CHAPTER XXI
LONDON IN FLAMES
The sailors laughed and joked as they rowed away from the Fleet, butthe old boatswain shook his head.
"We shall have to be careful, Sir Cyril," he said. "It is like asmall cur barking at the heels of a bull--it is good fun enough for abit, but when the bull turns, perchance the dog will find himselfthrown high in the air."
Cyril nodded. He himself considered Prince Rupert's order to bebeyond all reason, and given only in the heat of his anger at DeRuyter having thus escaped him, and felt that it was very likely tocost the lives of all on board the _Fan Fan_. However, there wasnothing to do but to carry it out. It seemed to him that theboatswain's simile was a very apt one, and that, although thespectacle of the _Fan Fan_ worrying the great Dutch battle-shipmight be an amusing one to the English spectators, it was likely tobe a very serious adventure for her.
De Ruyter's ship, which was in the rear of all the other Dutchvessels, was but a mile distant when the _Fan Fan_ started, and asthe wind was so light that it scarce filled her sails, the yachtapproached her rapidly.
"We are within half a mile now, your honour," the boatswain said. "Ishould say we had better go no nearer if we don't want to be blownout of the water."
"Yes; I think we may as well stop rowing now, and get the guns towork. There are only those two cannon in her stern ports which cantouch us here. She will scarcely come up in the wind to give us abroadside. She is moving so slowly through the water that it wouldtake her a long time to come round, and De Ruyter would feel ashamedto bring his great flag-ship round to crush such a tiny foe."
The boatswain went forward to the guns, round which the men, afterlaying in their oars, clustered in great glee.
"Now," he said, "you have got to make those two guns in the sternyour mark. Try and send your shots through the port-holes. It will bea waste to fire them at the hull, for the balls would not penetratethe thick timber that she is built of. Remember, the straighter youaim the more chance there is that the Dutch won't hit us. Men don'tstop to aim very straight when they are expecting a shot among themevery second. We will fire alternately, and one gun is not to fireuntil the other is loaded again. I will lay the first gun myself."
It was a good shot, and the crew cheered as they saw the splintersfly at the edge of the port-hole. Shot after shot was fired withvarying success.
The Dutch made no reply, and seemed to ignore the presence of theirtiny foe. The crew were, for the most part, busy aloft repairingdamages, and after half an hour's firing, without eliciting a reply,the boatswain went aft to Cyril, and suggested that they should nowaim at the spars.
"A lucky shot might do a good deal of damage, sir," he said. "Theweather is fine enough at present, but there is no saying when achange may come, and if we could weaken one of the main spars itmight be the means of her being blown ashore, should the wind springup in the right direction."
Cyril assented, and fire was now directed at the masts. A few ropeswere cut away, but no serious damage was effected until a shot struckone of the halliard blocks of the spanker, and the sail at once randown.
"It has taken a big bit out of the mast, too," the boatswain calledexultingly to Cyril. "I think that will rouse the Dutchmen up."
A minute later it was evident that the shot had at least had thateffect. Two puffs of smoke spirted out from the stern of the Dutchflagship, and, simultaneously with the roar of the guns, came the humof two heavy shot flying overhead. Delighted at having excited theDutchmen's wrath at last, the crew of the _Fan Fan_ took off theirhats and gave a loud cheer, and then, more earnestly than before,settled down to work; their guns aimed now, as at first, at theport-holes. Four or five shots were discharged from each of thelittle guns before the Dutch were ready again. Then came thethundering reports. The _Fan Fan's_ topmast was carried away by oneof the shot, but the other went wide. Two or three men were told tocut away the wreckage, and the rest continued their fire. One of thenext shots of the enemy was better directed. It struck the deck closeto the foot of the mast, committed great havoc in Cyril's cabin, andpassed out through the stern below the water-line. Cyril leapt downthe companion as he heard the crash, shouting to the boatswain tofollow him. The water was coming through the hole in a great jet.Cyril seized a pillow and--stuffed it into the shot-hole, beingdrenched from head to foot in the operation. One of the sailors hadfollowed the boatswain, and Cyril called him to his assistance.
"Get out the oars at once," he said to the boatswain. "Another shotlike this and she will go down. Get a piece cut off a spar and make aplug. There is no holding this pillow in its place, and the watercomes in fast still."
The sailor took Cyril's post while he ran up on deck and assisted incutting the plug; this was roughly shaped to the size of the hole,and then driven in. It stopped the rush of the water, but a good dealstill leaked through.
By the time this was done the _Fan Fan_ had considerably increasedher distance from De Ruyter. Four or five more shots were fired fromthe Dutch ship. The last of these struck the mast ten feet above thedeck, bringing it down with a crash. Fortunately, none of the crewwere hurt, and, dropping the oars, they hauled the mast alongside,cut the sail from its fastening to the hoops and gaff, and thensevered the shrouds and allowed the mast to drift away, while theyagain settled themselves to the oars. Although every man rowed hishardest, the _Fan Fan_ was half full of water before she reached theFleet, which was two miles astern of them when they first began torow.
"Well done, _Fan Fan_!" Prince Rupert shouted, as the little craftcame alongside. "Have you suffered any damage besides your spars? Isee you are low in the water."
"We were shot through our stern, sir; we put in a plug, but the watercomes in still. Will you send a carpenter on board? For I don't thinkshe will float many minutes longer unless we get the hole betterstopped."
The Prince gave some orders to an officer standing by him. The lattercalled two or three sailors and bade them bring some short lengths ofthick hawser, while a strong party were set to reeve tackle to themainyard. As soon as the hawsers, each thirty feet in length, werebrought, they were dropped on to the deck of the _Fan Fan_, and theofficer told the crew to pass them under her, one near each end, andto knot the hawsers. By the time this was done, two strong tackleswere lowered and fixed to the hawsers, and the crew ordered to comeup on to the ship. The tackles were then manned and hauled on bystrong parties, and the _Fan Fan_ was gradually raised. Theboatswain went below again and knocked out the plug, and, as thelittle yacht was hoisted up, the water ran out of it. As soon as thehole was above the water-level, the tackle at the bow was graduallyslackened off until she lay with her fore-part in the water, whichcame some distance up her deck. The carpenter then slung himself overthe stern, and nailed, first a piece of tarred canvas, and then asquare of plank, over the hole. Then the stern tackle was eased off,and the _Fan Fan_ floated on a level keel. Her crew went down to heragain, and, in half an hour, pumped her free of water.
By this time, the results of the victory were known. On the Englishside, the _Resolution_ was the only ship lost, she having been burntby a Dutch fire-ship; three English captains, and about three hundredmen were killed. On the other hand, the Dutch lost twenty ships, fouradmirals, a great many of their captains, and some four thousand men.It was, indeed, the greatest and most complete victory gainedthroughout the war. Many of the British ships had suffered a gooddeal, that which carried the Duke's flag most of all, for it had beenso battered in the fight with De Ruyter that the Duke and PrinceRupert had been obliged to leave her, and to hoist their flags uponanother man-of-war.
The next morning the Fleet sailed to Schonevelt, which was the usual_rendezvous_ of the Dutch Fleet, and there remained some time,altogether undisturbed by the enemy. The _Fan Fan_ was herethoroughly repaired.
On July 29th they sailed for Ulic, where they arrived on August 7th,the wind being contrary.
Learning that there was a large fleet of merchantmen lying betweenthe islands of Ulic and
Schelling, guarded by but two men-of-war, andthat there were rich magazines of goods on these islands, it wasdetermined to attack them. Four small frigates, of a slight draughtof water, and five fire-ships, were selected for the attack, togetherwith the boats of the Fleet, manned by nine hundred men.
