MUTINY ON H.M.S. _HERMIONE_.
Tea with the boatswain’s wife—News of the mutiny at the Nore
causes trouble among the sailors—Sent to cruise in consequence—A
white squall and waterspout—Capture of a Spanish cruiser—Return to
Port Royal—H.M.S. _Hermione_ seized by mutineers and carried to
Porto Bello—Recaptured by Captain Hamilton—An alarm caused by
fireflies.
On the evening of the next day the boatswain’s wife invited me to take
tea. I could not refuse so kind an offer, and at the vulgar hour of six,
behold us sipping our Bohea out of porringers, with good Jamaica stuff in
it in lieu of milk. “Do you like it?” said the boatswain to me. “Have you
enough rum in it? Take another dash.” “No, thank you,” said I; “no more
splicing, or I shall get hazy, and not be able to keep the first watch.”
“That rum,” said he, “is old pineapple, and like mother’s milk, and will
not hurt a child. Now,” said he, “we are talking of rum, I’ll tell you an
odd story that happened to me in the last ship I belonged to. I had a
capital case of the right sort given to me by a brother Pipes. One evening
I had asked some of the upper class dockyard maties, for we were lying at
Antigua, to take a glass of grog. When I went to the case, I found two of
the bottles at low-water mark, and another a marine. ‘Ho! ho!’ said I to
myself; ‘this is the way you make a southerly wind in my case-bottles, and
turn to windward in my cabin when I am carrying on the war on the
forecastle, is it? I’ll cross your hawse and cut your cable the next time,
as sure as my name is Tricing.’ After the last dog-watch, I threw myself
into my cot all standing, with my rattan alongside of me. About three
bells of the first watch, I heard someone go very cunningly, as he
thought, into my cabin. I immediately sprung out and seized a man in the
act of kissing one of my dear little ones, for it was a case with nine
quart bottles. ‘Who are you?’ said I. ‘Nobody,’ replied he. ‘You are the
fellow I have been cruising after since I entered the service
five-and-twenty years ago, and now I have got you, by G——d! I’ll sheet you
home most handsomely for all past favours.’ I then gave it to him thick
and thin. ‘Now, my lad,’ said I, ‘chalk this down in your log, that when
you have the thievish inclination to take what does not belong to you,
remember my cane, if you do not your God.’ This rum gentleman belonged to
the after-guard, and I did not forget him.”
After cruising round Porto Rico and Hispaniola for two months, we bore up
for the mole, where we found two sail of the line, a sixty-four and two
sloops of war. In the course of our cruise we had sent in an American brig
and a schooner laden with flour. The latter was condemned, half-barrels of
gunpowder being found in the under flour casks. The former was let go,
although we thought she ought to have been condemned, as her register was
defective. We understood that the judge’s wife, of the Vice-Admiralty
Court, who was notorious for accepting presents, had received a purse from
some of the masters of the American vessels detained by the cruisers to
let them escape trial. How true this may be must be left to time and the
curious to decide.
On overhauling the fore-shrouds and mainstay, we found them too much worn
to be trustworthy. As we could not be refitted with lower rigging from the
naval stores at this place, the senior officer gave us an order to proceed
to Jamaica. We took leave of all the “Ballaker ladies,” as the mids chose
to call them. Know, reader, that the fish called by that name is a most
destructive and voracious one, and as I presume they thought the ladies
were of that character, some of them had too much reason to call them so.
We reached Port Royal on the afternoon of the following day, but remarked
we were not received with that welcome as before; no boats filled with
yellow-legged females came off with banjos. Why? Because we brought in no
prize with us. And when we went on shore some of these delicate dames
exclaimed when we accosted them: “Eh, massa, you hab know me before? I no
recollect you. What ship you belong to?” And we were seldom asked to the
dignity balls. We were all now in tolerable health, when the packet from
England arrived, bringing letters for the squadron, one of which I
received, acquainting me that my sister’s husband was appointed to command
the A. frigate fitting for the Mediterranean, and that my youngest
brother, in the India marine, had died in Bengal. He was a fine, spirited
youth, nineteen years of age; we had not met since we were at school. Some
of our seamen also received letters by the same opportunity, acquainting
them with the mutiny at the Nore, and a few days afterwards a disaffected
spirit broke out in the squadron, which we had some trouble in subduing.
