AN ISLAND PORT.
The _Georgiana_ left us next morning, carrying a sorrowful-looking crew,
as can well be imagined, for every man jack of them felt as if he might
be accused of cowardice in leaving the _Essex_ at a time when there was
good reason to expect she would meet with a superior force.
I fail to understand yet why it had come into the minds of all that we
would never double Cape Horn in the old frigate. No one put such a
belief into words, and yet I knew full well it was looked upon as a
fact, because of certain remarks let drop now and then when was being
discussed the question of seeing the friends at home.
It had really come to be the belief of us all, although carefully kept
in the background, that the time must come when we would meet with such
a force of Britishers as could put an end to the "luck of the _Essex_."
And it is little wonder that our crew, even counting the boys, should
have considered it as inevitable that the dear old frigate would come
to an end of her cruising before many months had passed, for we knew
full well the English people must soon demand that we who had done so
much mischief be put out of the way of working yet further damage.
Consider well what had been done, and then it may be seen that the
British navy would speedily come after us with a heavy force. Here is
the situation as it was defined by a member of the United States Navy,
he looking at the matter a few weeks after the _Georgiana_ had sailed,
and we were in an island port refitting and overhauling the fleet:--
"The situation of the _Essex_ was sufficiently remarkable, at this
moment, to merit a brief notice. She had been the first American to
carry the pennant of a man-of-war round the Cape of Good Hope, and now
she had been the first to bring it into the distant ocean. More than ten
thousand miles from home, without colonies, stations, or even a friendly
port to repair to, short of stores, without a consort, and otherwise in
possession of none of the required means of subsistence and efficiency,
she had boldly steered into this distant region, where she had found all
that she required, through her own activity; and having swept the seas
of her enemies, she had now retired to these little-frequented islands
to refit, with the security of a ship at home. It is due to the officer
who so promptly adopted and so successfully executed this plan, to add,
that his enterprise, self-reliance, and skill indicated a man of bold
and masculine courage; qualities that are indispensable in forming a
naval captain.
"In the way of service to the public, perhaps the greatest performed by
the _Essex_ was protecting American ships in the Pacific, nearly all of
which would probably have fallen into the hands of the enemy but for her
appearance in that ocean. But the positive injury done the English
commerce was far from trifling. The _Essex_ had now captured about four
thousand tons of its shipping, made near four hundred prisoners, and for
the moment had literally destroyed its fisheries in this part of the
world. In October, 1812, she had sailed from America alone, with six
months' provisions and the usual stores in her; and in October, 1813,
she was lying, in perfect security, at an island in the Pacific, with a
respectable consort, surrounded by prizes, and in possession of all the
means that were necessary to render a frigate of her class efficient.
Throughout the whole of these movements we see a constant tendency to
distress the enemy, and to maintain the character of the ship as an
active, well-organized, and high-toned man-of-war."
All this was written concerning us after we had made that island port
which I shall describe later; but before entering it we were to see some
service, and experience our first disappointment in the way of capturing
every sail we sighted.
It was on the 25th day of July when the _Georgiana_ left us, only to be
recaptured, as we afterward learned to our sorrow, before gaining an
American port.
We remained hove to until the oil-laden prize was hull down on the
horizon, and then, with the _Essex_ leading, our little squadron,
consisting of the frigate, the _Greenwich_, _Seringapatam_, and _New
Zealander_, trailing along in fine style, cruised here and there in
search of another Britisher.
On the morning of the third day thereafter, while we lay becalmed, a
strange sail was sighted carrying with her a fine breeze.
As a matter of course she soon ran out of our range of vision, but
Captain Porter was not the kind of a commander to give up the hope of
catching an enemy, once having clapped his eyes on her; and at sunset,
when the wind sprang up again, signals were set for every ship to crowd
on sail in pursuit of the Britisher, although by this time she had many
leagues the start.
The "luck of the _Essex_" was with us yet, for next morning at sunrise
the lookouts at the masthead sighted the stranger standing across our
bow on a bowline.
By this time the breeze fined down again, and the dullest among us knew
that unless we could get the frigate through the water at a better pace,
our hope of taking another prize that day was at an end.
Captain Porter had a scheme of his own, however, and at once set about
executing it, to the surprise and admiration of all our old shellbacks,
even though it cost us considerable labor.
