CHAPTER NINETEEN.
VISIT RUINS OF TRUXILLO.--THE COMMODORE RECEIVES ME AND MY GALLEON WITHJOY.--FEARFUL SICKNESS ON BOARD SQUADRON.--THE ISLAND OF RATTAN.--CAPSIZED IN A SQUALL.--SHIP RIGHTS.--BEAT OFF A PRIVATEER.--REACHJAMAICA.--THE SAINT DOMINGO CONDEMNED, AND CARGO PLACED ON BOARD THEROTTEN LEVIATHAN.--REJOIN THE CHARON.--SAIL WITH CONVOY.--PIRATICALEXPLOITS.--SINKING OF LEVIATHAN, AND MY HOPES OF PRIZE-MONEY LOST.--REACH THE DOWNS, AND START FOR FALMOUTH.
Whenever the duties of the ship would allow me to go on shore, Irepaired to the ruins of Truxillo, for I was never weary of wanderingamong its deserted streets and exploring its shattered edifices.Meantime the repairs of the ship went on as expeditiously as possible,and by the 16th of November we had set up our rigging, got all the woodand water we could stowaway on board, and made every other requisitepreparation for encountering a winter passage to England. I hadarranged to sail the next day, when at noon it was reported to me that abrig was seen standing into the bay.
"Make the signal for the people to hurry on board," was my reply as Iwent on deck.
Having examined the stranger through the glass, I thought she lookedsuspicious, so I hoisted the private signal and waited with some littleanxiety to ascertain if it was answered. The fact that we had gotpossession of the Saint Domingo, with all her wealth on board, would beknown to the Spaniards, and if they should discover that she wasseparated from the rest of the fleet, they would very naturally send inquest of her. The signal was not answered. "My lads, I suspect weshall have a fight for it," I sung out, as I gave the order to preparefor action, resolved to put the ship in as good a state of defence ascircumstances would allow. The ship was armed with sixteenfour-pounders, and four six-pounders, besides swivels and cohorns. Ifirst got springs on my cables, so as to have complete command over theship, and as I had not men sufficient to fight all the guns, I ran themall over on one side, in order to make the first broadside as formidableas possible. I hoped thus to sink or disable our antagonist, or to makeher sheer off. Should she, however, venture to board, I had no fear, asI felt certain that my men would not fear to encounter twice theirnumber. They were full of fight, and the way they went about theirpreparations gave me every confidence that we should succeed. The brigapproached us with a great deal of caution. If we did not like herlooks, she evidently did not like ours. I knew that it would be best toshow I was ready for her, so as soon as she was within range of my gunsI hoisted my colours and fired a shot ahead of her. The next was amoment of suspense, and I believe my people were not a littledisappointed when she hoisted an English ensign and fired a gun toleeward. Having sailed close past us and hailed, she brought up at ashort distance from me. She then lowered a boat, and LieutenantButcher, whom I had before met, came on board, and informed me that thecommodore had hired the brig and sent him in charge of her to look-outfor the Saint Domingo, which he had heard had been lost on theSolomadinas, the most dangerous rocks on the coast.
"A ship we spoke informed us that you had been seen to go on shore, andwe hoped that though the galleon might be lost, we might save some ofyour lives," he added; "however, I am heartily glad to find you allalive and the old craft afloat."
"Not more glad than I am, that we have escaped all the dangers we haveencountered," I replied, and I told him of all the narrow escapes we hadhad.
He then informed me that the Charon and Lowestoffe had several timesnearly been lost, and were now at Port Royal Harbour, in the Island ofRattan.
To that place I found that I was at once to proceed. I will notdescribe all the incidents which occurred before I got there. I musttry and hurry on with my adventures, or I shall never bring them to anend.
By the 19th I got off the harbour, and, making a signal for assistance,some boats came out to help tow me in, and by six o'clock I was safelymoored under the guns of the squadron. The commodore was delighted tosee me. I did not flatter myself so much because of my own merits, ason account of the richly-freighted old galleon. However, I was notaddicted to trouble myself as to the cause of any attention I mightreceive, or any compliments which might be paid me; but I alwaysreceived them with a good grace, as if they were invariably due to myown especial merits. The commodore told me that he should at once sendme on to Jamaica, under convoy of the Lowestoffe, and gave me directionsto get ready again for sea. I had a number of visitors on board, whocame to congratulate me on my escape, and to have a look at the galleon,which was much such a craft as some of the followers of Columbus mighthave sailed in to conquer the New World. I found the squadron in a verysickly state. No less than two-thirds of the crews were living on shorein huts and tents, suffering from sickness, and since the time they hadleft Omoa they had buried upwards of a hundred men, the master of theLowestoffe being among them. Altogether I know in a very short timethey lost one hundred and twenty men--while I had not lost one on boardthe galleon. Rattan itself was not supposed to be unhealthy, but atthis time there were no inhabitants on it. When the war broke out withSpain, one of her first acts was to attack our settlements on the coastof Honduras, and totally to put a stop to our logwood trade. Themerchants and traders connected with that business accordingly earnestlysolicited the commodore to take possession of the Island of Rattan,which is admirably placed to guard the entrance to the Gulf of Honduras.It had belonged to the English in the late war, but by the treaty ofpeace made at its termination it was restored to the Spaniards, orrather abandoned, and all the works on it had been destroyed. Inconsequence, however, of the requisition of the merchants which I havespoken of, the commodore, on the 25th of November, 1779, again tookpossession of it in the name of his Britannic Majesty, and immediatelyset to work to put the place in as good a state of defence ascircumstances would allow. A number of logwood cutters and othersettlers, as well as some merchants and traders, had already arrivedthere. These were at once regularly drilled and taught the use of theirarms. Each of the ships of the squadron also launched two of theirguns, which we mounted on the works for the defence of the harbour,while they were furnished likewise with an abundant supply of ammunitionand stores of all sorts. The harbour of Port Royal is, without doubt,as good a one as any in the West Indies, and so well formed is it bynature for defence, that with a small amount of art employed on it, Ishould think that it might be made perfectly impregnable from any attackby sea. At the time of which I speak the island was entirelyuncultivated, and produced only the trees and shrubs nature had plantedthere; but from what I saw of the soil and from what others who knewmore about agricultural affairs than I did, I had no doubt that in a fewyears it would become a very flourishing spot, and amply repay theplanters who might settle on it. Just now it was serving as theburial-place of many poor fellows, who were carried off day after day bythe malignant fever which had got among them. It was sad to go on shoreto visit the sick and dying, and all the time to feel that one could beof no use to them. I had seen a good deal of that sort of thing lately,but it had not hardened my heart. At last I scarcely went on shore atall. Nothing I found so depressing to my spirits as to see the longrows of graves beneath which so many of my poor countrymen weresleeping, and still more to see them day by day increasing in number.
