CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Fial had plenty of information, not only on the direction life would take in the near future but the probability of French warships being in the area of Bantry Bay. Four French frigates to the south on a heading for Bantry and a British ship being chased from the Bantry area in the preceding weeks seemed a little coincidental. British patrols of the south of Ireland were scarce in the winter months due to big seas. Fial was sure if he were a French captain he could find solace in the Bantry area, a place synonymous with The Society of United Irishmen.
Fial did not try to ask why, other than it would not be expected after such a failure in 1798 that he had witnessed himself; this could cloak the move, the British not expecting such a suicidal tactic from the French. Ireland was supplying food and manpower to the British at ever increasing rates and a strike on the supply line on a sunny spring day just may work for the French. A strike like this would not only affect the British but would take many Irish lives.
Fial met with the fleet captains just in sight of Cape Clear, south west Irish coast, aboard the Ghost while the seas were subdued. They agreed to split the fleet with the Ricard brothers taking their ships to Cork while Fial, accompanied by Conquistador with Louis Zachariah and the Castela with Lord Smithers would check the south west coast to Bantry before making for Cork. McGee and Cameron had never doubted Fial's instinct but to Fial's dismay they questioned the move, however Fial listened.
"Laying ships up in Bantry or any bays along the coast of Kerry makes no sense Fial no matter what the time of year. They need all the firepower they can get along the coast of Europe," claimed McGee.
Fial thought for a while before he answered. "Do you believe in voodoo, Hainan?"
McGee looked at the Bongo surrounded by crew members 1 to 10 before he answered. "I have known these people for some years now. When I first met them I would have said no."
"Then ask them yourself and I will change my mind if they say I am wrong."
McGee looked at Bongo who was wearing a wide smile, his teeth looked striking like the white keys of a new piano. "Well?" asked McGee.
Bongo shrugged his head at Number Three. "You tell him," said Bongo.
"Bwana Fial knows what we don't,” answered Number Three, using the Creole term for a white man in charge. “If Bwana Fial takes me to the end of the earth then I go. We will not sink the ships there, they will be ours. Legba guides him at the crossroads."
There was silence for a while. "Then we make sail for Bantry Bay," said McGee.
Number Three continued. "There is a man who owes his life to Bwana Fial, he will not waste it like a fool." They had entered the open sea off the coast of Mizen Head and the full brunt of the weather was felt and all hands became pre-occupied. A south westerly storm whipped up the sea and progress was slow.
On the morning of Tuesday the 22nd of March 1808 Fial caught sight of the Bantry inlet. His fleet trailed him just off the horizon and the weather had eased but occasional fog drifted past. It was seventeen miles into Bantry Cove to Bantry Island nestled in the bay opposite the village and Fial thought if French ships were there they would be anchored in a sheltered area out of sight of daily life.
Using the broken fog as cover in the breaking light the Ghost entered the bay mouth spanning some three miles wide. Eight miles in beneath the high rocky hills of the northern side of the bay below the settlement of Rooska was a small cove. It was deep, sheltered and out of sight. Fial had rowed there many times with his father fishing; it was the perfect place to anchor a ship, this spot was also the first place he had seen a large vessel whilst in a row boat fishing. He scanned the water’s surface through the patchy fog as they slipped silently up the centre of the bay and just below Rooska in that very cove he spotted the head of a mast, then another. He could then hear the yell of the French lookout in the crow’s nest.
"Une voile dans la baie au sud-ouest!" Sail in the bay to the south west!
Two French frigates lay at anchor in the cove and the closest to the inlet was the frigate the Leopard. The captain rushed to the rail and scanned the water surface for the reported ship, just making out the black sails of the Ghost as she approached. He studied her until he could see the port side of the Ghost then called his quartermaster. He handed Louis Belgarde his long glass. "Tell me if I am wrong but I believe we have been found by the ship they call the Ghost."
Belgarde studied the Ghost, spotting black deck hands and noting the gun ports being opened. She was frantically dropping sail. She then dropped anchor directly out from the cove about three miles. "Yes, she is as black as the night and the heart of her captain," said Belgarde.
"You met this man when he was a small boy did you not?" asked the captain.
"I did, and I was in Brest when he devastated the fleet at night. His fleet will be behind him. He has dropped anchor, he has us cornered."
"Rubbish, we will make sail and attack him. Between us we will cut him to pieces one ship to port the other to starboard, he will not stand a chance," added the captain.
Belgarde studied the bay entrance through the drifting fog patches and then handed the long glass back to the captain. "Look upon one of the mightiest ships afloat captain, the Conquistador, she is followed by many sails. She can sit off out of range and sink us without coming under fire herself. They fly the Irish ensign. McMurrin would not drop anchor without many cards up his sleeve captain. Decide if you wish to be a dead hero or a wise prisoner."
