_Capt._ "And as for these whose ransome we have set,
It is our pleasure, one of them depart:--
Therefore come you with us, and let him go."
King Henry VI.
By such simple means, and without resistance, as it might be, did I
recover the possession of my ship, the Dawn. But, now that the good vessel
was in my power, it was by no means an easy thing to say what was to be
done with her. We were just on the verge of the ground occupied by the
channel cruisers, and it was preposterous to think of running the gauntlet
among so many craft, with the expectation of escaping. It is true, we
might fall in with twenty English man-of-war vessels, before we met with
another Speedy, to seize us and order us into Plymouth, had everything
been in order and in the usual state; but no cruiser would or could board
us, and not demand the reasons why so large a ship should be navigated by
so small a crew. It was over matters like these that Marble and I now
consulted, no one being on the quarter-deck but the mate, who stood at the
wheel, and myself. The cook was keeping a look-out on the forecastle. The
Englishman had lain down, in full view, by my orders, at the foot of the
main-mast; while Neb, ever ready to sleep when not on duty, was catching a
nap on the booms.
"We have got the ship, Moses," I commenced, "and the question next arises,
what we are to do with her?"
"Carry her to her port of destination, Captain Wallingford, to be sure.
What else _can_ we do with her, sir?"
"Ay, that is well enough, if it can be done. But, in addition to the
difficulty of four men's taking care of a craft of five hundred tons, we
have a sea before us that is covered with English cruisers."
"As for the four men, you may safely set us down as eight. I'll engage we
do as much in a blow, as eight such fellows as are picked up now-a-days
'long shore. The men of the present time are mere children to those one
met with in my youth, Miles!"
"Neither Neb, nor the cook, nor I, am a man of other times, but are all
men of to-day; so you must call us but three, after all. I know we can do
much; but a gale may come that would teach us our insignificance. As it
is, we are barely able to furl the main-top-gallant-sail in a squall,
leaving one hand at the wheel, and another to let go rigging. No, no,
Moses; we must admit we are rather short-handed, putting the best face on
the matter."
"If you generalize in that mode, Miles, my dear boy, I must allow that we
are. We can go up channel, and ten chances to one but we fall in with
some Yankee, who will lend us a hand or two."
"We shall be twice as likely to meet with King George's ships, who will
overhaul our articles, and want to know what has become of the rest of
our people."
"Then we'll tell 'em that the rest of the crew has been pressed; they know
their own tricks too well, not to see the reasonableness of such an idee."
"No officer would leave a vessel of this size with only her master, mate,
cook, and one man, to take care of her, even had he found a crew of
deserters from his own ship in her. In such a case, and admitting a right
to impress from a foreigner at all, it would be his duty to send a party
to carry the craft into port. No, no, Moses--we must give all the English
a wide berth, now, or they will walk us into Plymouth, yet."
"Blast the hole! I was in it, a prisoner, during the revvylushun, and
never want to see its face ag'in. They've got what they call the Mill
Prison there, and it's a mill that does grinding less to my taste, than
the thing of your'n at Clawbonny. Why not go north-about, Miles? There
must be few cruisers up that-a-way."
"The road is too long, the weather is apt to be too thick, and the coast
is too dangerous for us, Moses. We have but two expedients to choose
between--to turn our heads to the westward, and try to get home, trusting
to luck to bring us up with some American who will help us, or steer due
east and run for a French port--Bordeaux for instance--where we might
either dispose of the cargo, or ship a new crew, and sail for our port of
destination."
"Then try the last, by all means. With this wind, we might shove the ship
in with the land in the course of two or three days, and go clear of
everything! I like the idee, and think it can be carried out. Burdux is
always full of Americans, and there must be men enough, to be had for the
asking, knocking about the quays."