While I was getting ready for sea, the Charon, having taken on board thewhole cargo of the Saint Joseph galleon, sailed with the purpose ofproceeding at once to England, leaving the Pomona at Rattan, to bringoff the sick as soon as it was deemed practicable and safe to removethem.
On the 26th of November, having taken leave of the commodore and salutedhim with three hearty cheers, such as he well deserved, and having onboard several passengers, some of whom were taken prisoners at Omoa, Iput to sea in company with the Lowestoffe. Scarcely had I donebreakfast next morning, and was congratulating myself on having apleasant run to Jamaica, when Nol Grampus entered my cabin with thepleasing intelligence that the Saint Domingo had sprung a leak."Allowing to her being manned by heretics, as the Spaniards would say,"I exclaimed petulantly as I hurried out, and with the c
arpenterendeavoured to ascertain where the injury was to be found. At the sametime I set both the pumps going; but do all we could, we could not keepthe leak under. At length I most unwillingly gave orders to hoist thesignal of distress. As soon as it was seen on board the Lowestoffe herboats were sent to my assistance.
On inquiring among the Spanish prisoners I found from them that she hadbeen struck by lightning in the harbour of Omoa, and had been injured insome place aft. On examining I discovered the injury to exist under thelarboard counter, and having got some lead nailed on over the leak, Isoon had the pleasure of seeing the water sensibly decrease. One dangerover, it was not long before I had to encounter another of a still moreserious nature, and I had great reason to fear that after all I had gonethrough I should still not succeed in carrying my prize into port. HadI been followed by the curse of some revengeful old witch I couldscarcely have been compelled to encounter more difficulties and mishaps;such a witch as Shakespeare describes as sailing in a sieve, and like arat without a tail doing something dreadful.
On the 29th the wind was favourable and light, and the big galleon wasgliding swiftly over a smooth, laughing sea, when, the decks having beenwashed down, I was taking a turn, as was my custom before breakfast,with Martin.
"Fine weather, sir," he remarked. "After all our mishaps there seems afair prospect of our getting into port in safety."
"There's many a slip between the cup and the lip, and for my part Inever again will make sure of a thing till I have got it in my hand, andthen I should look very sharp that it does not jump out again," was myanswer, for I was, I own, beginning to be discontented with sublunaryaffairs in general.
"Oh, no fear now, I think, but what we shall get the rich old galleonsafe into port at last, and some day touch the prize-money she willbring us," remarked Martin, rubbing his hands at the thought of thewealth he was about to obtain, and the way in which he would very soonmanage to get through it.
"Breakfast ready, sir," said Tom Rockets, coming up to me and touchinghis cap. He was doing the duty of Jenker, my steward, who had brokenhis leg in one of the many gales we had encountered.
I invited Martin to breakfast with me. When we left the deck the windwas light and the sky had scarcely a cloud floating on it to dim itssplendour. We had finished a plate of scraped salt beef, and had begunupon a salt herring, (what would I not have given for a fresh, juicymutton chop!) I had just taken a cup of coffee and Martin was helpinghimself, holding up the coffee-pot, when I saw it and him and thebreakfast-things gliding away to leeward, and felt myself followingthem. There was a terrific roaring sound and a loud rush of watersalmost overwhelming the shouts and cries of the people on deck. Overwent everything in a confused mass. I rushed out of the cabin, followedby Martin, to ascertain what had occurred, though I had no doubt aboutthe matter. The ship had overset in one of the sudden squalls to whichthese seas are liable. There she lay like a log, with her sails almostin the water. She appeared to me to be going lower and lower everyinstant. Nothing could exceed the confusion the deck presented. Thecrew were rushing about and letting go any ropes they could lay handson, in accordance with the orders of the officer of the watch to take insail. The lady passengers were shrieking out for help as they paddledabout to leeward, and the men were in vain endeavouring to afford it,shouting and striking out in the water and endeavouring to climb uptowards the weather bulwarks.
"There go all our hopes of wealth," I thought to myself as I saw thecondition of the ship. Strange that that should be the first idea whichcame into my head. I did not think that the ship would swim manyminutes longer. I looked out for the Lowestoffe. She was not far-off,and was lowering her boats, to come to our assistance. Only one chanceof saving the ship remained. We must cut away the masts. I gave thenecessary order. While some of the crew set to work on the rigging withtheir knives, I sung out for an axe. One had fallen overboard the daybefore. Another was not to be found.
"Can no one find an axe?" I sung out, not a little enraged. "Bear ahand, then."
Rockets was searching in one direction, Nol Grampus in others, withseveral of the rest of the men, while I felt almost frantic, expectingthe ship to fill and go down every instant. The officers were hurryingabout for the same object. Were the ship to go down, I felt many livesmight be lost, for the frigate's boats could scarcely save all handswith the passengers. The confusion and noise was increased, it must beremembered, by the roaring of the wind and the dashing of the seas overus.
