Will Weatherhelm Part 33

"That skipper of ours had no small amount of humour in his composition, though it was somewhat of a grim character. Before we hove the bodies overboard, he ordered us to cut off the heads of those who had fallen, forty in number, and to pickle them in the empty b.u.t.ter casks, lest, as he said, his account of the transaction might be disbelieved by the good people of Jamaica.

"We arrived safely in Kingston harbour, where the merchants and a lot of other persons came on board. Many of our visitors, when they heard the skipper describe the way we had beaten off the pirates, looked incredulous.

"'Seeing is believing,' says he, and he ordered the casks which had been kept on deck to be opened. It was mightily amusing to watch the way our visitors looked at each other, when our skipper forthwith produced the gory heads, among which was that of the captain of one of the piratical craft and that of the first mate of the other.

"Some of them started back with horror, as well they might, for the heads looked dreadful enough as they were pulled out in succession.

"'There's the whole score,' says the skipper, as we arranged them along each side of the quarter-deck. 'Now, gentlemen, what have you got to say about my veracity?'

"After that, you may be sure the captain's word was never doubted. The heads were then hove overboard, and it was said that Old Tom, the big shark which used to cruise about between Port Royal and Kingston, got the best part of them for his supper. I'm pretty sure he did, because for many a day after that he was not seen, and some thought he had died of indigestion by swallowing those pirates' heads. Howsomdever, he wasn't dead after all, as poor Bob Rattan, an old messmate of mine, found out to his cost. Just about two months had gone by, and Bob one evening was trying to swim from his s.h.i.+p to the sh.o.r.e, when Old Tom caught, him by the leg and hauled him to the bottom. His head was washed ash.o.r.e three days afterwards, bitten clean off, a certain proof that Old Tom had swallowed the pirates' heads, and not finding them agree with him, had left poor Bob's alone.

"Taking in a cargo of sugar we sailed homewards; but I can tell you, till we were well clear of the West Indies we didn't feel comfortable, lest we should fall in again with the pirates, when, as we had no b.u.t.ter aboard to grease our decks, the chances were, we knew, that in revenge they would have cut all our throats and sent the s.h.i.+p to the bottom.

"You see, ladies, that a man may go through no end of dangers, and yet come scot free out of them. So I hope will our friend here, and have many a yarn to spin, and that I may be present to hear them, although I don't think he'll beat mine; and now, as it's getting late, I'll wish you good evening;" and Jerry, taking his hat from under the chair, shook hands with all round.

"You won't take my advice then, Will?" he whispered, as he came to me.

"Well, well, it's a pity. Good-night, lad, good-night, I'll see you aboard the _Nymph_;" and he hurried away across the common towards the beach where he had left his boat, intending to pa.s.s the night under her, as was his general custom in the summer.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

A SAD PARTING--I SET OUT TO REJOIN MY s.h.i.+P--HOW OUR FLEET WAS MANNED-- SCENE AT THE POINT, PORTSMOUTH--AN EXPLOSION--A NARROW ESCAPE--I AM TRANSFERRED WITH d.i.c.k HAGGER AND OTHERS TO THE CULLODEN, 74--A BAD CREW--INTELLIGENCE RECEIVED OF THE SAILING OF THE FRENCH FLEET--WE SAIL--LOOKING OUT FOR THE ENEMY--A GENERAL CHASE--LORD HOWE'S VICTORY OF THE FIRST OF JUNE--BEHAVIOUR OF THE CULLODEN--RETURN TO ENGLAND-- DISCONTENT ON BOARD OUR s.h.i.+P--THE LORD MAYOR'S MEN--MY SIGNATURE IS OBTAINED--WHAT CAME OF IT--MUTINY BREAKS OUT--AMONG THE MUTINEERS.

The time for which I had obtained leave came soon, far too soon, to amend. It seemed as if I had been but a few hours with my dear wife, and now I must part again from her for an indefinite period, how long I could not tell. I knew that while I had health and strength, no sum could obtain my discharge. Men were wanted for the service, and every effort was made to get them, while strict watch was kept on those who had been obtained. Pressgangs were sent on sh.o.r.e every day all along the coast where there was a chance of picking up men. Agents even visited the mines, and people who had been working under ground all their lives, were suddenly transferred to the deck of a man-of-war, and very fine seamen they made too, for they were hardy, intelligent fellows, and liked the change, and no wonder.