After a little further conversation, we determined on this plan, and set
about carrying it into execution on the spot. In rounding-to, the ship had
been brought by the wind on the larboard tack, and was standing to the
northward and westward, instead of to the eastward, the course we now
wished to steer. It was necessary, therefore, to ware round and get the
ship's head in the right direction. This was not a difficult manoeuvre at
all, and the Englishman helping us, with seeming good-will, it was soon
successfully executed. When this was accomplished, I sent the English
sailor into the cabin to keep Diggens company, and we set a watch on deck
of two and two, Marble and myself taking charge four hours and four hours,
in the old mode.
I acknowledge that I slept little that night. Two or three limes we
detected Sennit attempting to haul close up under the ship's stern, out of
all question with a view to surprise us, but as often would he drop to the
length of his tow-rope, us he saw Marble's head, or mine, watching him
above the taffrail. When the day dawned I was called, and was up and on
the look-out as our horizon enlarged and brightened round the ship. The
great object was to ascertain, as early as possible, what vessels might be
in our neighbourhood.
But a solitary sail was visible. She appeared to be a ship of size,
close-hauled, heading to the southward and eastward: by steering on our
proper course, or certainly by diverging a little to the northward, it
would be an easy matter to speak her. As I could plainly see she was not a
ship of war, my plan was formed in a moment. On communicating it to
Marble, it met with his entire approbation. Measures were taken,
accordingly, to carry it into immediate execution.
In the first place, I ordered Sennit, who was awake, and had been, I
believe, the whole night, to haul the boat up and to lay hold of one of
the boat-tackles. This he did willingly enough, no doubt expecting that he
was to be received into the ship, under a treaty. I stood on the look-out
to prevent an attack, one man being abundantly able to keep at bay a dozen
who could approach only by ascending a rope hand over hand, while Marble
went below to look after the two worthies who had been snoring all night
in the cabin. In a minute my mate reappeared, leading up the seaman, who
was still more asleep than awake. This man was directed to lay hold of the
tackle and slide down into the boat. There being no remedy, and descending
being far easier than ascending, this exploit was soon performed, and we
were well rid of one of our enemies. Sennit now began to remonstrate, and
to point out the danger there was of being towed under, the ship going
through the water the whole time at the rate of five or six knots. I knew,
however, that the English were too skilful to run the risk of being
drowned, unnecessarily, and that they would let go of the tackle before
they would suffer the boat to be swamped. It was ticklish work, I allow;
but they succeeded surprisingly well in taking care of themselves.
We had more difficulty with Diggens. This fellow had been so beastly
drunk, that he scarce knew what he was about when awoke; and Marble rather
dragged him on deck, and aft to the taffrail, than assisted him to walk.
There we got him at last; and he was soon dangling by the tackle. So
stupid and enervated was the master's mate, however, that he let go his
hold, and went into the ocean. The souse did him good, I make no doubt;
and his life was saved by his friends, one of the sailors catching him by
the collar, and raising him into the boat.
Sennit availed himself of this accident, to make further remonstrances on
the subject of having any more men put in the boat. It was easy to see, it
was as much his policy to get everybody out of that little conveyance, as
it was mine to get all the English into her.
"For God's sake, Captain Wallingford, knock off with this, if you please;"
cried the lieutenant, with a most imploring sort of civility of
manner.--"You see how it is; we can barely keep the boat from swamping,
with the number we have in her; and a dozen times during the night I
thought the ship would drag her under. Nothing can be easier than for you
to secure us all, if you will let us come on board, one at a time."
"I do not wish to see you in irons, Mr. Sennit; and this will remove any
necessity for resorting to an expedient so unpleasant. Hold on upon the
tackle, therefore, as I shall feel obliged to cast you off entirely,
unless you obey orders."
This threat had the desired effect. One by one, the men were let up out of
the forecastle, and sent into the boat. Cooked meat, bread, rum and water,
were supplied to the English; and, to be ready to meet any accident, we
lowered them a compass, and Sennit's quadrant. We did the last at his own
earnest request, for he seemed to suspect we intended sending him adrift,
as indeed was my plan, at the proper moment.