At last Grampus appeared with a couple of axes. I seized one and sprungto the mainmast. He rushed forward. I had lifted up my gleamingweapon, and was about to give the fatal stroke, when there was a suddenlull of the wind, and the stout old galleon, no longer feeling itspressure, sprang up and righted herself in an instant, sending a dozenof the crew across the deck and all the passengers spinning about inevery direction. Except a little of the standing rigging cut, a fewshins broken, and a complete ducking received by all the passengers, nodamage had occurred. We soon got the lady passengers put to rights, andseated on the hencoops, where they had been taking their breakfast, thecoffee-cups picked up, the men restored to their legs, and their cigarsre-lighted, and everything in its proper place, while the boats whichhad been coming to our help returned to their frigate.
"All's well that ends well," was Martin's observation when we again satdown to a fresh supply of coffee, red herrings, and biscuits.
Nothing else occurred till the 5th of December, when one of the Spanishprisoners was found dead in his bed in the gun-room.
On the 8th we made Jamaica, but were beating away under the south-westend of the island, till the 15th, when I carried away myfore-topsail-yard, and had to put into Bluefields Bay to repair theloss.
On the 16th we sailed again with the Lowestoffe. In the evening, as wewere pretty close in with the shore, the Lowestoffe signalised that asuspicious schooner was in sight and made sail in chase. Scarcely hadwe sunk her courses below the horizon when another vessel appeared fromunder the land, standing towards us. She was also a schooner, and wewere not long in making up our minds that she was an enemy's privateer.I did not fear her though. We loaded and ran out all our guns andprepared for the encounter. I knew that my men would not yield whilethe galleon kept afloat, and so I did not watch the Lowestoffe'sdeparture with so much anxiety as I might otherwise have done. TomRockets and others were tightening in their waist-bands, fasteninghandkerchiefs round their heads, feeling the edges of their cutlasses,and making all the other usual preparations for a fight.
The stranger came on boldly towards us. I had no doubt of the characterof the schooner, but as she sailed two knots to our one there was no usein attempting to try and escape her. It was not long before she gotwithin gun-shot and exhibited her true character by running up theSpanish ensign and by firing one of her bow-chasers at us. As our gunswould not carry so far as hers I let her come on considerably nearerbefore I returned the compliment. The privateer, thinking that theywere going to make an easy victory of us, fired again, but the shot, ashad the first, flew wide of us. I saw that my people were impatient tofire in return.
"Hold fast, my lads," I cried out. "Let her come on a little nearer,and we'll show her that she has caught a Tartar for once in a way."
I waited for another ten minutes, but as I saw the way in which thewell-armed daring little craft approached us I could not help thinkingto myself, "I wonder whether this will be another slip between the cupand the lip." I, of course, did not show what I thought. I now judgedthat we had got her well within range of all our guns. Again she fired,and the shot flew through our rigging.
"Now give it her, my lads," I sung out. "Blaze away!"
The men were not slow to obey the order. Our broadside told withfearful effect. Many of our shot tore along her decks, killing andwounding a considerable number of her crew. Notwithstanding this theschooner stood after us. From the spirited way in which she came on Ithought that she must be American,
and, knowing the rich prize we shouldprove, had determined at all risks to get hold of us. She only carriedsix guns, but they were heavier than ours, and while her crew were amplystrong to man them, mine could not fight more than half the guns we had.The contest, therefore, was much more equal than at first appeared tobe the case. Still I had not much fear as to the results, especially ifthe privateer really was Spanish, for however bravely or furiouslySpaniards come on, and however much bravado they make, I have alwaysfound that they never can withstand English pluck and determination. Assoon as we had fired our first broadside we loaded again as fast as wecould, while the schooner gave us the contents of her three guns fromone side, and was about to keep away and run under our stern to fire thethree on the other--the first having done us no little damage, woundedone of our masts, and cut a poor fellow almost in two--but just as shewas on the point of firing we let fly four or five of our after gunsright down upon her, and one of the shot striking the helmsman, knockedhim over, and before another man could take his place the schooner hadflown up again into the wind. Her starboard broadside not being loaded,we were able to give her another dose before she was ready to fire, andin the meantime the report of the guns being heard on board theLowestoffe, she was seen standing towards us under all sail.
The privateer had now had quite sufficient taste of our quality, andgreatly to my vexation and to that, I believe, of everyone on board, shehauled her wind and stood away from us on a bow-line, a point of sailingon which we had no chance of overtaking her. We gave her, however, aparting salute and three cheers and many a hearty wish that she hadstopped to receive the thrashing we all felt confident we should havebestowed on her.
The Lowestoffe soon came up and chased her for a few miles, having inthe course of it recaptured a prize which the privateer had just beforetaken. Had not the captain of the Lowestoffe been apprehensive thatsome more of these privateering gentlemen might try to get hold of mytenderly-loved galleon, he would probably have continued the chase andcaptured the schooner herself, but remembering that a bird in the handis worth two in the bush, he wisely would not allow himself to betempted on, but returned to keep ward and watch over me.
"You said, sir, that there was many a slip between the cup and the lip,"observed Martin, as on the morning of the 18th December, 1779, wesighted the entrance to Port Royal Harbour, Jamaica, and with a fairbreeze stood into it with our rich prize, followed closely by ourfaithful guardian the Lowestoffe.
"Yes, my boy, but we have not touched the rhino yet, and even then itmay be long before the sweets reach our mouth," was my answer. "So Ihave always found it to be, and so I always expect to find it. Thesebales of indigo which are said to be worth so much, are rathercumbersome articles to put into our pockets and walk off with. The shiphas to cross the Atlantic and the cash has to pass through the hands ofmerchants, and brokers, and prize-agents before we touch it."
