SAILING TOWARDS THE ISLANDS OF GUAM AND BOUTON, THENCE TO BATAVIA, AND
ROUND THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, HOME.
[Sidenote: 1710]
Before sailing for Guam, it was necessary to appoint a commander for
their new consort, the "Batchelor" frigate, and Captain Dover having,
it seems, a large money-stake in the ships, was, much against Rogers'
wish, selected by the majority for this post. But under protest from
Rogers, who as he lay, no doubt in great misery, on his back, recounts
"how it was now after taking this rich prize our great misfortune to
have a paper war amongst ourselves." Rogers' chief objection to Captain
Dover was "that owing to his violent temper, capable men could not well
act under him, while as a Dr of physick he was incapable as a seaman
himself."
A peace was, however, patched up, by appointing Mr. Robert Frye,
Rogers' first lieutenant, and Mr. William Stretton to take sole charge
of the ship as to navigation, with Mr. Selkirk and another as chief
mates; Captain Dover to have command in other matters.
And being a large ship, "thirty good men were sent on board her from
the 'Duke,' with twenty-five from the 'Dutchess,' and thirteen from the
'Marquiss,' which, with thirty-six Manila Indians, called Lascarrs, and
other prisoners will," says Rogers, "bring up her complement to 110
men." Before sailing, "ten of the 'Duke's' guns were struck down into
the hold, to ease the ship, being altogether useless betwixt here and
the East Indies."
[Sidenote: _Sight the Island of Guam._]
[Sidenote: _Send to the Spanish Governor for provisions._]
The voyage from Cape St. Lucas in California to Guam, one of the
Ladrone islands, occupied fifty-eight days, the best day's run being
168 miles, and the worst 41. The distance sailed by reckoning was 6,300
miles, which gives an average of 108 miles a day, about equal to a
speed of four and a half miles an hour, which may seem slow to us,[21]
but it must be remembered that the speed of the dullest sailer was
that of all the others in company; and that besides the loss of speed
due to the rapid fouling of uncoppered ships in the tropics, it was
the custom then to shorten sail after dark. Beyond the death of many
wounded men, and the burial of "a negro named Depford, who being very
much addicted to stealing of provisions, his room was more acceptable
at this time than his company," nothing of importance is recorded after
leaving Port Segura on the 11th of January until the 14th of February,
when, "in commemoration of the ancient custom, of chusing valentines,"
Rogers "drew up a list of the fair ladies in Bristol, that were in any
ways related to, or concerned in the ships, and sent for his officers
into the cabin, where every one drew and drank a ladies health in a
cup of punch, and to a happy sight of 'em all, which I did," he says,
"to put 'em in mind of home." The "Duke" had been leaky for some time,
and after many attempts to stop the leak with bonnet-pieces, &c., one
pump had to be constantly kept going, two men of each watch taking an
hour's spell at the pump at a time; "which labour, together with being
on short allowance," Rogers says, "makes our people look miserably." So
that there was much rejoicing among all hands at sighting Guam on March
the 11th; but though "several flying prows came off to look at the
ships, and run by them very swift," none could be tempted to venture
aboard until Rogers hoisted Spanish colours, when "on turning into the
harbour one came under his stern with two Spaniards in her, who being
told in Spanish, in answer to their questions, that they were friends
from New Spain, willingly came on board, and enquired whether they had
any letters for the Govenour? We had one ready," says Rogers, "and
detaining one Spaniard on board, sent the other ashore with our letter
which was thus. We being servants of Her Majesty of Great Britain,
stopping at these islands on our way to the East Indies, will not
molest the settlement provided you deal friendly with us, being willing
to pay for whatever provisions you can spare, &c. But, if after this
civil request, you do not act like a man of honour, and deny us our
request, you may immediately expect such military treatment as we are
with ease able to give you. Signed, Woodes Rogers, S. Courtney, and E.
Cooke."
[Sidenote: _His civil answer._]
This letter appears to have acted like a charm upon the Governor of
Guam and his officers, for he at once answered "with a present of
four bullocks, one for each ship, with limes oranges and coconuts.
And being now arrived," says Rogers, "at a place of peace and plenty,
we all became indifferent well reconciled among ourselves after the
misunderstandings at California which had been so much increased of
late by our shortness of water and provisions."
