. HOFFMAN, R.N. (_by V. Varillas, 1818_) _Frontispiece_
FALMOUTH HARBOUR _To face_ 10
PLYMOUTH HARBOUR " 50
PORT ROYAL, JAMAICA " 108
LUXURIOUS VEGETATION, JAMAICA " 140
ENTRANCE TO ST. IAGO, CUBA " 146
THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR (_after C. Stanfield, " 210
R.A._)
H.M.S. _APELLES_ " 280
THE ENTRY OF THE ALLIES INTO PARIS BY THE PORTE " 330
ST. MARTIN, MARCH 31, 1814
A SAILOR OF KING GEORGE.
CHAPTER I.
EARLY EXPERIENCES.
My mother consents to my going to sea—Journey to Portsmouth—Join
H.M.S. _Blonde_—Take General Prescott and suite on board—We
sail—Supply West Indiamen with provisions and in return impress
six seamen—Windbound at Falmouth—Again sail—Attacked by four
French frigates, but escape and again make Falmouth—Finally sail
for West Indies—Amusements in crossing the Equator.
One morning sitting with my mother in the drawing room and entreating her
to comply with my wish to enter the Navy, she was so intent on listening
to my importunities and her patchwork that she did not observe that the
cat was running away with her favourite goldfinch; the cat, with the poor
bird in its mouth, was near the door, waiting to escape. Seeing what had
happened, I immediately ran to the poor little bird’s assistance, but,
alas! too late, as the cruel animal had torn off one of its wings.
Whilst my mother was feelingly lamenting her favourite’s untimely death,
and deliberating whether the cat should be given away, the door opened,
the culprit escaped, and Captain Elphinstone entered. On his observing my
mother’s paleness, he requested to know if anything of a serious nature
had occurred in the family. “No,” replied she, “except the loss of a
favourite bird, which I certainly regret, as it was killed by the cat in a
most distressing manner, and,” added she, “my spirits are not at this
moment very good in consequence of my son’s wishing to enter the Navy.”
“The first,” said he, “I lament, as it has deprived you of a pet; the
latter may in the end be a matter of rejoicing. Who knows but that your
son, if he enters that noble service, may turn out a second Hawke.” My
ears thrilled at his remark.
“Do you really think, Captain Elphinstone,” said my mother, with a
half-sorrowful countenance, “that it would be to his advantage?” “Most
assuredly,” replied he, “as I think it very likely war will shortly be
declared against that unhappy and distracted France, and he will have a
very fair chance of making prize money, and in time will gain his
promotion.”
“Quit the room a short time, my love,” said my mother to me. In about a
quarter of an hour, which I thought an hour, I was sent for. Captain
Elphinstone had taken his leave. I found my mother still very pale. “I am
afraid, dear boy,” she began, “that Captain Elphinstone has almost
persuaded me against my will. He has spoken of the prospects of the Naval
Service in so favourable a manner that I am nearly tempted to let you
enter it, and should war unhappily be declared against our unfortunate
neighbours, the French, and my friend Captain Markham be appointed to a
ship, I believe I must make up my mind to be quite persuaded and let you
have your wish.” “Thank you, my dear mother,” replied I, overjoyed at what
I knew nothing about. A short time after this conversation, war was
declared against France, or rather France provoked it, and Captain Markham
was appointed to the _Blonde_ frigate. My mother instantly wrote to him;
his answer was favourable, and he requested her to let me join him as soon
as possible. All now was bustle and preparation. My brothers were sent for
home, and begged to be allowed to go with me. Poor fellows! they little
knew what they asked. In a few days I was fully equipped. I mounted my
uniform, and I thought my brothers and the young friends who came to take
leave of me appeared to envy me my finery, particularly my dirk, which
they examined so often that I began to think they would wear it out. At
length the evening arrived for me to quit my dear, happy home. My mother
was sensibly affected, my sister looked serious, but my brothers, who were
younger than myself—little rogues!—only looked disappointed that they
could not go with me. I am sorry to say that my spirits were so buoyant
that sorrow did not enter my head.
Captain Elphinstone was kind enough to accompany me to the coach, and on
the 12th day of October, 1793,—oh! happy day, at least I thought so—we
repaired to the sign of that nondescript bird, the “Swan with Two Necks”
in Lad Lane, Cheapside. After taking an affectionate farewell of those who
came with me, I stepped into the vehicle of transport with a light foot, a
light heart, and, I fear, a light head, as I fancied by the people staring
at me that I was the lion of the occasion. When we stopped for supper a
gentlemanly person, who sat opposite, asked me what ship I belonged to. I
informed him, and he told me he was Captain W., of the 31st Regiment,
going to join his division at Portsea, destined for Gibraltar. “It is
probable you will not join the frigate for a few days after your arrival,”
said he, “and if you do not, we have a mess at Portsmouth where I shall be
happy to see you.” I thanked him warmly for his considerate and kind
invitation. I had only one opportunity of dining with him, as he embarked
three days after his arrival. About six o’clock in the evening I reached
the “Blue Postesses” where the midshipmen put their chestesses and eat
their breakfastesses. Next morning, and whilst I was prosing over my
breakfast, in walked a midshipman, about twenty years of age, with a face
which appeared to have been rolled down Deal beach a dozen times.
“Waiter,” said he, “have you in the house a young officer lately arrived
from Lunnen?” “Ho, ho!” thinks I, “my boy, you are from my country the
West, and probably from where it rains upon Dock(1) nine months in the
twelve.” “Yes, sir,” said the waiter, “the young officer is eating his
breakfastesses;” saying this he brought him to my box. “Good morning,
sir,” said he, “I have come on shore to take you on board. Have you all
your things ready?” “Yes,” said I, “I shall be ready in twenty minutes.
Can you spare me that time? But,” continued I, “have you breakfasted?—you
look rather cold,”—I was afraid to say hungry—“I think a cup of tea will
warm you.” I then gave him one. “If you will allow me,” said he, “I’ll put
a poker in it.” I wondered what he meant. It was soon explained. He called
the waiter and told him to bring a glass of rum, which he put into the
tea, and, as he thought I should feel the cold going off, he said I had
better do the same. As I considered him my superior officer I complied,
although the fiery taste of the spirit almost burnt my mouth, which he
perceiving smiled, and told me I should soon be used to it. “You will
oblige me,” said I, “if you will give me a little insight into the
characters of the officers of the ship.” “Why,” said he, “the captain is a
tight one, and sometimes in a hurricane I never heard any officer pray so
well or so heartily as he does: his prayers, if not heard elsewhere, are
certainly heard by all on board, and are generally effective. However,”
added he, “you will soon be able to judge for yourself. The first
lieutenant is one of the old woman’s school, an easy and good kind of
person, but not fit to be first of an active frigate. The second
lieutenant is a regular-built sailor, and knows his duty well, but he is
fond of mast-heading the youngsters when they think they do not deserve
it. The third lieutenant would be a sailor if he knew how to set about it;
he generally begins at the wrong end, and is always making stern way,
but,” said he, “he almost prays as good a stick as the skipper. As for the
other officers, we have not so much to do with them as with those I have
described. However,” added he, “there is one more—I mean the purser: he is
a complete nip-cheese, and as for his steward, he ought to have swung at
the fore-yard arm long ago.” “There is one more question I have to ask,”
said I, “which is, what sort of young gentlemen are the midshipmen?”
“Why,” replied he, “two of what you term young gentlemen are old enough to
be your father, but take them in a lump they are not so bad; four of them
are about your age, and full of fun and frolic. Now,” said he, “it’s time
to be off.” He beckoned to a seaman near the door, who, I found, was the
coxswain of the cutter. “Take this officer’s chest to the boat.” Here the
waiter interposed, and said it was customary for the waterman of the “Blue
Postesses” to take packages down to the water side. To this I consented,
and away we trotted to sally port where the boat was lying. On our arrival
at the stairs, I found another midshipman about my own age, who had been
left in charge of the boat’s crew during the other’s absence. He eyed me
obliquely; then turning to the elder, “I thought,” said he, “you would
never come. I have been so bothered during the time you were away by three
of the men’s confounded trulls, who wanted me to give them a passage off,
that every five minutes appeared an hour, and I have only this moment got
rid of them.” “Never mind, my boy,” said the other, “let’s shove off.”
Passing round a point, going out of the harbour, I observed a gibbet with
part of a human skeleton hanging on it. “You are looking at the remains of
Jack the painter,” said the elder midshipman to me. “Do you know his
history?” I answered in the negative. “Why,” said he, “that burning rascal
set fire to the rope-house in the dockyard about the time you were born,
and there the gentleman’s bones are rattling to the breeze as a warning to
others.” The wind was blowing strong, and we were more than an hour before
we reached the frigate, which was lying at Spithead. My eyes during that
time were fixed on twelve sail of the line ready for sea. As I had never
seen a line of battleship, I was much struck with their noble and imposing
appearance, and I imagined everybody who served on board them must feel
pride in belonging to them. After a severe pull we got alongside as the
boatswain and his mates were piping to dinner. I followed the elder
midshipman up the side, the other came up after me. On reaching the
quarter-deck we made our bows, when I was introduced to the second
lieutenant, who had the watch on deck. He asked me some indifferent
questions, and sent for one of the master’s mates to give orders
respecting my hammock. The first lieutenant, an elderly, weather-beaten,
gentlemanly looking person, now came on deck. I had a letter for him from
my sister’s husband-elect, which I gave him. After reading it he asked me
how I had left my friends, and before I could answer the question I heard
him say to the second lieutenant, “What the devil do they send such
delicate boys into the Service to be knocked on the head for?—much better
make civilians of them.” Then turning to me, “Well, youngster,” said he,
with a good-humoured smile, “you’ll dine in the gun room with us at three
o’clock.” He then sent for the gunner, and requested him to take me into
his mess, who grinned assent. This last was a square, broad-shouldered
Welshman, with an open countenance, and of no little consequence. I
descended to his cabin, which was under water, and I could, when in it,
distinctly hear that element bubbling like a kettle boiling as it ran by
the ship’s side above our heads. I found this said cabin not too large for
three of us, as the surgeon’s mate was an inmate as well as myself. Its
dimensions were about eight feet by six, and when we were at table the boy
who attended us handed everything in we wanted by the door. In a few days
I was quite at home with the mids; some of them began spinning tough yarns
respecting the hardships of a sea life—what a horrible bore it was to keep
night watches, or any watch at all, and you are sure, said one of them, to
catch the fever and ague after you have been four hours walking under the
draught of the mizzen stay-sail; and, added another, to be mast-headed for
three hours with your face to windward by those tyrants, the second and
third lieutenants. They both ought to be turned out of the Service for
tyranny and oppression, and as to the last he does not know how to put the
ship about without the assistance of Hamilton Moore or the old
quartermaster. I thought this all very encouraging. I, however, kept my
own counsel, and as I did not appear much discomposed by the recital of so
many miseries, they considered me a complete Johnny Newcome just caught.
We were now ready for sailing, and only waiting the arrival of a general
officer and his suite. The second morning after I joined the frigate a
most serious accident occurred which might easily have proved fatal to all
on board. In a part called the after cockpit, where, after breakfast, the
surgeon examines the sick, a large piece of iron called a loggerhead, well
heated, is put into a bucket of tar in order to fumigate it after the sick
have left it. On this occasion the tar caught fire. It soon reached the
spirit-room hatches, which were underneath, and the powder magazine
bulkhead. Unfortunately, without considering the consequences, a few
buckets of water were thrown on the flaming tar, which made it spread
more. At length the engine was set to work, and beds and blankets from the
purser’s store-room surcharged with water soon got it under. These last
were of the greatest service in smothering the flame, and were more
effectual in saving the ship than the engine. The captain and officers
behaved nobly on this occasion. I had the honour of conducting the hose of
the engine down the hatchway, and was almost stifled by the smoke for my
pains. On looking through one of the gunports after the danger was over, I
could not help laughing to see two of the women with a rope fastened under
their arms and held by their husbands, paddling close to the ship’s side,
with their clothes rising like large bladders around them. A number of
boats on seeing our danger came to our assistance, but they were ordered
to lay on their oars at a distance. Providentially we did not require
their aid.
On the 2nd of November we received on board General Prescott and his
suite, and immediately afterwards got under weigh and made sail with a
favourable wind down Channel. We had taken our departure from the Lizard,
when, on the same night the wind, which had continued some time from the
eastward, changed to the westward, and came on to blow fresh with very
hazy weather. A number of West Indiamen passed us; they had been beating
about in the chops of the Channel for more than a week. Some of them were
in great distress for provisions. We relieved three of them by sending
some bags of biscuit and casks of salt beef, and as we were feelingly
alive to their situation, we took from their crews six of their seamen. I
was much interested in two of these men. They had been absent nearly
eighteen months from their wives and families, and were fondly looking
forward to a meeting with those for whom they lived and toiled, but, alas!
they were doomed to return to that foreign climate they had a few months
before left, and from whence it was impossible to know when they would
come back.
[Illustration: FALMOUTH HARBOUR. [_Frith, Reigate._]
We kept the sea for two days longer notwithstanding the violence of the
westerly gale, in the hope it would not long continue; but finding we were
losing ground, we on the third day bore up for Falmouth, where we anchored
in the evening and remained windbound four days, during which period we
exercised the guns and sails.
On one of these days I went with a party of my shipmates on shore at St.
Maw’s. Before coming off I bethought me of a pair of shoes, which I had
forgotten to procure at Falmouth. I inquired of a boy who passed me where
I could find a shop to supply my wants; he informed me the mayor was the
best shoemaker in the town. To this worthy magistrate I repaired, who I
found very busily employed on a pair of boots. He had spectacles on nose,
which feature was not very prominent and of a reddish-blue. I acquainted
him with my wish to have a pair of solid, good understanders. Pointing to
some shoes, “Good,” said he, “young officer, here’s a pair will fit you to
a T. They were made for Captain H.’s son, but the ship sailed before he
could send for them.” As they fitted me I bought them. “So I understand,”
said he, “gentlemen,”—for two of the mids were with me—“you are going to
the Indies to make your fortunes.” “Are we?” said I, “that is more than we
know.” “Yes,” continued he, “I am sure of it, and in a year’s time you
will return with your pockets well filled with French money; and I hope,”
added he, “that if you return to Falmouth you will pay my shop a second
visit.” I need not inform my reader that the worshipful shoemaking
magistrate proved a false prophet. We did return within a twelve-month,
and to Falmouth, ’tis true, but nearly as poor as when he told us our
fortunes; consequently we did not visit his shop a second time.
As we were the senior officer, and there being several sloops of war and
cutters in the harbour, we fired the evening and morning guns. The first
evening we fired proved fatal to a pilot and four boatmen, who imagined
the firing proceeded from a ship seen standing for the harbour with the
loss of her fore top-mast. The night was very dark and tempestuous, and a
short time after leaving St. Maw’s the boat upset and they were all lost.
This was the more distressing as they all left wives and families. The
officers among the squadron made a subscription for them, and the mids,
although not rich, were not backward. The wind becoming favourable, we on
the fifth morning made sail out of the roads and stood down Channel. The
same night, which was very dark and squally, we fell in with the _Venus_
frigate, who, before we could answer the private signal, favoured us with
a discharge of musketry. Fortunately, it did no other damage than cutting
some of the ropes.
On the morning of the second day after leaving Falmouth we saw four ships
about five miles distant to the S.W. At first we took them for Indiamen
homeward bound. In the expectation of procuring some good seamen we stood
towards them. After a short time we discovered them to be French frigates.
We immediately altered our course, and made all possible sail to avoid
them. On perceiving this they signalled each other and stood after us
under a press of sail. The wind was moderate, and had again changed to the
westward. The enemy was drawing fast on us. After a chase of five hours
the nearest frigate fired her foremost guns at us, which cut away the
maintop bowline. We returned their fire with our stern chasers. As they
had neared us so rapidly, we thought it prudent to throw overboard the
foreign stores in order to improve our sailing. Two of the enemy’s
frigates were now within gunshot and the two others nearing us fast. We
had almost despaired of escaping, when fortunately one of our shot brought
down the advanced frigate’s fore topsail yard, and we soon found we were
leaving her. The second yawed, and gave us a broadside; only two of her
shot took effect by striking near the fore channels. Her yaw saved us, as
we gained on her considerably. The wind had become light, which still
further favoured us. We were now nearing our own coast, and towards sunset
the enemy had given up the chase and hauled off to the S.W. The wind
veering to the northward, we altered our course to the westward; but,
singular to say, at daylight next morning we found ourselves about six
miles from the same vessels, who, directly they perceived us, made all
sail towards us. We tacked and stood again for Falmouth, where we anchored
that evening and remained three days to complete our stores. We once more
made sail for our destination, which I now found was the West Indies,
without meeting further obstacle. As we neared the tropic those who had
crossed it were anticipating the fun; others were kept in ignorance until
Neptune came on board, which he did with one of his wives. It was my
morning watch, when the frigate was hailed and desired to heave to, which
was done. The cooper, a black man, personated the sea-god. His head was
graced with a large wig and beard made of tarred oakum. His shoulders and
waist were adorned by thrumbed mats; on his feet were a pair of Greenland
snow-shoes. In his right hand he held the grains (an instrument something
resembling a trident, and used for striking fish). He was seated on a
match tub placed on a grating, with his wife, a young topman, alongside of
him. Her head-dress consisted of a white flowing wig made of oakum, with a
green turban; on her shoulders was an ample yellow shawl; her petticoat
was red bunting; on her feet were sandals made from the green hide of a
bullock. In her right hand she held a harpoon; her cheeks were thickly
smeared with red ochre.
After being drawn round the decks three times in order to astonish those
confined below by the noise and bustle it made, Neptune introduced his
young bride to the captain, and informed him he was in mourning for his
last wife, pointing to his skin. “What occasioned her death?” inquired the
captain. “She,” replied the sea-god, “died of a violent influenza she
caught on the banks of Newfoundland nursing her last child in a thick fog,
and,” added he, “I intend next month blockading the coast of Shetland in
order to compel the mermaids to give up one of their young women whom I
hired three months ago to suckle my last infant, since the death of its
mother.” He then requested to know if there were any new arrivals from his
favourite island, England. The captain informed him there were several,
and as some of them were rather delicate, with very little beard, he hoped
his barber would not shave them too close. One of the midshipmen was then
brought up blindfolded. Neptune asked him how he had left his mamma, that
he must refuse biscuit when he could have soft tommy (white bread), that
he should lower his main-top gallant sail to a pretty girl, and make a
stern board from an ugly one. After being taken to the sea-god’s wife, who
embraced him most cordially, leaving no small proportion of the ochre on
his cheeks, he was desired to be seated, and was led to the narrow plank
placed over a very large tub of water. The barber then began his
operations with grease and tar, and as the mid did not admire the
roughness of the razor, he began to be a little restive, when over he went
into the tub, where he floundered for some short time. He was drawn out,
the bandage removed from his eyes, and he appeared not a little surprised
to see so many grotesque figures around him. He soon recovered himself and
entered into the fun which followed.
