OFF BREST.
Return under jury-masts to England—Arrive at Spithead—The admiral,
the middy, and the dirk—Join H.M.S. _Diamond_ as first
lieutenant—Attached to Lord St. Vincent’s fleet off Brest—A change
of captains—Weary waiting for an enemy who never came.
A few days after we sailed, with three other line of battle ships, under
jury-masts, for old England. On our passage we spoke a frigate, who
informed us that Sir Richard Strachan had taken the four sail of the line
which had escaped from the French fleet. We were delighted as well as
“Dicky Strong,” and gave three hearty cheers. On the eighth day we arrived
at Spithead, and were cheered by all the ships lying there, which we
returned. Some of the fleet had, we thought, made rather a show of their
shot-holes, but our commodore declared that “good wine needed no bush.”
Our shot-holes, of which we had a good share, were painted over and not
perceptible at any distance. The captain left us, and was heartily cheered
as he left the ship. As soon as we were in the harbour I had permission
from the Admiralty to return home for a month.
I found my sweetest half (for I had, without knowing why or wherefore,
become a Benedict) in much anxiety, as our ship had been reported lost.
She put into my arms a dear little black-eyed girl, who was born a week
after the action. After spending three delightful weeks, the happiest of
the happy, I tore myself away. On my rejoining the ship I found her in
dock, and all the crew on board a hulk. I now became commanding officer,
as the first lieutenant had leave of absence. I have here to remark that
forty seamen and ten marines had leave to go to their families and friends
for three weeks or a month, according to the distance, and out of six
hundred men only one desertion occurred. I mention this circumstance to
prove that seamen, when they become accustomed to a man-of-war, have no
dislike to her discipline, provided they are properly encouraged when
deserving, and the cat is only used when it is absolutely necessary, which
was the case in our ship. Seamen are too valuable to be ill used.
Admiral Montague was the commander-in-chief at this port, and Sir Isaac
Coffin, of inspecting memory, the rear-admiral. One morning one of the
midshipmen, in stepping into the dockyard boat, had the misfortune to lose
his dirk overboard. As it was blowing strong, he could not return to the
hulk to borrow another. He consequently went to the yard without one. The
rear-admiral, who was always in search of adventure, met him. “Hulloa!
officer,” said he; “why are you without side arms?” The youngster related
what had happened. “Then, sir,” said he, “you must buy another as fast as
you can.” “I have no money, sir,” replied the mid, “and I know no one
here.” “Then I will put you in the way to get one. Come with me to my
office.” The youngster followed him, and received the address of a sword
cutler. “And tell him,” said Sir Isaac, “from me that you are to have a
dirk. But,” added he, “I had better write my name; he will then know I
sent you.” Next morning the mid lost no time in repairing to the shop of
the vendor of slaying instruments. He produced the rear-admiral’s paper.
The cutler at first hesitated. At length he said, “Do you pay for it?”
“No,” answered the mid, “not till I return from my next cruise.” “Oh,
never mind,” said the man of cut and thrust; “Sir Isaac has signed the
paper, and he will, of course, be responsible. What kind of dirk do you
wish to have?” “Oh, a good one,” returned the mid; “one at about forty
shillings.” It was given him; he gave his name and ship, and left the
shop. In a few days after this an order came on board from the admiral to
discharge a lieutenant and a midshipman into another ship bound to the
West Indies. The sixth lieutenant and this youngster were selected. About
four months afterwards the bill was sent to the rear-admiral for payment
of the dirk. It was naturally refused. Some months passed, when the bill
was again presented and refused. The poor mid was far away and not
forthcoming, although he fully intended, had he not been so suddenly
exiled, to pay it when he was able. The cutler now brought an action
against the rear-admiral, and he was, as he had put his name to the paper,
obliged to pay the account.
The shipwrights and carpenters having repaired the ship, she was hauled
alongside the hulk, and in ten days was as majestic as ever. Another
captain was appointed, and I was ordered to join the _Diamond_ frigate, as
first lieutenant, off Brest. I took an affectionate leave of my messmates,
and procured a passage on board a passage-sloop going to Plymouth. We
sailed in the evening, through the Needles passage, and when off the
Shingles the head of the mast went in the hounds. After much exertion we
got the main-sail out of the water, and the try-sail set. We reached, to
my great joy, Portland Roads on the third day, where, as I found myself
rather queerish on board the sloop, I salaamed the skipper of her, and
mounted a horse, which they assured me was quiet enough to carry the
parson. With this assurance, which was corroborated by three old men and
two young women, I trusted myself once more on a horse’s back. A brother
officer, who was also going to join a ship at Plymouth, accompanied me. We
dined at Weymouth, saw Gloucester Lodge, had a somersault, to the terror
and astonishment of the lady housekeeper and servants, on all the
Princesses’ beds, viewed the closet of odd-and-end old china belonging to
the amiable Princess Elizabeth, thought ourselves an inch taller when we
sat ourselves down in the chair in which the good King dined at one
o’clock, generally off a boiled leg of mutton and turnips, so we were
informed, and in the evening hired a post-chaise and arrived at
Dorchester, where we took the mail for Plymouth. On reaching the latter
place we repaired to the admiral’s office, where, as there was no present
opportunity of joining my new ship, I remained five days, calling on my
old acquaintances and talking of old times.