[Sidenote: _A sickly old Spanish gentleman left at Guam._]
And in return for the Governor's civility, an entertainment was
"provided for him and four Spanish gentlemen on board the 'Bachelor,'
where we all met, and made 'em," says Rogers, "as welcome as time and
place would afford, with musick and our sailors dancing, when I, not
being able to move myself, was hoisted in a chair out of my ship and
the boat into the 'Batchelor.'" Considering that he was in an enemy's
port, Captain Rogers appears to have rapidly established diplomatic
relations with the Governor of Guam of a most friendly and agreeable
kind. For this entertainment was followed by one of the same sort on
board the "Duke," "Dutchess," and "Marquiss," which were returned
by the Governor and his suite on shore; when Rogers and his brother
officers, after partaking of "sixty dishes of various sorts," presented
the Governor, in return for his four bullocks and civility, with "two
negro boys dress'd in liveries together with scarlet clothe serge and
six pieces of cambric." And after purchasing "14 small lean cattel, two
cows and calves, 60 hogs, 100 fowls, with indian corn, rice, yams and
cocoa nuts" in proportion, Rogers ended his week's stay at the island
by leaving there an old Spaniard "called Antonio Gomes Figuero, whom
they took in the first prize in the South seas, designing to carry him
to Great Britain," as a witness upon any question which might arise
there respecting other prizes taken in the South Seas. "But he, being
in all appearance not likely to live, we dismissed him here; he first
giving a certificate that he saw us take certain barks and prisoners
subjects to Philip V. King of Spain." Rogers was so pleased as a
seaman with the speed and handiness of the flying proahs of Guam (or,
as he spells it, "prows")--which, he says, "by what I saw, I believe
may run twenty miles an hour for they passed our ships like a bird
flying"--that he carried one of them with him to London, thinking it
might be worth fitting up there as a curiosity on the canal in St.
James's Park. This was more than thirty years before the account of
these "flying proahs" appeared in Anson's voyage.
The "Duke" continued so leaky at this time, that before leaving Guam
Rogers decided upon handing over to Captain Courtney a chest of plate
and money to be put on board the "Dutchess." While Rogers himself
"being still very weak and not able to stand," it was agreed that
Captain Courtney, in the "Dutchess," should lead the squadron by night
through the almost unknown straits of Molucca, and among the various
reefs, shoals, and islands they must pass in the passage to the island
of Bouton or Boutong, where they designed to wood and water on their
way to Batavia.
The order of sailing was therefore "for the 'Dutchess' to keep ahead
with a light, her pinnace when possible to be ahead of her, all signals
for tacking or altering course to be given by the 'Dutchess.'" So
little was this part of the world then known to the English, that even
Dampier, their pilot, who had been there twice, and was the discoverer
of some of these islands in 1699, seems to have lost his way; so that
they were glad to get hold of the Malay skipper of a small native bark,
and persuade him by bribes, in spite of his fear of the Dutch, to act
as pilot between Bouton and Batavia. Rogers says, however, that "this
way into India would not be difficult if better known."
After leaving Guam the weather was for some days dark, squally, and
unsettled, with thunder and lightning, and mention is made of more than
one ugly gale of wind, while three tropical April showers, in the form
of water-spouts, were met with on the 15th of that month, one of which
had like to have broke on the "Marquiss" had not the "Dutchess" broke
it before it reached her, by firing two shots.[22]
[Sidenote: _A Bishop's cap presented to the King of Bouton._]
On the 29th of May, however, the four ships were safely anchored at
the island of Bouton; but stayed there only long enough to water and
get a supply of fresh fruit and vegetables; Rogers finding the king of
the island both "dilatory and designing in his dealings with them,"
notwithstanding which, before sailing, they made him "a present of a
Bishop's cap, a thing of little use to us, but what he highly esteem'd
and gratefully accepted of."
It was on the 17th of June, 1710, near the north coast of Java, that
the "Duke" and "Dutchess" met the first vessel bound east from Europe
since they sailed from Bristol in August, 1708. She was a Dutch ship of
600 tons and 50 guns, from whom they learnt "that Queen Anne's Consort,
Prince George of Denmark, was dead. That the wars continued in Europe,
where we had good success in Flanders, but little elsewhere." And what
was of more importance to them at that time than any European news,
they "borrowed" from this ship, "a large draft of those parts."