A three-cornered frame was knocked together by the carpenters, covered
with canvas, and weighted by four-pound shot on one side. This was
rigged to run from the spritsail-yard to an outrigger aft. It was
dropped into the water forward, and then half the crew, trailing on to a
small hawser made fast to the triangle as boys tie the string of a kite,
hauled it quickly astern.
This, acting as a paddle, sent us ahead in fine style, and as soon as
the contrivance was well aft, it would be hoisted out of the water, run
forward, and dropped again.
The labor required to work such a machine was very great; but we made
light of it on seeing that we were forging ahead faster than the
stranger could sail, and, with the perspiration running in great
streams down our bodies, we pulled and hauled with a will until, having
come within about four miles of the ship, we counted on making a prize.
By this time it could be seen that she was a British whaler, and an
uncommonly fine craft. What was more, we began to understand that she,
unlike many we had already overhauled, did not intend that we should
capture her without paying the piper for our dancing.
Her boats were got out to tow, and we could not work the canvas-paddle
fast enough to hold our own in the way of speed.
The remainder of our fleet were hull down astern, therefore it was
useless to expect assistance from them,--a fact which caused Master
Hackett to say despairingly:--
"I allow, lads, that we've come to an end of the 'luck' for the time
bein'. That 'ere craft will muster more men accordin' to her size than
we can."
"Gettin' afraid, eh?" some one shouted scornfully; whereat Master
Hackett replied with considerable show of spirit:--
"Not a bit of it, you lubber; but men count in the kind of a breeze
we're tryin' to work up, an' towin' that ship with boats is child's
play compared with what it would be to drag the _Essex_ through the
water."
I believed our men would begin squabbling among themselves, because of
their disappointment in being thus prevented from taking a prize; but
one of the lieutenants quickly put an end to the words by bawling out an
order which showed us that the Britisher might not find towing a very
profitable job.
The word was passed to lower the gig and one of the whale-boats, and our
men cheered lustily while this was being done, for they had a fairly
good idea of what the captain was counting on doing.
Lieutenant McKnight, my cousin Stephen, was announced as commander of
the small expedition, and he began calling off the names of those whom
he counted on taking with him, after word had been passed that each man,
as he was thus chosen, should arm himself with a musket and plenty of
powder and bullets.
Master Hackett was the first selected, and then followed name after name
so rapidly that I soon understood Phil and I would be left out of the
business unless something was done quickly.
Without waiting to consult my comrade, I walked across the deck,
coughing loudly, and passing within a few feet of where the lieutenant
was standing.
He looked up, smiled oddly, and then, after a show of hesitation
called:--
"Ezra McKnight! Philip Robbins!"
"You're a beauty!" Phil whispered, as he ran past me on his way below to
get the musket and ammunition, and my only regret at that moment was
because I could not thank my cousin for the favor he had done us.
We two lads tumbled into the gig alongside Master Hackett, who asked
gruffly:--
"What is the lieutenant thinkin' of to send a couple of infants out on a
job like this?"
"Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to ask him; I don't care to
take the chances of so doing, even though your curiosity is not
satisfied," I said pertly. "If shooting is to be done, which seems
reasonable after we've been ordered to arm ourselves, I reckon the
'infants' can do as much as some others who are older."
Master Hackett did not reply; but by the movements of his mouth I knew
he was not so displeased but that he was trying to hide a smile.
Just then Stephen McKnight stepped aboard the gig, and as he did so
Captain Porter cried over the rail:--
"Remember, McKnight, that you are not to make any effort at boarding,
however tempting may be the opportunity. Get ahead of the chase and
drive in her boats, after which you will return as soon as possible."
"I understand, sir," Stephen replied, and then came the order to "give
way with a will."
Phil and I were not counted among the oarsmen, as I saw when the work
was begun; but we did a trifle toward helping the good work along by
pushing on Master Hackett's oar, and he made no effort to prevent us,
even though we were "infants."
It would not have been good seamanship to go any nearer the enemy than
was necessary, in the effort to get ahead of her, therefore we made a
wide sweep around to port; and when we were opposite, not more than
three hundred yards distant, her gunners let fly a couple of pieces
which had been loaded with grape.
The whistling of the shot, which struck everywhere around us, sent the
cold shivers up and down my back; but I pushed on Master Hackett's oar
all the harder, keeping my eyes fixed straight ahead lest the old man
should read in them more than I cared to have him know.
Phil started ever so slightly; but managed to hold himself firm after
that, and each of us knew that the other was sorely afraid, although it
is certain neither would have gone back had the opportunity presented
itself.