I little thought at the time how necessary my warning was, and how wellit was not to reckon too much on the riches which might so easily taketo themselves wings and flee away. Still, as I have before said, Icould not help believing that I should some day or other possess theportion which was my due; and over and over again I conjured up thedelightful picture when I should find myself once more in America, nolonger as an enemy to her sons, but as the affianced husband of MadelineCarlyon and the friend and companion of her kindred and people.
In high spirits, therefore, and with no small amount of pride in myheart, I sailed up the harbour and saluted Sir Peter Parker withthirteen guns, which compliment he returned with eleven. After thisexpenditure of gunpowder I hurried up to pay my respects to him, and wasreceived with all his usual kindness and urbanity. To my astonishment,and somewhat, I own, to my disappointment, I found my own ship, theCharon, at anchor among the rest of the fleet. I thought that she hadlong ago sailed for England. On going on board I soon was madeacquainted with the cause of her return. On her passage through theGulf of Florida she had spoken HMS Salisbury, from which ship CaptainLuttrell gained the information that many very disparaging reportsreflecting on his honour were circulating in Jamaica respecting hisconduct at the taking of Omoa. This made him at once resolve to returnto the island, to vindicate his character. He immediately demanded aCourt of Inquiry, which was held on board the Niger, when he washonourably acquitted of one and all the malicious charges allegedagainst him. Officers, especially in the navy, would always do well toimitate the commodore's conduct in this particular. All men may havedirt thrown at them, but the honourable man will never allow it toremain a moment longer than can be avoided, lest it should leave a stainbehind.
Captain Luttrell's return to Jamaica had a considerable influence on myfortunes. I was in high feather at having so far escaped all thedangers of the voyage with the old Galleon, and was making everypreparation to fit her yet further for encountering the passage inmid-winter across the Atlantic. During this period I had not altogetheran unpleasant time of it, for the merchants and planters of Kingstonwere proverbially hospitable, and I had many friends among them, so thatevery moment I could spare from my duties on board ship was occupied inreceiving the attentions and civilities they showered on me. This wasall very agreeable. I made haste to enjoy the moments as they passed,for I expected to be at sea and far away in a very few days. Mypleasure was, however, of shorter duration even than I anticipated. Imet O'Driscoll one day, who had just come from the admiral.
"I say, Hurry, my boy," he began; "do you know what they talk of doingwith your old galleon?"
"Send her to sea at once, before her repairs are finished," I answered."It's the way they too often do things."
"Not a bit of it," he replied. "They say that she is not fit to go tosea, so they propose transferring her cargo to the old `Leviathan,'which to my certain knowledge is very much out of repair, and sendingher home with it."
"Some abominable job!" I exclaimed, stamping with rage. "It's too bad,after all I have gone through, to deprive me of the credit I ought tohave gained. I won't believe it."
I soon found, however, that O'Driscoll's account was too true. A surveywas held on the Saint Domingo, and she was condemned as unfit to proceedon her voyage to England. Her cargo, consisting of twelve hundred andthirty-two saroons of indigo, and a large quantity of sarsaparilla andhides, was put on board HMS Leviathan, and her captain was to have threethousand pounds freight. I protested as loudly as I could against thisdecision. I asserted that the Saint Domingo was far more calculated totake home so valuable and bulky a cargo than the Leviathan, or any otherman-of-war, and I undertook, with twenty of my people, who had been inher already for three months, to carry her across the Atlantic insafety. All I could say was of no avail. Not only I, but many otherofficers said the same thing. The affair was decided against us, and Isaw, with no small regret, the whole of the Saint Domingo's cargotransferred to the rotten old Leviathan.
On the 16th of January, 1780, having given up the hull of the SaintDomingo to our agent at Jamaica, I joined the Charon, with my twofollowers, for the first time since my appointment to her. On the nextday we sailed from Port Royal, in company with his Majesty's ships Ruby,Lyon, Bristol, Leviathan, Salisbury, James, Resource, Lowestoffe,Pallas, Galatrea, Delight, and about ninety sail of merchant vessels.Except the capture of a Spanish privateer, and a vessel laden withmahogany, nothing particular occurred till the 9th of February, inlatitude 29 degrees north, and longitude 72 degrees west, when theadmiral and his squadron put about to return to Jamaica, leaving us andthe Leviathan in charge of the convoy, to pursue our way to England.