Although the boat had now twelve men in her, she was in no danger, being a
stout, buoyant six-oared yawl, that might have held twenty, on an
emergency. The weather looked promising, too,--the wind being just a good
top-gallant breeze, for a ship steering full and by. The only thing about
which I had any qualms, was the circumstance that south-west winds were
apt to bring mists, and that the boat might thus be lost. The emergency,
nevertheless, was one that justified some risks, and I pursued my
plan steadily.
As soon as all the English were in the boat, and well provided with
necessaries, we felt at more liberty to move about the ship, and exert
ourselves in taking care of her. The man at the wheel could keep an eye on
the enemy,--the Dawn steering like a pilot-boat. Neb was sent aloft, to do
certain necessary duty, and the top-gallant-sails being loose, the
clew-lines were overhauled, and the sails set. I did this more to prevent
the English ship from suspecting something wrong, at seeing a vessel
running off, before the wind, under such short canvass, than from any
desire to get ahead, since we were already going so fast as to render it
probable we should pass the other vessel, unless we altered our course
to meet her.
Diogenes Billings, the cook, had now a little leisure to serve us a warm
breakfast. If Mr. Sennit were living, I think he would do us the justice
to say he was not forgotten. We sent the people in the boat some good hot
coffee, well sweetened, and they had a fair share of the other comfortable
eatables of which we partook ourselves. We also got out, and sent them the
masts and regular sails of the boat, which was fitted to carry two sprits.
By this time the stranger ship was within two leagues of us, and it became
necessary to act. I sent Marble aloft to examine the horizon, and he came
down to report nothing else was in sight. This boded well. I proceeded at
once to the taffrail, where I hailed the boat, desiring Sennit to haul her
up within comfortable conversing distance. This was done immediately.
"Mr. Sennit," I commenced, "it is necessary for us to part here. The ship
in sight is English, and will take you up. I intend to speak her, and will
take care that she knows where you are. By standing due east you will
easily cut her off, and there cannot be a doubt of her picking you up."
"For heaven's sake, consider a moment, Capt. Wallingford," Sennit
exclaimed, "before you abandon us out here, a thousand miles from land."
"You are just three hundred and twenty-six miles from Scilly, and not much
more from the Land's End, Mr. Sennit, with a wind blowing dead for both.
Then your own countrymen will pick you up, of a certainty, and carry you
safe into port."
"Ay--into one of the West-India Islands; if an Englishman at all, yonder
vessel is a running West-Indiaman; she may take us all the way
to Jamaica."
"Well, then you will have an opportunity of returning at your leisure. You
wished to take me almost as much out of my course; or, if not absolutely
out of my course, quite as much out of my time. I have as little relish
for Plymouth as you seem to have for Jamaica."
"But, the stranger may be a Frenchman--now, I look at him, he has a French
look."
"If he should be French, he will treat you well. It will be exchanging
beef for soup-maigre for a week or two. These Frenchmen eat and drink as
well as you English."
"But, Capt. Wallingford, their prisons! This fellow, Bonaparte, exchanges
nobody this war, and if I get into France I am a ruined man!"
"And if I had gone into Plymouth, I fear I should have been a ruined man,
too."
"Remember, we are of the same blood, after all--people of the same
stock--just as much countrymen as the natives of Kent and Suffolk. Old
Saxon blood, both of us."
"Thank you, sir; I shall not deny the relationship, since it is your
pleasure to claim it. I marvel, however, you did not let your cousin's
ship pass without detaining her."
"How could I help it, my dear Wallingford? Lord Harry is a nobleman, and a
captain, and what could a poor devil of a lieutenant, whose commission is
not a year old, do against such odds! No--no--there should be more feeling
and good-fellowship between chaps like you and me, who have their way to
make in the world."
"You remind me of the necessity of being in motion.--Adieu, Mr.
Sennit--cut, Moses!"
Marble struck a blow with the axe on-the studding-sail halyards, and away
the Dawn glided, leaving the boat tossing on the waves, twenty fathoms
further astern, on the very first send of the sea. What Mr. Sennit _said_,
I could not hear, now, but I very plainly saw him shake his fist at me,
and his head, too; and I make no manner of doubt, if he called me
anything, that he did not call me a gentleman. In ten minutes the boat was
fully a mile astern. At first Sennit did not appear disposed to do
anything, lying motionless on the water, in sullen stillness; but wiser
thoughts succeeded, and, stepping his two masts, in less than twenty
minutes I saw his sails spread, and the boat making the best of its way to
get into the track of the stranger.