However, by reasoning with the petty officers and the best seamen, it
terminated without open mutiny or bloodshed, although the crews of some of
the ships had been mistaken enough to have delegates for their
proceedings. To finally root out the trouble the admiral ordered the five
line of battle ships fitting out at Port Royal to complete their stores
and sail without delay for the Gulf of Mexico. Two days afterwards we
stood out to sea. The squadron consisted of a ship of ninety-eight guns,
four seventy-fours, and a frigate. The commander-in-chief had his flag on
board the former. After touching at the Grand Caymans for turtle, we
reached the Bay of Mexico, where, and off the Havannah, we cruised for
some weeks without taking anything. One night, having the middle watch and
looking over the lee gangway, I observed some black spots on the water.
The moon, which was in her third quarter, was sometimes hidden by the dark
scud, for it was blowing fresh, and when she shone in full splendour the
spots appeared stationary. I lost no time in pointing this out to the
lieutenant of the watch, who agreed with me that they must be the negro
heads of some coral reef. We were with the squadron running directly on
them. We immediately fired a gun and hauled our wind, and then fired a
second to warn the ships astern of us of the danger. When we hauled off we
could not clear them, and it was more than an hour before we got an
offing. They were the “Double-headed shot” keys. Our signal was made for
the captain and master to repair on board the admiral. The latter, we
understood, was well hauled over the coals, and he came on board looking
like a boy who had been whipped. He thought it was “moral impossible” (for
that was always his favourite way of speaking when he thought he had
anything of importance to relate) that the admiral should find fault with
him as a navigator; he could not account for counter currents and
undertows, and he knew how to navigate a ship as well as any man in the
fleet.
The inhabitants of the cockpit, as usual, held a court of inquiry on his
conduct, when they declared on summing up what they had remarked of his
character, that he was too conceited to be clever, that he was a very
indifferent navigator, and they wondered who the devil gave him his
warrant as master, for they would not trust him to navigate a barge in the
New River. After cruising till the mids declared they were _ennuiéd_ of
seeing the Havannah, the dry Tortugas, Cape Antonio, and the low land near
Mississippi so often, and that they had worn their chemises twice over and
had only soiled sheets for table-cloths; that they were obliged to get one
of the marines to pipe-clay their stockings and the collar of their shirts
when they were asked to dine in the cabin; that it was a horrible, hard
case to eat biscuits filled with bargemen and purser’s lice; that the
water was full of jenny jumps—all these miseries, concluded they, ought to
be made known to the admiral, and that if he did not order the squadron in
again he ought to be tried by a court of mids and reduced to the humble
rank of a cockpitsman and feed off bargemen for a month.
We had now been out for two months when we bore up for the Gulf of
Florida. In making the Havannah for a departure, we fell in with four
Spanish brigs laden with quicksilver, which we captured. When near Cape
Florida we experienced a white squall which carried away the
foretop-gallant mast and split the foresail. The ninety-eight gun-ship,
which led the squadron, heeled so much over before she could shorten sail
that she appeared to be turning the turtle. At last her foreyard went in
the slings, and her main-topsail in ribbons, and she righted.
When off New Providence the wind was light and the clouds heavy and low,
and in less than half an hour seven waterspouts had formed, two not far
from us on our weather beam, the largest of which was nearing us rather
fast. We got two of the main-deck guns ready, and waited until we could
see its suction. The cloud which drew up and contained the water was in
the shape of a reversed cone with a long point at the bottom of it: this
was something like a corkscrew. We now thought it high time to fire, when
down it came, discharging a sheet of water which must have contained many
tons. The shock it gave the water drove it in breakers to some distance,
and we partook of the motion, as we rolled for at least ten minutes before
the swell subsided. The other waterspout passed some distance astern. In
this gulf some years ago a dreadful catastrophe occurred to a West
Indiaman homeward bound, caused by one of the sucking clouds or
waterspouts. Several had formed very near her, one of them so near that
the master of her was afraid to fire as it might endanger the vessel. It
appeared to be passing when a flaw of wind came, and being heavily
surcharged with water, broke it. Fortunately the hatches were on, and only
the master, mate and four men on deck. The immense body of water it
contained fell with such violence that it carried away all her masts,
boats, spars and hen-coops, with all the live stock, as well as washing
the master and three of the men overboard. The mate and the other man were