The captain swept the bay with his long glass and lowered it slowly. "I can see seven ships and they are still coming. I confirm the Conquistador leading the line. How did this man know we were here?"
"Does it make any difference captain? This man wants these ships or they will sink us. I volunteer to negotiate captain."
"No I will not have anyone do my dirty work. You may accompany me." Their attention was taken by the shrill whistle of a cannon ball as it dropped well short of the cove fired from the long guns of the Conquistador. "Raise a white flag and prepare a longboat, the message is clear."
"The shot will be heard by the Pluton and Rapier further up the bay. Should they put to sail? They will be in grave danger," said Belgarde.
"Man the longboat immediately, we must avert confrontation under such poor odds. We need to find a way to fight another day." The rest of the fleet began to drop anchor short of the Ghost in the calmer waters of the bay. The fog was burning off and the fleet could clearly see the two French men of war in the cove.
The last time Louis Belgarde had seen Fial on the rocky shore of Bantry he was only a child but Fial recognised him immediately. Belgarde had learnt to speak English since their last encounter and offered his hand to Fial as they boarded the Ghost.
He bowed his head as he spoke barely distinguishable English with his outrageous French accent. "Fial McMurrin I thank you for my life, I am Louis Bel."
"I know who you are. You are the first real seaman I ever touched."
"As you can see I do not throw my life away after you and your family sacrificed so much to save me."
Belgarde’s captain boarded the Ghost and presented himself to Fial, offering his sword by the handle. He spoke English well. "Monsieur McMurrin, I am Captain Pierre DuPont, my sword, my ship the Leopard and her crew are your prisoners. I beg your mercy for my crew. Do as you wish with me."
Fial was speechless for a few seconds, he took the sword and slid it slowly back into the sheath on DuPont's belt. "A brave man of honour, keep your sword and your ship. Your days with the French navy are over. You have a family Pierre?"
"Yes, in Paris."
"If you want to see them again you will do as I ask." McGee and Cameron looked on with stern concern as they tried to fathom the direction of their captain.
"I will consider your requests when I hear them," said DuPont.
"How many more of you are in this bay and other bays along the coast here?"
"Four class four frigates in the bay here and four due here in the next w
eek."
"The four you are expecting will not arrive, the Castela sighted them yesterday, they turned back or they are fools."
"If they sighted this fleet they will be more interested in conveying the information to our Admiralty."
"Exactly what I thought, so the French know where we are. Good they will leave my people alone. The other ships here are further down the bay?"
"Yes."
"You and Belgarde take a longboat and convince them to surrender or we will be forced to lay them waste."
DuPont looked up the bay toward Bantry. "Where will you take us?"
"Cork, where the other half of our fleet is anchored."
"The British will execute us and take our ships."
"No! There will be no killing, you have my word. If they try you can join me and my deal with the British will be finished."
DuPont nodded and smiled. "I believe you. There is a small cove sheltered by a rocky outcrop three miles down the bay from here below the farming town of Garnish. The other ships are there, the Pluton and the Rapier. I will deliver your ultimatum to the captains and report back within two hours."
"In three hours I wish to be heading for Cork, it is up to you to organise your ships. You will be with us or at the bottom of the bay."
DuPont looked at the deck and drew a big breath. "Then I should not waste any time." They pushed off the longboat and the French oarsman made speed up the bay towards Garnish cove. The fog had lifted and the sun had struck the north western rock faces along the bay; the first fine day in weeks. Fial drew anchor and the Ghost stirred up the bay within sight of the Pluton and the Rapier. DuPont attended the ships from his longboat for a short meeting, then returned to the Ghost.
"I have a problem, the captain of the Rapier wishes to fight his way out."
"Who is he?" asked Fial.
"Victor LeBeau."
"Take me to him," said Fial as he boarded the longboat. They came alongside the Rapier with captain LeBeau looking down his nose at Fial as he came on to the quarterdeck. LeBeau stood, legs apart and arms folded next to the helm. "You speak English captain?"
"Of course, I am an educated man," replied LeBeau.
Fial looked around at his armed crew, impeccably dressed in uniform pointing loaded muskets at him. "Fine men yet you choose to waste them needlessly."
"We are in service of Napoleon Bonaparte, not England nor Ireland. You will allow us to leave or we will attack."
"Which of the thirteen ships here were you thinking of sinking first?"
LeBeau hesitated before he answered. His cap feathers were blown in his face by a gust of wind so he removed his hat holding it under his arm. His perfectly presented uniform reflected the sun’s rays off the polished gold buttons across Fial's face. "You do not frighten me McMurrin."
"No that I can see, but can you not see the horror on your crew’s face. They look like fine men to me, well presented, willing. I am in need of men like this myself. Sorry Captain but I am out of time." Fial began to walk from the quarterdeck towards the lower deck.
