LAST DAY AT HOME--JOIN THE "HEROINE" AS A MIDSHIPMAN--BOUND FOR THE
PACIFIC--ORDERED TO TOUCH AT CAPE COAST CASTLE--ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR A
PIRATE--CHASE HER UP A RIVER--OUR BOAT ATTACKED--DICKY POPO BRINGS US
INFORMATION--FIGHT WITH THE PIRATES--A CAPTURE--A SCHOONER BLOWS UP--
DELIVER UP OUR PRIZE TO THE COMMODORE--PROCEED ON OUR VOYAGE.
The last day of my home-life came to an end. Pierce and I went to our
room and turned in to our beds, but not to sleep. We had still many
things to say to each other, though we had probably said them over and
over again before. I promised to write a journal, to show to him when I
came back from my first voyage; and he agreed to keep one, from which he
might make extracts when he wrote to me, so that I might know everything
that took place in our family circle.
Our father, Mr Rayner, was a half-pay lieutenant; but at the end of the
war, having no expectation of promotion, he had left the service and
joined his elder brother, our Uncle Godfrey (after whom I was named), in
a mercantile business at Bristol, near which city we lived. He knew
nothing of office work, but hoped by diligence and attention to be of
assistance. Our uncle, however, died before he had gained a thorough
knowledge of the business; and, besides the sorrow he felt at losing one
he loved, much responsibility in consequence devolved upon him. I
believe that his affairs were not as prosperous as he could have
desired; and he sometimes expressed his regret that he had engaged in an
undertaking for which he was not fitted.
I had shown no predilection for a seat in the counting-house; and
consequently, when his old shipmate Captain Bracewell, who had just been
appointed to the command of the _Heroine_ sloop-of-war, offered to take
one of his sons as a midshipman, he allowed me, greatly to my delight,
to enter the navy.
My sea-chest, already packed, stood at one end of the room, with my dirk
and the uniform I was to put on next day lying upon it; in which, as may
be supposed, I had already exhibited myself to Pierce and our sister
Edith, who was younger than either of us, and naturally thought it, as
she told me, very becoming; an opinion I also entertained, as did our
mother, and--I flattered myself--the rest of the household.
At last Pierce's voice grew more and more inarticulate, and he dropped
off to sleep. I, after some time, was following his example, when the
door opened, and our mother glided into the room, afraid of awakening
me. I was conscious that she was bending over me: a tear dropped on my
cheek, and I felt her loving kiss on my brow. I started up and passed
my arm round her neck. She perhaps thought that it was the last time I
should be with her alone on earth.
"Godfrey, my dear boy," she said, "fear to offend God, and be faithful
and true to him and to all men. He will ever prove your best Friend,
here and throughout eternity."
"I will, mother; indeed I will," I answered, as soon as the beatings of
my heart and the sobs which burst from my breast allowed me to speak.
"Hush," she said at length; "we must not awaken Pierce. And you too,
Godfrey, must go to sleep, to be ready for your journey to-morrow."
She left me, but I could hear her breathing outside the door till she
thought I had dropped off to sleep.
Next morning all the family were up to see me off. I won't describe the
scene: my dear, sweet little sister Edith, though she looked so proud of
me in my uniform, sobbed as if she would break her heart; and I found it
a hard matter to restrain my feelings, till the coach came by, and, my
chest being stowed away in the boot, my father and I mounted to the top.
I soon recovered my spirits, when my father, entering into conversation
with our fellow-passengers, led me to join in it. Most of them were
seafaring men; and one of them, with naval buttons on his greatcoat,
made himself known to my father as Peter Mudge, once a little midshipman
with him, but now an old master's mate on his way to join the _Heroine_.
"You'll keep an eye on this youngster, then, for my sake, Mudge?" said
my father; "though I know you would without my asking you."
"That I will, Mr Rayner," answered Mr Mudge; "I'll do all I can for
him, though that may be but little."
"You've got one friend on board already, Godfrey," observed my father,
"through my interest. I hope you will soon have many more by your own
merits."