On the evening of the 8th, Cyril was ordered to go, in the _FanFan_, to reconnoitre the position of the Dutch. He did not sailuntil after nightfall, and, on reaching the passage between theislands, he lowered his sails, got out his oars, and drifted with thetide silently down through the Dutch merchant fleet, where no watchseemed to be kept, and in the morning carried the news to Sir RobertHolmes, the commander of the expedition, who had anchored a leaguefrom the entrance.
Cyril had sounded the passage as he went through, and it was foundthat two of the frigates could not enter it. These were left at theanchorage, and, on arriving at the mouth of the harbour, the_Tiger_, Sir Robert Holmes's flagship, was also obliged to anchor,and he came on board the _Fan Fan_, on which he hoisted his flag.The captains of the other ships came on board, and it was arrangedthat the _Pembroke_, which had but a small draught of water, shouldenter at once with the five fire-ships.
The attack was completely successful. Two of the fire-ships grappledwith the men-of-war and burnt them, while three great merchantmenwere destroyed by the others. Then the boats dashed into the fleet,and, with the exception of four or five merchantmen and fourprivateers, who took refuge in a creek, defended by a battery, thewhole of the hundred and seventy merchantmen, the smallest of whichwas not less than 200 tons burden, and all heavily laden, wereburned.
The next day, Sir Robert Holmes landed eleven companies of troops onthe Island of Schonevelt and burnt Bandaris, its principal town, withits magazines and store-houses, causing a loss to the Dutch,according to their own admission, of six million guilders. This, andthe loss of the great Fleet, inflicted a very heavy blow upon thecommerce of Holland. The _Fan Fan_ had been hit again by a shot fromone of the batteries, and, on her rejoining the Fleet, Prince Rupertdetermined to send her to England so that she could be thoroughlyrepaired and fitted out again. Cyril's orders were to take her toChatham, and to hand her over to the dockyard authorities.
"I do not think the Dutch will come out and fight us again thisautumn, Sir Cyril, so you can take your ease in London as it pleasesyou. We are now halfway through August, and it will probably be atleast a month after your arrival before the _Fan Fan_ is fit for seaagain. It may be a good deal longer than that, for they are busy uponthe repairs of the ships sent home after the battle, and will hardlytake any hands off these to put on to the _Fan Fan_. In October weshall all be coming home again, so that, until next spring, it ishardly likely that there will be aught doing."
Cyril accordingly returned to London. The wind was contrary, and itwas not until the last day of August that he dropped anchor in theMedway. After spending a night at Chatham, he posted up to London thenext morning, and, finding convenient chambers in the Savoy, heinstalled himself there, and then proceeded to the house of the Earlof Wisbech, to whom he was the bearer of a letter from his son.Finding that the Earl and his family were down at his place nearSevenoaks, he went into the City, and spent the evening at CaptainDave's, having ordered his servant to pack a small valise, and bringit with the two horses in the morning. He had gone to bed but an hourwhen he was awoke by John Wilkes knocking at his door.
"There is a great fire burning not far off, Sir Cyril. A man who ranpast told me it was in Pudding Lane, at the top of Fish Street. TheCaptain is getting up, and is going out to see it; for, with such dryweather as we have been having, there is no saying how far it maygo."
Cyril sprang out of his bed and dressed. Captain Dave, accustomed toslip on his clothes in a hurry, was waiting for him, and, with JohnWilkes, they sallied out. There was a broad glare of light in thesky, and the bells of many of the churches were ringing out thefire-alarm. As they passed, many people put their heads out fromwindows and asked where the fire was. In five minutes they approachedthe scene. A dozen houses were blazing fiercely, while, from thosenear, the inhabitants were busily removing their valuables. The FireCompanies, with their buckets, were already at work, and lines of menwere formed down to the river and were passing along buckets fromhand to hand. Well-nigh half the water was spilt, however, before itarrived at the fire, and, in the face of such a body of flame, itseemed to make no impression whatever.
"They might as well attempt to pump out a leaky ship with a child'ssquirt," the Captain said. "The fire will burn itself out, and wemust pray heaven that the wind drops altogether; 'tis not strong, butit will suffice to carry the flames across these narrow streets. 'Tislucky that it is from the east, so there is little fear that it willtravel in our direction."
They learnt that the fire had begun in the house of Faryner, theKing's baker, though none knew how it had got alight. It was not longbefore the flames leapt across the lane, five or six houses catchingfire almost at the same moment. A cry of dismay broke from the crowd,and the fright of the neighbours increased. Half-clad women hurriedfrom their houses, carrying their babes, and dragging their youngerchildren out. Men staggered along with trunks of clothing andvaluables. Many wrung their hands helplessly, while the City Watchguarded the streets leading to Pudding Lane, so as to prevent thievesand vagabonds from taking advantage of the confusion to plunder.
With great rapidity the flames spread from house to house. A portionof Fish Street was already invaded, and the Church of St. Magnus indanger. The fears of the people increased in proportion to theadvance of the conflagration. The whole neighbourhood was nowalarmed, and, in all the streets round, people were beginning toremove their goods. The river seemed to be regarded by all as thesafest place of refuge. The boats from the various landing-places hadalready come up, and these were doing a thriving trade by taking thefrightened people, with what goods they carried, to lighters andships moored in the river.
The lines of men passing buckets had long since broken up, it beingtoo evident that their efforts were not of the slightest avail. Thewind had, in the last two hours, rapidly increased in strength, andwas carrying the burning embers far and wide.
Cyril and his companions had, after satisfying their first curiosity,set to work to assist the fugitives, by aiding them to carry downtheir goods to the waterside. Cyril was now between eighteen andnineteen, and had grown into a powerful, young fellow, having, sincehe recovered from the Plague, grown fast and widened out greatly. Hewas able to shoulder heavy trunks, and to carry them down withoutdifficulty.
By six o'clock, however, all were exhausted by their labours, andCaptain Dave's proposal, that they should go back and get breakfastand have a wash, was at once agreed to.
At this time the greater part of Fish Street was in flames, theChurch of St. Magnus had fallen, and the flames had spread to many ofthe streets and alleys running west. The houses on the Bridge wereblazing.
"Well, father, what is the news?" Nellie exclaimed, as they entered."What have you been doing? You are all blackened, like the men whocarry out the coals from the ships. I never saw such figures."
"We have been helping people to carry their goods down to the water,Nellie. The news is bad. The fire is a terrible one."
"That we can see, father. Mother and I were at the window for hoursafter you left, and the whole sky seemed ablaze. Do you think thatthere is any danger of its coming here?"
"The wind is taking the flames the other way, Nellie, but in spite ofthat I think that there is danger. The heat is so great that thehouses catch on this side, and we saw, as we came back, that it hadtravelled eastwards. Truly, I believe that if the wind keeps on as itis at present, the whole City will be destroyed. However, we willhave a wash first and then some breakfast, of which we are sorely inneed. Then we can talk over what had best be done."
Little was said during breakfast. The apprentices had already beenout, and so excited were they at the scenes they had witnessed thatthey had difficulty in preserving their usual quiet and
submissivedemeanour. Captain Dave was wearied with his unwonted exertions. Mrs.Dowsett and Nellie both looked pale and anxious, and Cyril and JohnWilkes were oppressed by the terrible scene of destruction and thewidespread misery they had witnessed.
When breakfast was over, Captain Dave ordered the apprentices on noaccount to leave the premises. They were to put up the shutters atonce, and then to await orders.
"What do you think we had better do, Cyril?" he said, when the boyshad left the room.
"I should say that you had certainly better go on board a ship,Captain Dave. There is time to move now quietly, and to get manythings taken on board, but if there were a swift change of wind theflames would come down so suddenly that you would have no time tosave anything. Do you know of a captain who would receive you?"
"Certainly; I know of half a dozen."