We had hard work enough in keeping our convoy together, and in whippingup the laggards. In spite of the danger they ran of being picked up byprivateers, some were continually getting out of the order of sailing.The Leviathan kept ahead, and led as well as she could, while we did theduty of huntsman, or of whipper-in. One night when it was my watch ondeck, as I was keeping a bright look-out in all directions, I saw theflash of a gun on our lee quart
er, and the sound directly after reachedmy ears. It was, it struck me, from a petronel, or some small piece ofordnance such as merchantmen carried in those days. I reported thecircumstance to Captain Luttrell, who ordered me at once to make sail inthat direction. One or two other shots followed, and I could justdiscern the flashes of pistols, though the reports did not reach ourears. The night was very dark, but we were able to steer clear of someof the convoy, which had been near us on our lee quarter. I hadcarefully taken the bearings of the spot where I had seen the flashes.We were not long in getting up to it. There was a large barque undersail, steering somewhat wildly, but still keeping after the fleet. Wehailed as we got close to her, but received no answer. A second time wehailed, still louder, but there was no reply. We then fired a shotacross her bows, but she stood on as before. On this the captaindirected me to take a boat and board her. There was not much sea, butin the wild way in which she was steering about, and in the extremedarkness, this would, I knew, be no very easy matter. However, singingout for volunteers, I soon had eight good hands to man a boat, and awaywe pulled towards the barque. As we got near I again hailed. Asbefore, there was no reply. At last, watching the proper moment, Ipulled in towards her, and hooked on to her mizen-chains. We soon, withlanterns in hand, scrambled on board. As I was hurrying along the deck,I stepped on some substance which very nearly made me measure my lengthon it. I called to Tom Rockets, who was of course near me, to throw thelight of his lantern on the spot. It was blood. There could be nodoubt of it. The deck in several places was moist with the same, butyet no one had we seen. Aft there was no one. The helm was lashedamidships, and the ship was left to steer herself. Ordering a hand tothe wheel, to keep her close after the Charon, I again traversed thedeck to examine her forward. On my way I stumbled over two human forms.The light of the lantern, which fell on their countenances, showed methat they were not Englishmen--dark-bearded, swarthy fellows, dressed intrue buccaneer style. I had little doubt that they were pirates, orbelonging to the crew of one of the Spanish privateers, most of whichdeserved no better character. Farther on were two or three Englishseamen, so they seemed. Here evidently had been a desperate fight, butit was too clear which party had gained the victory. Two other bodieswere found locked in a deadly embrace--an English seaman and a Spaniard.One had been endeavouring to force the other overboard. The Spaniard'sknife was sticking in the Englishman's throat, but the latter had notdied till he had strangled his antagonist. A few moments sufficed toreveal this tale of horror. I looked out to endeavour to discern thepirate. I fancied that I could make out the sails of a fore and aftvessel to leeward, but when I looked again I could see nothing of them.I had now to examine the vessel below. I went aft into the cabin.There also had been a desperate struggle. The master apparently hadbeen surprised in his cot, and lay half out of it, stabbed to the heart.Several passengers had sprung out of their berths, it seemed, and beenshot or stabbed before they could reach the door of the cabin. Themate, I judged, and two other men, lay in a pool of blood just insidethe door. They had retreated there, fighting for their lives. Thetable and chairs were upset and broken. One of the pirates had fallen,and so hurried had been the retreat of his companions that they had beenunable to carry him off. He still breathed when I threw the light ofthe lantern on his face, but the moment he was moved he fell back and,with a deep groan, died. I marched through the whole of the vessel; nota living soul was found on board. On returning on deck, I again lookedout for the pirate--not that I had much hopes of seeing her. Allappeared dark to leeward, the Charon's stern lanterns only being visiblejust ahead of me. As I was peering into the gloom, suddenly a brightlight burst forth, as it seemed, out of the ocean. Up it rose,increasing in size, a vast mass of flame into the air. I coulddistinguish, with the greatest clearness, the masts and spars and canvasof a schooner, lifting upwards high above the surface of the dark sea.Then they seemed to separate into a thousand fragments, and to fall downin showers of sparks on every side. For a moment I was in doubt whetherwhat I saw was a reality or some hallucination of the mind, such as theimagination of a sleeper conjures up, but from the exclamations I heardaround me I was soon convinced that the pirate crew who had effected allthe mischief we had witnessed had met with a sudden and just retributionfor their crimes, and that they and their vessel had been blown up.
The next morning a midshipman and ten men were sent to relieve me, andto take charge of the barque, which proved to be a vessel bound forBristol. Sad was the tale she would have to convey to the wives andfamilies of her officers and crew. On the 20th a signal of distress wasseen flying on board one of our convoy. A couple of boats were manned,and I pulled away to her assistance. As we got near we saw the crewwaving to us, some in the rigging, and some leaning over the sides. Herboats, I concluded, had been knocked to pieces in a gale. At all eventsnone were lowered. The people waved and shouted more vehemently thanever. They had good reason for so doing. I saw by the way that thevessel was labouring, and by her depth in the water, that she was on thepoint of sinking. Already she had given one or two ominous rolls. Icried out to my men to pull up alongside as fast as they could. We weresoon up to her. "Leap, leap!" was the shout. I was afraid that theboats might get foul of some of the rigging, or be drawn into thevortex. Not a moment was to be lost. The merchantman's crew saw theirdanger, and threw themselves headlong over the bulwarks. The deck wasalready almost awash with the sea. Some reached the boats unhurt,others got much bruised, and two poor fellows plunged into the water.One of them sank before we could get hold of him, and the other we hadconsiderable difficulty in saving from the vortex made by the founderingship.
"Shove off! shove off!" I had to cry out. "Give way--give way, mylads!"
We had barely time to get clear of the vessel before she gave a terrificroll, her stern lifted, and down she went, as if dragged by someinvisible power towards the depths of the ocean. We hurried back to theCharon, without attempting to pick up anything, for the weather wascoming on bad, and the boats were already as full as they could hold. Icould not help remarking how little the men seemed to care for the lossof their ship. Most of them grumbled about losing their bags, but as toany thought of gratitude for their preservation, it did not seem tooccur to them that there was any necessity for feeling it. Had no othership been near, or had their vessel gone down in the night, not one ofthem would have been saved.
"Oh, they are a precious rough lot, are my men," observed the master."There's nothing they wouldn't do, and nothing they care for."
I thought as he spoke that he was precious rough himself, and that itwas very much owing to him, and men like him, that merchant-seamen areso often little better than barbarians--without a thought of religion,or a knowledge of a future life. Several more days passed by, and wewere making good progress. I little guessed what was in store for us.Often, as I kept my midnight watch, my thoughts flew to MadelineCarlyon, and I delighted to picture to myself the happiness which Ianticipated when I should one day be united to her. Of course I couldnot tell how or when that was to be, but I had so often and so longdwelt on the subject that I began to consider my union with her as asettled thing, that was to be a reality. Of one thing I was mostcertain, that she fully returned the affection I had bestowed on her. Ipictured to myself how delightful it would be to bring her over toEngland as my wife--to introduce her to my father and mother and myrelations, and to witness the admiration I was certain they would bestowon her. However, I did not intend to trouble my readers with a minuteaccount of my own private thoughts and feelings, and yet, had Ineglected to speak again of Miss Carlyon, I might have been accused ofhaving heartlessly forgotten one for whom I had before expressed soardent an affection. Most of my hopes of the successful termination ofmy love were based, it must be remembered, on the fortune which floatedwithin the ribs of the huge Leviathan, and then my feelings may well beimagined, when, on the morning of the 24th of February, I saw a signalof distress flying on board her.
