While he taught Angelo’s sword-exercise on board the Asia, he
volunteered his services for the lakes of Canada, in the expedition
which was sent to that novel scene of naval enterprise towards the
beginning of the year 1814. In the voyage from England to Bermuda[10]
he continued to act as a drill-master on board the Asia; and though,
as yet, he had obtained no higher rank than that of midshipman, such
was the respect in which he was held, and the deference paid to him,
that in most respects he was treated as if he had been a lieutenant.
He was now a tall and handsome young man, with great breadth of chest
and expansion of shoulders, and possessing withal a mild temper and
the kindest dispositions. Along with his other duties he drilled the
young officers and men on deck, whenever the weather permitted, and
when amusement was the order of the day, he was the life and soul of
the crew; he was an excellent table companion, he could tell humourous
tales, and his conversation was extremely amusing; he painted scenes
for the ship’s theatricals, sketched views, drew caricatures, and so he
was much beloved and respected by all, to whose amusement he so largely
contributed.
The following incident affords a striking proof of the almost
invincible hardiness of his constitution, for which he was indebted
partly to the bounty of nature, and partly to the privations and habits
of his early life. Having bidden adieu to the flag ship, on which he
had acted so conspicuous a part, and taken his passage to Halifax, with
the view of thence proceeding to the lakes, he was sent along with
others to perform some service on the horrid coast of Labrador, and
being there cast away while in a long boat, all the individuals who
were along with him at the time were so severely frost bitten that some
of them died, and the rest were lame for life, while he escaped with
only losing the power of the first joint of his left hand thumb, which
ever after continued crooked, and on that account used to be called
“Hooky,” both by himself and his friends.
He was sent, along with a party of five hundred men, from Halifax
to join Sir James Yeo, who, at that time, had the command upon the
Lakes. As this journey was performed in winter, when the river St.
Lawrence is frozen over, and of course when the water communication is
suspended, it was both tedious and toilsome. The men marched on foot,
first to Quebec, and then to the lakes, while the baggage was dragged
after them in _sleighs_. Soon after his arrival on the lakes, he and a
small party of men were appointed to defend a blockhouse on the coast
of Lake Ontario; but he had not been long in this situation when the
blockhouse, which had only one small gun for its defence, was attacked
by a superior American force, by which it was speedily demolished;
and when Clapperton and his men were left no other alternative but to
become prisoners of war, or to cross the ice to York, the capital of
Upper Canada, a distance of sixty or seventy miles. Frightful as the
attempt was, in their destitute and forlorn circumstances, the journey
was instantly resolved upon. But the party had not advanced more than
ten or twelve miles, when a boy, one of the number, lay down on the ice
unable to proceed farther, on account of the cold, and his previous
fatigue. The sailors declared, each in his turn, that they were so
benumbed with cold, and so exhausted by wading through the newly fallen
snow, that it was with difficulty they could support themselves, and
so could afford no assistance to the poor unfortunate boy. On this
trying occasion the strong benevolence of Clapperton’s character was
strikingly manifested. His nature was too generous to suffer him for a
moment to endure the idea of leaving a fellow-creature inevitably to
perish under such appalling circumstances; for as it was snowing at
the time, it was quite evident that the boy would, if left, have been
quickly overwhelmed by the drift. Clapperton, therefore, took the boy
upon his own back, and carried him about eight or nine miles, when he
found that he had relaxed his hold, and on examining the cause, he
was perceived to be in a dying state, and very soon after expired.
