Mackshane’s malice—I am taken up and imprisoned for a spy—Morgan meets
with the same fate—Thompson is tampered with to turn evidence against
us—disdains the proposal, and is maltreated for his integrity—Morgan is
released to assist the Surgeon during an engagement with some French
ships-of-war—I remain fettered on the poop, exposed to the enemy’s
shot, and grow delirious with fear—am comforted after the battle by
Morgan, who speaks freely of the captain, is overheard by the sentinel,
who informs against him, and again imprisoned—Thompson grows desperate,
and, notwithstanding the remonstrances of Morgan and me, goes overboard
in the night
In the meantime the storm subsided into a brisk gale, that carried us
into the warm latitudes, where the weather became intolerable, and the
crew very sickly. The doctor left nothing unattempted towards the
completion of his vengeance against the Welshman and me. He went among
the sick under pretence of inquiring into their grievances, with a view
of picking up complaints to our prejudice; but, finding himself
frustrated in that expectation by the goodwill we had procured from the
patients by our diligence and humanity, he took the resolution of
listening to our conversation, by hiding himself behind the canvas that
surrounded our berth; here too he was detected by the boy of our mess,
who acquainted us with this piece of behaviour, and one night, while we
were picking a large bone of salt beef, Morgan discerned something stir
on the outside of our hangings, which immediately interpreting to be
the doctor, he tipped me the wink, and pointed to the place, where I
could perceive somebody standing; upon which, I snatched up the bone,
and levelled it with all my force at him, saying, “Whoever you are,
take that for your curiosity.” It had the desired effect, for we heard
the listener tumble down, and afterwards crawl to his own cabin. I
applauded myself much for this feat, which turned out one of the most
unlucky exploits of my life, Mackshane, from that time, marking me out
for destruction.
About a week after this exploit, as I was going my rounds among the
sick, I was taken prisoner, and carried to the poop by the
master-at-arms, where I was loaded with irons, and stapled to the deck,
on pretence that I was a spy on board, and had conspired against the
captain’s life. How ridiculous soever this imputation was, I did not
fail to suffer by it all the rigour that could be shown to the worst of
criminals, being exposed in this miserable condition to the scorching
heat of the sun by day, and the unwholesome damps by night, during the
space of twelve days, in which I was neither brought to trial, nor
examined touching the probability of the charge. I had no sooner
recovered the use of my reflection, which had been quite overthrown by
this accident, than I sent for Thompson, who, after condoling me on the
occasion, hinted, that I owed this misfortune to the hatred of the
doctor, who had given an information against me to the captain, in
consequence of which I was arrested, and all my papers seized. While I
was cursing my capricious fate, I saw Morgan ascend the poop, guarded
by two corporals, who made him sit down by me, that he might be
pinioned in the same machine. Notwithstanding my situation, I could
scarce refrain from laughing at the countenance of my fellow prisoner,
who, without speaking one word, allowed his feet to be inclosed in the
rings provided for that purpose; but, when they pretended to fasten him
on his back he grew outrageous, and drawing a large couteau from his
side-pocket, threatened to rip up the belly of the first man that
should approach him, in order to treat him in such an unworthy manner.
They were prepared to use him very roughly, when the lieutenant on the
quarter-deck called up to them to let him remain as he was. He then
crept towards me, and, taking me by the hand, bade me “put my trust in
Cot.” And looking at Thompson, who sat by us trembling, with a pale
visage; told him there were two more rings for his feet, and he should
be glad to find him in such good company. But it was not the intention
of our adversary to include the second mate in our fate: him he
expected to be his drudge in attending the sick and, if possible, his
evidence against us: with this view he sounded him afar off, but,
finding his integrity incorruptible, harrassed him so much out of
spite, that in a short time this mild creature grew weary of his life.
While I and my fellow prisoner comforted each other in our tribulation,
the admiral discovered four sail to leeward and made signal for our
ship and four more to chase: hereupon everything was cleared for an
engagement, and Mackshane, foreseeing he should have occasion for more
assistants than one obtained Morgan’s liberty, while I was let in this
deplorable posture to the chance of battle. It was almost dark when we
came up with the sternmost chase, which we hailed, and inquired who
they were. They gave us to understand they were French men-of-war, upon
which Captain Oakum commanded them to send their boat on board of him!