[Illustration: _Batavia Roads._]
In addition to the troubles of a leaky ship, with the clang of her
pump constantly ringing in his ear, and the dangers of an intricate
navigation among coral reefs, &c., Rogers tells us that here "their
voyage was like to have been ruined by the mutinous conduct of an
officer on board his ship, with other officers and men on board the
'Dutchess,' which knot was only broken by putting the _leaders_ in
irons," &c. On anchoring in Batavia Road, however, matters smoothed
down rapidly, at least so far as the men were concerned, for Rogers
says, "Till now I find that I was a stranger to the humours of our
ship's company, some of whom are hugging each other, while others
bless themselves that they were come to such a glorious place for
punch, where arrack is eightpence per gallon, and sugar one penny a
pound, whereas a few weeks past a bowl of punch to them was worth
half the voyage." While personally Captain Rogers is made happy, and
congratulates himself, first, "on the discovery of a large musket shot,
which the doctor now cut out of his mouth, it having been there six
months, so that the upper and lower jaw being broken and almost closed,
he had much ado to come at it;" and next, "that several pieces of his
foot and heel bone having been removed, he believes himself, thank God,
in a fair way to have the use of his foot and recover his health."
Though Rogers makes light of these trifling operations and discomforts,
and they are not pleasant subjects to dwell on, they could not be
passed without notice, as pointing out distinctly the sort of man
physically fit to have charge of "a charming undertaking" of this kind,
while considering the ways of life on ship-board in those days, and the
climate he was in at this time, the marvel is not that "he now thought
himself in a fair way to recover his health," but that he lived to
reach home and write his travels.[23]
They anchored in Batavia Roads on the 20th of June, where they found
"betwixt thirty and forty sail great and small," and having, "as
customary," says Rogers, "lost almost a day in running so far west
round the Globe, we here altered our account of time."
A complete overhaul, both of ships and prize goods, was now made; and
all bale goods carefully repacked in "waxcloth, and tarpaulins."
While the "Marquiss," being found much honeycombed by the worm, was
condemned as unfit for the voyage home "about the Cape of Good Hope,"
and after discharging her cargo into the other ships, her hull, "being
very leaky, was sold for 575 Dutch dollars to Captain John Opie, of the
'Oley' frigate, lately arrived from London."
The Dutch were naturally not at all anxious to assist English ships
in this part of the world; and it was the 8th of July, "after a long
correspondence and many dilatory answers," before Rogers got leave from
"the General" at Batavia to refit and careen at Horn Island, about
three leagues to the northward of their present anchorage. He by no
means suffering them to "careen at Umrest where all the Dutch ships
are cleaned." This was a great grievance to Captain Rogers, especially
as at Batavia he was not in a position to strengthen the Saxon of his
despatches by any allusion to his six-pounders. That he did what he
could in a leaky ship to keep his powder dry at this time is, however,
shown by an entry in the "Duke's" log, "that in rummaging one day in
the powder room we found a leak three or four foot under water which we
did our best to stop." While before arriving at Batavia the ten guns,
which had been "struck down into the hold," at sea, were got up and
mounted. This hoisting in and out of a frigate's hold of ten cannon as
wanted, reads oddly in these days of heavy guns.
The forty sail Rogers found lying in Batavia Road were nearly all
Dutch, and during his stay there of four months only five other English
ships touched at the port.
Owing to "some unwholesome water drunk by his crew while careening
at Horn Island," Rogers lost several men here by fever, &c., and to
replace them and others, who tempted maybe by the price of arrack,[24]
ran from the ships at this time, thirty-four Dutch sailors were shipped
before sailing. Rogers must have known something of sailors and their
ways, but even he expresses surprise at men deserting so late in the
voyage, and losing their hard-earned share of prize-money, or, as he
calls it, "plunder;" perhaps, however, in the case of the "Duke's" men,
the prospect of constant work at the pumps had something to do with
their leaving her.
The "Duke," "Dutchess," and "Batchelor," did not actually take their
"departure from Java Head" until October 4th, and it was the 27th of
December before they "came up with Cape Falso and by noon were abreast
of the Cape of Good Hope and saw the Table Land." During this three
months' voyage, Rogers says, "nothing remarkable happen'd, except
that on the 31st of October the 'Duke' having three feet of water in
her, and her pumps choaked, we fir'd guns for our consorts to come to
our relief, but had just sucked her" (_i.e._, pumped her dry) "as the
'Dutchess' came up."
"During the whole of this voyage," Rogers says, "he remained very thin
and weak, as his ship did leaky," and the day after anchoring in Table
Bay, "they buried Mr. Ware, chief surgeon, with naval honours as usual;
being a very honest useful man, and good surgeon, bred up at Leyden in
the study of phisick as well as surgery."