"Then the first thing is to secure a boat before they are all takenup."
"I will go down to the stairs at once."
"Then I should say, John, you had better go off with Captain Dave,and, as soon as he has arranged with one of the captains, come backto shore. Let the waterman lie off in the stream, for if the flamescome this way there will be a rush for boats, and people will notstop to ask to whom they belong. It will be better still to take oneof the apprentices with you, leave him at the stairs till you return,and then tie up to a ship till we hail him."
"That will be the best plan," Captain Dave said. "Now, wife, you andNellie and the maid had best set to work at once packing up all yourbest clothes and such other things as you may think most valuable. Weshall have time, I hope, to make many trips."
"While you are away, I will go along the street and see whether thefire is making any way in this direction," Cyril said. "Of course ifit's coming slowly you will have time to take away a great manythings. And we may even hope that it may not come here at all."
Taking one of the apprentices, Captain Dave and John at once startedfor the waterside, while Cyril made his way westward.
Already, people were bringing down their goods from most of thehouses. Some acted as if they believed that if they took the goodsout of the houses they would be safe, and great piles of articles ofall kinds almost blocked the road. Weeping women and frightenedchildren sat on these piles as if to guard them. Some stood at theirdoors wringing their hands helplessly; others were already startingeastward laden with bundles and boxes, occasionally looking round asif to bid farewell to their homes. Many of the men seemed even moreconfused and frightened than the women, running hither and thitherwithout purpose, shouting, gesticulating, and seeming almostdistraught with fear and grief.
Cyril had not gone far when he saw that the houses on both sides ofthe street, at the further end, were already in flames. He wasobliged to advance with great caution, for many people wererecklessly throwing goods of all kinds from the windows, regardlessof whom they might fall upon, and without thought of how they were tobe carried away. He went on until close to the fire, and stood for atime watching. The noise was bewildering. Mingled with the roar ofthe flames, the crackling of woodwork, and the heavy crashes thattold of the fall of roofs or walls, was the clang of the alarm-bells,shouts, cries, and screams. The fire spread steadily, but with noneof the rapidity with which he had seen it fly along from house tohouse on the other side of the conflagration. The houses, however,were largely composed of wood. The balconies generally caught first,and the fire crept along under the roofs, and sometimes a shower oftiles, and a burst of flames, showed that it had advanced there,while the lower portion of the house was still intact.
"Is it coming, Cyril?" Mrs. Dowsett asked, when he returned.
"It is coming steadily," he said, "and can be stopped by nothingshort of a miracle. Can I help you in any way?"
"No," she said; "we have packed as many things as can possibly becarried. It is well that your things are all at your lodging, Cyril,and beyond the risk of this danger."
"It would have mattered little about them," he said. "I could havereplaced them easily enough. That is but a question of money. Andnow, in the first place, I will get the trunks and bundles you havepacked downstairs. That will save time."
Assisted by the apprentice and Nellie, Cyril got all the thingsdownstairs.
"How long have we, do you think?" Nellie asked.
"I should say that in three hours the fire will be here," he said."It may be checked a little at the cross lanes; but I fear that threehours is all we can hope for."
Just as they had finished taking down the trunks, Captain Dave andJohn Wilkes arrived.
"I have arranged the affair," the former said. "My old friend, DickWatson, will take us in his ship; she lies but a hundred yards fromthe stairs. Now, get on your mantle and hood, Nellie, and bring yourmother and maid down."
The three women were soon at the foot of the stairs, and Mrs.Dowsett's face showed signs of tears; but, though pale, she was quietand calm, and the servant, a stout wench, had gained confidence fromher mistress's example. As soon as they were ready, the three meneach shouldered a trunk. The servant and the apprentice carried onebetween them. Mrs. Dowsett and her daughter took as many bundles asthey could carry. It was but five minutes' walk down to the stairs.The boat was lying twenty yards out in the stream, fastened up to alighter, with the apprentice and waterman on board. It came at oncealongside, and in five minutes they reached the _Good Venture_. Assoon as the women had ascended the accommodation ladder, some sailorsran down and helped to carry up the trunks.
"Empty them all out in the cabin," Captain Dave said to his wife; "wewill take them back with us."
As soon as he had seen the ladies into the cabin, Captain Watsoncalled his son Frank, who was his chief mate, and half a dozen of hismen. These carried the boxes, as fast as they were emptied, down intothe boat.
"We will all go ashore together," he said to Captain Dave. "I was afool not to think of it before. We will soon make light work of it."
As soon as they reached the house, some of the sailors were sent offwith the remaining trunks and bundles, while the others carriedupstairs those they had brought, and quickly emptied into them theremaining contents of the drawers and linen press. So quickly andsteadily did the work go on, that no less than six trips were made tothe _Good Venture_ in the next three hours, and at the end of thattime almost everything portable had been carried away, includingseveral pieces of valuable furniture, and a large number of objectsbrought home by Captain Dave from his various voyages. The lastjourney, indeed, was devoted to saving some of the most valuablecontents of the store. Captain Dave, delighted at having saved somuch, would not have thought of taking more, but Captain Watson wouldnot hear of this.
"There is time for one more trip, old friend," he said, "and thereare many things in your store that are worth more than their weightin silver. I will take my other two hands this time, and, with theeight men and our five selves, we shall be able to bring a goodload."
The trunks were therefore this time packed with ship's instruments,and brass fittings of all kinds, to the full weight that could becarried. All hands then set to work, and, in a very short time, agreat proportion of the portable goods were carried from thestore-house into an arched cellar beneath it. By the time that theywere ready to start there were but six houses between them and thefire.
"I wish we had another three hours before us," Captain Watson said."It goes to one's heart to leave all this new rope and sail cloth,good blocks, and other things, to be burnt."
"There have been better things than that burnt to-day, Watson. Fewmen have saved as much as I have, thanks to your assistance and thatof these stout sailors of yours. Why, the contents of these twelveboxes are worth as much as the whole of the goods remaining."
The sailors' loads were so heavy that they had to help each other toget them upon their shoulders, and the other five were scarcely lessweighted; and, short as was the distance, all had to rest severaltimes on the way to the stairs, setting their burdens uponwindow-sills, or upon boxes scattered in the
streets. One of theship's boats had, after the first trip, taken the place of the lightwherry, but even this was weighted down to the gunwale when the menand the goods were all on board. After the first two trips, thecontents of the boxes had been emptied on deck, and by the time thelast arrived the three women had packed away in the empty cabins allthe clothing, linen, and other articles, that had been taken below.Captain Watson ordered a stiff glass of grog to be given to each ofthe sailors, and then went down with the others into the main cabin,where the steward had already laid the table for a meal, and pouredout five tumblers of wine.
"I have not had so tough a job since I was before the mast," he said."What say you, Captain Dave?"
"It has been a hard morning's work, indeed, Watson, and, in truth, Ifeel fairly spent. But though weary in body I am cheerful in heart.It seemed to me at breakfast-time that we should save little beyondwhat we stood in, and now I have rescued well-nigh everythingvaluable that I have. I should have grieved greatly had I lost allthose mementos that it took me nigh thirty years to gather, and thosepieces of furniture that belonged to my father I would not have lostfor any money. Truly, it has been a noble salvage."
Mrs. Dowsett and Nellie now joined them. They had quite recoveredtheir spirits, and were delighted at the unexpected rescue of so manythings precious to them, and Captain Watson was overwhelmed by theirthanks for what he had done.
