ANOTHER SET-TO BETWEEN THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST LIEUTENANT--CUTTING-OUT
EXPEDITION--MR. CHUCKS MISTAKEN--HE DIES LIKE A GENTLEMAN--SWINBURNE
BEGINS HIS ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF ST. VINCENT.
We had not been more than a week under the Danish island of St. Thomas,
when we discovered a brig close in-shore. We made all sail in chase,
and soon came within a mile and a half of the shore, when she anchored
under a battery, which opened its fire upon us. Their elevation was too
great, and several shots passed over us and between our masts.
"I once met with a very remarkable circumstance," observed Captain
Kearney. "Three guns were fired at a frigate I was on board of, from a
battery, all at the same time. The three shots cut away the three
topsail ties, and down came all our topsail-yards upon the cap at the
same time. That the Frenchmen might not suppose that they had taken
such good aim, we turned up our hands to reef topsails; and by the time
that the men were off the yards, the ties were spliced, and the topsails
run up again."
Mr Phillott could not stand this most enormous fib, and he replied,
"Very odd, indeed, Captain Kearney: but I have known a stranger
circumstance. We had put in the powder to the four guns on the main
deck, when we were fighting the Danish gun-boats, in a frigate I was in;
and as the men withdrew the rammer, a shot from the enemy entered the
muzzle and completed the loading of each gun. We fired their own shot
back upon them, and this occurred three times running."
"Upon my word," replied Captain Kearney, who had his glass upon the
battery, "I think you must have dreamt that circumstance, Mr Phillott."
"Not more than you did about the topsail ties, Captain Kearney."
Captain Kearney at that time had the long glass in his hand, holding it
up over his shoulder. A shot from the battery whizzed over his head,
and took the glass out of his hand, shivering it to pieces. "That's
once," said Captain Kearney, very coolly; "but will you pretend that
that could ever happen three times running? They might take my head
off, or my arm, next time, but not another glass; whereas the topsail
ties might be cut by three different shot. But give me another glass,
Mr Simple, I am certain that this vessel is a privateer. What think
you, Mr O'Brien?"
"I am every bit of your opinion, Captain Kearney," replied O'Brien; "and
I think it would be a very pretty bit of practice to the ship's company
to take her out from under that footy battery."
"Starboard the helm, Mr Phillott; keep away four points, and then we
will think of it to-night."
The frigate was now kept away, and ran out of the fire of the battery.
It was then about an hour before sunset, and in the West Indies the sun
does not set as it does in the northern latitudes. There is no
twilight: he descends in glory, surrounded with clouds of gold and
rubies in their gorgeous tints; and once below the horizon, all is dark.
As soon as it was dark, we hauled our wind off shore; and a consultation
being held between the captain, Mr Phillott, and O'Brien, the captain
at last decided that the attempt should be made. Indeed, although
cutting out is a very serious affair, as you combat under every
disadvantage, still the mischief done to our trade by the fast-sailing
privateers was so great in the West Indies, that almost every sacrifice
was warrantable for the interests of the country. Still Captain
Kearney, although a brave and prudent officer--one who calculated
chances, and who would not risk his men without he deemed that necessity
imperiously demanded that such should be done--was averse to this
attack, from his knowledge of the hay in which the brig was anchored;
and although Mr Phillott and O'Brien both were of opinion that it
should be a night attack, Captain Kearney decided otherwise. He
considered that although the risk might be greater, yet the force
employed would be more consolidated, and that those who would hold back
in the night dare not do so during the day. Moreover, that the people
on shore in the battery, as well as those in the privateer, would be on
the alert all night, and not expecting an attack during the day, would
be taken off their guard. It was therefore directed that everything
should be in preparation during the night, and that the boats should
shove off before daylight, and row in-shore, concealing themselves
behind some rocks under the cliffs which formed the cape upon one side
of the harbour; and, if not discovered, remain there till noon, at which
time it was probable that the privateer's men would be on shore, and the
vessel might be captured without difficulty.