They lost also while at the Cape another important officer, in the
person of Mr. Vanbrugh; who in the early part of the cruise, as the
"Duke's" agent, more than once gave Rogers trouble in his negotiations
about plunder, &c.
[Sidenote: _My proposals to the other Capts. not comply'd with._]
The expenses of ships in commission could not have been great in
Rogers' time, or they would have entirely swallowed any profits, even
of a privateering cruise, due to the owners, owing to the length of
time the vessels lay idle at anchorages such as Batavia Roads and Table
Bay. For though the "Duke" and her consorts arrived at the Cape on the
27th of December, 1710, it was April, 1711, before they sailed for
England in company with sixteen Dutch East Indiamen and six English
ships. Rogers was anxious himself not to have waited for the convoy of
these ships. "Thinking we should loose too much time by staying for
them, and the benefit of their convoy to Holland; which would not only
be out of the way, but very tedious and chargeable, while having large
quantities of decaying goods on board, the time lost in waiting for
the Dutch at the Cape might be better spent in Brazil, where we could
lie in little danger from an enemy and vend our goods at great rates;
sailing thence to Bristol through the North channel with the summer
before us. Keeping in the latitude of 55 or 56 degrees for two or three
hundred leagues before getting the length" (_i.e._ longitude) "of the
north of Ireland, and by that means avoiding the track of an enemy."
But though Rogers earnestly press'd that if they would not agree to
this, one of the privateers might take this run alone, and the other
keep with the 'Batchelor' and Dutch fleet, the majority was against the
thing, and thought it safer to go home altogether under convoy of the
Dutch than run any risk of losing their rich prize by meeting an enemy
between the Cape and home. Much of the officers' time during their
long stay at the Cape was spent ashore holding sales of prize goods to
the Dutch settlers; and among other things so disposed of, mention is
particularly made of twelve negroes. Rogers also wrote to his owners
from here telling them "of his safe arrival with the Acapulco ship,
now called the 'Batchelor' frigate mounted with 20 great guns, and 200
brass patereroes, with 116 men; a firm ship; and that the 'Duke' and
'Dutchess,' being fitted with everything necessary, only waited for the
fleet which was expected to sail about the end of March."
Including the "Duke," "Dutchess," and "Batchelor," a fleet of
twenty-five armed ships was now ready to sail under the command of
a Dutch flag, vice- and rear-admiral. For though really only armed
merchantmen, the commanders of these Dutch Indiamen, most of which
were a thousand tons, took the rank and state of officers in the Dutch
navy. And it must have been a picturesque scene in Table Bay, when at
daybreak on the 5th of April "the Flag hoisted a blue ensign, loos'd
his foretopsail, and fir'd a gun as the signal to unmoor." In doing
which on board the "Duke," Rogers says, "our cable rubb'd against the
oakum, which for a time had partially stopped the leak, and occasioned
his ship to be as leaky as ever, after having been indifferent tight
for some time." As soon as the fleet was under weigh, the captains of
the English vessels were signalled to go on board the flag-ship, to
receive their order of sailing, &c., "which were very particular and
obligatory to be punctually observ'd."
A voyage from the Cape to the Texel, even by the direct route up the
British Channel, was a long one in those days for a fleet of this size,
touching nowhere, and with over 5,000 men to feed; but the course they
steered, away across the Atlantic to the westward of the Azores, and
then north-eastward as far as the Shetlands, almost doubled the length
of it. The squadron crossed the line on the 14th of May, "being the
eighth time we have done so," says Rogers, "in our course round the
world." This was thirty-eight days after leaving the Cape, giving a
mean speed of rather more than three miles an hour. The Spanish ship,
the "Batchelor," seems to have been the dullest sailer among them, for
Rogers speaks of often taking her in tow, and of the Dutch admiral's
"civility in allowing her to keep ahead of the fleet at night, which
he would not permit any other ship to do." No collisions or disasters
of any sort are recorded during the whole of this long voyage, the
monotony of which was varied on the 15th of June by an entertainment
on board the flag-ship to the skippers of the English, and some of the
Dutch ships, "when the good humour of the Admiral soon made all the
company understand each other without a linguist." While on reaching
latitude 51 north, thick foggy weather prevailed for many days, "during
which the Flag-ship fir'd two guns every half hour, each ship answering
with one, which consum'd a great deal of powder, but by the noise of
the guns it was easy to keep company, though often so thick that we
could not see three ship's lengths" (equal to about one now).
