"Very well," he said, and just then it struck eight bells. I had not
been long on board when I heard it reported that the _Nymph_ was to go
into dock, and that the crew would be turned over to other ships wanting
hands. It was but too true, and I found that Dick Hagger, I, and others
were to be transferred to the _Culloden_, 74, forming one of the Channel
fleet, under Earl Howe, and then commanded by Captain Schomberg. She
was soon ready for sea, and we went out to Spithead, where the ships
were rapidly collecting. I had never seen so many men-of-war together,
for there were thirty-four sail of the line, eight frigates, and smaller
vessels.
No leave was granted, so I could not get on shore, for we were to be
ready to start at a moment's notice, directly intelligence should arrive
from the numerous cruisers off the French coast that the Brest fleet had
put to sea.
We had a mixed crew, and a bad lot many of them were--jailbirds,
smugglers, who were good, however, as far as seamanship was concerned,
longshore men, and Lord Mayor's men, picked up from the London streets,
the only difference between the two last being that the latter had tails
to their coats,--one slip of the tailor made them both akin,--and we
dubbed them K.H.B., or king's hard bargains. Then we had a lot of
ordinary seamen, and very ordinary they were. We A.B.'s were in the
minority by a long chalk. Lastly came the marines; they were mostly
steady men, and, as they had been at sea before, were better sailors
than the ordinary seamen, besides which they knew their duty and did it.
Without them I am very sure the crew could never have been kept under.
Flogging was the order of the day; scarcely a morning passed but we had
two or three triced up, and the boatswain's mates swore that they had
never worn out so many cats-o'-nine-tails before.
I don't know that it was the officers' fault, for they knew no better
way of maintaining discipline. It was because some hundreds of men, few
of whom had ever served on board a man-of-war, were brought together.
I had been on board some days when I caught sight of a face I knew too
well; it was that of Charles Iffley. I was certain it was him, though
when I inquired I found that he had entered under the name of Charles
Trickett.
I saw him start when he first recognised me, but he kept out of my way,
and I had no wish to speak to him. His presence, I feared, boded me no
good. Whether his feelings of revenge were satisfied, I could not tell;
but if not, I was very sure that he would wreak them on my head if he
could.
During the early spring, merchant vessels of all sizes, but mostly large
ones, kept coming in until nearly a hundred were assembled, when the
whole fleet, including men-of-war, amounted to one hundred and
forty-eight sail,--three being of a hundred guns, four of ninety-eight,
while a large number were seventy-fours. The merchantmen were bound out
either to the West Indies or Newfoundland, and some of the men-of-war
were intended to convoy them.
At last, on the 2nd of May, a frigate came in with the news that the
Brest fleet had put to sea. We immediately made sail from Saint Helen's
and stood down Channel.
Besides looking out for the French fleet, which Lord Howe had determined
to attack, we had to see the merchantmen clear of the Channel, and
besides that to try and intercept a French convoy coming from America,
said to consist of three hundred and fifty sail, laden with provisions
and stores, the produce of the West Indian islands, of which the French
Republic stood greatly in need.
On arriving off the Lizard, eight of the large ships and six of the
frigates were detached to see the merchantmen clear of the latitude of
Cape Finisterre, while the Channel fleet, thus reduced to twenty-six
sail of the line, besides seven frigates and smaller vessels, stood for
Ushant. Before long the frigates made the signal that the French fleet
were at sea.
We after this kept cruising up and down looking for them, though our
Admiral knew that many of the ships were far larger than ours, but our
numbers were equal.
To describe all that took place is more than I can do. I know that it
was on the 28th of May that the Admiral heard through some prizes which
had been taken that the French fleet of which he was in search were
close to us.
Soon after sunrise we made them out bearing down towards us with
topgallant sails set. The signal was at once thrown out by the Admiral
to prepare for battle. It was a fine sight to see them coming down upon
us; but though there was a strong breeze blowing and a heavy sea on,
they did not near us as fast as we had expected, and we were ordered to
go to dinner. It was the last many a fine fellow on board some of the
ships was to take, but I do not believe that any one, on account of the
thoughts of the coming battle, ate a worse meal than usual.
Greatly to our disappointment, a short time after we returned on deck,
the French fleet were seen making off, but our spirits revived when Lord
Howe threw out the signal for a general chase, followed, almost
immediately afterwards, by another to engage the enemy's ships as soon
as we should arrive up with them. Only our leading ships were, however,
able to do so, and we saw them blazing away at the Frenchmen till night
closed in on us.
The _Audacious_ got most fighting, and being terribly knocked about, was
nearly taken by the enemy. She gave as much as she received, and so
battered the _Revolutionnaire_ that the French ship had to be taken in
tow by one of her own frigates.
