Chapter XXXVIII
Captain Horton--Gloomy news from home--Get over head and ears in thewater, and find myself afterwards growing one way, and my clothesanother--Though neither as rich as a Jew, nor as large as a camel, Ipass through my examination, which my brother candidates think passingstrange.
The day after Captain Kearney's decease, his acting successor made hisappearance on board. The character of Captain Horton was well known tous from the complaints made by the officers belonging to his ship, ofhis apathy and indolence; indeed, he went by the _soubriquet_ of "theSloth." It certainly was very annoying to his officers to witness somany opportunities of prize-money and distinction thrown away throughthe indolence of his disposition. Captain Horton was a young man offamily who had advanced rapidly in the service from interest, and fromoccasionally distinguishing himself. In the several cutting-outexpeditions, on which he had not volunteered but had been ordered, hehad shown, not only courage, but a remarkable degree of coolness indanger and difficulty, which had gained him much approbation: but it wassaid that this coolness arose from his very fault--an unaccountablelaziness. He would walk away, as it were, from the enemy's fire, whenothers would hasten, merely because he was so apathetic that he wouldnot exert himself to run. In one cutting-out expedition in which hedistinguished himself, it is said that having to board a very highvessel, and that in a shower of grape and musketry, when the boat dashedalongside, and the men were springing up, he looked up at the height ofthe vessel's sides, and exclaimed, with a look of despair, "My God! mustwe really climb up that vessel's decks?" When he had gained the deck,and became excited, he then proved how little fear had to do with theremark, the captain of the ship falling by his hand, as he fought inadvance on his own men. But this peculiarity, which in a junior officerwas of little consequence, and a subject of mirth, in a captain becameof a very serious nature. The admiral was aware how often he hadneglected to annoy or capture the enemy when he might have done it; and,by such neglect, Captain Horton infringed one of the articles of war,the punishment awarded to which infringement is _death_. Hisappointment, therefore, to the _Sanglier_ was as annoying to us as hisquitting his former ship was agreeable to those on board of her.
As it happened, it proved of little consequence: the admiral hadinstructions from home to advance Captain Horton to the first vacancy,which of course he was obliged to comply with; but not wishing to keepon the station an officer who would not exert himself, he resolved tosend her to England with despatches and retain the other frigate whichhad been ordered home, and which we had been sent up to replace. Wetherefore heard it announced with feelings of joy, mingled with regret,that we were immediately to proceed to England. For my part, I was gladof it. I had now served my time as midshipman, to within five months,and I thought that I had a better chance of being made in England thanabroad. I was also very anxious to go home, for family reasons, which Ihave already explained. In a fortnight we sailed with several vessels,and directions to take charge of a large convoy from Quebec, which wasto meet us off the island of St John's. In a few days we joined ourconvoy, and with a fair wind bore up for England. The weather soonbecame very bad, and we were scudding before a heavy gale, under barepoles. Our captain seldom quitted the cabin, but remained there on asofa, stretched at his length, reading a novel, or dozing, as he foundmost agreeable.
I recollect a circumstance which occurred, which will prove the apathyof his disposition, and how unfit he was to command so fine a frigate.We had been scudding three days, when the weather became much worse.
O'Brien, who had the middle watch, went down to report that "it blewvery hard."
"Very well," said the captain; "let me know if it blows harder."
In about an hour more the gale increased, and O'Brien went down again."It blows much harder, Captain Horton."
"Very well," answered Captain Horton, turning in his cot; "you may callme again when it _blows harder_."
At about six bells the gale was at its height, and the wind roared inits fury. Down went O'Brien again. "It blows tremendous hard now,Captain Horton."
"Well, well, if the weather becomes worse--"
"It can't be worse," interrupted O'Brien; "it's impossible to blowharder."
"Indeed! Well, then," replied the captain, "let me know when _itlulls_."
In the morning watch a similar circumstance took place. Mr Phillott wentdown, and said that several of the convoy were out of sight astern."Shall we heave-to, Captain Horton?"
"Oh, no," replied he, "she will be so uneasy. Let me know if you losesight of any more."