I instantly communicated thecircumstance to Captain Luttrell, who ordered all our boats to go to heraid. What was the matter we could not tell. Some thought a fire mighthave broken out among her cargo--others that she had sprung a leak. Atall events it was very evident that her demand for relief was urgent.The boats were speedily lowered. Several of the merchantmen weresending off theirs also, and away we pulled towards her as fast as wecould. I was the first on board. I found all the men with their bagson deck, and the officers collected with traps of all sorts. I did notsee the captain and first lieutenant. The second lieutenant I knew, andspoke to him.
"We have been holding a council of war, and it has been resolved toabandon the ship, as there does not appear to be the slightest prospectof being able to keep her afloat a day or perhaps an hour longer," heremarked with a look in which I thought that there was some littleamount of shame mingled. "You see, it would not do to risk the lives ofthe people, or our own either, on the mere chance of keeping the oldship afloat a few days longer at most. The cargo they have put into heris more than she can carry--that is very evident."
"Yes, indeed--that ought to have been known before?" I exclaimed,stamping with my foot vehemently on the deck. I could not for the lifeof me help the action. "And is this valuable cargo to be allowed tosink to the bottom of the sea without anyone straining a muscle to saveit? That shall not be, and though every body else is afraid ofremaining on board, I'll undertake to stay by her and do my best to keepher afloat."
"You'll make your offers to your own captain, sir," said the captain ofthe Leviathan, who just then appeared on deck. "If he thinks fit toaccept them, he must be answerable for your life. My officers and Ihave come to the decision that to remain on board is certaindestruction. No human power can keep the ship afloat."
To all this I of course said nothing. I had been too long a midshipmannot to know that the less a subordinate differs with his superiorofficer the better. I therefore merely stated that the boats Icommanded were at the captain's disposal, to convey him and his peopleon board the Charon, or any of the vessels in the convoy.
The captain, I thought, looked not a little sheepish, though he tried tobrazen it out by as pompous a manner as he could assume. For want ofsufficient courage and energy he was not only losing three thousandpounds, which he would have received on arriving in England, butallowing a number of other people to lose the hard-won wealth whichmight have been theirs. It was a very bitter subject to think of, Iknow. The captain had made up his mind to abandon the ship, andaccordingly every boat alongside as well as their own was filled withthe men and their bags, and the officers and their private effects.Many preferred taking passages in the merchantmen rather than be crowdedup and subject to the discipline of a man-of-war. The captain of theLeviathan resolved on going on board the Charon, and when he got thereit struck me that Captain Luttrell received him with an expression ofscorn on his countenance which I thought he fully deserved. The men whohad been in the boats declared that from what they saw of the old shipshe would, with a good crew on board, be able to swim for many a day tocome. I of course did not keep silence, but complained bitterly amongmy shipmates of the cowardice which had caused so valuable a cargo to bedeserted. Finding that I could get plenty of support I resolved to askCommodore Luttrell to let me go on board and try and save the cargo.When I expressed my intention the whole ship's company begged that theymight be allowed to go with me. I told them that I would take as manyas I could. The commodore, who had been hearing all the reasons givenby the captain of the Leviathan for deserting her, at first tried todissuade me from going, but when he found that I persisted, in his usualkind way he told me that I might take fifty men, and that he heartilywished me success in my enterprise. By the time I had selected my crewand got the boats in the water it was quite dark. My object was to tryand keep the ship afloat during the night, and in the morning toendeavour to discover where the worst leaks were to be found. I had buttwo boats, so that I could only take part of my crew at a time--theboats were to return for the rest. We shoved off with the fullintention of saving the old ship. I felt sure I could do it. NolGrampus and Tom Rockets were with me, and all were men I knew I couldtrust. The night was somewhat dark, and there was a good deal of seaon, so that the danger we had to encounter was not small. As we drewnear the abandoned ship I saw that she was tumbling about and rolling ina fearful manner. Even in daytime, when we could have watched hermovements and better calculated the proper moment to pull up alongsideand hook on, the risk would have been very great, and now it waspositively terrific. Now the ship came down with a roaring slush intothe sea, as if she was never coming up again, and then suddenly she roseand away she rolled over on the other side, lifting her keel almost outof the water. Still to go back was impossible--I could not bring myselfto do it. At every risk I determined to get on board. I watchedanxiously for the moment. She seemed to be rolling away from us, and Icalculated that we should have time to spring on board just as shereturned.
"Now, my lads, give way!" I sang out.
They did give way, poor fellows. A sea sent us closer up alongside thanI expected. Over again rolled the vast lumbering hull--down--right downupon us it came. Oh, mercy! A cry of horror rose--shrieks for help.The boat was dashed to fragments and pressed under the ship's bilge. Ifound myself struggling in the waves with my poor fellows around me. Imade a desperate effort to reach the main-chains. Now I was drivenback, and all I could see was the dark hull of the old ship rollingabove me, and I seemed to be sinking down into total darkness. Then thesea lifted me in its rough embrace just as I thought my last moment hadcome, and carried me right up to the very spot at which I was aiming.My struggles had so much exhausted my strength that I do not think Icould have grasped it, but a strong arm seized mine and lifted me up,and a voice I recognised as that of Nol Grampus exclaimed--
"All right, mate, here you are!"