Greatly to Rogers' admiration, the Dutchmen, being good ship's
husbands, spent most of this time in scraping and cleaning their
ships, bending new sails, &c., "so that they look as if newly come out
of Holland;" and as they drew nearer home, and the chance of meeting
an enemy increased, "the three admirals hal'd down their flags, and
to appear more like men of war hoist'd pennants at their maintop
mastheads."
Evidently men like these three Dutch admirals were as much at home,
if not as happy, afloat as ashore, if indeed a change from floating
securely a few feet above the sea level to land many feet below it,
could be called being ashore.
How many of those who to-day rattle about Holland by rail, and admire
the stately well-to-do look of old Dutch cities and towns, give a
thought to these sedate fleets of sailing Indiamen, in which the wealth
that built and kept the sea from swallowing them every higher tide than
usual was slowly but surely carried two hundred years ago; or know that
shipping, moving then some five miles an hour under sail, actually
paid its owners better than now, though driven by the feverish beat of
steam round the world at fifteen knots. Soon after making Fair Island,
near the Shetlands, on the 16th of July, Rogers says, "We fell in with
the Dutch _men of war_, with the exception of one or two that remained
cruising with the fishing doggers off the north-east of Shetland, where
having little wind we lay by, the boats from the land coming to and fro
all night and supplied us with what they had, being poor people who
live by fishing."
[Sidenote: _Arrive at the Texel in Holland._]
The whole squadron, now in convoy of the men-of-war, with a small
breeze, turned south again down the North Sea, and after seven days
"crossed the bar, and anchored at 5 p.m. of the 23rd of July at the
Texel in Holland, the Dutchmen," says Rogers, "firing all their
guns for joy at their arrival in their own country, which they very
affectionately call Fatherland."
The cruise of the "Duke" and "Dutchess" was virtually ended when they
anchored in the Texel Roads, where they were met by some of the owners
from England. But many delays occurred before they were ready to
sail again, with some East India ships for London, in convoy of the
"Essex," "Canterbury," "Meday," and "Dunwich" men-of-war; so that it
was October 14th before the last entry in Woodes Rogers' log was made,
"that this day, at 11 of the clock, we and our Consort and prize got up
to Eriff, where we came to an anchor, which ends our long and fatiguing
voyage."
[Illustration: The Old Ship's Belfry.]
[Illustration: _A MAP of the WORLD, with the Ships "Duke" & "Dutchess"
Tract round it._
FROM 1708 TO 1711.]
FOOTNOTES:
[21] The speed of Rogers' little squadron across the Pacific, under
sail, was barely half that of the British Fleet which in July, 1888,
was able to make the passage under steam from Portsmouth to Bantry Bay,
Ireland, at a mean speed of eight knots!
[22]
"The horrid apparition still draws nigh,
And white with foam the whirling billows fly.
The guns were primed; the vessel northward veers,
Till her black battery on the column bears:
The nitre fired: and, while the dreadful sound
Convulsive shook the slumbering air around,
The watery volume, trembling to the sky,
Burst down a dreadful deluge from on high!"
FALCONER.
[23] Captain Woodes Rogers not only lived to write his travels, but
afterwards had charge of a naval squadron, sent to extirpate the
pirates who infested the West Indies. He died in 1732, just a year
after the death of Defoe.
[24] Rogers speaks of shipping while at Batavia "half a leaguer of
Spelman's _neep_, or the best sort of arrack." Is the modern term "nip
of spirit" derived from this word neep?
[Illustration]
APPENDIX.
CONTAINING A RECEIPT FOR A SEA FIGHT, SOME DIRECTIONS FOR FINDING THE
LONGITUDE, AND A SHORT COMPARISON BETWEEN SEA-STORMS ANCIENT AND MODERN.
A RECEIPT FOR A SEA FIGHT.
