THERE ARE MANY UPS AND DOWNS IN THIS WORLD--WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE
DOWNS--OUR CAPTAIN COMES ON BOARD, AND GIVES US A SHORT SERMON UPON
ANTIPATHIES, WHICH MOST OF US NEVER HEARD THE LIKE OF--HE SETS US ALL
UPON THE GO WITH HIS STOP WATCH, AND NEVER CALLS THE WATCH UNTIL THE
WATCH IS SATISFIED WITH ALL HANDS.
At daylight the next morning we were awakened with a start by the shrill
whistles of the boatswain and his mates piping all hands to unmoor. The
pilot was on board, and the wind was fair. As the frigate had no anchor
down, but was hanging to the moorings in the river, we had nothing to do
but to cast off, sheet home, and in less than half-an-hour we were under
all sail, stemming the last quarter of the flood tide. Tom and I had
remained on the gangway watching the proceedings but not assisting, when
the ship being fairly under sail, the order was given by the first
lieutenant to coil down the ropes.
"I think, Jacob, we may as well help," said Tom laying hold of the main
tack, which was passed aft, and hauling it forward.
"With all my heart," replied I, and I hauled it forward, while he coiled
it away.
While we were thus employed the first lieutenant walked forward and
recognised us. "That's what I like, my lads," said he; "you don't sulk,
I see, and I sha'n't forget it."
"I hope you won't forget that we are apprentices, sir, and allow us to
go on shore," replied I.
"I've a shocking bad memory in some things," was his reply, as he
continued forward to the forecastle. He did not, however, forget to
victual us that day, and insert our names, in pencil, upon the ship's
books; but we were not put into any mess, or stationed.
We anchored in the Downs on the following morning. It came on to blow
hard in the afternoon, and there was no communication with the shore,
except the signal was made, third day, when it moderated, and the signal
was made "Prepare to weigh, and send boat for captain." In the meantime
several boats came off, and one had a postman on board. I had letters
from Mr Drummond and Mr Turnbull, telling me that they would
immediately apply to the Admiralty for our being liberated, and one from
Mary, half of which was for me, and the rest to Tom. Stapleton had
taken Tom's wherry and pulled down to old Tom Beazeley with my clothes,
which, with young Tom's, had been despatched to Deal. Tom had a letter
from his mother, half indited by his father, and the rest from herself;
but I shall not trouble the reader with the contents, as he may imagine
what was likely to be said upon such an occasion.
Shortly afterwards our clothes, which had been sent to the care of an
old shipmate of Tom's father, were brought on board, and we hardly had
received them when the signalman reported that the captain was coming
off. There were so many of the men in the frigate who had never seen
the captain that no little anxiety was shown by the ship's company to
ascertain how far, by the "_cut of his jib_," that is, his outward
appearance, they might draw conclusions as to what they might expect
from one who had such unlimited power to make them happy or miserable.
I was looking out of the maindeck port with Tom, when the gig pulled
alongside, and was about to scrutinise the outward and visible signs of
the captain, when I was attracted by the face of a lieutenant sitting by
his side, whom I immediately recognised. It was Mr Wilson, the officer
who had spun the oar and sunk the wherry, from which, as the reader may
remember, I rescued my friends, the senior and junior clerk. I was
overjoyed at this, as I hoped that he would interest himself in our
favour. The pipe of the boatswain re-echoed as the captain ascended the
side. He appeared on the quarter-deck--every hat descending to do him
honour; the marines presented arms, and the marine officer at their head
lowered the point of his sword. In return, the omnipotent personage,
taking his cocked hat with two fingers and a thumb, by the highest peak,
lifted it one inch off his head, and replaced it, desiring the marine
officer to dismiss the guard. I had now an opportunity, as he paced to
and fro with the first lieutenant, to examine his appearance. He was a
tall, very large-boned, gaunt man, with an enormous breadth of
shoulders, displaying Herculean strength (and this we found he eminently
possessed). His face was of a size corresponding to his large frame;
his features were harsh, his eye piercing, but his nose, although bold,
was handsome, and his capacious mouth was furnished with the most
splendid row of large teeth that I ever beheld. The character of his
countenance was determination rather than severity. When he smiled the
expression was agreeable. His gestures and his language were emphatic,
and the planks trembled with his elephantine walk.
He had been on board about ten minutes, when he desired the first
lieutenant to turn the hands up, and all the men were ordered on the
larboard side of the quarter-deck. As soon as they were all gathered
together, looking with as much awe on the captain as a flock of sheep at
a strange, mischief-meaning dog, he thus addressed them--"My lads, as it
so happens that we are all to trust to the same planks, it may be just
as well that we should understand one another. I _like_ to see my
officers attentive to their duty, and behave themselves as gentlemen. I
_like_ to see my men well disciplined, active, and sober. What I _like_
I _will have_--you understand me. Now," continued he, putting on a
stern look--"now, just look in my face, and see if you think you can
play with me." The men looked in his face, and saw that there was no
chance of playing with him; and so they expressed by their countenances.
