_Sails in the Hannibal—Visits St. Helena—Returns to England
with the East India Fleet—Revisits St. Helena—Cruise off
the Cape of Good Hope—Much alarmed—Take two Prizes—
Ordered to India with Despatches—Violent Storm—Captured
by the French—Treated with Inhumanity—Actions between
the English and French Fleets—Attempts an Escape—
Perilous Situation—Pursued—Retaken—Threatened with
Death—Gagged—Kept in Irons—Landed at Cudalore—Given up
to Hyder Ali._
In the year 1780, when a boy about 14 years of age, being a native of
Devonshire, I sailed from Plymouth Sound in his Majesty’s ship Hannibal,
of 50 guns, commanded by Alexander Christie, as convoy to the
outward-bound East India fleet; and, on our arrival in a certain
latitude, our orders were to separate; the fleet steering for their
different destinations, and the Hannibal for St. Helena, at which port
we were to wait, to convoy back the homeward-bound East India ships. In
this island we lay about three months, during which period we were
joined by his Majesty’s ship Prothée (formerly French) of 64 guns, which
ship was also to accompany the homeward-bound fleet. After an anxious
expectation of many weeks, their arrival was announced by signals from
the hill, stating their number to be fourteen sail; comprising eleven
Indiamen, and three sail of the line. This was a great satisfaction to
us, as we well knew we should shortly proceed for England. The next
morning they came to an anchor in St. Helena Bay, when we found them to
be a very valuable fleet, under the command of Commodore Gardiner, of
the Belleisle 64; the other two ships of the line were, the Asia of 64,
and the Rippon of 60 guns. Some days elapsed in preparations for our
return to England, such as watering, &c. &c. when our Commodore’s signal
was hoisted for weighing, which duty was executed with cheerfulness and
alacrity, and particularly so by the crews of the Belleisle, Asia, and
Rippon, which had been in India a long time, and consequently they were
very intent on seeing Old England once again.
Our voyage was pleasant, until we arrived in the chops of the channel,
where our Commodore received intelligence that a very strong French
fleet were cruising for the purpose of intercepting us. On obtaining
this news, we bore away for the west of Ireland, and fortunately escaped
them. Our fleet came to an anchor in Creak-haven, whence our commodore
sent off his despatches for Government; and after lying here about ten
days, we received orders to unmoor and steer for England, where we all
safely arrived, after a very pleasant passage, without sustaining any
damage. The Indiamen left the Downs for the Thames, and the men-of-war
for their different ports, as per orders. Our ship steered for
Portsmouth, from whence, after two months’ refitting, we were ordered to
convoy the outward-bound fleet to the same latitude, and then proceed to
St. Helena as before, there to wait the arrival of the homeward-bound
fleet, in order to take them under our protection as soon as they
arrived. We had a tolerable passage out, and left the Indiamen in the
same latitude as on the previous voyage, shaping our course for the
island, where we safely came to an anchor.
The fleets from India were not expected for some time; and after
inspecting our rigging, taking in water, &c. our captain, to fill up the
intermediate space, resolved to cruise off the Cape of Good Hope for a
few weeks. We had not been but a very few hours in sight of the Table
Land, before our man at the mast-head descried a fleet consisting of
eight sail, apparently large ships, right in our wake; this was a cause
of some little alarm, particularly as we had a large reef of rocks
ahead, which we could not weather. We were assured of their being
enemies, and supposed them to be ships of the line, standing towards us
with all the sail they could crowd. We were close hauled, and, as I
observed before, could not weather the reef of rocks ahead. What could
be done, my good reader, in this crisis? Our captain consulted his
officers, and the result was, to tack and stand toward them; in fact, we
had no other alternative, for we were upon a lee-shore, and the extreme
point of the rocks was bearing upon our weather bow.
Our crew were called aft, and informed of the situation of the ship; but
it is a well-known truth, that whatever the danger may be, English
seamen are always ready, yes, and proud, to run any risk, or face any
kind of danger, for good officers; to say nothing of their innate
courage, of which they have given proofs to the world. About we went, in
order to run the gauntlet, as it is commonly phrased, for we were
convinced to a man they were all ships of war. As we were now head to
head, we neared each other very fast, and in the course of an hour or
two, to our no small surprise, we perceived them tack, and stand from
us; this was by no means an unpleasant sight, but the cause of a rapid
transition in our view; for, prior to this, we were thinking that many
(if we should have the good fortune ultimately to escape) must have
fallen; but now, the prevailing idea was, prizes and prize-money. At
this time our ship sailed remarkably well; consequently, we neared them
fast, and soon made them out to be six stout merchantmen, under convoy
of two frigates, which we were positive were no match for us, having as
brave a crew as ever went to sea. The two frigates hove their
main-top-sails to the mast, in order to receive us between them, which
corresponded with our intentions. We were now within gunshot, with a
large French ensign and pennant flying, and our lower deck ports close.