Tom Rockets had just before reached the same place, and together theyhauled me up out of the water. Some of the other men had climbed up bythe main-chains, and others by the mizen-chains; but when we all at lastgot on deck and I began to muster them, I found that seven poor fellowswere missing. There was no time to grieve about their loss. Ourbusiness was to try and get the crew of the other boat--the jolly-boat--on board, and to set to work to see if the ship herself could be keptafloat. Warning them of what had happened, we stood by with ropes totell them to approach at the proper time. I waited till the ship wasactually rolling over on that side, and then singing out to them theygot alongside just as she was on an even keel. They were not manymoments in scrambling on board. The boat's falls were happily rove, sowe hooked on and hoisted her up out of harm's way. Not a boat belongingto the ship remained, and here was I in a sinking craft, with onlytwenty-two men instead of the fifty I had expected to have to stand byme--a dark night--a heavy sea--a gale brewing--not far from an enemy'sshore--not that that mattered much, by-the-bye. Still, thinking aboutour condition would do no good--action was what was required. My firstcare was to sound the well. There were nine feet of water in the hold.It was no wonder she tumbled about in the strange way she was doing. Itwas only surprising that she kept afloat at all. Grampus proposedreturning to the Charon for more people; but as I thought very likely,when Captain Luttrell heard that so many had been lost, he would notallow any more to come, I would not let him go. Besides, I had no fancyto be left in a sinking ship, without even a boat to take my people andme off, should she, without more warning, go down. Instead of that Imade my men a speech--a very short one, though--told them that if we setto work with a will we might yet, without further aid, keep the oldLeviathan at the top of the water till the morning, when more handswould come to our assistance, and we might probably save some of therich cargo on board. They at once saw the justness of my remarks, andthey knew that the Charon had no other boats remaining in which the restof those who had volunteered could come to our assistance. Accordingly,having trimmed sails as w
ell as could be done to keep way with theconvoy, I ordered the pumps to be manned, and we all set to with a will.Everyone worked as if they felt their lives depended on it; so theydid, I was convinced, for had we relaxed for ten minutes the old shipmight have given one plunge too much and gone down. I took my spellwith the rest, or rather, I may say, that I and all the rest labouredaway with scarcely an interval of rest. After two hours' hard pumping Isent Grampus to ascertain whether we had in any way diminished the waterin the hold. All we had done was to get it under about a foot. Fromthe quantity of water we had pumped out I therefore knew that the leakor rather leaks must be very bad ones. Still, if I had had my fifty menwith me, I should have been able, I was sure, unless the weather came onvery bad, to keep the leaks under. However, I resolved to keep up myown spirits and those of the people with me as well as I could. Now andthen I shouted out a few words of encouragement, then I sang a fewsnatches of some well-known song, or cut a joke or two suited to thetaste of my followers. This kept them in good spirits and preventedthem from thinking of the dangerous predicament in which we were placed.Hour after hour dragged its heavy footsteps along, and often I felt soweary that I thought I must throw myself down on the deck and give in.Then I would take a few minutes' rest, sitting on a gun, and go at itagain.
Everything contributed to make me persevere, and not the least, I mustown, was my anger and disgust at the shameful and cowardly way in whichthe ship had been abandoned. Oh, how I wished for daylight! and yetdaylight I knew was far-off. I kept Grampus and Rockets near me that Imight send them, as might be necessary, to ascertain the state ofaffairs in different parts of the ship. In a small craft I might moreeasily have known what was going forward, but in a huge lumbering shiplike the Leviathan I could not tell what might be occurring. When thecondition of a ship has become desperate, sailors have very often brokeninto the spirit-room, and, getting drunk, have allowed her to sink withthem. I had my fears that my poor fellows, when they became weary,would be guilty of some similar excess.
"Well, Grampus, how is the ship getting on?" I asked, after he hadreturned from one of the trips on which I had despatched him.
"The old craft is sucking in almost as much water as our fine fellowsdrive out of her, sir, but for all that there isn't one of them shirkinghis duty," he answered, in a cheerful voice. "If we could have a glassof grog apiece served out among us, I don't think as how it would do usany harm."
"I'll see to it," I replied. "Here, give me a spell; I'll get somemyself from the spirit-room." Searching about I found a can, andlantern in hand I descended to the lower regions of the ship. As Igroped my way there, the strange noises which assailed my ears--thecreakings, the groans, the wash of the water--almost deafened me. Ifelt strongly inclined to turn back, for I could not help fancying thatthe ship was that instant about to go down. The air, too, was close andpestiferous, as if all the foul vapours had been forced up from theinward recesses of the hold. She continued pitching and rolling in away so unusual that I could scarcely keep my legs. This was owing tothe unseamanlike mode in which the cargo had been stowed: indeed, a shipof war was not calculated to carry a cargo at all, in addition to herown stores, water and ammunition.
At length I filled my can and returned with it on deck, filling it up onmy way at one of the water-casks. Then I went round and served it outto the people, and never was grog more thankfully received. It did themall a great deal of good, and I am certain that on this occasion, bypouring the spirit down their own throats, they were enabled to get agreat deal more of the water out of the ship. I took very sparingly ofit myself, for I never was in the habit of taking much liquor of anysort, and I felt the vast importance, under present circumstancesespecially, that it was for me to keep my head cool. Not only on thisoccasion, but on all others did I feel this; indeed, though the licenceof the times allowed a great deal of hard drinking on shore, I held thevice in just abhorrence. In the navy especially, more men have beenruined body and soul by drunkenness than by any other way, and many afine fellow who would have been an ornament to his profession have Iseen completely lost to it and to his country by giving way to the vice.I will say that I considered it very creditable to my fellows that,although they might at any time have found their way to the spirit-room,they never for a moment left the pumps, and only took the grog I servedout to them.