The captain appeared satisfied by their mute acknowledgments, and to
encourage them, smiled, and showed his white teeth, as he desired the
first lieutenant to pipe down.
As soon as the scene was over, I walked up to Mr Wilson, the
lieutenant, who was standing aft, and accosted him. "Perhaps, sir, you
do not recollect me; but we met one night when you were sinking in a
wherry, and you asked my name."
"And I recollect it, my lad; it was Faithful, was it not?"
"Yes, sir;" and I then entered into an explanation of our circumstances,
and requested his advice and assistance.
He shook his head. "Our captain," said he, "is a very strange person.
He has commanding interest, and will do more in defiance of the rules of
the Admiralty than any one in the service. If an Admiralty order came
down to discharge you, he would obey it; but as for regulations, he
cares very little for them. Besides, we sail in an hour. However, I
will speak to him, although I shall probably get a rap on the knuckles,
as it is the business of the first lieutenant, and not mine."
"But, sir, if you requested the first lieutenant to speak?"
"If I did, he would not, in all probability; men are too valuable, and
the first lieutenant knows that the captain would not like to discharge
you. He will, therefore, say nothing until it is too late, and then
throw all the blame upon himself for forgetting it. Our captain has
such interest that his recommendation would give a commander's rank
to-morrow, and we must all take care of ourselves. However, I will try,
although I can give you very little hopes."
Mr Wilson went up to the captain, who was still walking with the first
lieutenant, and, touching his hat, introduced the subject, stating, as
an apology, that he was acquainted with me.
"Oh, if the man is an acquaintance of yours, Mr Wilson, we certainly
must decide," replied the captain with mock politeness. "Where is he?"
I advanced, and Tom followed me. We stated our case. "I always like to
put people out of suspense," said the captain, "because it unsettles a
man--so now hear me; if I happened to press one of the blood-royal, and
the king, and the queen, and all the little princesses were to go down
on their knees, I'd keep him, without an Admiralty order for his
discharge. Now, my lads, do you perceive your chance?" Then turning
away to Mr Wilson, he said, "You will oblige me by stating upon what
grounds you ventured to interfere in behalf of these men, and I trust
your explanation will be satisfactory. Mr Knight," continued he, to
the first lieutenant, "send these men down below, watch, and station
them."
We went below by the gangway ladder and watched the conference between
the captain and Mr Wilson, who, we were afraid, had done himself no
good by trying to assist us. But when it was over the captain appeared
pleased, and Mr Wilson walked away with a satisfied air. As I
afterwards discovered it did me no little good. The hands were piped to
dinner, and after dinner we weighed and made sail, and thus were Tom and
I fairly, or rather unfairly, embarked in his majesty's service.
"Well, Tom," said I, "it's no use crying. What's done can't be helped;
here we are; now let us do all we can to make friends."
"That's just my opinion, Jacob. Hang care; it killed the cat; I shall
make the best of it, and I don't see why we may not be as happy here as
anywhere else. Father says we may, if we do our duty, and I don't mean
to shirk mine. The more the merrier, they say, and I'll be hanged but
there's not enough of us here."
I hardly need say that, for the first three or four days, we were not
very comfortable; we had been put into the seventh mess, and were
stationed in the foretop; for although we had not been regularly bred up
as seaman, the first lieutenant so decided, saying, that he was sure
that, in a few weeks, there would be no smarter men in the ship.
We were soon clear of the Channel, and all hands were anxious to know
our destination, which, in this almost solitary instance, had been
really kept a secret, although surmises were correct. There is one
point which, by the present arrangements, invariably makes known whether
a ship is "fitting foreign," or for home service, which is, by the
stores and provisions ordered on board; and these stores are so
arranged, according to the station to which the vessel is bound, that it
is generally pretty well known what her destination is to be. This is
bad, and at the same time easily remedied; for if every ship, whether
for home service or foreign, was ordered to fit foreign, no one would be
able to ascertain where she was about to proceed. With a very little
trouble strict secrecy might be preserved, now that the Navy Board is
abolished; but during its existence that was impossible. The
_Immortalite_ was a very fast sailing vessel, and when the captain
(whose name I have forgotten to mention, it was Hector Maclean) opened
his sealed orders, we found that we were to cruise for two months
between the Western Isles and Madeira, in quest of some privateers,
which had captured many of our outward-bound West Indiamen,
notwithstanding they were well protected by convoy, and, after that
period, to join the admiral at Halifax, and relieve a frigate which had
been many years on that station. In a week we were on our station, the
weather was fine, and the whole of the day was passed in training the
men to the guns, small arms, making and shortening sail, reefing
topsails, and manoeuvring the ship. The captain would never give up his
point, and sometimes we were obliged to make or shorten sail twenty
times running until he was satisfied.
"My lads," he would say to the ship's company, sending for them aft,
"you have done this pretty well; you have only been two minutes; not bad
for a new ship's company, but I _like_ it done in a minute and a-half.