All the others came up one at a time and went through the same ceremony.
Some were inclined not to submit to Neptune’s directions. This only made
matters worse for them, as the more they struggled the oftener they were
plunged into the tub of water. After about two hours’ amusement the decks
were dried, everything in order, and all hands at breakfast. I could not
help laughing at one of the lieutenants of Marines who, to avoid getting
wet, had placed himself on the forecastle to enjoy the pastime without
partaking in it. One of the mids who had been ducked determined he should
not escape, and had a couple of buckets filled with water on the gangway,
ready to throw on him when he quitted his post, which he did when he saw
the tub removed from the quarter-deck. As the youngster wished, he went
along the main-deck, when, as he passed, over his shoulders went the first
bucket of water; he unfortunately lifted his head to see who threw it,
when over went the other right in his face and breast, so that he was as
completely drenched as if he had been ducked. Unluckily, he had on his red
coat, which was completely spoiled; salt water is a bitter enemy to red
cloth, as it turns it black. A few days afterwards we caught several
dolphins and a shark seventeen feet in length. We were obliged to fire
seven pistol balls into its head to kill it before we could get it on
board. It was cut up and put into pickle for those who chose to eat it.
There was a beautiful fish, striped alternately black and yellow, swimming
under it. The sailors called it a pilot-fish, and they informed me that
sharks are very seldom without one or two, and that they appear to direct
them where to go; this last must be mere conjecture. The pilot-fish is
generally about a foot long, and in shape like a mullet.
CHAPTER II.
WEST INDIES.
Arrival in West Indies—Cruise among the French islands—Bombardment
and capture of St. Pierre, Dominique—Attack on Bourbon—Capture of
forts—Surrender of General Rochambeau and the French garrison.
After a pleasant passage of thirty-four days we anchored in Carlisle Bay,
Barbadoes. Two days after our arrival I had permission to go on shore with
the gunner, who had been here before. I found the town not very extensive.
The houses are built much in the same style as those at Kingston, in
Jamaica, except that they have more garden ground. The streets are very
sandy, but they are ornamented with a profusion of cocoa, plantain and
banana trees, which afford a partial shade. It appeared to me that most of
the people who inhabited Bridge Town maintained themselves by washing
clothes. The women are well made and very indolent. The men are
sufficiently conceited but active. I procured here a quantity of very
pretty small sea-shells. They assort them very tastefully in cases, and
for about two dollars you may purchase a tolerable collection. The natives
of this island pride themselves on not being creoles, that is not being of
the Caribbean race, although it assuredly is one of the Caribbean Islands.
If you are unfortunate enough to speak in favour of any of the other West
Indian Islands in their presence, they immediately exclaim, “Me tankey my
God dat I needer Crab nor Creole, but true Barbadeen born.” They drawl out
their words most horribly. I happened one day to hear two of the dignity
ladies of Bridge Town, as black as ink, returning the salutations of the
morning. The first began by drawling out, “How you do dis maurning. I hope
you berry well, m-a-a-m, but I tink you look a little p-a-a-le.” The other
answered, “I tank you body, I hab berry b-a-a-d niete (night), but I
better dis mording, I tank you, m-a-a-m.” This island is famed for its
noyeau, guava jelly, candied fruits—particularly the pine-apple, which is
put on table in glass cases—and its potted flying-fish, which I thought
equal in flavour to potted pilchards. Were I to make this assertion at
Mevagissey I fear I should stand but little chance of being invited to
dine off star gazy pie(2); but for fear my reader should be from that
neighbourhood, I beg him to understand that I do not think them better,
but, in my individual opinion, as good. After remaining among these true
Barbadian-born drawlers about ten days, we left them, and made sail for
St. Pierre Dominique, where we anchored two days after. The manners and
customs of the people at this island were totally different to those in
vogue in Barbadoes; all, with the exception of a few, spoke creole French.
This island is mountainous, but not very picturesque. It produces sugar
which undergoes the process of being clayed—that is, after a great part of
the molasses has been drained from it, it is put into forms made of clay,
which extract the remaining moisture; it then becomes a beautiful straw
colour; it is exported in cases. Coffee also grows here, but not of the
finest quality. We also saw abundance of different fruits. The purser
purchased several tons of yams for the use of the ship’s crew, some of
which weighed upwards of twenty pounds each. We bought for our mess some
sweet potatoes, plantains, bananas, shaddocks, forbidden fruit, and limes.
There were groves of oranges, but we had not time to visit them. We saw in
the market melons, guavas, sour-sops, alligator-pears, love-apples and
mangoes. I remarked that oxen were the only animals used for burthen. I
did not see a single horse. The streets of the town of St. Pierre are not
laid out with much regularity, nor are the houses well built. I thought it
an ugly town; it is, however, ornamented with a number of cocoanut-trees,
some of which are forty and fifty feet high.
The general officer we brought from England and his suite left us at this
place. The object of his visit was to raise a mongrel regiment for the
purpose of acting against the French islands, as a fleet with troops from
England was daily expected to effect their capture. We remained here a few
days, and afterwards amused ourselves by cruising off the islands of
Martinique, Guadaloupe, St. Lucie and Marie Galante, but were not
fortunate enough to effect any captures. We repaired a second time to St.
Pierre roads and received on board two companies of mongrels to transport
to Barbadoes. We wished them, and sometimes ourselves, in heaven. All the
mids thought it a great pity that we had not fallen in with a first-class
French frigate. We might have walked on board of her, said they, in such
fine style. There were several women with the troops, some of whom had
children at the breast. I pitied them, and endeavoured to assist them all
in my power. For them to stay below was impossible, as we had almost as
many soldiers on board as our ship’s company, and to keep their children
quiet was equally difficult. To effect this they frequently gave them
strong rum and water, which threw them into a state of stupor—poor,
miserable little beings! After having these suffering people on board for
five days we at length, to their relief and our great joy, arrived amongst
our drawling—no, creole friends, and the following morning all the
redcoats were disembarked. On the second day after our anchoring the
expected fleet made its appearance. It consisted of the _Boyne_,
Vice-Admiral Sir J. Jervis, one 70 and two 64-gun ships, several frigates,
sloops of war, bomb-ships, and transports with troops. We saluted the
admiral, which he returned. All now was life and bustle, and in a short
time the gun-boats were ready; each man-of-war received two flat boats to
tow astern. In the latter end of February, 1794, we finally bid an
affecting adieu to our yellow and black legged female friends at Bridge
Town, who remained on the shore waving handkerchiefs much whiter than
themselves until the fleet cleared the harbour. On making sail, Needham’s
Fort, which commands the harbour, saluted the admiral, which he returned.
The fleet and transports soon cleared the bay, when each ship took her
station. It was a majestic sight to see so many vessels with all their
canvas spread and swelling to a strong sea-breeze.
The second day we reached Fort Royale Bay, Martinique, in admirable order,
and took French leave to let go our anchors out of range of the enemy’s
shells. The nearest vessels of the fleet had been warmly saluted by Pigeon
Island, as they were going in, which, however, we treated with contempt.
On the third day after our arrival a frigate with a bomb-ship and three
gun-boats engaged it, and three hours afterwards it capitulated. One of
the sixty-four-gun ships, some frigates, and a bomb with transports, had
gone round to subdue the northern part of the island. We were now all
actively employed getting ready the gun and flat-bottomed boats for
landing the troops, who were commanded by Lieut.-Gen. Sir C. Gray. The
Duke of Kent shortly after arrived with some troops from Halifax. As it
was thought advisable to reduce some of the smaller towns before the
attack on Fort Royale, we were ordered with one of the sixty-fours, two
frigates, the bomb-ship and some gun-boats to assault the town of St.
Pierre. We gave three cheers in the cockpit on hearing this news. At
daylight we weighed, and in the evening entered the bay of St. Pierre; we
were ordered to take off the hard knocks from the bomb by anchoring
between her and the enemy. About 9 P.M. we all opened our fire as nearly
as possible at the same time. It was a most brilliant sight; the bay was
literally illuminated. The enemy’s batteries began to play with some
trifling effect; this added to the splendour of the scene. The night,
fortunately for us, was very dark, which made it difficult for them to
strike us, as they could but imperfectly discern the object they fired at;
this was evident, as they fired immediately after we did. Our shot and
shell could not fail every time we fired them, as we had taken the
bearings of the principal places when we anchored. The cannonading ceased
about 3 A.M., when all the enemy’s batteries, except one, struck their
colours. This was in a great measure owing to our troops investing the
back of the town. At four o’clock the remaining fort, finding the town had
surrendered, hauled down the tricoloured flag. The losses on our part were
twelve killed and twenty wounded. Those of the enemy must have been
considerable.
All the flat-bottomed boats and those belonging to the squadron were
ordered to land a number of marines. I was in the first division. We
landed about 7 A.M., and were astonished at the mischief our shot and
shell had done. The roof of the municipality, or town house, was nearly
knocked in. At the time some of the shells fell through it, all the wise
men of the town were assembled under its, as they imagined, bomb-proof
roof. Two of them were killed and several wounded. The principal church
had also suffered, as two sacrilegious shells had penetrated it and fallen
near the altar. On entering it we found the models of three frigates. As
they had not struck their colours, we did them that favour, and made
prizes of them. There were also some pictures of grim-looking saints,
which one of the sailors was endeavouring to unhook until another called
out, “Let them alone, Jack, they’ll only bring you bad luck,” on which he
desisted. This church was very dirty, and the ceilings of it filled with
cobwebs; the priests had taken everything from the altar, as well as from
the recesses or small chapels. A party of marines, with some artillerymen,
took possession of the forts, and sentinels were stationed over the public
buildings, and picquets round the town. Terms of capitulation had been
drawn out by the authorities, which, as the town was taken by assault,
were not agreed to. All found in arms were considered prisoners of war;
everything belonging to the Republic was given up. The citizens were not
molested, and allowed to keep their private effects. I was much amused at
the genuine _sang-froid_, or more properly speaking, the French
philosophy, of the people who kept the coffee-houses. They moved about as
gay as if nothing had happened, everything was regularly paid for, and the
most perfect discipline observed.
Having taken on board some of the principal French officers and a party of
our troops, we arrived at our former anchorage, Fort Royale Bay, the next
morning. Fort Royale, which was of considerable strength, had been
bombarded for several days, when it was decided to carry it by storm. On
the third day after our anchoring, at 3 A.M., the attack took place. The
gun and flat-bottomed boats were covered by the bomb-ships and frigates. A
landing was soon effected; the bamboo ladders for two men to mount abreast
were placed against the outer bastion of the fort. The soldiers and
sailors vied with each other who should mount first. Unfortunately, some
of the ladders gave way, and the men were precipitated to the ground; and,
what was still more unfortunate, some few fell on the bayonets of those
below and were shockingly wounded. In about ten minutes the outer works
were carried, and a marine’s jacket, for want of other colours, was
hoisted on the flagstaff. The enemy retreated to the inner work, but it
availed them little. In less than a quarter of an hour they were compelled
to give way. Several of them were cut down by the sailors, who had thrown
away their pistols after discharging them. Most of them had abandoned
their half-pikes before mounting, as they declared they were only in their
way, and that they preferred the honest cutlass to any other weapon. The
sailors and soldiers behaved well on this occasion; those who did not form
the escalade covered those who did by firing incessant volleys of
musketry, which brought down those of the enemy who were unwise enough to
show their unlucky heads above the parapet. In about twenty minutes the
British flags were floating on the flagstaffs, the French officers
surrendered their swords, and were sent on board the _Boyne_. I forgot to
mention that an explosion had taken place in one of the magazines of the
fort before we entered it, which killed and wounded more than fifty of the
enemy. About ninety of the enemy were killed and more than twenty wounded.
We had forty-six killed and wounded; among the number were eleven
officers. We found in the harbour a frigate of thirty-six guns and a
corvette fitted up as a receiving ship for the wounded. Several merchant
ships, loading with sugar when we first entered the bay, had relanded
their cargoes. The warehouses were more than half filled with sugar, rum
and coffee. A party of seamen were immediately employed to load the
shipping.
The town had suffered considerably from the shells and shot. Some of the
houses were in ruins and the public buildings much damaged, particularly
those in the dockyard.
We now encamped before and laid siege to the principal Republican fort,
commanded by the French General Rochambeau. It had before been called
“Fort Bourbon,” and had a garrison of 3,000 men.(3)
We had already taken one of its principal redoubts within gunshot of it
and Fort Royale. A party of sailors who had the management of it under a
lieutenant and three midshipmen, christened it by a name that would shock
ladies’ ears. When the enemy’s shot fired at them were not too deeply
entrenched in the ground, they dug them up and returned them, the middies
first writing on them in chalk the names of those quack doctors who sold
pills as a remedy for all complaints.
For the first fourteen days we all appeared to enjoy the novelty of our
situation, although it was by no means an enviable one, as the shot and
shell were flying about us in every direction, and it was no joke to
scamper away from a bursting shell just as we had sat down to dinner. Some
were almost every day sent to “Kingdom come” sooner than they expected.
Our camp on the plain before the enemy’s fort was picturesque enough; the
officers only had tents or marquees, the sailors and soldiers made the
most of their blankets. However, except when the dew fell heavily at
night, these were quite sufficient. A few only suffered who were not of
the strongest, and they were attacked by a low fever.
We had been before this fortress nearly three weeks, and were impatient to
storm it, as what with casualties and the enemy’s shot we were losing the
number of our mess faster than we liked, and, although our fire had been
incessant, we had not been able to effect a breach of any considerable
consequence. To give more facility to the operations the _Boyne_ landed
some of her guns, and a party of sailors were ordered to draw them up, or
rather they volunteered to do so. The guns were placed in an advanced
fascine-intrenched battery, made by the pioneers and artillerymen during
the night, within half a gun shot of the enemy. In getting them up they
were either placed upon field carriages or sledges made out of the trunks
of trees. The sailors, who were harnessed by twenties, soon had them in
their places, and when they were mounted they gave three hearty cheers,
which must have astonished the enemy. The guns soon after opened a most
destructive fire on the nearest work, as we could see quantities of the
wall fly like showers of hail. During the night we expected a sortie from
the fort, and were provided for such an event. A constant fire from all
the batteries was kept up all night; the shells were well directed, and an
explosion took place in the enemy’s fort. At daylight we perceived that
the advanced sailors’ battery had effected a considerable breach in the
fort, and a consultation was held among the superior officers. When over,
they acquainted the sailors and soldiers that they were determined to
storm it the following night. The three cheers which followed this speech
must have been heard for miles. At 10 A.M. we discerned a flag of truce
advancing towards our lines, and shortly after a French superior officer
with his aide-de-camp requested to speak to the commanding officer. As the
enemy had ceased firing, we did the same. The purport of the flag of truce
was that General Rochambeau, finding it useless holding out any longer,
wished to treat on terms, and requested a cessation of hostilities for
twenty-four hours. The following morning the capitulation was arranged. At
10 A.M. the enemy marched out of the fort under arms, with drums beating
and their colours flying, when we marched in and soon hoisted the colours
of Old England on the flag-staffs. The island was now entirely in our
possession. The French garrison marched to Fort Royale, where they
grounded their arms in the market-place. Their superior officers were met
by the Admiral, Sir C. Gray, and the Duke of Kent, as well as other
officers of the Navy and Army. In a few days afterwards they were embarked
on board some of the transports and sent to France, the officers on
parole, and the men not to serve until regularly exchanged.
CHAPTER III.
RETURN TO ENGLAND.
Sail for England with despatches—A lunar rainbow—A two-tailed
fish—Reach Falmouth after passage of fifteen days—To Plymouth to
refit—All leave refused—Sailors’ frolics ashore—To sea
again—Cruise off French coast and Channel Islands—Run aground off
Guernsey—Return to Plymouth to repair damages—Rejoin fleet—French
fleet escapes into Brest—Return to Plymouth to refit for foreign
service—Transhipped to H.M.S. _Hannibal_—Description of the ship’s
officers—Tricks played on the Irish chaplain.
On the 14th of April, 1794, we were ordered to receive on board a superior
officer of the Navy and Army with the despatches for England, also several
wounded officers and the colours taken from the forts and churches. In the
evening we saluted the admiral and left the bay for England.
On our passage, during a middle watch, I beheld a splendid and most
perfect lunar rainbow. It extended from the stern of the frigate to some
considerable distance. These bows are generally more distinct than the
solar, owing to the glare of light not being so great.
We were followed for some days by a fish with two regular tails. It was
about three feet long, of a bluish colour, and shaped like a salmon. We
endeavoured by every possible stratagem to take it, but it was either too
shy or too cunning to be caught. Fifteen days after quitting Martinique we
anchored at Falmouth. The officers in charge of the despatches left the
ship to proceed to London.
After having taken on board water and refreshments we repaired to
Plymouth, ran into Hamoaze, lashed alongside a receiving hulk, unrigged
and got the guns and stores out, and were afterwards taken into dock to
have the copper cleaned and repaired.
Now, reader, I hope you will not think me unreasonable when I make known
to you that I wished to see my mother, but I might as well have asked for
a captain’s commission. The time was too precious, and we were of too much
use to be spared to see our mammas, so the second lieutenant said, and
that was a sufficient damper. He had his wife in snug lodgings at Dock; he
neither felt for us nor our mammas, so one of the youngsters remarked.
Whilst the frigate is refitting, I will describe some of our sailors’
frolics on shore. Returning one afternoon from Plymouth, I met two hackney
coaches driving very rapidly. The first of them contained one of our
boatswain’s mates and the coxswain of the launch with their delicate
ladies. On the roof was another of our men playing the fiddle. I expected
to see him fall off every moment, but, like a true sailor, he had learnt
to hold fast. The second coach contained the men’s hats and their ladies’
bonnets. As they were not allowed to go farther than Plymouth, they had
been driving from Dock to that place and back again for the last two
hours. On their coming on board they brought with them the sign of
Whittington’s cat, which belonged to the public-house in North Corner
Street, where they had dined. They gave the landlord fourteen shillings
for it, and two days after gave it to him back for nothing. On another
occasion twelve of them took six coaches, into which they stowed with
their ladies, to drive backwards and forwards from Plymouth to Dock six
times. The sternmost to pay for a dinner, of which the whole were to
partake, each kept bribing the coachman to go faster; the consequence was
that the money they gave for this task amounted to more than the hire of
the vehicles. When they made their appearance on board they were decorated
with shawls tied round them like scarfs, and three of them had portraits
of their females as large as an ordinary picture fastened round their
necks with a piece of a bell rope.
