SIR EDWARD'S COMMAND IN INDIA.
The arduous charge of a commander-in-chief requires more than great
decision, and a judgment matured by experience. It claims also a mind
naturally comprehensive, that it may be equal to great and complicated
responsibilities. He has other, and not less important duties than to
harass the enemy. He is to protect the commerce of his country; to make
his influence so felt over every part of his station, that merit may be
encouraged, and negligence effectually controlled; to provide in all
respects for the efficiency of his fleet; and to act with the full
powers of an ambassador, whenever there is no accredited minister. In
addition to these more obvious duties, occasions will continually arise
which demand the utmost temper and discretion. If the secret history of
the greatest, and most popular commanders were fully made known--what
difficulties they encountered, and what anxieties they endured--not many
would be found to envy them their distinctions.
The change in the ministry, which took place within three weeks after
Sir Edward's promotion and appointment, subjected him, in its
consequences, to many and great inconveniences; for the new Board of
Admiralty manifested a decidedly hostile feeling. Such was the temper
displayed, that he thought it necessary to caution his brother Israel to
observe the utmost circumspection in all his conduct, and never even to
sleep out of his ship. The evident desire to deprive him of his command
left him very little expectation that he would be allowed to keep it,
and in his first letter from India he observed, "Probably my successor
is already on his way to supersede me." He was not far mistaken.
The most valuable, indeed the only valuable part of his command was that
to the eastward of Ceylon, which included the two chief presidencies,
and all the rich colonies of the enemy. It was resolved to deprive him
of this, by creating it a separate station, leaving to him only the
western seas. The more desirable portion was conferred upon Rear-Admiral
Sir Thomas Troubridge, an officer whose reputation must endure as long
as the name and services of Nelson are remembered; and whose
unquestioned merit affords every cause to regret that he was innocently
made the instrument of such a proceeding. He hoisted his flag in the
_Blenheim_, an old three-decker which had been cut down to a
seventy-four, and sailed from England in the spring of 1805, with a
fleet of Indiamen under his convoy; and after beating off Rear-Admiral
Linois, who attacked him with the _Marengo_ and _Belle Poule_, reached
India in August.
When Sir Thomas went on board the _Culloden_, on his unwelcome, but not
unexpected errand, Sir Edward inquired if he had brought his own letters
of recall. Finding that the Admiralty had overlooked the essential step
of sending them, he declared, that until they arrived he could not
resign any part of his command. He was charged with it by the King, and
was required by the regulations of the service to hold it until recalled
by the same authority. Sir Thomas thought that a commission was
cancelled by a posterior one, without a direct recall; but Sir Edward,
who was equalled by very few in his knowledge of naval law, found it
easy to convince him to the contrary, or at least to refute his
arguments. He told Sir Thomas that if he remained in India, it must be
under his own orders, for his commission comprehended all the station,
and it was impossible for a junior to command in the presence of his
superior officer. When Sir Thomas, indignant at the proposal, refused to
act under the other's authority, Sir Edward brought the question very
promptly to an issue, by writing, and handing to Sir Thomas, an order on
service.
Both officers were naturally warm, and Sir Thomas, disappointed as well
as irritated, and who was taken so entirely by surprise, had by this
time quite lost his temper. Indeed, the altercation had gone so far,
that nothing but a sense of their public responsibility prevented a more
unpleasant meeting. Sir Edward had hitherto maintained his self-command;
but as Sir Thomas continued warm, and he was conscious of the infirmity
of his own temper, he went himself to the cabin-door, and calling for
Captain Cole, desired him to remain as a witness of all that passed. The
two Admirals quickly came, not perhaps to a more friendly feeling, but
at least to a better understanding. Sir Thomas could not but see that
the other was acting in strict conformity to his duty, and he had the
assurance that the Admiralty would correct their oversight as soon as a
reference could be made to them. Sir Edward must have felt it most
painful thus to meet an officer whose character stood deservedly among
the highest in the service; the trusted friend, and almost the other
self of Nelson. Acting with the utmost disinterestedness, though he
could only expect to be superseded, for a public board will seldom
confess itself to have been in error, he did not hesitate, as soon as
his own authority had been properly admitted, to give Sir Thomas a
separate squadron in the best part of the station. It proved a most
lucrative command, for in addition to its general advantages, some
prizes of immense value were taken. On the 20th of July, 1806, the
_Greyhound_ frigate and _Harrier_ sloop of war fell in with two large
armed Indiamen, richly laden with spices, and protected by a frigate and
a corvette. The British gallantly attacked them, and captured, with
little loss, the frigate, and both the Indiamen. To add to the
gratification of the Admiral, it was his son, Captain Troubridge, who
commanded the _Harrier_.