Had we continued this a while, the two frigates must have been ours; but
our captain ordered our lower-deck ports to be hauled up, the French
ensign and pennant to be struck, and the English hoisted, which was done
in an instant; but no sooner done, than the French frigate Bellona was
under a press of sail. This frigate could, without much difficulty, have
been taken by us; she had money to a very large amount on board, for the
troops at the Mauritius; it was the same frigate that did so much
mischief to our trade in the East Indies, afterwards; but profit and
honour are often at variance. The other we captured, together with a
valuable merchantman richly laden; they were all bound to the Mauritius,
or Isle de France. This frigate struck immediately on the first shot
being fired, but, to the disgrace of the French captain, he ordered his
weather landyards to be cut away, when all her masts went overboard. She
had nine chests of money, with other valuables, among which was a handle
of a sword valued at £5000, designed as a present from the king of
France to his black majesty Hyder Ali Cawn: these treasures we took on
board our own ship.
With our two prizes we bore away, and arrived safely with them at St.
Helena, where we learnt that a sanguinary affair had taken place at St.
Jago, between Commodore Johnson and Count de Suffrein; each chief had
the command of five sail of the line, but the latter had the advantage
in point of heavy ships. Commodore Johnson, not looking for an attack
from any quarter, did not, perhaps, take that precaution he otherwise
would have taken; two or three of his best ships being inside of several
of the Indiamen. In this situation, the French Admiral came upon him
unexpectedly, and made a desperate effort to destroy the fleet. The
effect of this affair was, the capture of one of our Indiamen, (which
was afterwards recaptured,) and the dismasting of the French ship
Hannibal of 80 guns. It was very strongly reported at the time, that if
one of our captains had done his duty, she must have been taken. After
this sharp and well-contested conflict on both sides, the French steered
direct for the East Indies, and the commodore took another route. On
leaving St. Jago, he directed his course to the Cape of Good Hope, where
he gained intelligence of a valuable fleet of Dutch East Indiamen,
homeward-bound, lying in Soldanah Bay: thither he repaired, and was not
long in taking and destroying the whole. Shortly after this, he arrived
at St. Helena with five valuable prizes; several of our ships had also
arrived, and we only waited for one more, which was hourly expected, to
weigh for England; but, to our no small surprise and mortification, we
were very unexpectedly and precipitately ordered off to the East Indies
with despatches to Admiral Hughes, and to reinforce his fleet.
The beginning of December, 1781, we got under weigh, and sailed, with as
favourable a breeze as ever blew from the heavens for the space of a
month, when we were overtaken by a gale, which nearly terminated our
voyage and existence together: the heaviest sea I ever saw, struck us on
our beam; the long-boat in the waist, and our barge on the booms, were
stove to pieces; two feet of water at the same time were rolling on our
lower deck, so that both officers and men were seized with
consternation. But not to dwell on a subject, which many must have
experienced whose business leads them to sea, I shall pass it by,
observing, that Providence, whom both the winds and the seas obey, was
better to us than our fears; the storm ceased, the waves subsided, and
we proceeded on our voyage.
According to our calculations, we were within five days’ sail of Madras,
when we discovered a large fleet of ships, which, by signal, we soon
found to be enemies. We ran for it, they chasing us with their fleetest
vessels; but by trimming, wetting our sails, and favoured by the
approach of night, we fortunately got clear of them. This, however, was
of short duration, for on the second morning, by supposed bad
management, we found ourselves so enveloped as to preclude the
possibility of an escape; particularly so, as Le Heros, the French
admiral’s ship, about two leagues on our lee quarter, brought the breeze
with her, while we lay becalmed; and when sufficiently near us, she
opened her fire, and continued it until the shot of two more
line-of-battle ships, one on our weather quarter, and the other on our
bow, began to tell: resistance was now useless, and our captain very
prudently struck his colours. The enemy instantly hoisted out his boats,
boarded us, and separated our crew amongst his fleet. I do not know how
far it was countenanced by their officers, but although taken in a
man-of-war, many of us suffered by theft, which I presume was never
tolerated by our officers to their ships of war.