We reached Plymouth late in the day; and the next morning my father took
me on board to introduce me to the captain and officers. Captain
Bracewell received me very kindly; and when my father left--as he was
soon obliged to do--to return home, Peter Mudge took charge of me, and
led me down into the midshipmen's berth, where he introduced me to my
new messmates. I was at home in a few minutes, and made up my mind that
I should be very jolly. In this opinion I was confirmed by the
assurances of another midshipman of about my own age, or rather younger,
Tommy Peck by name, who had also come to sea for the first time, and who
naturally became my chief chum. He was a merry fellow, delighting in
fun and mischief; caring very little about the result of the latter,
provided he could amuse himself for the moment; and without a particle
of forethought. He was not altogether destitute of sense, but at the
time I speak of he greatly required a friend like Mudge to keep him in
the right way.
The sails were loosed, the men were going round the capstan to the sound
of the merry fife, when a messenger from the Admiralty arrived in hot
haste, directing the captain to carry out despatches to the governor of
Cape Coast Castle, instead of proceeding direct to the Pacific, whither
we were bound.
The wind being fair and fresh, in a few hours we were out of sight of
land. For the first time in my life, as I gazed round from the deck, I
saw only the circle of the horizon where sea and sky met. It produced
in me a sensation of pleasure not unmixed with awe, though I confess
that the feeling very soon wore off.
The next day at noon the midshipmen were ordered to bring up their
quadrants; and I received my first practical lesson in navigation. I
was anxious to gain a knowledge of my profession, and Peter Mudge did
his best to instruct me.
Day after day we sailed on, the fair wind lasting us till we got to the
latitude of the Cape de Verde Islands, and I began to fancy that the
stories I had heard of gales and hurricanes were fabulous, and that we
were to enjoy the same sort of weather during our cruise.
"Wait a bit, my lad, till we're rounding Cape Horn; you'll then chance
to pick up a notion of what a heavy sea is like, if you don't happen to
learn sooner," said Peter Mudge.
In spite of calms and light winds, however, we at length came off Cape
Coast Castle; consisting of an extensive range of buildings surrounded
by fortifications, appearing of snowy whiteness against the dark foliage
of the wooded height in the background. The captain went on shore to
deliver his despatches to the governor. We were expecting the pleasure
of a run on shore, when he returned on board, and ordering the anchor to
be hove up, we stood to the south-eastward under all sail.
It soon became known that the governor had received intelligence of the
appearance of a large craft off the coast, supposed to be a pirate, of
which he had directed the captain to go in search. A sharp look-out was
accordingly kept for her during the night. She was said to be heavily
armed; under Spanish colours; and that her plan of proceeding was to
capture any traders she could fall in with, take possession of their
cargoes, and exchange them on the coast for slaves, with which she
returned to Cuba. "A profitable style of business, whatever might be
said of its honesty. I only hope that we may catch her with English
property on board," said Mudge; "we shall soon put a stop to her
tricks."
The next evening a sail was sighted on the starboard bow, steering the
same course as we were; and we immediately stood for her, hoping that
she was the pirate. It was doubtful whether she had seen us; if she
had, she had possibly taken us for a merchantman. Darkness was coming
on, but we had got her bearings; and unless she was suspicious of us she
would stand on as she was doing, and perhaps shorten sail to allow us to
come up with her; if so, we had no doubt that we should take her. As it
was fully believed that she would not yield without fighting, the ship
was cleared for action; the crew went to their quarters, and all stood
ready should we sight her, which we might do at any moment.
On glided our ship over the dark waters, her masts towering to the sky
like some phantom of the night. A strange feeling came over me as I
thought that in a few minutes we might be hotly engaged in firing away
at the enemy, round shot and bullets flying about us.
"Sail right ahead, sir!" shouted the second lieutenant from forward. I
looked out eagerly, and saw the tall masts and sails of a ship fully as
large as, if not larger than, the _Heroine_.
"We must speak her before firing, lest we should be engaging a friend,"
I heard the commander observe to Mr Worthy, the first lieutenant. "If
yonder craft is a pirate, she takes us for a merchant vessel, as she
probably knew that no man-of-war of our size was on the station. Don't
fire a shot till I give the order."
