_January 29, 1814._--The detachments of invalids from Punamalee
embarked at Madras on board the Marquis Wellington and Princess
Charlotte of Wales. The Marquis Wellington, of nine hundred tons,
wherein I was, received sixty of these invalids, _viz._ a party
of the Royals, detachments from the 30th, 69th, 80th, 89th, and 25th
light dragoons. We had very bad accommodation on board of this ship,
having no less than sixteen sick men between each gun, many of whom
could do nothing for themselves.
We had a long and very disagreeable passage; but I could have
submitted to all the hardships attending the voyage much better, had
it not been the dreadful wickedness that prevailed among us, as I
shall have occasion to exemplify: but, indeed, this was the principal
objection I had all along to the army; and it was the uncommon
wickedness of my own regiment which rendered my other troubles less
tolerable. But, to return to the children: when we embarked, an exact
list of the names of the men was sent along with us; and when my name
was called, and the children given in as belonging to me, the question
was very naturally asked, Why is one of these children named Fleming,
and the other Lee, when you are Serjeant B.? I related to them the
story of the children in as few words as possible, all the time
dreading lest they should not be permitted to go home with us; but the
Lord, who has the "hearts of all men in his hand, and turns them as
the rivers of water," gave us favour in the eyes of the Captain, who
not only allowed them to go, but in a very short time after we sailed
ordered his steward to give us regularly some broken meat after
dinner. In this, he not only relieved the fatherless, but us also; for
I generally received as much as sufficed both for my wife and myself.
This was a great blessing; for, had I been obliged to take the ship's
provisions, I certainly would have been at a great loss, considering
my weak state of body, and the perpetual thirst to which I was
subject. Here I thought I saw the blessing of God attending us for our
kindness to the orphans. Here the Lord proved himself to be "a father
to the fatherless," in putting it into our hearts to have compassion
upon them; and, "when father and mother (in a certain sense) had
forsaken them, then the Lord had thus taken them up."
I shall omit the greater part of my journal concerning this voyage; as
there is a great variety of matter in which the reader could take no
interest; such as our progress, the latitudes the ship reached at
different dates--the number of torn sails, and broken yards--the dates
of men's deaths, and to what regiments they belonged, &c. and notice a
few circumstances which deeply interested me; and these I will state
in nearly the same words as those in which they are inserted in my
journal, that you may see how they affected me at the time, and to
enable you better to understand what was my situation, and what sort
of companions I had on board. I have noted down part of their
discourse, just as it was uttered; and although you cannot be
entertained, but rather shocked at the wickedness of man, and
astonished at his depravity, yet the perusal may answer one good
purpose; it may, by the blessing of God, render you more thankful that
you are not compelled, as I was, to live among such monsters; but that
you have a home, be it never so homely, and opportunity given you to
read, meditate, and pray; that you have your Sabbaths and your
ordinances; and, in a word, "That you can sit under your vines and fig
trees, having none to make you afraid."
It was considerably against my comfort, while I was in this ship, that
I was almost totally deprived of my wife's company; for a Captain
Gordon of our regiment, who wished us both well, recommended her to a
lady, whom she attended during the passage, and who paid her very
handsomely for her trouble. This lady being in very delicate health,
my wife was almost constantly employed in her cabin. I therefore had
neither the pleasure of her company, nor much of her assistance in
looking after the orphans; so that, I may say, I was both father and
mother to them during the voyage.
_March 20._--I see the Sabbath is always particularly pitched
upon for wickedness of various kinds. I have thought that it was upon
account of my taking more particular notice of what was going on, and
having a greater desire to get myself composed for reading or serious
reflection upon this day, that led me to think it worse employed than
any other; but I perceive that I have been mistaken, for I find, upon
a more careful examination, that upon the Lord's day these poor
creatures seem as it were to think it a kind of unnecessary, as well
as a disagreeable restraint put upon them; and that they therefore
determine not to submit to it; and are resolved to make it appear that
they are such brave fellows that God shall not restrain them; but, by
their words, as well as their actions, say, "Our tongue is our own,
who is lord over us? surely we will break his bands asunder, and cast
away his chords from us."