The party then proceeded on their journey, and endured very great
sufferings before they could reach York. Their shoes and stockings
were completely worn off their feet; and the want of nourishment had
dreadfully emaciated their bodies, as they had no provisions during
the journey except a bag of meal. According to his uncle’s account, it
was, while he was making generous efforts to save the boy, who fell
a victim to the cold, that Clapperton lost the first joint of his
thumb. His uncle says, “he took the boy upon his back, holding him
with his left hand, and supported himself from slipping with a staff
in his right;” and adds, “that from the long inaction of his left hand
in carrying the boy upon his back, he lost, from the effects of the
cold, his thumb joint.”—This is certainly a very probable account of
the matter, and assigns a cause sufficiently adequate for effecting
a greater bodily injury than the loss of part of a thumb. But, as we
have great confidence in the information which we have received on the
subject, we are inclined to adhere to the account which we have given
above, namely, that Clapperton lost the joint of his thumb on the
coast of Labrador, when his companions in distress lost their limbs
and their lives. It is evident, moreover, that his uncle’s information
on many points was neither very extensive nor very accurate. A glaring
instance of inaccuracy is abundantly apparent in his account of this
very journey over the ice, from the demolished blockhouse to York, the
capital of Upper Canada. He asserts that this journey was performed
from the coast of Lake Huron, across Lake Michigan, to the town of
York—an exploit which any one, by slightly inspecting a map of North
America, will instantly see is impossible to be accomplished.
After Sir Edward Owen was appointed to the command of the British naval
force upon the Canadian lakes, he gave Clapperton an acting order as a
lieutenant, and appointed him to the command of the Confiance schooner.
This was a situation, which, as it implied more responsibility than any
he had hitherto held, likewise allowed him a greater degree of liberty
than he could have enjoyed, had he been assigned a birth on board of
a vessel commanded by a superior officer. When, therefore, he had the
command of the Confiance, he was in the habit of making excursions
into the forests on the coast, both of lake Huron and lake Erie, for
the purpose of shooting game. While engaged in these excursions, he
cultivated an acquaintance with several of the Indian tribes. The
romantic turn of his mind led him not only to delight to associate
with those aboriginal inhabitants of America, but also to adopt their
manners and customs, and even to acquire their language. He became a
great favourite among them; for he sometimes treated them with feasts,
and on these occasions they used to fire a _feu de joie_ in honour of
him as their benefactor. At one time, indeed, he entertained serious
intentions of uniting himself to the Indians, marrying a princess,
and thereby becoming a chief among them; and actually assumed the
distinctive badge of the Huron nation. This romantic and foolish design
was, however, soon relinquished; but the feasts which he had given
to the chiefs led to deficiency in his accounts to the victualling
department; and this deficiency was afterwards deducted from his half
pay, and was the means of involving him in pecuniary difficulties, from
which he was not altogether relieved till after his return from his
first expedition from Africa.
But notwithstanding this fact, he was a most active, diligent, and
efficient officer, while he served upon the lakes; so that it was
the wish of Sir Edward Owen that the acting order which he had given
him should be confirmed by the Board of Admiralty; and for this
end Clapperton sent it to his uncle in London; but as the Board of
Admiralty had just promoted a great number of naval officers, they
refused to confirm his commission at that time. It was the feeling of
disappointment arising from this refusal which made him form the design
of permanently connecting himself with the Indians. When he went on
shore to visit his friends among these tribes, he did not always order
a boat to be in attendance upon him to bring him on board; but when he
regarded it as time to return, he used to plunge into the water with
his clothes on, swim along side of the schooner, and hail the people
on board to take him up. This rash mode of proceeding, however, nearly
cost him his life; for on one occasion he encountered a strong current
which bore him away from his own schooner, the Confiance; and it was
with difficulty he could make himself be heard, as in distress, and
unable to bear up against the stream, by the men on board the schooner
commanded by Lieutenant Adam Gordon, who sent a boat to fetch him on
board. This adventure put an end to the exploits of swimming to and
from the vessel, when he had occasion to be on shore. While he served
on the lakes, he was distinguished by another singular practice. In
the midst of winter he was in the habit of causing the ice to be
broken daily for the purpose of making an opening in which he might
bathe. He used to say, he felt a shock when he first plunged into the
cold water, but that this was followed by a pleasant glow. The place
which was broken in the ice, for the indulgence of this luxury, was
with great propriety designated “Clapperton’s bath,” as no one else
chose to participate with him in this species of pleasure. Yet amidst
all these singularities he never neglected his duty as an officer; he
loved to keep the sailors upon the alert; and when he _rowed guard_, he
delighted to surprise the sentinels.
