"All your demands shall be complied with. You have my word for it,
sir," said he, bowing as before.
This matter being settled, I pulled back to the ship. The watering
place was some little way from the town. The signal was made for the
boats to take the watering party on shore. It was considered necessary
at the same time, as a precautionary measure, to send a strong body of
men on shore to protect the others, and, accordingly, a hundred marines
and two hundred seamen from the three ships were told off for that
purpose. We certainly had rather a warlike than a peaceable aspect as
the squadron of boats made for the shore.
We were met, as we landed, by our friend the mayor with a flag of truce.
He came to inquire why we approached in so warlike a guise. Mr
Willis, who commanded the party, replied that, while we did not wish to
injure others, we always liked to be in a position to take care of
ourselves. Satisfied with this answer the mayor took his departure. A
wood was before us. A succession of sandy hummocks were between it and
the shore. Among them we made our bivouac. The spring from which we
were to fill our casks was on the borders of the wood.
According to rule, as we were in an enemy's country, we placed the usual
lines of sentries, while the seamen, as rapidly as they could, filled
the casks and rolled them down to the boats. At night we were compelled
to knock off work, so we lighted our camp-fires and made ourselves as
comfortable as circumstances would allow. Delisle, Drew, Nicholas and
some midshipmen of the other ships were seated with me on the ground, in
the neighbourhood of a fire, more that we might have its light than its
warmth, and superintend the cooking of some steaks which we had resolved
to have for supper. Tom Rockets was acting under our orders, and
boiling the kettle to brew some punch. We were a very jolly party.
Several of us had not met since we used to assemble on board my prize at
New York in the winter, and we had had a good deal of knocking about
since then. Many a tale was told, and many a jovial song and not a few
sentimental ditties were sung, echoed by the seamen who sat grouped
about. Thus hour after hour passed by, and we felt no inclination to
lie down. I dare say we looked very picturesque as the light of the
fires fell on us: the seamen scattered about in every easy attitude; the
piled arms of the marines; the men themselves so different to the
sailors; the bayonets of the sentries in the distance; the yellow
sand-hills; the sea, calm and solemn, flashing every now and then with
phosphorescent light; and then overhead the dark mysterious vault of
heaven, studded with stars innumerable, all speaking of the might, the
majesty, the power unbounded of the Creator. One by one my messmates
dropped off to sleep. I lay on my back for some time contemplating the
magnificent spectacle. I had often gazed on the stars before. I had
taken the altitudes of many; I had measured the distance of one from the
other; I had steered my course by them over the ocean; but then I had
looked on them only as useful appendages to our globe. Now, as I gazed,
they seemed to float--beauteous globes in the pure ether, altogether
independent of the puny world we call our own. How far more pure and
brilliant did they appear than in the misty clime of old England! I
began to envy the Americans the advantage they possess over us.
My meditations were rudely and suddenly interrupted by the sharp rattle
of musketry, and a quick succession of reports in return. Every man in
an instant was on his feet. All flew to their arms and hurried to the
front. The rattle of musketry increased, and the bullets came flying
about our ears, while our advanced sentries retreated rapidly in on the
main body--I might have said they ran as fast as their heels could carry
them--shouting out that the enemy in strong force were pressing hard
upon us. Mr Willis formed the marines in the centre, with the
blue-jackets as flanking parties in readiness to receive the enemy. We
had not long to wait before their dark forms in dense masses could be
seen climbing over the sand-hills, threatening not only our front, but
both our flanks.
"We are outmatched: I suspect we have been outwitted by the rascals,"
said Delisle, who stood near me; "I'll never trust these rebels again."
"I cannot make it out," I answered; "I thought we could have placed
perfect confidence in the word of that old gentleman I met in the
morning."
We had, however, no time to discuss the matter; for every moment the
fire grew heavier, and we saw that we were far outnumbered by the enemy.
Now, under other circumstances, this might have been a matter of little
moment, for, had we advanced, we might have gained an easy victory; but
we at present had nothing to gain by fighting, and should we have found
ourselves caught in a trap, and been compelled to lay down our arms, we
knew that our loss would be very seriously felt by the remainder of our
ships' companies. We therefore, by as heavy fire as we could maintain,
kept the enemy at bay, and retreated in good order to our boats, vowing
vengeance against them for the treachery of which we supposed they had
been guilty. Strange as it may seem, very few of our men were hurt, and
none were killed. The rebels, as is generally the case with unpractised
troops, had fired high, so that most of their shot had gone over our
heads. We embarked with all our casks, and quickly got on board our
ships, expecting next morning to have the satisfaction of battering away
at the town till not a brick should stand to afford shelter to the
treacherous inhabitants.