This morning is introduced by swearing, obscene songs, abusing God's
holy ordinances, and trampling upon his laws:--One man says, "Boys,
get ready for drill;" another makes answer, "Drill, d----n! drill upon
a Sunday;" a third begins an obscene song, painful upon any day to a
modest ear; while a fourth says, "Leary, don't you know this is
Sunday?" to which he makes answer, "Yes; and that his song was the
text." This is certainly too much for me: I will go upon deck, and see
if I can find any peace there; but when I went upon deck, there was
one of our fine Scotsmen singing the "Blue Bells of Scotland," and the
ship-officers pouring out the most horrid oaths against the seamen;
while they, in return, were nothing behind, only in a lower tone, from
fear of being heard. Oh, where shall I fly from these detestable
beings, "whose throat is an open sepulchre, and whose mouth is full of
cursing and bitterness!" This is my company upon the Lord's day; this
is all I get for a sermon,--even cursing and swearing, obscene songs,
and filthy communications. It is dreadful! I think, were there no
other torments in hell but such society, there is an infinite cause of
gratitude due to that compassionate Saviour, "who has delivered his
people from it;" but exercise patience, O my soul! consider that "the
Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, as well as
to reserve the unjust until the day of judgment, to be punished." I
yet hope to have my Sabbaths and my ordinances. I yet hope to assemble
with the people of God in his house of prayer, and, from a real
experience, to say, "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts!
my soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord; my
heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God," &c.
_March 26._--Ten o'clock, P.M. One of the 30th Regiment departed
this life. We have had a most alarming night of it, having a breeze
right aft, and a sea running mountains high. It was necessary to
support the masts with strong hawsers, to keep them from going over
board. Upon the upper deck two of the carronades broke loose, with the
smith's forge, and one of the pig styes; and upon the gun deck, all
was a jumbled mass of confusion: the eighteen pound shot, foul water
buckets, tins, tin-pots, salt beef, biscuit; with hats, knapsacks, red
coats, and bags, knocking about among the salt water that was shipping
down the hatchways. What with the noise of wind and waves above, and
the rumbling and tumbling below, it was hardly possible to hear one
another speak; and, when you add to all this, our being in pitch
darkness[21], you may see our situation was by no means enviable, but,
on the contrary, very alarming and dangerous; yet these men could not
forbear cursing and swearing, and flying in the face of him that could
have sent us all to the bottom in a moment, ("and, O the infinite
patience and forbearance of that God who did not!") I say, had we at
this time gotten a watery grave, many of these hell-hardened creatures
must have gone into the presence of their offended judge, blaspheming
his holy and reverend name. O what a dreadful state is it to be
hardened in such a manner as to be unable to cease from this drudgery
even for a single hour when awake, but to "be led captive by Satan
at his will!" I have often thought, and it appears to me quite
scriptural, that the wicked arrive at a state of far greater
perfection in sin, and ripeness for hell in this world, than the
people of God do in holiness and meekness for heaven, because they are
the willing "servants of sin, and free from righteousness;" but the
people of God carry about with them, while here, a "deceitful heart,"
which often betrays them into that "which their renewed natures
abhor," and makes them cry out, "O wretched man!" But it is truly a
happy consideration, that when the "earthly house of this tabernacle
is dissolved," sin shall give us no more annoyance, for "we shall
behold his face in righteousness, and shall be satisfied when we awake
with his likeness," and shall inhabit that holy "house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens."
[21] We were allowed neither candle nor oil all the time we
were on board; but we sometimes cut off a piece of the fat
pork served out to us, and burned it in one of our iron
canteen lids.
_March 27._--The Psalmist says, in the cvii. Psalm, "They that go
down to the sea in ships, and do business in the great waters; these
see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep, for he
commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves
thereof; they mount up to the heavens, they go down again into the
deep; they reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man." Surely
they that are in such a situation, see much of the Almighty power of
that glorious Being, "who holds the wind in his fist, and the waters
in the hollow of his hand;" but in this ship, at least, we do not make
a right improvement of such striking calls to heavenly contemplation;
for we are this day viewing these wonderful displays of omnipotence,
but appear to be as insensible to their language as the finny
inhabitants of the great deep.