After the meal was over they sat quietly talking for a time, and thenCyril proposed that they should row up the river and see whatprogress the fire was making above the Bridge. Mrs. Dowsett, however,was too much fatigued by her sleepless night and the troubles andemotions of the morning to care about going. Captain Dave said thathe was too stiff to do anything but sit quiet and smoke a pipe, andthat he would superintend the getting of their things on deck alittle ship-shape. Nellie embraced the offer eagerly, and youngWatson, who was a well-built and handsome fellow, with a pleasantface and manner, said that he would go, and would take a couple ofhands to row. The tide had just turned to run up when they set out.Cyril asked the first mate to steer, and he sat on one side of himand Nellie on the other.
"You will have to mind your oars, lads," Frank Watson said. "Theriver is crowded with boats."
They crossed over to the Southwark side, as it would have beendangerous to pass under the arches above which the houses wereburning. The flames, however, had not spread right across the bridge,for the houses were built only over the piers, and the openings atthe arches had checked the flames, and at these points numbers of menwere drawing water in buckets and throwing it over the fronts of thehouses, or passing them, by ropes, to other men on the roofs, whichwere kept deluged with water. Hundreds of willing hands were engagedin the work, for the sight of the tremendous fire on the oppositebank filled people with terror lest the flames should cross thebridge and spread to the south side of the river. The warehouses andwharves on the bank were black with spectators, who looked withastonishment and awe at the terrible scene of destruction.
It was not until they passed under the bridge that the full extent ofthe conflagration was visible. The fire had made its way somedistance along Thames Street, and had spread far up into the City.Gracechurch Street and Lombard Street were in flames, and indeed thefire seemed to have extended a long distance further; but the smokewas so dense, that it was difficult to make out the precise pointthat it had reached. The river was a wonderful sight. It was crowdedwith boats and lighters, all piled up with goods, while along thequays from Dowgate to the Temple, crowds of people were engaged inplacing what goods they had saved on board lighters and other craft.Many of those in the boats seemed altogether helpless and undecidedas to what had best be done, and drifted along with the tide, but thebest part were making either for the marshes at Lambeth or the fieldsat Millbank, there to land their goods, the owners of the boatsrefusing to keep them long on board, as they desired to return by thenext tide to fetch away other cargoes, being able to obtain any pricethey chose to demand for their services.
Among the boats were floating goods and wreckage of all kinds,charred timber that had fallen from the houses on the bridge, andfrom the warehouses by the quays, bales of goods, articles offurniture, bedding, and other matters. At times, a sudden change ofwind drove a dense smoke across the water, flakes of burning embersand papers causing great confusion among the boats, and threateningto set the piles of goods on fire.
At Frank Watson's suggestion, they landed at the Temple, after havingbeen some two hours on the river. Going up into Fleet Street, theyfound a stream of carts and other vehicles proceeding westward, allpiled with furniture and goods, mostly of a valuable kind. Thepavements were well-nigh blocked with people, all journeying in thesame direction, laden with their belongings. With difficulty theymade their way East as far as St. Paul's. The farther end ofCheapside was already in flames, and they learnt that the fire hadextended as far as Moorfields. It was said that efforts had been madeto pull down houses and so check its progress, but that there was noorder or method, and that no benefit was gained by the work.
After looking on at the scene for some time, they returned to FleetStreet. Frank Watson went down with Nellie to the boat, while Cyrilwent to his lodgings in the Savoy. Here he found his servantanxiously awaiting him.
"I did not bring the horses this morning, sir," he said. "I heardthat there was a great fire, and went on foot as far as I could get,but, finding that I could not pass, I thought it best to come backhere and await your return."
"Quite right, Reuben; you could not have got the horses to me unlessyou had ridden round the walls and come in at Aldgate, and they wouldhave been useless had you brought them. The house at which I stayedlast night is already burnt to the ground. You had better stay herefor the present, I think. There is no fear of the fire extendingbeyond the City. Should you find that it does so, pack my clothes inthe valises, take the horses down to Sevenoaks, and remain at theEarl's until you hear from me."
Having arranged this, Cyril went down to the Savoy stairs, where hefound the boat waiting for him, and then they rowed back to LondonBridge, where, the force of the tide being now abated, they were ableto row through and get to the _Good Venture_.
They had but little sleep that night. Gradually the fire worked itsway eastward until it was abreast of them. The roaring and cracklingof the flames was prodigious. Here and there the glare wasdiversified by columns of a deeper red glow, showing wherewarehouses, filled with pitch, tar, and oil, were in flames. Theheavy crashes of falling buildings were almost incessant.Occasionally they saw a church tower or steeple, that had stood for atime black against the glowing sky, become suddenly wreathed inflames, and, after burning for a time, fall with a crash that couldbe plainly heard above the general roar.
"Surely such a fire was never seen before!" Captain Dave said.
"Not since Rome was burnt, I should think," Cyril replied.
"How long was that ago, Cyril? I don't remember hearing about it."
"'Tis fifteen hundred years or so since then, Captain Dave; but thegreater part of the city was destroyed, and Rome was then many timesbigger than London. It burnt for three days."
"Well, this is bad enough," Captain Watson said. "Even here the heatis well-nigh too great to face. Frank, you had better call the crewup and get all the sails off the yards. Were a burning flake to fallon them we might find it difficult to extinguish them. When they havedone that, let the men get all the buckets filled with water andranged on the deck; and it will be as well to get a couple of handsin the boat and let them chuck water against this side. We shall haveall the paint blistered off before morning."
So the night passed. Occasionally they went below for a short time,but they found it impossible to sleep, and were soon up again, andfelt it a relief when the morning began to break.
CHAPTER XXII
AFTER THE FIRE
Daylight brought little alleviation to the horrors of the scene. Theflames were less vivid, but a dense pall of smoke overhung the sky.As soon as they ha
d breakfasted, Captain Watson, his son, CaptainDowsett, Nellie, and Cyril took their places in the boat, and wererowed up the river. An exclamation burst from them all as they sawhow fast the flames had travelled since the previous evening.
"St. Paul's is on fire!" Cyril exclaimed. "See! there are flamesbursting through its roof. I think, Captain Watson, if you will putme ashore at the Temple, I will make my way to Whitehall, and reportmyself there. I may be of use."
"I will do that," Captain Watson said. "Then I will row back to theship again. We must leave a couple of hands on board, in case some ofthese burning flakes should set anything alight. We will land withthe rest, and do what we can to help these poor women and children."
"I will stay on board and take command, if you like, Watson," CaptainDave said. "You ought to have some one there, and I have notrecovered from yesterday's work, and should be of little use ashore."
"Very well, Dowsett. That will certainly be best; but I think it willbe prudent, before we leave, to run out a kedge with forty or fiftyfathoms of cable towards the middle of the stream, and then veer outthe cable on her anchor so as to let her ride thirty fathoms or sofarther out. We left six men sluicing her side and deck, but itcertainly would be prudent to get her out a bit farther. Even here,the heat is as much as we can stand."
As soon as Cyril had landed, he hurried up into Fleet Street. He hadjust reached Temple Bar when he saw a party of horsemen making theirway through the carts. A hearty cheer greeted them from the crowd,who hoped that the presence of the King--for it was Charles who rodein front--was a sign that vigorous steps were about to be taken tocheck the progress of the flames. Beside the King rode the Duke ofAlbemarle, and following were a number of other gentlemen andofficers. Cyril made his way through the crowd to the side of theDuke's horse.
"Can I be of any possible use, my Lord Duke?" he asked, doffing hishat.
"Ah, Sir Cyril, it is you, is it? I have not seen you since youbearded De Ruyter in the _Fan Fan_. Yes, you can be of use. We havefive hundred sailors and dockyard men behind; they have just arrivedfrom Chatham, and a thousand more have landed below the Bridge tofight the flames on that side. Keep by me now, and, when we decidewhere to set to work, I will put you under the orders of CaptainWarncliffe, who has charge of them."
