MORE CRY THAN WOOL--BRAMBLE WOULD DIG A PIT FOR ANOTHER AND TUMBLES IN
ALONG WITH HIM.
It was in the month of March, 1805, when the easterly winds prevailed,
and vessels were detained in the Chops of the Channel, that I agreed
with Bramble that we would return together and halve the pilotage.
About eight leagues from the Lizard Point we boarded a small ship which
had hoisted the signal, the weather at that time being fine and the wind
variable. When we went on board it was but just daylight, and the
captain was not yet on deck, but the mate received us: we were surprised
to find that she mounted twelve brass guns, remarkably well fitted, and
that everything was apparently ready for action, rammers and sponges,
shot and wadding being all up and at hand.
"A prime morning, shipmate," said Bramble; then casting his eye over the
deck, "A letter of marque, I presume?"
"Yes," replied the mate, "we have the papers, but still she has never
run without convoy since I have been in her; we lost our convoy three
days back, and the captain has been rather uneasy ever since."
"Uneasy! why, I should think that you could beat off a good stout
privateer with these guns of yours?"
"Well, I don't know but what we might, but our cargo is valuable, and we
might be overpowered."
"Very true, and the captain must be anxious. Where are you from?"
"Smyrna."
"What's your cargo?"
"Why, we have raw silk and drysalters' goods chiefly. D'ye think we
shall have a fair wind? I don't care how soon, for we've at least
twenty passengers on board, and our provisions and water are running
rather short. Here's the skipper."
The captain, who now made his appearance, was a tall good-looking young
man about thirty, dressed rather fantastically, as I thought, having a
laced cap on his head and a parti-coloured silk sash round his waist,
such as they wear in the Mediterranean.
"Well, pilot, what do you think of the wind?"
"Well, sir, I expect we'll have a slant which will enable us to fetch
well to windward of the Lizard, at all events, and then, when the tide
turns in-shore, we must stand out again."
"Mr Stubbs, turn the hands up to make sail."
"Ay, ay, sir," replied the mate.
The men came on deck, but the captain roared out for the idlers; these
were the passengers who had agreed to work during the passage: at last
they came up, a queer-looking set, and the captain sending down for his
speaking trumpet, sail was made on the ship.
"Why, captain," said Bramble, "you do it in man-of-war fashion."
"Well, I've not served the King for seven years for nothing," replied
he, "and I hope, sir, not heard the bullets whistling about my head like
hail in a hail-storm without knowing how to take care of my ship. I
like everything man-of-war fashion, and then one's always prepared.
Where's the boatswain? Pipe to breakfast."
"You've plenty of hands on board, mate," said Bramble.
"Yes, plenty of them, such as they are; we've twenty of the ship's
company, and twenty-five passengers from Malta."
After breakfast the captain ordered up the small-arm men; five seamen
and fifteen of the passengers made their appearance with their muskets,
which were examined, and they were dismissed. At eleven o'clock, as we
neared the land, the men were ordered to quarters, the guns cast loose,
and they were exercised as on board of a man-of-war, the captain giving
his orders with his speaking-trumpet. "Double-shot your guns! Run out!
Point your guns! Fire! Repel boarders on the bow! Repel boarders on
the quarter!" etcetera. This continued for more than two hours, when
the guns were again secured.
"Well, pilot," said the captain to Bramble, "what do you think? do you
fancy a privateer could take us in a hurry?"
"Why, captain, if the men fight, I should say not; but, you see, these
guns, handsome as they are, won't fight of themselves."
"I'll answer for the men fighting; they'll have but their choice,--
fight, or the contents of my pistol through the first man's head who
quits his gun. I'll nail the colours to the mast, and see who will be
the man who will haul them down. Why, pilot, this vessel is insured at
thirty thousand pounds."
"Then she'll be a famous prize, if they should contrive to take her,
that's all," said Bramble. "Halloo! what vessel's that coming down?
Tom, hand your glass here."
"I haven't got it with me."
"Well, give me that one on the skylight. I can't make her out, but I
don't much like the looks of her."
"Heh! what's that?" said the captain. "Let me look:--oh, she's a
square-rigged vessel, ain't she?"
"Can't tell," said Bramble.
The mate, who had fetched his glass from below, looked at her, and said
it was a coasting schooner.
"Are you sure of that?" said the captain. "Let me see:--well, I don't
know what to say--she does look rakish. I'll go forward and make her
out."
"Why, it's a coaster, Bramble," said I, as the captain walked forward.
"I know that," replied Bramble, with a wink.