The art of naval warfare has so greatly changed since the following
prescription for chasing, fighting, and taking a 60-gun ship was
written in Rogers' time, that it is really doubtful whether any
definite rules for a sea fight could be given to-day. But in his time
such matters appear to have been as well understood as the making of a
bowl of good punch was. So, at any rate, we are taught by the author of
"a collection of sundry pleasant and critical questions in navigation
and the fighting of ships, for the improvement and diversion of the
learner in his spare hours." The writer of which tells us "he has had
twenty years' experience at sea as mate, master, and sworn teacher of
the mathematics to the gentlemen volunteers in her Majestie's Royal
Navy." He begins his instructions with the right methods of handling a
ship in various kinds of weather, from the first change for the worse,
"when the wind becometh fresh and frisking," until "it bloweth a storm
with a very hollow grown sea." But the storm being past, the author
says cheerfully, "Let us turn to windward," which soon brings his ship
"into a good latitude and her proper station;" where the young officer
is advised "to hand his topsails, farthel (or furl) the foresail and
mainsail, trail up the mizen, and lie his ship a hull" (under bare
poles) "until fortune appear upon the horizon;" a man being sent at the
same time "to the maintop masthead" to look out for her in the shape of
"any ships that have been nipt with the last northerly winds."
Like the big salmon of the literary fisherman, a sail is soon sighted,
"A brave lusty ship of sixty guns. So much the better," says the
writer, "for though we have but fifty, the enemy hath more goods in
his hold, and it blows a brave chasing gale. Therefore let us set
spritsails, spritsail-topsails, flying jib, and topgallants; and as we
raise her apace we shall be up with her in three glasses" (half-hour
glasses). It sounds strange in these days of monster ironclads to read
that during a chase in a fifty-gun ship the crew were "ordered aft to
remain quiet there, as the ship will steer better being too much by the
head."
The enemy soon goes about, and is immediately followed by the young
beginner. The chase "being a foul ship" (_i.e._ covered with weeds,
barnacles, &c.), he gets to windward of her, and is advised to keep
there, with "his enemy under his lee."
The gunner is now ordered "to see his guns all clear, and that nothing
pester the decks." The hammocks being stowed round the bulwarks
fore and aft in the nettings, the order is given to "down with all
bulkheads" (cabin partitions, &c.) "that may hinder us or hurt with
splinters;" and the gunner is asked, "whether there be good store of
cartridges ready filled, and shot in the garlands" (racks for ball on
deck) "between the guns and round the masts and hatches." He is also to
see that "rammers, sponges, ladles, priming-irons, horns, linstocks,
wads, swabs, and tubs of water, are all in place;" and that when
engaged, "the guns be well loaded with crossbar and langrel" (old nails
and bolts tied in bundles to cut an enemy's rigging), "and that the
blunderbusses, musketoons, pistols, cutlashes, poleaxes, half-pikes,
&c., are in readiness, and that the patereroes" (swivel guns) "and
stock-fowlers in the round tops, have their chambers full of good
powder, with bags of small shot" (bullets) "to load them, in order to
clear the deck in case of the enemy boarding."
The men are then called to quarters; and escape being impossible,
the chase shortens sail, and "puts abroad the white French ensign,"
which is saluted with a cheer, and a remark, "that though a larger
ship and full of men, we shall match her, for our colours are St.
George's." Then comes a neat little oration, headed "The Captain's
Speech." "Gentlemen, We are maintained by her Majesty Queen Anne,
and our country, to do our endeavours to keep the sea from her
Majestie's enemies, piracy, and robbers; and 'tis our fortune to meet
this ship. Therefore I desire you, in her Majestie's name, and for
your own countrie's honour, that every man behave himself like an
Englishman, and courageous to observe the word of command and do his
best endeavour. So, committing ourselves and cause into God's hand,
every man to his quarter, and God be with us and grant us victory!"
This speech is at once followed by an order to the ship's musicians
of "Up noise of trumpets, and hail our prize," which the French ship
"answereth again with her trumpets." Which preliminaries of the
old naval duel being over, the gunner is warned "to hold fast and
not fire till fairly alongside of him, and within musket-shot." The
time arrived, the guns are run out with the command, "Give him a
broadside, a volley of small arms, and a huzza." After which the men
are encouraged with, "Well done, my hearts! The enemy returns the
compliment. What cheer, is all well betwixt decks? Yea, yea, only
he hath rak'd us through and through. No fear, 'tis our turn next.
Edge toward him, and give not fire till we are within pistol-shot.
Port your helm, he plies his small shot.--Come, boys, load and fire
our small arms briskly.--Hold fast, gunner; right your helm, and run
up alongside. Starboard a little.--Now a broadside, gunner.--That
was well done; this one hath thinned their decks of men, but his
small-arms did gall us. Clap some case and partridge into the guns now
loading. Brace-to the foretopsail that we shoot not ahead of him. He
lies broad-off to bring his other broadside to bear. Starboard hard!
