"British sailors have a knack,
Haul away, yo ho, boys,
Of hauling down a Frenchman's jack
'Gainst any odds, you know, boys."--Old Song.
There was, I flatter myself, some little skill in the introduction of
the foregoing chapter, which has played the part of chorus during the
time that the _Bombay Castle_ has proceeded on to Canton, has taken in
her cargo, and is on her passage home, in company with fifteen other
East Indiamen and several country ships, all laden with the riches of
the East, and hastening to pour their treasures into the lap of their
country. Millions were floating on the waters, intrusted to the skill
of merchant-seamen to convey them home in safety, and to their courage
to defend them from the enemy, which had long been lying in wait to
intercept them. By a very unusual chance or oversight, there had been
no men-of-war despatched to protect property of such enormous value.
The Indian fleet had just entered the Straits of Malacca, and were
sailing in open order, with a fresh breeze and smooth water. The
hammocks had been stowed, the decks washed, and the awnings spread.
Shoals of albicore were darting across the bows of the different ships;
and the seamen perched upon the cat-heads and spritsail-yard, had
succeeded in piercing with their harpoons many, which were immediately
cut up, and in the frying-pans for breakfast. But very soon they had
"other fish to fry:" for one of the Indiamen, the _Royal George_, made
the signal that there were four strange sail in the South West.
"A gun from the commodore, sir," reported Newton, who was officer of the
watch. "The flags are up--they are not our pennants."
It was an order to four ships of the fleet to run down and examine the
strange vessels.
Half an hour elapsed, during which time the glasses were at every
mast-head. Captain Drawlock himself, although not much given to
climbing, having probably had enough of it during his long career in the
service, was to be seen in the main-top. Doubts, suspicions,
declarations, surmises, and positive assertions were bandied about,
until they were all dispelled by the reconnoitring ships telegraphing,
"a French squadron, consisting of one line-of-battle ship, three
frigates, and a brig." It was, in fact, the well-known squadron of
Admiral Linois, who had scoured the Indian seas, ranging it up and down
with the velocity as well as the appetite of a shark. His force
consisted of the _Marengo_, of eighty guns; the famed _Belle Poule_, a
forty-gun frigate, which outstripped the wind; the _Semillante_, of
thirty-six guns; the _Berceau_, ship corvette, of twenty-two, and a brig
of sixteen. They had sailed from Batavia on purpose to intercept the
China fleet, having received intelligence that it was unprotected, and
anticipating an easy conquest, if not an immediate surrender to their
overpowering force.
"The recall is up on board of the commodore," said Mathews, the
first-mate, to Captain Drawlock.
"Very well, keep a good look-out; he intends to fight, I'll answer for
it. We must not surrender up millions to these French scoundrels
without a tussle."
"I should hope not," replied Mathews; "but that big fellow will make a
general average among our tea canisters, I expect when we do come to the
scratch. There go the flags, sir," continued Mathews, repeating the
number to Captain Drawlock, who had the signal-book in his hand.
"Form line of battle in close order, and prepare for action," read
Captain Drawlock from the signal-book.
A cheer resounded through the fleet when the signal was made known. The
ships were already near enough to each other to hear the shouting, and
the confidence of others added to their own.
"If we only had _all_ English seamen on board, instead of these Lascars
and Chinamen, who look so blank," observed Newton to Mathews, "I think
we should show them some play."
"Yes," growled Mathews; "John Company will some day find out the truth
of the old proverb, `Penny wise and pound foolish!'"
The French squadron, which had continued on the wind to leeward until
they could fetch the India fleet, now tacked, and laid up directly for
them. In the meantime, the English vessels were preparing for action:
the clearing of their lumbered decks was the occasion of many a coop of
fowls, or pig of the true China breed, exchanging their destiny for a
watery grave. Fortunately, there were no passengers. Homeward-bound
China ships are not encumbered in that way, unless to astonish the
metropolis with such monstrosities as the mermaid, or as the Siamese
twins, coupled by nature like two hounds (separated lately indeed by
Lytton Bulwer, who has satisfactorily proved that "unity between
brethren," so generally esteemed a blessing, on the contrary, is a
bore). In a short time all was ready, and the India fleet continued
their course under easy sail, neither courting nor avoiding the
conflict.