Like most other Scotsmen, when at a distance from their native land,
he displayed a strong feeling of _amor patriæ_, and was particularly
attentive to any of his countrymen he happened to meet with abroad, a
fact which perhaps laid the foundation of his attachment to Mackenzie.
At any rate, when he was on the lakes, there happened to be some
species of merry-making among the officers, when he met, for the first
time, a gentleman from Edinburgh, belonging to the medical department.
As he had a very youthful appearance, Clapperton supposed that he must
be inexperienced, and from a sincere desire to be serviceable to him,
he took him aside and advised him always to maintain his rights, gave
him some sage advice about his dress, and decorated his right thigh
with a brilliant, scarlet-coloured watch ribbon. This gentleman took
all in good part, assumed the aspect of the greenhorn which Clapperton
supposed him to be, and allowed him both to direct and decorate him as
he pleased. But when he understood that he was of considerable standing
in the service, he came to him and apologized for his mistake—a thing
which was of course accepted, and the curious incident proved the
commencement of a sincere and firm friendship on both sides.
SECT. VII.—HIS SECOND STEP OF PROMOTION, AND HIS CONDUCT WHILE AN
OFFICER ON HALF-PAY.
When Sir Edward Owen returned to England towards the end of 1816, he
got Clapperton’s commission confirmed. Previous to this he had been
examined as to his knowledge of naval tactics, and the information
which he had displayed both as a theoretical and practical seaman
was highly satisfactory to his examinators. The manner especially
in which he had kept his log-book, was the cause of procuring for
him the greatest encomiums. It is the practice of the officers of
his majesty’s ships to note down at noon, in their log-books, what
sails the ships to which they respectively belong, then carry. And as
Clapperton had a natural talent for drawing, which he had cultivated
with care, instead of doing this in the ordinary way, he represented
the state of his ship’s canvass, at the hour required, by a spirited
sketch. He likewise shewed, by the ingenious efforts of his pencil,
the different headlands and the peculiar appearance of the coasts,
together with their harbours, noting at the same time their soundings,
and the mode of approaching them. This log-book was so highly approved
by his examinators, that they asked him to allow them to transmit it
to the Admiralty—a request which being readily granted, it was sent
there, where it still remains. As Great Britain was now at peace with
the whole world, Lieutenant Clapperton like many others was put on half
pay, and soon afterwards returned to Edinburgh in 1817.
He had not been long in Edinburgh after his return from the Lakes, till
he was surprised to hear himself inquired after by the attendants of
an elegant equipage, which had stopped at his lodgings. This equipage
proved to be that of Lady Seaforth, the mother of his respected
friend Mackenzie, whom he had met in India. This lady, prompted by
the feelings of gratitude with which she had been inspired by the
account which her beloved son had given her with his dying breath, of
the unremitting kindness and attention which he had experienced from
Clapperton during his illness in India, had been very anxious to have
a personal interview with him, that she might have an opportunity of
expressing to him the obligations which his friendship for her son had
laid upon her. For this end she had made many inquiries respecting
him even at the Admiralty, and at length she discovered where he was
to be found through means of her relative, Lieutenant Proby, and had
come to call upon him. The name of Lady Seaforth speedily brought to
his recollection the imputation of the interested motives to which his
friendship for her son had been attributed, and at first he refused
to see her. He however, at that time lived with a gentleman—the same
he had been so anxious should cut a respectable appearance among the
officers on the Lakes—who represented to him the ill breeding and
absurdity of refusing to see her ladyship, when she had done him the
honour of waiting upon him. He then went into her ladyship’s presence,
who being overpowered by her feelings, almost overwhelmed him with her
kindness. After the occurrence of this scene, Clapperton was persuaded
by the same gentleman, to accept of Lady Seaforth’s invitations to
visit her at her own house. And from that period, during all the time
he was in Edinburgh, he was a frequent guest and inmate there, and was
uniformly treated with the greatest kindness, but he steadily and even
resolutely refused to be in any way indebted to her ladyship beyond the
common forms of hospitality. It was needless for the grateful lady to
offer to exert her influence in his behalf in reference to promotion
in his profession. Clapperton would not hear of such a thing. It was
in vain that both she and her daughters urged him to accept of a gold
watch, chain, and seals, to be worn by him as a token of the sense they