We had prayers read this day upon the quarter deck, which we heard
with difficulty; but the sound was scarcely out of our ears, when some
of our fine Scotsmen were at their old trade of cursing and swearing,
whistling and singing, regardless both of the Lord's day, and the
solemnity of his ordinances. I do not say but the men of other
countries are fully as wicked; but I think it much more strange of
Scotsmen; because, generally speaking, they receive better
instruction, and have had a better example set before them in their
youth; and, consequently, their sin is attended with many
aggravations. But I hope the time will come, when I shall have it in
my power to hear the Gospel preached, and be free from such depraved
society; for "as the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth
my soul after thee, O God! My soul thirsteth for God, for the living
God; when shall I come and appear before God?"
_April 3._--This is my birth-day; and I find it also to be the
Sabbath, by the way it has been introduced. I shall here note down a
specimen or two of the discourse I am at present compelled to hear,
that if it please the Lord to spare me to get out of this wicked
place, where the works of darkness are carried on, and where the
prince of darkness dwells, I may look at this, and remember my
situation, and bless God for my deliverance. They are now talking of
the different situations they are to hold when they go to h--ll. One
says, he will be door-keeper; another, that he will be ferryman to row
them over the river Styx; a third, that he is too bad for God, and he
is sure that the Devil will have nothing to do with him; and,
therefore, he must stand fast like the Old Buffs! But now they begin
to blaspheme the "great and terrible name of God!" I will not write
their awful expressions, but go out of the way a little, and, perhaps
their discourse may be less shocking when I return; but I cannot
expect much improvement while I am in this ship, because it is quite
natural for them to speak in this way. For it is "out of the abundance
of their heart that their mouth speaketh;" and they love to speak the
language of hell, because it is their native country; and people are
generally fond of speaking about the place they belong to.
_April 8._--This is Good Friday I understand, by some of our strict
religionists refusing to eat flesh. Yes, poor creatures, they are
afraid of polluting themselves, although they can vomit up a
belly-full of oaths without any remorse; and likewise trample upon
every thing that is sacred. They are surely a sad compound of
ignorance and superstition, for they do not consider that it is not
that which entereth into a man that can defile him; but that which
cometh out of him: these are the things which defile the man.
Early in the morning of the 10th of April we came in sight of the
long-wished for island of St. Helena. This was a place which had been
looked forward to with great eagerness by many in the ship besides
myself, although the objects we had in view were, I doubt not, very
different; for, so far as I am able to judge of my deceitful heart,
the principal motive with me was the hope of seeing the Bengal and
China fleets forward, as was generally expected, that we might not be
detained waiting for them, but steer straight onward for Europe, and
thus, by a prosperous voyage, I might be enabled sooner to leave these
wicked scenes, and arrive the sooner at that happy country where the
blessed streams of divine ordinances that make glad the city of our
God flow in all their abundance. This was what I believe I eagerly
coveted; my desires were, above all things, going out towards God, and
towards the remembrance of his name; but I have every reason to
believe the principal cause why many of my shipmates wished our
arrival at St. Helena so intensely, was on account of their not having
had it in their power, for a considerable time, to gratify a certain
very strong propensity, produced by habit; or, in other words, there
had raged amongst us, for some weeks, a famine of tobacco; the men had
not counted on so tedious a passage to St. Helena, and, from this
fatal mistake, they had not provided themselves with a sufficient
stock before they came on board. The condition of many of these poor,
miserable men, was indeed fitted to draw pity from all who knew from
experience any thing of the amazing force of that desire, and take
into account the present impossibility of getting it gratified, while,
on the other hand, those who are free men, and not slaves to this
lust, might be disposed to treat such people with contempt rather than
sympathy, for being brought into such a miserably restless condition
for the lack of an insignificant, unsightly leaf, and might think, if