Next day we had some more fighting, much in the same fashion as on the
first, but more severe, several of our ships having lost their topmasts
and yards, and two or three of the French being completely disabled.
Thus we kept manoeuvring for two days, till, to our great
disappointment, we lost sight of the French fleet during the night of
the last of May. We had been standing to the westward, when at daybreak
on the first of June, latitude 47 degrees 48 minutes north, longitude 18
degrees 30 minutes west, the wind a moderate breeze, south by west, and
the sea tolerably smooth, we descried the French fleet, carrying a press
of sail about six miles off on our starboard or lee bow, and steering in
a line of battle on the larboard tack. At 5 a.m. our ships by signal
bore up together and steered north-west. At about 7 a.m., we having
again hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, plainly saw the French
fleet, consisting of twenty-six sail of the line, the whole, with the
exception of one or two, complete in their masts and rigging.
Shortly after this we saw the welcome signal flying, ordering us to
breakfast, and as soon as it was over, the still more welcome one to
bear down on the enemy. The next signal thrown out was for each ship to
steer for and independently engage the ship opposite to her in the
enemy's line, the _Caesar_ leading the van. The _Bellerophon_, or Billy
Ruffian, as she used to be called, followed her; next came the
_Leviathan_. We were about the thirteenth in line. The ships of both
fleets were carrying single-reefed topsails. Of those of the French,
some were lying to, and others backing and filling to preserve their
stations. We were steering about north-west, with a fresh breeze south
by west, and going little more than five knots an hour.
We were standing on, every ship keeping regularly in line, when what was
the disgust of the true men on board the Culloden to hear the captain
give the order to back the fore and main-topsails, three other ships
having done the same, though we were not even yet within range of the
enemy's guns. We soon, however, saw the Admiral speaking with his
signals, and ordering us to make more sail. Our brave old chief was at
the same time setting topgallant sails, and letting fall his foresail in
order that the _Queen Charlotte_ might be first through the enemy's
line. In a short time that noble ship was engaged singlehanded with
three of the enemy, for neither the _Gibraltar_ nor the _Brunswick_
were near enough to aid her. She was opposed to one French
hundred-and-twenty gun ship, and two of eighty guns. In a short time,
down came her fore-topmast, followed shortly afterwards by her
main-topmast, while so damaged were her lower yards and rigging, that
she was almost unmanageable. Notwithstanding this, she kept blazing
away, till she beat off the two eighty gun ships, which made their
escape, and had now only the biggest opposed to her.
The action had now become general, a few of our ships had cut their way
through the French line, and engaged the enemy to leeward; the remainder
hauled up to windward and opened their fire, some at a long, others at a
more effectual distance. I am sorry to say the _Culloden_ was among the
former. Perhaps our captain thought, with his undisciplined crew, that
it would be hazardous to venture alongside an enemy's ship. He was
wrong if he thought so. Bad as our fellows were, we had enough good men
to load and fire the guns and the others were able at all events to haul
them in and run them out again. It was impossible to see what was
taking place. Each captain had to act for himself, and the greater
number were doing their duty nobly. The _Brunswick_ for some time was
hooked by her anchors alongside a French ship, which she almost knocked
to pieces. Another, coming up to rescue her friend, received so
tremendous a fire that her three masts were speedily cut away by the
board.
One ship after another of the French struck, and several were almost
dismasted. Of these, four were recovered by the French Admiral, who now
stood away to the northward, leaving Earl Howe in possession of six
line-of-battle ships which had been captured. The victory was an
important one, for although many of our ships had suffered severely, we
had not lost one, while besides the six we had taken from the French, we
had fearfully knocked about a large number of others.
The old Earl, as far as I know, made no complaint of the way in which
some of the ships had disobeyed his orders and kept out of action. We
in the _Culloden_, who knew what ought to have been done, felt ashamed
of ourselves, that's all I can say.
As soon as the worst damages could be repaired, the whole fleet made
sail and stood up Channel, steering for Spithead, where we arrived early
on the morning of the 13th, and brought up with our six prizes.
I felt very little of the enthusiasm which animated most of the
thousands of visitors who came off to see us; but many were mourners,
anxious to obtain information of the loved ones they had lost, and
others to see their wounded relatives and friends groaning in pain
below. My great desire was to let my wife know that I had escaped, and
I was very thankful when Jerry Vincent came alongside, and I was able to
despatch a letter by him, he promising to deliver it immediately, and to
tell her that I looked well and hearty.
