A FEW PARTICULARS OF THE EXPEDITION--I LEARN TO BE PATIENT--A STRANGE
SAIL--CHEATED OF A PRIZE--WE DESTROY A FRENCH FRIGATE--CHASE A BRIG--
BECALMED AT AN AWKWARD TIME--OUR CAPTAIN PLANS A CUTTING-OUT
EXPEDITION--SUCCESS OF OUR EFFORTS--DICK HAGGER AND I WITH OTHERS ARE
PUT ON BOARD A PRIZE UNDER MR. HARVEY--SAIL FOR ENGLAND.
We were now kept actively engaged, but my readers would not be
interested were I to give a detailed account of the various incidents of
the unfortunate expedition to Quiberon. After taking possession of two
islands commanding the bay, we were despatched, in company with the
_Standard_, sixty-four, to summon the Governor of Belle Isle to deliver
up the island for the use of the French king.
The boat proceeded to the shore with a flag of truce, carrying a long
letter from the captain of the _Standard_. A very short reply was
received, we heard, from the Republican general, who declared that, as
he was well supplied with provisions and artillery, we might come when
we liked, and he should be ready for us.
I know that we sailed away and left him alone. Soon after this we were
joined by the _Jason_ frigate, escorting a fleet of transports,
containing four thousand British troops, under command of Major-General
Doyle, who was accompanied by the Comte d'Artois and several other
French noblemen. The troops were landed on the Isle d'Yeu with
provisions, stores, and clothing, and there they remained doing nothing,
for nothing could be done. The Republicans, under their clever, daring
chiefs, had completely gained the upper hand, and the Royalist cause was
lost. We meantime had to enjoy the luxuries of salt pork and mouldy
biscuit, either blockading the enemy's ports or looking out for their
cruisers or merchantmen.
Thus we continued week after week, month after month, until my heart
grew sick at the long delay. We had occasional opportunities of writing
home, and I always availed myself of them, but I got very few letters in
return, though my wife wrote frequently. The packet was often carried
on to the Mediterranean, or to other more distant parts of the world.
At last, while cruising with three other frigates and an eighteen gun
brig, the _Sylph_, off the mouth of the river Gironde, we one morning
made out a French frigate in the south-south-west, standing in towards
the entrance of the river, the wind being at the time north-north-west.
Our frigate and the _Sylph_ were close in with the land, while our
consorts were considerably astern of us. We immediately crowded all
sail to cut off the French frigate from the mouth of the river, while
our captain ordered several signals to be made, intended to deceive her
and induce her to suppose that we were also French. Dick Hagger and I
were on the forecastle.
"She'll take the bait, I hope," he observed, glancing up at the strange
bunting which was being run up at the fore royal masthead and quickly
lowered. "See, she's answering. Well, it may be all ship-shape, but I
don't like telling lies, even to an enemy. Hurrah! I suppose the
signals were to tell her to come to an anchor, for see, she is
shortening sail."
Presently the French frigate rounded to and brought up. It was just
what we wanted, for if she had stood on, she might have run up the river
and escaped us. All we now had to do was to get up alongside her, and
we trusted to our guns to make her ours. We carried on, therefore, as
we had been doing to reach her.
This probably made her suspect that all was not right, for in a few
minutes, letting fall her topsails, she stood away to the southward.
"She has cut her cable, and is off again," cried Dick; "however, she
can't get up the river, that's one comfort, and we shall have her before
long."
The French ship was now under all the canvas she could spread, standing
to the southward. We had the lead going, for we were running through a
narrow channel, with a lighthouse on one side on some rocks, and a
sandbank on the other. We had a pilot on board, however, who knew the
coast, and our captain was a man of firm nerve. The men in the chains
were singing out all the time. For my part, I know I was very glad when
we cleared the danger, and once more ran off before the wind, followed
by the commodore in the _Pomone_ and the _Anson_ frigate. Meanwhile the
commodore sent off the _Artois_ frigate and _Sylph_ brig to examine two
suspicious ships seen away to the south-west. Night was approaching,
and just before darkness came down on the ocean, we were not more than
two miles astern of the chase. We could still see her dimly through the
gloom ahead, and we hoped to keep sight of her during the night.
Suddenly, however, about nine o'clock, a heavy squall struck us,
accompanied by thunder and lightning, with tremendous showers of rain.
The order was given to shorten sail. We flew aloft; there was no time
to be lost. The thunder rattled, almost deafening us, and the lightning
flashed in our eyes. Between the flashes it was so dark that we had to
feel our way on the yards, for as to seeing six inches from our noses,
that was out of the question. For nearly an hour it blew fearfully
hard, and when we came down from aloft and looked ahead, we could
nowhere see the chase, nor were either of our consorts visible astern.