Captain Nelson, and other officers, had thus picked up from the Cornish mines a number of prime seamen. However, as I was saying, the time came for me to part from my wife and my kind uncle and aunt. I would not let Margaret accompany me on board, though she wanted to do so, for the reason I have before stated. She and Uncle Kelson, however, came with me down to the Point, where Jerry had promised to be on the look-out to take me on board. Even there the scene was such as it must have pained any right-minded woman to witness.

Drunken seamen and marines, and women, and Jews, and crimps, all crowded together so that it was difficult to get through the surging ma.s.s of human beings, many of them fighting and wrangling and swearing, while the Jews were trying to sell their trumpery wares to such of the poor ignorant sailors as had any money left in their pockets, and the more sober of the men were endeavouring to lift their tipsy s.h.i.+pmates into the boats.

I led Margaret back up the street; "Go home with uncle, dearest," I said, "I cannot be happy with you in this fearful crowd. The sooner you are out of Portsmouth the better."

Uncle Kelson took her arm, and led her along the street, while I hurried back to the Point, for I had not many minutes to spare, as I would not have been a moment behind-hand on any account.

I remember seeing an old Irish woman with a pipe in her mouth, seated on one of several casks placed close together in the middle of the Point.

I fought my way through the crowd, and seeing Jerry's wherry, jumped into her, begging him at once to shove off as I was late. He and his boy pulled away; but scarcely had we got half a dozen fathoms from the Point when there was a dreadful explosion. Flames burst up from the midst of the crowd, arms and legs and human bodies were lifted into the air, while others were shot out into the water or on board the boats, while fearful shrieks and screams rose from the scene of the catastrophe. Almost immediately afterwards not a single person could be seen standing on the Point, but many lay there dead, or fearfully mangled. Boats full of people were pulling away from the spot, and the rest of the crowd were flying up towards the street.

It turned out that the old Irishwoman I had noticed seated on the cask, not dreaming that it contained gunpowder, had shaken out the ashes from her pipe on it. How the casks of powder came to be left there is more than I can say. All I know is, that great carelessness prevailed in all departments of the navy in those days, and it's only a wonder that more accidents did not occur.

Numbers of persons were killed by the explosion, others were dreadfully mutilated, and scarcely a sc.r.a.p of the old woman herself could be discovered. I felt grateful to Heaven that my dear wife and uncle had escaped. Had they come on with me, we should have been close to the spot and among the sufferers. I could not go back, though Jerry wanted to do so, as I had to be on board by noon, and there were but a few minutes to get alongside the s.h.i.+p.

I reported myself to the first lieutenant as having come on board.

"Very well," he said, and just then it struck eight bells. I had not been long on board when I heard it reported that the _Nymph_ was to go into dock, and that the crew would be turned over to other s.h.i.+ps wanting hands. It was but too true, and I found that d.i.c.k Hagger, I, and others were to be transferred to the _Culloden_, 74, forming one of the Channel fleet, under Earl Howe, and then commanded by Captain Schomberg. She was soon ready for sea, and we went out to Spithead, where the s.h.i.+ps were rapidly collecting. I had never seen so many men-of-war together, for there were thirty-four sail of the line, eight frigates, and smaller vessels.

No leave was granted, so I could not get on sh.o.r.e, for we were to be ready to start at a moment's notice, directly intelligence should arrive from the numerous cruisers off the French coast that the Brest fleet had put to sea.

We had a mixed crew, and a bad lot many of them were--jailbirds, smugglers, who were good, however, as far as seamans.h.i.+p was concerned, longsh.o.r.e men, and Lord Mayor's men, picked up from the London streets, the only difference between the two last being that the latter had tails to their coats,--one slip of the tailor made them both akin,--and we dubbed them K.H.B., or king's hard bargains. Then we had a lot of ordinary seamen, and very ordinary they were. We A.B.'s were in the minority by a long chalk. Lastly came the marines; they were mostly steady men, and, as they had been at sea before, were better sailors than the ordinary seamen, besides which they knew their duty and did it.

Without them I am very sure the crew could never have been kept under.

Flogging was the order of the day; scarcely a morning pa.s.sed but we had two or three triced up, and the boatswain's mates swore that they had never worn out so many cats-o'-nine-tails before.

I don't know that it was the officers' fault, for they knew no better way of maintaining discipline. It was because some hundreds of men, few of whom had ever served on board a man-of-war, were brought together.