One day we made an excursion to Plympton, and entered a neat farmer’s
house. We inquired if we could be provided with some home-baked brown
bread, and milk from the cow. The farmer’s wife, who was a hale, buxom,
youngish-looking woman, and had only nine children, brought out chairs and
benches. We had some madeira with us, and we made delicious whip-syllabub.
The nice, well-baked and wholesome brown loaves, with the milk and cream,
were too good for city aldermen, but quite good enough for sailors. We did
ample justice to the good wife’s fare, of which she partook with her
mother, who was sixty-five, and had eleven boys and nine girls all living.
Nine of the former were on board different men-of-war, and the other two
working with their father on the farm. “And,” added the poor woman, with
an anxious, smiling face, “whenever we see a squadron of King’s ships
arrive we expect a son.” The girls, with the exception of three who were
married, were out in respectable families. We made a trifling purse, which
we gave to a fine boy about eleven years old for himself and brothers;
recompensed our good hostess, shook hands, and departed in peace and good
fellowship.
Two days later I went on board the _Alexandria_ frigate for a passage to
my proper ship, which we fell in with soon afterwards off the Black Rocks.
I found her a fine, first-class frigate, but, alas! I also found she only
sailed like the launch, stern foremost. The captain, a jolly, little,
fresh-faced, rather corpulent man, welcomed me with a smile, and after a
short conversation relating to the ship he inquired the news, on which I
presented him with the latest newspaper. The surgeon, a delicate, pale
young man, came up to me and asked me to the gun-room. On entering it he
introduced me to my future messmates. The second lieutenant was a
fine-looking young man, highly connected, but unfortunately disgusted with
the Service, and too fond of a very strong north-wester, which soon
destroyed him, as he died a few months after I joined the frigate. The
third lieutenant was a person of great consequence in his own opinion, and
always imagined himself in the right. He was, nevertheless, an active
officer and knew his duty. The master was a hardy north countryman, and
knew what he was about. The marine officer was a well-informed, sensible
man; the mids were a fine set of lads, ripe for mischief and alert on
duty. The ship’s company were, generally speaking, good and willing
seamen, and I thought myself fortunate in being first lieutenant of such a
ship and of having intellectual messmates.
We were placed as one of the look-out frigates to watch the enemy’s
vessels in Brest. The fleet was under the command of the brave and
persevering Earl St. Vincent, whose laws were those of the Medes and
Persians in days of yore. Implicit obedience and non-resistance was his
device, and woe to those who were disobedient. My messmates gave me the
outline of the captain’s character. They informed me he was more cut out
for a country gentleman than the captain of a man-of-war, that he was very
partial to a good dinner—“Show me the man who is not,” interrupted I;—that
he was highly nervous, and that he left everything to the first
lieutenant, except the discipline of his cook. “So be it,” cried I, “I
think we shall accord.” About ten days after being on board he sent for me
into his cabin. “Now,” said he to me, “Mr. Hoffman, we have had time
enough to know each other. I approve of your method of carrying on the
duty, and from henceforth I shall consider you as sailing, and myself as
fighting, captain.” I thanked him for the confidence he reposed in me, and
assured him that, being very partial to the profession, I never was
happier than when in the path of duty. He then mentioned he was not fond
of punishment with the cat. I informed him that, having been first
lieutenant for nearly three years of a former ship, I would submit to his
inspection a code of minor punishments which had proved beneficial to her
discipline. “Did you not use the cat at all?” demanded he. “Never,”
returned I, “except for theft, drunkenness at sea and intentional
disobedience of orders. On these occasions the punishment was severe, and
they very seldom happened.”
When the wind was light, we generally anchored about two gun-shots from
the shore, and in the evening the crew danced or got up a kind of farce,
which was farcical enough. After seven long, lazy, tedious weeks, we were
ordered to Plymouth to refit. We flew like a shovel-nosed barge against
tide, and reached Hamoaze on the evening of the third day. Reader, I do
not know whether you were ever at Plymouth. If you have not, go there. It
is in a beautiful country, and very healthy. The people are very civil,
and until the taxes and poor rates became so high, were very hospitable.
Even in the poorest cottager’s hut, if you happened to call at their
dinner-hour, you were invited, with a hearty “Do ye, God bless ye, sit
down and take some-at. There be more than we can eat.” We frequently made
social picnic parties to the small farmhouses. I have heard sailors
declare they would rather be hanged in their native country than die a
natural death in any other. It is not very agreeable to be hanged even in
Paradise, but I certainly prefer residing in the neighbourhood of Plymouth
to any other part of England. The month we were in harbour vanished like a
dream. We cast off the moorings, and soon after anchored at Spithead.