saved by jumping into the caboose which held on, although they were
half-dead with fright and half-drowned with water. After we had cleared
the islands forming the Bahama group, we fell in with a low,
rakish-looking schooner, which gave us a chase of seven hours, although
our shot went over her. At length two of her men were killed, and the
spyglass knocked out of the skipper’s hand, when he, finding it was
useless holding out any longer, hove to. She proved a Spanish privateer of
six guns and forty men, with a number of sheep on board, but the mids
declared they were more like purser’s lanterns. When killed, one of them
weighed only fifteen pounds. Nothing further occurred during the remainder
of our passage to Jamaica, where we anchored two days after with our
prizes. Before the sails were furled, half the inhabitants of Port Royal
were round the ships making a most hideous noise with their squalling and
banjos. Our five prizes made their eyes shine like a dollar in a bucket of
water, and their mouths water like a sick monkey’s eyes with a violent
influenza. The last time we had anchored we returned prizeless, and no
boat came off but an old washerwoman’s; we now paid them off in their own
coin, and desired all the canoes with the exception of two to paddle to
some other ship, as we should not admit them on board. After lingering for
about half an hour in the hope that we should change our minds, they
paddled away looking blacker than their skins. Soon after our arrival we
heard that the _Hermione_ frigate had been taken and carried into Porto
Bello on the Spanish Main by her crew, after having killed their captain
and all the officers. This dreadful news gave me real concern, as one of
my late messmates was third lieutenant of her. Captain Hamilton, of the
_Surprise_ of twenty-eight guns, offered to bring her out from where her
rebellious crew had anchored her, and a few days after he sailed for that
purpose. We were refitting very leisurely, and had been in harbour nearly
five weeks, when one afternoon we saw the _Surprise_ towing in the
_Hermione_. Captain Hamilton had kept his word to the letter. He was three
days before the port where she lay before he attempted his purpose. She
was at anchor very close in shore, protected by a heavy half-moon and
triangular battery. On the evening of the third day Captain Hamilton made
his will, and after consulting with the officers he armed and manned the
boats, and took with him the lieutenants, surgeon, a proportion of mids,
and the lieutenant of marines, besides sailors and marines, making in the
whole a hundred. He left the master and the remainder of the crew in
charge of the ship, and ordered him when the boats shoved off to stand out
by way of feint. The night was very dark. After a short pull they were
alongside of the _Hermione_, which was evidently taken by surprise. On
seeing the crew of the _Surprise_ board them, they seized their
boarding-pikes and cutlasses, and made a resistance which would have done
them credit in a better cause. The conflict was severe and fatal to many
of them; several jumped overboard. The struggle had continued about half
an hour when her cables were cut and her topsails loosed. The remainder of
the mutineers finding their numbers considerably decreased threw down
their arms and surrendered, and at daylight the ship was in company with
the _Surprise_.(4) Captain Hamilton received a severe contusion on the
head, and had it not been for his surgeon, who was a powerful son of the
Emerald Isle, he must have been killed. The loss on board the _Hermione_
was considerable, that of the _Surprise_ comparatively speaking trifling.
Soon after they anchored I was sent on board the latter to learn the
particulars which I have given above. The mutineers taken in the
_Hermione_ were but few, as the greater part were either on shore or had
jumped overboard from her when they saw they should be overpowered. Before
we sailed they were tried, and, with the exception of two who turned
King’s evidence, were hanged in everlasting jackets on the small islands
without Port Royal harbour. I also learnt that my former messmate was
lieutenant of the watch when the mutiny broke out, and one of the King’s
evidence mutineers gave me the following account:—
[Illustration: PORT ROYAL, JAMAICA. [_P. N. Edwards, Photo._]
“The captain,” said he, “was very severe with the men, who were all good
seamen, and they were determined to either run the ship on shore and
desert, or else take her by force. This had been in their minds for months
before it happened. At last,” said he, “on a dark night, when the young
lieutenant had the watch, our minds were made up. A party went to the
cabin-door, knocked down the sentry, and entered it. The captain was in
his cot, and he was soon overpowered. We threw him out of the
cabin-window. Another party threw the officer of the watch over the
larboard quarter, but he, being young and active, caught hold of the
hammock-stanchion, when one of the men cut his hands off, and he soon
dropped astern. The first lieutenant had been ill and keeping his cot, but
on hearing the noise, he came up the hatchway in his shirt, when one of
the carpenter’s crew cut him down with an axe, and he was sent overboard