In another hour the first lieutenant reported that "there were very fewto be seen."
"Very well, Mr Phillott," replied the captain, turning round to sleep;"let me know if you lose any more."
Some time elapsed, and the first lieutenant reported "that they were allout of sight."
"Very well, then," said the captain; "call me when you see them again."
This was not very likely to take place, as we were going twelve knots anhour, and running away from them as fast as we could; so the captainremained undisturbed until he thought proper to get up to breakfast.Indeed, we never saw any more of our convoy, but taking the gale withus, in fifteen days anchored in Plymouth Sound. The orders came down forthe frigate to be paid off, all standing, and recommissioned. I receivedletters from my father, in which he congratulated me at my name beingmentioned in Captain Kearney's despatches, and requested me to come homeas soon as I could. The admiral allowed my name to be put down on thebooks of the guard-ship, that I might not lose my time, and then gave metwo months' leave of absence. I bade farewell to my shipmates, shookhands with O'Brien, who proposed to go over to Ireland previous to hisapplying for another ship, and, with my pay in my pocket, set off in thePlymouth mail, and in three days was once more in the arms of myaffectionate mother, and warmly greeted by my father and the remainderof my family.
Once more with my family, I must acquaint the reader with what hadoccurred since my departure. My eldest sister, Lucy, had married anofficer in the army, a Captain Fielding, and his regiment having beenordered out to India, had accompanied her husband, and letters had beenreceived, just before my return announcing their safe arrival at Ceylon.My second sister, Mary, had also been engaged to be married, and fromher infancy was of extremely delicate health. She was very handsome, andmuch admired. Her intended husband was a baronet of good family; butunfortunately, she caught a cold at the assize ball and went off in adecline. She died about two months before my arrival, and the familywere in deep mourning. My third sister, Ellen, was still unmarried; shealso was a very beautiful girl, and now seventeen. My mother'sconstitution was much shaken by the loss of my sister Mary, and theseparation from her eldest child. As for my father, even the loss of hisdaughter appeared to be wholly forgotten in the unwelcome intelligencewhich he had received, that my uncle's wife had been safely delivered ofa _son_, which threw him out of the anticipated titles and estates of mygrandfather. It was indeed a house of mourning. My mother's grief Irespected, and tried all I could to console her; that of my father wasso evidently worldly, and so at variance with his clerical profession,that I must acknowledge I felt more of anger at it than sorrow. He hadbecome morose and sullen, harsh to those around him, and not so kind tomy mother as her state of mind and health made it his duty to be, evenif inclination were wanted. He seldom passed any portion of the day withher, and in the evening she went to bed very early, so that there waslittle communication between them. My sister was a great consolation toher, and so I hope was I; she often said so as she embraced me, and thetears rolled down her cheeks, and I could not help surmising that thosetears were doubled from the coolness and indifference, if notunkindness, with which my father behaved to her. As for my sister, shewas an angel; and as I witnessed her considerate attentions to mymother, and the total forgetfulness of self which she displayed (sodifferent from my father, who was all self), I often thought what atreasure she would prove to any man who was fortunate en
ough to win herlove. Such was the state of my family when I returned to it.
I had been at home about a week, when one evening, after dinner, Isubmitted to my father the propriety of trying to obtain my promotion.
"I can do nothing for you, Peter; I have no interest whatever," repliedhe, moodily.
"I do not think that much is required, sir," replied I; "my time will beserved on the 20th of next month. If I pass, which I trust I shall beable to do, my name having been mentioned in the public despatches willrender it a point of no very great difficulty to obtain my commission atthe request of my grandfather."
"Yes, your grandfather might succeed, I have no doubt; but I think youhave little chance now in that quarter. My brother has a son, and we arethrown out. You are not aware, Peter, how selfish people are, and howlittle they will exert themselves for their relations. Your grandfatherhas never invited me since the announcement of my brother's increase tohis family. Indeed, I have never been near him, for I know that it is ofno use."
"I must think otherwise of Lord Privilege, my dear father, until youropinion is confirmed by his own conduct. That I am not so much an objectof interest, I grant; but still he was very kind, and appeared to bepartial to me."