they had been in their circumstances, they would have thrown the pipe
overboard, and have resolved against ever touching it again in their
lives; but this is easier said than done, and this I know was a
sacrifice which my unhappy shipmates found entirely too great to be
accomplished.--No, to leave off smoking, and to cast away the pipe as
a nuisance, was altogether out of the question; for smoke they must,
although the appetite by which they were held in bondage compelled
them to employ a strange and disgusting substitute for tobacco; for
they had, for a number of days, been under the necessity of using a
bit of tarry-rope yarn, in the form of oakum, with which they filled
their pipes; and at that sickening stuff they would suck away until
they were like persons in the rage of a fever, occasioned by the
immoderate use of intoxicating liquors. We here see the great need
there is for putting in practice the Apostle's resolution, "to beat
under the body and keep it in subjection," that we may not be brought
under the power of habits and practices, which, if not absolutely
sinful in themselves, are almost sure to lead to much evil. This was,
however, a great misery from which I was exempted; for although I had
used tobacco for a series of years, my propensity to it by this time
was completely abated. The reason of my giving up the use of tobacco
was this:--Previously to our leaving Punamalee, I went to the doctor
in charge of invalids, and told him I was afraid that smoking was
unfavourable to my constitution, as it always excited a great
palpitation at my breast, and a considerable desire to drink. He told
me that if it produced such effects as I had described, it would be
much better for me to give it up if I possibly could; but added he
was afraid that I would find it rather difficult, as it was a habit
not easily overcome. However, I promised to take his advice, and
accordingly the moment I entered the barracks, I gave all my sea-stock
of pipes and tobacco to one of the men; and by this one act, and the
putting in full force the resolution I had formed, I was soon
delivered from the desire itself, and was exempted from the dreadful
effects of the present famine of that plant; the want of which has
caused so much uneasiness to individuals, and such great disturbances
and privations in families; and which, in no small degree, drove on
our unprincipled shipmates to curse father and mother, the day of
their birth, and even that providence that had placed them in
circumstances wherein it was impossible for them to obtain it. But
although I was not in their state with regard to that tormenting
desire, yet the intelligent Christian reader will easily perceive some
resemblance between their condition and mine. The expedient to which
they had recourse in the absence of tobacco, gave them considerably
more pain than pleasure, and rather mocked and tantalized, than
gratified their propensity.
In like manner, I may say, that in my attempts to get any spiritual
consolation, I had more pain than profit; for when I set myself to
read, meditate, or pray, I was sure to meet with some miserable
opposition to distract my mind, which, perhaps, proved as great a
trial to me as it would have been to one of these persons, at that
time, to have had a pipe full of good tobacco snatched from his mouth,
when he was in the act of enjoying it after his long abstinence. I use
this similitude as I cannot find one upon the whole more suitable to
represent my condition. They however had, on our arrival at St.
Helena, considerably the advantage of me, for we were hardly well
anchored when the idol of their hearts was presented to them; but,
alas! it was far otherwise with me; for, to my great mortification,
there seemed no great likelihood of my soon enjoying that happiness
which "my soul was following hard after;" for, instead of the fleets
being forward, there was only one outward-bound Indiaman lying in the
bay. I see, therefore, O my soul! that there is nothing for it but
patience; and, O Lord, grant that patience may have her perfect work,
and let my present state of tribulation work patience, and a hope that
will not make ashamed; and yet it is heart-breaking to think that I
may be in this ship, and among these men, three months longer; but, O
my soul, wait thou upon the Lord in the best way you can; be of good
courage and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord.
Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it
to pass. He shall even give thee the desire of thine heart.
_April 20._--I was sent ashore to St. Helena this day, to bring
two of our invalids on board. They received a pass until three o'clock
yesterday, but did not return until I brought them from the
main-guard, being confined for some misbehaviour ashore.