We were treated to more grape, the biggest portion of which passed over
our heads, and after that second volley I somehow forgot that I was
frightened; but loaded my musket carefully, hoping the time would soon
come when I could do a little to help balance the account.
Soon we were out of range of the grape, and then we ran across the
ship's bow, every man loading and discharging his musket at the crew of
the towing-boats as rapidly as possible.
[Illustration: SOON WE WERE OUT OF REACH OF THE GRAPE, AND THEN WE RAN
ACROSS THE SHIP'S BOW.]
"They can't stand that kind of a game very long," Master Hackett said,
as he wounded one of the Britishers in the foremost boat. "They've come
out to pull an oar an' ain't in shape for a fight, so it don't stand to
reason they'll hold their ground a great while."
The British oarsmen were already beginning to slacken their pace, and I
looked astern to make out what our people counted on doing while we lay
there preventing the work of towing.
The sight was one to warm the blood even of a coward. All our boats were
out and being manned rapidly, and I had no need to ask what would be the
next move.
"Ay, lad, the captain is goin' to board her," Master Hackett said
quietly, when I called his attention to the frigate. "I counted the old
man would be at that fun mighty soon after we'd got into position, an'
the worst of it is that we don't have a hand in the scrimmage."
We soon learned to our sorrow that we had a scrimmage of our own which
would occupy us in good shape so long as the towing-boats were kept out.
The Britishers had brought two guns on the forecastle-deck, and began
giving us our medicine just as the _Essex's_ crew were pulling away from
her side.
The first discharge did us no damage; but it was not difficult to guess
that after the gunners once got our range we would suffer severely, and
again I had hard work to prevent showing the white feather.
The grape came nearer and nearer, the gunners working the pieces faster
than I had ever thought could be possible, and we kept peppering away at
the men in the boats, firing so lively that soon they were driven in;
but it had cost two of our fellows slight wounds.
The grapeshot would settle our business very speedily, I believed,
unless our boarding party came along soon, and I looked anxiously
astern.
The oars flashed in the water at the rate of forty strokes a minute,
and our men were cheering lustily as they thought of adding another to
the long list of prizes credited to the _Essex_.
Now the grape was coming with truer aim; two of our oars had been
sheered off close to the rail, as neatly as if done by an axe, and it
seemed certain some one of us would soon lose the number of his mess;
yet, strange to say, I was not so terribly frightened as the situation
warranted.
"The boarders will soon be goin' over the Britisher's rail, an' then
comes the time for us to pull a little nearer," Master Hackett whispered
to me, as if thinking I needed cheering. "Take aim at the gunners, an'
it'll make you a heap easier in mind if you can knock one over."
I discharged my musket with careful aim, and then looked over my
shoulder while reloading to ascertain whether the rest of our people
were coming up.
The boats from the _Essex_ were making rapid way over the water, the
spray from their bows glittering in the sunlight like diamonds, and the
enemy now turned his attention from us ahead to those who were so
rapidly overhauling him from astern.
A full broadside was fired at the boarders, but the heavy shot passed
over their heads without doing any damage, and we in advance added our
shouts of joy to those of the boarding party.
The Britishers must have turned cowardly as they saw our men coming
toward them without heed to their fire, and in another instant we were
yelling at the full strength of our lungs, as the English flag was
hauled down in token of surrender.
"The 'luck of the _Essex_' still holds good," Master Hackett cried
gleefully. "Yonder ship will show well among our fleet, an' it's a pity
we can't give her a crew of decent size."
The boats which we had been trying to drive in were now called
alongside, and our people were coming hand over hand to take possession,
when a breeze from the eastward sprang up like a squall, filling the
sails of the prize in an instant.
Before I was well aware of what had happened the Britisher was hauled up
close on the wind. Her colors were hoisted again, and off she went to
the northward like a flash, leaving the boarding party astern as if
their craft had been anchored.
Just for an instant I believed the enemy would succeed in running down
those of us who were in the gig and whale-boat. She came up until we
were close under her forefoot; but the helmsman could not bring her
nearer, and we swept astern like a flash.
It was well for us that she came so close, otherwise we might have been
knocked to flinders, for no less than six charges of grape were fired
point-blank at our boats; but the missiles passed over our heads, and,
instead of congratulating themselves upon the escape from instant death,
the men grumbled long and loud because we had lost the first ship which
by rights should have been made a prize.
"If that 'ere squall had held off five minutes longer, we'd have been in
possession," Master Hackett said in a tone so sorrowful that one could
well believe the tears were very near his eyelids.