with several others.” Captain Pigot, who commanded her, was no doubt a
severe disciplinarian, but this was a most unheard-of, cruel and
bloodthirsty mutiny; all the officers, both guilty—if there were any
guilty—and innocent shared the same untimely fate, and surely if the crew
found themselves oppressed and ill-used, they ought to have represented
their complaints to the senior officer or the admiral, and they, in
justice, would have been listened to; at least I hope so. I am sorry to
state here that I have seen men sometimes flogged for trifles where a
minor punishment would have been more appropriate. Caprice and partiality
should never govern an officer’s conduct; young lieutenants are too prone
to make complaints to their captain without reflecting on the character of
the offender. A thorough-bred seaman is very seldom in fault, and should
he unfortunately trespass a little on the discipline of the ship, his
offence should be visited as lightly as possible. Well-timed admonition
will make a surer impression than half-a-dozen cats. I speak from
experience. Before we sailed I had occasion to purchase some stockings, as
I found on inquiry that my dingy-faced washerwoman had supplied her
“lubing bruder” with several pair belonging to me, to dance with her at a
banjo hop, and took care I should not have them until the day before we
sailed, which was Saturday. On examining them I found they were so worn
into large holes that I could not put them on. Having obtained permission
to go on shore, I repaired to the magazine. All shops in the West Indies
are called magazines or stores, although some of them are so small that
you are not able to turn round without hurting your elbows. The said shop,
magazine or store was kept by a worthy, said to be honest, Israelite. I
acquainted him with my wants. “I can’t sell you nothing to-day,” he said;
“it is my Sabbath; but I will tell you what I can do. I will lend you six
pair, and you can pay me to-morrow.” “Thank you,” said I; “where’s your
conscience? To-morrow will be my Sabbath.” “Ah,” said he “I forgot that.
Then you can pay me on Monday.” “No,” said I; “I’ll pay you off with the
foretop-sail.” He laughed. “Here, take the stockings, and pay me when you
please.” This I did not do until I had given him a little note promising
to pay him when we returned from our cruise.
We sailed the following morning, to cruise off the windward passages,
where we fell in with two American sloops of war, cruising for an
appetite. We were now tolerably well manned. Yellow fever and scurvy had
taken their departure, and the only evil which remained with us was the
blue devils, in consequence of the monotony so prevalent in a long cruise.
We boarded several American vessels, and from one of them we procured some
long, lanky turkeys. They stood so high that they appeared on stilts; they
were all feather and bone, and Jonathan asked four dollars apiece for
them, but we got him down to two by taking nine, which was all he had. I
asked him if he had any dollar biscuits. “No,” said he; “but some of the
men have a pretty considerable quantity of notions.” Here he called to one
of them, and said, “Nathan, I guess you bought some notions at Baltimore;
bring them up, and let the officer see them.” Nathan was soon down the
hatchway, and as quickly up again with his venture, or notions. They
consisted of two pounds of infamous Yankee tea, three pounds of tobacco
made into a roll, a jar of salt butter, a six-pound ham, and a bag of
hickory nuts. The tea and ham I bought, and one of the boat’s crew had the
tobacco. The first proved too bad for even a midshipman’s palate; and the
ham, when the cover and sawdust were taken away, was animated by
nondescripts, and only half of it eatable. I was tried by a court of
inquiry by my messmates for want of discernment, and found guilty; and the
Yankee who had cheated us was sentenced to be hanged, but as he was out of
sight, the penalty was not carried into execution. We once more anchored
at the mole, after having reconnoitred Porto Rico and part of Cuba,
without any addition to our riches.
On the fifth evening of our arrival we heard the drums at the town beating
to arms. We manned and armed three of our boats, and sent them on shore to
inquire the cause of the alarm. The soldiers were forming to march, when
one of our mids exclaimed: “Look what a vast number of large fire-flies
there are in the bushes over the town!” “Are you sure those lights are
fire-flies?” said a captain of one of the companies. “Yes,” said the mid;
“I’ll convince you in a jiffy.” Away he flew into the bushes, and in about
five minutes returned, with his hat swarming with them, which produced a
pale, bright light equal to several candles. The adventure produced much
laughter at the expense of the piquet who had given the alarm, and the
retreat was beat.
At particular periods of the year these little insects meet in the same
manner that birds do on St. Valentine’s Day. The soldiers who formed the
piquet had never seen anything of the kind before, and as the sentinel at
a small fort at the entrance of the harbour had been shot by the enemy a
few nights previously, they were determined not to be taken by surprise.