At nightfall, the French squadron hauled to the wind; the conduct of the
China fleet rendered them cautious, and the French admiral considered it
advisable to ascertain, by broad daylight, whether a portion of the
English ships were not men-of-war; their cool and determined behaviour
certainly warranted the suspicion. It was now to be decided whether the
Indiamen should take advantage of the darkness of the night to escape,
or wait the result of the ensuing day. The force opposed to them was
formidable and concentrated; their own, on the contrary, was weak from
division, each ship not having more than sixty English seamen on board;
the country ships none at all, the few belonging to them having
volunteered on board the Indiamen. In this decision, Commodore Dance
proved his judgment as well as his courage. In an attempt to escape,
the fleet would separate; and, from the well-known superior sailing of
the French squadron, most of them would be overtaken, and, being
attacked single-handed, fall an easy prey to the enemy.
In this opinion the captains of the Indiamen, who had communicated
during the night, were unanimous, and equally so in the resolution
founded upon it, "to keep together and fight to the last." The India
fleet lay to for the night, keeping their lights up and the men at their
quarters; most of the English seamen sound asleep, the Lascars and
Chinese sitting up in groups, expressing, in their own tongues, their
fear of the approaching combat, in which, whether risked for national
honour or individual property, they could have no interest.
The morning broke, and discovered the French squadron about three miles
to windward. Admiral Linois had calculated that if the fleet consisted
only of merchant vessels they would have profited by the darkness to
have attempted to escape, and he had worked to windward during the
night, that he might be all ready to pounce down upon his quarry. But
when he perceived that the English ships did not attempt to increase
their distance he was sadly puzzled.
The French tricolour hardly had time to blow clear from their taffrails,
when the English unions waved aloft in defiance; and that Admiral Linois
might be more perplexed by the arrangements of the night, three of the
most warlike Indiamen displayed the red ensign, while the remainder of
the ships hoisted up the blue. This _ruse_ led the French admiral to
suppose that these three vessels were men-of-war, composing the escort
of the fleet.
At nine o'clock the commodore made the signal to fill; and the French
squadron not bearing down, the India fleet continued its course under
easy sail. The French admiral then edged away with his squadron, with
the intention of cutting off the country ships, which had been stationed
to leeward; but which, since the British fleet had hauled their wind,
had been left in the rear. It was now requisite for the British
commander to act decidedly and firmly. Captain Timmins, an officer for
courage and conduct not surpassed by any in our naval service, who
commanded the _Royal George_, edged to within hail of the commodore, and
recommended that the order should be given to tack in succession, bear
down in a line a-head, and engage the enemy. This spirited advice was
acted upon; the _Royal George_ leading into action, followed by the
other ships in such close order that their flying jib-booms were often
pointed over the taffrails of their predecessors.
In a quarter of an hour was to be witnessed the unusual spectacle of a
fleet of merchant ships exchanging broadsides with the best equipped and
highest disciplined squadron that ever sailed from France. In less than
an hour was presented the more unusual sight of this squadron flying
from the merchant ships, and the signal for a general chase answered
with enthusiastic cheers.
That Admiral Linois might have supposed, previous to the engagement,
that some of the British ships were men-of-war, is probable; but that he
knew otherwise after they had commenced action, must also have been the
case. The fact was, he was frightened at their determined courage and
their decided conduct; and he fled, not from the guns, but from the
_men_.
I do not know on record any greater instance of heroism on the part of
British seamen; and I am delighted that Newton Forster was in the
conflict, or of course I could not have introduced it in this work.
And now, those who read for amusement may, if they please, skip over the
next chapter. There are points connected with the India service which I
intend to comment upon; and as all the wisdom of the age is confined to
novels, and nobody reads pamphlets, I introduce them here.
When one man is empowered to hold in check, and to insist upon the
obedience of a large proportion of his fellows, it can only be by
"opinion" that his authority can be supported.
By "opinion" I mean the knowledge that he is so empowered by the laws of
the country to which they all belong, and by which laws they will be
punished, if they act in opposition to his authority. The fiat of the
individual commanding is in this case the fiat of the nation at large;
to contend with this fiat is not contending with the individual, but
with the nation, to whose laws they must submit, or to return to their
country no more. A commander of a vessel, therefore, armed with martial
law, is, in fact, representing and executing, not his own will, but that
of the nation who have made the law; for he is amenable, as well as his
inferiors, if he acts contrary to, or misuses it.
In the merchant service martial law is not permitted; the bye-laws
relative to shipping, and the common law of the country, are supposed to
be sufficient; and certainly the present system is more advisable than
to vest such excessive power in the hands of men, who, generally
speaking, neither require nor are fit to be entrusted with it. Where,
as in the greater number of merchant vessels, the master and his
subordinate officers compose one-third, if not one-half of the
complement on board, nothing but the most flagrant conduct is likely to
produce insubordination.