The captain returned, probably satisfied that it was only a coaster, but
he did not choose to say so. "Well, I don't know what to make of her,
but at all events there's nothing like being ready. She's coming down
fast upon us; Mr Stubbs, we'll beat to quarters."
Again the people were called up and the guns cast loose; the powder was
handed up, and all was preparation. I did not think, however, that the
passengers appeared at all zealous; but that I was not surprised at: the
captain harangued them, calling them Britons, etcetera, and, hoping that
they would show what stuff they were made of; talked about the honour of
Old England, and a great deal more, and then examined the vessel again
with his glass. "We'll give her the starboard broadside, and then wear
round his stern and give her the other. Hoist the colours!"
As soon as we hoisted the colours, the schooner hoisted English colours
also.
"English colours, sir!" said the mate, grinning. "English colours, heh?
Very well; but that may be a feint--keep to your guns, my lads."
The vessel now ran by us; she was deeply laden, and as broad as she was
long.
"No privateer this time, captain," said Bramble, laughing.
"No, all's right; secure the guns, my lads. We'd have given her a nice
peppering if she'd been a French privateer."
The captain then went down below to put away his sword and pistols,
which the cabin-boy had brought on deck.
"It's my opinion, Tom," said Bramble, "that this skipper ain't quite so
fond of fighting as he pretends to be. I'll see if I can't frighten him
a little."
As soon as the captain came on deck again, Bramble said, "We'll go
about, if you please."
"What! about already? why, we're good three leagues from the shore."
"Yes, sir, but the tide has made, and we must now make a long
stretch-out towards the French coast. We won't tack again till about
dark."
"Not tack till dark, pilot? surely we will do better keeping on the
English coast."
"No, no, sir; if we were not so well manned and so well armed I should
do it; but, as we are a match for any privateer, why, we may as well
make a long leg--we shall be up Channel sooner."
"Well, I don't know what to say; I've a heavy responsibility with such a
valuable cargo."
"Well, tack if you please, sir," said Bramble, shortly.
"Oh, certainly. Hands, about ship."
The vessel's head was put off-shore, and with a smart breeze we walked
away fast from the land. At twelve o'clock the captain proposed
standing in-shore again, but Bramble refused. At three o'clock he
became very uneasy, and expostulated with Bramble, who replied, "Well,
sir, I'm doing all for the best, but if you are afraid--"
"Afraid?" cried the captain; "afraid of what, I should like to know?
No, I'm not afraid, but it appears to me that we ought to make the land
again before night."
"I'll answer for knowing where we are, sir, if that is your reason, at
all events, I wish to stand out till six o'clock."
"Well, do so, then, if you choose--I'm sure I don't care if you stand to
within gun-shot of the French coast;" and the captain, evidently very
much annoyed, went down into the cabin.
About half-past four o'clock the mate came aft and took up the glass,
saying that there was an awkward-looking craft on the weather bow. He
came aft again, and said, "Pilot, I wish you would take a squint at that
craft, for I don't much like the look of her."
Bramble went forward, and I followed him. "I say, Tom, that's a French
privateer, as sure as we stand here," said he, "Look at her. Well, now
we shall see what these guns are made of."
"Don't put too much trust in them," said the mate. "I know what sort of
people we have here. Had we only ten good men I wouldn't care for a
privateer, but I'm afraid that we have not many we can trust to.
However, we'll do our best, and we can do no more. I'll go down and
tell the captain."
"It is a Frenchman," replied I, "and no mistake--every rope and every
sail on her are French;" for the vessel, which was a lugger, was not
more than four miles from us.
"Well," replied Bramble, "it would be odd if we were to be taken into a
French port after all, wouldn't it? not very pleasant, though."
"We've men enough to beat her off, or two of her, if that's all,"
replied I.
"Yes, Tom, but I doubt the captain, and without example men don't fight
well. However, we'll do our best, and if he flinches we won't."
The captain now came forward as red as a turkey-cock; he said nothing,
looked at the vessel, and then turned as white as a sheet.
"She's more than our match, if she's an enemy," said he.
"I should rather think not, sir," replied Bramble. "All you have to do
is to make your men fight, and nail your colours to the mast."
"That's very true when there's a fair chance of success, but it's
useless sacrificing the men against so very superior a force," replied
the captain.
"But it ain't superior, nor in guns is she your equal, if I know
anything about a vessel. At all events, I suppose you'll have a trial
for it. Won't you beat to quarters, captain?"
"Oh, to be sure. Mr Stubbs, beat to quarters. I think it would not be
a bad thing to fire off our broadsides now, and let them see that we are
well armed."