entertained of his kindness towards the son and the brother of whom
they had been bereaved. Our hero positively declined their generous
offer, declaring that he had already a most capital watch, and had no
occasion for another. Sometime afterwards her ladyship sent him a large
package of books, chiefly on religious subjects; these likewise he was
determined to return, till it was represented to him that he must not
only retain the books, but thank Lady Seaforth for sending them, with
a promise to peruse them diligently, otherwise he would be regarded by
her and her family as a downright heathen. The only other thing which
he would accept from Lady Seaforth, was a lock of her son’s hair, which
he received as a token of affection, and ever after wore in a locket
about his person. He always declared that he had a sincere regard for
Lady Seaforth, and was very much affected with her kindness, but such
was the morbid sensitiveness of his nature on this point, cherished
by the rankling recollection of what his messmates had unjustly said
of him, that he was of opinion he could accept of nothing either from
herself, or procured through her interest, without compromising his
principles of honour and independence. How different is all this from
the common ways of the world!
During the greater part of the year 1818, and part of 1819, Clapperton
lived with an aunt in Lochmaben, Dumfries-shire. While domesticated
with his aunt, who was a sister of his mother’s, and of whom, in his
letters to his friends, he speaks with much affection, he applied
himself to the study of the French language; his open and frank manners
likewise procured him many friendships, and many curious anecdotes
are told of his sailor-like conduct, in paying little regard to the
ordinary _etiquette_ of social intercourse. Like other sailors on
shore, he seemed to be of opinion that nothing should obstruct the
gratification of his whims and oddities. Hence he was sometimes
disposed to pay unseasonable visits to his friends, and not to be
particularly ceremonious as to the mode in which he entered the houses
of those with whom he lived in terms of intimacy; but he was much
beloved while he resided in Dumfries-shire, by all to whom he was known.
Clapperton, however, soon tired of the dullness of a country life; and
so returned to Edinburgh, and went to live with the gentleman with
whom he had resided when he was so much embarrassed by the kindness of
Lady Seaforth. Here, being an entirely idle man, fond of adventures
withal, and in a place where they might easily be found, he soon had
a hand in some curious scenes. Having little idea of economy, and
not being well acquainted with the value of money, and indeed caring
nothing for it whatever, provided he got enough to serve his purposes
at the time when it was wanted, the quarterly items of his half pay
did not last him long. Indeed, he entertained some singular notions
on the subject of borrowing money, and when he had recourse to his
friends for a supply, he gave them to understand that he was doing them
a favour by becoming their debtor. As an instance of the careless way
in which he parted with his money when in Edinburgh, we may mention
the following incident. At this time a young man, the son of a staunch
anti-patronist, was figuring away in this town as a popular preacher,
in which capacity he became so notorious, that week after week he was
puffed in the newspapers, and was attended by vast crowds on Sunday,
when he held forth in a well known chapel of ease. This person happened
to meet Clapperton one day just after he had drawn his quarter’s pay;
and he immediately laid a plan, and forthwith commenced the putting of
it in practice, for the purpose of getting possession of a considerable
share of it. He said to Clapperton that he had that day met with a
great disappointment, in not getting from his friends a remittance
of money which he had expected; that now he would not get it before
Monday; nor would he have cared for the delay of a day or two, had he
not promised to pay his tailor’s account, and regretted exceedingly
that he should not be able to do it, as he was a lover of punctuality,
and was anxious above every thing to keep his word. At the end of this
fair speech, Clapperton asked his reverend friend how much money would
serve his purpose, and was told that ten pounds would do all he wanted,
till he heard from his friends on Monday. Clapperton, believing the man
to be honest, gave him the sum specified, when the reverend gentleman
asked him to go to Barclay’s hotel and he would treat him to his
dinner. Away they went. An excellent dinner was set upon the table and
discussed. Madeira, champaign, and other expensive wines were called
for, and the two got cheerful, joyous, happy, glorious. At length the
swindler, as he proved to be, made some pretence for going out for a
little. He went, but never returned, and Clapperton, in addition to
the ten pounds which he had given him, never to see again, had a bill
of between two and three pounds more to pay before he could leave the
house.