Sir Edward, as far as he was himself concerned, had eventually little
reason for regret. The position of true dignity, to be always ready to
sacrifice to public duty personal feelings, and to surrender, when
necessary, personal interests, but never to compromise any point of
principle or character, is generally the course not less of prudence
than of honour. He obtained on this occasion all he could desire, and
more than he had hoped for, a candid inquiry. Before his letter reached
England, there had been a change in the ministry, and Mr. Grey was at
the head of the Admiralty. Nothing could be more honourable than all his
conduct. It was at first believed that Sir Edward had committed an
illegal and unprecedented act of resistance to that authority which, as
an officer, he was bound implicitly to obey. Yet, believing that he had
acted hastily, Mr. Grey himself went to the Duke of Northumberland, as
Sir Edward's friend, to say, that the board would allow him to write a
letter on service, recalling his ill-advised communication. The Duke
sent to Sir Edward's brother, who was then in town, that he might write
to India without delay; but Mr. Pellew at first thought the step
unnecessary. His brother, he said, was not in the habit of acting
without due consideration, and he did not think it would be found that
he had done so now. But next day. Earl St. Vincent called upon the Duke,
and insisted more strongly on the necessity for the step. Sir Edward's
letter, he said, was not a question of this or the other administration,
but an act of insubordination which no ministry could overlook: that his
professional prospects would be entirely destroyed if the board took
cognizance of it; and that extraordinary lenity was shown in allowing
him to recall it. A letter was accordingly written; but before a ship
sailed, Mr. Grey came a second time to the Duke, and told him he had
found, upon inquiry, that Sir Edward was right. He did more; for he
wrote to Sir Edward himself a very kind and handsome letter; and though
opposed to him in political opinions, while Sir Thomas Troubridge was
connected with his own friends, he recalled this officer, whom he
appointed to the Cape, and continued to Sir Edward, as at first, the
entire command in India.
Sir Thomas had with great reason assured himself of a different result.
He prepared immediately to cross the Indian Ocean to the Cape in the
_Blenheim_, though she was utterly unseaworthy, and required constant
pumping even in harbour. She had grounded on a shoal in the Straits of
Malacca, and was obliged to throw her guns overboard, and cut away her
masts, before she could be got off. Her back was broken, her frame
shaken to pieces, and she hogged excessively. In fact, her head and
stern fell so much, that she rose like a hill amidships, and a person at
the door of the poop-cabin could not see the sentry on the forecastle
below his middle. Sir Edward Pellew entreated the Admiral to select any
other ship on the station for his flag. The Captain of the _Blenheim_
formally reported her condition, but was told, that if he were afraid,
he might go on shore, a taunt that compelled the unfortunate officer to
sacrifice himself with the ship's company. The Admiral thought to force
back the broken keel to its place by putting in a very heavy mainmast,
and could not be convinced that he thus increased the danger. The
distinguished officer who supplied these particulars went on board the
_Blenheim_ the day she sailed, to take leave of the Captain, and found
that he had just written a last farewell to his wife, from a conviction
that the ship must inevitably founder. On the 12th of January, 1807, she
sailed from Madras, in company with the _Java_ frigate, and the
_Harrier_ sloop of war. On the 5th of February, the _Harrier_ parted
company off the island of Rodrigues, in a very heavy gale, in which the
unfortunate _Blenheim_ and _Java_ were seen to make repeated signals of
distress. They were never again heard of!
The possibility that the ships might have run on shore induced Sir
Edward to send the Admiral's son with the _Greyhound_ frigate in search
of his lamented parent. Captain Troubridge explored the coasts with all
the anxiety that filial affection could inspire, receiving every
assistance from the French authorities at the isles of France and
Bourbon; but he could discover no certain traces of the ships, and no
doubt remained that they had both foundered.