but they refused, telling him, if he had any business with them, to
come on board of their ship: he then threatened to pour in a broadside
upon them, which they promised to retain. Both sides were as good as
their word, and the engagement began with great fury. The reader may
guess how I passed my time, lying in this helpless situation, amidst
the terrors of a sea-fight; expecting every moment to be cut asunder,
or dashed in pieces by the enemy’s shot! I endeavoured to compose
myself as much as possible, by reflecting that I was not a whit more
exposed than those who were stationed about me; but, when I beheld them
employed without intermission in annoying the foe, and encouraged by
the society and behaviour of one another, I could easily perceive a
wide difference between their condition and mine: however, I concealed
my agitation as well as I could till the head of the officer of marines
who stood near me, being shot off, bounced from the deck athwart my
face, leaving me well nigh blinded with brains. I could contain myself
no longer, but began to bellow with all the strength of my lungs; when
a drummer, coming towards me asked if I was wounded, and, before I
could answer, received a great shot in his belly, which tore out his
entrails, and he fell flat on my breast. This accident entirely bereft
me of all discretion; I redoubled my cries, which were drowned in the
noise of the battle; and, finding myself disregarded, lost all
patience, and became frantic. I vented my rage in oaths and
execrations, till my spirits, being quite exhausted, I remained quiet,
as insensible of the load that oppressed me.
The engagement lasted till broad day, when Captain Oakum, finding he
was like to gain neither honour nor advantage by the affair, pretended
to be undeceived by seeing their colours; and, hailing the ship whom he
had fought all night, protested he believed them Spaniards; and the
guns being silenced on each side, ordered the barge to be hoisted out,
and went on board the French commodore. Our loss amounted to ten
killed, and eighteen wounded, most part of whom afterwards died. My
fellow-mates had no sooner despatched their business in the cock-pit,
than, full of friendly concern, they came to visit me. Morgan,
ascending first, and seeing my face almost covered with brains and
blood, concluded I was no longer a man for this world; and, calling to
Thompson with great emotion, bade him come up, and take his last
farewell of his comrade and countryman, who was posted to a better
place, where there were no Mackshanes nor Oakums to asperse and torment
him. “No,” said he, taking me by the hand, “you are going to a country
where there is more respect sown to unfortunate shentlemen, and where
you will have the satisfaction of peholding your adversaries tossing
upon pillows of purning primstone.” Thompson, alarmed at this
apostrophe, made haste to the place where I lay, and sitting down by
me, with tears in his eyes inquired into the nature of my calamity. By
this time I had recollected myself so far as to be able to converse
rationally with my friends, whom, to their great satisfaction, I
immediately undeceived with regard to their apprehension of my being
mortally wounded.
After I had got myself disengaged from the carnage in which I wallowed,
and partaken of a refreshment which my friends brought along with them,
we entered into discourse upon the hardships we sustained, and spoke
very freely of the author of our misery; but our discourse being
overheard by the sentinel who guarded me, he was no sooner relieved
than he reported to the captain every syllable of our conversation,
according to the orders he had received. The effect of this information
soon appeared in the arrival of the master-at-arms, who replaced Morgan
in his former station, and gave the second mate a caution to keep a
strict guard over his tongue, if he did not choose to accompany us in
our confinement. Thompson, foreseeing that the whole slavery of
attending the sick and wounded, as well as the cruelty of Mackshane,
must now fall upon his shoulders, grew desperate at the prospect, and,
though I never heard him swear before, imprecated dreadful curses on
the heads of his oppressors, declaring that he would rather quit life
altogether than be much longer under the power of such barbarians. I
was not a little startled at his vivacity, and endeavoured to alleviate
his complaints, by representing the subject of my own, with as much
aggravation as it would bear, by which comparison he might see the
balance of misfortune lay on my side, and take an example from me of
fortitude and submission, till such time as we could procure redress,
which I hoped was not far off, considering that we should probably be
in a harbour in less than three days, where we should have an
opportunity of preferring our complaints to the admiral. The Welshman
joined in my remonstrance, and was at great pains to demonstrate that
it was every man’s duty as well as interest to resign himself to the
divine will, and look upon himself as a sentinel upon duty, who is by
no means at liberty to leave his post before he is relieved. Thompson
listened attentively to what he said, and at last, shedding a flood of
tears, shook his hand, and left us without making any reply. About
eleven at night he came to see us again with a settled gloom on his
countenance, and gave us to understand that he had undergone excessive
toil since he saw us, and in recompense had been grossly abused by the
doctor, who taxed him with being confederate with us, in a design of
taking away his life and that of the captain. After some time spent in
mutual exhortation, he got up, and squeezing me by the hand with
uncommon fervour, cried, “God bless you both!” and left us to wonder at
his singular manner of parting with us, which did not fail to make a
deep impression on us both.
Next morning, when the hour of visitation came round, the unhappy young
man was missing, and, after strict search, supposed to have gone
overboard in the night; and this was certainly the case.