It is always a scene of much interest on board a man-of-war when
preparations are made for an expedition of this description; and as the
reader may not have been witness to them, it may perhaps be interesting
to describe them. The boats of men-of-war have generally two crews; the
common boats' crew, which are selected so as not to take away the most
useful men from the ship; and the service, or fighting boats' crew,
which are selected from the very best men on board. The coxswains of
the boats are the most trustworthy men in the ship, and, on this
occasion, have to see that their boats are properly equipped.
The launch, yawl, first and second cutters, were the boats appointed for
the expedition. They all carried guns mounted upon slides, which ran
fore and aft between the men. After the boats were hoisted out, the
guns were lowered down into them and shipped in the bows of the boats.
The arm-chests were next handed in, which contained the cartridges and
ammunition. The shut were put into the bottom of the boats; and so far
they were all ready. The oars of the boats were fitted to pull with
grummets upon iron thole-pins, that they might make little noise, and
might swing fore and aft without falling overboard, when the boats
pulled alongside the privateer. A breaker or two (that is, small casks
holding about seven gallons each) of water was put into each boat, and
also the men's allowance of spirits, in case they should be detained by
any unforeseen circumstances. The men belonging to the boats were fully
employed in looking after their arms; some fitting their flints to their
pistols, others, and the major part of them, sharpening their cutlasses
at the grindstone, or with a file borrowed from the armourer--all were
busy and all merry. The very idea of going into action is a source of
joy to an English sailor, and more jokes are made, more merriment
excited, at that time than any other. Then, as it often happens, that
one or two of the service boats' crews may be on the sick-list, urgent
solicitations are made by others that they may supply their places. The
only parties who appear at all grave are those who are to remain in the
frigate, and not share in the expedition. There is no occasion to order
the boats to be manned, for the men are generally in long before they
are piped away. Indeed, one would think that it was a party of pleasure
instead of danger and of death upon which they were about to proceed.
Captain Kearney selected the officers who were to have the charge of the
boats. He would not trust any of the midshipmen on so dangerous a
service. He said, that he had known so many occasions in which their
rashness and foolhardiness had spoilt an expedition; he therefore
appointed Mr Phillott, the first lieutenant, to the launch; O'Brien to
the yawl; the master to the first, and Mr Chucks, the boatswain, to the
second cutter. Mr Chucks was much pleased with the idea of having the
command of a boat, and asked me to come with him, to which I consented,
although I had intended as usual, to have gone with O'Brien.
About an hour before daylight we ran the frigate to within a mile and a
half of the shore, and the boats shoved off; the frigate then wore
round, and stood out in the offing, that she might at daylight be at
such a distance as not to excite any suspicion that our boats were sent
away, while we in the boats pulled quietly in-shore. We were not a
quarter of an hour before we arrived at the cape forming one side of the
bay, and were well secreted among the cluster of rocks which was
underneath. Our oars were laid in; the boats' painters made fast; and
orders given for the strictest silence. The rocks were very high, and
the boats were not to be seen without any one should come to the edge of
the precipice; and even then they would, in all probability, have been
supposed to have been rocks. The water was as smooth as glass, and when
it was broad daylight, the men hung listlessly over the sides of the
boats, looking at the corals below, and watching the fish as they glided
between.
"I can't say, Mr Simple," said Mr Chucks to me in an undertone "that I
think well of this expedition; and I have an idea that some of us will
lose the number of our mess. After a calm comes a storm; and how quiet
is everything now! But I'll take off my great coat, for the sun is hot
already. Coxswain, give me my jacket."
Mr Chucks, had put on his great coat, but not his jacket underneath,
which he had left on one of the guns on the main deck, all ready to
change as soon as the heavy dew had gone off. The coxswain handed him
the jacket, and Mr Chucks threw off his great coat to put it on; but
when it was opened, it proved, that by mistake he had taken away the
jacket, surmounted by two small epaulets, belonging to Captain Kearney,
which the captain's steward, who had taken it out to brush, had also
laid upon the same gun.
"By all the nobility of England!" cried Mr Chucks, "I have taken away
the captain's jacket by mistake. Here's a pretty mess! if I put on my
great coat I shall be dead with sweating; if I put on no jacket I shall
be roasted brown; but if I put on the captain's jacket I shall be
considered disrespectful."
