CHAPTER FIFTY ONE.
And now, with sails declined, The wandering vessel drove before the wind; Toss'd and retoss'd aloft, and then alow; Nor port they seek, nor certain course they know, But every moment wait the coming blow. DRYDEN.
Three days after the _Aspasia_ had taken a fresh departure from theWestern Isles, a thick fog came on, the continuance of which preventedthem from ascertaining their situation by the chronometer. The wind,which blew favourably from the south-east, had, by their dead reckoning,driven them as far north as the latitude of Ushant, without their oncehaving had an opportunity of finding out the precise situation of thefrigate. The wind now shifted more to the eastward, and increasing to agale, Captain M--- determined upon making Cape Clear, on the southerncoast of Ireland; but having obtained sights for the chronometers it wasdiscovered that they were far to the westward of the reckoning, and hadno chance of making the point of land which they had intended. For manydays they had to contend against strong easterly gales, with a heavysea, and had sought shelter under the western coast of Ireland.
The weather moderating, and the wind veering again to the southward, thefrigate's head was put towards the shore, that they might take a freshdeparture; but scarcely had they time to congratulate themselves uponthe prospect of soon gaining a port, when there was every appearance ofanother gale coming on from the south-west. As this was from a quarterwhich, in all probability, would scarcely allow the frigate to weatherMizen-head, she was hauled off on the larboard tack, and all sail put onher which prudence would permit in the heavy cross sea, which had notyet subsided.
"We shall have it all back again, I am afraid, sir," observed themaster, looking to windward at the horizon, which, black as pitch,served as a background to relieve the white curling tops of the seas."Shall we have the trysails up, and bend them?"
"The boatswain is down after them now, Pearce," said thefirst-lieutenant.
"The weather is indeed threatening," replied the captain, as he turnedfrom the weather gangway, where he had been standing, and wiped thespray from his face, with which the atmosphere was charged; "and Iperceive that the glass is very low. Send the small sails down out ofthe tops; as soon as the staysail is on her, lower the gaff, and furlthe spanker; the watch will do. When we go to quarters, we'lldouble-breech the guns. Let the carpenter have his tarpaulins ready forbattening down--send for the boatswain, and let the boats on the boomsbe well secured. Is that eight bells striking? Then pipe to supperfirst; and, Mr Hardy," added Captain M---, as he descended thecompanion-ladder, "they may as well hook the rolling-tackles again."
"Ay, ay, sir," replied Hardy, as the captain disappeared. "I say,master, the skipper don't like it--I'll swear that by his look as heturned from the gangway. He was as stern as the figure-head of the_Mars_."
"That's just his way; if even the elements threaten him, he returns thelook of defiance."
"He does so," replied the master, who appeared to be unusually grave (asif in sad presentiment of evil). "I've watched him often.--But it's nouse--they mind but one."
"Very true--neither can you conciliate them by smiling; the only way tolook is _to look sharp out_. Eh, master?" said the first-lieutenant,slapping him familiarly on the back.
"Come, no skylarking, Hardy--it's easy to tell the skipper isn't ondeck. I expect as much sleep to-night as a dog vane--thesesouth-westers generally last their three days."
"I am glad to hear that," said Merrick, a youngster, with an ovallaughing face, who, being a favourite with both the officers, hadventured to the weather-side of the quarter-deck in the absence of thecaptain.
"And why, Mr Merrick?" inquired the master.
"Oh! it's my morning watch to-morrow. We shall be all snug; no sails totrim, no sails to set, and no holystoning the deck--nothing to do but tokeep myself warm under the weather bulwarks."
"Ah, you idle scamp," said the first-lieutenant, smiling.
"So, young man, you wish us to be on deck all night, that you may havenothing to do in the morning. The day will come when you will know whatresponsibility is," retorted Pearce.
"If you're up all night, sir," replied the boy, laughing, "you'll want acup of coffee in the morning watch. I shall come in for my share ofthat, you know."