I had been on board some days when I caught sight of a face I knew too well; it was that of Charles Iffley. I was certain it was him, though when I inquired I found that he had entered under the name of Charles Trickett.

I saw him start when he first recognised me, but he kept out of my way, and I had no wish to speak to him. His presence, I feared, boded me no good. Whether his feelings of revenge were satisfied, I could not tell; but if not, I was very sure that he would wreak them on my head if he could.

During the early spring, merchant vessels of all sizes, but mostly large ones, kept coming in until nearly a hundred were a.s.sembled, when the whole fleet, including men-of-war, amounted to one hundred and forty-eight sail,--three being of a hundred guns, four of ninety-eight, while a large number were seventy-fours. The merchantmen were bound out either to the West Indies or Newfoundland, and some of the men-of-war were intended to convoy them.

At last, on the 2nd of May, a frigate came in with the news that the Brest fleet had put to sea. We immediately made sail from Saint Helen's and stood down Channel.

Besides looking out for the French fleet, which Lord Howe had determined to attack, we had to see the merchantmen clear of the Channel, and besides that to try and intercept a French convoy coming from America, said to consist of three hundred and fifty sail, laden with provisions and stores, the produce of the West Indian islands, of which the French Republic stood greatly in need.

On arriving off the Lizard, eight of the large s.h.i.+ps and six of the frigates were detached to see the merchantmen clear of the lat.i.tude of Cape Finisterre, while the Channel fleet, thus reduced to twenty-six sail of the line, besides seven frigates and smaller vessels, stood for Ushant. Before long the frigates made the signal that the French fleet were at sea.

We after this kept cruising up and down looking for them, though our Admiral knew that many of the s.h.i.+ps were far larger than ours, but our numbers were equal.

To describe all that took place is more than I can do. I know that it was on the 28th of May that the Admiral heard through some prizes which had been taken that the French fleet of which he was in search were close to us.

Soon after sunrise we made them out bearing down towards us with topgallant sails set. The signal was at once thrown out by the Admiral to prepare for battle. It was a fine sight to see them coming down upon us; but though there was a strong breeze blowing and a heavy sea on, they did not near us as fast as we had expected, and we were ordered to go to dinner. It was the last many a fine fellow on board some of the s.h.i.+ps was to take, but I do not believe that any one, on account of the thoughts of the coming battle, ate a worse meal than usual.

Greatly to our disappointment, a short time after we returned on deck, the French fleet were seen making off, but our spirits revived when Lord Howe threw out the signal for a general chase, followed, almost immediately afterwards, by another to engage the enemy's s.h.i.+ps as soon as we should arrive up with them. Only our leading s.h.i.+ps were, however, able to do so, and we saw them blazing away at the Frenchmen till night closed in on us.

The _Audacious_ got most fighting, and being terribly knocked about, was nearly taken by the enemy. She gave as much as she received, and so battered the _Revolutionnaire_ that the French s.h.i.+p had to be taken in tow by one of her own frigates.

Next day we had some more fighting, much in the same fas.h.i.+on as on the first, but more severe, several of our s.h.i.+ps having lost their topmasts and yards, and two or three of the French being completely disabled.

Thus we kept manoeuvring for two days, till, to our great disappointment, we lost sight of the French fleet during the night of the last of May. We had been standing to the westward, when at daybreak on the first of June, lat.i.tude 47 degrees 48 minutes north, longitude 18 degrees 30 minutes west, the wind a moderate breeze, south by west, and the sea tolerably smooth, we descried the French fleet, carrying a press of sail about six miles off on our starboard or lee bow, and steering in a line of battle on the larboard tack. At 5 a.m. our s.h.i.+ps by signal bore up together and steered north-west. At about 7 a.m., we having again hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, plainly saw the French fleet, consisting of twenty-six sail of the line, the whole, with the exception of one or two, complete in their masts and rigging.

Shortly after this we saw the welcome signal flying, ordering us to breakfast, and as soon as it was over, the still more welcome one to bear down on the enemy. The next signal thrown out was for each s.h.i.+p to steer for and independently engage the s.h.i.+p opposite to her in the enemy's line, the _Caesar_ leading the van. The _Bellerophon_, or Billy Ruffian, as she used to be called, followed her; next came the _Leviathan_. We were about the thirteenth in line. The s.h.i.+ps of both fleets were carrying single-reefed topsails. Of those of the French, some were lying to, and others backing and filling to preserve their stations. We were steering about north-west, with a fresh breeze south by west, and going little more than five knots an hour.