After this not a word was spoken. In perfect silence we glided onwards,
rapidly approaching the dark ship, which we could now distinguish
clearly, with her courses brailed up, evidently awaiting us. The
captain's intention was to run up on her starboard quarter, so as to
keep her between us and the land. We were almost within hail, and
expected in another instant to be engaged, when down came her courses,
the yards were braced sharp up, and she stood away on a bowline towards
the coast. On this our helm was immediately put down, and we did the
same, keeping directly after her and firing our bow-chasers. She was
evidently a fast craft, for she rapidly drew ahead of us. The breeze
freshened, and having all sail set, we heeled over till the lee guns
dipped into the water.
"We shall be whipping the masts out of her, if we don't take care," I
heard Mudge observe.
The captain seemed to think the same. "Hand royals and topgallant
sails," he sang out; "be smart, my lads."
The top-men hurried aloft to obey the order, for every one knew there
was no time to be lost. The masts bent like willow wands, and I
expected every moment to see them go over the side. While attending to
shortening sail, the eyes of the officers were withdrawn from the chase;
for some of the ropes getting foul during the operation, we were obliged
to luff up to clear them, thereby allowing her to get still farther
ahead. Still, she could be distinguished standing to the eastward. As
soon as the sails were handed we stood on again after her, staggering
along under such canvas as we could carry, and every eye on board turned
towards her.
"If she runs us out of sight, she'll put her helm up and stand down the
coast," observed Mudge; "and it will be a hard matter to find her
again."
Our chief hope was that our shot might wing her; but only one gun could
be brought to bear, and with the sea there was on, though it was not
very heavy, our aim was uncertain. Still, as we had got her jammed in
between us and the coast, there was little chance of her ultimately
escaping.
We had been running on for some time, the chase still gaining on us, and
becoming dimmer and dimmer to view, when a heavy squall struck the ship,
and heeled her over so much that the captain gave the order to shorten
sail. It cleared off, however, before the sheets were let fly; but when
we again looked ahead the chase was nowhere to be seen. We accordingly
edged away to the southward, in case she should have gone off before the
wind.
Not long after this the morning broke, and the wind went down. As the
chase was not to be seen to the southward, the captain and Mr Worthy
were still convinced that she had continued her course to the eastward,
but that the thick mist hanging over the coast was hiding her from
sight. We had again made all sail, and were standing on as before, when
the look-out at the mast-head shouted, "Land! land!" and shortly
afterwards, as the atmosphere cleared, we could see the wood-covered
heights of the African coast rising above the belt of thick mist which
still hung over the lower ground, and which would effectually conceal
the chase should she have stood in for the shore.
"Should she be there, we shall soon sight her," observed Mudge. "I only
hope that her rascally crew will have the courage to fight for their
lives and liberty; though there isn't much chance of that."
The lead was kept going, of course, and showed a much greater depth of
water than had been expected. On reference to the chart, the captain
found that we must be approaching the mouth of a large river. The sun
rising, dissipated the mist; and we had got close to the mouth of the
river when the wind fell. Being thus unable to enter it, we were
compelled to bring up at no great distance from the shore. From where
we lay we could see but a very little way up the river, a point of land
covered with trees hiding the next reach, so that the chase might be
there, though invisible to us. The captain accordingly directed the
first lieutenant to pull up in the gig to ascertain if she was there;
intending, if so, to carry the ship into the river whenever the
sea-breeze should set in. As she was a large, well-armed vessel, with a
numerous crew, he was unwilling to risk the loss of his men, at the
commencement of a long voyage, by attacking her with the boats.
The gig was soon hidden behind the point; when the watch below, to which
I belonged, was allowed to lie down in the shade on deck--for, having
been awake all night, we could scarcely keep our eyes open. I was in an
instant asleep; and being roused up again after a snooze of two hours, I
found that the gig had not returned. The captain was beginning to get
anxious, when the look-out from the mast-head, who could see farther
over the point than we could on deck, shouted, "The gig in sight, and
another boat following her."
Some minutes passed, when we saw the gig chased round the point, the
crew pulling with all their might; and the next instant a much larger
boat hove in sight. As she did so, a man standing in the stern-sheets
was seen to lift a musket and fire at the gig: at the same moment an oar
dropped from the hands of one of the crew, who sank down on the thwart;
the gig, however, still coming on. It was a wanton act. The large boat
pulled round, and before we could have brought one of our guns to bear
on her she was again hidden behind the point. The captain, on seeing
the occurrence, ordered the other boats to be got ready, intending to
send them up in chase of the audacious stranger, and they were in the
water before the gig was alongside.