When they reached the bottom of Fleet Street, the fire was halfwaydown Ludgate Hill, and it was decided to begin operations along thebottom of the Fleet Valley. The dockyard men and sailors were broughtup, and following them were some carts laden with kegs of powder.
"Warncliffe," Lord Albemarle said, as the officer came up at the headof them, "Sir Cyril Shenstone is anxious to help. You know him byrepute, and you can trust him in any dangerous business. You hadbetter tell off twenty men under him. You have only to tell him whatyou want done, and you can rely upon its being done thoroughly."
The sailors were soon at work along the line of the Fleet Ditch. Allcarried axes, and with these they chopped down the principal beams ofthe small houses clustered by the Ditch, and so weakened them that asmall charge of powder easily brought them down. In many places theymet with fierce opposition from the owners, who, still clinging tothe faint hope that something might occur to stop the progress of thefire before it reached their abodes, raised vain protestationsagainst the destruction of their houses. All day the men workedunceasingly, but in vain. Driven by the fierce wind, the flames sweptdown the opposite slope, leapt over the space strewn with rubbish andbeams, and began to climb Fleet Street and Holborn Hill and the densemass of houses between them.
The fight was renewed higher up. Beer and bread and cheese wereobtained from the taverns, and served out to the workmen, and thesekept at their task all night. Towards morning the wind had fallensomewhat. The open spaces of the Temple favoured the defenders; thehouses to east of it were blown up, and, late in the afternoon, theprogress of the flames at this spot was checked. As soon as it wasfelt that there was no longer any fear of its further advance here,the exhausted men, who had, for twenty-four hours, laboured, halfsuffocated by the blinding smoke and by the dust made by their ownwork, threw themselves down on the grass of the Temple Gardens andslept. At midnight they were roused by their officers, and proceededto assist their comrades, who had been battling with the flames onthe other side of Fleet Street. They found that these too had beensuccessful; the flames had swept up to Fetter Lane, but the houses onthe west side had been demolished, and although, at one or twopoints, the fallen beams caught fire, they were speedilyextinguished. Halfway up Fetter Lane the houses stood on both sidesuninjured, for a large open space round St. Andrew's, Holborn, hadaided the defenders in their efforts to check the flames. North ofHolborn the fire had spread but little, and that only among thepoorer houses in Fleet Valley.
Ascending the hill, they found that, while the flames had overleaptthe City wall from Ludgate to Newgate in its progress west, the wallhad proved an effective barrier from the sharp corner behindChristchurch up to Aldersgate and thence up to Cripplegate, which wasthe farthest limit reached by the fire to the north. To the east, theCity had fared better. By the river, indeed, the destruction wascomplete as far as the Tower. Mark Lane, however, stood, and north ofthis the line of destruction swept westward to Leaden Hall, a massivestructure at the entrance to the street that took its name from it,and proved a bulwark against the flames. From this point, the line ofdevastated ground swept round by the eastern end of ThrogmortonStreet to the northern end of Basinghall Street.
Cyril remained with the sailors for two days longer, during whichtime they were kept at work beating out the embers of the fire. Inthis they were aided by a heavy fall of rain, which put an end to allfear of the flames springing up again.
"There can be no need for you to remain longer with us, Sir Cyril,"Captain Warncliffe said, at the end of the second day. "I shall havepleasure in reporting to the Duke of Albemarle the good services thatyou have rendered. Doubtless we shall remain on duty here for sometime, for we may have, for aught I know, to aid in the clearing awayof some of the ruins; but, at any rate, there can be no occasion foryou to stay longer with us."
Cyril afterwards learnt that the sailors and dockyard men were, onthe following day, sent back to Chatham. The fire had rendered sogreat a number of men homeless and without means of subsistence, thatthere was an abundant force on hand for the clearing away of ruins.Great numbers were employed by the authorities, while many of themerchants and traders engaged parties to clear away the ruins oftheir dwellings, in order to get at the cellars below, in which theyhad, as soon as the danger from fire was perceived, stowed away themain bulk of their goods. As soon as he was released from duty, Cyrilmade his way to the Tower, and, hiring a boat, was rowed to the _GoodVenture_.
The shipping presented a singular appearance, their sides beingblistered, and in many places completely stripped of their paint,while in some cases the spars were scorched, and the sails burntaway. There was lively satisfaction at his appearance, as he steppedon to the deck of the _Good Venture_, for, until he did so, he hadbeen unrecognised, so begrimed with smoke and dust was he.
"We have been wondering about you," Captain Dave said, as he shookhim by the hand, "but I can scarce say we had become uneasy. Welearnt that a large body of seamen and others were at work blowing uphouses, and as you had gone to offer your services we doubted notthat you were employed with them. Truly you must have been having arough time of it, for not only are you dirtier than any scavenger,but you look utterly worn out and fatigued."
"It was up-hill work the first twenty-four hours, for we workedunceasingly, and worked hard, too, I can assure you, and thatwell-nigh smothered with smoke and dust. Since then, our work hasbeen more easy, but no less dirty. In the three days I have not hadtwelve hours' sleep altogether."
"I will get a tub of hot water placed in your cabin," Captain Watsonsaid, "and should advise you, when you get out from it, to turn intoyour bunk at once. No one shall go near you in the morning until youwake of your own accord."
Cyril wa
s, however, down to breakfast.
"Now tell us all about the fire," Nellie said, when they had finishedthe meal.
"I have nothing to tell you, for I know nothing," Cyril replied. "Ourwork was simply pulling down and blowing up houses. I had scarce timeso much as to look at the fire. However, as I have since been workingall round its course, I can tell you exactly how far it spread."
When he brought his story to a conclusion, he said,--
"And now, Captain Dave, what are you thinking of doing?"
"In the first place, I am going ashore to look at the old house. Assoon as I can get men, I shall clear the ground, and begin to rebuildit. I have enough laid by to start me again. I should be like a fishout of water with nothing to see to. I have the most valuable part ofmy stock still on hand here on deck, and if the cellar has provedstaunch my loss in goods will be small indeed, for the anchors andchains in the yard will have suffered no damage. But even if thecellar has caved in, and its contents are destroyed, and if, when Ihave rebuilt my house, I find I have not enough left to replenish mystock, I am sure that I can get credit from the rope- and sail-makers,and iron-masters with whom I deal."
"Do not trouble yourself about that, Captain Dave," Cyril said. "Youcame to my help last time, and it will be my turn this time. I amsure that I shall have no difficulty in getting any monies that maybe required from Mr. Goldsworthy, and there is nothing that will giveme more pleasure than to see you established again in the place thatwas the first where I ever felt I had a home."
"I hope that it will not be needed, lad," Captain Dave said, shakinghis hand warmly, "but if it should, I will not hesitate to acceptyour offer in the spirit in which it is made, and thus add one moreto the obligations that I am under to you."
Cyril went ashore with Captain Dave and John Wilkes. The wall of theyard was, of course, uninjured, but the gate was burnt down. Thestore-house, which was of wood, had entirely disappeared, and theback wall of the house had fallen over it and the yard. The entranceto the cellar, therefore, could not be seen, and, as yet, the heatfrom the fallen bricks was too great to attempt to clear them away toget at it.
That night, however, it rained heavily, and in the morning CaptainWatson took a party of sailors ashore, and these succeeded inclearing away the rubbish sufficiently to get to the entrance of thecellar. The door was covered by an iron plate, and although the woodbehind this was charred it had not caught fire, and on getting itopen it was found that the contents of the cellar were uninjured.