I prithee, reader, censure them not too harshly. Sailors possess shades
like other men; but when you reflect that they are on board their ships
for months in an open sea, exposed to all weather, privation, and
hardship, which they bear with philosophic patience, you will agree with
most people and admit that they deserve indulgence when they get on shore;
but you may wish for their sakes that they knew the value of money better.
You cannot change the Ethiopian’s skin without boiling him in pitch, which
you know is a dangerous experiment. Sailors seldom arrive at the age of
reflection until they are past the meridian of life, and when it is almost
too late to lay by anything considerable to make them comfortable in their
old age.
I have known a boatswain’s mate who a few months after he had joined the
ship received about twenty pounds. One of his messmates asked him to lend
him a few shillings. “That I will, my hearty,” was his generous reply;
“here’s a fist full for you. Pay me a fist full when you are able.” The
master at arms who observed the action desired the borrower to count it;
it amounted to twenty-nine shillings.
The frigate now came out of dock and warped alongside the hulk, and in
five days she was ready for sea. On the seventh day we sailed to cruise
off Cherbourg, and to join a squadron of frigates under Captain Saumerez.
The enemy had three large class frigates fitting out at Havre de Grace and
two others at Cherbourg. Our squadron consisted of five frigates and a
lugger.
At this period, 1794, Cherbourg, although a strong place, was nearly an
open roadstead, and we frequently stood in so close as to oblige the outer
vessels at anchor to run farther in.
Having cruised along the French coast for five weeks watching the progress
of the enemy’s frigates, which appeared very slow, we, in carrying sail
after a small vessel, sprung our fore and mizzen top-masts, and were
ordered to Guernsey, where we shortly after anchored in Castle Cornet
roads. Whilst we remained here some of the mids and myself had permission
to go on shore. After rambling about the town without meeting with any
object worth attention, we crossed over to some small, rocky islands, and
having two fowling-pieces with us we shot four large rabbits; their hair
was very soft and long. The inhabitants, who are neither English nor
French, but speak both languages in a corrupt manner, fabricate gloves and
socks from the fur of these animals. I bought two pairs of the former, but
they did not last long; the hair constantly came out on my clothes, and
when once they are wet they become useless.
On the fifth day after quitting the squadron we rejoined them in Cancale
Bay. At daylight next morning our signal was made to chase an enemy’s
lugger in shore. We were gaining rapidly on her when she ran in between
some rocks; we then prepared the boats to attack and bring her out, but as
we stood in for that purpose we found the water suddenly shoal, and a
battery we had not perceived opened its fire on us. We were obliged to
haul off, but not before we had fired several shot at both lugger and
battery. The latter again fired and knocked away our mizzen top-gallant
mast. We bore up and gave it a broadside, and could see pieces of rock
near it fly in all directions. The signal was made to recall us, and soon
after we rejoined the squadron. For more than two months had we been
tantalized by cruising in this monotonous manner, with little hope of the
sailing of the frigates we were blockading, when the commodore ordered
another frigate, ourselves, and the lugger to Guernsey to refit and
procure live bullocks. Having got on board what we wanted, we made sail
out of the harbour through the Little Vessel passage; the pilot, thinking
the tide higher than it was, bumped the frigate on shore on the rock of
that name. She struck violently, but soon floated off as the tide was
flooding. On sounding the well we found she was making water rapidly. The
pumps were soon at work, but as the leak gained on us, we made the signal
of distress and want of assistance. It was soon answered by the frigate
and lugger, who came within hail. We requested them to see us as far as
Plymouth, as we could not keep the sea in consequence of our mishap.
Fortunately the wind was in our favour, and we reached Plymouth Sound in
the afternoon, ran into Hamoaze the same evening, lashed alongside a
receiving ship and had a party of men to assist at the pumps.
At daylight we got out the guns and the heavy stores, and the ship into
dock. On examining her, it was found that part of the main keel and bottom
were so much injured that it would be a fortnight before the repairs could
be finished. In three weeks we were ready for sea, and were ordered to
join a squadron of nine sail of the line, under the command of
Rear-Admiral Montague. We sailed with the intention of joining the Channel
fleet under Lord Howe, but were much mortified on receiving intelligence
from a frigate we spoke that the action between the English and French
fleets had taken place on the 1st of June, and that the latter were
defeated with considerable loss. In the sanguine hope of meeting with some
of the enemy’s lame ducks, we made all sail for Brest water. The next
morning we saw the Island of Ushant, and soon after eight sail of the
enemy’s line of battle ships and five large frigates. They were about
three leagues on our weather beam. We made all sail in chase of them, but
they being so near Brest, and in the wind’s eye of us, we only neared them
sufficiently to exchange a few shots. In the evening they anchored in
Brest roads. On this mortifying occasion there was a grand cockpit
meeting, when the middies declared the French were a set of cowardly,
sneaking rascals. “Let me,” said one of the youngest amongst them,
“command a squadron of eight sail of the line against ten of the enemy, I
would soon take the gloss off their sides, and show them the way into
Portsmouth harbour.”
On the afternoon of the following day we fell in with the defeated enemy’s
fleet which had escaped Lord Howe. They, unfortunately, were to windward
of us standing for Brest, but the nearest of them was not more than two
leagues distant. We made all possible sail to get between them and the
land. Fourteen sail of their effective ships of the line perceiving our
intention took their stations between us and their disabled vessels.
Towards sunset we exchanged some shot with the nearest without effect.
The night was now setting in with dark, squally weather from the W.S.W.,
when we reluctantly gave up the chase. I will not shock my reader’s ears
with what the mids said on this occasion. Suffice it to say, that they
offered up their prayers most heartily: in this, they, like obedient young
officers, only followed the example of their gallant captain and most of
the lieutenants.
Six weeks after remaining with this squadron we were ordered to Plymouth
to fit for foreign service. The captain went on shore, and we did not see
him until his return from London with a commission in his pocket to
command a seventy-four-gun ship, into which, shortly after, we were all
turned over. We regretted leaving the frigate, for although she was one of
the small class, we were much attached to her. Not one of us mids had ever
served in a larger vessel than a frigate. On board this large ship we were
for some days puzzled to find out each other, and for the first time in
our lives we messed and slept by candle-light. In a few days we received
on board four additional lieutenants, six mids, a captain of marines, a
chaplain, schoolmaster, and two hundred more men, besides forty marines.
As my former messmate, the gunner of the frigate, did not join this ship,
I had to find another mess. One of the master’s mates asked me if I would
join him and six other midshipmen, which I did. Our berth, or the place
where we messed, was on the orlop deck, designated by the name of cockpit,
where open daylight is almost as unknown as in one of the mines of
Cornwall. The mids’ farthing candles and the sentinel’s dark, dismal, not
very clean lanthorn just made a little more than darkness visible. When
the biscuits are manned, that is, infested by “bargemen,” they may be
swallowed in this dark hole by wholesale, as it is next to an
impossibility to detect them, except they quit their stow-holes and crawl
out, and when they do, which is but seldom, they are made to run a race
for a trifling wager. On the home station bargemen are scarcely known; it
is only in warm climates where they abound. Another most destructive
insect to the biscuit is the weevil, called by the mids purser’s l——e.
While walking down Fore Street one morning with one of my messmates we
came up with two well-dressed females, when he exclaimed, “By Job! what a
well-built little frigate she is to the left! How well she carries her
maintop-gallant sail! What a neat counter, and how well formed between the
yardarms! I’ll heave ahead and have a look at her bow chasers, head rails,
and cut heads, for I think I have seen her before somewhere. You,” said he
to me, “can take the one on the starboard hand.” He then let go my arm and
shot ahead. He had no sooner done so than the youngest of them exclaimed,
“Why, my dear George, is that you?” “Yes,” he replied, “my dear Emily, and
my dear mother, too; this is, indeed, taking me aback by an agreeable
surprise. How long have you been here?” They were his mother and only
sister, who had arrived that morning and were going to the Admiral’s
office to gain information respecting the ship to which he belonged. His
mother was a genteel woman, to whom he introduced me; but what shall I say
of his sister! She won my heart at first sight. She was a beautiful,
delicate girl of about nineteen. Her figure haunted me for months
afterwards. They were at the “Fountain,” and intended staying there until
we sailed. “You will go on with us,” said his mother. “Yes,” said he,
“that I will, my dear mother, but after I have conveyed yourself and my
sister to your anchorage I must make all sail I possibly can on board, and
ask the first lieutenant for fresh leave. I hope to be with you in about
an hour.” Having seen them both to the inn, we made our bows and repaired
on board. On explaining to the lieutenant his reason for wishing to go
again on shore he obtained further leave, put on a fresh set of rigging,
jumped into the boat that had brought us off, and was soon in the fond
arms of his mother and sister. Shall I say I envied him? No, I did not; I
only wished my mother and sister—for I had, like him, only one—were at the
“Fountain” and I alongside of them.
In less than a month we were ready for sea, and when we were all a
_taunto_ I was proud to belong to such a commanding and majestic-looking
vessel. Before sailing, I will indulge my reader with a little sketch of
the officers of our noble man-of-war.
The most noble captain I have before described, except that they had given
him in the cockpit (he being a very dark-complexioned man) the name of
“Black Jack”; his praying propensities seldom quitted him, but,
notwithstanding this fault, he had many good qualities. The first
lieutenant of the frigate we left had gone to his family. The second, in
consequence, had become first. He was a thorough seaman, and carried on
the duty with a tight hand. Woe betide the unfortunate mid who was remiss
in his duties: the masthead or double watches were sure to be his portion.
When the former, he hung out to dry two and sometimes four hours. The mids
designated him “The Martinet.” The second lieutenant was an elderly man,
something of the old school, and not very polished, fond of spinning a
tough yarn in the middle watch if the weather was fine, a fidgetty,
practical sailor with a kind heart. He informed us he was born on board
the _Quebec_, that his father was gunner of her when she blew up in the
action with the French frigate _Surveillante_, when all on board except
fourteen of the crew perished. Among the number saved were his father and
himself. The former jumped overboard from the fore-channels with the
latter, who was only seven years of age at the time, on his back, and swam
to the Frenchman’s foremast, which was floating at a short distance,
having been shot away by the English frigate. He added that had not this
unfortunate accident occurred, the French frigate must have struck her
colours in less than ten minutes. He spoke most indignantly of the conduct
of an English cutter that was in sight at the time. His nickname was “Old
Proser.” The third was a gentlemanly person, but more the officer than
practical sailor, fond of reading and drawing, and he frequently gave some
of us instruction in the latter. He had been in the East India Service,
and was a good navigator. We named him “Gentleman Jack.” The fourth had
been third in the frigate we left. I have already handed him up. His right
leg was rather shorter than the left; he was called “Robin Grey.” The
fifth was a delicate-looking man, fond of dress and the ladies, almost
always unwell; he was something of a sailor, but thought it a horrid bore
to keep watch. Strange as it may appear, this officer left the ship a few
months afterwards, and was made commander, post captain, and retired
admiral without serving afloat! We named him “The Adonis.”
The sixth was a stout-built regular man-of-war’s man, an officer and a
sailor, fond of conviviality, of gaming and a stiff glass of grog, but
never off his guard. He went by the name of “Tom Bowline.” The seventh was
as broad as he was long; the cockpitonians dubbed him “Toby Philpot.” He
was an oddity, and fond of coining new words. He knew the ship had three
masts and a sheet anchor. He was a strict disciple of Hamilton Moore, fond
of arguing about dip and refraction, particularly the former, as he put it
in practice on himself, being sometimes found with his head and heels at
an angle of 30 degrees in consequence of dipping his head to too many
north-westers. He was, however, good-natured, knew by rule how to put the
ship in stays, and sometimes, by misrule, how to put her in irons, which
generally brought the captain on deck, who both boxhauled the ship and him
by praying most heartily, although indirectly, for blessings on all
lubberly actions, and would then turn to the quarter-master and threaten
him with a flogging for letting the ship get in irons, poor Toby looking
the whole time very sheepish, knowing the harangue was intended for him.
The master was a middle-aged, innocent west-countryman, a good sailor,
knew all the harbours from Plymouth to the Land’s End, and perhaps several
others, but he was more of a pilot than a master, and usually conversed
about landmarks, church steeples, and crayfish. The surgeon was a clever
little dapper man, well-read, shockingly irritable, fond of controversy on
ethics, etymology, and giving the blue pill. I need not acquaint my reader
he was from York. The purser was the shadow of a man, very regular in his
accounts, fond of peach-water, playing the flute, of going on shore,
receiving his necessary money and taking all imaginable care of number
one. The captain of marines was a soldierly-looking, little, strong-built
man, very upright, fond of his bottle of wine, of holding warm arguments
with the surgeon, which always ended without either’s conviction—sometimes
to the annoyance, but more frequently to the amusement of the wardroom,
and he always appeared an inch taller when inspecting his corps. In his
manner he was always on parade, and he thought it a condescension to
notice a mid. The first lieutenant of marines was a tall, slight man, knew
the manual by heart, was fond of reading novels, presumed he was a great
man among the ladies (question, what sort of ladies?). He was a great
puppy, and when he passed the mids he regarded them with an air of
patronage, which they returned by a look of sovereign contempt. The second
lieutenant of marines was quite a different character. He was as playful
as a kitten, and never happier than when skylarking with the mids in the
cockpit. He was not a bad soldier, and a promising officer. When at sea he
always worked the ship’s reckoning for his amusement. The mids, with the
exception of three, were fine-looking lads from the ages of fifteen to
eighteen, fond of fun and mischief and of their half-pint of rum; were
frequently at watch and watch, mast-headed, pooped, and confined to their
half-farthing candle-lighted mess-holes. But, notwithstanding all these
complicated miseries, they were wicked enough to thrive and grow, and when
on shore forgot all their troubles and enjoyed themselves like princes.
The first surgeon’s assistant was a tall, slight young man, with his head
filled with the Pharmacopoeia, bleeding, blistering and gallipots. We
dubbed him “The Village Apothecary,” and sometimes “Snipes.”
The second assistant was a coarse Scotsman, full of pretension and
conceit, who assured us that if any of us should have occasion to have our
legs or arms amputated he could do it without any pain. He used to feel
our pulses after dinner with ridiculous gravity, and after examining our
tongues tell us we should take great care and not eat salt junk too
quickly, for it seldom digested well on young stomachs, and, added he with
great consequence, “I have a specific for sair heeds if ye ha’ any.” As he
was much pitted with the small-pox, we called him “Doctor Pithead.”
With every feeling of reverence to the revered chaplain, I will tread as
lightly over him as a middy’s clumsy foot encased with boots is capable.
Dear man, he came all the way from the Emerald Isle to join our ship, and
brought with him an ample supply of pure brogue, which he spoke most
beautifully. He was very inoffensive, perfectly innocent, and never
ruffled in temper, except when the wicked youngsters played tricks with
him while he was composing his sermon. One day he was much alarmed by the
following adventure, got up expressly by the mids. Some of these
incorrigible fellows, among whom I blush to acknowledge I was one, had
laid a train of gunpowder to a devil close to his cabin, whilst they
presumed he was very busy writing for their edification. The train was
fired from the cockpit hatchway, and soon caught the devil. As soon as the
dear, good man saw the sparks, he rushed out of his cabin, crying out,
“Oh, shure, byes, the ship’s on fire! Och! what shall I do now the ship’s
on fire? Och! what will I do?” On seeing that he was really alarmed, one
of the master’s mates went up to him with a comically-serious face, and
informed him that the first lieutenant finding, when looking round after
breakfast, that there was something which smelt unpleasant in his cabin,
had ordered it to be fumigated with a devil, but as he knew it was about
the time he composed his sermon, he was unwilling to disturb him, and the
devil had in consequence been placed as near his cabin as possible to
effect the purpose intended. His reverence was quite bewildered—an
unpleasant smell in his cabin, and a devil to drive it away was to him
incomprehensible; until the mate requested him to calm himself, and
assured him there was no danger, that the devil was perfectly harmless
except to unwholesome smells. “There,” added he, “is his infernal
majesty,” for he was ashamed to say devil so often before the chaplain,
“nearly exhausted,” pointing to the shovel which contained the lump of
gunpowder mixed with vinegar. “Now, sir, I hope your alarm has subsided,
and that you will not be more disturbed.” During this ridiculous scene,
worthy of the pencil of Hogarth, the youngsters with their laughing,
wicked heads up the hatchway, were enjoying themselves most heartily. The
following day was Sunday; prayers were read, but no sermon, as the poor
man was too much agitated afterwards to make one, and whenever his
messmates thought his sermon too long, they threatened him by a visit from
another devil.
The captain, on being informed of this trick, sent for the whole of the
mids and admonished them as to their future conduct.
CHAPTER IV.
OFF USHANT.
Join the Channel fleet off Ushant—Capture the French frigate
_Gentille_, also a twenty-four-gun ship five days later—Fleet
returns to Portsmouth—Prize-money—To sea again in charge of a
convoy—Transport with two hundred Hessian troops on board founders
off Cape Finisterre—Suddenly ordered to West Indies—Fight between
a negro and a shark at Port Royal, Jamaica—Dignity balls—Collision
with H.M.S. _Sampson_—Outbreak of yellow fever—Ordered to
sea—Capture two French ships and two privateers.
We were now destined to make one of the Channel fleet, which we joined off
the Island of Ushant, consisting of thirty-six sail of the line and seven
frigates.
At daylight on the 6th of October, 1794, our signal was made to chase
three suspicious vessels in the S.W. On nearing them we made the private
signal, which they did not answer. We beat to quarters, and as they were
under the same sail as when we first saw them, we neared them fast, and
when within gunshot the nearest yawed and gave us a broadside, running up
a French ensign, as did the other two. The shot fell short of us; we
opened our main-deck guns and brought down her mizzen top-mast. The other
two fired from time to time at us with little effect. They did not support
their companion as they ought to have done. In a short time we were nearly
alongside the one we had engaged, and gave her another broadside which she
returned, and struck her colours. She proved the _Gentille_, of forty-four
guns and three hundred and eighty men. The other two, also French frigates
of the same size, made all sail to the southwards. The enemy had eight men
killed and fifteen wounded; we had four men wounded. We soon exchanged the
prisoners; put the second lieutenant, a master’s mate, three midshipmen
and fifty men on board her, and sent her to Portsmouth. We immediately
made sail in chase of the others, but as they had gained a considerable
distance from us during the time we were exchanging the prisoners, there
was little chance, without a change of wind, of overtaking them. In the
middle watch we lost sight of them, and the day after rejoined the fleet.