"Ah, well, it's an ill wind that blows nobody good," observed Pearce,"but you are young to be selfish."
"Indeed I am not selfish, sir," replied the boy, hurt at the rebuke fromone who had been kind to him, and to whom he was attached. "I was onlyjoking. I only meant," continued he, feeling deeply, but not at themoment able to describe his feelings--"I only said--oh! Damn thecoffee."
"And now you are only swearing, I suppose," replied the master.
"Well, it's enough to make a saint swear to be accused of being selfish,and by you too."
"Well, well, youngster, there's enough of it--you spoke withoutthinking. Go down to your tea now, and you shall have your share of thecoffee to-morrow, if there is any."
After supper the watch was called, and the directions given by thecaptain to the first-lieutenant were punctually obeyed. The drum thenbeat to quarters earlier than usual; the guns were doubly secured; thedead-lights shipped abaft; the number of inches of water in the wellmade known by the carpenter; the sobriety of the men ascertained by theofficers stationed at their respective guns; and everything that wasordered to be executed, or to be held in readiness, in the severaldepartments, reported to the captain.
"Now, Mr Hardy, we'll make her all snug for the night. Furl the foreand mizen-topsail, and close-reef the main--that, with the foresail,fore-staysail, and trysail, will be enough for her."
"Had we not better reef the foresail, sir?" said Pearce. "I suspect weshall have to do it before twelve o'clock, if we do not now."
"Very right, Mr Pearce--we will do so. Is the main-trysail bent?"
"All bent, sir, and the sheet aft."
"Then beat a retreat, and turn the hands up--shorten sail."
This duty was performed, and the hammocks piped down as the lastglimmering of daylight disappeared.
The gale increased rapidly during the first watch. Large drops of rainmingled with the spray, distant thunder rolled to windward, andoccasional gleams of lightning pierced through the intense darkness ofthe night. The officers and men of the watches below, with sealed eyesand thoughtless hearts, were in their hammocks, trusting to those ondeck for security. But the night was terrific, and the captain,first-lieutenant, and master, from the responsibility of theirsituations, continued on deck, as did many of the officers termedidlers, such as the surgeon and purser, who, although their presence wasnot required, felt no inclination to sleep. By four o'clock in themorning the gale was at its height. The lightning darted through thesky in every direction, and the thunder-claps for the time overpoweredthe noise of the wind as it roared through the shrouds. The sea,striking on the fore-channels, was thrown aft with violence over thequarter-deck and waist of the ship, as she laboured through the agitatedsea.
"If this lasts much longer we must take the foresail off of her, andgive her the main-staysail," said Hardy to the master.
"We must, indeed," replied the captain, who was standing by them; "butthe day is breaking. Let us wait a little--ease her, quarter-master."
"Ease her it is, sir."
At daylight, the gale having rather increased than shown any symptoms ofabating, the captain was giving directions for the foresail to be takenoff, when the seaman who was stationed to look out on the lee-gangway,cried out, "A sail on the lee-beam!"
"A sail on the lee-beam, sir!" reported the officer of the watch to thecaptain, as he held on by a rope with one hand, and touched his hat withthe other.
"Here, youngster, tell the sentry at the cabin door to give you my deckglass," said Captain M--- to Merrick, who was one of the midshipmen ofthe morning watch.
"She's a large ship, sir--main and mizen masts both gone," reportedHardy, who had mounted up three or four ratlines of the main-rigging.
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br /> The midshipman brought up the glass; and the captain, first passing hisarm round the fore-brace, to secure himself from falling to leeward withthe lurching of the ship, as soon as he could bring the strange vesselinto the field of the glass exclaimed, "A line-of-battle ship, byHeavens! and if I am any judge of a hull, or the painting of a ship, sheis no Englishman." Other glasses were now produced, and the opinion ofthe captain was corroborated by that of the officers on deck.
"Keep fast the foresail, Mr Hardy. We'll edge down to her.Quarter-master, see the signal halyards all clear."