It had been my intention, originally, to speak the strange ship, as I had
told Sennit; but seeing there was no probability of her altering her
course, so as to pass the boat, I changed my purpose, and stood directly
athwart her fore-foot, at about half a mile's distance. I set the Yankee
bunting, and she showed the English ensign, in return. Had she been
French, however, it would have made no odds to me; for, what did I care
about my late captors becoming prisoners of war? They had endeavoured to
benefit themselves at my cost, and I was willing enough to benefit myself
at theirs.
We made our preparations for setting studding sails now, though I thought
there were signs of a desire in the Englishman to speak me. I knew he must
be armed, and felt no wish to gratify him, inasmuch as he might take it
into his head to make some inquiries concerning the boat, which if not
already visible from his decks, soon must be. I was certain the Dawn, deep
as she was, would go four feet to the Indiaman's three, and, once past
him, I had no apprehensions in the event of a chase.
The English ship caught sight of the boat, when we were about a mile on
his lee quarter, with lower and top-mast studding-sails set, going quite
eight knots, on a due east course. We became aware of the fact, by her
hoisting a jack at the fore. From that moment I gave myself no concern on
the subject of Sennit and his prize-crew. Twenty minutes later, we saw the
ship back her main-top-sail, and, by means of the glasses, we plainly
perceived the boat alongside of her. After some delay, the yawl was
hoisted on the deck of the ship, and the latter filled her top-sail. I had
some curiosity to ascertain what would come next. It would seem that
Sennit actually induced the master of the West-Indiaman to give chase;
for, no sooner did the vessel gather way, than she bore up, after us,
packing on everything that would draw. We were greatly rejoiced at having
improved the leisure time, in making sail ourselves; for, having a lower
studding-sail and two top-mast studding-sails on the ship, when this race
began, I did not feel much apprehension of being overtaken. By way of
making more sure of an escape, however, we set the royals.
When the West-Indiaman bore up in chase, we were about two leagues ahead
of our pursuer. So far from lessening this distance, though she carried
royal studding-sails, we gradually increased it to three, until, satisfied
he could do nothing, the master of the strange ship took in his light
sails, and hauled by the wind again, carrying the late prize-crew in a
direct line from England. I afterwards learned that Sennit and his
companions were actually landed in the island of Barbadoes, after a
pleasant passage of only twenty-six days. I make no doubt it took them much
longer to get back again; for it was certain not one of them had
reappeared in England six months from that day.
We now had the ship to ourselves, though with a very diminished crew. The
day was the time to sleep; and relieving each other at the wheel, those
who were off duty, slept most of the time, when they were not eating. At
six in the evening, however, all hands were up, making our preparations
for the night.
At that hour, the wind was steady and favourable; the horizon clear of
vessels of every sort, and the prospects of a pleasant night were
sufficiently good. The run in the course of the day was equal to one
hundred miles, and I computed the distance to Brest, at something less
than four hundred miles. By getting in nearer with the land, I should
have the option of standing for any French port I pleased, that lay
between Cherbouig and Bayonne.
"Well, Moses," I observed to my old friend and shipmate, when we had
finished our survey, "this looks promising! As long as the wind remains in
this quarter, we shall do well enough; should we actually get in safely, I
shall not regret the delay, the credit of having done so good a thing, and
of having done it so well, being worth as much to me, as any interest on
capital, or wear and tear of gear, can possibly be. As for Mr. Sennit, I
fancy he is some sixty or eighty miles off here at the southward and
westward, and we've done with him for the voyage."
"Suppose he should fall in with the Speedy, and report what has happened,
Miles?" returned the mate. "I have been calculating that chance. The
stranger was standing directly for the frigate's cruising ground, and he
may meet her. We will not halloo, 'till we're out of the woods."