In five days afterwards we were again in chase of a ship, and after a
severe tug of fourteen hours we captured her. She proved a French
twenty-four-gun ship, with one hundred and sixty-five men. We also sent
her into Portsmouth. After having cruised off and on near Ushant for about
eight weeks, we were ordered to Portsmouth, where we arrived shortly
afterwards and completed our stores for six months. Before sailing we
received some prize-money, which produced, from stem to stern, little
wisdom, much fun, and more folly. We were again ready for sea, and
received orders to repair off Plymouth and join part of the Channel fleet
and a convoy consisting of more than two hundred sail, bound to different
parts of the world. In a few days we joined the rest of the fleet off Cape
Finisterre, where some of the convoy parted company. The day following a
most tremendous gale sprung up from the S.W., and in the night a transport
with two hundred Hessian troops on board went down on our weather beam.
The shrieks of the poor fellows were distinctly heard. As it was
impossible to render them any assistance, every soul on board her
perished. In the morning the convoy were much dispersed; the gale
continuing, they were ordered to leave the fleet for their destinations.
After the gale abated the signal was made for our captain. An hour
afterwards he came back looking as black as a thundercloud. As soon as he
reached the quarter-deck he stamped with rage, and when it had nearly
subsided he informed the officers that we were to proceed to the West
Indies without delay. This was an unexpected shock to many of the officers
as well as himself, as they had left some of their clothes behind;
however, there was no remedy for this mishap. As for myself, I anticipated
a merry meeting with the many copper-coloured dignity ladies I formerly
knew, provided the land-crabs had not feasted on their delicate persons.
In the afternoon we gave a long, lingering look at the fleet, and parted
company with two other seventy-fours who were in the same scrape. Our
noble captain did not get rid of his angry looks for some days, and
actually wept at what he termed the treacherous conduct of the Admiralty.
We understood afterwards that he was under an engagement of marriage to
the sister of a nobleman, which was to have taken place in three months.
Nothing worth notice occurred during the passage, except the visit from
Neptune and his wife, and the shaving and ducking all his new
acquaintances, who were rather numerous. We saw several tropical birds,
which the sailors call boatswains, in consequence of their having one long
feather for a tail, which they term a marlin-spike—an iron instrument
sharp at one end and knobbed at the other, used in splicing ropes, etc.
The captain of marines also shot an albatross or man-of-war bird, so
called from its manner of skimming through the air after other birds,
which the seamen compare to sailing. It measured seven feet from pinion to
pinion. On the fifth week of our separation from the fleet we made the
Island of San Domingo, and on the day after anchored with the squadron in
Cape St. Nicholas mole. We found here the _Sampson_, of sixty-four guns,
the _Magicienne_ and the _Thorn_, and some transports. This mole, or
harbour, is formed by the high land of the island on the right hand going
in, and on the left by a peninsula, joined by a narrow sandy isthmus to
the island at the head of the mole. It is strongly fortified. The harbour
is a fine one, and would contain the whole British fleet. The town has a
common appearance and has nothing remarkable in it. We remained here three
weeks, at the end of which period we ran down to Jamaica, and anchored off
Port Royal. This town is built on a small peninsula, joined to the island
by a long, narrow neck of sand called the Palisades. Here all unfortunate
whites who depart this life become feasts for crabs of all descriptions,
as it is the place of burial for the town and men-of-war. This isthmus is
the dam which secures the harbour of Kingston from the inroads of the sea.
The houses of this town are generally not more than a single storey high,
constructed of wood with overhanging shingled roofs, and verandahs in
front, which prevent the sun entering the rooms.
[Illustration: PLYMOUTH HARBOUR. [_Frith, Reigate._]
One evening, being on shore at Port Royal, seated on a bench, I overheard
a grey, woolly-headed black man relate the following story. I will give it
in good English. In the year 1788, said he, the harbour of Port Royal was
much troubled by a very large shark, which drove all the fish out to sea
and distressed a number of fishermen. Every attempt had been made to catch
him, but without success. He at length became so constant a visitor that
they named him “Port Royal Tom.” At last, continued old Sambo, for that
was the narrator’s name, a young friend of mine, who was a very strong,
courageous fisherman, said if the magistrates of the town would give him a
doubloon, he would engage the shark and try to kill him in single combat.
The magistrates consented, and two mornings after, before the sea-breeze
set in, the dorsal fin of “Port Royal Tom” was discovered. The black
fisherman, nothing dismayed, paddled out to the middle of the harbour
where the shark was playing about; he plunged into the water armed with a
pointed carving knife. The monster immediately made towards him, and when
he turned on his side (which providentially sharks are obliged to do to
seize their prey, their mouths being placed so much underneath) the
fisherman, with great quickness and presence of mind, dived, and stabbed
him in the bowels. The shark, in agony, gave a horrid splash with his
tail, and disappeared for a short time. He then rose again and attempted
to seize the man a second time, but the latter once more dived and gave
him his death-blow; he then regained his canoe almost exhausted. The shark
soon after turned on his side, discolouring the water with his blood. Four
men in a canoe threw a rope over his tail and towed him on shore, where
all the town came to meet the courageous fisherman, with the magistrates
at their head, who presented him with his well-merited reward and his
liberty. The shark was dissected and the skeleton sent to Spanish Town,
where a few years afterwards it fell to pieces for want of care. This
unfortunate town has been twice destroyed by an earthquake; the ruins on a
clear day may be seen in three-fathom water.
We had been refitting and amusing ourselves on shore by dancing at dignity
balls given by the upper-class copper-coloured washerwomen, who are the
quintessence of perfection in affectation, when we were obliged to bid
adieu to these interesting copper and coal-skinned ladies, as the ship was
reported ready for sea, and the following morning we weighed and stood out
of the harbour. As we passed the point we saw handkerchiefs without number
waved by our dear, motley-coloured damsels as a farewell. We beat up to
St. Domingo and anchored in Cape St. Nicholas mole, where we found the
_Leviathan_, _Raisonable_, _Sampson_, and several frigates. We remained a
week, and sailed with the above-named ships on a cruise round the island.
On the third night after sailing, which was very dark with a fiery
sea-breeze, the _Sampson_ (sixty-four) ran on board of us. She came with
such force that she, by the shock, carried away her fore-mast, bowsprit,
main-top mast and figure-head. She fortunately struck us abaft the main
channels; had she done so amidships, it would have meant the destruction
of both ships and of about a thousand lives. Her larboard bumpkin
dismounted the eighteen-pounder in the foremost lieutenant’s cabin in the
wardroom, and in falling clear she swept away both quarter galleries from
the side, one of which was fitted up as a library for the first
lieutenant, who lost all his books. Some of the mids who loved him were
wicked enough to say that it was a punishment inflicted on him for
mastheading them so often. I say nothing!
The _Sampson_ was towed to Jamaica by the _Success_ frigate to repair her
damages, and a fortnight afterwards we followed. The heroes of the cockpit
declared the commodore was ashamed of our appearance. As we had only
galleries on one side, we looked like a pig with one ear.
We anchored at Port Royal in the afternoon, and before the sails were
furled we were surrounded by a number of boats and canoes filled with
dignity and first and second-class dingy damsels, some of them squalling
songs of their own composition in compliment to the ship and officers,
accompanied by several banjos. When the ropes were coiled down they were
admitted on board, when they began dancing round the quarter-deck and
making love to the officers for their washing. Having accomplished the
purpose of their visit, they departed, promising that we should “hab ebery
ting berry clean by Saturday ebening, and dat he lib in hope for see massa
at him house berry soon.”
The carpenters from the dockyard soon repaired the quarter galleries, and
made good all other defects, when that fatal scourge, the yellow fever,
made its appearance among the ship’s company. The schoolmaster, a clever,
intelligent young man, who had been educated at Christ’s Hospital, was the
first victim. This was quite sufficient to alarm the nerves of our gallant
captain, who never joined the ship afterwards; he, having obtained
permission from the admiral to return to England by a lugger going with
despatches, took French leave of the whole of us—that is, no leave at all.
In a few days afterwards Captain B. joined us as acting-captain. He was a
young, active, and smart officer. The yellow fever was now making
lamentable havoc among the crew. Six were either carried to the hospital
or buried daily. After losing fifty-two men, one of the lieutenants, the
captain’s clerk, and four mids, the captain requested the admiral’s
permission to go to sea, for, although we had more than thirty cases of
the fever on board, the surgeon thought the pure sea-breeze might be the
means of preserving their lives. Alas! he was fatally mistaken, for nearly
the whole of them were thrown over the standing part of the fore-sheet
before we returned from our cruise. We were one hundred and sixty short of
our complement of men, besides having about fifty more in their hammocks,
but the captain wished to persevere in keeping the sea. We had been from
Jamaica three weeks, cruising on the south side of St. Domingo, when we
captured a French brig of war of fourteen guns and one hundred and
twenty-five men, and two days afterwards a large schooner privateer of one
long eighteen-pounder on a traverse, and six eighteen-pounder carronades,
with seventy-eight men. We now had nearly two hundred prisoners on board,
and thought it prudent to retrace our steps to Port Royal, when on the
following morning we fell in with two more schooner-rigged privateers. The
first we captured mounted a long brass twelve-pounder and two
six-pounders, with sixty-eight men. The other during the time we were
exchanging prisoners had got considerably to windward of us. Fortunately
towards the evening it fell calm, when we manned and armed three of the
boats. I had command of the six-oared cutter with eight seamen and three
marines. In the launch were the lieutenant, a mid, and eighteen men, and
in the other cutter as many as my boat held. We were two hours on our oars
before we got within musket-shot of her. She had several times fired at us
from her long gun charged with grape-shot, but without effect. We cheered
and gave way, when her last charge knocked down the coxswain of the cutter
I was in, who died a few hours afterwards, being shot in the head. The
lieutenant and one man were slightly wounded in the launch. We were soon
under the depression of her gun and alongside, when, on boarding her, one
half of her motley crew ran below. The captain and the remainder made a
show of resistance, when we ordered the marines to present. As soon as
they saw we had possession of her decks and were advancing with our
pistols cocked and our cutlasses upraised, they threw down their arms and
surrendered. She proved a French privateer with a long six-pounder on a
traverse and eight one-pound swivels, with fifty-two men. We took her in
tow and soon regained the ship. We made all sail for Port Royal with our
four prizes, and on our arrival next morning astonished our black and
yellow-faced acquaintances, who, as before, came off with boats and banjos
to welcome our return, not a little by our success. The following morning
we sent fifty men to the hospital. We had buried during the cruise
forty-three seamen, besides two mids and another of the lieutenants. The
most healthy were the first attacked, and generally died on the third day.
Out of the five hundred and sixty men we brought from England, we had only
now two hundred to do the duty of the ship.
CHAPTER V.
WEST INDIES AGAIN.
Owing to ravages of yellow fever go to Jamaica to obtain more
seamen—Difficulties and humours of impressment—Author attacked by
yellow fever—Proceed to Cape St. Nicholas mole—Great mortality
among the officers.
On the fourth evening after our arrival it was thought necessary to
despatch two armed boats to Kingston to procure seamen either by entering
or impressing them. Finding there was no chance of the first, we entered
on the unpleasant duty of the last. We boarded several of the vessels in
the harbour, but found only the mates and young boys, the seamen having on
seeing our boats gone on shore. We had information of three houses
notorious for harbouring seamen. To the first of these we repaired, where,
after strictly searching the premises, we were unsuccessful. A sailor we
had recently impressed, and who the day after entered, informed us that it
was the fashion for the men of the West Indian and Guinea ships, when on
shore, to disguise themselves, sometimes as American women, at other times
as tradesmen, such as coopers, shoemakers, etc.
On entering the second house, the scene was laughably ridiculous. At a
table sat three slovenly-dressed females with old, coarse stockings in
their hands, which they appeared to have been mending, and on the table
near them were some children’s shirts, with needles, thread and a small
basket. Not far distant from them was a cradle of a large size,
half-covered by a thick mosquito net. The bed in the room had also a net,
and in it was lying a person in the last stage of illness. Another female,
who appeared to be a nurse, was near the head of the bed, persuading the
invalid to take the contents of a bottle of some red mixture. At the foot
of the bed stood a man dressed in the uniform of the town militia, who
acquainted us that the woman in bed was his wife in the last stage of
consumption; that in consequence he had sent for all her friends to take
leave of her before she died, and to attend her funeral; and that the
person dressed in black standing near him was the doctor. This last, with
a countenance full of gravity, assured the lieutenant that he did not
think his patient could live more than an hour, and begged him to examine
the house as quietly as possible, as he had another sick patient in the
next room who had arrived from the other side of the island, and from
fatigue and distress had been seized with a fever. The lieutenant, who
really was a humane man, listened to his mournful story with much
attention, and replied he was sorry to disturb a dying person. Then
turning to the women, he assured them it was with much reluctance he
entered on the duty he had to perform, but as he had information of seamen
frequenting the house he must be under the necessity of searching it. One
of the persons sitting at the table, who was most like a female in
appearance, rose and said they had only the room they sat in and the next,
which was occupied at present by the other sick female. “But I guess,”
said she, “your notion of there being British seamen in the house must be
false, as we are not acquainted with any.” During this speech, uttered
with as much grace as a Yankee lady of the seventh magnitude is capable,
the coxswain of one of our cutters, who had been searching the features of
one of those dressed as a female sitting at the table mending a shirt,
exclaimed, “If I ever saw my old shipmate, Jack Mitford, that’s he.”
Another of our men had been cruising round the cradle, and whispered to me
that the baby in it was the largest he had ever seen. After the coxswain’s
ejaculation, all the party appeared taken aback and began to shift their
berths. Perceiving this, we immediately locked the door and insisted on
knowing who they were; but when they spoke we were convinced that they
were all men except the American, who began to scream and abuse us. I
approached the bed, and on looking closely at the sick person I discovered
a close-shaved chin. The lieutenant, who had followed me to the bed,
desired two of our men to move the clothes a little, when we found the
dying person to be a fine young seaman about twenty-six years of age, and
who, on finding he was detected, sprang out of bed, and joining the doctor
and nurse, who had armed themselves with hangers, attempted to resist us.
As we were sixteen in number, and well armed, we told them it was useless,
and the constable who was with us desired them to be peaceable and put
their weapons down. As they saw they were on the wrong tack, they
surrendered. The dear little sleeping infant in the cradle proved a fine
lad sixteen years old. The over-fatigued female in the next room turned
out a young seaman, whom we secured with the pretended sergeant, the
nurse, and the doctor, making in the whole eight good seamen. This was a
good haul. We got them without accident to the boats. The delicate
American female followed us screaming and abusing us the whole way. We
could hear her voice for some time after leaving the wharf. The men a few
days after being onboard, finding the boatswain’s mates did not carry
canes, entered. The nurse, sergeant, doctor and his dying patient were
rated quartermaster’s and gunner’s mates, and the remainder topmen. We had
been a month refitting when we made another attempt to procure seamen at
Kingston, but only sent one boat with a lieutenant, myself, and twelve
seamen. On landing, we made for the house we had not entered on our last
visit, where we knocked at the door, and had to wait some short time
before it was opened, when a mulatto man appeared and asked “What Massa
Buckra want? He hab nutting for sell; he no hab any grog.” “Why, that
copper-skinned rascal,” called out one of our men, “is the fellow who
deserted from the _Thorn_ sloop of war when I was captain of the mizzen
top.” “Take hold of him!” said the lieutenant; but before this could be
done he slammed the door against us; this was the work of a moment. Three
of our seamen instantly set their backs against it, and with a
“Yo-heave-ho,” they forced it in. We now entered the house. After passing
through two small rooms, which, as an Irishman might say, had no room at
all, for they were very small, dirty and barely furnished, we came to a
door which was fastened. We attempted to open it, when an elderly, dingy
white woman made her appearance and informed us the house belonged to
herself and sons, who were coopers, and at work in the cooperage. “That
door,” said she, “leads to it, but I have the key upstairs; wait, and I
will fetch it.” The old woman, on going out, turned the key of the room we
were in. I remarked this to the lieutenant, who, apprehending some
treachery, ordered the men to force the door we had endeavoured to open.
It soon gave way, when we suddenly came on four men dressed as coopers.
Two of them were knocking a cask to pieces, the other two drawing off a
liquid which had the appearance of rum. They did not desist from their
occupation, nor were they surprised at our visit, but told us very coolly
we had mistaken the house. So should we have thought had we not seen our
copper-faced acquaintance who had in such unmannerly fashion shut the door
in our faces. “Come, my lads,” said the lieutenant, “there’s no mistake
here; you must leave off drawing rum for your old mother, who wished to
take great care of us by locking us in, and go with us, as we want
coopers.” “Rum,” said one of the boat’s crew, who had tasted it, “it’s
only rum of the fore-hold. A fellow can’t get the worse for wear with such
liquor as that, sir. It’s only Adam’s ale.”
“Oh, oh!” cried out some of our men, “is this the way you work to
windward, my knowing ones? Come, come, you must be more on a bowline
before you can cross our hawse; so pack up your duds, trip your anchors,
and make sail with us.”
The old woman again made her appearance, and asked us if we were going to
take her sons. “If you dare do it,” said she, “I will prosecute the whole
of you for breaking through my premises, and have you all put into gaol.”
“Hold your tongue, mother,” said one of the men we had taken, “what’s the
good of your kicking up such a bobbery about it? You only make it worse.
If you don’t see us to-morrow, send our clothes to Port Royal.” They then
quietly submitted. We returned through the rooms entered, and on turning
into the passage leading to the street, we encountered Master Copperskin.
Two of our men immediately seized him; he struggled violently, and
attempted to draw a clasped knife, which on the coxswain perceiving he
gave him a stroke on his calabash with his hanger, which quieted him. He
was then pinioned with one of the seamen’s neck-handkerchiefs. On getting
into our boats a party of about twenty men and women of all colours came
down to the wharf in the hope of rescuing the mulatto man, but they were
too late. When we put off from the shore we found it no joke, as they
fired into our boat and seriously wounded the man who pulled the stroke
oar. Luckily the awning was canted towards them, or they would have shot
several of us, as it had seven shots through it. We were obliged to fire
in self-defence, killing one man and wounding several others. I remarked
the man we killed jumped a considerable height from the ground and then
fell prostrate. Finding they had had enough fighting, they marched off
with their killed and wounded. The day after we were summoned to Kingston
to explain our adventure before the magistrates, who, finding we were
first attacked, acquitted us of wilful murder as we had been compelled to
act in self-defence, but informed us it was necessary to appear before a
jury next day for the satisfaction of the townspeople. This was vexatious.