In order to prevent marauders from getting at it before preparationscould be made for rebuilding, the rubbish was again thrown in so asto completely conceal the entrance. On returning on board there was aconsultation on the future, held in the cabin. Captain Dave at oncesaid that he and John Wilkes must remain in town to make arrangementsfor the rebuilding and to watch the performance of the work. Cyrilwarmly pressed Mrs. Dowsett and Nellie to come down with him toNorfolk until the house was ready to receive them, but both were infavour of remaining in London, and it was settled that, next day,they should go down to Stepney, hire a house and store-room there,and remove thither their goods on board the ship, and the contents ofthe cellar.
There was some little difficulty in getting a house, as so many wereseeking for lodgings, but at last they came upon a widow who waswilling to let a house, upon the proviso that she was allowed toretain one room for her own occupation. This being settled, Cyrilthat evening returned to his lodging, and the next day rode down toNorfolk. There he remained until the middle of May, when he receiveda letter from Captain Dave, saying that his house was finished, andthat they should move into it in a fortnight, and that they allearnestly hoped he would be present. As he had already been thinkingof going up to London for a time, he decided to accept theinvitation.
By this time he had made the acquaintance of all the surroundinggentry, and felt perfectly at home at Upmead. He rode frequently intoNorwich, and, whenever he did so, paid a visit to Mr. Harvey, whosewife had died in January, never having completely recovered from theshock that she had received in London. Mr. Harvey himself had agedmuch; he still took a great interest in the welfare of the tenants ofUpmead, and in Cyril's proposals for the improvement of their homes,and was pleased to see how earnestly he had taken up the duties ofhis new life. He spoke occasionally of his son, of whose death hefelt convinced.
"I have never been able to obtain any news of him," he often said,"and assuredly I should have heard of him had he been alive.
"It would ease my mind to know the truth," he said, one day. "Ittroubles me to think that, if alive, he is assuredly pursuing evilcourses, and that he will probably end his days on a gallows. That hewill repent, and turn to better courses, I have now no hope whatever.Unless he be living by roguery, he would, long ere this, havewritten, professing repentance, even if he did not feel it, andbegging for assistance. It troubles me much that I can find outnothing for certain of him."
"Would it be a relief to you to know surely that he was dead?" Cyrilasked.
"I would rather know that he was dead than feel, as I do, that ifalive, he is going on sinning. One can mourn for the dead as Davidmourned for Absalom, and trust that their sins may be forgiven them;but, uncertain as I am of his death, I cannot so mourn, since it maybe that he still lives."
"Then, sir, I am in a position to set your mind at rest. I have knownfor a long time that he died of the Plague, but I have kept it fromyou, thinking that it was best you should still think that he mightbe living. He fell dead beside me on the very day that I sickened ofthe Plague, and, indeed, it was from him that I took it."
Mr. Harvey remained silent for a minute or two.
"'Tis better so," he said solemnly. "The sins of youth may beforgiven, but, had he lived, his whole course might have been wicked.How know you that it was he who gave you the Plague?"
"I met him in the street. He was tottering in his walk, and, as hecame up, he stumbled, and grasped me to save himself. I held him fora moment, and then he slipped from my arms and fell on the pavement,and died."
Mr. Harvey looked keenly at Cyril, and was about to ask a question,but checked himself.
"He is dead," he said. "God rest his soul, and forgive him his sins!Henceforth I shall strive to forget that he ever lived to manhood,and seek to remember him as he was when a child."
Then he held out his hand to Cyril, to signify that he would fain bealone.
On arriving in London, Cyril took up his abode at his formerlodgings, and the next day at twelve o'clock, the hour appointed in aletter he found awaiting him on his arrival, he arrived in TowerStreet, having ridden through the City. An army of workmen, who hadcome up from all parts of the country, were engaged in rebuilding thetown. In the main thoroughfares many of the houses were alreadyfinished, and the shops re-opened. In other parts less progress hadbeen made, as the traders were naturally most anxious to resume theirbusiness, and most able to pay for speed.
Captain Dave's was one of the first houses completed in Tower Street,but there were many others far advanced in progress. The frontdiffered materially from that of the old house, in which each storyhad projected beyond the one below it. Inside, however, there was butlittle change in its appearance, except that the rooms were somewhatmore lofty, and that there were no heavy beams across the ceilings.Captain Dave and his family had moved in that morning.
"It does not look quite like the old place," Mrs. Dowsett said, afterthe first greetings.
"Not quite," Cyril agreed. "The new furniture, of course, gives it adifferent appearance as yet; but one will soon get accustomed tothat, and you will quickly make it home-like again. I see you havethe bits of furniture you saved in their old corners."
"Yes; and it will make a great difference when they get all mycuriosities up in their places again," Captain Dave put in. "Wepulled them down anyhow, and some of them will want glueing up a bit.And so your fighting is over, Cyril?"
"Yes, it looks like it. The Dutch have evidently had enough of it.They asked for pe
ace, and as both parties consented to the King ofSweden being mediator, and our representatives and those of Hollandare now settling affairs at Breda, peace may be considered as finallysettled. We have only two small squadrons now afloat; the rest areall snugly laid up. I trust that there is no chance of another warbetween the two nations for years to come."
"I hope not, Cyril. But De Witte is a crafty knave, and is ever inclose alliance with Louis. Were it not for French influence thePrince of Orange would soon oust him from the head of affairs."
"I should think he would not have any power for mischief in thefuture," Cyril said. "It was he who brought on the last war, and,although it has cost us much, it has cost the Dutch very much more,and the loss of her commerce has well-nigh brought Holland to ruin.Besides, the last victory we won must have lowered their nationalpride greatly."
"You have not heard the reports that are about, then?"
"No, I have heard no news whatever. It takes a long time for it totravel down to Norwich, and I have seen no one since I came up totown last night."
"Well, there is a report that a Dutch Fleet of eighty sail has put tosea. It may be that 'tis but bravado to show that, though they havebegged for peace, 'tis not because they are in no condition to fight.I know not how this may be, but it is certain that for the last threedays the Naval people have been very busy, and that powder is beingsent down to Chatham. As for the Fleet, small as it is, it isdoubtful whether it would fight, for the men are in a veritable stateof mutiny, having received no pay for many months. Moreover, severalships were but yesterday bought by Government, for what purpose it isnot known, but it is conjectured they are meant for fire-ships."
"I cannot but think that it is, as you say, a mere piece of bravadoon the part of the Dutch, Captain Dave. They could never be sotreacherous as to attack us when peace is well-nigh concluded, but,hurt as their pride must be by the defeat we gave them, it is notunnatural they should wish to show that they can still put a bravefleet on the seas, and are not driven to make peace because theycould not, if need be, continue the war."
"And now I have a piece of news for you. We are going to have awedding here before long."
"I am right glad to hear it," Cyril said heartily. "And who is thehappy man, Nellie?" he asked, turning towards where she had beenstanding the moment before. But Nellie had fled the moment her fatherhad opened his lips.
"It is Frank Watson," her father said. "A right good lad; and hermother and I are well pleased with her choice."
"I thought that he was very attentive the few days we were on boardhis father's ship," Cyril said. "I am not surprised to hear thenews."
"They have been two voyages since then, and while the _Good Venture_was in the Pool, Master Frank spent most of his time down at Stepney,and it was settled a fortnight since. My old friend Watson is aspleased as I am. And the best part of the business is that Frank isgoing to give up the sea and become my partner. His father owns the_Good Venture_, and, being a careful man, has laid by a round sum,and he settled to give him fifteen hundred pounds, which he will putinto the business."
"That is a capital plan, Captain Dave. It will be an excellent thingfor you to have so young and active a partner."