LeBeau shouted at him. "Stand where you are or I will have you shot!"
In a flash Fial turned, pulling a musket from his belt and firing at LeBeau sending him crashing to the deck moaning in pain from the chest shot, his blood colouring the deck.
DuPont shouted to the crew. " Ne tirez pas, déposez vos armes et éventaire facile" . "Don’t shoot, lower your weapons and stand easy." There was an uneasy response as Fial walked up to the dying LeBeau. He picked him up, put him over his shoulder, walked to the stern of the ship and threw him overboard.
He looked over the stern at LeBeau's body as it floated away. "These men's parents did not raise them to be wasted by petty egos and pompous shows of patriotism, enough of this!" he shouted. "The needs of the many outweigh the selfishness of one!"
Fial walked up to Louis Belgarde standing next to DuPont. "You will sail in a line between our two formations. I am bequeathing you trust Captain Belgarde. I hope you don't let me down."
"I wish to serve with you Admiral McMurrin. If I am Captain the Leopard is at your service."
Fial pointed to the ships anchored in the bay seaward of them. "For years now I have had an agreement with all the people who sail with this fleet." He lowered his arm putting his hand on his hip. "We used to sell our booty to the highest bidder wherever we were. Now we have a deal with the British; they will buy all we take. Every man in the fleet receives a share, they are free men and can leave whenever they please, even the men aboard the ships that did not play a part in this will be paid. I am a man of my word and these ships will go to the British. I get the crews. You are free men and can go where you please, France if you wish and I can arrange passage. If you wish to join us then do so, we have many Frenchmen in our midst, the only man I had a grievance with was LeBeau. He was as big a fool as Napoleon."
"Pardon me Captain," said DuPont. "Napoleon Bonaparte is a brave, courageous man. He fights for his people."
"Brave and courageous yes, but I doubt if he has met many of his people. Napoleon is a Corsican, talk to the Ricard brothers for another Corsican’s opinion of him. He commands the biggest population in Europe, soon to be the smallest if he keeps using them like an expendable resource. If I had not had the hearts of my men with me I would have surely hung from the yard arm of the Victory. It will be French mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who will be his downfall."
"He has achieved much for France Admiral, the French people owe him much," added DuPont.
"There was a time when I would have agreed with you but it has passed. He is intoxicated with power and is ignoring his people. Now the reality is you are here with me and we are sailing for Cork."
Cameron and McGee watched the longboat returning to the Ghost. Fial was changing as a person and they were confused. "These are the first people I have ever met that we have hunted. Seems a bit different, bit of an anticlimax. I would like to have met some of the others now I've seen this," said McGee.
"Not much chance of that, we killed most of them," replied Cameron.
"Do you think God will punish us for what we have done?"
McGee thought for a while rubbing his chin. "I prayed for God to protect us before every battle we have ever fought. Surely if I was wrong I would be smitten."
"Father Maloney taught from the Bible that we should smite those who would smite us."
"I remember that. I don't think he meant we should kick every body’s arse around the place with gay abandon. Fial must be thinking like us. I'm a bit addicted to the fight, I get all riled up inside, start feeling real good. I think I've made better of my time than sitting around the King’s Head in Ringaskiddy getting drunk."
"Fial's starting to talk a lot before doing things, just like that Wilberforce fella. He told me they sit in that big room in Westminster and talk all day about things and nothing happens."
"Well he has helped Bongo and One to Ten with the slave thing but it takes a long time."
"I like the idea of you know… you vote for that Wilberforce fella in a ballot if he lives in your street and he goes there and tells them what you want."
"Do you think you would be good at that if someone voted for you and you were in Westminster?"
McGee shook his head and lowered the edges of his mouth. "No I don't think I'd be real good at that. I'd be building a big house, living in there and drinking a lot of whiskey with plenty of women. I don't have the patience or love of the English people to be one of them Wilberforce fellas. I’d rather be voted the King so you could just order things be done straight away."
"You don't vote for Kings, it's passed on by divine right."
"Now it comes back to me there was that King Arthur years back who was given a sword by some woman, she was all wet far as I can remember."
"It was Excalibur and it was the lady of the lake. It’s said a Welshman came up with all this not the British."
"I don't remember much of it as I found it a bit ha
rd to believe. If I went to Fial insisting I was in charge because Neptune had handed me a sword from the water below the Ghost he'd put me in the brig or one of those institution places for people who aren't quite right ya know."
"I'm not so sure Bongo’s mob dance around in trances putting spells on people and predicting the future. I've seen this with my own eyes."
"Yeah, Fial’s here. One thing’s for sure, if we don't pull anchor and head for Cork running the gauntlet for the Conquistador and her fleet in five minutes Fial will kick our arse all round the bay."
"Aye!"