Mr. Kingston having taken the 'Lark' schooner to Sierra Leone, where
she was condemned, he was appointed to H.M.S. 'Saracen,' which soon
afterwards arrived there. From that place the 'Saracen' sailed for
the river Gambia, soon after the 2nd of March.
On the evening of the 13th of the same month, while on her passage
there, when it was blowing fresh, with a heavy cross sea, a lad, aged
19, named John Plunket, fell overboard from the
main-top-gallant-yard. In falling he struck against the topsail-yard
and the sweeps stowed on the quarter, and was bleeding at the mouth,
and almost senseless when he reached the water. The lad could not
swim, and his death seemed inevitable, when Mr. Kingston, who was on
the quarter-deck, without a moment's hesitation, sprung overboard,
exclaiming to his commander as he ran aft, "Send a boat as quick as
you can, Sir, I'll save him." He struck out bravely towards the poor
lad, but before he could reach him, he sank. A cry of horror arose
from, all on board, for they thought the lad was lost, though every
exertion was made to get a boat in the water to pick up Mr. Kingston.
Plunket, however, again rose, and Mr. Kingston grasping hold of him,
supported him above water, though with much difficulty, as the lad,
who bled profusely from the mouth and nostrils, convulsively clung
round him, and almost dragged him down to the bottom. Fortunately he
released himself from the clutch of the now senseless youth, and
continued to support him by swimming and treading water. For fear of
exhaustion, he afterwards threw himself on his back, and placing the
head of his almost inanimate shipmate on his chest, he kept him up
for a quarter of an hour, till a boat reached them, and took them on
board.
On another occasion, while on the coast of Africa, in a spot where
sharks were known to abound, Mr. Kingston leaped overboard after
another lad who had fallen into the water. Fortunately the life-buoy
was let go at the same time, and wisely catching hold of it, he towed
it up to the sinking youth, and providentially preserved his life. I
cannot refrain from giving the only notice he takes in his journal of
the former circumstance. It is characteristic of the brave and
modest seaman. "I yesterday had an opportunity of saving a poor
lad's life, who fell overboard from the main-top-gallant-yard, by
jumping after him. A boat picked us both up. Though stunned and
bleeding at the mouth, he is recovering in his hammock."
I give a copy of Captain Tucker's certificate relating to the two
circumstances we have described. Mr. Kingston was deservedly
promoted to the rank of Lieutenant for his gallantry.
_Captain Tucker's certificate of Lieut. A. B. Kingston's conduct._
These are to certify to my Lords-Commissioners of the Admiralty, that
Mr. Arthur B. Kingston (mate), served as supernumerary mate on board
Her Majesty's sloop under my command, from the 28th day of November,
1829, to the date hereof, during which time, by his judgment and
presence of mind, he saved the lives of four of this sloop's crew,
when he had charge of the 'Lark' schooner (detained in the river here
for being engaged in the slave-trade) when bringing her out of the
river, in company with another detained schooner (the 'Asp') in
command of Lieut. Dumaresq, senior lieutenant of this sloop, when
both vessels were in imminent danger of being lost on the bar, over
which the sea was running very high and breaking very heavy. The
'Asp' having crossed the inner bar, and being outside the 'Lark,' and
on the outer bar, had the pinnace and gig of this sloop in a
tremendous sea washed away from the stern, with four men in them.
The 'Lark,' at the time being on the inner bar, with the sea breaking
over and into the vessel, and in great danger of being lost. Mr.
Kingston, seeing the imminent danger the men were in, and that they
must be lost if he did not pick them up, let his anchor go when he
considered the vessel in that position when, if brought up, the boat
must drift close to him, when the sea made clear breaches over the
vessel, and nearly filled her; but he had the happiness of saving the
lives of the four men in the boat, by throwing ropes into the boat as
they drifted close by, saving not only the lives of the men, but the
boats, having himself lost the boat of the vessel and the cutter of
this sloop which had been secured astern, the cutter having been
thrown by one of the rollers in and on the quarter of the 'Lark,'
where she remained until the next sea and roll, when she fell over
the side and sank. On picking up the boat, Mr. Kingston not being
able to shorten in the cable and weigh, slipped the cable and made
sail, and after many risks of striking on the bars, for which he had
no pilot, he succeeded in taking the vessel out, although it was
sunset when he saved the men, and dark before he got clear of the bar.
"Mr. Kingston also jumped overboard from this sloop in the river at
Sierra Leone, to save a boy who had fallen overboard, and, in
falling, struck against the sweeps on the top-sail-yard, stowed on
the quarter. During the time he served on board the 'Wolverine,' Mr.
Kingston conducted himself in every respect very much to my
satisfaction.
"Given under my hand on board H.M.S. 'Wolverine,' at Sierra Leone,
this 3rd day of March, 1840. (Signed) "WILLIAM TUCKER, Commander."
RESCUE OF CREW OF 'MINERVA' BY MR. SLATER, SECOND
MASTER OF H.M. MAIL-PACKET 'WIDGEON,' OFF CALAIS,
March 10th, 1842.