A few days afterwards the King and Queen came down to Portsmouth, and
went on board the _Queen Charlotte_, to present the old Admiral--for he
was then seventy years of age--with a diamond-hilted sword, and to hang
a gold chain round his neck. They then dined with him, and returned on
shore in the evening. One of the vice-admirals was made Lord Graves,
and the other Viscount Bridport. The rear-admirals were created
baronets, and the first lieutenant of every line of battle ship in the
action was made a commander. The rest got empty thanks, and a small
share of prize-money, which was spent by the greater number of the men
the first time they got ashore, so that the grog-sellers, lodging-house
keepers, and Jews, benefited chiefly by that. The ships which had
suffered went into Portsmouth harbour to refit; but as the _Culloden_
had no honourable wounds to show, we were kept at Spithead, and no leave
was granted.
The men grumbled and growled, complaining that they were ill-treated,
and that it was not their fault that they had not taken a more active
part in the battle. The captain and officers best knew the reason why,
and they also were out of sorts, for they heard it whispered that they
had shown the white feather. They consequently, being out of temper,
bullied us, and we were kept at work, exercising at the guns, and making
and shortening sail.
Our former captain being removed, Captain Thomas Trowbridge, well-known
as a good officer, took command of the ship, and we put to sea for a
cruise.
The state of the crew, however, had become too bad to be amended in a
hurry. Discontent of all sorts prevailed on board.
As we lay at Spithead, one day Hagger came to me and said:
"Will, I don't like the look of things, there's something going to
happen. The men complain that the provisions are bad, and we don't get
fresh meat and vegetables from shore as we ought, and there's no leave
given, and flogging goes on just as it did before, and that our present
captain is as severe as the last. There's a knot of them got together,
and they are plotting something. That fellow, Charles Trickett, is at
the bottom of it, though he takes good care not to be too forward. They
have won a good many men over, and they tried to win me, but I'm not
going to run my head into a noose to make bad worse."
"I know all you tell me," I replied, "except that I was not aware there
was any plotting going on. No one has spoken to me, and Trickett is the
last person to do so, though he would be ready to get me into a scrape
if he could. I don't think they would be mad enough to attempt anything
when they must know what would be the upshot. The leaders will be
taken, and either flogged round the fleet, or hung at the yard-arm. I'm
glad that you've kept clear, Dick."
Next day a man I had seldom spoken to came up while I was writing a
letter to my wife, and asked me to put my name to a paper which he said
wanted a witness, and he could not find any man just then who could sign
his name. He was one of the Lord Mayor's men, but notwithstanding by
this time had become a pretty smart hand. He had been a pickpocket or
something of that sort it the streets of London, and always spoke of
himself as being a gentleman, and was fond of using fine language.
"You'll render me an essential service, Weatherhelm, if you'll just do
as I request. Here is the paper," and he produced a large sheet folded
up. "You'll see me write my name, and you'll just write yours as a
witness under it. There's the word `witness,' you see, in pencil, you
need not cover it up."
He wrote down his own name as Reginald Berkeley, and I attached my
signature.
"Thank you extremely," he said, taking up the paper before I had time,
notwithstanding what he said, to write down the word "witness," which I
knew ought to be in ink. "That is all I require. It may, I hope, be
the means of bringing me a nice little income of a thousand a year or
so, to which I am entitled if I obtain my rights, as my solicitor tells
me I am sure to do. I'll not forget you, Will, depend upon it. You
shall come and stay with me at a snug little box I own down at
Richmond,--that is to say, as soon as I come into possession of it, for
I have not, properly speaking, got it yet,--or if you want a few pounds
at any time, they are at your service. Thank you, thank you, go on with
your letter. I must apologise for interrupting you;" and putting the
paper in his pocket, he walked away.
I thought no more about the matter, and having finished and closed my
letter, went on deck to get it sent on shore, as I knew my wife would be
anxiously expecting to hear from me.
A short time after this another fellow, very much the same sort of man
as Berkeley, as he called himself, addressed me, and invited me to come
forward and take a glass of grog with him.
"I've got a little store of liquor of my own, and I like to share it
with honest fellows like you, Weatherhelm," he said. "You and I haven't
had much talk together, but I have heard of you from Hagger and others,
and seen what a prime seaman you are."
"I'm much obliged to you, Pratt," I answered, for that was his name,
"but I am not over fond of spirits, and never take a glass except when
they are served out, and even then I had as soon, on most occasions, go
without it as have it."
"I dare say you are right," answered Pratt, "there's nothing like
keeping a cool head on your shoulders; we want cool heads now to guide
us. You see we have been barbarously treated, and I am sure you will
agree that we ought to get our rights, if we are worthy of being called
men. I am told that some of the best hands in the ship have made up
their minds on the subject, and they have asked me to join them; but I
want to know what your opinion is, for I do not suppose, as you are a
fellow of spirit, that you'll be hanging back."