Lieutenant Worthy, on coming on deck, informed the captain that he had
gone up the river for some distance without seeing the chase, when, just
as he had at length caught sight of her topgallant-masts over a wooded
point, a large boat had darted out from behind it; while several shots
fired from the shore warned him of the danger of proceeding farther.
Immediately putting the gig round, he pulled down the river, seeing that
it would be madness to attempt attacking the larger boat with his small
crew.
The daring way in which the large boat had attempted to capture the gig
proved the character of the craft to which she belonged; as also that
either her crew must consider themselves strong enough to resist a
man-of-war, or possibly might suppose that we should not venture into
the river.
In the meantime, the gig with the wounded man had been hoisted up. He
still breathed, and was immediately carried below, and placed under the
care of the surgeon; who, on examining his wound, expressed but slight
hope that he would recover. On hearing this, the crew threatened the
pirates with their vengeance, and were eager to go up the river and take
them.
We now anxiously waited for the sea-breeze. The cable was hove short,
the sails loosed; still, as we looked eastward, not a ripple disturbed
the glass-like surface of the ocean.
"We've got the fellow in a trap, at all events," observed Mudge, "and
fight he must, whether he likes it or not."
"I hope he will," I answered. "I should like to see a good fierce
battle; and there will be little glory in taking the pirate, should she
give in at once."
"You'll sing a different note when you find the shot come flying thickly
about your ears, my boy," answered Mudge; "and as for the glory, there's
not much to be gained by capturing a rascally pirate. For my part, I
hope she'll knock under at once, and give us as little trouble as
possible."
Hour after hour went by, but the breeze did not come; and I heard
Lieutenant Worthy remark that it would afford time to the pirates, if
they were so minded, to fortify themselves on shore, which would enable
them to hold out much better against us, as we should have both the fort
and the ship to contend against.
"That must not stop us," observed the captain; "we must take the ship
first, and the fort afterwards."
At last a few cat's-paws were seen playing over the water. The
dog-vanes blew out, and the breeze, fresh and pure from the ocean, began
to blow. The anchor was quickly got up; and the ship, at first standing
close-hauled to weather the point, glided on towards the main channel of
the river. The bar, on which the water was unusually deep,--a few
slight rollers only coming in over it,--was safely passed, when we began
to stand up the stream. The shores on either hand were thickly covered
with trees, forming impenetrable walls of foliage, and preventing us
from seeing the country beyond, with the exception of some high hills
which rose in the distance.
The wind being light, and the current running out, we made but slow
progress; and before we got far up the river the wind again failed us,
and we were compelled to come to an anchor. Had it not been for Mr
Worthy's report, we should have supposed that the ship was not there,
and should probably have stood out to sea again, in the hope of falling
in with her elsewhere. As evening drew on, the hot land-breeze again
blew down the river, which was here of considerable width.
"I shouldn't be surprised if the pirate were to try to give us the slip
after all," observed Mudge. "We must keep a sharp look-out, so that we
may stop her should she make the attempt. I only hope she will, as it
will be more to our advantage to bring her to action under way, than to
have to attack her at anchor, with springs on her cables, and protected
by a fort which, if the fellows have any sense in their heads, they are
sure to throw up."
It was still daylight, and Peter and I were walking the deck, for it was
our watch; indeed, the midshipmen's berth not being the pleasantest
place in the world in that climate, we were seldom in it, except at
meal-times. I have not talked much about the heat, but the air, if not
hotter, was more stifling in that river than we had felt it since we
reached the coast. I was looking towards the nearest shore, off which
we had brought up at the distance of scarcely a cable-length, when I saw
a figure moving amid the trees. I pointed him out to Mudge. Presently,
as he reached the bank, we saw that he was a black man, without a
particle of clothing on. Putting his hand to his mouth, he hailed, and
then waved vehemently, as if to attract our attention. Mudge sent me to
tell Mr Worthy; who at once ordered a boat to be lowered, and directed
Mudge to pull in to the shore, to ascertain what he wanted. The black,
however, turning his head over his shoulder, either saw or heard the
approach of some one he wished to avoid, and plunging into the river,
began to swim towards the ship. Mudge and I had jumped into the boat,
and as we were approaching the shore to pick up the black I saw a dark
fin rise just ahead of us. I told Mudge.