There was one of the 25th light dragoons died this day. We have had
several deaths; but I mention this because of some circumstances
attending it, as a further illustration of the character of those
people amongst whom I dwell. I was amusing myself with a tune upon my
violin, to drown the painful sound of that cursing and swearing which
abounds, when one of the men interrupted me by saying, "Serjeant
B----, don't you know that there is a man dying?" I answered, that "I
did not know that he had been so ill." I went, therefore, immediately
to see him, and found one of his comrades standing by the side of his
hammock, attempting to comfort him in _his own_ way. Another of
his comrades, with a horrid curse, said, "Let him alone; let him sleep
away, can't you?" But while he was yet speaking, the spirit of the
dying man departed; and now they are beginning to enumerate all his
good qualities, which, alas for him, were very few. One says he was a
---- good fellow; another, he was a bloody good soldier; and a third,
he was a h----h obliging fellow; and a fourth wished himself to be
d----d if he should be thrown into the sea, for he would collect money
in the ship to bury him ashore; while one of the former speakers
declares, that he had prayed to God for him, and was sure he must now
be happy. "Surely even the tender mercies of the wicked are
cruel."--"My soul, come not thou into their secret, into their
assembly mine honour be not thou united." I could have wished to have
spoken to them about the absurdity, as well as the criminality of such
conduct; but I knew that it would have had a bad effect, as it "would
be giving that which is holy to dogs, and casting pearls before swine;
and, therefore, they would no doubt have trampled them under their
feet," and turned upon me with abusive language, and thus have sunk
themselves deeper in guilt; so, upon a due consideration, I saw it to
be my wisdom to keep "my mouth as with a bridle." But while I am yet
writing, their temporary feelings of grief are over, and now they
commence singing, and swearing, and arguing. Now from words they are
coming to blows: I certainly must interfere, as being a part of my
duty; but already the fight is over, and they are becoming more quiet.
There is some disturbance upon deck: I will go and find out what is
the cause. I have just learned, that the man who was talking so much
about his prayers for the person just departed, was taken in the act
of throwing himself overboard!--Poor creature, you are rescued from
the jaws of death a little longer. But what can I expect from such
men? He who infallibly knew "what is in man, and needed not that any
should testify unto him", says that "a corrupt tree cannot bring forth
good fruit."
_April 23._--The dead man was interred this day upon the island;
but it certainly would have been much better had he been thrown
overboard in the usual manner; for the men, embracing the opportunity
of getting ashore, where they could have plenty of liquor, returned at
night drunk, and we had truly a dismal ship of it. It was no doubt
insufferable at all times to a person who desired good order and
quietness; but this night was by far the most dreadful we have
experienced, for all the foul and detestable language that the devil
and themselves could invent was brought forward; every thing that was
horrid in cursing and swearing seemed to have been collected on this
occasion; and their obscenity went so far as to expose their fathers
and mothers in such a way as was shocking beyond conception. Had they
really been begotten and born by the worst men and women that ever
lived, it was impossible that they could have been guilty of what
their vile children now laid to their charge. "But woe to the man that
saith unto his father, what begettest thou? and to the woman, what
hast thou brought forth?"
This was not all: One of them openly threatened to have blood for
supper! and that lives should go for it before the morning, if the
devil was alive, and as sure as God Almighty was ----! but I dare not
venture to pollute my paper, or shock my readers, by reciting his
expressions, which were only fit for the ears of men already in the
place of everlasting torment. I had too much reason to think that my
wife and I were the objects of his malice, and I did not know how to
act. I knew that to confine him would only make matters worse when he
should be released again; for he would then have some shadow of excuse
for taking his revenge. His malice, as far as I knew, was entirely
unfounded, for we had done him no harm, unless it was by conducting
ourselves in a manner somewhat like what we ought to do; or because he
saw us taken favourable notice of by the Captain, on account of the
children. I therefore thought it would be our duty to remain upon
deck, until the heat of his rage, and the heat of the liquor, were a
little abated. But I found myself in too weakly a state of body to
expose myself so long to the cold damp air, else I would have been
inclined to this measure; for I saw, that to go below was attended
with danger. After some deliberation, I resolved to commit myself and
family to the care of the "keeper of Israel, who neither slumbers nor
sleeps;" and we accordingly went to our hammocks, yielding ourselves
wholly to the protection of our heavenly Father, in language similar
to that of the Psalmist, when exposed to still more imminent dangers:
"In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion.
Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline thine
ear unto me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I
may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for
thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the
hand of the wicked; out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man:
for thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. O
Lord, be thou our hiding place; thou alone can preserve us from
trouble;" and, in thy good time, O our God, do thou "compass us about
with songs of deliverance."