The men in the boats tittered; and Mr Phillot, who was in the launch
next to us, turned round to see what was the matter, O'Brien was sitting
in the stern-sheets of the launch with the first lieutenant, and I
leaned over and told them.
"By the powers! I don't see why the captain's jacket will be at all
hurt by Mr Chucks putting it on," replied O'Brien; "unless, indeed, a
bullet were to go through it, and then it won't be any fault of Mr
Chucks."
"No," replied the first lieutenant; "and if one did, the captain might
keep the jacket, and swear that the bullet went round his body without
wounding him. He'll have a good yarn to spin. So put it on, Mr
Chucks; you'll make a good mark for the enemy."
"That I will stand the risk of with pleasure," observed the boatswain to
me, "for the sake of being considered a gentleman. So here's on with
it."
There was a general laugh when Mr Chucks pulled on the captain's
jacket, and sank down in the stern-sheets of the cutter, with great
complacency of countenance. One of the men in the boat that we were in
thought proper, however, to continue his laugh a little longer than Mr
Chucks considered necessary, who, leaning forward, thus addressed him:
"I say, Mr Webber, I beg leave to observe to you, in the most delicate
manner in the world--just to hint to you--that it is not the custom to
laugh at your superior officer. I mean just to insinuate, that you are
a damned impudent son of a sea cook; and if we both live and do well, I
will prove to you, that if I am to be laughed at in a boat with the
captain's jacket on, that I am not to be laughed at on board the frigate
with the boatswain's rattan in my fist; and so look out, my hearty, for
squalls, when you come on the forecastle; for I'll be damned if I don't
make you see more stars than God Almighty ever made, and cut more capers
than all the dancing masters in France. Mark my words, you
burgoo-eating, pea-soup-swilling, trowsers-scrubbing son of a bitch!"
Mr Chucks, having at the end of this oration raised his voice above the
pitch required by the exigency of the service, was called to order by
the first lieutenant, and again sank back into the stern-sheets with all
the importance and authoritative show peculiarly appertaining to a pair
of epaulets.
We waited behind the rocks until noonday, without being discovered by
the enemy, so well were we concealed. We had already sent an officer,
who, carefully hiding himself by lying down on the rocks, had several
times reconnoitred the enemy. Boats were passing and repassing
continualhy from the privateer to the shore; and it appeared, that they
went on shore full of men, and returned with only one or two; so that we
were in great hopes that we should find but few men to defend the
vessel. Mr Phillott looked at his watch, held it up to O'Brien, to
prove that he had complied exactly with the orders he had received from
the captain, and then gave the word to get the boats under weigh. The
painters were cast off by the bowmen, the guns were loaded and primed,
the men seized their oars, and in two minutes we were clear of the
rocks, and drawn up in a line within a quarter of a mile from the
harbour's mouth, and not half a mile from the privateer brig. We rowed
as quickly as possible, but we did not cheer until the enemy fired the
first gun; which he did from a quarter unexpected, as we entered the
mouth of the harbour, with our union jack trailing in the water over our
stern for it was a dead calm. It appeared, that at the low point under
the cliffs, at each side of the little bay, they had raised a water
battery of two guns each. One of these guns, laden with grape shot, was
now fired at the boats, but the elevation was too low, and although the
water was ploughed up to within five yards of the launch, no injury was
received. We were equally fortunate in the discharge of the other three
guns; two of which we passed so quickly, that they were not aimed
sufficiently forward, so that their shot fell astern; and the other,
although the shot fell among us, did no further injury than cutting in
half two of the oars of the first cutter.