"Well, well, you can try all you can, but you'll soon see of what stuffthis world is made; I am sure I hope it will be so, for what is tobecome of you children if I die, I do not know;--I have saved little ornothing. And now all my prospects are blasted by this--" and my fatherdashed his fist upon the table in a manner by no means clerical, andwith a look very unworthy of an apostle.
I am sorry that I must thus speak of my father, but I must not disguisethe truth. Still, I must say, there was much in extenuation of hisconduct. He had always a dislike to the profession of the church: hisambition, as a young man, had been to enter the army, for which servicehe was much better qualified; but, as it has been the custom forcenturies to entail all the property of the aristocracy upon the eldestson, and leave the other brothers to be supported by the state, orrather by the people, who are taxed for their provision, my father wasnot permitted to follow the bent of his own inclination. An elderbrother had already selected the army as his profession, and it wastherefore decided that my father should enter the church; and thus it isthat we have had, and still have, so many people in that profession, whoare not only totally unfit for, but who actually disgrace, theircalling. The law of primogeniture is beset with evils and injustice; yetwithout it, the aristocracy of a country must sink into insignificance.It appears to me, that as long as the people of a country are content tosupport the younger sons of the nobility, it is well that thearistocracy should be held up as a third estate, and a link between thesovereign and the people; but that if the people are either too poor, orare unwilling to be so taxed, they have a right to refuse taxation forsuch purposes, and to demand that the law of primogeniture should beabolished.
I remained at home until my time was complete, and then set off forPlymouth to undergo my examination. The passing-day had been fixed bythe admiral for the Friday, and, as I arrived on Wednesday, I amusedmyself during the day, walking about the dockyard, and trying all Icould to obtain further information in my profession. On the Thursday, aparty of soldiers from the depot were embarking at the landing-place inmen-of-war boats, and, as I understood, were about to proceed to India.I witnessed the embarkation, and waited till they shoved off, and thenwalked to the anchor wharf to ascertain the weights of the respectiveanchors of the different classes of vessels in the King's service.
I had not been there long, when I was attracted by the squabblingcreated by a soldier, who, it appeared, had quitted the ranks to run upto the tap in the dockyard to obtain liquor. He was very drunk, and wasfollowed by a young woman with a child in her arms, who was endeavouringto pacify him.
"Now be quiet, Patrick, jewel," said she, clinging to him; "sure it'senough that you've left the ranks, and will come to disgrace when youget on board. Now be quiet, Patrick, and let us ask for a boat, and thenperhaps the officer will think it was all a mistake, and let you offaisy; and sure I'll speak to Mr O'Rourke, and he's a kind man."
"Out wid you, you cratur, it is Mr O'Rourke you'd be having aconversation wid, and he be chucking you under that chin of yours. Outwid you, Mary, and lave me to find my way on board. Is it a boat I want,when I can swim like St Patrick, wid my head under my arm, if it wasn'ton my shoulders? At all events, I can wid my nappersack and musket toboot."
The young woman cried, and tried to restrain him, but he broke from her,and running down to the wharf, dashed off into the water. The youngwoman ran to the edge of the wharf, perceived him sinking, and shriekingwith despair, threw up her arms in her agony. The child fell, struck onthe edge of the piles, turned over, and before I could catch hold of it,sank into the sea. "The child! the child!" burst forth in another wildscream, and the poor creature lay at my feet in violent fits. I lookedover, the child had disappeared; but the soldier was still strugglingwith his head above water. He sank and rose again--a boat was pullingtowards him, but he was quite exhausted. He threw back his arms as if indespair, and was about disappearing under a wave, when, no longer ableto restrain myself, I leaped off the high wharf, and swam to hisassistance, just in time to lay hold of him as he was sinking for thelast time. I had not been in the water a quarter of a minute before theboat came up to us, and dragged us on board. The soldier was exhaustedand speechless. I, of course, was only very wet. The boat rowed to thelanding-place at my request, and we were both put on shore. The knapsackwhich was fixed on the soldier's back, and his regimentals, indicatedthat he belonged to the regiment just embarked; and I stated my opinionthat, as soon as he was a little recovered, he had better be taken onboard. As the boat which picked us up was one of the men-of-war boats,the officer who had been embarking the troops, and had been sent onshore again to know if there were any yet left behind, consented. In afew minutes the soldier recovered, and was able to sit up and speak, andI only waited to ascertain the state of the poor young woman whom I hadleft on the wharf. In a few minutes she was led to us by the warder, andthe scene between her and her husband was most affecting. When she hadbecome a little composed, she turned round to me, where I stood drippingwet, and, intermingled with lamentation for the child, showering downemphatic blessings on my head, inquired my name. "Give it to me!" shecried; "give it to me on paper, in writing, that I may wear it next myheart, read and kiss it every day of my life, and never forget to prayfor you, and to bless you!"