The day following, after rowing about three hours in a hot sun, we were
examined by twelve very wise and common-looking bipeds, who, after
questioning us in a most stupid and tiresome manner, found a verdict of
justifiable homicide. On returning to the boat we were followed by a
number of women and boys, who made a most horrible squalling, and some
stones were thrown at us on our pushing off. The yellow fever was still
making havoc amongst the officers and crew. We had lost five lieutenants,
the surgeon’s mate, captain’s clerk, and eight midshipmen, one of whom
died singing “Dulce Domum.” It was at length my turn. I was seized with a
dreadful swimming in my head; it appeared so large that it was painful to
carry it. I was much distressed by a bitter nausea in my mouth and sudden
prostration of strength. The doctor gave me an emetic, and soon after I
ejected a quantity of bitter bile. It tried me exceedingly, and when I put
my head down I thought I was not far from “Kingdom come.” The second
morning I knew no one, and was in a high fever. The third was much the
same until about noon, when I slept for about two hours. On awaking I
found the pain in my head less, and was perfectly sensible. I requested
something to drink, when the sentinel gave me some orange-juice and water,
which refreshed me. About dusk, one of the mids who had just come on board
from Port Royal, came to me with a cup filled with some sort of herb tea
mixed with rum. He requested me to drink it off. This I refused to do. He
assured me he had been on shore on purpose to procure it for me, that old
Dinah, who was a grey-headed washerwoman, had made it, and I must drink
it. I was so weak that I could scarcely answer him, when he put it to my
mouth and forced more than half of it down my throat. With the exertion I
fainted. He told me the following day he thought he had killed me, and had
called the doctor, who gave me a draught. On the morning of the fourth day
I was considerably better and in a gentle perspiration, and had passed a
quiet night. My three messmates, who alone survived out of eleven, came to
cheer me. He who had given me the tea and rum told me he was certain they
had cured me, and I really believe it caused the pores to open and in a
great measure drove the fever from the system. I was removed to the
gun-room, and in a few days was able to sit up and eat oranges.
A week had now elapsed since the doctor had reported me convalescent, when
I was painfully distressed by seeing my open-hearted, generous messmate
brought in his hammock to the gun-room, attacked by the fatal malady. As
he was placed near me, I watched him with intense anxiety. On the fourth
morning he died. He was a very florid and robust youth of sixteen. He
struggled violently, and was quite delirious. When the sail-maker was
sewing him up in his hammock he gave a convulsive sigh. I immediately
ordered the stitches to be cut, but it availed nothing. He was gone. Poor
fellow! I felt his loss.
In the fifth week I began to crawl about. The boatswain’s wife was very
kind to me and brought me fresh fruit every day. The doctor, who although
a little hasty, was a clever and excellent character, paid me great
attention. The kindness and care I experienced, and the affectionate
letters I received from my mother, informing me of the happy marriage of
my only sister and of the appointment of my youngest brother in India, all
these possibly contributed to my recovery and cheered my spirits. Our
acting-captain, who was a good and active officer, was appointed to a
frigate. He was superseded by an elderly, farmer-looking man, who, we
understood, was what a black man considers a curiosity—a Welshman. When in
harbour we never saw him, and at sea very seldom. He left everything to
the first lieutenant. He appeared to have too much pride to ask an humble
mid to dine at his table, so that when he departed this life, which he did
four months after he joined us, of yellow fever, he died unregretted.
Having received a draft of men from the flagship, we were ordered to our
old station, Cape St. Nicholas mole, it being considered more healthy than
Jamaica, although the yellow fever was carried from thence to the other
islands in 1794 by the vessels captured at Port-au-Prince.
We arrived there three weeks afterwards, having captured on our passage a
French brig laden with coffee. We completed our water, and took on board a
Capuchin friar and two mulatto officers, for what purpose we never could
find except to give them a cruise. The friar, who was a quiet, fat, rather
good-looking man, messed in the cabin. The wicked mids said to “confess”
the captain.
One afternoon we anchored in a bay to the westward of Cape François. The
carpenter was directed to go on shore and cut some bamboos for boats’
yards. The pinnace was despatched with himself, a master’s mate and nine
men. They landed and had cut about nine poles when they were fired on from
the bushes. They, not being armed—for the mulatto officers assured us
there was no danger—attempted to reach the boat, but before they could do
so the carpenter was killed and two men seriously wounded and taken
prisoners. The rest jumped into the boat and came on board. The captain
appeared to feel he had done wrong in placing confidence in people who
were strangers to him. After cruising on the north side of St. Domingo
without capturing anything, we returned to the mole. Our worthy,
hasty-tempered skipper was taken unwell about a month after our arrival,
and took apartments on shore, where he in a fortnight afterwards died.
The captain who stepped into his shoes was a dark, tolerably well-built,
good-looking man, who had a very good opinion of himself, and by his
frequently looking at his legs, imagined there was not such another pair
in the West Indies. This gallant officer proved the quintessence of
gallantry. He loved the ladies, loved a good table, loved the games of
crabs and _rouge-et-noir_, was a judge of hock and champagne. He had seen
much of high and low life, had experienced reverses, he said, through the
imprudence of others, and had been detained in a large house in London
much longer than he wished. He had run through two handsome fortunes, and
was willing to run through two more. He had the misfortune, he told us, of
being a slave to the pleasures of the world, although he knew it was
filled with rogues. Whilst I was with him his memory was rather impaired,
for he forgot to repay several sums of money he borrowed, although he was
frequently written to on the subject. In short, he was a libertine, liked
but by no means respected. He brought with him six mids and his clerk. The
first were complete scamps, picked up from the scrapings of London; the
last was a fine young man. Our martinet mastheading first lieutenant, who
had outlived all the others save one, was promoted as commander into a
sloop of war, in which he died a few months after of apoplexy in
consequence of repletion. The only one remaining of those who sailed from
England with me was a few months afterwards also promoted as commander
into a brig sloop, and he, poor fellow! was drowned on his second cruise.
The six lieutenants who came from England were now no longer living, and
out of eighteen midshipmen only another and myself were in existence. The
lieutenants who had superseded those who died were rather commonplace
characters. The discipline of the ship was totally changed. The first
lieutenant was a disappointed officer and a complete old woman, and the
ship was something of a privateer.
CHAPTER VI.
TOUGH YARNS.
Tough yarns—The sea-serpent—The fair-wind sellers of Bremen—Mermen
and mermaidens—Capture of Spanish schooner with mulatto
laundresses on board—Boat attack on, and capture of the French
privateer _Salamandre_—Outbreak of malignant scurvy—Novel method
of treatment—French women dressed as men—A voyage of discovery.
We generally had about seventy men in the sick list, and were at anchor
nearly four months—half the crew doing nothing and the other half helping
them. They generally amused themselves by dancing, singing, or telling
tough yarns. I was much entertained by hearing some of them relate the
following stories, which they declared were true.
“My brother,” said one of these galley-benchmen, “belonged to the
_Unicorn_, of Shields, which traded to Archangel in the White Sea. I
suppose,” said he, “it is called the White Sea because there is much snow
on the shore, which throws a kind of white reflection on the water. Well,
the ship had anchored about a mile from the town, when my brother, who had
the middle watch, saw something like the ship’s buoy close to the vessel.
At first he took little notice of it until it raised itself about three
feet out of the water and opened a mouth wide enough to swallow a Yankee
flour-barrel. He was very much afeared, for he was only a young chap
without much experience. He immediately jumped down to the chief mate’s
cabin and told him what he had seen. They both went on deck, the mate
armed with a loaded pistol and my brother with a cutlass. By this time the
serpent—for it was a sea-serpent—had twisted itself round the bowsprit of
the vessel, and was about twenty feet long. Its eyes were about the size
of the scuppers and shined like the morning star.” “Why, Bill,” said one
of the listeners, “clap a stopper on that yarn; those sarpents are only
seen on the coast of Ameriky, and nobody but Yankees ever seed them.”
“Avast, Bob,” replied the narrator, “don’t be too hasty; it is as true as
the mainstay is moused, for I never knew Jack tell a lie (meaning his
brother), and now I’ll fill and stand on. The boatswain, hearing the
noise, came on deck. The mate pointed to the monster, and told him to get
an axe. The beast had bristled up like an American porcupine and was ready
to dart at them when the mate got abaft the foremast and fired at its
head, which he missed, but struck it in the neck. The animal, finding
itself wounded, darted with its jaws wider than a large shark’s at the
boatswain, who was the nearest. Luckily for him, the mate was ready to
fire his pistol again. The ball struck its lower jaw and broke it. It then
made a stern-board, but before it could reach the bows the boatswain gave
it a stroke with the axe which nearly gullyteened it; you know, shipmates,
what that is. Why, mayhap you don’t; so I’ll tell you. It’s a kind of
gallows that cuts off Frenchmen’s heads. But I must heave-to a bit and
overhaul my reckoning, for I almost forget. Did ever any of you see a
port-go-chaire?” “We never heard of such a port,” said some of his
auditors; “you’re humbugging us.” “I have been to America, the West and
East Ingees, but I never heard of such a port,” said another. “Why, you
lubbers,” said the story-teller, “if you go to France, you’ll see
thousands of them. It’s what they drive the coaches under into their
yards.” I was inclined to correct the word, but I thought it better not to
interrupt them. “Where did I leave off?” “Come, Bill, heave ahead and save
tide; your yarn is as long as the stream cable; they’ll be piping to grog
presently,” said one of his impatient listeners. “Well,” said Bill, “to
make short a long story, I left off where the boatswain cut off the head
of the sea-serpent. By this time all hands were on deck; they threw a rope
over the beast and secured it to the cable-bits, but not before they had
got several raps over their shins, as it kept twisting about for almost an
hour afterwards. Next morning, said my brother, the magistrates having
heard of it, came on board to know all about it, as no one in the town had
ever seen such a serpent. A man with a cocked scraper offered to buy it,
but the mate wanted to stuff it and carry it to England. The captain who
had come off with the magistrates said it could not remain on board, as it
would bring on an infection. At last it was agreed that if four dollars
were given to the ship’s crew, he might have it. The money was paid to the
mate, and the serpent towed on shore, and before they sailed Jack saw it
in a large room, stuffed and the head spliced on, among a great many more
comical-looking animals. And if any of you go there,” added he, “you may
see all for nothing.” The boatswain’s mates now piped for supper, and the
party left the galley-bench.
The following evening I found another set on the bench. Their tales were
rather marvellous. The captain of the waist of the starboard watch was the
teller. He began by asking the others if they had ever been in the Baltic,
to which they answered in the negative. “It is now,” said he, “five years
since I sailed in the _Mary_, of Newcastle, to Bremen. We had been lying
there a fortnight, taking in hemp and iron, when two old, ugly women came
on board in a small boat paddled by themselves. They had with them two
small leather bags full of wind. They went to the chief mate, for the
captain was on shore, and asked him if he would buy a fair wind, and
pointed to their bags. ‘How long will it last?’ asked the mate. ‘Two
days,’ said the hags; ‘but if you want it for four, we will to-morrow
bring you off a larger sack.’ ‘And what do you ask for it?’ said he. ‘Oh,
only eight dollars,’ replied they.”
I must inform my reader that the greater number of the sons of the sea,
although fearless of the enemy and of the weather, however stormy, are
superstitious and have implicit faith in ghost-stories, mermaids, witches
and sea-monsters, as well as in the flying Dutch ship off the Cape of Good
Hope. This rough son of the north was a hardy sailor, but he had his share
of credulity. He told them the captain was on shore, but if they would
come off in the morning, as they were to sail the following afternoon, it
might be settled. The weather at this time was anything but fair, which
made him the readier to enter into the witches’ bargain. Here I must first
inform my reader that these women are exceedingly cunning, and can not
only scan the mind of the person they deal with, but can also, from keen
observation, calculate on the wind and weather for the next twenty-four
hours, and, as what they prognosticate generally proves true, they
frequently meet with ready customers. Next morning the captain came on
board, and shortly afterwards was followed by the hoary fair-wind sellers.
After some consultation with the mate, the captain gave four dollars for a
bag of fair wind for three days from the time he was to sail.
“The wind,” continued the captain of the waist, “remained foul until four
o’clock next day, when it veered round and became favourable. The
believing captain and mate thought they had made a good bargain. The bag
was to be untied after three hours.” I reflected on this narrative, and
was astonished to find that people who are Englishmen, and who, generally
speaking, imagine themselves the most free from superstition and the most
intellectual of any nation, should be so easily deceived and cheated by a
set of old women.
It was now the turn of another to spin his yarn. He began by entreating
his shipmates not to disbelieve what he was going to say, for it was about
mermen and mermaids. He did not see it himself, but it had been told him
two years before by his uncle, who was mate of a ship that traded to the
North Sea. “The ship,” said he, “was the _John and Thomas_, named after
the owner’s two brothers, and bound to Stockholm for flax and iron. One
day they were becalmed near the Island of Oland, and let go the anchor in
twelve-fathoms water, when soon afterwards they saw, as they supposed, two
men swimming towards the ship. They soon after came alongside, and made
signs for a rope to be thrown to them. On their getting on deck the crew
found they were mermen. One of them, who appeared to be about twenty-six
years old, told the captain he had let go his anchor through his kitchen
chimney, and begged him to weigh it again, as it had knocked down the
kitchen-grate and spoilt his dinner. ‘It has happened very unfortunately,’
said he, ‘for we have some friends from the coast of Jutland, who have
come to attend the christening of our infant.’ Whilst he was speaking four
young mermaidens appeared close to the ship’s side, making signs for the
mermen on board to join them. The sailors wished them to come on board,
and threw them ropes for that purpose; but they were too shy. The mermen
requested the captain to give them some matches to light their fire, and a
few candles. This being complied with, they shook hands with him and the
mate, and jumping overboard, rejoined the females, swam round the ship
three times, singing some kind of song, and disappeared. The wind becoming
favourable, the crew got the anchor up, on which, when catheaded, they
found part of the chimney and the fire-tongs astride on one of the
flukes!”
When this improbable tale was told, I asked them if they believed it to be
true. “Yes,” said two of them, “we do, because we have had shipmates who
lived with some of the mermaidens for several years and had children; but
as for their having combs and glasses, that’s all nonsense. One of the
children was sent to London to be educated, but not liking so many
double-tailed monsters, as he called the men, nor their manner of living,
he crept down to the Thames, and in a few hours rejoined his parents.”
During the time we were at anchor at this place I was ordered, with four
seamen and two marines, to take the command of a block-house on the
Presqu’ Isle to watch the movements of the enemy, whose advanced post was
about four miles on the other side the isthmus, as well as to make signals
to the commodore whenever strange ships appeared near the land. I remained
a month, shooting guanas and gulls and other birds, catching groupers,
snappers and sometimes rock-fish, living principally on salt junk,
midshipman’s coffee (burnt biscuit ground to a powder), picking calelu (a
kind of wild spinach), when we could find it, snuffing up a large portion
of pure sea-breeze, and sleeping like the sheet anchor. Oh, reader, I
blush to inform you that I was envied by the greater part of the mids of
the squadron who loved doing nothing. The life I now led was too
independent to last much longer; my month expired, when I gave up my
Robinson Crusoe government to a master’s mate belonging to a ship which
had come in to refit. We at length up-anchored, as the mids declared if we
remained longer the captain feared we should ground on the beef-bones we
threw overboard daily! Three days after sailing we captured a Spanish
schooner from Cuba, bound to Port-au-Paix, with nine French washerwomen on
board with a quantity of clothes. We presumed, with some reason, these
copper-faced damsels—for they were all mulattos, and some of them
handsome—had taken French leave of their customers, or possibly they were
going on a voyage of discovery to find out whether the water of St.
Domingo was softer for washing linen than that of Cuba. We did not ask
them many questions on the subject, and as the vessel was nearly new, and
about seventy tons, we put a mid and five men on board her and sent the
ladies for a change of air to Jamaica.
We had been cruising between Cuba and Cape François a fortnight, when we
saw a roguish-looking black schooner about nine miles to the westward of
the cape, close to a small inlet. We tacked and stood to sea, to make her
imagine we had not discovered her. At dusk we stood in again, and at ten
we armed the barge and large cutter. The fifth lieutenant, who was a great
promoter of radical moisture (_i.e._, grog), was in the barge. I had, with
another mid, the command of the cutter. We muffled our oars and pulled
quietly in shore. About midnight we found the vessel near the inlet, where
she had anchored. We then gave way for our quarter. She soon discovered
us, and hailed in French. Not receiving an answer, she fired a volley of
musketry at us. The strokesman of my boat fell shot in the brain, and two
others were seriously wounded in the arm and leg. We had three marines,
two additional seamen and my volunteer messmate in our boat. This last had
smuggled himself in without the first lieutenant’s leave. We cheered and
stretched out. The killed and wounded were placed in the bottom of the
boat, and the extra men took their oars. The barge was nearly alongside of
her, and we boarded at the same time, she on the starboard quarter and we
on the larboard side. The marines kept up a constant discharge of their
muskets, and fired with much effect on the foremost of the enemy. We soon
gained her deck, and found about twenty-five of her crew ready to oppose
us abaft her mainmast. The man who appeared to be the captain waved his
cutlass and encouraged his men to attack us; at the same time he sprang
forward, and about twelve followed him, when the conflict became general.
I was knocked down on my knees. I fired one of my pistols, which took
effect in my opponent’s left leg, and before he could raise his arm to cut
me down with a tomahawk, the coxswain of my boat, who had kept close to
me, shot him in the head, and he fell partly on me. I soon recovered and
regained my legs. I had received a severe contusion on the left shoulder.