Sir Edward had been in India but a very short time, when his friend and
former opponent, Bergeret, was brought to him a prisoner. This gallant
officer had employed himself through the peace in the merchant service,
with the _Psyché_, formerly a small national frigate. When hostilities
were renewed, he armed her with thirty-six guns, and sent her out in
charge of another officer, Captain Trogoff, not choosing to command a
privateer. In her first cruise, on the 11th of April, 1804, she
attacked, and was beaten off by the _Wilhelmina_ store-ship, Captain
Henry Lambert, and returning to the Isle of France, disabled, General
Decaen, the governor, bought her into the national marine, and appointed
Bergeret to command her. He cruised in the Bay of Bengal for a short
time with much success, while his very liberal conduct obtained for him
the highest respect of the British residents. Fortune was again unjust
to him. On the 14th of February, 1805, the _San Fiorenzo_, commanded by
Captain Lambert, late of the _Wilhelmina_, and which had been sent
expressly in pursuit of him, fell in with the _Psyché_ off Vizagapatam,
and after a chase of two days brought her to action. Bergeret defended
his ship against a very superior force for three hours and a half, when
the _San Fiorenzo_ hauled off to repair her rigging, leaving him with
his ship entirely disabled, and more than half his crew killed and
wounded. On the approach of the British frigate to renew the action, he
surrendered.
Sir Edward was a warm admirer of the brave prisoner, whose character so
much resembled his own, and who returned his friendship with equal
warmth and sincerity. There is not often such a scene on board a
man-of-war as occurred when the two officers first met on the
quarter-deck of the _Culloden_. Both were deeply affected, and the
struggle of their feelings, from meeting under such circumstances, drew
tears from many who witnessed the interview.[11]
Sir Edward was not always so happy as to meet with enemies thus
deserving of his sympathy. A French frigate, the _Piedmontaise_, was
guilty of conduct which would have-disgraced a pirate. Cruising off the
Cape, on the 17th of February, 1805, she fell in with the _Warren
Hastings_, one of the China fleet which on a former voyage so gallantly
bent off the squadron of Admiral Linois; and after a very long and
severe action, in which the Indiaman was dismasted, and otherwise
completely disabled, took her. Her brave defence appears to have excited
the fury of the enemy, probably because her very crippled state
increased the probability of recapture. Before taking possession of the
prize, the frigate, by her own mismanagement, fell on board.
Immediately, the first lieutenant, with a party of ruffians, many of
whom, like their leader, were intoxicated, rushed on the deck of the
Indiaman with horrid imprecations and drawn daggers, accusing the
prisoners of having run foul of the frigate intentionally. The
lieutenant himself wounded Captain Larkins dangerously, and stabbed a
young midshipman in several places; and the second officer, the surgeon,
and a boatswain's mate, were wounded by his followers. Sir Edward did
not become acquainted with these facts for two years, as Captain Larkins
and his crew could not depose to them until they reached St. Helena,
after they had been liberated from the Isle of France. The
_Piedmontaise_ was then cruising in the Indian seas, and Sir Edward
transmitted copies of the depositions to every ship on the station,
with a general order, in which "the attention of the respective captains
and commanders of H.M.'s squadron is especially called to the statement,
in order that the ferocious conduct of the first lieutenant, and part of
the crew of the _Piedmontaise_, may receive the general reprobation of
H.M.'s service."
The _San Fiorenzo_ was again the fortunate frigate which stopped the
career of the enemy. Commanded by Captain George Nicholas Hardinge,
brother of Lord Hardinge, the present Commander-in-Chief--a young
officer of great promise and distinguished courage--she fell in with the
_Piedmontaise_ on the evening of the 6th of March, 1808; and after an
exchange of broadsides that night, and a severe but still undecided
engagement next morning, brought her to close action on the afternoon of
the third day, and took her. The _San Fiorenzo_ commenced action with
only 186 effective men; the _Piedmontaise_, a larger and heavier
frigate, had more than 500, including 200 Lascars. Captain Hardinge was
unfortunately killed on the third day. For some time before the enemy
struck, the first lieutenant was seen exposing himself to the hottest of
the fire; till, disappointed of the death he sought, and dreading to
fall into the hands of the British, he discharged his pistols into his
own body. It is said, that as he did not die immediately, he ordered
some of his people to throw him overboard alive.
The French naval force in the Indian seas was at no time considerable,
for whenever a cruiser was known to be committing depredations, her
career was generally cut short by some of the squadron. It consisted
chiefly of privateers, for which the Isle of France afforded a
convenient rendezvous; and of which some were large enough to capture a
regular Indiaman. The _Emiline_, taken after a two days' chase by the
_Culloden_, had been a British sloop of war: and the _Bellone_, taken by
the _Powerful_ and _Rattlesnake_, was added to the navy as a small-class
frigate, and actually maintained a running fight with the seventy-four.