"I'll tell it you. My name--"
"Nay, write it down for me--write it down. Sure you'll not refuse me.All the saints bless you, dear young man, for saving a poor woman fromdespair!"
The officer commanding the boat handed me a pencil and a card; I wrotemy name and gave it to the poor woman; she took my hand as I gave it,kissed the card repeatedly, and put it into her bosom. The officer,impatient to shove off, ordered her husband into the boat--she followed,clinging to him, wet as he was--the boat shoved off, and I hastened upto the inn to dry my clothes. I could not help observing, at the time,how the fear of a greater evil will absorb all consideration for aminor. Satisfied that her husband had not perished, she had hardly onceappeared to remember that she had lost her child.
I had only brought one suit of clothes with me: they were in very goodcondition when I arrived, but salt water plays the devil with a uniform.I laid in bed until they were dry; but when I put them on again, notbeing before too large for me, for I grew very fast, they were nowshrunk and shrivelled up, so as to be much too small. My wrists appearedbelow the sleeves of my coat--my trousers had shrunk half way up to myknees--the buttons were all tarnished, and altogether I certainly didnot wear the appearance of a gentlemanly, smart midshipman. I would haveordered another suit, but the examination was to take place at teno'clock the next morning, and there was no time. I was therefore obligedto appear as I was, on the quarter-deck of the line-of-battle ship, onboard of which the passing was to take place. Many others were there toundergo the s
ame ordeal, all strangers to me, and as I perceived bytheir nods and winks to each other, as they walked up and down in theirsmart clothes, not at all inclined to make my acquaintance.
There were many before me on the list, and our hearts beat every timethat a name was called, and the owner of it walked aft into the cabin.Some returned with jocund faces, and our hopes mounted with theanticipation of similar good fortune; others came out melancholy andcrest-fallen, and then the expression of their countenances wascommunicated to our own, and we quailed with fear and apprehension. Ihave no hesitation in asserting, that although "passing" may be a proofof being qualified, "not passing" is certainly no proof to the contrary.I have known many of the cleverest young men turned back (while othersof inferior abilities have succeeded), merely from the feeling of aweoccasioned by the peculiarity of the situation: and it is not to bewondered at, when it is considered that all the labour and exertion ofsix years are at stake at this appalling moment. At last my name wascalled, and almost breathless from anxiety, I entered the cabin, where Ifound myself in presence of the three captains who were to decidewhether I were fit to hold a commission in His Majesty's service. Mylogs and certificates were examined and approved; my time calculated andallowed to be correct. The questions in navigation which were put to mewere very few, for the best of all possible reasons, that most captainsin His Majesty's service know little or nothing of navigation. Duringtheir servitude as midshipmen, they learn it by _rote_, without beingaware of the principles upon which the calculations they use arefounded. As lieutenants, their services as to navigation are seldomrequired, and they rapidly forget all about it. As captains, their wholeremnant of mathematical knowledge consists in being able to set down theship's position on the chart. As for navigating the ship, the master isanswerable; and the captains not being responsible themselves, theytrust entirely to his reckoning. Of course there are exceptions, butwhat I state is the fact; and if an order from the Admiralty was given,that all captains should pass again, although they might acquitthemselves very well in seamanship, nineteen out of twenty would beturned back when they were questioned in navigation. It is from theknowledge of this fact that I think the service is injured by thepresent system, and the captain should be held _wholly _responsible forthe navigation of his ship. It has been long known that the officers ofevery other maritime state are more scientific than our own, which iseasily explained, from the responsibility not being invested in ourcaptains. The origin of masters in our service is singular. When Englandfirst became a maritime power, ships for the King's service were foundby the Cinque Ports and other parties--the fighting part of the crew wascomposed of soldiers sent on board. All the vessels at that time had acrew of sailors, with a master to navigate the vessel. During our bloodynaval engagements with the Dutch, the same system was acted upon. Ithink it was the Earl of Sandwich, of whom it is stated, that his shipbeing in a sinking state, he took a boat to hoist his flag on board ofanother vessel in the fleet, but a shot cutting the boat in two, and the_weight of his armour_ bearing him down, the Earl of Sandwich perished.But to proceed.