We therefore lay down and slept quietly, because "the Lord made us to
dwell in safety," even in the midst of danger. But after my first
sleep, which was sweet, as my manner was, I arose to put the children
to rights; and the first thing I laid my hand on, upon the top of my
chest, was a razor fixed into a piece of wood, with a ring of lead
round the handle; but my astonishment and terror were much increased,
when I next found Mr. H., the man who had used the threatening
language, lying upon the deck beside the chest, fast asleep. You may
be sure I was not a little surprised to find matters in this state;
for although I did suspect, and had great reason to suspect, that he
intended us mischief, yet I partly persuaded myself, that after he had
worn himself out with cursings, and threatenings of slaughter and
vengeance, he would have become quiet, and forgotten us; but I now saw
it to be otherwise: for here was a tolerably clear proof that he
intended to carry his threats into execution against us when asleep;
"but he that was for us, was stronger than all that were against us."
Blessed be God, who delivered us from this "bloody and deceitful man."
I thought it would be the best way to make no noise about it; and
therefore threw the razor overboard, without even telling my wife the
circumstance at the time, and returned again to my hammock, until
gun-fire. But, as a proof that my suspicions were well-founded, I must
notice, that this razor never was inquired after. Had it belonged to
any other of the men, there is little doubt but that they would have
made a noise about it: and I would farther remark, that this man's
conduct towards us was henceforth very different from what it had
formerly been, being much more friendly during the time we remained in
the ship.
_May 19._--My mind was this day somewhat relieved, by the arrival
of the China and Bengal fleets, as my hopes were excited that we would
soon get out of the sight of these dreary rocks, which we had been
looking upon, with sorrowful eyes, for these five weeks; but, to my
sore mortification, I was again disappointed; for one of the frigates
had suffered shipwreck the night before, by running against an
Indiaman. The way it took place was this: The signal was given for the
fleet to change their course; but the officer of the watch belonging
to the merchant ship had either not been paying proper attention, or
the hands had not been active enough in wearing their vessel round,
and she still being upon her old tack, and the man of war upon the
new direction, they ran foul of each other.--The frigate had her
boltsprit, main-top, and top-gallant mast, fore-top, and top-gallant
mast, carried away, and sprung her mizzen, so that she was altogether
unmanageable; she had consequently to be towed into St. Helena by
thirty of the boats belonging to the fleet, with her yards, sails, and
masts, all hanging overboard; and was really in the worst state ever I
had seen a ship before. This was a bad concern both for them and us at
the time; for we were anxious to get away, and they no doubt were very
sorry for the damage they had received; but, upon account of this, we
were all ordered to remain until she was refitted, which was in about
a fortnight.
_May 27._ One of the men belonging to the 30th regiment died, and
the last words I heard him utter, were a very common, but very
dreadful imprecation; yet some of the survivors are saying, that it is
well for him that he is gone, as if a person had no farther account to
give; not considering that after death there is a judgment. Oh! what a
vast difference there is between the death of the wicked, and that of
the righteous; for "the wicked are driven away _in their
wickedness_, but the righteous have hope in their death." It is
truly lamentable to see men so hardened; nothing, it would seem, will
be a warning to them; for, although this is the Lord's day, and one of
their comrades is lying before them lifeless, yet are they playing at
cards, whistling and singing, cursing and swearing alternately. O
Lord, make me thankful for thy grace, make me thankful that thou hast
not left me to the full force of my corruptions, to be carried away
with them as with a flood; for what was I better than they? therefore
I have nothing to glory of, because I have nothing but what I have
received. "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name be the
glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake."
_June 2._ This is a happy day for some of us, for we are now moving
towards home, and looking forward to see old Scotland once more.