"That's a brute of a shark!" he exclaimed, "and a big fellow too, and
the chances are he has poor Blackie for his supper."
"Not if our voices can drive the monster away," I answered, horrified at
the thought of witnessing the destruction of a fellow-creature. "Shout!
shout, all hands!"
Mudge and I raised our voices, joined by the crew, who gave way with
redoubled vigour. The black, who just then saw the shark coming, began
to splash and kick, and to shout pretty lustily. This was not the only
peril to which he was exposed, for at the same moment several persons
appeared among the trees, with muskets in their hands, and began to fire
at him. Happily, one of the bullets aimed at him or at us struck the
savage shark, just as it was about to make a dash at him; and, either
from the wound it had received, or frightened by our shouts, it suddenly
turned round, with a whisk of its tail, and darted away from Blackie.
We immediately dashed on, in spite of the bullets. The black was close
alongside, when I saw the monster's huge form gliding like lightning
beneath the surface; his head rising just as, with a violent jerk, we
drew the poor fellow into the boat. The disappointed brute made a grab
at one of the oars in revenge, though he got nothing but a broken tooth
for his pains.
Without stopping to ask questions, Mudge put the boat round, and pulled
away for the ship, fortunately not one of us being hit, while the enemy
in the bush quickly vanished. As soon as we were out of the line of
fire, one of the ship's guns, loaded with grape, was let fly at the spot
from which the shots had come, and greatly contributed to the rapid
retreat of Blackie's pursuers, whoever they were--at all events, of
those of them who escaped being hit; but whether any were so, we could
not tell. As soon as the boat got alongside, the black sprang on board
with considerable activity, showing that he was none the worse for his
run and subsequent swim. There he stood, naked as he was born; when an
old quartermaster, a wag in his way, brought him a pair of duck
trousers, evidently considering that he was not fit, as he then stood,
to appear on the quarter-deck of a British man-of-war. Blackie put them
on with a grin, shook the water out of his woolly pate, and then, with
an air of perfect self-possession, walked aft to where the commander and
several of the other officers were standing.
"Me Dicky Popo, please, sar," he said, giving a haul at his hair; "me
loyal British subject--once serve His Majesty--but de nigger
slave-catchers find me ashore, carry me off, and sell me to still bigger
rascals. Dey ship me aboard wid oder slaves; and den a bigger rascal
still take de whole of us on board de _Sea-Hawk_ dere. I seed dat
somefing was wrong when dey run up de river, and den I find out dat an
English ship chase dem, and come to an anchor inside de bar; den I tink
if I run away and get aboard English ship, I know I safe under dat
flag."
As he spoke he pointed to the ensign blowing out from the flagstaff
astern. Finding that Dicky Popo, as the black called himself,
understood English pretty well, the commander questioned him further,
and learned many more particulars about the ship we had just chased.
She was the _Sea-Hawk_, belonging to Havana, fully as large as the
_Heroine_, with as numerous a crew, and carrying two more guns than we
did; so that, if well fought, she would prove a formidable antagonist.
She had already captured a vessel which had, Dicky Popo said, about a
hundred and fifty slaves on board, and was waylaying another, when we
somewhat put out her arrangements, and obliged her to run up the very
river in which the schooner she had intended to capture was lying. The
pirate, not telling the captain of the schooner of his intentions, had
persuaded him to assist in defending his vessel in case they should be
attacked. For this purpose they had both landed some of their men and
guns; and he had also sent on shore the strongest among the slaves, to
assist in throwing up fortifications. Dicky Popo, hearing that the
corvette had entered the river, took the opportunity, while so engaged,
of slipping off, in the hope of getting on board; resolved, should he
regain his liberty, to give us information of the preparations made for
our reception.