About three months prior to this, the crews of the two prizes we took,
which I before mentioned, amounted to more than our crew; and I can
positively aver, they were treated with every indulgence: when on board
our ship, I felt for their distressed situation, and every day gave one
or another of them my allowance of wine, or what else I could spare of
my provisions; but I am sorry to say, we met with very different
treatment from them in return. If they are on a par with English seamen
in point of personal courage, which I very much doubt, sure I am that
they are not in point of humanity.
A circumstance, however, occurred, very much in my favour, which
exempted me from the common lot of my fellow prisoners. A captain of the
engineers, whose name was Byrus, particularly noticed me, and through
his influence I had permission to sleep on the poop, which is no small
privilege in that climate, while our seamen were every night counted
down into the hold. We were on board their ships during two severe
conflicts with our own fleet, commanded by Admiral Hughes. At those
times we were all sent into the hold, but we should not have remained on
deck, I presume, had we our choice. Many of us losing our clothes when
taken, nothing remained to fill up the crevices of the cables on which
our men slept; and I think, that stones would have been preferable to
such a bed. From the commencement of each engagement, in some ships, the
prisoners were not thought of till twenty-four hours after the
termination of the affair; and all this time they were without water. In
this situation were many, and the reader may easily judge of our
condition; the hatches down, the natural heat of the climate, the
darkness and contractedness of the place, together with the smoke of the
lower-deck guns descending through the gratings in columns, nearly
suffocated several; and such was their extreme thirst, that several made
use of their own water! But in this case the remedy was worse than the
disease, for instead of allaying thirst, it excited it more strongly.
The second action was stubborn and bloody; the two fleets fought nearly
the whole day; and in this affair they were well matched, the French
having twelve sail of the line, and the English eleven; though in the
former they had twelve, and we only nine. Night, together with shoal
water, put an end to this sanguinary contest; and the fleets being near
the island of Ceylon, parted as by mutual consent, and came to an
anchor; perhaps apprehensive of greater danger from rocks, &c. &c. The
next morning presented both fleets to view,—about four miles and a half
distant from each other; here, no doubt, the minds of all in both fleets
were more or less occupied, from admirals to the cabin-boys: here were
complicated scenes of distress; masts, yards, carriages, bodies, or
trunks of bodies rather, floating in every direction! Our fleet appeared
to have had the worst of this severe conflict; two of our line-of-battle
ships were nearly dismasted, and one was aground: the French suffered
materially in men and rigging, but not in their lower masts. Eight days
elapsed in repairing their damages; at the expiration of which time, the
enemy was ready, and getting under weigh, stood out, and then tacked,
and stood in, offering our fleet battle; but Admiral Hughes, from his
recent losses and crippled state, was too wise to accept any overture of
the kind; and very prudently lay close, until he had put his ships[1] in
the best condition he could. The place where this sanguinary battle
terminated was Battecalo, but the seamen named it Bloody Bay, which
perhaps it will long retain: its distance from Trincomalee, the
principal sea-port in the island of Ceylon, is about sixty miles.
After this affair, the French fleet steered for Tranquebar, a Danish
settlement on the coast of Coromandel. Here Captain Byrus solicited the
French admiral for leave to go on shore on his parole, being sorely
afflicted with the stone and gravel: he included me in this request, but
it was not granted; nor was his own, till after several applications,
and a rapid increase of his disorder shamed them at a refusal. He was
lowered down the ship’s side while I stood on the gunwale; the tears
trickled down his manly face, though he strove to hide them, and his
eyes spoke parental affection: for my own part, I was truly sorrowful,
and felt, and still feel, all that an affectionate son ought to feel for
a worthy parent.
I informed my reader, in a preceding page, that I had permission,
through this gentleman’s influence, to sleep on the poop. I could swim
very well, but the ship lay at least two miles from the shore, and I
knew I had a heavy surf to contend with, should I reach it; these were
weighty considerations, but I was resolved to try it, and thought it
prudent to inform two of our officers, a Mr. Western, who was taken in
the Chaser, and another young gentleman, whose name was Covey. They both
dissuaded me from any attempt of the kind: but my affection for Captain
Byrus, to whom I was conscious, could he have seen me, it would have
been a balm in his afflictions,—together with an idea of liberty,—
induced me to form a resolution, which is not easily shaken.