"That risk is so remote, I shall not let it give me any trouble. It is my
intention to run in for the land at our fastest rate of sailing, and, then
profit by the best wind that offers, to get into the nearest haven. If you
can suggest a better scheme, Moses, I invite you to speak."
Marble assented, though I perceived he was not entirely free from the
apprehension he had named until the next morning arrived, bringing with it
no change, and still leaving us a clear sea. That day and the succeeding
night, too, we made a capital run, and at meridian of the third day after
the recapture of the Dawn, I calculated our position to be just one
hundred and four miles to the southward and eastward of Ushant. The wind
had shifted, however, and it had just come out light at north-east. We
went to work, all hands of us, to get in the studding-sails, and to brace
up and haul aft; an operation that consumed nearly two hours. We were so
busily employed, indeed, as to have little or no time to look about us,
and my surprise was the less, therefore, when the cook called out "sail
ho!" I was busy trimming the main-yard, when this announcement was made,
and looking up, I saw a lugger standing towards us, and already within
long gun-shot. I afterwards ascertained that perceiving us to be
approaching her, this craft had lain like a snake in the grass, under
bare poles, until she thought us sufficiently near, when she made sail in
chase. I saw, at a glance, several important facts: in the first place,
the lugger was French beyond all dispute; in the second, she was a
cruiser, public or private; in the third, escape from her, under any
circumstances, was highly improbable, under those which actually existed
impossible. But, why should we endeavour to escape from this vessel? The
countries were at peace: we had just bought Louisiana from France, and
paid fifteen millions of dollars for it, thereby not only getting the
country ourselves, but keeping it out of the hands of John Bull, and we
were said to be excellent friends, again. Then the Dawn had extricated
herself from English clutches, only a day or two before; no doubt the
lugger would give us all the aid we could require.
"She is French, for a thousand dollars, Miles!" I cried, lowering my glass
from the first good look of the stranger; "and by keeping away two points,
we shall speak her in fifteen minutes."
"Ay, French," rejoined the mate, "but, blast 'em all round, I'd much
rather have nothing to do with any of the rogues. I'll tell you how it is,
Miles, these are onmoralizing times, and the sea is getting to be
sprinkled with so many Van Tassels, that I'm afeard you and I'll be just
that dear, good old soul, my mother, and little Kitty, to be frightened,
or, if not exactly frightened, to be wronged out of our just rights."
"Little fear of that this time, Moses--this is a Frenchman; as we are
bound in to a French port, he'll not hesitate to lend us half-a-dozen
hands, in order to help us along."
"Ay, and take half the ship and cargo for salvage! I know these
piccaroons, and you ought to know 'em too, Miles, for it's only two or
three years since you were a prisoner of war among 'em. That was a
delightful feelin', I rather conclude."
"Times are altered, Moses, and I'll show confidence in the change. Keep
the ship away, Neb--so; meet her--steer for the lugger's foremast;
that will do."
Of course, these orders soon brought the two vessels alongside of each
other. As the lugger approached, we made her out to be a stout, but
active craft, of sixteen guns, and apparently full of men. She set the
'_tri-color,_' when half a mile distant, sure of her prey, should we turn
out to be a prize. We showed-him the stars and stripes of course, fancying
he would treat them as a friend.
It was not long before both vessels had rounded-to, and preparations were
made to hail.
"What sheep's zat?" demanded one in good broken English.
"The Dawn, of New-York--may I ask the name of your lugger?"
"Le Polisson--corsair Francois--what you load, eh?"
"Sugar and coffee, with cochineal, and a few other articles."
"Peste!--Vere you boun', Monsieur, s'il vous plait."
"Hamburg."
"Diable!--zis is _non_ ze _chemin_.--How you come her, sair, viz ze vin'
at sow-vess?"
"We are going in to Brest, being in need of a little succour."
"You vish salvage, eh! Parbleu, we can do you zat mosh good, as veil as
anodair."