"Watson has bought the house down at Stepney that we have been livingin, and Frank and Nellie are going to settle there, and Watson willmake it his headquarters when his ship is in port, and will, I haveno doubt, take up his moorings there, when he gives up the sea. Thewedding is to be in a fortnight's time, for Watson has set his hearton seeing them spliced before he sails again, and I see no reason fordelay. You must come to the wedding, of course, Cyril. Indeed, Idon't think Nellie would consent to be married if you were not there.The girl has often spoken of you lately. You see, now that she reallyknows what love is, and has a quiet, happy life to look forward to,she feels more than ever the service you did her, and the escape shehad. She told the whole story to Frank before she said yes, when heasked her to be his wife, and, of course, he liked her no less forit, though I think it would go hard with that fellow if he ever methim."
"The fellow died of the Plague, Captain Dave. His last action was totry and revenge himself on me by giving me the infection, for,meeting me in the streets, he threw his arms round me and exclaimed,'I have given you the Plague!' They were the last words he everspoke, for he gave a hideous laugh, and then dropped down dead.However, he spoke truly, for that night I sickened of it."
"Then your kindness to Nellie well-nigh cost you your life," Mrs.Dowsett said, laying her hand on his shoulder, while the tears stoodin her eyes. "And you never told us this before!"
"There was nothing to tell," Cyril replied. "If I had not caught itfrom him, I should have, doubtless, taken it from someone else, for Iwas constantly in the way of it, and could hardly have hoped toescape an attack. Now, Captain Dave, let us go downstairs, and seethe store."
"John Wilkes and the two boys are at work there," the Captain said,as he went downstairs, "and we open our doors tomorrow. I havehurried on the house as fast as possible, and as no others in mybusiness have yet opened, I look to do a thriving trade at once.Watson will send all his friends here, and as there is scarce acaptain who goes in or out of port but knows Frank, I consider thatour new partner will greatly extend the business."
Captain Watson and Frank came in at supper-time, and, after spendinga pleasant evening, Cyril returned to his lodgings in the Strand. Thenext day he was walking near Whitehall when a carriage dashed out atfull speed, and, as it came along, he caught sight of the Duke ofAlbemarle, who looked in a state of strange confusion. His wig wasawry, his coat was off, and his face was flushed and excited. As hiseye fell on Cyril, he shouted out to the postillions to stop. As theypulled up, he shouted,--
"Jump in, Sir Cyril! Jump in, for your life."
Astonished at this address, Cyril ran to the door, opened it, andjumped in, and the Duke shouted to the postillions to go on.
"What do you think, sir?--what do you think?" roared the Duke. "Thosetreacherous scoundrels, the Dutch, have appeared with a great Fleetof seventy men-of-war, besides fire-ships, off Sheerness, thismorning at daybreak, and have taken the place, and Chatham lies opento them. We have been bamboozled and tricked. While the villains werepretending they were all for peace, they have been secretly fittingout, and there they are at Sheerness. A mounted messenger brought inthe news, but ten minutes ago."
"Have they taken Sheerness, sir?"
"Yes; there were but six guns mounted on the fort, and nopreparations made. The ships that were there did nothing. The rascalsare in mutiny--and small wonder, when they can get no pay; the moneyvoted for them being wasted by the Court. It is enough to drive onewild with vexation, and, had I my will, there are a dozen men, whosenames are the foremost in the country, whom I would hang up with myown hands. The wind is from the east, and if they go straight up theMedway they may be there this afternoon, and have the whole of ourships at their mercy. It is enough to make Blake turn in his gravethat such an indignity should be offered us, though it be but theoutcome of treachery on the part of the Dutch, and of grossnegligence on ours. But if they give us a day or two to prepare, wewill, at least, give them something to do before they can carry outtheir design, and, if one could but rely on the sailors, we mighteven beat them off; but it is doubtful whether the knaves will fight.The forts are unfinished, though the money was voted for them threeyears since. And all this is not the worst of it, for, after theyhave taken Chatham, there is naught to prevent their coming up toLondon. We have had plague and we have had fire, and to be bombardedby the Dutchmen would be the crowning blow, and it would be like tobring about another revolution in England."
They posted down to Chatham as fast as the horses could gallop. Theinstant the news had arrived, the Duke had sent off a man, onhorseback, to order horses to be in readiness to change at eachposting station. Not a minute, therefore, was lost. In a little overtwo hours from the time of leaving Whitehall, they drove into thedockyard.
"Where is Sir Edwa
rd Spragge?" the Duke shouted, as he leapt from thecarriage.
"He has gone down to the new forts, your Grace," an officer replied.
"Have a gig prepared at once, without the loss of a moment," the Dukesaid. "What is being done?" he asked another officer, as the firstran off.
"Sir Edward has taken four frigates down to the narrow part of theriver, sir, and preparations have been made for placing a great chainthere. Several of the ships are being towed out into the river, andare to be sunk in the passage."
"Any news of the Dutch having left Sheerness?"
"No, sir; a shallop rowed up at noon, but was chased back again byone of our pinnaces."
"That is better than I had hoped. Come, come, we shall make a fightfor it yet," and he strode away towards the landing.
"Shall I accompany you, sir?" Cyril asked.
"Yes. There is nothing for you to do until we see exactly how thingsstand. I shall use you as my staff officer--that is, if you arewilling, Sir Cyril. I have carried you off without asking whether youconsented or no; but, knowing your spirit and quickness, I felt sureyou would be of use."
"I am at your service altogether," Cyril said, "and am glad indeedthat your Grace encountered me, for I should have been truly sorry tohave been idle at such a time."
An eight-oared gig was already at the stairs, and they were rowedrapidly down the river. They stopped at Upnor Castle, and found thatMajor Scott, who was in command there, was hard at work mountingcannon and putting the place in a posture of defence.
"You will have more men from London by to-morrow night, at thelatest," the Duke said, "and powder and shot in abundance was sentoff yesterday. We passed a train on our way down, and I told them topush on with all speed. As the Dutch have not moved yet, they cannotbe here until the afternoon of to-morrow, and, like enough, will notattack until next day, for they must come slowly, or they will losesome of their ships on the sands. We will try to get up a batteryopposite, so as to aid you with a cross fire. I am going down to seeSir Edward Spragge now."
Taking their places in the boat again, they rowed round the horseshoecurve down to Gillingham, and then along to the spot where thefrigates were moored. At the sharp bend lower down here the Dukefound the Admiral, and they held a long consultation together. It wasagreed that the chain should be placed somewhat higher up, where alightly-armed battery on either side would afford some assistance,that behind the chain the three ships, the _Matthias_, the _Unity_,and the _Charles V._, all prizes taken from the Dutch, should bemoored, and that the _Jonathan_ and _Fort of Honinggen_--also aDutch prize--should be also posted there.
Having arranged this, the Duke was rowed back to Chatham, there tosee about getting some of the great ships removed from their mooringsoff Gillingham, up the river. To his fury, he found that, of all theeighteen hundred men employed in the yard, not more than half a dozenhad remained at their work, the rest being, like all the townsmen,occupied in removing their goods in great haste. Even the frigatesthat were armed had but a third, at most, of their crews on board, somany having deserted owing to the backwardness of their pay.
That night, Sir W. Coventry, Sir W. Penn, Lord Brounker, and otherofficers and officials of the Admiralty, came down from London. Someof these, especially Lord Brounker, had a hot time of it with theDuke, who rated them roundly for the state of things which prevailed,telling the latter that he was the main cause of all the misfortunesthat might occur, owing to his having dismantled and disarmed all thegreat ships. In spite of the efforts of all these officers, butlittle could be done, owing to the want of hands, and to the refusalof the dockyard men, and most of the sailors, to do anything. A smallbattery of sandbags was, however, erected opposite Upnor, and a fewguns placed in position there.
Several ships were sunk in the channel above Upnor, and a few ofthose lying off Gillingham were towed up. Little help was sent downfrom London, for the efforts of the authorities were directed whollyto the defence of the Thames. The train-bands were all under arms,fire-ships were being fitted out and sent down to Gravesend, andbatteries erected there and at Tilbury, while several ships were sunkin the channel.