Barclay’s was the place where Clapperton and his friends generally
met for _enjeuement_; and though, with the exception of a single
individual, none of them were addicted to intemperance, sometimes very
curious scenes occurred, of which a specimen or two may serve both to
amuse our readers and to develope our hero’s character. He was told
of a swaggering fellow, who generally sat at the bar, and boasted of
his extraordinary strength, and his profound knowledge of the _fancy_
science; Clapperton walked up to him one night, and said in a loud
determined tone, “Sir, I am told you are a bully; I should like to try
a round or two with you.” The poor man was so much terrified that he
walked off, and never returned to the house again. One night, as he was
going home, with another of his friends, and the individual, who was
apt to take a cup too much, and whom, perhaps from the circumstance
that he was too frequently in a state of imbecility, they were
accustomed, by the rule of contraries, to call Able; the difficulty
they found in keeping Able steady threw the other gentleman into a
fit of laughter which he could not restrain. Clapperton, thinking it
was cruel to laugh at poor Able’s infirmity, placed him against the
railing, in front of the College, and fairly knocked the laugher down,
and then apologized to him for what he had done. On the same occasion,
when he had Able in tow, the latter fell down on the curb stone of
the pavement, and Clapperton found that he could not raise him up
again, and so, though it was eleven o’clock at night, he said, “My
dear fellow, I cannot set you on your feet again, but I shall do all
that man can do, I shall sit down beside you,” and so fairly sat down
beside him till more assistance was procured. But the most amusing of
his frolics, of which we have heard any account, was the method he took
to get into his lodgings one night when he happened to be rather late
out. He had rung the door bell several times without being answered;
so he went and brought a long heavy ladder, belonging to a house
painter, and reared it in front of the house in which he lodged. Then
he mounted it, opened the window of his own room, went in, and then
hurled the ladder down, the rubbing of which on the wall made a loud
and uncommon noise which disturbed the neighbourhood. This latter part
of our hero’s proceeding was observed by the watchman, who called some
of his companions, and came to reconnoitre. On seeing the ladder lying
on the pavement, they naturally imagined that it was the instrument
by which thieves had broken into some of the upper flats. Immediately
a tremendous ringing commenced at the door of the house into which
Clapperton a few minutes before had entered by the window. The door
was opened, and in came the policemen, who insisted that they had seen
some person enter the house through a window, with the aid of a ladder,
which was still lying below. By this time Clapperton was in bed, and
had found means to request the people in the house not to betray him.
But the policemen were not to be satisfied with the assurance that
there was no person in the house but such as belonged to it. They
searched every hole and corner, and at length they found wet clothes;
and as the night was rainy, they naturally conjectured that they must
belong to the man who had come in by the window. On this Clapperton,
laughing heartily, raised himself up in his bed, and told the vigilant
policemen how the matter stood, and on giving them his name, and his
promise to pay any expenses which might be incurred by this frolic,
they departed. The ladder was carried to the police office, and was
with difficulty conveyed thither by three stout men. At the police
office, the whole was viewed as a piece of sailor-like humour, and
Clapperton got off on paying a trifling sum, and the house painter was
ordered to chain his ladder to his premises in future.