We, however, continued standing to the southward as before. What had
become of the other ships we could not tell.
"The weather seems to be clearing," observed Dick; "if we keep a sharp
look-out, the chances are we catch sight of the chase again."
The third lieutenant, who was forward peering out with his hands on
either side of his eyes, asked if any of us could see her.
"Yes, there she is!" cried Dick immediately afterwards, "away a little
on the starboard bow."
The lieutenant, looking again to assure himself that Dick was right,
sung out to the captain. Immediately the order was given to make all
sail. We were, during this time, scarcely more than a mile from the
shore, but the wind held fair, and there were no rocks to bring us up.
Thus we stood on until daybreak, when we found that we were about the
same distance from the chase as we had been at sunset, while, looking
round, we discovered the frigate and brig, hull down, in the north-west.
As the other vessels were so far off, we now fully expected that the
Frenchman would make a stand-up fight of it, and that before many
minutes were over we should be blazing away at her, for, as far as we
could judge, she was as big if not bigger than our ship. All this time,
however, she had neither hoisted ensign nor pennant. This seemed
strange, as there was no doubt about her being a Government ship. For
some time she stood on, edging away towards the land. "Perhaps there is
danger ahead, and the Frenchmen hope to lead us upon it," I observed to
Dick.
"We are all right as to that," he answered. "Our master knows the coast
too well to run the ship ashore. I only wish we could see the enemy
haul her wind to, and wait for us."
"She is going to haul her wind, see!" I exclaimed, as I saw the French
frigate brace up her yards.
"Yes, she is, but she's putting her head towards the land; I do think
she's going to run ashore!"
That such was the case there appeared every probability; still there was
room enough for her to come about, and as we eagerly watched her, I
hoped she would do so.
She stood on and on, and presently what was my amazement to see her
mizzen-mast go by the board!
"The Frenchman must have cut it away," cried Dick. "I was right, then."
So he was; of that there could be no doubt. Soon afterwards down came
her mainmast. On she went, however, until we saw that she was ashore,
and then her foremast followed the other masts, and the sea catching
her, drove her broadside on to the beach, where she heeled over away
from us, so that it was difficult to see what her crew were about. As
the seas kept striking her, it seemed that her people must be in
considerable danger.
Our men bestowed no small amount of abuse on the French for trying to
deprive us of the frigate, when they could not keep her for themselves.
Our captain ordered three guns to be fired at her as we passed within a
quarter of a mile of the shore; but though some of hers might have been
brought to bear on us, not one was discharged. We then stood off and
hove-to. The boats were lowered and manned, our first lieutenant going
in command of them, with directions to effect the destruction of the
frigate. The heavy surf breaking against her bottom, and sweeping round
towards the side turned to the shore, made it difficult and dangerous
work to attempt boarding her.
The tide was now falling, and a considerable number of the French crew
seeing us coming, in spite of the risk of being swept away, plunged into
the water, and partly by swimming and partly by wading, managed to reach
the beach. None of them made any attempt to defend the ship, nor did we
molest the poor fellows who were making for the land.
At length we managed to get up to the ship, when the captain and several
of his officers surrendered themselves as prisoners. We also took off a
few Portuguese seamen, who had been taken out of two captured Brazil
ships. We were soon joined by the boats of the _Artois_ and the
_Sylph_, which had in the meantime approached. The former was now
standing off the shore, while the _Sylph_ came close in to protect the
boats should the French seamen venture to attack us.
Having put the prisoners on board the _Artois_ and _Galatea_, we
returned once more to effect the destruction of the frigate. The
rollers, however, went tumbling in on shore with so much fury that the
boats would probably have been lost had we made the attempt. We
therefore had to wait patiently until the rising tide should enable us
with less hazard to get up to the ship. Meantime we took the _Sylph_ in
tow, and carried her to within seven hundred yards of the shore, where,
dropping her anchor, she got a spring on it, and began firing away at
the frigate, so as to riddle her bottom and prevent the possibility of
her floating off at high water. At last we once more pulled in, the
tide allowing us to approach close to the beach, when Mr Harvey, in
whose boat I was, went on shore with a flag of truce to tell the French
seamen, who were gathering in considerable numbers on the sand-hills,
that we were about to destroy their ship, and to advise them to keep out
of the way. I was very glad when my young officer came back to the
boat.