We'll try again." And sure enough it was try again, until in a minute
and a-half it was accomplished. Then the captain would say, "I knew you
could do it, and having once done it, my lads, of course you can do it
again."
Tom and I adhered to our good resolutions. We were as active and as
forward as we could be; and Mr Knight, the first lieutenant, pointed us
out to the captain. As soon as the merits of the different men were
ascertained, several alterations were made in the watch and station
bills, as well as in the ratings on the ship's books, and Tom and I were
made _second_ captains, larboard and starboard, of the foretop. This
was great promotion for so young hands, especially as we were not bred
as regular sailors; but it was for the activity and zeal which we
displayed. Tom was a great favourite among the men, always joking, and
ready for any lark or nonsense; moreover, he used to mimic the captain,
which few others dared do. He certainly seldom ventured to do it below;
it was generally in the foretop, where he used to explain to the men
what he _liked_. One day we both ventured it, but it was on an occasion
which excused it. Tom and I were aft, sitting in the jolly boat astern,
fitting some of her gear, for we belonged to the boat at that time,
although we were afterwards shifted into the cutter. The frigate was
going about four knots through the water, and the sea was pretty smooth.
One of the marines fell overboard, out of the forechains. "Man
overboard," was cried out immediately, and the men [became] very busy
clearing away the starboard cutter, with all the expedition requisite on
such an occasion. The captain was standing aft on the signal chest when
the marine passed astern; the poor fellow could not swim, and Tom
turning to me said, "Jacob, I should _like_ to save that Jolly," and
immediately dashed overboard.
"And I should _like_ to help you, Tom," cried I, following him.
The captain was close to us, and heard us both. Between us we easily
held up the marine, and the boat had us all on board in less than a
minute. When we came on deck the captain was at the gangway. He showed
his white teeth, and shook the telescope in his hand at us. "I heard
you both; and I should _like_ to have a good many more impudent fellows
like you."
We continued our cruise, looking sharp out for the privateers, but
without success; we then touched at Madeira for intelligence, and were
informed that they had been seen more to the southward. The frigate's
head was turned in that direction until we were abreast of the Canary
Isles, and then we traversed east and west, north or south, just as the
wind and weather, or the captain's _like_ thought proper. We had now
cruised seven weeks out of our time without success, and the captain
promised five guineas to the man who should discover the objects of our
search. Often did Tom and I climb to the mast-head and scan the
horizon, and so did many others: but those who were stationed at the
look-out were equally on the alert. The ship's company were now in a
very fair state of discipline, owing to the incessant practice, and
every evening the hands were turned up to skylark--that is, to play and
amuse themselves. There was one amusement which was the occasion of a
great deal of mirth, and it was a favourite one of the captain's, as it
made the men smart. It is called, "Follow my leader." One of the men
leads, and all who choose follow him: sometimes forty or fifty will
join. Whatever the leader does, the rest must do also; wherever he goes
they must follow. Tom, who was always the foremost for fun, was one day
the leader, and after having scampered up the rigging, laid out on the
yards, climbed in by the lifts, crossed from mast to mast by the stays,
slid down by the backstays, blacked his face in the funnel, in all which
motions he was followed by about thirty others, hallooing and laughing,
while the officers and other men were looking on and admiring their
agility, a novel idea came into Tom's head; it was then about seven
o'clock in the evening, the ship was lying becalmed, Tom again sprang up
the rigging, laid out to the main yard-arm, followed by me and the rest,
and as soon as he was at the boom iron, he sprang up, holding by the
lift, and crying out, "Follow my leader," leaped from the yard-arm into
the sea. I was second, and crying out, "Follow my leader" to the rest,
I followed him, and the others, whether they could swim or not, did the
same, it being a point of honour not to refuse.
The captain was just coming up the ladder, when he saw, as he imagined,
a man tumble overboard, which was Tom in his descent; but how much more
was he astonished at seeing twenty or thirty more tumbling off by twos
or threes, until it appeared that half the ship's company were
overboard. Some of the men who could not swim, but were too proud to
refuse to follow, were nearly drowned. As it was, the first lieutenant
was obliged to lower the cutter to pick them up, and they were all
brought on board.
"Confound that fellow," said the captain to the first lieutenant; "he is
always at the head of all mischief. Follow my leader, indeed! Send Tom
Beazeley here." We all thought that Tom was about to catch it. "Hark
ye, my lad," said the captain; "a joke's a joke, but everybody can't
swim as well as you. I can't afford to lose any of my men by your
pranks, so don't try that again--I don't _like_ it."
Every one thought that Tom got off very cheaply; but he was a favourite
with the captain, although that never appeared but indirectly; "Beg
pardon, sir," replied Tom, with great apparent humility, "but they were
all so dirty--they'd blacked themselves at the funnel, and I thought a
little washing would not do them any harm."
"Be off, sir, and recollect what I have said," replied the captain,
turning away, and showing his white teeth.
I heard the first lieutenant say to the captain, "He's worth any ten men
in the ship, sir. He keeps them all alive and merry, sets such a good
example."