Trim your topsails. He fires his starboard broadside, and pours in
small shot.--Give no fire till he falls off, that he may receive our
full broadside. Steady!--Port a little.--Fire!--Huzza! Cheerly, my
mates, his foremast is by the board; that broadside did execution. He
bears away to stop leaks; the day will be ours! Keep her thus.--Port,
port hard! Bear up and give him our starboard broadside. Load with
double-head round and case-shot. Yea, yea; port, make ready to board;
have lashers and grapplings ready, with able men to tend 'em. Well
steered; edge toward him, and when you fire bring your guns to bear
right among his men with the case-shot. Fire!--Starboard, well done my
hearts! they lie heads and points aboard the prize. Board him bravely.
Enter, enter. Are you fast lashed? Yea, yea. Cut up his decks, ply your
hand-grenades. They cry quarter!--Good: quarter is granted provided you
lay down arms; open your hatches, haul down all sails and furl them.
Loose the lashings, and we will sheer off and hoist out our boats; but
if you offer to fire or make sail again, expect no quarter for your
lives." Boats are then lowered, and the captain, officers, and part of
the crew of the prize taken on board the young beginner's ship.
So much for the attack and capture of a vessel at sea in those days.
In case, however, "the reader be curious to learn" something of the
measures taken by merchantmen in Rogers' time to beat off an enemy, he
is referred to "Defensive Sea Fighting" in Park's "Art of Fighting in
Merchant Ships."
From the "Table of Gunnery" given below it would seem that our
ancestors' guns were stronger or their powder weaker than ours, the
weight of a charge of powder given in it in some cases exceeding half
the weight of the shot:--
A TABLE OF GUNNERY.
-------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------
| Weight | Weight | Weight | Range | Range
| of Gun. | of Shot. | of | Point | Extreme.
| | | Powder. | blank. |
-------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------
| lbs. | lbs. oz. | lbs. oz. | yards. | yards.
Cannon Royal | 8,000 | 58 0 | 23 0 | 300 | 3,000
Demi-cannon | 5,200 | 32 0 | 15 0 | 300 | 3,000
24 Pounder | 4,800 | 24 0 | 11 0 | 300 | 3,000
12 Pounder | 3,000 | 12 0 | 8 0 | 295 | 2,900
Saker | 1,500 | 5 4 | 4 0 | 250 | 2,500
Faucon | 750 | 2 8 | 1 8 | 200 | 2,000
-------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON FINDING THE LONGITUDE AT SEA.
For want of correct timekeepers, a ship's longitude was, in the time
of Queen Anne and for some time afterwards, an unsolved problem.
But in the "Compleat Modern Navigator's Tutor, or The whole art of
Navigation," published by one Joshua Kelly, of "Broad Street Wapping
near Wapping New-stairs," in 1720, we are taught "five of the most
rational ways of finding it." The learner is advised, however, "not
to confide too much in them, or to omit any of the methods of a sea
journal or other precautions to preserve a ship when she nears land."
Among these methods eclipses of the moon and Jupiter's satellites
of course come first. But of the first of these methods we are told
that "it would be accurate and useful if we could have an eclipse of
the moon every night," and of the second, that "the impractibility
of managing a telescope twelve or fourteen feet long in the tossing
rolling motion of a ship at sea, surrounds it with difficulties scarce
to be remedy'd."
The craving of these old navigators for some form of good sea
timekeeper is shown by Kelly's suggestion for finding the longitude
by what he calls "automatas, or unerring clocks or watches," or even
by "hour-glasses," directions being given for "preparing and using
a very perfect and true-running sand glass, which may precisely run
twenty-four hours without error, to be set exactly at noon on leaving
the land; which glass upon being run out, is to be turned instantly
every day, not losing any time in the turning of it; and so having very
warily kept the said glass 'til you think good to make an observation
at noon, and having in readiness an half hour, minute, and half
minute glass, you may thereby know exactly how much the twenty-four
hour glass is before or after the ship's time; the difference being
your longitude, east or west, according as the time by the sun is
afore or after the time by the glass." Navigation by account, or dead
reckoning, has changed little since Kelly's time. Indeed, the use of
the chronometer and the perfection of the modern sextant has almost
superseded it except in the case of small coasters, &c.
But in Kelly and Woodes Rogers' days the log chip, reel, line, and half
minute glass were the mariner's sole means of finding his longitude, or
distance, sailed east or west.