We were standing on, every s.h.i.+p keeping regularly in line, when what was the disgust of the true men on board the Culloden to hear the captain give the order to back the fore and main-topsails, three other s.h.i.+ps having done the same, though we were not even yet within range of the enemy's guns. We soon, however, saw the Admiral speaking with his signals, and ordering us to make more sail. Our brave old chief was at the same time setting topgallant sails, and letting fall his foresail in order that the _Queen Charlotte_ might be first through the enemy's line. In a short time that n.o.ble s.h.i.+p was engaged singlehanded with three of the enemy, for neither the _Gibraltar_ nor the _Brunswick_ were near enough to aid her. She was opposed to one French hundred-and-twenty gun s.h.i.+p, and two of eighty guns. In a short time, down came her fore-topmast, followed shortly afterwards by her main-topmast, while so damaged were her lower yards and rigging, that she was almost unmanageable. Notwithstanding this, she kept blazing away, till she beat off the two eighty gun s.h.i.+ps, which made their escape, and had now only the biggest opposed to her.

The action had now become general, a few of our s.h.i.+ps had cut their way through the French line, and engaged the enemy to leeward; the remainder hauled up to windward and opened their fire, some at a long, others at a more effectual distance. I am sorry to say the _Culloden_ was among the former. Perhaps our captain thought, with his undisciplined crew, that it would be hazardous to venture alongside an enemy's s.h.i.+p. He was wrong if he thought so. Bad as our fellows were, we had enough good men to load and fire the guns and the others were able at all events to haul them in and run them out again. It was impossible to see what was taking place. Each captain had to act for himself, and the greater number were doing their duty n.o.bly. The _Brunswick_ for some time was hooked by her anchors alongside a French s.h.i.+p, which she almost knocked to pieces. Another, coming up to rescue her friend, received so tremendous a fire that her three masts were speedily cut away by the board.

One s.h.i.+p after another of the French struck, and several were almost dismasted. Of these, four were recovered by the French Admiral, who now stood away to the northward, leaving Earl Howe in possession of six line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps which had been captured. The victory was an important one, for although many of our s.h.i.+ps had suffered severely, we had not lost one, while besides the six we had taken from the French, we had fearfully knocked about a large number of others.

The old Earl, as far as I know, made no complaint of the way in which some of the s.h.i.+ps had disobeyed his orders and kept out of action. We in the _Culloden_, who knew what ought to have been done, felt ashamed of ourselves, that's all I can say.

As soon as the worst damages could be repaired, the whole fleet made sail and stood up Channel, steering for Spithead, where we arrived early on the morning of the 13th, and brought up with our six prizes.

I felt very little of the enthusiasm which animated most of the thousands of visitors who came off to see us; but many were mourners, anxious to obtain information of the loved ones they had lost, and others to see their wounded relatives and friends groaning in pain below. My great desire was to let my wife know that I had escaped, and I was very thankful when Jerry Vincent came alongside, and I was able to despatch a letter by him, he promising to deliver it immediately, and to tell her that I looked well and hearty.

A few days afterwards the King and Queen came down to Portsmouth, and went on board the _Queen Charlotte_, to present the old Admiral--for he was then seventy years of age--with a diamond-hilted sword, and to hang a gold chain round his neck. They then dined with him, and returned on sh.o.r.e in the evening. One of the vice-admirals was made Lord Graves, and the other Viscount Bridport. The rear-admirals were created baronets, and the first lieutenant of every line of battle s.h.i.+p in the action was made a commander. The rest got empty thanks, and a small share of prize-money, which was spent by the greater number of the men the first time they got ash.o.r.e, so that the grog-sellers, lodging-house keepers, and Jews, benefited chiefly by that. The s.h.i.+ps which had suffered went into Portsmouth harbour to refit; but as the _Culloden_ had no honourable wounds to show, we were kept at Spithead, and no leave was granted.

The men grumbled and growled, complaining that they were ill-treated, and that it was not their fault that they had not taken a more active part in the battle. The captain and officers best knew the reason why, and they also were out of sorts, for they heard it whispered that they had shown the white feather. They consequently, being out of temper, bullied us, and we were kept at work, exercising at the guns, and making and shortening sail.

Our former captain being removed, Captain Thomas Trowbridge, well-known as a good officer, took command of the s.h.i.+p, and we put to sea for a cruise.