The men were summoned up to quarters, and very unwillingly did they
obey: some said that they did not come on board to fight, others that
they had agreed to work the passage home, but not to stand to be shot
at; and some were actually going down below again, when Bramble and the
mate spoke to them and persuaded them to remain on deck. Still there
was no willingness shown; and although Bramble told them how many
privateers had been beaten off, and mentioned particularly the Leith
smack having the other day fought with one an hour and a half, and
knocked her all to pieces, they still appeared uneasy and wavering.
In the meantime the privateer was within a mile of us, and had hoisted
French colours.
"We'll keep away and give her the first broadside," cried the captain.
"You'd better hoist your colours first," observed Bramble, quietly.
"Hoist the colours, Mr Stubbs! Port the helm! Look out, my men!
Point the guns to the object! Fire!"
Off went all the guns, not only on the starboard side, in the direction
of the privateer, but all those on the larboard side as well; and this
circumstance probably gave the people on board of the privateer some
idea of the state of confusion we were in. She now rounded to, and gave
us her broadside of three guns: they were well directed, and did us some
damage in the upper works and rigging; but still more in frightening the
people, who were now running down below, notwithstanding the exertions
of the mate, Bramble, one or two of the seamen, and myself; but our fate
was soon decided by the captain, who cried out, "It's useless contending
against such a superior force." With this observation he ran aft and
hauled down the colours. As soon as the men perceived this they all
left the guns; at another broadside from the privateer they all
scampered down below, and at the same time the captain went down into
his cabin. There was none but the mate, the boatswain, Bramble, and
myself left on deck.
"Pleasant," said Bramble. "I thought as much. Well, Tom, here we are,
in for it. Come with me to the helm, for these French fellows will
board, and they make very free with their cutlasses, even after colours
are hauled down. Well," said he, as he walked aft, "I did not think to
see the English flag so disgraced. Poor Bessy, too! Well, never mind.
I say, mate, just let go the weather main-braces and bowlines, and
square the yards, for it's better to be as humble as possible, now that
we can't help ourselves; and do you and the boatswain go down below, for
they cut right and left, these fellows. They do pay a little more
civility to pilots, as they aren't belonging to the ship."
This advice of Bramble's, which was very good, was followed by the mate
and boatswain.
"Shall I run down and look after our kits?" said I to Bramble.
"No, Tom, don't have anything in your hand, or they will take it from
you, and most likely give you a rap on the head with a cutlass at the
same time; for privateer's-men of all nations are little better than
pirates, and don't know how to behave in victory. Just keep where you
are--look as if you had nothing to do with the ship except the steering
of her. Here they come!"
As he spoke the lugger touched our weather side, at the same time
lowering down her foresail and mainsail with no little noise and
confusion; in a second or two there were thirty of their men on our
decks, flourishing their cutlasses, and looking round with their pistols
ready cocked in their left hands for somebody to let fly at. At last
they came aft. "Pilot!" cried Bramble, taking off his hat. I did the
same. With reiterated _sacres_ and _diables_ of every description, some
now rushed down into the cabin, while others went down the
fore-hatchway, while more of the men from the lugger poured upon our
decks; but none of them molested Bramble or me, as we continued standing
at the wheel. In about ten minutes order was to a certain degree
restored by the captain of the privateer, who had come on board. I
perceived him express his surprise to his officers who were with him at
the armament of the ship, and he appeared very much pleased: it was not
necessary to understand French for that. He then came up to Bramble,
and spoke to him in French; but Bramble only pointed to me and then to
himself, and said "Pilot." The captain called for a young Frenchman who
could speak English, and then asked Bramble what was the cargo.
Bramble, to please him, replied that it was silk and other goods to the
value of thirty thousand pounds English.
"How many men?"
"Forty-five men."
The French captain rubbed his hands with ecstasy, as well he might.
Just at this moment the English captain came upon deck, followed by two
of the privateer's men, one of whom had taken possession of his laced
cap, and the other of his silk sash. He brought his sword in his hand,
and presented it to the captain of the privateer, saying,--"It is no
disgrace for one brave man to deliver up his sword to another."
"Que dit-il?" said the captain of the privateer to the young man who
interpreted. The young man translated this fine speech, upon which the
French captain called the English one by a very contemptuous title, and
turned away. The privateer's men now made their appearance from below,
having helped themselves to everything they could find: the orders were
then given for the prisoners to be brought upon deck; they were driven
up, many of them bleeding from wounds received in attempts to rescue
their personal property, and were handed over to the lugger. A
prize-master with twenty men were put on board; the lugger was hauled
off, the only Englishmen allowed to remain in the captured vessel being
Bramble and myself. As soon as the vessels were clear they made sail,
running about two points free for the French coast.