To Phil and me it was most singular, this seeing one ship filling away
with all the wind she needed, and another, our frigate, lying no more
than four miles distant with not breeze enough to lift the vane at her
masthead.
The only thing which prevented our men from having a desperate fit of
the sulks was the belief that when the _Essex_ did get the wind she
would make chase; but as the hours wore on we understood that the
Britisher was really lost to us, for this time at least.
It was near to nine o'clock in the evening before the last of our boats
was hoisted inboard, and, owing to the darkness which hid the enemy from
view, it was useless to think of making sail.
We laid hove to until our consorts came up, and then the fleet was kept
jogging to and fro in the hope that when morning came the "luck of the
_Essex_" would show us the Britisher.
We were doomed to disappointment, however, so far as this particular
craft was concerned, for when day broke not a sail was to be seen.
Captain Porter did all a commander should do under the circumstances.
During three days we cruised to the northward and eastward, and at the
end of that time there was no longer any question, even in the minds of
the most sanguine, but that the Britisher had given us the slip.
Once this unpleasant fact was impressed upon him beyond the shadow of a
doubt, Captain Porter hauled away for James's Island, where we had good
reason to believe more British whalers might be found.
Not a sail was to be seen in the little bay when we entered on the 4th
day of August; but, believing the men would be the better for a short
cruise ashore, our commander gave the word to anchor.
Next morning, before a single man had time to ask for liberty, it was
reported by one of the gunners that a goodly portion of the powder which
we had brought with us from the United States, had been damaged by water
while we were doubling the Horn. But for the fact that this particular
man was nosing around where he really had no business to be, the _Essex_
might have gone into action only to discover, when it was too late, that
she had nothing with which to fight.
"What will we do?" I asked of Master Hackett when our misfortune was
known on the gun-deck. "We're not likely to come across ammunition in
these waters, unless by taking more prizes; and it begins to appear as
if we'd driven all the Britishers away."
"It ain't as bad as it might be, lad, although I allow it's rough
enough. Accordin' to all accounts the _Seringapatam_ has enough aboard,
although when the _Essex_ takes what she needs, it'll leave Lieutenant
Downes well-nigh helpless."
It was a disaster so great, that not a man so much as thought of asking
for shore leave, and on the gun-deck we gathered to discuss the sudden
change of affairs until word was brought that one watch might land to
enjoy themselves, at the same time that they took in a supply of wood
and water.
After a short run on the island the men succeeded in putting from their
minds all thoughts of the discovery made by the meddlesome gunner,
believing that Captain Porter would succeed, no one knew how, in
supplying the lack of powder.
During more than two weeks we lay at James's Island, bringing in
supplies of pork, water, and wood, and during all that time not a single
sail hove in sight.
Then came the word, on the evening of August 21, that the fleet would
proceed to Banks's Bay, and next morning we were under way, making the
run in thirty-six hours.
No sooner had the ship been brought to anchor than we understood how
Captain Porter proposed to supply us with ammunition. It was reported,
by one of the marines, as a matter of course, that the _Essex_ would on
the next morning make a short cruise by herself, leaving the prizes in
the bay.
Our old shellbacks were perfectly satisfied on hearing this news. The
only way in which more powder could be procured, was by taking it from
the Britishers, and we had no doubt but that we should soon pick up an
armed whaler who would be forced to supply us.
Well, to make a long story short, we cruised from the 24th of August
until the 15th of September without seeing anything in the form of a
sailing craft, and all hands were growing discouraged when, in the early
morning, a ship was reported apparently lying to a long distance to the
southward, and to windward.
There was no hope of coming up with her if we began the business boldly,
for she had a big advantage of us in position; therefore our commander
set about playing a trick which might bring the stranger into our hands
with but little labor.
Our light yards were sent down, and the frigate otherwise disguised
until she had much the look of a whaler. Then she was slowly kept
turning to windward, each moment drawing nearer the Britisher, for by
this time we had settled in our minds that the stranger was one of the
enemy's ships.
This trick worked to a charm, and by noon we were so near that it was
possible to see that our intended prize was fast to a whale, which she
was cutting in, at the same time drifting rapidly down on us.
An hour later we were no more than four miles apart, and then it was
that the Britisher began to scent our trick. He had come to the
conclusion that a big ship like ours, even though she might be a
whaler, would not loaf around in that fashion unless for mischief; and
once this idea was in his head the skipper cast off from his prize,
making all sail to windward.