I was then ordered, privateer fashion, to lower a boat, and to repair on
board the lugger with my papers. When old I had no stern or quarter-boat
to lower, the Frenchman Manifested surprise; but he sent his own yawl for
me. My reception on board the Polisson was a little free for Frenchmen.
The captain received me in person, and I saw, at a glance, I had to deal
with men who were out on the high seas, with the fear of English
prison-ships constantly before their eyes, in quest of gold. I was not
invited into the cabin, a crowded, dark and dirty hole, for, in that day,
the French were notoriously foul in their vessels, but was directed to
show my papers seated on a hen-coop.
As everything was regular about the register, manifest and clearance, I
could see that Monsieur Gallois was not in a particularly good humour. He
had one, whom I took to be a renegade Englishman, with him, to aid in the
examination, though, as this man never spoke in my presence, I was unable
precisely to ascertain who he was. The two had a long consultation in
private, after the closest scrutiny could detect no flaw in the papers.
Then Monsieur Gallois approached and renewed the discourse.
"Vy you have no boat, sair?" he asked.
"I lost my boat, three days since, about a hundred leagues to the
southward and westward."
"It is not have bad veddair!--Why you got no more _marins_ in your
sheep?--eh!"
I saw it would be best to tell the whole truth, at once; for, were I to
get any aid from this lugger, the facts, sooner or later, must be made
known. Accordingly, I gave the Frenchman, and his English-looking
companion, a full account of what had occurred between us and the Speedy.
After this narrative, there was another long conference between Mons.
Gallois and his friend. Then the boat was again manned, and the captain of
the lugger, accompanied by his privy-counsellor and myself, went on board
the Dawn. Here, a very cursory examination satisfied my visiters of the
truth of my story.
I confess, I expected some commendation from a French man, when he heard
the ready manner in which we had got our vessel out of the hands of the
Philistines. No such thing; an expressive '_bon_' had escaped Mons.
Gallois, once or twice, it is true; but it was apparent he was looking
much sharper for some pretext to make us a prize himself, than for reasons
to commend our conduct. Each new aspect of the affair was closely scanned,
and a new conference with the adviser was held, apart.
"Sair," said Mons. Gallois, "I have mosh regret, but your sheep is _bon_
prize. You have been _prisonnier_ to ze English, ze enemy of la France,
and you shall not capture yourself. L'Amérique is not at war--is neutral,
as you shall say, and ze Américains cannot make ze prize. I considair your
ship, monsieur, as in ze hand of ze English, and shall capture him. _Mes
regrets sont vifs, mais, que voulez vous_? Ze corsair most do his devoir,
ze same as ze sheep _national_. I shall send you to Brest, vere, if you be
not sold _par un décret_, I shall be too happy to restore _votre
batiment--Allons_!"
Here was a _dénouement_ to the affair, with a vengeance! I _was_ to be
captured, because I _had_ been captured. "Once a corporal, always a
corporal." As the English had taken me, the French would take me. A prize
to-day, you must be a prize to-morrow. I have always thought the case of
the Dawn was the first of the long series of wrongs that were subsequently
committed on American commerce, in virtue of this same principle, a little
expanded and more effectually carried out, perhaps, and which, in the end
terminated by blockading all Europe, and interdicting the high seas,
on paper.
I knew the uselessness of remonstrating with a rapacious privateersman.
"Let him send me in," I thought to myself, at first; "it is just where I
wish to go; once in, the minister must get me clear. The fellow will only
be the dupe of his own covetousness, and I shall profit by it, in the
degree that he will be a loser!"
I presume Mons. Gallois entertained a very different view of the matter,
for he manifested great alacrity in throwing a crew of no less than
seventeen souls, big and little, on board us. I watched these operations
in silence, as did Neb and Diogenes. As for Marble, he lighted a segar,
took his seat on the windlass, and sat in dignified anger, ready to
explode on the slightest occasion, yet apprehensive he might be sent out
of the ship, should he betray one-half of what he felt. Out of the ship
neither of us was sent, however, the French probably feeling indisposed to
be troubled with passengers in the narrow quarters they had for
themselves.