I liked the expression of Dick's countenance, and was certain from the
first that he was an honest fellow. He had been kindly treated on board
a man-of-war in which he had served--having been rescued from slavery by
her; and he was truly grateful to the English, and anxious practically
to show his gratitude. I do not believe the person who talks of his
grateful heart, when he takes no pains to exhibit it.
The captain was in no way inclined to change his purpose on hearing of
the preparations made by the slavers for their defence. "I know that I
can trust to our stout fellows, who will bravely do their duty; while
our rascally enemies are fighting with halters round their necks," he
observed to Mr Worthy.
"No doubt about that, sir," was the answer; "and I hope that it will not
take us long to capture the pirate, in spite of the battery on shore,
and the assistance the slave-schooner may give her."
Soon after Dicky Popo had made his appearance on deck, night came on.
Notwithstanding the preparations the pirates had been making for their
defence, the commander expressed his opinion that they might try to slip
by us and get out to sea during the darkness, rather than wait our
attack in the river. A sharp look-out was therefore kept, the anchor
was hove short, and the watch below lay down on deck, so as to be ready
to make sail at a moment's notice. A boat was also sent some way ahead
to row guard, and bring us early information should either of the
vessels be seen coming down. We knew, of course, that the pirates were
aware of our exact position, but they could not tell that a boat was
also watching for them.
The greater part of the night passed by quietly. The middle watch had
nearly come to an end when the boat's oars were heard, and she shortly
after dashed up alongside. "The ship is coming down, and will be
abreast of us in a few minutes," said the officer in command. "She was
shortening sail when we caught sight of her, and she hopes to escape
being seen by dropping past us under bare poles."
On hearing this, the captain gave the order to make sail; and slipping
our cable with a buoy to it, so that we might easily pick it up, we
stood towards the centre of the river. In another minute we caught
sight of the tall masts of the pirate, gliding down with the current,
not many cable-lengths off. It was impossible for her to return; and
should she bring up, we might sail round her and fire at her at our
leisure. On discovering us (which she must have done some time before,
as we, being under sail, must have been seen before we could make her
out), she had begun to set her canvas. That availed her but little,
however, as we now had her within range of our guns; which, the captain
giving the order, began firing away as rapidly as they could be run in
and loaded. She immediately fired in return from her foremost guns, the
only ones which for some minutes could be brought to bear on us, as we
were, it will be understood, standing across the river directly ahead of
her. Her sails being let fall, she soon got abreast of us; when we went
about, and passing directly under her stern, so closely that I thought
we were going to run her aboard, fired the whole of our broadside into
her; we during the operation having received only two or three shots,
which did no material damage. Shrieks and cries arose from her deck,
proving the fearful havoc produced by our raking fire; while several
halyards and braces having been shot away on board her, and only part of
her canvas having been set, we again kept away, speedily got up
alongside her, and poured in another well-directed broadside. She
returned a feeble fire; many of her crew at the guns having been, we had
thus good reason to suppose, killed or disabled by our shot. We, having
all our canvas set, were running ahead of her, the captain intending to
luff across her bows, and to pour in another raking fire, when we heard
a voice from her forecastle shouting, in broken English, "We give in--we
haul down flag--don't fire, don't fire!"
"Let go your anchor, then, and bring up, or I'll not trust you," shouted
the captain.
The sound of voices in loud altercation now reached us, some apparently
crying out one thing, and some another, in Spanish; while we were
steering so as to keep on the weather bow of the pirate.
"Stand by,--brace up the yards," cried the captain in a loud voice, so
that the Spaniards might hear him. "Do you yield, or I fire?" he
shouted.
"Yes, yes," answered a voice.
Immediately the sheets were let fly, and the splash of the anchor and
the sound of the cable running out reached our ears above the hubbub
still going forward on deck, when the ship slowly swung round to the
current. We immediately hauled our wind, and having good way, went
about and shot up abreast of our opponent, whom we thus had completely
in our power.
As soon as we had furled sails, two boats were lowered; Mr Worthy going
in command of one, and Peter Mudge of the other, the crews being
well-armed. As I was the midshipman of the lieutenant's boat, I
accompanied him.