Accordingly, when night came, I laid myself down on the hencoop as
usual, waiting an opportunity of stealing down to the mizzen-chains. In
order to accomplish this preparatory step, I conceived it essentially
necessary to watch very minutely the quarter-master and sentinel, who
were pacing it slowly on the starboard side. It was done; I found myself
in the mizzen-chains, the spot I had been some time watching to gain,
but no sooner was it gained, than fear seized me; the darkness of the
night, the appearance of the sea, which was very rough, and the distance
I had to swim, staggered my resolutions, and I cowardly sneaked back
again to my coop with as much caution as I had descended to the chains.
Here I lay an hour, revolving what was to be done; hope and fear swayed
alternately; I knew the danger was great, and now for the first time the
sharks, which infest the whole coast, came into my mind. No language can
describe my sensations at this crisis; I had used the most solemn
asseverations that I would go that night; and, thought I, what will
those young gentlemen think, should they see me in the morning? This,
with the hope of seeing him, whom of all men, next to my father, I most
revered, got the better of my fears, and resolution once more resumed
her seat. I cautiously gained the mizzen-chains again, and determinately
lowered myself into the water by the main sheet. As soon as I was fairly
in, I swam under her stern, and instantly dived, going under as far as I
could, in order to elude the vigilance of the watch on the poop: the
darkness of the night favoured me much, for when I came up, I could
scarcely see the ship; and in this case I was well assured they could
not see me. I had nothing about me but a silk handkerchief with two
rupees, all my treasure, tied up in the corner; this article was very
injurious to me, for as I had a side wind to cope with, it would
frequently blow over my face, and cause me to turn my back to the sea
till I got it righted again; nor could I by any means untie it, though I
often tried. Under those circumstances, I stretched toward the shore;
there was a Moor ship about half the distance, which vessel I reached
within, I suppose, ten or twelve fathoms, and here I had hopes of
resting; but here all my exertions proved fruitless, owing to the
handkerchief about my neck. I conclude I must have been under her
counter for at least ten minutes; and when I could gain a yard or two
the handkerchief would be blown over my face: here I nearly exhausted my
strength, without gaining my point, and I was under the necessity of
relinquishing the hopes I had entertained of resting, turning my back to
the wind, and treading water in order to recruit my strength.
I was soon astern of this ship, and knew not what to do; in fact, I
could do but one thing, and that was, to go the way the wind and tide
drove me; I knew there were many vessels inside the French fleet, and as
I considered myself in the direction of them, I was not without hope.
Twenty minutes, or thereabout, brought me alongside of a large ship; I
swam astern of her, keeping as near as I could, where, to my no small
consolation, I found a boat: I got hold of the gunwale, and, after
resting myself some time, made a sufficient effort to see a man in her
stern-sheet, asleep: I called, he awoke, and with the utmost humanity
hauled me into the boat; Here, thank kind Providence, I found a
resting-place; and after a while I proposed to this merciful man (for
such I found him) to go on board; he immediately hauled the boat under
the ship’s stern, and with his assistance I got up the ladder, walked to
the waist, and sat down on the booms; but I very shortly was saluted
with a volley of oaths from the mate, who was apprised of an English boy
being in the ship. I was not sixteen years old at this time, but it
would avail nothing with this monster in human shape: my naked
condition, a dark night, a rough sea, and a coast infested with
ferocious sharks, made no impression on this brute, for I cannot give
him the appellation of man. I solicited, I entreated, to stay a few
minutes longer; but it was unavailable, for he swore if I did not
instantly leave the ship he would throw me overboard! This roused me to
a state of desperation; I called him a monster, ran to the gangway, and
sprang into the sea. Judge of this wretch, reader, when I inform you he
threatened to throw a six-pound shot at me when in the water! I fear the
poor merciful man in the boat was punished for his kindness to me; but
surely “there is another and a better world!”
Once more I had to contend with the watery element; it still remained
dark, and blew fresh. I had taken the precaution of untying my
handkerchief in the boat, and tying it round my waist. The ship I had
just left was a small Danish East Indiaman, and I knew, by her
situation, that there was another about three quarters of a mile in her
wake; this thought animated and gave me hopes. I had no great cause for
exertion, the wind and tide being both in my favour. The day was now
breaking, and seeing the ship, I swam alongside of her. The men were
beginning to wash decks, and on perceiving me they threw out a rope,
which I laid hold of; they hauled me about a yard from the water, but
not possessing strength enough, I was under the necessity of letting go;
they immediately made a running bowline knot, and threw it to me; this I
got under my arms, when they drew me, to my great joy, on board. Here I
was treated with the utmost tenderness and humanity; but my comforts
were transient. After being refreshed with the best they had, I was put
into the carpenter’s cot: my recent exertions soon helped me to sleep;
but a few minutes after I was awoke, and informed that a French barge
was making direct for the ship I was then in, and I soon saw she was
from the ship that I swam from, Le Flemand of 50 guns; this to me was
alarming indeed. I was hurried down the fore-hold by these humane Danes,
and stowed away between the cable and the deck, and I thought all was
well, for their search would have been in vain; but the mate betrayed me
to the French lieutenant, who desired him to produce me; he learnt where
I was, and ordering me on deck, I was obliged to obey. The Danes, I
remember, pitied me very much, and inveighed severely against the mate.
