Although I have so much to say as to oblige me to pass over without
notice the majority of my companions, I think I ought to dedicate one
chapter to a more particular description of those with whom I was now
principally in contact on board of the Calliope.
I have already spoken much of the Honourable Captain Delmar, but I must
describe him more particularly. When young, he must have been a very
handsome man; even now, although nearly fifty years of age, and his hair
and whiskers a little mixed with grey, he was a fine-looking personage,
of florid complexion, large blue eyes, nose and mouth very perfect: in
height he was full six feet; and he walked so erect that he looked even
taller.
There was precision, I may say dignity, in all his motions. If he
turned to you, it was slowly and deliberately; there was nothing like
rapidity in his movement. On the most trifling occasions, he wrapped
himself up in etiquette with all the consequence of a Spanish Hidalgo;
and showed in almost every action and every word that he never forgot
his superiority of birth.
No one, except myself, perhaps, would ever have thought of taking a
liberty with him; for although there was a pomposity about him, at the
same time it was the pomposity of a high-bred gentleman, who respected
himself, and expected every one to do the same.
That sometimes a little mirth was occasioned by his extreme precision is
true; but it was whispered, not boldly indulged in. As to his qualities
as an officer and seaman, I shall only say, that they were considered
more than respectable. Long habit of command had given him a fair
knowledge of the duties in the first instance, and he never condescended
(indeed, it would have been contrary to his character) to let the
officers or seamen know whether he did or did not know anything about
the second.
As to his moral character, I can only say, that it was very difficult to
ascertain it. That he would never do that which was in the slightest
degree derogatory to the character of a gentleman was most certain: but
he was so wrapped up in exclusiveness, that it was almost impossible to
estimate his feelings. Occasionally, I may say very rarely, he might
express them; but if he did, it was but for a moment, and he was again
reserved as before.
That he was selfish is true; but who is not? and those in high rank are
still more so than others, not so much by nature, but because their self
is encouraged by those around them. You could easily offend his pride
but he was above being flattered in a gross way. I really believe that
the person in the ship for whom he had the least respect was the
obsequious Mr Culpepper. Such was the Honourable Captain Delmar.
Mr Hippesley, the first lieutenant, was a broad-shouldered,
ungainly-looking personage. He had more the appearance of a master in
the service than a first lieutenant. He was a thorough seaman; and
really, for a first lieutenant, a very good-natured man. All that was
requisite, was to allow his momentary anger to have free escape by the
safety-valve of his mouth: if you did not, an explosion was sure to be
the result.
He was, as we use the term at sea, a regular ship husband--that is to
say, he seldom put his foot on shore; and if he did, he always appeared
anxious to get on board again. He was on good terms, but not familiar,
with his messmates, and very respectful to the captain. There was no
other officer in the service who would have suited Captain Delmar so
well as Mr Hippesley, who, although he might occasionally grumble at
not being promoted, appeared on the whole to be very indifferent about
the matter.
The men were partial to him, as they always are to one who, whatever may
be his peculiarities, is consistent. Nothing is more unpleasant to men
than to sail under a person whom, to use their own expression, "they
never knew where to find."
The second and third lieutenants, Mr Percival and Mr Weymss, were
young men of good family, and were admitted to a very slight degree of
familiarity with Captain Delmar: they were of gentlemanly manners, both
good seamen, and kind to their inferiors.
Mr Culpepper, the purser, was my abomination--a nasty, earwigging,
flattering, bowing old rogue. The master, Mr Smith, was a very quiet
man, plain and unoffending, but perfectly master of, and always
attentive to, his duty.
The marine officer, Mr Tusk, was a nonentity put into a red jacket.
The surgeon was a tall, and very finicking sort of gentleman as to
dress; but well informed, friendly in disposition, and perfectly
acquainted with his profession.
My messmates were most of them young men of good birth, with the
exception of Tommy Dott, who was the son of a warrant officer, and Mr
Green, whose father was a boot-maker in London. I shall not, however,
waste my reader's time upon them; they will appear when required. I
shall, therefore, now proceed with my narrative.
It is usually the custom for the midshipmen to take up provisions and
spirits beyond their allowance, and pay the purser an extra sum for the
same; but this Mr Culpepper would not permit--indeed, he was the most
stingy and disagreeable old fellow that I ever met with in the service.
We never had dinner or grog enough, or even lights sufficient for our
wants.
We complained to the first lieutenant, but he was not inclined to assist
us: he said we had our allowance, and it was all we could demand; that
too much grog was bad for us, and as for candles, they only made us sit
up late when we ought to be in bed: he was, moreover, very strict about
the lights being put out. This, however, was the occasion of war to the
knife between the midshipmen and Mr Culpepper.
But it was of no avail; he would seldom trust his own steward or the
mate of the main deck; whenever he could, he superintended the serving
out of all provisions and mixing of the grog: no wonder that he was said
to be a rich man. The only party to whom he was civil was Mr
Hippesley, the first lieutenant, and the captain; both of whom had the
power of annoying him, and reducing his profits.
To the captain he was all humility; every expense that he required was,
with his proffered bow, cheerfully submitted to; but he gained on the
whole by this apparent liberality, as the captain was rather inclined to
protect him in all other points of service, except those connected with
his own comforts and luxuries; and many a good job did Mr Culpepper get
done for him, by humbly requesting and obsequiously bowing.
We had been at sea for about a week, and were running down towards the
island of Madeira, which we expected to reach the next morning. Our
destination was a secret, as our captain sailed with sealed orders, to
be opened when off that island.