The lieutenant had shot the captain, and the marines had knocked down nine
men. The rest now called for quarter and threw down their arms. She proved
to be the French privateer _Salamandre_, of twelve long brass six-pounders
and forty-eight men. She had also on board nine English seamen, the crew
of a Liverpool brig, who informed us they had been captured in the Turk’s
Island passage three days before. The privateer’s loss was eleven killed
and seven severely wounded, ours three men killed and five wounded. On our
drawing off from the shore, a small battery opened its fire on us and
wounded the boat-keeper of the barge. We discharged the guns of the
privateer at it, and as it did not annoy us a second time, we supposed our
shot had rather alarmed their faculties and probably subdued their
courage. By 3 A.M. we rejoined the ship. Our mates gave us three hearty
cheers, which we returned. We soon got the wounded of our men on deck and
the prisoners out. I was ordered to go as prize-master, taking fourteen
men with me, and carry her to Cape St. Nicholas mole, where I arrived the
same evening. I found myself stiff for some days afterwards and my
shoulder painful, but in a short time I was quite myself again. After
remaining idle and half-dead with _ennui_ for three weeks, the ship
arrived, bringing in with her an American brig laden with flour. False
papers were found on board her, and she was shortly afterwards condemned
as a lawful prize. The captain of her, who was a regular-built Bostonian,
declared we were nothing “but a parcel of British sarpents and robbers,
and it was a tarnation shame that the United States suffered it. But,”
said he, “I calculate that in two years we shall have some three-deckers,
and then I have a notion you will not dare to stop American vessels
without being called to account for it.”
The yellow fever had now taken its departure, but in consequence of the
scanty supply of fresh provisions and vegetables, it was succeeded by a
malignant scurvy, and one hundred and forty of the seamen were obliged to
keep their beds. Their legs, hands, feet and gums became almost black, and
swollen to twice their natural size. Some we sent to the hospital, which
was miserably fitted up, for it was only a temporary one, and several died
on being removed. As the cases were increasing, the commodore ordered us
to Donna Maria Bay, near the west end of St. Domingo, where the natives
were friendly disposed towards us. The day after we arrived there, having
taken on board all our sick that could be removed from the hospital with
safety. Immediately, on anchoring, by the advice of the surgeon, we sent a
party on shore with spades to dig holes in the softest soil they could
find for the purpose of putting the worst scurvy subjects into them. The
officer on shore made the concerted signal that the pits were dug. Twenty
men, who looked like bloated monsters, were removed on shore, and buried
in them up to their chins. Some of the boys were sent with the sufferers
to keep flies and insects from their faces. It was ridiculous enough to
see twenty men’s heads stuck out of the ground. The patients were kept in
fresh earth for two hours, and then put into their hammocks under a large
tent. On the fourth day they were so much benefited by that treatment and
living on oranges, shaddocks, and other anti-scorbutic fruits, that they
were able to go on board again. At this place I rambled with some of my
messmates through orange and lime groves of some leagues in extent, as
well as through several cocoa plantations. We were at liberty to take as
much fruit as we chose, and sent off several boats filled with oranges and
limes, as well as a vast quantity of yams, sweet potatoes, cocoanuts and
cocoas, besides fresh calelu (wild spinach), which is considered a fine
anti-scorbutic. We found some arrowroot, which was also of great service.
In one of our rambles we met a party on mules going to the town of Donna
Maria, which was not far distant. It consisted of two young
mustiphena-coloured men, an elderly mulatto woman, with an infant on her
lap, and a black manservant. They saluted us in passing, when we remarked
that the men had delicate European features, and that the infant was
white.
A short time afterwards we stumbled on a burying-ground, and seated on one
of the graves we found the two persons we had taken for men, the eldest of
whom was suckling the infant. They proved to be the wife of the Governor
of Donna Maria, who was a native of France, and her sister. The old woman
was the nurse, and the black man their factotum. They spoke French, which
some of our party understood, and we spent a very agreeable half-hour in
their company. After having given us an invitation to their house, they
bade us adieu and proceeded on their journey. I afterwards found it was a
common custom for the better class of females in this island to ride and
dress like men when they made any distant journey, as the greater part of
the island is too mountainous to admit of travelling in carriages.
One of the lieutenants, who was fond of voyages of discovery, had
permission to take one of the cutters to survey a deep inlet about three
miles from where we anchored. He asked me if I should like to be one of
the party. I thankfully said yes. “Well,” said he, “to-morrow morning at
daylight I intend going round the Cape Donna Maria (which has the shape of
the mysterious helmet of Otranto), and exploring a river which runs into a
large lagoon, and we shall be away most likely two days. I shall find
prog, but don’t forget your great coat and drawing apparatus.”
At four o’clock the following morning we left the ship, and after pulling
for two hours we entered the river, which was narrow and enclosed between
two thickly-wooded hills. The noise of our oars startled a vast number of
large and small birds, which made a horrible screaming. I fired at one of
the large ones and broke its wing; it fell ahead of the boat, and we
picked it up. It was twice the size of a gull, a dark brown colour on the
back, a dirty white underneath, long, reddish legs, and rather a long,
pointed bill; it was shaped like a heron. We had been rowing about an hour
when we entered the lagoon, which was about a mile long and three-quarters
of a mile wide. The country to some extent was low, and covered with
mangrove trees, whose branches take root when they touch the ground, and
one tree forms a number of irregular arches. Those nearest the water are
covered with a profusion of small oysters, which are taken by the natives
and pickled with spice and vinegar, and sold in small jars. They are
considered good eating. We observed several large ants’ nests formed on
the branches of these trees; they were about the size of a bushel measure.
The insect is half an inch in length; its bite is severe, but not very
venomous. We could only make good our landing at one spot, covered with
long, coarse grass, which the natives twist into ropes for the rigging of
their canoes, and the finest of it they clean, stain with different
colours, and fabricate into hammocks, which are made like a net with large
meshes.
I had strolled from the boat with one of the men, when he called out,
“There goes a large water-snake! Take care, sir!” It came close to me,
when I made a stroke at it with my hanger. I struck it on the body, but
not sufficiently, for before I had time to give it another blow, it had
wound into a kind of jungle, and I lost sight of it. It was about five
feet long, speckled yellow and black; its tongue, which it kept in
continual motion, was forked; its eyes were small, and not projecting.
Finding myself in company with gentry of this description, I retraced my
steps to the boat, where I found the whole party with their hands and
mouths in full activity. I soon was as well employed as themselves. The
lieutenant told me whilst we were at dinner that one of the men had found
some alligators’ eggs; two of them were broken and the young ones alive.
They were about half-a-foot long, of a dirty brown. The eggs were oblong,
and larger than a swan’s, of a brownish-white colour.
The evening was now drawing on, when we pulled the boat to the middle of
the lagoon and let go the grapnel for the night. One of the boat’s crew,
who sung in the style of Incledon, entertained us with several sea songs
until we fell asleep, which was not, however, very refreshing, in
consequence of the multitudes of mosquitoes. I positively believe some of
us lost two ounces of our best blood. About three o’clock in the morning,
the man who had the watch pulled me by the arm and pointed to something
dark floating near the boat. I awoke the lieutenant, who, after yawning
and rubbing his eyes, for he had taken an extra strong north-wester the
evening before to make himself sleep sound, took up his fowling-piece; but
he might as well have fired at the best bower anchor—the swan-shot with
which it was loaded glanced from the object at an angle of twenty-five
degrees. We weighed the grapnel, and were soon in pursuit, when we saw two
other black-looking objects. We steadily gave chase to the first, the
lieutenant, myself and the coxswain firing at and frequently striking it,
but without any visible effect. At length it landed, when we found it was
an alligator about fifteen feet long. It soon ploughed up the mud in which
it buried itself; our musket-balls were unavailing. The other two had also
landed. On turning the boat round, we saw another, and as he was with his
head towards us, we had a better chance. We stretched out, and when within
a few yards of him, let fly our muskets at his head. One of the balls
struck him in the left eye, which stunned him, and he lay insensible on
the water until we reached him. We threw a rope round him and towed him
astern, after having given him another ball in the throat, which
despatched him. He was a young one, nine feet four inches long. After
rowing round the lake in search of fresh adventures, and finding none, we
amused ourselves by cutting off several branches of the mangrove trees
strung with oysters, and being tired of rowing where there was so little
novelty, we turned the boat’s nose towards the river, on reaching which we
again startled numerous flocks of screaming birds, five of which we shot;
but as they were only noddies and boobies, we did not take the trouble to
pick them up. At 4 P.M. we joined the ship, with our prizes, the
alligators, their eggs, the heron, and the oysters. The doctor, who was
something of a naturalist, asked for the alligator we had shot, one of the
young ones, and the bird, and shortly afterwards he had them stuffed. We
had now but five slight scurvy cases, and had only buried three seamen and
one marine, who died two days after our anchoring. The boats were employed
nearly two days in bringing up oranges, limes and yams, besides other
fruit.
CHAPTER VII.
CRUISING OFF PORTO RICO.
A ball on board—Fishing with a seine—Ordered to cruise off Porto
Rico—News of the battle of Camperdown—The boasts of Napoleon—Views
on matrimony—A sailor’s courtship—Futile boat attack on a Spanish
war vessel at St. Domingo—Author loses hearing of his left ear
from effect of a wound.
The officers gave a dance to the inhabitants of the town of Donna Maria,
which was attended by the Governor, who was a well-bred, gentlemanly old
Frenchman, his wife and sister-in-law (whom I had seen dressed as men when
we first arrived). The quarter-deck was filled with mustiphenas, mustees,
mulattos, Sambos, and delicate, flat-nosed, large-mouthed and thick-lipped
black ladies. Had Vestris been present, she might have taken some new
hints in dancing. The waltzing was kept up with so much spirit that four
couples were hurled to the deck one over the other, and it was truly
laughable to see the melange of blacks and whites struggling to be the
first on their legs. At one o’clock in the morning they took their
departure, highly pleased with their entertainment.
The following day I was sent with another midshipman with two boats to
haul the seine in a bay about a mile to the westward. On the first haul we
caught about four bucketsful of rays, parrot-fish, snappers, groupers, red
and white mullet, John-dories, some crabs and two electric eels. One of
the boat’s crew hooked one of the latter by the gills with the boat-hook,
when his arm was immediately paralysed, and he let it fall, calling out
that someone had struck him. The man near him laid hold of the fish again
as it was making for the shore, and the shock he received threw him on his
knees. I ran up to him, for he appeared in great pain. However, he soon
recovered, and before the ill-fated eel could reach its element, he caught
up a large stone and made it dearly atone for the pain it had inflicted.
We made another haul, but were not so successful, as we only caught some
ray, crabs, and an alligator three feet long, which had torn the net. We
stunned him by a blow with one of the boat’s stretchers, threw him into
the boat, and after taking in the net, repaired to the ship.
In one of my excursions at this place I found a large manchineel tree. The
fruit is nearly the size of a pippin, of a light yellow colour blushed
with red; it looked very tempting. This tree expands its deadly influence
and poisons the atmosphere to some distance. We in consequence gave it a
wide berth. I also found a number of sponges, and some beautiful shells
and sea-eggs. We had been enjoying ourselves for nearly three weeks at
this agreeable place, when a sloop of war arrived with orders from the
commodore to join him off the east end of Porto Rico, as he had
information that a French squadron had been seen by an American schooner
off the Caicos Islands steering for St. Domingo, which report in the
sequel proved a tarnation Yankee lie. When near the Platform we
experienced a heavy squall, which carried away the foretop-mast and
jib-boom, and, most singular to relate, although some miles from the shore
after the squall had passed, we found some scores of very small crabs on
the decks. I leave this phenomenon to longer heads than mine—although mine
is not the shortest—to explain. We had seen two waterspouts in the morning
between us and the land. It might possibly have happened that the suction
which forms them drew up these unfortunate crabs and crabesses, and
discharged them with unrelenting fury, through the medium of a dark,
lowering cloud upon our decks. They being too small to eat, were given to
the Muscovy ducks, who found them a great treat, and soon made mincemeat
of them. We soon got up another top-mast and jib-boom out, and the
following morning signalled the ships lying in the mole.
Five days after we joined the squadron near the Mona passage, when the
commodore acquainted the captain that the intelligence he had received
respecting the French squadron was all an American humbug. The next
morning we spoke three ships bound to Jamaica, from whom we took seven
good seamen, and procured a newspaper, which informed us of the gallant
action off Camperdown, and that Bonaparte had frightened men, women and
children by his threatening to invade England, take up his residence in
Portland Place, turn the royal palaces into stables, make a riding-school
of St. Paul’s and a dancing academy of Westminster Abbey! The
cockpitonians said he might whisper that to the marines, for the sailors
would not believe him. Here, reader, I beg you will pause and reflect that
you must die; and may your departure be like that of our worthy captain of
marines, who died as he lived, in charity with all his frail fellow men.
His loss was much regretted by nearly all on board. His messmates declared
they could have spared another man, looking hard at the purser whilst they
uttered it; but “Nip-cheese” would not take the hint, and lived to return
to England, where he took unto himself a better half, and I hope he is
happy, for who is not so when they take a fair lady for better—I dislike
adding anything further, so, reader, finish it yourself. I hope to get
spliced myself one of these fine days, and I sincerely trust it will be a
long splice. But we must keep a good look-out that in veering the cable
does not part in the hawse, for if it unfortunately does, ah, me! the
separation, most likely will be a permanent one.
Whilst I am on the tender subject of connubial felicity, I will relate a
short dialogue which passed between two of my messmates. The eldest was a
Benedict, the other about twenty, who wished to be initiated, as he
thought he had a kind of side-wind regard for the innkeeper’s sister at
Port Royal. “Why,” said the first, “I met my wife at a hop in the country
among a parcel of grass-combers. I asked her to dance, which she at first
refused, giving for a reason that, as I was a sailor, I could not know how
to lead down the middle and cast off at top. ‘If that’s all,’ said I, ‘my
dear, I know how to do that as well as anybody in the room.’ I was now
pushed aside by a lubberly, haymaking chap, who led her out, but who as
much knew how to dance as the captain’s cow. After they all sat down, I
asked the catgut scraper if he could play the fisher’s hornpipe. He said
yes. I told him to play away, and I would dance it. After veering and
hauling on his instrument for a short time, he brought it out. I then
struck out, with my hat on one side, my arms a-kimbo, and a short stick
under one of them. The bumpkins all stared, and Nancy began to awake and
find out that a sailor knew how to cut a caper. After I had finished, I
ran up to her to pick up her handkerchief, which I thought she had
dropped, but found it was only the tail of her gown. She smiled and gave
me her hand. I thought this a good beginning, and was determined to follow
it up. I observed her plough-tail admirer did not half like seeing me on
such a good footing with her. I had not forgotten his push, and if he had
interfered I should have knocked him down, for I began to feel that I was
already over head and heels in love. About midnight all the clodhoppers
took their departure. As the dance, or merry-making as they called it, was
given at her father’s house, I remained as long as I could, and as the old
governor was fond of sea songs and tough yarns, I served them out freely
until the clock struck 2 A.M., when, after taking a good swig out of a
large tankard of strong ale, which had frequently been replenished, I took
Nancy’s hand and kissed it, and wished her good-night. The father, who was
a hearty old farmer, asked me to call in again before I sailed, for at
this time I was master’s mate of the _Savage_ sloop of war. She was just
commissioned at Chatham, and as we did not expect to sail for three weeks,
I had plenty of time to make love.” “But did you think it prudent to
marry, knowing that you could scarcely support yourself, much less a
wife?” demanded the younger. “That’s all true,” replied he; “but don’t put
me in mind of my misfortunes. I was in love, you know, and when a man is
in love, why, he’s two-thirds a woman. I only thought of the present—the
future I sent packing to the devil.” “Well,” asked the other, “how long
were you backing and filling?” “About a fortnight,” replied he. “Her
mother said it was too short a time, and the marriage had better be put
off until I returned from a cruise. ‘That will never do,’ replied I; ‘I
may be popped off the hooks. There is nothing like the present moment, is
there?’ said I, appealing to Nancy and her father. ‘Why,’ said she, ‘dear
mother, I think William’—for that, you know, is my Christian name—‘is
right; is he not, father?’ ‘Do as you like, girl,’ said he. ‘I only wish
to see you happy.’ It was now settled that in two days we were to be
spliced. All the clodhoppers and grass-combers I had met before, who were
mostly her relations, were asked to the wedding, and among the rest her
clownish admirer, who, I understood, was her cousin. He was rather sulky
at first, but seeing everyone around him in good humour, he came up to me
and offered his hand, which I took and shook heartily. The farmhouse not
being more than three miles from Chatham, we hired two coaches from that
place, and with the addition of two chay-carts belonging to the farmers,
we made a numerous (for there were twenty-six of us), if not a
respectable, appearance. After pairing off and pairing in, we weighed and
started with a pleasant breeze. The church soon hove in sight, and the
bells struck up merrily. We hove to, all standing before the altar. The
parson read the articles of marriage, and I was hooked. Nancy piped her
eye, and I looked nohow. We made a man-of-war’s cruise there and back
again, and took in our moorings at the farm, where I had leave to remain
four days. I had asked two of my messmates to the wedding, who were
obliged to be off next morning by daylight. The same day my good old
father-in-law took me aside and told me he would allow Nancy forty pounds
a year as long as he lived and did well, and that she might remain with
her mother, who did not like parting with her, as she was their only
child, as long as I liked. I thanked the old governor most sincerely, and
informed him that the Secretary of the Admiralty was a relation of my
mother’s, a ninety-ninth cousin far removed—but that’s nothing—and that I
was certain of a lieutenant’s commission in two years, when my time would
be served. Here I counted my chickens before they were hatched, for I have
now served three years over my time, and here I am, with not much a day,
except the good farmer’s forty pounds, to keep myself, my wife and a
child. You see,” said he, “how I am obliged to keep close hauled, and
can’t afford to sport my figure on shore as some of you do. No,” added he,
“don’t be after splicing yourself until you have a commission, and if you
do then, you will have as much business with a wife as a cow has with a
side pocket, and be, as a noble First Lord of the Admiralty used civilly
to tell married lieutenants, not worth a d——n.”
My messmate’s narrative brought me up with a round turn, and I felt my
heart working like the tiller-ropes in a gale of wind. “Well,” said I,
after a pause, “how did you back out when you parted with your wife?” “You
may well say ‘back out,’” said he. “I was taken slap aback—it came over me
like a clap of thunder. I was half inclined to play the shy cock and
desert, and had it not been for the advice of the good old man, I should
have been mad enough to have destroyed my prospects in the Service for
ever. Now,” said he, “how do you feel?” “A little qualmish,” said I, “and
I’ll take a good stiff glass of grog to wash it down. But you have not
finished. How did she behave when you were ordered to join your ship?”
“Nobly,” said he; “just as I thought she would. After a good fit of
crying, she threw herself on her mother’s shoulder, and after fondly
embracing, me, ‘Go,’ said she. ‘William, may that God who has a particular
providence over our sailors always be with you! If your duty will not
prevent you, come again to-morrow, and get leave to remain until the ship
sails.’
“I joined the sloop, and the first lieutenant and my messmates told me I
looked more like a person who had been doing something he was ashamed of
than a happy Benedict.