These feelings, together with the beautiful prospect of the fleet,
consisting of fifty-one large ships, have an exhilarating effect upon
the spirits. We had a serjeant of our regiment sent to the bottom this
day in the usual form: which is, to sew up the person in his hammock,
and to put a large shot or two at the feet to make him sink. When the
corpse is prepared, it is carried upon deck, laid upon a grating, and
covered with the union jack flag, and, after prayers are read over it
in the English form, it is committed to the waves. It does not always
sink immediately, for I have seen a dead body thrown over, in this
way, move up and down like a bottle cast into a tub, as long as it was
within our view, even when we were sailing at a very slow rate.
_June 12._ We crossed the equinoctial line this day. It is rather
singular (as I found by my journal) that we crossed it on that very
day seven years ago, on my voyage to India. If it please God, I hope I
shall never cross it again.
It is now nineteen weeks since we left Madras. This Sabbath, as usual,
is dreadfully profaned. I have been trying to read a little, to
comfort myself, but I find it to be impossible, because of the
wickedness by which I am surrounded; but lest I should become grievous
to the reader by repeating the same things so often, I will, from this
time, leave off any farther representations of this kind; and the
reader may perhaps, from what I have already stated since I came on
board of this ship, say, that I have been exhibiting an unfair and a
too melancholy picture of man's depravity, and be apt also to say, or
at least think, that if I were possessed of that Christian charity
which thinketh no evil, I would hardly have said so much; and
conclude, that I am some peevish, melancholy, uncharitable man; but
judge not without proper evidence, "lest ye also be judged;" and take
care that in judging me thou dost not "condemn thyself." Would to God
I had not been able to say so much; had there been but one A. Chevis
in the ship, how would it have cheered my spirits and repressed my
complaints! for we could have borne one another's burdens: and it
would have been far, very far, from me to have hid this "excellent
one" from your view; but I have searched here with as anxious care
to find a good man, as ever Solomon did to find a good woman, and
unless I should be guilty of a lie, must declare, that I have not
seen an individual amongst all those with whom I dwell, who does not
habitually take the name of God in vain; and certainly you will not
call these good men; for _this_ is none of the spots of God's
children, whatever "iniquities may prevail against them." I have
informed the reader also that I had not the advantage of my wife's
company, as she was always engaged in the cabin with her mistress.
If he will then take all these circumstances into account, and
attentively weigh them with an unprejudiced mind, I have no doubt but
that he will be more disposed to pity than condemn me, seeing that I
was doomed to six months of this dreadful society, which was worse to
me than all my other hardships.
_July 18._ We have been becalmed for this fortnight past, and
attended by a shark nearly all that time. It is rather singular, that
I have always observed, both in my voyage to and from India, that we
had always a death when this happened. I can give no rational account
of this phenomenon, unless it be that the acute smell of this animal
enables him to find out when there is sickness in a ship, and induces
him to follow it in the hope of prey, when a body is thrown overboard.
We have had a corpse thrown over this day, and will therefore soon be
clear of our visitor. It is surprising that the shark can do such
execution, if we consider the slenderness of his teeth, which resemble
that of a saw, or rather a trap for catching rats; and they are
generally provided with a double row of these, solid all round the
jaw; but I have seen them nearly as thin as the main spring of a
watch; yet he can cut through even bones with the utmost ease.
I shall give you an instance in proof of this assertion, which is the
following:--The soldiers in India generally keep boys to carry their
victuals, when on guard, or wash a pair of trowsers, or a shirt for
them, if they run short before the washerman comes with their clothes:
and when we lay in Madras, (where by the bye we could get young sharks
to buy in the bazaar, as we do _speldings_ in this country, at a
halfpenny each,) one of these boys, after having washed his master's
clothes, went into the sea to bathe, while they were drying; and,
being a good swimmer, he ventured beyond the surf, when a shark
perceiving him, whipt off his leg, in half the time one of our
anatomists would have done it with his saw. But this is not the most
affecting part of the story; for although the poor little fellow had
lost his leg, and with great difficulty reached the shore, leaving the
water, as he came along, tinged with blood, he, in his dying moments,
told his comrades who were upon the beach with him, where his master's
clothes were lying, and desired that they would take them safe to the
barracks: medical assistance was immediately called, but before the
surgeon could reach the place, his spirit was fled. It is remarkable
that these fish, when they are in pursuit of their prey, admit their
young, in the same manner as some species of the serpent do, into a
cavity of their belly, which God, in his wonder-working providence,
has provided for their reception. In proof hereof, when we were going
to India, one of the sailors, having out his shark line at the stern
of the vessel, which is generally done when they observe this fish
following, he hooked a very large one, and hauled it into the ship, by
a tackle from the end of the main-yard; and after having the fish
fairly on board, one of the sailors took a large hatchet, with which
he cut off its head; and to the no small alarm of the bare-footed
soldiers, who made the best of their way off in all directions, out
sprung no less than eleven young sharks, tumbling and gaping about the
deck, to the great danger of all feet and toes within their reach.