The resemblance between ships of war and the larger Indiamen more than
once deceived the enemy. The _Union_, a small privateer, mounting only
eight guns, thus ventured to chase, and was taken by the _Culloden_; and
the _Jena_, national corvette, was taken in the same manner by the
_Modeste_ frigate. The _Jena_ was a remarkably fine and fast vessel,
and, as the _Revenant_ privateer, had formerly cruised long and very
successfully. She was commissioned as the _Victor_, to replace a sloop
of war of that name, which in the preceding year had been the scene of
one of the most extraordinary and tragical events on record.
The _Victor_, commanded by Captain George Bell, whose name has been
already mentioned in connection with the _Nymphe_ and _Indefatigable_,
had taken four brigs in Batavia Road, and was returning to Prince of
Wales' Island. On the 15th of April 1807, off Cheribon, she met three
Malay prows under Dutch colours, which, on its falling calm, she
detained with the armed boats, and brought alongside. The crews of two
of them, a hundred and twenty men, were taken on board the _Victor_, and
placed under a guard, while the prows were being examined; but the
people in the third being refractory, a carronade was fired into her,
and some small arms, which they returned by throwing spears and firing
pistols. A second gun was therefore fired, some sparks from which
reached a quantity of powder which had been taken out of the prows, and
blew up the after-part of the ship. The guard ran to extinguish the
flames, leaving the prisoners, who instantly seized their arms, with the
spears and knives which had been thrown on board, and attacked the crew
with all the desperation of their character. The prows were immediately
cut adrift, and the crew, under the direction of their officers,
proceeded with admirable order and coolness, one part to extinguish the
fire, and the rest to defend themselves against the murderous attack.
After half an hour's dreadful struggle for life, for the Malays would
take no quarter, eighty of them lay dead on the deck, and the rest were
driven overboard. The _Victor_ had her first lieutenant and five men
killed, and her captain and twenty-five wounded; nine of whom died
shortly after.
Holland, which in reality, though not yet in name, was now a French
province, had a moderately strong squadron in India. Two frigates had
been taken since Sir Edward's arrival, the _Maria Riggersbergen_, by the
_Caroline_; and the _Pallas_, by the _Greyhound_ and _Harrier_. The
first was the unfortunate ship which, under the name of the _Java_,
shared the fate of the _Blenheim_; the other was the convoy of the spice
ships. Two line-of-battle ships, the _Pluto_ and _Revolutié_ with a
frigate and several corvettes and gun-boats, were at anchor in Batavia
Road; and information had been received by the _Powerful_, 74, Captain
Plamplin, that Rear-Admiral Willaumez, with six sail of the line, one of
them commanded by Jerome Bonaparte, might be expected in the Indian
seas. To destroy the ships already at Batavia, and to intercept the
French squadron, Sir Edward sailed on the 22nd of October 1806, from
Madras to Trincomalee. Here a fleet of Indiamen under his convoy was
joined by other ships, and went on to Europe in charge of the _Woolwich_
and _Duncan_; while the Admiral, with the _Culloden_, _Powerful_,
_Russell_, and _Belliqueux_ line-of-battle ships, and _Terpsichore_
frigate, proceeded to the Straits of Sunda, where the _Albion_ and
others were to join him. Lieutenant Owen, commanding the _Seaflower_
brig, was instructed to disguise her as one of the expected French
squadron, and to hasten on before. On the 23rd of November, they were
joined by the frigate _Sir Francis Drake_, Captain Pownoll Pellew; and
on the same day they learnt that Willaumez had gone to America. On the
26th they arrived in the Straits of Sunda, where they found the
_Seaflower_, which had already communicated with the Dutch authorities
at Bantam as one of the expected French force, and information was sent
accordingly to the Governor at Batavia. So completely were the enemy
deceived by this step, that the squadron sailed along the coast of
Java, and anchored on the 27th in Batavia Road, before its character was
suspected.
As soon as it was known to be British, the _Phoenix_, 40-gun frigate;
the _Aventure_ and _Zee-ploeg_, national corvettes; the _Patriot_, and
another ship of 20 guns, and three brigs of 14, Company's cruisers; with
more than twenty merchant vessels, ran themselves on shore under the
extensive batteries of Batavia. Another corvette, the _William_, struck
to the _Terpsichore_ as she was entering the road; but the
line-of-battle ships had sailed a few days before to Griessee, a
fortified harbour on the Sourabaya river, at the eastern extremity of
the island. The boats of the whole squadron, with five hundred picked
men, commanded by the Admiral's second son, Captain Fleetwood Pellew, of
the _Terpsichore_, and covered by the fire from the frigates, were sent
without delay to destroy the enemy's ships. The decision of Captain
Pellew, which scarcely allowed them time to man their guns, made their
fire almost harmless. He boarded the _Phoenix_, whose crew quitted her
on his approach; turned her guns on the other armed vessels; burnt all
the shipping except three merchant vessels, which were brought away; and
in less than two hours returned with the boats, having effected the
whole service with no greater loss than one man killed and four wounded.