They did not attend to the warning they received, but as soon as we
pulled for the ship they came down, threatening us in considerable
numbers. On this the _Sylph_ opened her fire, and soon sent them to the
right about. We now boarded the ship, which I should have said was the
_Andromaque_, and having searched every part of her to ascertain that
none of her crew or any prisoners she might have taken remained on
board, we set her on fire fore and aft, so effectually that even had the
Frenchmen returned and attempted to put out the flames they would have
found it impossible to do so. She burned rapidly, and as we pulled away
towards the _Sylph_ the flames were bursting out through all the ports.
The _Sylph_ then got under weigh, and, taking the boats in tow, stood
off the land and rejoined the frigates.
We had not got far when a tremendous roar was heard, and we could see
the whole after-part of the ship blown into fragments, some flying
seawards, others towards the land, many rising high into the air.
We gave a cheer of satisfaction, for since we could not carry off the
frigate as a prize, the next best thing was to prevent her doing any
farther harm to our commerce.
This exploit performed, we separated from our consorts, and after
cruising about for some time, we one morning, when about twenty miles
off the land, just at daybreak, saw, inside of us, a large brig, which,
from the squareness of her yards, we knew to be a vessel of war. The
wind was from the southward, and she was close-hauled. We instantly
made all sail, and stood after her, hoping to get her within range of
our guns before she could run on shore, or seek for safety in port. She
at once kept way, and was evidently steering for a harbour, though I
forget its name, which lay some short distance to the northward. She
soon showed that she was a fast craft, for though the _Galatea_ sailed
well, she maintained her distance. At length, getting her within range
of our long guns, we made sure of capturing her. Two shots struck her,
but did not produce any serious damage.
"Never mind, she'll be ours in a few minutes," observed Dick, as he
stood near me at our gun. We expected in a few minutes to send a
broadside into her.
Just then our topsails flapped loudly against the masts, and we lay
becalmed. The brig almost immediately got out some long sweeps, and
with her boats towing ahead, quickly crept away from us. I thought our
captain would have ordered out the boats to attack her, but I suppose
that he thought it was not worth risking the lives of the men by
boarding a vessel with a crew so strong as she probably possessed. Thus
we lay for some hours, rolling our sides into the smooth, shining
waters. I heard some of the officers say that they could see through
their glasses several other craft at anchor in a small bay protected by
a fort. As evening approached a breeze sprang up, and making sail, we
stood off the land. As soon as it was dark, however, the ship was put
about, and we stood back again for some distance, when we hove-to, and
the boats were lowered. The captain then announced that he intended to
send four boats in, under the command of the first lieutenant; the third
lieutenant taking charge of one, Mr Harvey of another, and the
boatswain of a fourth. Dick and I were in Mr Harvey's boat. The
object was to cut out the brig we had chased into port, as well as any
other vessels we could get hold of. It was just the sort of work
sailors are fond of, though at the same time often as dangerous as any
they can engage in. They like it all the better, however, for the
danger.
The brig was to be the first attacked, and we hoped to surprise her, as
probably some of her officers and crew were ashore. If we could take
her, we had little doubt about cutting-out one or two of the others
which had been seen at anchor.
The night was very dark, and just suited for our purpose. The first
lieutenant took the lead in one of the gigs. The two cutters and
pinnace followed close astern, to prevent the risk of separating. In
perfect silence we pulled away from the frigate with muffled oars. As
yet we could see no light to guide us, but we expected to catch sight of
some of those on shore as we drew nearer. To get up to the anchorage we
had a point to round. There was the risk, should any sentry be posted
there, that we should be discovered. The lieutenant accordingly gave it
as wide a berth as he could. Once round it, we could see the masts of
the brig against the sky, but there was no light visible, nor was any
movement perceptible on board her. We pulled on steadily, hoping to get
up to her without being discovered. We fancied that the Frenchmen must
be keeping a bad look-out. On and on we glided, like spirits of evil
bent on mischief, when, as we were within a cable's length of the brig,
suddenly a flame of fire burst from her ports, with the loud reports of
six heavy guns, followed by the rattle of musketry.
"On, lads, on!" cried our commanding officer; and the boats casting off
from each other, we pulled away as hard as we could.
The first lieutenant and Mr Harvey in our boat, pulled for her bows,
one on either side, while the other boats were to board on her quarters.
Our boat was to go round to the starboard side, which was the inner
one. The instant we hooked on, we clambered up, Mr Harvey gallantly
leading, Dick and I being close to him. We reached the deck without
opposition, for the Frenchmen were all over on the other bow, attempting
to beat back the lieutenant and his people, so that we took them
completely by surprise, and were cutting and slashing at them before
they knew we were on deck. They quickly turned, however, to defend
themselves, and this allowed the lieutenant and the gig's crew to
clamber on board. United, we drove them back from the forecastle.