Some of these young ones were three feet long. The sailors very
frequently eat this fish, on account of its being fresh; and this one
was accordingly cut into junks, (as they call it,) and divided among
the crew. I tasted, through curiosity, a little bit of it, which had a
very strong disagreeable flavour; but the very idea of them devouring
human flesh, is enough to make one shudder, although their taste
should excel that of the finest turtle. I would further observe, that
the shark does not give his teeth much trouble in chewing his food,
for we took another the same day, which had a six pound piece of beef
in his belly, not the least macerated; and the tally[22] of the mess to
which the beef belonged, still tied to it with a string.
[22] The tally is a piece of wood, with the number of the
mess to which it belongs marked upon it. These are used
on board a ship, to distinguish between the pieces of
meat,--for without something of this kind, it would be
impossible for one mess to know its own.
_July 24._--We saw one of the Western Islands upon our starboard
bow--we saw also two strange sail, supposed to be American privateers;
our frigates and gun brigs went in chace immediately, but they have
not returned to the fleet as yet. We have a very stiff breeze, and a
heavy sea, and have shipped a wave just now which has swept some of
the men off the hatchway.
_July 29._--We have had a heavy gale these three days and nights,
but the worst of it is, the wind is almost right a-head; and we
consequently have made very little way. The children have been in
their hammock all that time without light, except when the men
occasionally lighted a bit of fat pork (as I said they sometimes did)
to eat their victuals; and when I took them upon deck they were like
new started hares, and jumped and ran about until I was obliged to
restrain them from fear of their driving themselves against the sides
of the ship.
_Aug. 4._--A large boat is come along side of us from Torbay upon
chance, to take away _certain_ goods from the passengers. I spoke
to one of the boatmen, who told me that we are about thirty miles from
land, and two of the sailors have been sent to the mast head to look
out for it; we have also received our pilot, and are running about
nine knots an hour. Truly this is delightful; and I trust, that he who
has preserved us hitherto, will bring us in "safety into the desired
haven."
_Aug. 11._--We have had considerable difficulty in getting up the
river, on account of the wind being contrary; but we are now safe
moored, and they are beginning to take out the guns to lighten her,
that they may be able to get her up to Blackwall. There is an order
just come for us to go ashore to-morrow. Joyful news, to think of
getting out of this miserably wicked place! how it enlivens my spirits
besides to view the fields of corn, and the cattle feeding by the
sides of the river, particularly when it is, I may say, my native
country! O, what time brings about; for I have often almost despaired
of ever seeing it; and, although I am now a poor feeble creature,
hardly able to crawl, yet as Solomon says, "while we are joined to all
the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead
lion;" and I bless God, that I am "the living, the living to praise
him," while hundreds of my comrades are rotting upon a foreign shore.
_Aug. 12._--We got all safe ashore at Chelsea, which place was
completely crowded with invalids from the Continent, besides those
from India; they were in all about four thousand. The Tower and
Chelsea being full, some hundreds were billeted in the country. This
promised very badly with regard to pension, and upon the 14th of
September, 1814, the day on which I passed, there were several
hundreds who did not get a penny. I, however, received ninepence,
which, after all, was but a small recompense for all my hardships, and
their bad effects upon my constitution, and a service of fourteen
years in the 26th, and Royals together; but had it not been that I was
so long Serjeant and Fife-Major of the latter regiment, I would not
have received more than sixpence. I desire to be thankful, however,
for this allowance; although it be small, it is always something to
look to.