In the meantime, we had observed that the boats had shoved off from the
privateer as soon as they had perceived us, and had returned to her
laden with men: the boats had been despatched a second time, but had not
yet returned. They were now about the same distance from the privateer
as were our boats, and it was quite undecided which of us would be first
on board. O'Brien perceiving this, pointed out to Mr Phillott that we
should first attack the boats, and afterwards board on the side to which
they pulled; as, in all probability, there would be an opening left in
the boarding nettings, which were tied up to the yard-arms, and
presented a formidable obstacle to our success. Mr Phillott agreed
with O'Brien: he ordered the bowmen to lay in their oars and keep the
guns pointed ready to fire at the word given, and desiring the other men
to pull their best. Every nerve, every muscle was brought into play by
our anxious and intrepid seamen. When within about twenty yards of the
vessel, and also of the boats, the orders were given to fire--the
carronade of the launch poured out round and grape so well directed,
that one of the French boats sank immediately; and the musket balls with
which our other smaller guns were loaded, did great execution among
their men. In one minute more, with three cheers from our sailors, we
were all alongside together, English and French boats pellmell, and a
most determined close conflict took place. The French fought
desperately, and as they were overpowered, they were reinforced by those
from the privateer, who could not look on and behold their companions
requiring their assistance, without coming to their aid. Some jumped
down into our boats from the chains, into the midst of our men; others
darted cold shot at us, either to kill us or to sink our boats; and thus
did one of the most desperate hand-to-hand conflicts take place that
ever was witnessed.
But it was soon decided in our favour, for we were the stronger party
and the better armed; and when all opposition was over, we jumped into
the privateer, and found not a man left on board, only a large dog, who
flew at O'Brien's throat as he entered the port.
"Don't kill him," said O'Brien, as the sailors hastened to his
assistance; "only take away his gripe."
The sailors disengaged the dog, and O'Brien led him up to a gun, saying,
"By Jasus, my boy, you are my prisoner."
But although we had possession of the privateer, our difficulties, as it
will prove, were by no means over. We were now exposed not only to the
fire of the two batteries at the harbour-mouth which we had to pass, but
also to that of the battery at the bottom of the bay, which had fired at
the frigate. In the meantime, we were very busy in cutting the cable,
lowering the topsails, and taking the wounded men on board the
privateer, from out of the boats. All this was, however, but the work
of a few minutes. Most of the Frenchmen were killed; our own wounded
amounted to only nine seamen and Mr Chucks, the boatswain, who was shot
through the body, apparently with little chance of surviving. As Mr
Phillott observed, the captain's epaulets had made him a mark for the
enemy, and he had fallen in his borrowed plumes.
As soon as they were all on board, and laid on the deck--for there were,
as near as I can recollect, about fourteen wounded Frenchmen as well as
our own--two ropes were got out forwards, the boats were manned, and we
proceeded to tow the brig out of the harbour. It was a dead calm, and
we made but little way, but our boat's crew, flushed with victory,
cheered, and rallied, and pulled, with all their strength. The enemy,
perceiving that the privateer was taken, and the French boats drifting
empty up the harbour, now opened their fire upon us, and with great
effect. Before we had towed abreast of the two water batteries, we had
received three shots between wind and water, from the other batteries,
and the sea was pouring fast into the vessel. I had been attending to
poor Mr Chucks, who lay on the starboard side, near the wheel, the
blood flowing from his wound, and tracing its course down the planks of
the deck, to a distance of some feet from where he lay. He appeared
very faint, and I tied my handkerchief round his body, so as to stop the
effusion of blood, and brought him some water, with which I bathed his
face, and poured some into his mouth. He opened his eyes wide, and
looked at me.
"Ah, Mr Simple," said he, faintly, "is it you? It's all over with me
but it could not be better--could it?"
"How do you mean?" inquired I.
"Why, have I not fallen dressed like an officer and a gentleman?" said
he, referring to the captain's jacket and epaulets. "I'd sooner die
now, with this dress on, than to recover to put on the boatswain's
uniform. I feel quite happy."
He pressed my hand, and then closed his eyes again, from weakness. We
were now nearly abreast of the two batteries on the points, the guns of
which had been trained so as to bear upon our boats that were towing out
the brig. The first shot went through the bottom of the launch, and
sank her; fortunately, all the men were saved; but as she was the boat
that towed next to the brig, great delay occurred in getting the others
clear of her, and taking the brig again in tow. The shot now poured in
thick, and the grape became very annoying. Still our men gave way,
cheering at every shot fired, and we had nearly passed the batteries,
with trifling loss, when we perceived that the brig was so full of
water, that she could not swim many minutes longer, and that it would be
impossible to tow her alongside of the frigate. Mr Phillott, under
these circumstances, decided that it would be useless to risk more
lives, and that the wounded should be taken out of the brig, and the
boats should pull away from the ship. He desired me to get the wounded
men into the cutter which he sent alongside, and then to follow the
other boats. I made all the haste I could, not wishing to be left
behind; and as soon as all our wounded men were in the boats, I went to
Mr Chucks, to remove him. He appeared somewhat revived, but would not
allow us to remove him.