My first inquiry on getting on board was for Harry Sumner. He had been
going on well, but had frequently asked to see me. Thinking he might be
awake, I went to the side of his cot. He, however, was sleeping. He
looked very pale and thin. A few hours of suffering had altered him
much. I was going away when I heard him whisper my own name. "See,
mother dear, be kind to him; and you, Julia, will love him, for he was
kind to brother Harry. You'll not turn him away when I am gone--gone on
a long, long voyage, you know. You'll love him for my sake, both of
you. He'll talk to you sometimes about Harry. There, there, mother
dear, don't weep; we'll meet again, you know;--yes, yes, after my long
voyage. Don't cry, Julia dear, don't now--don't?"
Thus he went on. I felt ready to cry myself, I know. I had not heard
him speak of his little sister--I could easily guess the reason--he
would run the risk of having her name profaned by careless lips. At
length he was silent. I slipped away. Poor little fellow! in spite of
what the doctor said, I guessed that he at all events thought himself
dying. I trusted that he might be mistaken. With a heavy heart,
though, I left him and turned into my hammock, where in a very few
minutes I was sound asleep.
The word had already been passed along the decks to prepare for action,
and we fully expected that in a few minutes the fun would begin, when a
boat was seen coming off from the shore with a flag of truce. It seemed
a matter of doubt whether it should be received after the way we had
been treated by the rebels; but Captain Hudson resolved that he would
hear what they had to say for themselves before he proceeded to
extremities. The old gentleman with whom I had spoken the day before,
and several substantial-looking personages were in the boat. They
evidently felt themselves in no trifling difficulty, and saw that it
would require the management of the most important people in the place
to save the town. Captain Hudson at first, wishing to give them a
fright, refused to listen to any of their explanations.
"A truce had been agreed on, and while we were acting with perfect good
faith and peaceableness, your people most unjustifiably attempted to
destroy us. I give you half an hour to remove the women and children,
and then expect the consequences of your treachery," said he, drawing
his sword-belt tighter round his waist, and turning on his heel with a
look of scorn.
"Hear me, sir," said the old gentleman, stepping forward. "We had, on
my honour, nothing whatever to do with the outrage of which you
complain. The people who attacked you were those whose vessels you have
so wantonly destroyed. They came to revenge themselves. When they
found that we had pledged ourselves to preserve the peace they returned
quietly homewards. If you wish to complete the watering of your ships
we will in no way molest you, and we will supply you with all the
provisions you require."
"So you said before," replied Captain Hudson. "How can I depend on the
fulfilment of your agreement?"
"I for one, and I dare say others will be ready to remain in your hands
as hostages till our agreement is fulfilled," answered the old
gentleman.
Captain Hudson, who was generous as he was brave, would not listen to
this proposal; but, stretching out his hand, he answered frankly, "No,
no, sir; I will not put you or your friends to this inc
nvenience. I fully trust to your word. Go on shore, and keep your
combatively-inclined countrymen from attacking us, unless they want to
have your town burnt, and by the evening we shall probably have relieved
you of our company."
I never saw people's faces brighten up more rapidly than did those of
our rebel visitors when they heard these words. It was like the
clearing away of a thunder-cloud from the sky in summer. They were
ready to promise all sorts of things, and to supply us with all we
desired; and, to do them justice, they amply fulfilled their word. We
completed our water, got an abundant supply of fresh provisions, and
sailed again that evening on our cruise.
On the 21st of July we took a schooner from Bilboa to Boston with
cordage and canvas, and on the 22nd re-took a brig from Quebec to London
in ballast; on which day the Amazon parted company and sailed with the
prizes for New York.
On the 24th we took a schooner from Boston to the West Indies with fish
and lumber; on the 25th a brig from Martinique with rum and molasses; on
the 26th a schooner from Boston to the West Indies with lumber, and on
the same day chased a large ship close into Boston light-house; but she
effected her escape into the harbour.
On the 31st the Amazon rejoined us, and informed us that she had on her
passage recaptured a large ship from Jamaica to London with rum and
sugar, which had been made prize of by the rebels, and that she had sent
her into Halifax.
On the 1st of August, at sunrise, a schooner was reported in sight. We
accordingly made sail in chase; but she seemed in no ways inclined to be
captured, and, setting every stitch of canvas she could carry, she began
to walk through the water at a great rate. We soon saw that we should
have to put our best leg foremost to come up with her. This to the
utmost of our power we did.
I have already described many chases, so I will not enter into
particulars. Hour after hour passed, and we seemed to be no nearer to
her; still we had not lost ground, and, from her pertinacity in
endeavouring to get away from us, we of course fancied that she was the
more worth having. The longest day must have an end, and so had this.
At its termination, when night was coming on, we were very little nearer
the chase than at daybreak. Still we hoped that a shift of wind might
enable us to get up with her, or that a calm might come on and allow us
to reach her with our boats. But neither one thing nor the other
occurred. Night came down upon us, and not the sharpest pair of eyes on
board could pierce through the dark mantle which shrouded her. Some
thought they saw her stealing off in one direction; others declared they
saw her steering an opposite course. The result was that when morning
broke, our expected prize had escaped us, and we were compelled to stand
back and rejoin our consorts, like a dog with his tail between his legs.