One of the ships lay at the little island of Onroost, which is piled and
jettied all around, and contained a small and compact repairing yard for
merchant vessels of all nations. Two boats were sent to destroy her,
with strict orders to injure nothing on shore; but unfortunately she
drove alongside the jetty, and, to the great regret of the Admiral, the
flames communicated to the buildings, and occasioned much damage. The
squadron sailed on the 1st of December, the _Culloden_ and _Belliqueux_
to return to India, the others for their respective stations. Thus
easily was completed an enterprise, as admirably planned as it was
gallantly executed. General Daendels, when he became Captain-General of
Java and the Moluccas, some time after, sent a message to Sir Edward,
that he hoped he would not pay him a visit without an invitation.
In the following June, the Admiral sent Captain Fleetwood Pellew in the
_Psyché_, with the _Caroline_ under his orders, to ascertain the
condition of the Dutch line-of-battle ships at Griessee. Captain Pellew
displayed on this occasion the same spirit which had marked his former
service. The frigates reached their destination August 29th, and on the
following day learned that the men-of-war were lying in the port
dismantled, and very much out of repair. They now proceeded to Samarang,
where the _Psyché_ arrived, and anchored off the port at midnight, the
_Caroline_ having parted company in chase. At daylight she weighed, and
stood into the road, where an armed schooner and a merchant brig were
anchored near the batteries. These were brought out by the boats, under
a heavy but ineffectual fire. Two large ships and a brig had been seen
early in the morning at anchor outside, afterwards found to be the
_Resolutié_, armed merchant vessel, of 700 tons, with a valuable cargo,
and having the colours and staff of a Dutch European regiment on board;
the _Scipio_, national corvette, of 24 guns and 150 men; and the
_Ceres_, Company's brig of war. That he might be ready to take advantage
of the sea-breeze, Captain Pellew destroyed the prizes, and before noon
the _Psyché_ was clear of the harbour in chase, the enemy having weighed
and stood to sea. The frigate gaining fast upon them, they all ran
themselves on shore at half-past three, and opened their fire. The
_Psyché_ anchored as near as the depth of water would allow, and
presently compelled the merchant ship to surrender. At half-past four,
just as the frigate was lowering her boats to board, the _Scipio_
struck: and the brig soon after fired a broadside, and hauled down her
colours. They were all got off safely the same night, and Captain
Pellew, after arranging with the Governor of Samarang for sending on
shore the prisoners, who far outnumbered his own crew, returned to port
with his prizes.
On the arrival of the _Psyché_, Sir Edward sailed from Madras, with the
_Culloden_ and _Powerful_, seventy-fours; _Caroline_ and _Fox_,
frigates; _Victor_, _Samarang_, _Seaflower_, and _Jaseur_, sloops of
war; and _Wexford_, a large Indiaman, fitted as a troop-ship: with five
companies of the 34th regiment, and a company of artillery, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Lockhart. The squadron proceeded first to Prince of
Wales' Island, where it embarked the Royals, and the 34th; and on the
20th of November sailed finally for its destination. On the morning of
the 5th of December it arrived off Point Panka, the eastern extremity of
Java; and Sir Edward sent a summons to M. Cowell, commander of the
Gallo-Batavian force, to surrender the ships of war under his orders.
"The British," he wrote, "are the natural friends of the Dutch. We are
impressed with correspondent sentiments. It is become our duty to
prevent the Dutch ships of war from acting under the control of France
in hostility to the British." He then proposed that the ships of war,
and all vessels under French colours, be given up, promising in that
case security for the inhabitants and garrison; and threatening, in the
event of a refusal, those hostile operations which the naval and
military forces were jointly prepared to accomplish. Captain Fleetwood
Pellew, with a military officer, and the Admiral's secretary, delivered
this proposal to the French commodore; but that officer, in violation of
the flag of truce, detained them all as prisoners, and returned an
answer of defiance.