"My dear Mr Simple," said he, "it is of no use; I can never recover it,
and I prefer dying here. I entreat you not to move me. If the enemy
take possession of the brig before she sinks, I shall be buried with
military honours; if they do not, I shall at least die in the dress of a
gentleman. Hasten away as fast as you can, before you lose more men.
Here I stay--that's decided."
I expostulated with him, but at that time two boats full of men
appeared, pulling out of the harbour to the brig. The enemy had
perceived that our boats had deserted her, and were coming to take
possession. I had therefore no time to urge Mr Chucks to change his
resolution, and not wishing to force a dying man, I shook his hand and
left him. It was with some difficulty I escaped, for the boats had come
up close to the brig; they chased me a little while, but the yawl and
the cutter turning back to my assistance, they gave up the pursuit. On
the whole, this was a very well arranged and well conducted expedition.
The only man lost was Mr Chucks, for the wounds of the others were none
of them mortal. Captain Kearney was quite satisfied with our conduct,
and so was the admiral, when it was reported to him. Captain Kearney
did indeed grumble a little about his jacket, and sent for me to inquire
why I had not taken it off Mr Chucks, and brought it on board. As I
did not choose to tell him the exact truth, I replied that I could not
disturb a dying man, and that the jacket was so saturated with blood,
that he never could have worn it again,--which was the case.
"At all events, you might have brought away my epaulets," replied he;
"but you youngsters think of nothing but gormandising."
I had the first watch that night, when Swinburne, the quarter master,
came up to me, and asked me all the particulars of the affair, for he
was not in the boats. "Well," said he, "that Mr Chucks appeared to be
a very good boatswain in his way, if he could only have kept his rattan
a little quiet. He was a smart fellow, and knew his duty. We had just
such another killed in our ship, in the action off Cape St. Vincent."
"What! were you in that action?" replied I.
"Yes, I was, and belonged to the _Captain_, Lord Nelson's ship."
"Well, then suppose you tell me all about it."
"Why, Mr Simple, d'ye see, I've no objection to spin you a yarn now and
then," replied Swinburne; "but as Mr Chucks used to say, allow me to
observe, in the most delicate manner in the world, that I perceive that
the man who has charge of your hammock, and slings you a clean one now
and then, has very often a good glass of grog for his _yarns_, and I do
not see but that mine are as well worth a glass of grog as his."
"So they are, Swinburne, and better too, and I promise you a good stiff
one to-morrow evening."
"That will do, sir: now then I'll tell you all about it, and more about
it too than most can, for I know how the action was brought about."
I hove the log, marked the board, and then sat down abaft on the signal
chest with Swinburne, who commenced his narrative as follows:--
"You must know, Mr Simple, that when the English fleet came down the
Mediterranean, after the 'vackyation of Corsica, they did not muster
more than seventeen sail of the line, while the Spanish fleet from
Ferrol and Carthagena had joined company at Cadiz, and mounted to near
thirty. Sir John Jervis had the command of our fleet at the time, but
as the Dons did not seem at all inclined to come out and have a brush
with us, almost two to one, Sir John left Sir W. Parker, with six sail
of the line, to watch the Spanish beggars, while he went into Lisbon
with the remainder of the fleet, to water and refit. Now, you see, Mr
Simple, Portugal was at that time what they calls neutral, that is to
say, she didn't meddle at all in the affair, being friends with both
parties, and just as willing to supply fresh beef and water to the
Spaniards as to the English, if so be the Spaniards had come out to ax
for it, which they dar'n't. The Portuguese and the English have always
been the best of friends, because we can't get no port wine anywhere
else, and they can't get nobody else to buy it of them; so the
Portuguese gave up their arsenal at Lisbon, for the use of the English,
and there we kept all our stores, under the charge of that old
dare-devil, Sir Isaac Coffin. Now it so happened, that one of the
clerks in old Sir Isaac's office, a Portuguese chap, had been some time
before that in the office of the Spanish ambassador; he was a very smart
sort of a chap, and sarved as interpreter, and the commissioner put
great faith in him."