“When I got below, my mates informed me the sloop was to fit foreign and
going to the West Indies. My mind was like a coal-barge in a waterspout
when I heard this, and I was determined to cut and run; but when I
reflected next morning on the probability of my gaining my commission
shortly after our arrival, as I should go out on Admiralty promotion, I
clapped a stopper on my determination, and held on. We were to sail in two
days, and I contrived to get leave to go every evening to the farm, and
return by 8 o’clock next morning. I told my wife our destination, and the
probability of my promotion. ‘Never mind me, William,’ said she, with her
sweet voice; ‘go where duty calls you. When in that path you cannot be
wrong. The hope of your promotion cheers me. Let us do all we can to merit
the blessings of a gracious Creator, and the good-fellowship of our
fellow-creatures, and we shall not be very unhappy, although far distant
from each other.’ The last morning I spent with my wife was a mixture of
cheerfulness and grief. At last I tore myself away. I have now given you
the whole history, from the main-royal truck down to the kelson.”
“Come,” said I, “let’s have another glass of grog, and I’ll drink your
wife’s good health and speedy promotion to yourself.” “That’s a good
fellow,” said he, giving me his hand, and brushing away a tear. “Should
you ever be spliced, which I hope for your own sake will not be for some
years, may you anchor alongside just such another saucy frigate as mine.”
I am truly happy to inform my reader that my good-hearted messmate was
shortly afterwards promoted into a frigate going to England.
After cruising with the squadron for some days, we had permission to go in
search of adventures, and next morning, as we were running down along the
coast of Porto Rico, we discovered five sail of vessels in a small bay.
The water not being sufficiently deep to admit the ship, we manned and
armed three boats and sent them in. I had the six-oared cutter, with nine
men; we were soon alongside of them. They proved Spanish vessels, four
small schooners and a sloop laden with fruit, principally oranges and
shaddocks, and a quantity of yams and plantains. We sent them all down to
Jamaica—why, you must ask the captain, as by the time they reached their
destination almost the whole of the fruit was rotten, and the vessels did
not pay the expenses of their condemnation. Shortly after this affair, two
of the boats, with a lieutenant, a master’s mate, and myself, were sent in
shore near Cape François, St. Domingo, on a cruise of speculation. No
object being in sight when we left the ship, about 10 P.M. we came
suddenly on three dark-looking schooners, who on seeing us gave us a warm
reception. The night, fortunately for us, was very dark, and we were
nearly alongside of them without our perceiving them, as they were
anchored so near the land. I was mid of the lieutenant’s boat, and he
determined on boarding the largest of them. I knew, or rather I could
foresee, the result; but as he had taken in the course of the last two
hours three north-westers, and was half-seas over, my advice availed
little. The other boat was at some distance from us. On we went, when
three of our men were seriously wounded and I received a musket-ball
through the left side of my hat, which slightly wounded my ear, taking
part of the hair, and I felt a distressing whirling noise inside my head,
and was so giddy I was obliged to sit down, not before, however, I had
shot a man in the main-channels who I thought had fired the shot at me. We
had kept up a brisk firing, and must have killed several of their men,
when they got long spars with a spike at the end over the side, and
endeavoured to drive them through the bottom of our boat. The lieutenant,
who was now more himself, found boarding her impracticable, as she had her
boarding netting up, her decks filled with men, and nine ports in her
side. We reluctantly pulled off. We had unfortunately taken the bull by
the horns—that is, pulled for her broadside. The lieutenant and myself,
for I recovered sufficiently to load my musket, kept firing at her decks
as we retired. She paid us the same compliment, and slightly wounded
another of the boat’s crew. Had the night not been so cloudy, and without
a moon, we should have paid dearly for our temerity. We rowed in a
straight line for her stern. The two other vessels were well armed, and
they saluted us with a few shot as we pulled off, which, however, went far
over us. We soon after joined the other boat, which had lost sight of us
when we attempted boarding the enemy’s vessel. We learnt a few days
afterwards, from a New Providence privateer, that they were three
guardacostas, as the captain of her called them—in other words, Spanish
government vessels, commanded by lieutenants, well armed, manned and
equipped. We joined the ship next morning, and gave a Flemish account of
our cruise. One of the wounded men, through loss of blood, died soon after
coming on board. The other three having received flesh wounds, soon
returned to their duty. The surgeon examined my ear, and found the
tympanum ruptured. It destroyed my hearing on that side for ever, and for
years after I was distressed with a loud roaring noise on the left side of
my head. A fortnight later we fell in with a Spanish eighty-gun ship, a
large frigate and a heavy-armed store ship. We were soon alongside the
former, having beat to quarters previously. We asked her where she came
from. Her answer was, “From sea.” We then asked her where she was bound
to. Her answer was, “To sea.” Our skipper then jumped upon one of the
quarter-deck carronades, with his eyes glistening like a Cornish diamond.
The muzzles of our guns were at this time almost touching her side. One of
our crew spoke Spanish. He was desired to hail her, and say that if she
did not answer the questions which had been put she should be fired into.
“From Cadiz” was the prompt answer, and “Bound to the Havannah.” “You
might have answered that before,” said the skipper; “if I had given you a
good dressing, you richly deserved it.” “I do not understand what you
say,” was the reply. “You be d——d,” said our man of war, and we turned off
on our heel. The same evening a court of inquiry was held by the mids, who
were unanimous in declaring that the captain of the line of battle ship
ought to be superseded and made swab-wringer, and that their own captain
had acted with that spirit which became a British commander of a
man-of-war, and that he deserved to have his health drunk in a bumper of
grog, which was accordingly done. Here the court broke up, hoping the mate
of the hold would bring with him, after serving the grog, an extra pint of
rum to make up the deficiency. The captain, having heard of our
proceedings, sent his steward to us with a bottle of the true sort as a
proof of his satisfaction.
CHAPTER VIII.
MUTINY ON H.M.S. _HERMIONE_.
Tea with the boatswain’s wife—News of the mutiny at the Nore
causes trouble among the sailors—Sent to cruise in consequence—A
white squall and waterspout—Capture of a Spanish cruiser—Return to
Port Royal—H.M.S. _Hermione_ seized by mutineers and carried to
Porto Bello—Recaptured by Captain Hamilton—An alarm caused by
fireflies.
On the evening of the next day the boatswain’s wife invited me to take
tea. I could not refuse so kind an offer, and at the vulgar hour of six,
behold us sipping our Bohea out of porringers, with good Jamaica stuff in
it in lieu of milk. “Do you like it?” said the boatswain to me. “Have you
enough rum in it? Take another dash.” “No, thank you,” said I; “no more
splicing, or I shall get hazy, and not be able to keep the first watch.”
“That rum,” said he, “is old pineapple, and like mother’s milk, and will
not hurt a child. Now,” said he, “we are talking of rum, I’ll tell you an
odd story that happened to me in the last ship I belonged to. I had a
capital case of the right sort given to me by a brother Pipes. One evening
I had asked some of the upper class dockyard maties, for we were lying at
Antigua, to take a glass of grog. When I went to the case, I found two of
the bottles at low-water mark, and another a marine. ‘Ho! ho!’ said I to
myself; ‘this is the way you make a southerly wind in my case-bottles, and
turn to windward in my cabin when I am carrying on the war on the
forecastle, is it? I’ll cross your hawse and cut your cable the next time,
as sure as my name is Tricing.’ After the last dog-watch, I threw myself
into my cot all standing, with my rattan alongside of me. About three
bells of the first watch, I heard someone go very cunningly, as he
thought, into my cabin. I immediately sprung out and seized a man in the
act of kissing one of my dear little ones, for it was a case with nine
quart bottles. ‘Who are you?’ said I. ‘Nobody,’ replied he. ‘You are the
fellow I have been cruising after since I entered the service
five-and-twenty years ago, and now I have got you, by G——d! I’ll sheet you
home most handsomely for all past favours.’ I then gave it to him thick
and thin. ‘Now, my lad,’ said I, ‘chalk this down in your log, that when
you have the thievish inclination to take what does not belong to you,
remember my cane, if you do not your God.’ This rum gentleman belonged to
the after-guard, and I did not forget him.”
After cruising round Porto Rico and Hispaniola for two months, we bore up
for the mole, where we found two sail of the line, a sixty-four and two
sloops of war. In the course of our cruise we had sent in an American brig
and a schooner laden with flour. The latter was condemned, half-barrels of
gunpowder being found in the under flour casks. The former was let go,
although we thought she ought to have been condemned, as her register was
defective. We understood that the judge’s wife, of the Vice-Admiralty
Court, who was notorious for accepting presents, had received a purse from
some of the masters of the American vessels detained by the cruisers to
let them escape trial. How true this may be must be left to time and the
curious to decide.
On overhauling the fore-shrouds and mainstay, we found them too much worn
to be trustworthy. As we could not be refitted with lower rigging from the
naval stores at this place, the senior officer gave us an order to proceed
to Jamaica. We took leave of all the “Ballaker ladies,” as the mids chose
to call them. Know, reader, that the fish called by that name is a most
destructive and voracious one, and as I presume they thought the ladies
were of that character, some of them had too much reason to call them so.
We reached Port Royal on the afternoon of the following day, but remarked
we were not received with that welcome as before; no boats filled with
yellow-legged females came off with banjos. Why? Because we brought in no
prize with us. And when we went on shore some of these delicate dames
exclaimed when we accosted them: “Eh, massa, you hab know me before? I no
recollect you. What ship you belong to?” And we were seldom asked to the
dignity balls. We were all now in tolerable health, when the packet from
England arrived, bringing letters for the squadron, one of which I
received, acquainting me that my sister’s husband was appointed to command
the A. frigate fitting for the Mediterranean, and that my youngest
brother, in the India marine, had died in Bengal. He was a fine, spirited
youth, nineteen years of age; we had not met since we were at school. Some
of our seamen also received letters by the same opportunity, acquainting
them with the mutiny at the Nore, and a few days afterwards a disaffected
spirit broke out in the squadron, which we had some trouble in subduing.
However, by reasoning with the petty officers and the best seamen, it
terminated without open mutiny or bloodshed, although the crews of some of
the ships had been mistaken enough to have delegates for their
proceedings. To finally root out the trouble the admiral ordered the five
line of battle ships fitting out at Port Royal to complete their stores
and sail without delay for the Gulf of Mexico. Two days afterwards we
stood out to sea. The squadron consisted of a ship of ninety-eight guns,
four seventy-fours, and a frigate. The commander-in-chief had his flag on
board the former. After touching at the Grand Caymans for turtle, we
reached the Bay of Mexico, where, and off the Havannah, we cruised for
some weeks without taking anything. One night, having the middle watch and
looking over the lee gangway, I observed some black spots on the water.
The moon, which was in her third quarter, was sometimes hidden by the dark
scud, for it was blowing fresh, and when she shone in full splendour the
spots appeared stationary. I lost no time in pointing this out to the
lieutenant of the watch, who agreed with me that they must be the negro
heads of some coral reef. We were with the squadron running directly on
them. We immediately fired a gun and hauled our wind, and then fired a
second to warn the ships astern of us of the danger. When we hauled off we
could not clear them, and it was more than an hour before we got an
offing. They were the “Double-headed shot” keys. Our signal was made for
the captain and master to repair on board the admiral. The latter, we
understood, was well hauled over the coals, and he came on board looking
like a boy who had been whipped. He thought it was “moral impossible” (for
that was always his favourite way of speaking when he thought he had
anything of importance to relate) that the admiral should find fault with
him as a navigator; he could not account for counter currents and
undertows, and he knew how to navigate a ship as well as any man in the
fleet.
The inhabitants of the cockpit, as usual, held a court of inquiry on his
conduct, when they declared on summing up what they had remarked of his
character, that he was too conceited to be clever, that he was a very
indifferent navigator, and they wondered who the devil gave him his
warrant as master, for they would not trust him to navigate a barge in the
New River. After cruising till the mids declared they were _ennuiéd_ of
seeing the Havannah, the dry Tortugas, Cape Antonio, and the low land near
Mississippi so often, and that they had worn their chemises twice over and
had only soiled sheets for table-cloths; that they were obliged to get one
of the marines to pipe-clay their stockings and the collar of their shirts
when they were asked to dine in the cabin; that it was a horrible, hard
case to eat biscuits filled with bargemen and purser’s lice; that the
water was full of jenny jumps—all these miseries, concluded they, ought to
be made known to the admiral, and that if he did not order the squadron in
again he ought to be tried by a court of mids and reduced to the humble
rank of a cockpitsman and feed off bargemen for a month.
We had now been out for two months when we bore up for the Gulf of
Florida. In making the Havannah for a departure, we fell in with four
Spanish brigs laden with quicksilver, which we captured. When near Cape
Florida we experienced a white squall which carried away the
foretop-gallant mast and split the foresail. The ninety-eight gun-ship,
which led the squadron, heeled so much over before she could shorten sail
that she appeared to be turning the turtle. At last her foreyard went in
the slings, and her main-topsail in ribbons, and she righted.
When off New Providence the wind was light and the clouds heavy and low,
and in less than half an hour seven waterspouts had formed, two not far
from us on our weather beam, the largest of which was nearing us rather
fast. We got two of the main-deck guns ready, and waited until we could
see its suction. The cloud which drew up and contained the water was in
the shape of a reversed cone with a long point at the bottom of it: this
was something like a corkscrew. We now thought it high time to fire, when
down it came, discharging a sheet of water which must have contained many
tons. The shock it gave the water drove it in breakers to some distance,
and we partook of the motion, as we rolled for at least ten minutes before
the swell subsided. The other waterspout passed some distance astern. In
this gulf some years ago a dreadful catastrophe occurred to a West
Indiaman homeward bound, caused by one of the sucking clouds or
waterspouts. Several had formed very near her, one of them so near that
the master of her was afraid to fire as it might endanger the vessel. It
appeared to be passing when a flaw of wind came, and being heavily
surcharged with water, broke it. Fortunately the hatches were on, and only
the master, mate and four men on deck. The immense body of water it
contained fell with such violence that it carried away all her masts,
boats, spars and hen-coops, with all the live stock, as well as washing
the master and three of the men overboard. The mate and the other man were
saved by jumping into the caboose which held on, although they were
half-dead with fright and half-drowned with water. After we had cleared
the islands forming the Bahama group, we fell in with a low,
rakish-looking schooner, which gave us a chase of seven hours, although
our shot went over her. At length two of her men were killed, and the
spyglass knocked out of the skipper’s hand, when he, finding it was
useless holding out any longer, hove to. She proved a Spanish privateer of
six guns and forty men, with a number of sheep on board, but the mids
declared they were more like purser’s lanterns. When killed, one of them
weighed only fifteen pounds. Nothing further occurred during the remainder
of our passage to Jamaica, where we anchored two days after with our
prizes. Before the sails were furled, half the inhabitants of Port Royal
were round the ships making a most hideous noise with their squalling and
banjos. Our five prizes made their eyes shine like a dollar in a bucket of
water, and their mouths water like a sick monkey’s eyes with a violent
influenza. The last time we had anchored we returned prizeless, and no
boat came off but an old washerwoman’s; we now paid them off in their own
coin, and desired all the canoes with the exception of two to paddle to
some other ship, as we should not admit them on board. After lingering for
about half an hour in the hope that we should change our minds, they
paddled away looking blacker than their skins. Soon after our arrival we
heard that the _Hermione_ frigate had been taken and carried into Porto
Bello on the Spanish Main by her crew, after having killed their captain
and all the officers. This dreadful news gave me real concern, as one of
my late messmates was third lieutenant of her. Captain Hamilton, of the
_Surprise_ of twenty-eight guns, offered to bring her out from where her
rebellious crew had anchored her, and a few days after he sailed for that
purpose. We were refitting very leisurely, and had been in harbour nearly
five weeks, when one afternoon we saw the _Surprise_ towing in the
_Hermione_. Captain Hamilton had kept his word to the letter. He was three
days before the port where she lay before he attempted his purpose. She
was at anchor very close in shore, protected by a heavy half-moon and
triangular battery. On the evening of the third day Captain Hamilton made
his will, and after consulting with the officers he armed and manned the
boats, and took with him the lieutenants, surgeon, a proportion of mids,
and the lieutenant of marines, besides sailors and marines, making in the
whole a hundred. He left the master and the remainder of the crew in
charge of the ship, and ordered him when the boats shoved off to stand out
by way of feint. The night was very dark. After a short pull they were
alongside of the _Hermione_, which was evidently taken by surprise. On
seeing the crew of the _Surprise_ board them, they seized their
boarding-pikes and cutlasses, and made a resistance which would have done
them credit in a better cause. The conflict was severe and fatal to many
of them; several jumped overboard. The struggle had continued about half
an hour when her cables were cut and her topsails loosed. The remainder of
the mutineers finding their numbers considerably decreased threw down
their arms and surrendered, and at daylight the ship was in company with
the _Surprise_.(4) Captain Hamilton received a severe contusion on the
head, and had it not been for his surgeon, who was a powerful son of the
Emerald Isle, he must have been killed. The loss on board the _Hermione_
was considerable, that of the _Surprise_ comparatively speaking trifling.
Soon after they anchored I was sent on board the latter to learn the
particulars which I have given above. The mutineers taken in the
_Hermione_ were but few, as the greater part were either on shore or had
jumped overboard from her when they saw they should be overpowered. Before
we sailed they were tried, and, with the exception of two who turned
King’s evidence, were hanged in everlasting jackets on the small islands
without Port Royal harbour. I also learnt that my former messmate was
lieutenant of the watch when the mutiny broke out, and one of the King’s
evidence mutineers gave me the following account:—
[Illustration: PORT ROYAL, JAMAICA. [_P. N. Edwards, Photo._]
“The captain,” said he, “was very severe with the men, who were all good
seamen, and they were determined to either run the ship on shore and
desert, or else take her by force. This had been in their minds for months
before it happened. At last,” said he, “on a dark night, when the young
lieutenant had the watch, our minds were made up. A party went to the
cabin-door, knocked down the sentry, and entered it. The captain was in
his cot, and he was soon overpowered. We threw him out of the
cabin-window. Another party threw the officer of the watch over the
larboard quarter, but he, being young and active, caught hold of the
hammock-stanchion, when one of the men cut his hands off, and he soon
dropped astern. The first lieutenant had been ill and keeping his cot, but
on hearing the noise, he came up the hatchway in his shirt, when one of
the carpenter’s crew cut him down with an axe, and he was sent overboard
with several others.” Captain Pigot, who commanded her, was no doubt a
severe disciplinarian, but this was a most unheard-of, cruel and
bloodthirsty mutiny; all the officers, both guilty—if there were any
guilty—and innocent shared the same untimely fate, and surely if the crew
found themselves oppressed and ill-used, they ought to have represented
their complaints to the senior officer or the admiral, and they, in
justice, would have been listened to; at least I hope so. I am sorry to
state here that I have seen men sometimes flogged for trifles where a
minor punishment would have been more appropriate. Caprice and partiality
should never govern an officer’s conduct; young lieutenants are too prone
to make complaints to their captain without reflecting on the character of
the offender. A thorough-bred seaman is very seldom in fault, and should
he unfortunately trespass a little on the discipline of the ship, his
offence should be visited as lightly as possible. Well-timed admonition
will make a surer impression than half-a-dozen cats. I speak from
experience. Before we sailed I had occasion to purchase some stockings, as
I found on inquiry that my dingy-faced washerwoman had supplied her
“lubing bruder” with several pair belonging to me, to dance with her at a
banjo hop, and took care I should not have them until the day before we
sailed, which was Saturday. On examining them I found they were so worn
into large holes that I could not put them on. Having obtained permission
to go on shore, I repaired to the magazine. All shops in the West Indies
are called magazines or stores, although some of them are so small that
you are not able to turn round without hurting your elbows. The said shop,
magazine or store was kept by a worthy, said to be honest, Israelite. I
acquainted him with my wants. “I can’t sell you nothing to-day,” he said;
“it is my Sabbath; but I will tell you what I can do. I will lend you six
pair, and you can pay me to-morrow.” “Thank you,” said I; “where’s your
conscience? To-morrow will be my Sabbath.” “Ah,” said he “I forgot that.