The force assembled for the attack was such as might deter the enemy
from attempting resistance, with a sufficient force of small vessels to
be equal to the service, if the line-of-battle ships should be unable to
get up. At the entrance of the river, about ten miles up the harbour,
the _Culloden_ and _Powerful_, though they had been previously
lightened, and trimmed to an even keel, to equalize their draught of
water fore-and-aft, grounded on what was called the bar, and which
proved to be a flat, several miles in extent. Part of their water was
started, and their guns, shot, provisions, and whatever would materially
lighten them, were removed into three coasting-vessels detained for that
purpose; but still they remained fast. The rest of the squadron, except
the troop-ship, which was also aground, crossed the bar, and passing a
stockade of large trees, anchored in deep water below the island of
Madura. On the evening of the 6th, Sir Edward, seeing no probability of
carrying up the large ships, determined to force the passage, and attack
the place without them, and accordingly shifted his flag to the
_Caroline_. Fortunately, at nine o'clock that night the water began to
rise; and by ten, the _Culloden_ was afloat and under sail. Following a
boat with a light, which was directed by Mr. Gaze, the master, she
passed the stockade, and by eleven o'clock was anchored above the bar in
deep water. Before daylight, the Admiral returned to her, and all the
squadron, except the _Powerful_ and the troop-ship, which had not yet
floated, weighed with the sea-breeze, and stood for the narrow passage
between Madura and Java. At half-past eleven, they were engaged with the
batteries on the island; but they passed them by half-past twelve,
without having received material damage. At a little past four, the
squadron anchored abreast of the Fort of Griessee, but no farther
resistance was offered, except a few ineffectual shots fired from that
fort at the _Culloden_; M. Cowell having previously determined to defend
the place to the last against the frigates and sloops, but to surrender
if the line-of-battle ships got up. The _Powerful_ joined next day. In
coming up, she was struck from the batteries on Madura with hot shot,
but her people extinguished the fire. The troops took possession of the
fort, leaving the town in the hands of the civil authorities: and on the
9th, the Governor and Council of Somabaya, having thankfully acquiesced
in the liberal terms dictated by Sir Edward, all hostilities ceased.
They had promptly released the gentlemen whom the commodore had so
unjustifiably detained; and a deputation of three members of their own
body accompanied them to the Admiral, to disavow the act of M. Cowell,
and to treat for a capitulation.
Having burnt the _Pluto_, _Revolutié_, and _Kortenaar_, line-of-battle
ships, and a large Indiaman, fitted as a frigate, and destroyed the
military stores and batteries at Griessee and Madura, the squadron
weighed on the 13th, and stood down the river in charge of the Dutch
pilots. On the 15th, they crossed the bar, and two days after, having
completed their provisions and water, left the coast. Not a man was lost
in all the service. When Java was taken, in 1811, a squadron was sent to
Sourabaya; but none of the large ships could get over the bar; and their
officers would scarcely credit the fact that the _Culloden_ and
_Powerful_ had reached Griessee.
The _Culloden_ arrived at Madras on the 10th of February, and found
there the _Russell_ and _Duncan_, with troops embarked to attack
Tranquebar. They sailed next day, and the place surrendered on being
summoned.
But all these operations, complete as they were in their success, were
of far less importance than the effectual protection which Sir Edward
afforded to commerce. His position, with reference to this point, had
been peculiarly fortunate: for the confidential intercourse which
existed between him and his brothers, and the warm interest which they
took in one another's pursuits, had induced him to give much attention
to the commercial system of the country. Particularly, he had become
familiar with the important subject of insurance and convoys, upon which
his brother had been much in communication with the government. At an
early period of his command in India, he submitted to the merchants and
underwriters a proposal to establish a regular system of convoys; and
invited them to suggest from their own local experience the regulations
likely to be the most convenient and effectual. The merchants entered
readily into his plans and the results were satisfactory. Some loss was,
indeed, still experienced through a frequent practice of masters of
vessels to sail without convoy, or to separate from it on the passage.
The commanders of the enemy's cruisers generally treated their prisoners
well, and released them at the earliest opportunity; so that sailing
without protection became a mere commercial calculation between a higher
premium of insurance, and the profits from an early arrival, for little
personal inconvenience was to be apprehended from capture. To check this
practice, the Bengal Government, in December, 1806, issued a
proclamation, declaring that all masters of vessels who separated from
their convoy without sufficient cause, should be removed from India; and
in 1808, the Court of Directors ordered, that the master of every
country ship should enter into a bond of 5,000 rupees, at the
custom-house from which he cleared, as a penalty for any separation. Not
that the danger was often great, for the vigilance of the squadron
seldom allowed an enemy's cruiser a long career; but it sometimes
happened, as was particularly the case while the force was assembled for
the expedition to Sourabaya, that an enemy would unexpectedly show
himself, and commit serious depredations.