Even the longest night must have an end. It was with no littlesatisfaction and gratitude also that I hailed the first faint streaks oflight in the eastern sky. As the light increased, and I saw that wewere surrounded by a number of vessels, with the Charon at no greatdistance, my spirits rose, and instead of wishing at once to abandon theLeviathan I bethought me that it still might be possible to get some ofher cargo out of her before she went to the depths below, if go shemust. Grampus agreed with me that this object might be effected. Isignalled my intentions accordingly to the Charon, and very soon I hadthe satisfaction of seeing the commodore speaking a number of themerchantmen. They quickly replied, and he then signalled to me to setto work and get up the cargo as fast as I could. I could have wished tobe supplied with more men, but, weak-handed as I was, after my faithfulfellows had taken such food as could be found for breakfast, we set towork and rigged tackles and cranes to hoist up the indigo andsarsaparilla and anything on which we could lay hands. It was heavywork, for the old ship was still rolling very much, and we were allpretty well knocked up with what we had gone through in the night. Theappearance of half-a-dozen boats or more, however, pulling towards usgave us fresh spirits. We sang away cheerily as we got saroon aftersaroon of indigo up on deck. This was, however, only part of thelabour; the greatest difficulty was to lower them into the boats. Thewind fortunately fell, and I was able to get up altogether during theday no less than 123 saroons of indigo, valued at sixteen thousandpounds. Why more assistance was not given me I cannot say. I do notlike to dwell on the subject. In the evening the masters signalled totheir boats to return, and my people and I were left alone once more onboard the rotten old ship, with only the jolly-boat in which to make ourescape should she go down. As the sun set the sky looked very windy,and there was considerably more sea than there had been all day. Icalled Grampus to my councils. He agreed with me in not at all likingthe look of the weather. The people were ready to stay by me as long asI thought fit to remain on board, but they had already begun to expressa wish to return to the Charon.
Taking all things into consideration I resolved to follow this course,and with a heavy heart ordered the people into the jolly-boat. I wasthe last man to quit the ship, and as I went down the side I certainlydid not expect to see her afloat the next morning. I had no time,however, for sentimental regrets, for the sea was getting up, the skywas looking very wild and windy, and darkness was fast coming on. Theboat also was much overcrowded. We, however, left the Leviathan's sidewithout an accident, and pulled slowly towards the Charon. She layacross the sea, and was rolling considerably when we got near her. Wepulled up under her quarter. The bowman stood up, boat-hook in hand, tocatch hold of the rope hove to us, when, losing his balance, he waspitched overboard. In vain his mates forward tried to catch hold ofhim; the next sea, probably, struck his head against the ship's side,and he sank from our sight. While we were endeavouring to save him,indeed, the boat herself very nearly capsized, when probably all or mostof us in her would have lost our lives. Happily, however, as it was, wemanaged to scramble on board, and the jolly-boat was hoisted up safe.
The commodore, as did my brother-officers, complimented me very much onwhat I had done, but as I had been left alone, I thought very unfairly,in my glory, I cannot say that I valued their compliments at a very highrate. I knew that I had done my duty at all events, and that was enoughfor me. Captain Luttrell, however, of his own accord agreed to remainby the Leviathan till the morning, in the hopes of being able to getmore of her cargo out of her. Out of spirits at the loss of so manypoor fellows, and after all at having done so little, I entered thegun-room.
Supper was placed before me; I could scarcely touch it.Getting rid of my wet clothes, I threw myself at last into my berth, andscarcely had my head touched my pillow than I was fast asleep. Stillthe thought of the Leviathan haunted me, and I continued dreaming of thescenes I had gone through during the time I had been on board her. Atlast I awoke, and, slipping on my clothes, found my way on deck. Thereshe lay--a dark, misty-looking object--rolling away even more violentlythan before, so it seemed to me. Still she was afloat, and while sheremained above water I still had hopes of saving more of her cargo. AsI gazed at her a strange sensation came over me. I know that I began totalk loudly and to wave my hand, and to play all sorts of antics. Howlong I was doing this I do not know, when one of my brother-officers puthis hand on my shoulder and said, "You have had hard work, Hurry; bed isthe best place for you." I let him lead me below without a word ofremonstrance. It struck eight bells in the morning watch when I oncemore awoke. I hurried on deck; the sky was dark and lowering--theleaden seas tumbling about with snow-white crests, from which the foamflew away to leeward, blown by a strong gale, which seemed every momentincreasing. We were still close to the Leviathan. I kept gazing at herwith a sort of stupid stare I dare say it looked like.
"It will not do, Hurry," said Captain Luttrell. "We must give it up. Icannot risk your life or those of any of our people on board the oldship again."
I was scarcely inclined to acquiesce in his remark. I wanted to makeanother effort to save the ship, and regretted that I had not remainedon board all night. Just then she made two or three rolls heavier thanusual--a sea appeared suddenly to lift up her stern--she made a plungeforward. I watched, expecting her to rise again--but no. It was herlast plunge. Like the huge monster from which she took her name, shedived down beneath the waves; the waters washed over her decks;gradually her masts sank till the pennant alone was to be seen streamingupwards for an instant, till that also was drawn down to the depths ofthe ocean. I could not help uttering a groan of grief, not for thewealth which I thus saw engulfed beneath the waves, but for thedestruction of all the hopes I had been so fondly cherishing.
The signal was now made for the convoy to continue on their course. Thebad weather which had been brewing now coming on, ship after ship partedcompany from us, and at length, after a passage of six weeks, we reachedthe Downs on the 21st of March without a single one of the convoy withus. I had been absent from home just five years and a half. I had leftit a boy--if not in age, in habits and feelings; I had come back anofficer--bearing his Majesty's commission as lieutenant, with ideasexpanded and feelings wonderfully changed. Without any difficulty, themoment I applied for leave Captain Luttrell granted it, and, taking TomRockets with me, I set off immediately for London on my way to Falmouth.