But in the East India service the case is different. The vessels
themselves are of dimensions equal, if not superior, to our largest
class of frigates, and they carry from thirty to forty guns; the
property embarked in them is also of such an extent, that the loss
almost becomes national: their commanders are men of superior
attainments, as gentlemen and as officers; finally, the complement of
seamen under their command is larger than on board of many of the king's
ships.
The above considerations will at once establish that those bye-laws
which afford protection to the well-governing of the merchant service in
general, are not sufficient to maintain the necessary discipline on
board of the East India ships. The greater the disproportion between
the unit who commands and the numbers who obey, the greater the chance
of mutiny. Sedition is the progeny of assembly. Even where grievances
may be real, if there is no contact and no discussion, there will be no
insubordination; but imaginary grievances, canvassed and discussed in
assembly, swell into disaffection and mutiny. When, therefore, numbers
are collected together, as in the vessels of the East India service,
martial law becomes indispensable; and the proof of it is, that the
commanders of these vessels have been forced to exercise it upon their
own responsibility. A letter of marque should be granted to all vessels
carrying a certain number of men, empowering the commanders, under
certain sureties and penalties, to exercise this power. It would be a
boon to the East India ships, and ultimately a benefit to the navy.
To proceed. The merchant ships of the Company are men-of-war; the
men-of-war of the Company are--what shall I call them? By their right
names--they are all _Bombay Marine_: but let me at once assert, in
applying their own name to them as a reproach, that the officers
commanding them are not included in the stigma. I have served with
them, and have pleasure in stating that, taking the average, the vessels
are as well officered as those in our own service; but let us describe
the vessels and their crews. Most of the vessels are smaller in
scantling than the run down (and constantly _going down_) ten-gun brigs
in our own service, built for a light draft of water (as they were
originally intended to act against the pirates, which occasionally
infest the Indian seas), and unfit to contend with anything like a heavy
sea. Many of them are pierced for, and actually carry fourteen or
sixteen guns; but, as effective fighting vessels, ought not to have been
pierced for more than eight I have no hesitation in asserting that an
English cutter is a match for any of them, and a French privateer has,
before now, proved that she was superior. The crews are composed of a
small proportion of English seamen, a small proportion of Portuguese
sea-cunnies, a proportion of Lascars, and a proportion of Hindoo Bombay
marines. It requires two or three languages to carry on the duty;
custom; religions, provisions, all different, and all living and messing
separate. How is it possible that any officer can discipline a ship's
company of this incongruous description, so as to make them "pull
together?" In short, the vessels and the crews are equally
contemptible, and the officers, in cases of difficulty, must be
sacrificed to the pride and meanness of the Company. My reason for
taking notice of the "Bombay Marine" arises from an order lately
promulgated, in which the officers of this service were to take rank and
precedence with those of the navy. Now, as far as the officers
themselves are concerned, so far from having any objection to it, I
wish, for their own merits and the good-will that I bear them, that they
were incorporated into our navy-list; but as long as they command
vessels of the above description, in the event of a war, I will put a
case, to prove the absurdity and danger which may result. There is not
one vessel at this present time in their service which would not be sunk
by one well-directed broadside from a large frigate; yet, as many of
their officers are of long standing, it is very probable that a squadron
of English frigates may fall in with one of these vessels, the captain
of which would be authorised by his seniority to take the command of the
whole of them. We will suppose that this squadron falls in with the
enemy, of equal or superior force; can the officer in command lead on
the attack? If so, he will be sent down by the first broadside. If he
does not, from whom are the orders to proceed during the action? The
consequences would be as injurious as the arrangement is ridiculous.
The charter of the East India Company will soon expire; and if it is to
be renewed, the country ought to have some indemnification for the three
millions which this colony or conquest (which you please) annually draws
from it. Now there is one point which deserves consideration: the
constitutional protection of all property is by the nation, and as a
naval force is required in India, that force should be supplied by the
armaments of the nation, at the expense of the Company. I have already
proved that the Bombay Marine is a useless and incompetent service: let
it be abolished altogether, and men-of-war be sent out to supply their
place. It is most important that our navy should be employed in time of
peace, and our officers gain that practical knowledge without which the
theoretical is useless. Was this insisted upon, a considerable force
would be actively employed, at no expense to the country, and many
officers become valuable, who now are remaining inactive, and forgetting
what previous knowledge they may have acquired of their nautical duties.
At the same time, every East India ship should be compelled to take on
board her whole complement of English seamen, and not be half manned by
Lascars and Chinamen.
But I presume I must be careful how I attempt to legislate for that
country, or I shall have two tame elephants sent after me by the man
_what_ puts his hair in papers!