During the debate in the House of Commons, on the vote of thanks for the
victory at Algiers, Mr. Money, an East India Director, who had been in
India during Sir Edward's command, bore a strong testimony to the merit
and success of his system. "Such," he said, "was the vigilance with
which Sir Edward had chased the enemy from our extensive shores, and so
powerful the protection which he gave to our commerce in those seas,
that property to the amount of millions had been saved, which otherwise
would have fallen into the hands of the enemy." Making all the allowance
which a loose and general estimate usually requires, the assertion at
least shows the estimation in which Sir Edward's services were held. A
series of resolutions entered into by the merchants and underwriters of
Bombay, in December, 1808, when he was on the point of returning to
Europe, affords more precise evidence. From the data furnished by the
trade of this port, may be inferred the greatness of the benefits which
the commerce of India received from his protection.
"Resolved--That it appears to this meeting of merchants,
shipowners, and underwriters, of Bombay, to be an indispensable act
of justice, more especially under existing circumstances, publicly
to declare, on the approaching departure of his Excellency
Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew for Europe, the extent of the
protection which the commerce of Bombay has received, since the
assumption by his Excellency of the command-in-chief of his
Majesty's ships in the Indian seas.
"--That it appears by a document framed in the insurance-office of
Bombay, that the rate of premium from Bombay to China, and from
China to Bombay, from the year 1708 to 1805, fluctuated between
twelve, ten, nine, and eight per cent.; while, during the period of
Sir Edward Pellew's command, from 1805 to 1808 inclusive, it has
stood at eight per cent., with a return of three per cent., if
sailing with convoy, and at five per cent., if warranted with
convoy: the rate of insurance has, therefore, been fifty per cent,
lower on the commerce of the port of Bombay during Sir Edward
Pellew's command than at any former period.
"--That since the arrival of Sir Edward Pellew, a period of only
three years, one hundred and ten ships have exported and imported,
to and from China, under convoy during the whole voyage; while only
twenty-eight have run the passage unprotected, in consequence of
their sailing out of the seasons fixed for the regular convoys; at
the same time that those which have departed unprotected on the eve
of appointed convoys, or have separated in the course of the
voyage, have not failed to attract the notice and remonstrance of
his Excellency.
"--That the operation of the system of convoys had afforded
complete security to the trading capital of Bombay, of which the
amount insured at this settlement, from May 1st, 1806, to October
31st, 1808, has been 6,700,000_l._; that the premium paid by the
trade on that sum amounts to 445,000_l._; that the losses by
captures amount to 61,000_l._; that the losses by sea risks
extended to 69,000_l._; and that the profits to the underwriters
amount to the sum of 314,000_l._; the losses by captures being
under one per cent, on the principal insured, and exceeded by those
arising from sea-risks; while the former have occurred beyond the
influence, or have been a consequence of a departure from that
regular system of convoy, by which the commerce of the western
division of the peninsula of India has been so extensively
benefited.
"--That the advantage resulting from protection by convoys, which
the trade of this port has thus experienced, has originated in that
system which was established, and has prevailed, since the
succession to the command of H.M.'s ships in India by Sir Edward
Pellew; a system proposed at his express invitation, in the letter
addressed to his Excellency by the three leading firms in behalf of
the merchants of Bombay, on the 12th of February, 1806, and adopted
in the reply of his Excellency's secretary of the following day.
"--That at a time when the enemy has sacrificed his maritime
reputation, and every feeling of naval ambition, to a degrading
system of privateering, in the prosecution of which national ships
of superior force and construction are employed, for the purpose of
committing depredations on our trade, it is indispensable to the
successful prosecution of our commercial interests, essential to
our national credit, and justly due to the character of those to
whom the protection of these valuable and important trusts is
committed, that a steady adherence to that system should be
observed, of the solid advantages of which, the experience of
three years has afforded so decided a proof.
"--That independently of the ample protection afforded to the
commerce of the port, his Excellency Sir Edward Pellew has
manifested a degree of personal anxiety for the security of its
trade, characteristic of that zeal and vigilance which have ever
distinguished his professional career; that the interference of his
Excellency led to the advertisements issued at his suggestion by
the insurance society of Bombay in the year 1806, promotive of
encouragement to sail and continue under convoy; and subsequently,
to the salutary provisions contained in the proclamations published
by the governments of Bengal and Bombay in the year 1807,
restrictive of the practice of ships separating from convoy; and,
moreover, that his Excellency's solicitude in this respect has
succeeded in establishing a degree of control over our shipping,
hitherto unknown in the Indian seas.