Steam and patent logs have much simplified such calculations, which
required many corrections not only for leeway but for errors in the log
line and glass; "Shortness of the knots in a line," says Kelly, "being
on the safer side, that a ship be not ahead of her reckoning; it being
better to look for land before we come at it than to _be ashoar before
we expect it._"
SEA STORMS, ANCIENT AND MODERN.
Are the storms at sea of this century heavier than those of the time of
Queen Anne? is a question one can hardly help asking after studying the
logs of the "Duke" and "Dutchess" during their three years' cruise.
Judging from Rogers' account, the whole of this period must have been
one of remarkably fine weather at sea, even in the latitude of Cape
Horn, as compared with the tempests torn to tatters which we constantly
fall in with in the sea stories of to-day.
Or perhaps Capt. Woodes Rogers was of that old type of happy sea-dog
for whom the song was written in which Jack "pities them poor folk
ashore," when a storm comes on? Or perhaps "life on the ocean wave"
in his time was really not so terrible for sailormen as it is now?
These questions are not easily answered, for even among comparatively
recent sea-writers, such as Marryat and Dana, life afloat, though not
described as all smooth sailing, is never described as all hurricane
and hurlyburly. Like a true seaman Marryat delights to draw pictures of
men at home on the sea, and well able to contend with wind and wave,
rather than write of ships with sails torn to shreds, and crews taking
to drink as soon as they are caught in a close-reefed topsail breeze
off Cape Horn.
Steam, no doubt, has much to answer for in having increased, rather
than diminished the apparent terrors of bad weather at sea; causing
writers who draw their experiences of storms from the decks of long
narrow ships driven six or seven knots in the teeth of a gale, to form
exaggerated ideas of tempests, and the behaviour of well handled
sailing craft in the same weathers. A steamer plunges into a head-sea
in a blundering sort of way, wallowing from side to side as she does
so, and shipping water to port or starboard in the most uncertain
manner. The power that drives the great hull against the rolling masses
of water seems to have no sympathy with either the ship or the waves;
and drenched from stem to stern, the vessel reels and staggers on her
way, kept only to her work by careful use of helm. Now, the sailing
vessel meets a head-sea, when lying-to under easy canvas, as though
she knew just what to do with it. She is at one, so to speak, with the
whole matter. Her long tapering spars act pendulum-like, checking all
sudden or jerky rolling; and as long as a stitch of canvas can be set
she meets the waves in a give-and-take way reminding one of the "soft
answer that turneth away wrath." Again, modern describers of sea-storms
seem to forget, that on board well found ships, things are not merely
fitted for use in fair weather, but to bear the strain of bad weathers;
and that loss of canvas and spars at sea was, and is looked upon as a
matter of negligence; so much so that in the navy most of these losses
had to be made good by the officer in command. And one seldom heard
in old sea stories of cordage left to rattle and shriek, or sails to
bang about and explode like cannon in the hands of real seamen. In
fact, after once the canvas was reduced to its lowest, a head gale in a
sailing vessel was less noisy than the same wind on shore among trees
or houses; while down below the noise of the weather was not to be
compared with the rattle and rumble of a gale inside a house. In the
case of a sudden squall striking a ship after a spell of fine weather,
or just after leaving port, no doubt a few loose things might fetch
away, and give young sailors or passengers the notion that every thing
was going topsy-turvy; but after a short spell of really hard weather,
things soon get into place at sea, and, so far as officers and crew are
concerned, the routine of sea life goes on as monotonously as in more
moderate weather.
Even in that nobly simple story of disaster at sea, told of St. Paul,
the approach of the catastrophe is unattended by noise; there is
none of the confusion and shrieking of cordage that mark the stagey
shipwreck of modern fiction. Nor did those old shipmen yield the loss
of their ship without a good fight; but after sounding twice they cast
four anchors out of the stern and quietly watched for the day. After
which, the ship's head being already shoreward, the rudderbands were
loosed, and a final effort was made to save their vessel by running
for a creek; until falling into a place where two seas met, the ship
struck, and some on planks, and some on broken pieces of the wreck, all
got safe to shore.
[Illustration: _The Old Seaclock_]
Chiswick Press
PRINTED BY CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO.
TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON, E.C.
Transcriber's Notes:
Punctuation normalized.
Anachronistic, non-standard, and inconsistent spellings retained as
printed.
Italics markup is enclosed in _underscores_.