The captain went down to his cabin, while the frigate was kept away ashe directed, the master standing at the conn. He soon came up again:"Hoist Number 3 at the fore, and Number 8 at the main. We'll see if shecan answer the private signal."
It was done, and the frigate, rolling heavily in the trough of the sea,and impelled by the furious elements, rapidly closed with the stranger.In less than an hour they were within half a mile of her; but theprivate signal remained unanswered.
"Now then, bring her to the wind, Mr Pearce," said Captain M---, whohad his glass upon the vessel.
The frigate was luffed handsomely to the wind, not however withoutshipping a heavy sea. The gale, which, during the time that she waskept away before the wind, had the appearance, which it always has, ofhaving decreased in force, now that she presented her broadside to it,roared again in all its fury.
"Call the gunner--clear away the long gun forward--try with the rammerwhether the shot has started from the cartridge, and then fire acrossthe bows of that vessel."
The men cast loose the gun, and the gunner taking out the bed and coin,to obtain the greatest elevation to counteract the heel of the frigate,watched the lurch, and pitched the shot close to the forefoot of thedisabled vessel, who immediately showed French colours over herweather-quarter.
"French colours, sir!" cried two or three at a breath.
"Beat to quarters, Mr Hardy," said Captain M---.
"Shall we cast loose the main-deck guns?"
"No, no--that will be useless; we shall not be able to fire them, and wemay have them through the sides. We'll try her with the carronades."
It was easy to perceive, without the assistance of a glass, that the menon board the French line-of-battle ship were attempting, in no veryscientific manner, to get a jury-mast up abaft, that, by puttingafter-sail on her, they might keep their vessel to the wind. Theforesail they dared not take off, as, without any sail to keep hersteady, the remaining mast would in all probability have rolled over theside; but without after-sail, the ship would not keep to the wind, andthe consequence was, that she was two points off the wind, forging fastthrough the water, notwithstanding that the helm was hard a-lee.
"Where are we now, Mr Pearce?" interrogated the captain--"about eightor nine leagues from the land?"
"Say seven leagues, sir, if you please," replied the master, "until Ican give you an exact answer," and he descended the companion ladder towork up his reckoning.
"She's leaving us, Mr Hardy--keep more away, and run abreast of her.Now, my lads, watch the weather roll,--round and grape--don't throw ashot away--aim at the quarter-deck ports. If we can prevent her fromgetting up her jury-masts, she is done for."
"As for the matter of that," said the quarter-master, who was captain ofone of the quarter-deck guns, "we might save our shot. They haven't_nous_ enough to get them up if left all to themselves--however, here'sa slap at her."
The frigate had now closed within three cables' length of theline-of-battle ship, and considering the extreme difficulty of hittingany mark under such disadvantages, a well-directed fire was thrown in byher disciplined seamen. The enemy attempted to return the fire from theweather main-deck guns, but it was a service of such difficulty anddanger, that he more than once abandoned it. Two or three gunsdisappearing from the ports, proved that they had either rolled toleeward, or had been precipitated down the hatchways. This was indeedthe case, and the French sailors were so much alarmed from the seriousdisasters that had already ensued, that they either quitted theirquarters, or, afraid to stand behind the guns when they were fired, noaim was taken, and the shots were thrown away. Had the two ships beenequally manned, the disadvantage, under all the misfortunes of theFrenchman, would have been on the side of the frigate; but the galeitself was more than sufficient employment for the undisciplined crew ofthe line-of-battle ship.
The fire from the frigate was kept up with vigour, although the vessellurched so heavily as often to throw the men who were stationed at theguns into the lee scuppers, rolling one over the other in the water withwhich the decks were floated; but this was only a subject of merriment,and they resumed their task with the careless spirit of British seamen.The fire, difficult as it was to take any precise aim, had the effectintended, that of preventing the French vessel from rigging anythinglike a jury-mast. Occasionally the line-of-battle ship kept more away,to avoid the grape, by increasing her distance; but the frigate's coursewas regulated by that of her opponent, and she continued her gallingpursuit.