"--That these important facts, as established by the most minute
investigation, do eminently entitle his Excellency Sir Edward
Pellew, to a more formal declaration of those grateful
acknowledgments which he has already received from a great and
decided majority of the merchants, shipowners, and underwriters of
Bombay.
"--That these resolutions be communicated to his Excellency Sir
Edward Pellew, with a suitable address, and published in the
_Bombay Courier_.
"CHARLES FORBES, Chairman."
The great extent of the Indian command, and the comparatively small
force with which it was held, called forth the utmost exertions of every
officer; and the attention of the commander-in-chief was unceasingly
directed to everything which was calculated to maintain his squadron in
the highest state of efficiency. Lord Torrington, who was at that time
serving under his orders, bore testimony in the House of Lords to the
care and judgment by which, while he prevented any waste of naval
stores, he kept the ships always well supplied, and in a state always
ready for action. Overlooking nothing connected with the interest of his
crews, he established a naval hospital at Madras, a measure fraught with
economy to the country, and advantage to the service.
As an Admiral, not less than as a Captain, Sir Edward interested himself
in the welfare and comfort of every man under his command; but the
clamour of that false humanity which is one of the most prominent vices
of the present day would never influence him. He knew that, even in the
best ordered ships, punishment may be sometimes necessary as an extreme
alternative, though the exercise of it demands great discretion. Too
many will be found, especially during a war, when it is impossible to
inquire into the character of those who come into the service, who are
callous to every better motive; and with reference to such, we must
respect the humanity more than the judgment of those who would
substitute privations injurious to health, for the pain of the lash, and
studied indignities for the shame of it. Little consideration can be
claimed for that pretended sense of honour, which is sensitive to the
shame of punishment, but callous to the degradation of crime. The
experience of every good officer will bear out the assertions, that a
strict commander is always the most popular; that the orderly system of
a well regulated ship, in which every man knows his duty, and performs
it without being teasingly interfered with, affords the best security
against offences; and that when an offence has been committed, the
ship's company, and even the culprit himself, will respect the captain
who patiently investigates the fault, and dispassionately orders the
deserved punishment.
But on the other hand, except in particular cases, as where a ship has
been manned by drafts from the fleet; in other words, by receiving the
skulkers and incorrigibles, whom every captain desires to get rid of,
frequency of punishment is the most certain proof of unsatisfactory
discipline. Either there will be a laxity which encourages by the
prospect of impunity, or else a want of system, in which the caprice of
the officer is the rule for the moment, and the men can never fall into
regular habits. Sir Edward's observation had taught him, that while the
power to punish can be entrusted only to the discretion of the
commander, it is right, on every ground, that it should be exercised
under some check. Accordingly, soon after he went to India, he required
a monthly return of punishment from every ship in his fleet; and the
Admiralty, struck with the simplicity of the plan, and not less with the
excellent effects, adopted it for all the navy. This was the first step
in the milder and more effectual system of discipline which has since
prevailed; and if he had no other claim than to have originated this, it
would be sufficient to entitle him to the gratitude of every officer and
man in the service.
He sailed from India in February, 1809, with a fleet of Indiamen under
his convoy. Off the Isle of France they encountered a violent hurricane,
in which the _Culloden_ was in the greatest danger. For three days no
provisions could be cooked, and the crew subsisted chiefly on dry rice,
with a dram every four hours. So violent was the motion of the ship, as
she rolled from broadside to broadside, that the chain-pumps were almost
useless. All the quarter-boats were lost, the quarter-galleries washed
away, and three of the dead lights stove. Fortunately her bottom was
sound, but she broke much in the upper works; the bolts working
themselves loose, and many of the knees giving way. Even the cabin
bulkheads were thrown down. It was suggested to the Admiral, who was
almost constantly on deck, encouraging the men at the pumps, that the
ship would be materially eased if the upper deck guns were thrown
overboard. He replied, "I do not think it necessary; she will do very
well, and what would become of the convoy if we meet an enemy?" It was
his intention, if the gale had continued, to cut away the mainmast,
which, being very heavy--for it weighed twenty-one tons--strained the
ship exceedingly. The mizen-mast had given way in the top. Four of the
convoy foundered, and the rest were scattered; but all which escaped the
gale re-assembled at St. Helena, and, with the _Culloden_, arrived
safely in England.
FOOTNOTE:
[11] Bergeret rose to be an Admiral, and was not long since
Commander-in-Chief at Brest.