The following week we were again on the Siberian or Black Rock station.
One night, in consequence of a light westerly wind with a heavy swell and
a counter current, we had drifted so near the south-west end of Ushant
that we were obliged to let go an anchor in rocky ground. For more than
six hours it was a question whether the cable would part or hold on: had
the latter occurred, the frigate must have gone on shore. After hoping,
wishing and expecting a breeze from the eastward, it made its appearance
by cat’s-paws. We weighed, and found the cackling and one strand of the
cable cut through. As the wind freshened we worked up to our old station
off Point St. Matthew, and anchored. The following morning we reconnoitred
Brest, could make out fourteen of the enemy’s ships of the line with their
top-gallant yards crossed, and five others refitting. The same day a
cutter joined us with our letters and two bullocks. After cruising between
Ushant and the Saints, the small rocky island Beriguet and Douarnenez Bay,
until we were tired of seeing them, we, at the expiration of two months,
were again ordered to Plymouth to refit, but not before the considerate
old Earl had taken from us thirty of our best seamen, which so much
pleased our noble captain that he declared if he was ordered to rejoin the
Channel fleet he would give up the frigate. After having refitted, to our
great mortification we were again under orders for the detestable station
off Brest. The captain wrote to be superseded, and as there was no lack of
sharp half-pay skippers looking-out, his request was immediately complied
with.
His successor was a shambling, red-nosed, not sailor-like looking man, who
had persuaded a counterpart of himself, the village barber, to accompany
him as his steward. Sure such a pair was never seen before! The hands were
turned up and his commission read. “Well, my men,” said he, addressing the
crew, “I understand you know how to do your duty, therefore my advice to
you is to do it. That’s all,” said he to me; “pipe down if you please,
sir,” and after adding, “We shall sail to-morrow morning, and I shall be
on board in the evening,” he ordered a cutter to be manned, and went on
shore. At the time appointed we were under weigh, and three days
afterwards off the Black Rocks, which made us look black enough. The
enemy’s fleet were much in the same state, with little prospect of their
coming out. Easterly winds were prevalent, and we were generally at
anchor, one half of the ship’s company doing nothing, and the other
helping them. I soon found that our noble commander was fond of the game
of chess and a stiff glass of grog, and I frequently found him _en
chemise_ with those companions at daylight on one of the cabin lockers. He
was an unmarried man, but a great admirer of the fair sex of all
descriptions, and was sometimes heard to say he was astonished at their
want of taste in not admiring him. He was not altogether an unread man,
but his manners were like his dress, slovenly, and too often coarse. He
had been, when he was a lieutenant, in command of a cutter, and afterwards
of a lugger. There, the mids declared, he ought to have remained, as he
was out of his element on the quarter-deck of a fine frigate. They were
not singular in their opinion. He was, without exception, the most
slovenly officer I ever had the misfortune to sail with. I am probably
rather severe. His only redeeming quality was certainly good nature. He,
unfortunately for himself and in some measure for the Service, courted a
kind of left-handed popularity amongst the seamen, and neglected the
officers. The consequence was, that in less than two months the discipline
of the ship became so relaxed that the crew, from being one of the
smartest in the fleet, was now the slackest. After a disagreeable cruise
of nine weeks, in which time we had carried away the main and
foretop-masts, we were ordered to Portsmouth. After refitting we joined
another frigate to cruise off Havre de Grace, where the enemy had two
frigates and a corvette nearly ready for sea. We were shortly after joined
by a sloop of war. At the full and change of the moon we always anchored
inside the Cape, in order to watch the enemy’s motions more effectively,
and, when under weigh, we sometimes trawled and dredged, and frequently
caught sufficient fish for the whole crew, as well as a quantity of
oysters.
On one unlucky evening we ran on board the sloop of war, carried away the
mainmast, and destroyed a part of her upper works. Fortunately for the
officer of the watch the captain was on deck, and had been giving orders
respecting the sails, which took the responsibility from the shoulders of
the former. The sloop was so ill-treated by us that she was, without
delay, obliged to proceed to Portsmouth. A few days after this accident we
were ordered to the same port. On our arrival a court of inquiry sat to
investigate the reason why the mainmast of one of His Majesty’s cruisers
should be so unceremoniously knocked away by the jib-boom of another. The
answers not being quite satisfactory our captain was reprimanded and the
other admonished. We sailed shortly after, and resumed our station. Of all
duties imposed on an active mind blockading vessels in an enemy’s port,
from whence there is not much probability of their sailing, is the most
tiresome. The mids declared that had patient Job been on board the ten
weeks we were off Havre he would have lost his patience in the fifth week
and thrown up his commission. After a lazy cruise of nearly eleven weeks
the frigate once more sat like a duck at Spithead.