I guessed what he was driving at, and was cautious in what I said. I
advised him not to join any mad attempt to gain by force what he called
our rights, saying that I had made up my mind to have nothing to do with
anything of the sort. On this I endeavoured to get clear of him, but he
stuck to me, and managed somehow or other to lead me among a knot of men
who were all talking eagerly together. Several of them spoke to me, and
one of the party began to go on much in the same strain that Pratt had
done. As he held me fast by the arm, I could not get away from him
without using violence, and that I did not want to use. The men were
talking away, many of them together, speaking of their grievances, and
complaining of the treatment they had received. Some swore that they
had been flogged unjustly for things they had never done, others
complained of their leave being stopped, some of the badness of their
provisions, others of the tyranny of the officers, and the hard work
they had to do. I made no observation, for I did not wish to have
myself mixed up with them.
There was some truth in what they said, but a great deal of
exaggeration, and I observed that the King's Hard Bargains were the very
men to make most to do of what they suffered. Except that I had escaped
a flogging, and being an able seaman never had to perform what is called
dirty work, I had to suffer as much as any of them.
All this time, neither Trickett, or rather Charles Iffley, nor the
fellow who called himself Reginald Berkeley, had appeared among us.
They came at last, as if sauntering by, and joining in, asked the men
what they were talking about. Several again went over the list of their
grievances.
"It's not to be borne!" cried Iffley.
"I should think not!" exclaimed Berkeley; "I've heard tell of a crew
taking the ship from their officers, and sailing away, either to live
the life of free rovers of the ocean, or to carry her into some foreign
port where they have sold her for a large sum of money, and divided the
profits among themselves. I don't say this is what we should do, or
what we should be compelled to do, if things don't mend."
Soon after Berkeley had spoken, half-a-dozen of the most ruffianly
fellows in the ship, two of whom boasted of the murders they had
committed,--others had been smugglers or pirates for what I know,--came
among us, and proposed that we should begin work that very night.
"Now is our opportunity," they said. "The captain is on shore, so are
many of the officers, including the lieutenant of marines."
I soon found that matters had proceeded much farther than I had
supposed, and that Berkeley and Pratt had spoken to me merely to try and
get me to join them, their plans being already formed. Still, what
those plans were I could not tell, or I ought, I considered, to go aft
and tell the first lieutenant. If I went now, he would think that I had
got hold of some cock-and-bull story, and very likely take no notice,
while, should the mutineers suspect me, I might have been knocked on the
head and have been hove overboard by them in revenge.
I told Hagger, however, what I feared. He acknowledged that he had been
spoken to on the subject, but did not think it would be wise, without
more certain information, to take any steps in the matter.
The long evening drew on, the hammocks were piped down as usual, and the
watch below pretended to turn in; but I observed that they merely kicked
off their shoes, and slipped under the blankets all standing.
It had just gone four bells in the first watch, when every man turned
out of his hammock. The watch on deck came springing down below and
immediately unshipped the ladders. While some were engaged in lashing
up the hammocks, others rushed aft and secured the warrant and petty
officers.
Another more daring band made their way down to the magazine, took out a
quantity of ammunition, and as many muskets and tomahawks as they could
lay hands on. They then set to work to form a barricade across the deck
between the bits with the hammocks, and shifted the two second guns from
forward, which they loaded with grape and canister, and pointed them
towards the hatchway. Hunting about, I found Dick Hagger, and he agreed
with me that we should try to get on deck; but the ladders being
unshipped, we had no means of doing so, and several of the men, seeing
what we were about, swore that they would cut us down if we made the
attempt. There were several others who also wished to escape, and
observing what we had been trying to do, came and joined us. I saw a
few marines among the mutineers, but the larger body of the "jollies,"
on turning out of their hammocks, retreated aft with their sergeants and
corporals; but as the guns were pointed at them, they could do nothing.
The whole lower part of the ship was thus in possession of the
mutineers, together with the magazine, stores, and water, though they
could not prevent the officers from getting away or sending on shore to
give information of what had occurred.
All night long things continued in this state. No one slept. Councils
were held among the men, who swore that until their grievances were
redressed they would not give in, and they would rather, if force were
used, blow the ship up, and go to the bottom. There was nothing to
prevent them doing this except their unwillingness to destroy
themselves. There were some daring spirits among them, but the greater
part had cowardly hearts. They thus fortunately took half measures.
They might have destroyed all the officers, overpowered the marines, and
carried the ship off. They knew well enough, however, that there was
not a man among them capable of navigating her, and that there was a
great chance that they would run her ashore before they got away from
Saint Helen's. They were sure also that there was not an officer who
would have taken charge of her, even if they had held a pistol to his
head to try and compel him to navigate the ship.