The weather was very fine and warm, and the wind had fallen, when at
sundown high land was reported from the mast-head, at about forty miles
distant. I was, as on the former cruise, signal midshipman, and did day
duty--that is, I went down with the sun, and kept no night watch.
I had been cogitating how I could play some trick to Mr Culpepper: the
midshipmen had often proposed that we should do so, but I had made up my
mind that, whenever I did, I would make no confidant. Tommy Dott often
suggested an idea, but I invariably refused, as a secret is only a
secret when it is known to one person: for that reason I never consulted
Bob Cross, because I knew that he would have persuaded me not to do so;
but after anything was happily executed, I then used to confide in him.
I observed before that Mr Culpepper wore a flaxen wig, and I felt sure,
from his penuriousness, that he was not likely to have more than one on
board. I, therefore, fixed upon his wig as the object of my vengeance,
and having made up my mind on the night that we made the island of
Madeira, I determined to put my project in execution.
For convenience, the first lieutenant had a small ladder which went down
through the skylight of the gun-room so that they could descend direct,
instead of going round by the after-hatchway, and entering by the
gun-room doors, where the sentry was placed.
I went to my hammock and slept till the middle watch was called; I then
got up and dressed myself without being perceived.
As soon as the lieutenant of the middle watch had been called by the
mate, who lighted his candle and left him to dress himself, I came up by
the after-ladder, and, watching an opportunity when the sentry at the
captain's cabin door had walked forward, I softly descended by the
skylight ladder into the gun-room.
The light in the cabin of the lieutenant, who was dressing, was quite
sufficient, and the heat of the weather was so great, that all the
officers slept with their cabin doors fastened back, for ventilation; I
had, therefore, no difficulty in putting my hand on the purser's wig,
with which I escaped unperceived, and immediately turned in again to my
hammock, to consider what I should do with my prize.
Should I throw it overboard; should I stuff it down the pump-well, or
slip it into the ship's coppers, that it might re-appear when the
pea-soup was baled out or dinner; or should I put it into the manger
forward, where the pigs were?
In the meantime, while I was considering the matter, the midshipman of
the first watch came down and turned in, and all was again quiet, except
an occasional nasal melody from some heavy sleeper.
At last, quite undecided, I peeped through the clews of my hammock to
see what the sentry at the gun-room door was about, and found that he
had sat down on a chest, and was fast asleep. I knew immediately that
the man was in my power, and I did not fear him; and then it was that
the idea came into my head, that I would singe the purser's wig. I went
softly to the sentry's light, took it from the hook, and went down with
it into the cockpit, as being the best place for carrying on my
operations. The wig was very greasy, and every curl, as I held it in
the candle, flared up, and burned beautifully to within a quarter of an
inch of the caul.
It was soon done, and I replaced the sentry's light; and finding that
the gun-room door was a-jar, I went in softly, and replaced the wig
where I had taken it from, repassed the sentry, who was still fast
asleep, and regained my hammock, intending to undress myself in it; but
I had quite forgotten one thing (I was soon reminded of it)--I heard the
voice of the officer of the watch I calling out to the sentry at the
cabin door--
"Sentry, what's that smell of burning?"
"I don't know, sir," replied the sentry; "I was just thinking of going
forward for the ship's corporal."
The smell, which had gradually ascended from the cockpit, now spread
from deck to deck, and became stronger and stronger. The gun-room-door
sentry jumped up at the voice of the lieutenant, and called out that
there was a very strong smell in the cockpit. The lieutenant and mate
of the watch came down, and it was immediately supposed that the
spirit-room had caught fire, for the smell was really very powerful.
The first lieutenant, who had wakened up at the voices, was out in a
minute; he put his head over the cockpit, and ordering the officer of
the watch to call the drummer, and beat to quarters, ran up to inform
the captain.
The drummer was out in a moment, and, seizing his drum, which hung up by
the mainmast, ran up in his shirt and beat the tattoo.
The whole ship's company rose up at the sound, which they knew was the
signal for something important; and the beat of the drum was followed up
by the shrill piping of the boatswain's mates at each hatchway.
At that moment, some frightened man belonging to the watch cried out
that the ship was on fire, and the lower decks were immediately a scene
of bustle and confusion.
Perhaps there is nothing more awful than the alarm of fire at sea; the
feeling that there is no escape--the only choice being by which element,
fire or water, you choose to perish. But if it is awful in daylight,
how much more so is it to be summoned up to await such peril when you
have been sleeping in fancied bounty.
The captain had hurried on his clothes, and stood on the quarter-deck.
He was apparently calm and collected; but, as usual, the first
lieutenant carried on the duty, and well he did it.
"Where's the gunner? Mr Hutt, bring up the keys from my cabin, and
have all ready for clearing the magazines if required. Firemen, get
your buckets to bear; carpenters, rig the pumps. Silence there, fore
and aft."
But the confusion became very great, and there evidently was a panic.
The captain then interposed, calling out to the boatswain and his mates
to send every man aft on the quarter-deck.
This order was obeyed; the men came thronging like a flock of sheep,
huddling together and breathless.
"Silence there, my men," cried Captain Delmar--"silence. I say; is this
the conduct of men-of-war's-men? Every man of you sit down on deck--
pass the word there for every man to sit down."
The order was mechanically obeyed, and as soon as the ship's company
were all seated, the captain said--
"I tell you what, my lads, I'm ashamed of you: the way to put out a fire
is to be cool and calm, obeying orders and keeping silence. Now collect
yourselves, all of you, for until you are all quiet and cool, you will
sit where you are."