Then you can pay me on Monday.” “No,” said I; “I’ll pay you off with the
foretop-sail.” He laughed. “Here, take the stockings, and pay me when you
please.” This I did not do until I had given him a little note promising
to pay him when we returned from our cruise.
We sailed the following morning, to cruise off the windward passages,
where we fell in with two American sloops of war, cruising for an
appetite. We were now tolerably well manned. Yellow fever and scurvy had
taken their departure, and the only evil which remained with us was the
blue devils, in consequence of the monotony so prevalent in a long cruise.
We boarded several American vessels, and from one of them we procured some
long, lanky turkeys. They stood so high that they appeared on stilts; they
were all feather and bone, and Jonathan asked four dollars apiece for
them, but we got him down to two by taking nine, which was all he had. I
asked him if he had any dollar biscuits. “No,” said he; “but some of the
men have a pretty considerable quantity of notions.” Here he called to one
of them, and said, “Nathan, I guess you bought some notions at Baltimore;
bring them up, and let the officer see them.” Nathan was soon down the
hatchway, and as quickly up again with his venture, or notions. They
consisted of two pounds of infamous Yankee tea, three pounds of tobacco
made into a roll, a jar of salt butter, a six-pound ham, and a bag of
hickory nuts. The tea and ham I bought, and one of the boat’s crew had the
tobacco. The first proved too bad for even a midshipman’s palate; and the
ham, when the cover and sawdust were taken away, was animated by
nondescripts, and only half of it eatable. I was tried by a court of
inquiry by my messmates for want of discernment, and found guilty; and the
Yankee who had cheated us was sentenced to be hanged, but as he was out of
sight, the penalty was not carried into execution. We once more anchored
at the mole, after having reconnoitred Porto Rico and part of Cuba,
without any addition to our riches.
On the fifth evening of our arrival we heard the drums at the town beating
to arms. We manned and armed three of our boats, and sent them on shore to
inquire the cause of the alarm. The soldiers were forming to march, when
one of our mids exclaimed: “Look what a vast number of large fire-flies
there are in the bushes over the town!” “Are you sure those lights are
fire-flies?” said a captain of one of the companies. “Yes,” said the mid;
“I’ll convince you in a jiffy.” Away he flew into the bushes, and in about
five minutes returned, with his hat swarming with them, which produced a
pale, bright light equal to several candles. The adventure produced much
laughter at the expense of the piquet who had given the alarm, and the
retreat was beat.
At particular periods of the year these little insects meet in the same
manner that birds do on St. Valentine’s Day. The soldiers who formed the
piquet had never seen anything of the kind before, and as the sentinel at
a small fort at the entrance of the harbour had been shot by the enemy a
few nights previously, they were determined not to be taken by surprise.
CHAPTER IX.
A MOCK COURT-MARTIAL.
Transhipped to H.M.S. _Queen_ (98)—Sailors’ appreciation of
books—The ship runs aground and sinks: with difficulty raised—A
mock court-martial on the master—Author made lieutenant with a
commission on a twenty-four-gun ship.
After completing our water and stores, we sailed, and made the circuit of
St. Domingo, and a month afterwards returned to Port Royal, where we found
the dignity ladies looking as blooming as black roses, and as it was
understood that we were to be paid prize money, a general invitation was
given to all the wardroom officers to a grand ball two days after our
arrival; for be it known to you, gentle reader, that humble mids are never
invited to dignity balls of the first class, which are given by the
mustees and quadroons. Some of these ladies are beautifully formed, with
handsome features. The second class generally consist of mulattos and
blacks; these last are the most numerous; the mids at their balls are
quite at home, and call for sangaree and porter-cup in first style.
At this period I had served my six years within a few months, when the
captain sent for me, and told me he intended sending me on board the
flag-ship on promotion. “I send you there,” added he, “beforehand, that
you may have the opportunity of becoming known to the commander-in-chief,
that at the expiration of your time you may be more immediately under his
notice and be sure of your promotion.” I thanked him sincerely for his
kind intention, and the following morning behold me, bed and traps,
ensconced in the starboard midshipman’s berth—one of the darkest holes of
a cockpit I ever was yet in—on board the _Queen_, a ninety-eight gun ship.
My messmates, ten in number, were the poorest of all poor mids. I was
welcomed to the mess by the master’s mate, who held in his hand a dirty,
empty bottle, with a farthing candle lighted in the neck of it. “Take
care,” said he, “you don’t break your shins over the youngsters’ chests.”
“Thank you,” said I; “but I always thought a flag-ship’s cockpit too well
regulated to have chests athwartships.” “Why, to tell you the truth,”
replied he, “those d——d youngsters are so often changing ships, being here
to-day and promoted to-morrow, that it is impossible to keep either
chests, mess or them in anything like order. I wish they were all at the
devil.” “Amen,” responded a person in the berth, whose nose was looming
out of a hazy darkness, “for, d——n them,” he continued, “they have eaten
all the cheese and have had a good swig at my rum-bottle, but I’ll lay a
point to windward of them yet.” These two hard officers were both old
standards. The last who spoke was the mate of the hold, and the other of
the lower deck. One had seen thirty-five and the other thirty-nine
summers. The hope of a lieutenant’s commission they had given up in
despair, and were now looking out for a master’s warrant. They were both
brought up in the merchant service, and had entered the Navy at the
beginning of the war as quarter-masters, and by their steady conduct were
made master’s mates, a situation which requires some considerable tact.
The greater portion of my hopeful brother officers were from eighteen to
twenty years of age. Their toast in a full bumper of grog of an evening
was usually, “A bloody war and a sickly season.” Some few were
gentlemanly, but the majority were every-day characters—when on deck doing
little, and when below doing less. Books they had very few or none; as an
instance of it, we had only one, except the Hamilton Moore’s and the
Nautical Almanack, among ten of us, and that was “Extracts from the
Poets.” One of the mates above mentioned, seeing me moping with the blue
devils, brought it me. “Here,” said he, “is a book nobody reads. I have
looked into it myself, but there is so much dry stuff in it, that it makes
my grog go too fast; but,” added he, “‘Dry’ is put under that part, so you
can skip over it.” Now, reader, the most beautiful passages of this
neglected book were from Dryden. The mate, happy, ignorant man, imagined,
in his wisdom, that where the abridgment of this poet’s name was placed,
it was to indicate to the reader that the poetry was dry and not worth
reading. Oh, Ignorance, thou art sometimes bliss, but in the present
instance it were not folly to be wise! I attempted to take the Irish
half-crown out of his mind by comparing some of Dryden’s passages with the
others, and he was as much convinced as a cable-tier coiling and
stowing-hold officer is generally capable of being, that the “Dry” poetry
was the best.
The captain of this ship was from the north, I believe, strictly moral and
as strict in discipline, admirably economical, and as regular in his
habits as any old-clothes man in Monmouth Street. He kept all the
cockpitonians on the _qui vive_, and as every recommendation went through
him to the admiral it was but good policy for the mids to be on the alert.
As all the lieutenants were constantly changing, those promoted making
room for others, I shall not describe their characters, except noticing
that the generality of them were good officers and gentlemen. A month
after I joined we were ordered to sail, and on going out of Port Royal
Roads we struck with great force on a sand bank called the Turtle Head.
The master, who was as ignorant as he was conceited, had taken charge of
the ship before she was out of pilot water, and in less than half an hour
after the pilot left us she struck. As we were still in sight of the
vessels at Port Royal, we made the signal for assistance, and soon
afterwards saw a frigate and a store ship coming out towards us. The sea
breeze began to set in, which drove us more on the shoal, notwithstanding
that we had carried out two anchors ahead. At length she thumped so
violently that we jumped at least a foot high from the deck. I could not
refrain from smiling to see the captain and officers with serious, long,
anxious faces, cutting capers against their will. The rudder and false
keel soon parted company, and we all expected to see the masts jerked out
of their steps. On sounding the well we found the ship making water
rapidly. The pumps were set to work, but in vain. She soon sank in three
fathoms and a half water, and we had eighteen feet of water in the hold.
The frigate and store ship, with some smaller vessels, had anchored as
near us as they could with safety. The small craft came alongside and took
out our guns and stores, and one hundred additional men were sent on board
us to work the pumps. Pumps were also sent from the dockyard, and were
introduced into the hold through the decks, which had been scuttled for
that purpose. On the morning of the third day we had got everything,
except the lower masts and bowsprit, on board the lighters, and by the
exertions of the men at the pumps, which had been incessant for three days
and nights, we had lightened her, and she floated off the shoal. The
frigate took us in tow, and in three hours afterwards we were lashed
alongside the dockyard. The fatigue and want of rest, for not a single
hammock had been piped down during the time the ship was on shore, threw
about fifty men into the sick list, and several of them died at the
hospital afterwards. The seamen of the fleet in general had a great
aversion to go to the hospital, and when ill used to entreat the doctor
not to send them there. It was said of the matrons, which did not redound
to their credit if true, that when a seaman died, and was reported to
them, they exclaimed: “Poor fellow! bring me his bag, and mind everything
belonging to him is put into it.” This they considered their perquisite.
Surely this is wrong and robbery! Ah, Mr. Hume! why were you a puling,
helpless babe at that time? Had you been a man and known it, you would
have called for reformation and been the seaman’s friend.
We had now a difficult and arduous duty to perform, which was to heave the
ship down keel out. I was stationed on the lower deck with a party of
thirty seamen to keep the chain pumps going as long as they would
work—that is, until the ship was nearly on her side. In about twenty
minutes she was nearly on her beam ends, when all the temporary stanchions
which had been fixed to keep the deck from yielding gave way like a
regiment of black militia in chase of Obie, or Three-fingered Jack in the
Whee Mountains, when they are in full retreat. I was standing at this time
in no enviable position, my feet rested on the combings of the main
hatchway with my back against the deck. I expected every moment to have my
brains knocked out, but this apprehension was soon superseded by a cry
from the shore of, “Make for the stern ports and jump overboard; the
hawsers are stranded; there will be a boat ready to pick you up.” “Sooner
said than done,” thinks I to myself; “I wish with all my heart that the
first lieutenant who ordered me here was in my place, and he would find
the order practically impossible.” Another cry was then heard: “Hold all
fast on board!” “You are a wise man,” thinks I again for that order; “it
is the very thing we are determined to do.” “All’s safe,” was the next
squall through the trumpet, “the mastheads are secured to the beams.”
“Thank you for nothing,” said I to myself, “it’s more good luck than good
management.” When the ship was hove down, we got some of the pumps to work
on the side next the water, as it had gone from the well, and in a few
hours kept her clear. On the fourth day we righted her, as the dockyard
maties had botched her up.
We had now to wait about six weeks for the rudder; in the meanwhile we got
on board the water, provisions and stores, and fresh powder, the last
having had a ducking. From the time the ship came to the yard we had slept
and messed in the capstan house, consequently we had not an opportunity of
holding a cockpit inquiry on the master’s conduct for running the vessel
on shore. The second day after getting on board we put on our scrapers and
toasting-forks, and assembled in the larboard berth, which was illuminated
for the occasion by four farthing candles. The court consisted of fourteen
members. I was chosen president; a black man who waited on our berth was
to personate the master. After taking our seats according to seniority, we
declared we would show neither favour nor partiality to the prisoner, but
try him fairly by the rules of the cockpit. I began, as president, by
asking him the reason he let the pilot quit the ship before she was clear
of the shoals.
Prisoner: “’Cause, massa, I had berry good opinion of myself, and I tink I
sabby de ground better den dat black scorpion who call himself pilot.”
President: “If you knew the channels better than the pilot, how came you
to let the ship get on shore on the Turtle Head shoal?”
Prisoner: “Ah, Massa President, me no tink Turtle Head lib dere; me tink
him lib tree legs more west. De chart say him moral impossible he lib so
near Port Royal.”
Here the chart was examined, and the shoal was in reality laid down in a
wrong place. This saved the master, or he must have been smashed. Here the
court adjourned to consider the sentence. After laughing and joking some
short time in the larboard wing, we again assembled looking as solemn as a
Lord Chancellor, when I, as the noble president, addressed the prisoner as
follows:—
“Prisoner, this honourable Court having duly considered the unseamanlike
and stupid blunder you have committed, do adjudge you to be suspended from
your duty as master of this ship for six calendar months, in order to give
you time to reflect on the mischief you have done and the great expense
you have occasioned by running His Majesty’s ship on a shoal called the
Turtle Head; and they advise you not to be so self-sufficient in future,
and, if it be not morally impossible, to clothe yourself with the robe of
humility, and to put all your conceit into the N.W. corner of your chest,
and never let it see daylight. And the Court further adjudges you, in
consequence of your letting the pilot quit the ship before she was in
sea-way, to be severely reprimanded and also admonished as to your future
conduct, and you are hereby suspended, reprimanded, and admonished
accordingly. I dissolve this Court. Master Blacky, get dinner ready as
fast as you can, as we are very sharp set.”
“Yes, massa,” was the answer; “to-day you hab for dinner salt junk and
bargeman biscuit, and to-morrow you hab change.” “What do you say, you
black woolly-headed rascal?” said one of the mids. “Why, I say, massa, you
hab change to-morrow—you hab bargeman biscuit and salt junk.” “Why,” said
another horrified mid, “I heard the caterer order you to get some fish
from the canoe alongside.” “Yes, massa, dat berry true, but de d——d black
scorpion would not sell ’um to massa midshipman, cause he no hab pay for
fish last time.” “If you mention that again,” said one of my messmates,
“I’ll crack your black cocoa-nut, and if you do not get some to-morrow,
I’ll take care your grog shall be stopped.” Here the caterer of the mess
interfered by promising the mess should have some fish for their dinner
next day, and the contest ended. Master Blacky started up the ladder to
stand the wrangle in the galley for our dinner, and shortly after we
attacked a tolerably good-looking piece of King’s own, with the addition
of some roasted plantains, which our black factotum had forgotten to
mention in his bill of fare.
Having procured our rudder we sailed to prove, the middies said, “Whether
promotion should be stopped or not by the ship’s sinking or floating?”
Fortunately for us, by the aid of the chain pumps twice a day, she did the
latter. We continued on a man-of-war’s cruise there and back again for
five weeks, and then returned to our former anchorage. During this short
cruise I had prepared myself for passing, and soon after our arrival, my
time being served, I requested the first lieutenant to speak to the
captain that I might pass for a lieutenant. “Go yourself,” said he, “and
tell him. He is in his room at the capstan house. I’ll give you the jolly
boat.”
I was soon on shore and at the door of his room. I knocked. “Enter,” said
a voice not at all encouraging. “What do you want, any orders?” “No, sir,”
said I, with one of my best quarter-deck bows, which appeared to soften
him. “I hope I am not intruding; I have taken the liberty of waiting on
you, sir, to acquaint you that I have served my time.” He was half-shaved,
and my visit appeared unfortunately ill-timed, and I began to apprehend by
the expression of his countenance, and the flourishes he made with his
razor, he intended making me a head shorter. “Who sent you to me at this
inconvenient time?” asked he. “The first lieutenant, sir,” said I; “he
thought it was better for me to inform you before you went to the
Admiral’s pen.” “Oh, very well; you may go; shut the door, and let the
barge come for me at seven o’clock.” On board I repaired, and delivered
the message. I kept pondering whether my hardy, half-shaven captain’s
manner was favourable to the information I had given him or not. My
messmates were anxious to know how I was received. “Not very graciously,”
was my reply. Next morning, to my agreeable surprise, I was ordered to
take the barge, and go on board the _Alarm_ frigate, where I met my old
captain, who shook hands with me, and two others. “Well,” said the former,
“are you prepared to prove you are an able seaman and an officer?” “I hope
so, sir,” said I. He introduced me to his two brother officers, and
informed them I had sailed with him some time, and that I had frequently
charge of a watch. We all descended to the cabin, where Hamilton Moore’s
“Epitome,” a slate and pencil were placed before me. I was first asked
several questions respecting coming to an anchor, mooring, tacking,
veering, and taking in sail. I was then desired to find the time of high
water at different places, and the variation of the compass.
They appeared satisfied with my answers and solutions, and before I left
the ship they presented me with my passing certificate. On the following
day I took the oath of allegiance, abused the Pope—poor, innocent man—and
all his doctrines, and received my commission for a twenty-four gun ship
which I joined the day after. I left some of my messmates with regret, as
they were made of the very stuff our Navy required.
CHAPTER X.
MORE CRUISING.
Requested to act as first lieutenant, but refuses—Description of
officers—A fruitless search for a Spanish treasure ship—Run on a
coral reef, but float off again—A tropical thunderstorm—A futile
attempt to cut out three schooners off Matanzas—Author becomes
first lieutenant—Return to Port Royal—The incriminating papers of
an American sloop found in a shark—Seize a French ship in ballast
off St. Domingo.
On introducing myself to my new captain, who was a short, corpulent,
open-countenanced man, he informed me he had conversed with my former
captain respecting me. “We lost both the lieutenants by the yellow fever
the latter part of last cruise,” said he, “and if you like to be first
lieutenant, I will request the Admiralty to give me an acting officer.” I
thanked him for his good opin
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