There was no longer any reason why we should keep the disguise. Our
yards were hoisted once more, and with everything drawing we began the
chase, each man of our crew watching the progress eagerly, for the
capture of this ship meant something more than taking a prize. We could
see that she was pierced with six ports on a side, and it was reasonable
to suppose that on board was powder enough to provide us with as much as
might be needed until another armed Britisher could be overhauled.
Not until four o'clock in the afternoon did we come near enough to pitch
a few shots ahead and over her, when she hove to under our lee, and a
mighty shout of mingled satisfaction and triumph went up from the crew.
This prize was the _Sir Andrew Hammond_, of three hundred and one tons,
twelve guns, and thirty-one men.
And now comes the odd part of the capture: From the time our ship had
brought her well in sight the men declared that she had a familiar look;
and when finally she came to within half a mile of us, Master Hackett
cried joyously:--
"We haven't outrun our luck, an' that's a fact! Yonder craft is the same
we lost in the squall--the one that gave us such a long job with nothin'
but a few broken oars to show for it!"
That the old seaman had spoken only the truth we all understood now it
had been suggested; the ship lying under our lee was none other than the
last we had chased and lost, but only to find again on this day when we
were growing discouraged with much useless cruising.
The _Hammond_ proved to be a rich prize for us just at that time, for
she had on board a large supply of prime beef, pork, bread, wood, and
water, and none of such stores would be wasted. The ammunition was in
good condition, but not of such quantity as to satisfy us; however, half
a loaf is better than none at all, and after taking the prisoners on
board the _Essex_, leaving a small prize crew to handle the new addition
to our fleet, we made sail for Banks's Bay.
We had hardly more than arrived there and overhauled the _Hammond_,
than the _Essex Junior_ came into port on her return from Valparaiso,
where she had left the prizes to be sold.
She reported that five or six heavy frigates had been sent out from
England to search for us, and, what seemed of more importance at the
time, that the Chilian government was no longer as friendly to us as
when we left port. The Britishers had most likely been threatening them.
"Well," Master Hackett said deliberately, when the news I have set down
above was made known on the gun-deck, "if we had all the powder that our
fleet needs, I reckon we could afford to wait for the Britishers, an',
what's more, flog the whole boilin' of 'em when they come. But seein's
how we ain't in condition for heavy work, it's bound to be a case of
twistin' an' turnin' till we can clean up our job of capturin' whalers."
"What then, Master Hackett?" Phil asked.
"What then, lad? Why, I reckon we'll have to take our medicine like
little men; an' in the swallowin' of it we'll know what British prison
ships are like."
"Then you don't believe we can double the Horn without coming upon some
of them?" I asked, my spine growing chilly for an instant.
"I'm allowin' that the old frigate will see her finish this side the
cape, for it ain't good sense to believe she can fight her way through.
I've said all along that the Britishers were bound to smash us some day,
'cause it don't stand to reason a nation what claims to rule the sea can
afford to let a little craft like ours play hob with 'em in such fashion
as we've been doin'. For the sake of their reputation they've got to
gather us in."
It could plainly be seen that the majority of our crew held the same
opinion as did Master Hackett, and yet I failed to discover anything
which looked like fear. The men were satisfied that they had worked the
game for all there was in it, and now believed the day to be near at
hand when we'd be forced to haul down the stars and stripes, although I
venture to say that never one of them fancied it would be brought about
in such a cowardly fashion as finally was the case.
The marines soon brought important news to us of the gun-deck. They
reported that Captain Porter and his officers had decided to make port
somewhere among the Marquesas, that group of islands in the Pacific
concerning which so little was known at the time.
We were to search for some secluded harbor, so the marines declared,
and there refit the fleet for the homeward bound voyage, which was to be
begun at the earliest possible moment, in the faint hope that we might
save the frigate from those who were coming in such force to capture
her.
Two days afterward, when the stores from the _Sir Andrew Hammond_ had
been distributed among the vessels of the fleet, all the craft were
ordered to get under way, and we set out to find a natural dockyard, for
it must be remembered that ships cannot remain long at sea without
gathering so much marine growth on their bottoms that the swiftest soon
becomes a sluggish sailer.
It was to scrape the hulls, paint all the woodwork and put it in
condition for that battle with the elements which awaited us off Cape
Horn, if we succeeded in getting there, and otherwise make ready for
whatever might be before us, that we set off in search of a hiding-place
which should at the time serve as a dock for refitting our battered
fleet.