H.M. Mail Packet, of Dover, Lieut. Scriven, Commander, was lying in
Calais Harbour on the 9th of March, 1842, when about 9 P.M. a heavy
gale sprang up, which continued increasing in fury all night, and a
terrific sea in consequence was running by the following morning. At
that time, soon after daylight, a brig was discovered in the offing,
with her sails blown to shivers. At about 11 A.M., she let go her
anchor to the eastward of the pier, about a mile from the shore,
where was a very heavy sea, which soon broke completely over her.
Here she continued for some time in a most critical position,
pitching bows under, and threatening every instant to go to the
bottom. At length she began to drag her anchors, when all hope of
her preservation, unless the gale should suddenly abate, was small
indeed. The lives of all on board were now placed in the greatest
jeopardy, and since this, at about 3 o'clock, no effort being made by
the French authorities to send to her rescue, two English gentlemen
offered 50_l._ for the life-boat of the Humane Society at Calais,
with the intention of getting her manned by an English crew, who
volunteered their services. The boat, however, was refused on this
very account; and at length, with the prospect of the reward, six
young men, mostly boys, undertook to put off in her. Instead,
however, of launching her close to the pier, they shoved off in the
very middle of the breakers. After half an hour's vain and foolish
attempt to reach the vessel, they gave it up, and returning, declared
that the boat was injured. By this time, Mr. Slater, of the
'Widgeon,' had come down to the beach, and with the following brave
fellows belonging to the same vessel, Richard Canney, quarter-master,
Thomas Sinclair, Thomas Lawrence, Watkin Edwards, and Daniel Trim,
able-bodied seamen; as also--Nicholson, belonging to the 'Frederick,'
collier of Sunderland, whose intrepidity and gallantry throughout was
conspicuous, volunteered to man the first boat to be procured to put
off to the 'Minerva.' She by this time, half-past 6 o'clock, having
cut away her anchors, in the hope of drifting on shore, had struck;
the tide was coming in, and the sea was breaking over her.
In a short time more it was very evident that the crew would be
washed off the wreck, and meet with a watery grave, though within a
quarter of a mile of the shore. The cries of the poor fellows for
help were dreadful. Twice had Mr. Slater, with determined
perseverance in his humane object, to apply to the harbour-master for
the use of the life-boat. At length he consented to give up the key
of the boat-house and to allow the English to take it on being
assured that he would be paid for any damage it might receive. After
this not a moment was lost by 200 Englishmen in the lace-business,
who, under the superintendence of Lieut. Scriven, the commander of
the 'Widgeon,' nobly assisted in launching the boat through the
boiling surf. The seven gallant men, fearless of the awful risk they
ran, in the hopes of saving the lives of their fellow-creatures,
pulled away on this enterprise. They started from the westward, and
had to pass the head of the pier, a dangerous service even in
ordinary weather. It took them half an hour to get over the bar,
when, had it not been for the admirable management of Mr. Slater, and
the intrepidity of his crew, the boat herself and all would have been
lost, so terrific was the sea they had to encounter. In spite of it,
by persevering efforts, they made head-way, though two hours elapsed
before they could reach the brig. She was found to be the 'Minerva,'
of Jersey, bound from Sunderland, William Percy, master, laden with
coals, and of 163 tons. She was now a perfect wreck, her mast
swinging backwards and forwards, and threatening every instant to
destroy the boat, while the sea was making a clean breach over her.
Seven human beings were clinging to the wreck, every soul of whom in
ten minute more must have perished. With no little difficulty they
were all hauled in safety into the boat which then in triumph
returned to the shore.
The Lords of the Admiralty testified their sense of the gallant
conduct of the crew of H.M. packet 'Widgeon,' by presenting the sum
of 5_l._ to each of the seamen engaged under Mr. Slater in rescuing
seven human beings belonging to the 'Minerva.' A public dinner was
given on the 30th March at Calais to Lieut. Scriven, R.N., commander
of the 'Widgeon,' and to Mr. Slater--Mr. Scott, R.N., presiding.
Five of the crew were presented with 8_l._ each for their gallantry.
Quarter-master Canney was presented with a piece of plate value of
12_l._, and Mr. Slater presented with a piece of plate value 20_l._
The town-council of Calais also voted Mr. Slater a silver cup value
of 300 francs, and ordered silver medals to be given to the crew of
the 'Widgeon,' who accompanied him.
Besides the gallant acts of which I have been able to give tolerably
full accounts, I have collected notes of a number of others, yet a
portion only of the many which have been performed by naval men since
the Queen came to the throne. They all show the readiness of sailors
to risk their own lives in the endeavour to preserve those of their
fellow-creatures; and I have no doubt that in another edition of this
work I shall have the opportunity of describing a considerable number
of other instances of gallantry and heroism, of which I have at
present no exact information, and which had I, indeed, my space would
scarcely allow me to give.
MR. HENRY SHEA, ASSISTANT-SURGEON, R.N.,
MEDITERRANEAN,
July, 1837.
On the 8th July as H.M.S. 'Asia' was standing out to sea from
Cagliari, in Sardinia, a seaman named Anthony W-- jumped overboard in
a fit of drunkenness; and while the ship was being hove to, Mr. Henry
Shea, assistant-surgeon, dropped himself from the spanker-boom into
the sea, and after struggling with the man, succeeded in keeping him
above water until the boats reached them.