The Dutch remained at Sheerness from the 7th to the 12th, and had itnot been for the misconduct of the men, Chatham could have been putinto a good state for defence. As it was, but little could beeffected; and when, on the 12th, the Dutch Fleet were seen coming upthe river, the chances of successful resistance were small.
The fight commenced by a Dutch frigate, commanded by Captain Brakell,advancing against the chain. Carried up by a strong tide and eastwind the ship struck it with such force that it at once gave way. TheEnglish frigates, but weakly manned, could offer but slightresistance, and the _Jonathan_ was boarded and captured by Brakell.Following his frigate were a host of fire-ships, which at oncegrappled with the defenders. The _Matthias, Unity, Charles V._, and_Fort of Honinggen_ were speedily in flames. The light batteries onthe shore were silenced by the guns of the Fleet, which thenanchored. The next day, six of their men-of-war, with fivefire-ships, advanced, exchanged broadsides, as they went along, withthe _Royal Oak_ and presently engaged Upnor. They were received withso hot a fire from the Castle, and from the battery opposite, whereSir Edward Spragge had stationed himself, that, after a time, theygave up the design of ascending to the dockyard, which at that timeoccupied a position higher up the river than at present.
The tide was beginning to slacken, and they doubtless feared that anumber of fire-barges might be launched at them did they venturehigher up. On the way back, they launched a fire-ship at the _RoyalOak_, which was commanded by Captain Douglas. The flames speedilycommunicated to the ship, and the crew took to the boats and rowedashore. Captain Douglas refused to leave his vessel, and perished inthe flames. The report given by the six men-of-war decided the Dutchnot to attempt anything further against Chatham. On the 14th, theyset fire to the hulks, the _Loyal London_ and the _Great James_,and carried off the hulk of the _Royal Charles_, after the Englishhad twice tried to destroy her by fire. As this was the ship in whichthe Duke of Albemarle, then General Monk, had brought the King overto England from Holland, her capture was considered a special triumphfor the Dutch and a special dishonour to us.
The Duke of Albemarle had left Chatham before the Dutch came up. Asthe want of crews prevented his being of any use there, and he sawthat Sir Edward Spragge would do all that was possible in defence ofthe place, he posted back to London, where his presence was urgentlyrequired, a complete panic reigning. Crowds assembled at Whitehall,and insulted the King and his ministers as the cause of the presentmisfortunes, while at Deptford and Wapping, the sailors and theirwives paraded the streets, shouting that the ill-treatment of oursailors had brought these things about, and so hostile were theirmanifestations that the officials of the Admiralty scarce dared showthemselves in the streets.
Cyril had remained at Chatham, the Duke having recommended him to SirEdward Spragge, and he, with some other gentlemen and a few sailors,had manned the battery opposite Upnor.
The great proportion of the Dutch ships were still at the Nore, as itwould have been dangerous to have hazarded so great a fleet in thenarrow water of the Medway. As it was, two of their men-of-war, onthe way back from Chatham, ran ashore, and had to be burnt. They hadalso six fire-ships burnt, and lost over a hundred and fifty men.
Leaving Admiral Van Ness with part of the Fleet in the mouth of theThames, De Ruyter sailed first for Harwich, where he attempted toland with sixteen hundred men in boats, supported by the guns of theFleet. The boats, however, failed to effect a landing, being beatenoff, with considerable loss, by the county Militia; and Ruyter thensailed for Portsmouth, where he also failed. He then went west toTorbay, where he was likewise repulsed, and then returned to themouth of the Thames.
On July 23rd, Van Ness, with twenty-five men-of-war, sailed up theHope, where Sir Edward Spragge had now hoisted his flag on board asquadron of eighteen ships, of whom five were frigates and the restfire-ships. A sharp engagement ensued, but the wind
was very light,and the English, by towing their fire-ships, managed to lay themalongside the Dutch fire-ships, and destroyed twelve of these with aloss of only six English ships. But, the wind then rising, Sir Edwardretired from the Hope to Gravesend, where he was protected by theguns at Tilbury.
The next day, being joined by Sir Joseph Jordan, with a few smallships, he took the offensive, and destroyed the last fire-ship thatthe Dutch had left, and compelled the men-of-war to retire. SirEdward followed them with his little squadron, and Van Ness, as heretired down the river, was met by five frigates and fourteenfire-ships from Harwich. These boldly attacked him. Two of the Dutchmen-of-war narrowly escaped being burnt, another was forced ashoreand greatly damaged, and the whole of the Dutch Fleet was compelledto bear away.
While these events had been happening in the Thames, the negotiationsat Breda had continued, and, just as the Dutch retreated, the newscame that Peace had been signed. The Dutch, on their side, weresatisfied with the success with which they had closed the war, whileEngland was, at the moment, unable to continue it, and the King,seeing the intense unpopularity that had been excited against him bythe affair at Chatham, was glad to ratify the Peace, especially as wethereby retained possession of several islands we had taken in theWest Indies from the Dutch, and it was manifest that Spain waspreparing to join the coalition of France and Holland against us.
A Peace concluded under such circumstances was naturally but a shortone. When the war was renewed, three years later, the French were inalliance with us, and, after several more desperate battles, in whichno great advantages were gained on either side, the Dutch were soexhausted and impoverished by the loss of trade, that a final Peacewas arranged on terms far more advantageous to us than those securedby the Treaty of 1667. The De Wittes, the authors of the previouswars, had both been killed in a popular tumult. The Prince of Orangewas at the head of the State, and the fact that France and Spain wereboth hostile to Holland had reawakened the feeling of England infavour of the Protestant Republic, and the friendship between the twonations has never since been broken.
Cyril took no part in the last war against the Dutch. He, like themajority of the nation, was opposed to it, and, although willing togive his life in defence of his country when attacked, felt it by nomeans his duty to do so when we were aiding the designs of France incrushing a brave enemy. Such was in fact the result of the war; foralthough peace was made on even terms, the wars of Holland withEngland and the ruin caused to her trade thereby, inflicted a blowupon the Republic from which she never recovered. From being thegreat rival of England, both on the sea and in her foreign commerce,her prosperity and power dwindled until she ceased altogether to be afactor in European affairs.
After the Peace of Breda was signed, Cyril went down to Upmead,where, for the next four years, he devoted himself to the managementof his estate. His friendship with Mr. Harvey grew closer and warmer,until the latter came to consider him in really the light of a son;and when he died, in 1681, it was found that his will was unaltered,and that, with the exception of legacies to many of his old employesat his factory, the whole of his property was left to Cyril. Thelatter received a good offer for the tanyard, and, upon an estatenext to his own coming shortly afterwards into the market, hepurchased it, and thus the Upmead estates became as extensive as theyhad been before the time of his ancestor, who had so seriouslydiminished them during the reign of Elizabeth.
His friendship with the family of the Earl of Wisbech had remainedunaltered, and he had every year paid them a visit, either at Wisbechor at Sevenoaks. A year after Mr. Harvey's death, he married Dorothy,who had previously refused several flattering offers.
Captain Dave and his wife lived to a good old age. The business hadlargely increased, owing to the energy of their son-in-law, who had,with his wife and children, taken up his abode in the next house totheirs, which had been bought to meet the extension of theirbusiness. John Wilkes, at the death of Captain Dave, declined Cyril'spressing offer to make his home with him.
"It would never do, Sir Cyril," he said. "I should be miserable outof the sight of ships, and without a place where I could meetseafaring men, and smoke my pipe, and listen to their yarns."
He therefore remained with Frank Watson, nominally in charge of thestores, but doing, in fact, as little as he chose until, long pastthe allotted age of man, he passed quietly away.
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends