A PRESS-GANG BEATEN OFF BY ONE WOMAN--DANGERS AT "SPITHEAD" AND
"POINT"--A TREAT FOR BOTH PARTIES, OF "PULLED CHICKEN," AT MY EXPENSE--
ALSO GIN FOR TWENTY--I AM MADE A PRISONER: ESCAPE AND REJOIN MY SHIP.
I must now relate what occurred to me a few days before the ship sailed.
We were reported ready for sea, and the Admiralty was anxious that we
should proceed. The only obstacle to our sailing was, that we had not
yet completed our complement of men. The captain applied to the
port-admiral, and obtained permission to send parties on shore to
impress seamen. The second and third lieutenants, and the oldest
midshipmen, were despatched on shore every night, with some of the most
trustworthy men, and generally brought on board in the morning about
half-a-dozen men, whom they had picked up in the different alehouses or
grog-shops, as the sailors call them. I had a great wish to be one of
the party before the ship sailed, and asked O'Brien, who was very kind
to me in general, and allowed nobody to thrash me but himself, if he
would take me with him, which he did on the night after I had made the
request. I put on my dirk, that they might know I was an officer, as
well as for my protection. About dusk we rowed on shore, and landed on
the Gosport side: the men were all armed with cutlasses, and wore
pea-jackets, which are very short great-coats made of what they call
flushing. We did not stop to look at any of the grog-shops in the town,
as it was too early; but walked out about three miles in the suburbs,
and went to a house, the door of which was locked, but we forced it open
in a minute, and hastened to enter the passage, where we found the
landlady standing to defend the entrance. The passage was long and
narrow, and she was a very tall, corpulent woman, so that her body
nearly filled it up, and in her hands she held a long spit pointed at
us, with which she kept us at bay. The officers, who were the foremost,
did not like to attack a woman, and she made such drives at them with
her spit, that had they not retreated, some of them would soon have been
ready for roasting. The sailors laughed and stood outside, leaving the
officers to settle the business how they could. At last, the landlady
called out to her husband, "Be they all out, Jem?"
"Yes," replied the husband, "they be all safe gone."
"Well, then," replied she, "I'll soon have all these gone too;" and with
these words she made such rush forward upon us with her spit, that had
we not fallen back, and tumbled one over another, she certainly would
have run it through the second lieutenant, who commanded the party. The
passage was cleared in an instant, and as soon as we were all in the
street she bolted us out; so there we were, three officers and fifteen
armed men, fairly beat off by a fat old woman; the sailors who had been
drinking in the house having made their escape to some other place.
We then called at other houses, where we picked up one or two men, but
most of them escaped by getting out at the windows or the back doors, as
we entered the front. Now there was a grog-shop which was a very
favourite rendezvous of the seamen belonging to the merchant vessels,
and to which they were accustomed to retreat when they heard that the
press-gangs were out. Our officers were aware of this, and were
therefore indifferent as to the escape of the men, as they knew that
they would all go to that place, and confide in their numbers for
beating us off. As it was then one o'clock, they thought it time to go
there; we proceeded without any noise, but they had people on the
look-out, and as soon as we turned the corner of the lane the alarm was
given. I was afraid that they would all run away, and we should lose
them; but, on the contrary, they mustered very strong on that night, and
had resolved to "give fight." The men remained in the house, but an
advanced guard of about thirty of their wives, saluted us with a shower
of stones and mud. Some of our sailors were hurt, but they did not
appear to mind what the women did. They rushed on, and then they were
attacked by the women with their fists and nails. Notwithstanding this,
the sailors only laughed, pushing the women on one side, and saying, "Be
quiet, Poll;"--"Don't be foolish, Molly;"--"Out of the way, Sukey: we
a'n't come to take away your fancy man;" with expressions of that sort,
although the blood trickled down many of their faces, from the way in
which they had been clawed. We at length got into the house. The
seamen of the merchant ships had armed themselves with bludgeons and
other weapons, and had taken a position on the tables. They were more
than two to one against us, and there was a dreadful fight, as their
resistance was very desperate. Our sailors were obliged to use their
cutlasses, and for a few minutes I was quite bewildered with the
shouting and swearing, pushing and scuffling, collaring and fighting,
together with the dust raised up, which not only blinded, but nearly
choked me. By the time that my breath was nearly squeezed out of my
body, our sailors got the best of it, which the landlady and women of
the house perceiving, they put out all the lights, so that I could not
tell where I was; but our sailors had every one seized his man, and
contrived to haul him out of the street door, where they were collected
together, and secured.
Now again I was in great difficulty; I had been knocked down and trod
upon, and when I did contrive to get up again, I did not know the
direction in which the door lay. I felt about by the wall, and at last
came to a door, for the room at that time was nearly empty, the women
having followed the men out of the house. I opened it, and found that
it was not the right one, but led into a little side parlour, where
there was a fire, but no lights. I had just discovered my mistake, and
was about to retreat, when I was shoved in from behind, and the key
turned upon me; there I was, all alone, and, I must acknowledge, very
much frightened, as I thought that the vengeance of the women would be
wreaked upon me. I peeped through the key-hole, and perceived that the
candles were re-lighted, and that there were only women in the room, who
were talking all at once, and not thinking about me. But in a minute or
two, a women came in from the street, with her long black hair hanging
about her shoulders, and her cap in her hand. "Well," cried she,
"they've nabbed my husband; but I'll be dished if I hav'n't boxed up the
midship-mite in that parlour, and he shall take his place." I thought I
should have died when I looked at the woman, and perceived her coming up
to the door, followed by some others, to unlock it. As the door opened,
I drew my dirk, resolving to die like an officer, and as they advanced,
I retreated to a corner, brandishing my dirk, without saying a word.
"Vell," cried the woman who had made me a prisoner, "I do declare I
likes to see a puddle in a storm--only look at the little
biscuit-nibbler showing fight! Come, my lovey, you belongs to me."
"Never!" exclaimed I with indignation. "Keep off, or I shall do you
mischief" (and I raised my dirk in advance); "I am an officer and a
gentleman."
"Sall," cried the odious woman, "fetch a mop and a pail of dirty water,
and I'll trundle that dirk out of his fist."
"No, no," replied another rather good-looking young woman, "leave him to
me--don't hurt him--he really is a very nice little man. What's your
name, my dear?"
"Peter Simple is my name," replied I; "and I am a King's officer, so he
careful what you are about."
"Don't be afraid, Peter, nobody shall hurt you; but you must not draw
your dirk before ladies, that's not like an officer and a gentleman--so
put up your dirk, that's a good boy."
"I will not," replied I, "unless you promise me that I shall go away
unmolested."
"I do promise you that you shall, upon my word, but recollect, Peter,
that you are an officer and a gentleman--you surely would not be so
shabby as to go away without treating us. What money have you got in
your pocket?" and, without giving me time to answer, she felt in my
pocket, and pulled out my purse, which she opened. "Why, Peter, you are
as rich as a Jew," said she, as they counted thirty shillings on the
table. "Now what shall we have?"
"Anything you please," said I, "provided that you will let me go."
"Well, then, it shall be a gallon of gin. Sall, call Mrs Flanagan.
Mrs Flanagan, we want a gallon of gin, and clean glasses."
Mrs Flanagan received the major part of my money, and in a minute
returned with the gin and wine glasses.
"Now, Peter, my cove, let's all draw round the table, and make ourselves
cosy."
"O no," replied I, "take my money, drink the gin, but pray let me go!"
but they wouldn't listen to me. Then I was obliged to sit down with
them, the gin was poured out, and they made me drink a glass, which
nearly choked me. It had, however, one good effect, it gave me courage,
and in a minute or two, I felt as if I could fight them all. The door
of the room was on the same side as the fire-place, and I perceived that
the poker was between the bars, and red-hot. I complained that it was
cold, although I was in a burning fever; and they allowed me to get up
to warm my hands. As soon as I reached the fire-place, I snatched out
the red-hot poker; and brandishing it over my head, made for the door.
They all jumped up to detain me, but I made a poke at the foremost,
which made her run back with a shriek. (I do believe that I burnt her
nose.) I seized my opportunity, and escaped into the street, whirling
the poker round my head, while all the women followed, hooting and
shouting after me. I never stopped running and whirling my poker until
I was reeking with perspiration, and the poker was quite cold. Then I
looked back, and found that I was alone. It was very dark; every house
was shut up, and not a light to be seen anywhere. I stopped at the
corner, not knowing where I was, or what I was to do. I felt very
miserable indeed, and was reflecting on my wisest plan, when who should
turn the corner, but one of the quarter-masters, who had been left on
shore by accident. I knew him by his pea-jacket and straw hat to be one
of our men, and I was delighted to see him. I told him what had
happened, and he replied that he was going to a house where the people
knew him, and would let him in. When we arrived there, the people of
the house were very civil; the landlady made us some purl, which the
quartermaster ordered, and which I thought very good indeed. After we
had finished the jug, we both fell asleep in our chairs. I did not
awaken until I was roused by the quarter-master, at past seven o'clock,
when we took a wherry, and went off to the ship.