"But how did you learn all this, Swinburne?"
"Why, I'll tell you, Mr Simple; I steered the yawl, as coxswain, and
when admirals and captains talk in the stern sheets, they very often
forget that the coxswain is close behind them. I only learnt half of it
that way, the rest I put together when I compared logs with the
admiral's steward, who, of course, heard a great deal now and then. The
first I heard of it, was when old Sir John called out to Sir Isaac,
after the second bottle, `I say, Sir Isaac, who killed the Spanish
messenger?' `Not I, by God!' replied Sir Isaac, `I only left him for
dead;' and then they both laughed, and so did Nelson, who was sitting
with them. Well, Mr Simple, it was reported to Sir Isaac that his
clerk was often seen taking memorandums of the different orders given to
the fleet, particularly those as to there being no wasteful expenditure
of His Majesty's stores. Upon which, Sir Isaac goes to the admiral, and
requests that the man might be discharged. Now, old Sir John was a sly
old fox, and he answered, `Not so, commissioner--perhaps we may catch
them in their own trap.' So the admiral sits down, and calls for pen
and ink, and he flourishes out a long letter to the commissioner,
stating that all the stores of the fleet were expended, representing as
how it would be impossible to go to sea without a supply, and wishing to
know when the commissioner expected more transports from England. He
also said, that if the Spanish fleet were now to come out from Cadiz, it
would be impossible for him to protect Sir W. Parker with his six sail
of the line, who was watching the Spanish fleet, as he could not quit
the port in his present condition. To this letter the commissioner
answered, that from the last accounts, he thought that in the course of
six weeks or two months, they might receive supplies from England, but
that sooner than that was impossible. These letters were put in the way
of the damned Portuguese spy clerk, who copied them, and was seen that
evening to go into the house of the Spanish ambassador. Sir John then
sent a message to Ferro--that's a small town on the Portuguese coast to
the southward--with a despatch to Sir William Parker, desiring him to
run away to Cape St. Vincent, and decoy the Spanish fleet there, in case
they should come out after him. Well, Mr Simple, so far d'ye see the
train was well laid. The next thing to do was to watch the Spanish
ambassador's house, and see if he sent away any despatches. Two days
after the letters had been taken to him by this rascal of a clerk, the
Spanish ambassador sent away two messengers, one for Cadiz, and the
other for Madrid, which is the town where the King of Spain lives. The
one to Cadiz was permitted to go, but the one to Madrid was stopped by
the directions of the admiral, and this job was confided to the
commissioner, Sir Isaac, who settled it some how or another; and this
was the reason why the admiral called out to him, `I say, Sir Isaac, who
killed the messenger?' They brought back his despatches, by which they
found out that advice had been sent to the Spanish admiral--I forget his
name, something like Magazine--informing him of the supposed crippled
state of our squadron. Sir John, taking it for granted that the
Spaniards would not lose an opportunity of taking six sail of the line--
more English ships than they had ever taken in their lives--waited a few
days to give them time, and then sailed from Lisbon for Cape St.
Vincent, where he joined Sir W. Parker, and fell in with the Spaniards
sure enough, and a pretty drubbing we gave them. Now, it's not
everybody that could tell you all that, Mr Simple."
"Well, but now for the action, Swinburne."
"Lord bless you, Mr Simple! it's now past seven bells, and I can't
fight the battle of St. Vincent in half-an-hour; besides which, it's
well worth another glass of grog to hear all about that battle."
"Well, you shall have one, Swinburne; only don't forget to tell it to,
me."
Swinburne and I then separated, and in less than an hour afterwards I
was dreaming of despatches--Sir John Jervis--Sir Isaac Coffin--and
Spanish messengers.