I was taken to the quarter-deck, and by the French officer ordered into
the boat: I had on then a jacket and trowsers, and was stripping myself,
to restore them to the merciful man from whom I had them, but the poor
fellow refused them, and the tears gushed from his eyes at the time:
here the sweet milk of humanity was visible indeed! I was now
peremptorily ordered into the boat, and I have every reason to believe
that the crew, had they not been awed by the officer, would have put an
end to my existence before I reached the ship; and when we came
alongside, I never saw a vessel manned to give another three cheers more
numerous; they shouting and exulting as if they had taken a first-rate.
I could not at this time assign any reason for their extravagant
conduct; but in the course of the next day I understood, that it was
firmly, though erroneously believed, throughout the ship, that I had
taken a bundle of letters from the English officers on board, to Captain
Byrus on shore I was handed on the quarter-deck, and surrounded by
numbers; the captain, who was at breakfast, being apprised of my
arrival, came up: his countenance was at all times terrific, but now
particularly so. After some conversation with his officers, I was
ordered on the forecastle; when there, I was informed by a Welshman, who
belonged to the ship, that I was to be hung at the yard-arm, if I did
not immediately confess. Every means of intimidation was made use of;
and when they found it ineffectual, I was ordered to the galley, where
both my legs were put in irons, my arms tied behind me, and an iron bolt
was forced into my mouth in such a savage manner, that the blood ran
from both corners. In this situation I remained about three hours, when
they took the gag from my mouth, and untied my arms. Both legs, however,
still remained in irons, and in this condition I was kept by these
_humane_ Frenchmen, with an allowance of rice and water once in twelve
hours, and that after their blacks were served, for they had in each
ship from forty to fifty to do their dirty and heavy work, until we were
all landed at Cuddalore.
But notwithstanding the treatment I received, they were incessantly
soliciting me to enter into their service. I was, and ever shall be, at
a loss to know, what kind of an acquisition I should have been to them;
but so it was: they used every means to induce me; officers would come,
day after day, I supposed sent by the captain, with promises and fine
words; but it was useless.
One day I was taken out of irons, and conveyed to the captain’s cabin;
here the Welshman was, who had been sent for by the captain as an
interpreter; the captain appeared all affability, and the Welshman was
desired to ask me, how I dared swim from his ship? I told him I should
dare do it again, if I had an opportunity, and a prospect of success; at
this he paused, and looked at me with mild attention; the Welshman was
now desired to resume the subject of entering into the French service,
with great promises from the captain himself, if I would consent; and to
enforce this argument, a Dutch cap full of dollars stood by him: I
requested him to tell the captain that I should never think of any thing
of the kind, and begged to be troubled no more on that subject. This
closed the conversation, and he with indignation ordered me to my former
situation, during which period not an Englishman was permitted to come
near me. At length we were all, to the number of 500, taken in the
different ships by their fleet, landed, as before observed, at
Cuddalore, after being on board their ships six months.
The air and soil were witness to our joy at meeting; but alas! how
transient! Our troubles, which we now supposed were drawing to a close,
were just commencing! We were shortly escorted and sent to
Chillembroom,[2] one of Hyder Ali’s strong forts. Here a dreadful famine
raged; and our provisions consisted of bad rice and carrion beef; this,
with the saltpetre ground on which we lay, was the cause of the loss of
numbers of our men. I have seen many stout fellows taken one hour, and
dead the next. Their disorder was the cramp, and, when seized, their
distortions were such, that they scarcely retained the shape of human
beings.—What cause induced the French admiral to deliver us up to this
unprincipled barbarian, we never could discover. We were equally at a
loss to conceive, why we were abandoned by the English, when they might
have demanded us. I can only attribute it to the deplorable state of
British affairs in India during this period.
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