As soon as I had answered several questions satisfactorily, I wasdesired to stand up. The captain who had interrogated me on navigation,was very grave in his demeanour towards me, but at the same time notuncivil. During his examination, he was not interfered with by the othertwo, who only undertook the examination in "seamanship." The captain,who now desired me to stand up, spoke in a very harsh tone, and quitefrightened me. I stood up pale and trembling, for I augured no good fromthis commencement. Several questions in seamanship were put to me, whichI have no doubt I answered in a very lame way, for I cannot even nowrecollect what I said.
"I thought so," observed the captain; "I judged as much from yourappearance. An officer who is so careless of his dress, as not even toput on a decent coat when he appears at his examination, generally turnsout an idle fellow, and no seaman. One would think you had served allyour time in a cutter, or a ten-gun brig, instead of dashing frigates.Come, sir, I'll give you one more chance."
I was so hurt at what the captain said, that I could not control myfeelings. I replied, with a quivering lip, "that I had had no time toorder another uniform,"--and I burst into tears.
"Indeed, Burrows, you are rather too harsh," said the third captain;"the lad is frightened. Let him sit down and compose himself for alittle while. Sit down, Mr Simple, and we will try you again directly."
I sat down, checking my grief and trying to recall my scattered senses.The captains, in the meantime, turning over the logs to pass away thetime; the one who had questioned me in navigation reading the Plymouthnewspaper, which had a few minutes before been brought on board and sentinto the cabin. "Heh! what's this? I say Burrows--Keats, look here," andhe pointed to a paragraph. "Mr Simple, may I ask whether it was you whosaved the soldier who leaped off the wharf yesterday?"
"Yes, sir," replied I; "and that's the reason why my uniforms are soshabby. I spoilt them then, and had no time to order others. I did notlike to say why they were spoilt." I saw a change in the countenances ofall the three, and it gave me courage. Indeed, now that my feelings hadfound vent, I was no longer under any apprehension.
"Come, Mr Simple, stand up again," said the captain, kindly, "that is,if you feel sufficiently composed; if not, we will wait a little longer.Don't be afraid, we _wish_ to pass you."
I was not afraid, and stood up immediately. I answered every questionsatisfactorily; and finding that I did so, they put more difficult ones."Very good, very good indeed, Mr Simple; now let me ask you one more;it's seldom done in the service, and perhaps you may not be able toanswer it. Do you know how to _club-haul_ a ship?"
"Yes, sir," replied I, having, as the reader may recollect, witnessedthe manoeuvre when serving under poor Captain Savage, and I immediatelystated how it was to be done.
"That is sufficient, Mr Simple. I wish to ask you no more questions. Ithought at first you were a careless officer and no seaman: I now findthat you are a good seaman and a gallant young man. Do you wish to askany more questions?" continued he, turning to the two others.
They replied in the negative; my passing certificate was signed, and thecaptains did me the honour to shake hands with me, and wish me speedypromotion. Thus ended happily this severe trial to my poor nerves; and,as I came out of the cabin, no one could have imagined that I had beenin such distress within, when they beheld the joy that irradiated mycountenance.