No opposition was offered, though no assistance was given, to us, as we
got alongside. We quickly, however, scrambled up on deck, which, by the
light of several lanterns carried by the men, presented an appearance
such as I had never before pictured to myself. The first step I made,
my foot slipped and I nearly fell. On the light falling on the spot, I
found that I was literally standing in blood. Twenty or more human
forms lay stretched out motionless, while others were gathered round the
masts or leaning against the guns, endeavouring to bind up their wounds.
One group stood aft in sullen silence awaiting our coming, while the
remainder of the crew were collected forward. By their dress we saw
that most of those aft were officers.
"Where is the captain of this ship?" asked Lieutenant Worthy.
One of them pointed to a body which lay between two of the guns, with
part of the chest and one of the arms carried away.
"Poor wretch!" observed the lieutenant. "He will not then have to
answer to us for his misdeeds. And are you the officer in command?"
The man to whom he spoke bowed his head, and, advancing, presented his
sword.
"Take his weapon," said the lieutenant, turning to one of the men; "and
disarm all the rest. I shall not receive the sword of a pirate, as if
he were a naval officer."
The whole of the party were quickly disarmed, and by the lieutenant's
orders our men then lashed their arms behind them. Peter Mudge with his
boat's crew had, in the meantime, made their way along the slippery deck
forward, when he treated the men collected there in the same fashion.
Mr Worthy then hailed the corvette, and begged that the surgeons might
be sent on board to attend to the wounded; and those who appeared to be
officers were lowered into the boat which brought them, to be conveyed
to the ship for safe keeping.
While the surgeons were hurriedly binding up the limbs of the wounded
men, we were engaged in collecting the dead bodies, that they might be
hove overboard. On counting them, we found that five-and-twenty had
been killed outright; and one by one, after the surgeon had examined
them, they were thrown into the water through the ports.
"Here's another fellow, sir, who seemed just now as dead as a door-nail;
but as I was dragging him along the deck he began to sing out, and to
swear by all the saints that he was alive and kicking; and, faith, that
same he was, for I had a hard matter to keep hold of his legs. He's
quiet enough now, though; and for the life of me I can't tell whether he
was after speaking the truth or not."
This address was made by Paddy Doyle, an Irish top-man, to the surgeon
who was examining the bodies before they were hove overboard. The
surgeon, thus appealed to, went to the man. "He seems to be unhurt, and
is still breathing," he remarked. "By his dress he appears to be an
officer. Throw some water in his face; and keep a watch over him,
Doyle, when he comes to, as I have no doubt that he soon will. I must
look after the other wretches."
The dead having been disposed of, and the unwounded prisoners placed
under a guard, the wounded were carried into the large and handsome
cabin--which, however, could not afford accommodation for all of them;
the rest were therefore placed, with such spare bedding as could be
found, on the upper slave-deck.
By the time these arrangements were made, it was nearly daylight. A
prize crew of twenty men was left on board the _Sea-Hawk_, with the
assistant-surgeon to look after the wounded, the second lieutenant
coming on board to take command of them. I was thankful to be ordered
to return to the corvette, for I was heartily sick of the scene I had
witnessed.
Just as I was going over the side, I heard Paddy Doyle sing
out,--"Arrah! my dead man's come to life again! Bear a hand, and help
me to haul him in;" and looking back, I saw that the Irishman's prisoner
had jumped up, and was endeavouring to spring through a port--having
watched the moment that Paddy's back was turned on him. Paddy had
seized one of his legs, and was tugging away with might and main; while
the Spaniard, with his other foot on the port-sill, had nearly effected
his purpose, notwithstanding the Irishman's desperate efforts to prevent
his escape. "Arrah! now he's done it!" exclaimed Doyle, holding up the
Spaniard's shoe and a piece of his trousers which had come away in his
hand.
The man, who was evidently a good swimmer, and had been trusting to this
for escape, was striking out at a rapid rate for the shore.
"Give way after him!" cried Lieutenant Worthy to Mudge, who was in the
boat on the opposite side to that from which the pirate had escaped.
The boat shoved off, but had to pull ahead of the ship. It was not till
then that Mudge could see the swimmer, who had already made considerable
progress towards the shore. I jumped into the rigging to watch him.
Should he once land, and get in among the thick trees, he might effect
his purpose. Possibly he expected to find friends to assist him.