We had hopes, however, of being able in some degree to indemnify
ourselves for our loss, when, on the 2nd of August, about two hours
before daylight, the shadowy outline of a ship was seen dead to leeward
between us and the land, the wind being somewhere from the south-west.
Now she was there, ghostlike and indistinct, a spirit gliding over the
face of the waters; now as I looked she had disappeared and I could
scarcely believe that I had seen her.
"Can you make her out?" said I to Grampus, who was a quarter-master in
my watch. The old man hollowed his hands round his eyes and took a long
steady gaze into the darkness ahead.
"I did see her just a few minutes afor' you spoke to me, sir, but smash
my timbers if I sees her now!" he exclaimed, suiting the action to the
word. "Where is she gone to?"
"She has altered her course or a bank of mist is floating by between
us," I suggested.
"That's it, sir," said he; "I wouldn't be surprised but what she'd heave
in sight again afor' long, except she's one of those craft one hears
talk of, aboard of whom there's no living man with flesh and blood to
work them. If so be she is, I'd rather not fall in with her."
I laughed. "No fear of that," said I; "she has been reported to the
captain, and we shall be making all sail in chase presently. We shall
then soon find out what she's made of."
"Much as we did the schooner two days ago," muttered Grampus, as I left
him. "I don't know what's come over the ship that she don't walk along
faster."
The stranger had been reported to the captain, who very soon came on
deck, when all sail was packed on the ship in chase. The stranger, for
some time, did not appear to be aware of our vicinity; indeed, we could
frequently scarcely make her out through the darkness. At length,
however, she discovered that an ugly customer was near her, and lost no
time in setting every stitch of canvas she could carry, and running
directly off before the wind. By this time we had got near enough to
see that she was a ship, and of considerable size.
"That craft carries a good many hands, I suspect, by the smart way in
which she made sail," I heard Mr Willis observe to the captain. "I
should not be surprised if she proves a privateer, or so-called ship of
war belonging to the rebel government. To my mind, we shall do well to
treat all the rascals we find on board such craft as pirates, and trice
them up to their own yard-arms."
"You forget, Mr Willis, that two can play at that game," answered the
captain. "The rebels have pretty well shown that they are in earnest,
and have established a right to respect at all events. I don't think
hanging them will bring them to reason. Let us treat them as open and
gallant enemies, and if we cannot make them fellow-subjects, at all
events we may induce them to become some day our friends again. I
confess to you I am sick of this sort of warfare. We must do our duty,
and take, sink, and destroy all the craft belonging to the misguided
people we find afloat, but there is neither honour nor glory to be
obtained by the work, and as for the profit, I would rather be without
it. Bah! I'm sick of such fratricidal work."
"I can't say that I see things quite in the light that you do, sir,"
said the first lieutenant. "The British Government make laws, and it is
the duty of British people to obey them; and if they don't, it's our
business just now to force them to it."
"Your logic is unanswerable, Willis," replied Captain Hudson, turning
away with a sigh. "There can be no doubt what our duty is, however
painful it may prove."
I believe that many officers thought and felt like my gallant and
kind-hearted captain, and yet not a more loyal man, or a more faithful
subject of his sovereign, ever stepped the deck of a ship of war.
As the first gleam of day appeared from beneath a dark canopy of clouds,
and shone across the leaden water, its light fell on the royals and
topgallant sails of a large ship, with studden sails alow and aloft,
running before the wind directly for the American coast. Smoothly as
she glided on, and rapidly as she ran through the water, in all the
pride of symmetrical beauty, she was in a very critical position. As I
looked at her I bethought me she presented no inapt simile to a careless
youth rushing over the sea of life regardless of all the dangers which
surround him, and with the pit of destruction yawning before him. Haul
her wind and fight us she dared not, for we should have blown her
speedily out of the water; no friendly port that she could possibly make
was under her lee. The only hope, therefore, her crew could have had of
escaping was to run the ship on shore and to abandon her. This it was
our object to prevent them doing. The usual devices for increasing our
speed were resorted to. Every spar that could carry a sail was rigged,
while the canvas almost swept the water on either side of us, but all to
little purpose, it seemed. If we increased our speed, so did the chase,
and not an inch was gained. As the day grew on, the breeze freshened,
and at noon some on board asserted that we had begun to overhaul her.
We were all of us on deck as often as we could, for she afforded far
more subject of interest than the ordinary lumber-laden merchant craft
it was our usual lot to chase. The clouds which had obscured the sky at
sunrise rolled gradually away; the sun shone down on the blue ocean with
undimmed splendour, glittering on the long lines of foam which the two
ships formed as they clove their way through it.