He was still some way ahead of the boat, when I caught a momentary
glimpse of the dark fin of a shark. It disappeared, and the next
instant a piercing shriek rent the air; the pirate threw up his arms,
and sank beneath the surface! Then the boat pulled round and returned
to the ship.
Just as I got on board the corvette, a loud sound of tom-toms and horns
was heard from the upper part of the river, and presently a fleet of
large canoes appeared paddling rapidly towards us. It seemed scarcely
possible that they should venture to attack an English man-of-war; and
yet, from the gestures of their crews, and the way they came on, such
appeared to be their intention. Possibly they had heard the firing,
and, taught to believe the _Sea-Hawk_ the most powerful ship afloat,
supposed that she had gained the victory. On discovering, however, that
she was anchored astern of us, they ceased paddling; then after a short
interval regaining courage, they again came on, shrieking and shouting
and beating their tom-toms louder than ever, to intimidate us before
they attempted to board.
"Fire a shot over their heads," said the commander. "It will show the
ignorant savages that we are not to be trifled with."
Scarcely had the gun been discharged, when the canoes were seen paddling
away as fast as their black crews could urge them on, each endeavouring
as soon as possible to get out of the range of our shot; and in a little
time they had disappeared behind the point which had before concealed
them from us.
We had still another task to perform--the capture or destruction of the
slave-schooner of which Dicky Popo had told us. As the navigation of
the river was intricate and dangerous above where we lay, the commander,
unwilling to risk the safety of the ship, resolved to send up the boats,
notwithstanding the assistance which the canoes might be expected to
afford her. Three were accordingly sent away under the command of Mr
Worthy, with whom I went; the pinnace having a six-pounder in the bows,
and the others being armed with swivels. We soon came in sight of the
canoes, with the schooner at anchor some distance beyond them. A shot
from our six-pounder quickly sent them paddling away up the stream.
Popo, who had been taken in our boat to point out where the battery had
been thrown up, directly afterwards exclaimed,--"Dere!--dere it is!"
Scarcely had he spoken, when a shot came whizzing over our heads. At
our lieutenant's orders, the boats' heads were immediately turned
towards the battery, when, our gun being fired at it, we rapidly pulled
on. We quickly reached the bank; and the lieutenant, whose example I
imitated, leaped on shore, calling to the small-arm men to follow him.
In a few seconds we were scrambling into the battery, the Spaniards and
blacks who had just before been in it making their escape helter-skelter
into the thick wood behind it. A few of the white men--who, to do them
credit, were the last to run--were shot or cut down, but the greater
number made their escape,--our lieutenant wisely not allowing us to
follow. Five guns found in the battery were spiked, upon which we
immediately re-embarked and pulled away towards the schooner.
We had not got many fathoms from the shore, however, when a thick smoke
was seen issuing from her hatches, followed by flames which burst out
from every part. We pulled on, in the hope of being able to extinguish
them; for she appeared to be a remarkably fine vessel, and would have
proved a prize worth capture. Before we got up to her, however, the
lieutenant ordered the men to back their oars. And not too soon. The
boats had still some way on them, when up went the masts and deck of the
schooner, numerous fragments falling close around us. The flames raged
furiously for a few minutes longer, after which the hull of the
lightly-built vessel, shattered by the explosion, sank beneath the
surface. What had become of the unfortunate slaves we could not tell;
but it was to be hoped, for the sake of humanity, that all had been
landed. One thing was very certain,--that we should be unable to
capture any of them should we land, as they would all have been driven
up into the interior. We therefore pulled back to the ship; and the
breeze blowing strongly down the river, she and our prize were got under
way, and we stood towards its mouth.
The water on the bar being tolerably smooth, we got out without
difficulty, and shortly afterwards sighted a sail beating up towards the
land. She was made out to be a frigate, and proved to be that of the
commodore on the station, who had also heard of the pirate, and was come
to look for her. He complimented our commander on his conduct in the
affair, and, greatly to our satisfaction, relieved us of our prisoners,
as also of the charge of our prize, directing us to proceed on our
voyage to the westward.
Dicky Popo, who had been entered on board, remained with us, and became
a great favourite both with officers and men.
It was not till long afterwards that I heard of the fate of the
_Sea-Hawk_ and the survivors of her piratical crew.