Some, to save themselves, tumbled down the fore-hatchway, but others,
unable to get down, retreated aft. Here they joined the rest of the
crew, who were fighting desperately with the third lieutenant and
boatswain's party, but were being driven slowly back.
The uproar we made, the flash of the pistols, the clash of our
cutlasses, the shouts and shrieks of the combatants, served to arouse
the garrison in the fort and the crews of the other vessels. The guns
in the fort had not opened upon us, probably because the Frenchmen were
afraid of hitting their friends, not knowing whether we had captured the
brig or been driven back.
The Frenchmen, as they generally do, fought bravely, but they could not
withstand the desperate onslaught we made. Attacked as they were on
both sides, they were unable to retreat, and those who had been aft
leapt down the hatchways, crying out for quarter. Mr Harvey told them
that if they made further resistance they would be shot. He then called
his boat's crew away, as had been arranged, to cut the cable, and began
to tow the brig out of harbour, while the crew of another boat flew
aloft to loose the sails. The canvas was let fall and rapidly sheeted
home. The moment we began to move the fort opened fire. One of the
first shot struck our boat, which at once commenced to fill. Strange to
say, not a man among us was hit. We on this dropped alongside the brig
and scrambled on board, just as the boat sank beneath our feet. On this
the lieutenant, seeing that the brig had got good way on her, calling
his own boat's crew and that of the pinnace, shoved off, with the
intention of taking one of the other vessels, leaving the third
lieutenant and Mr Harvey to carry out the brig. The shot from the fort
came pitching about us, and we were hulled several times. One shot
struck the taffrail, and as the splinters flew inboard, the third
lieutenant, who was at the helm, fell. I at once ran to help him, while
Mr Harvey took his place. He was badly wounded, I feared; but on
recovering he desired to be left on deck, observing that should he be
taken below, the French prisoners might, he feared, get hold of him, and
hold him as a hostage, until we promised to liberate them, or restore
the brig.
Soon after this we got out of range of the guns from the fort. Looking
astern, we could see the flashes of pistols, and could hear the rattle
of musketry, as if a sharp fight were going on. It was very evident
that the first lieutenant was engaged in warm work. Possibly we thought
he might have caught a tartar and been getting the worst of it. Mr
Harvey proposed going back to his assistance, but the lieutenant feared
that if we did so, we should run a great risk of getting the brig
ashore, and might probably be captured. We therefore stood on until we
were clear of the harbour. Just as we were rounding the point, and
looking aft, I made out a vessel under weigh.
"Hurrah, Mr Lloyd has made a prize of another vessel," I shouted.
Some of the men doubted this, and declared that she was coming in chase
of us. I could not deny that such might possibly be the case, but
presently the fort opened upon her, which proved, as we supposed, that
she was another prize. We accordingly hove-to, out of range of the guns
of the fort, to wait for her; still some of the men fancied that she
might be after all, as they had at first supposed, an armed vessel
coming out to try and retake us. To guard against this, Mr Harvey
ordered us to load the guns. We found plenty of powder and shot, so
that we felt sure, if she was an enemy, of beating her off. The breeze
freshened as she got clear of the harbour and stood towards us. We were
at our guns, ready to fire should she prove an enemy. All doubt was
banished when, on approaching, a British cheer was raised from her deck,
to which we replied, and making sail, we stood on together.
In about half an hour we were up to the frigate, when both prizes
hove-to to windward of her, that we might send our prisoners as well as
our wounded men on board. Besides the third lieutenant, we had had only
two hurt in capturing our prize, the _Aimable_; but the first
lieutenant, in capturing the other, the _Flore_, had had two men killed
and three wounded, besides the boatswain and himself slightly. Not only
had the crew of the _Flore_ resisted toughly, but boats had come off
from the shore and attempted to retake her, after her cable had been
cut. The _Flore_ had, however, escaped with fewer shot in her hull than
we had received.
During the night we ran off shore, and as soon as it was daylight the
carpenters came on board to repair our damages. The captain had
meantime directed Mr Harvey to take charge of the _Aimable_, and to
carry her into Plymouth.
"I have applied for you, Wetherholm and Hagger, to form part of my
crew," he said, on returning on board. "I know you are anxious to get
home, as it will be some time probably before the frigate herself
returns to port."
I thanked him heartily, and Hagger, I, and the other men, sent for our
bags. As soon as all the arrangements had been completed, we made sail
and stood for the British Channel. The _Flore_, which sailed in our
company, had been placed under charge of the second master. We had been
directed to keep close together so that we might afford each other
support. The wind being light, we did not lose sight of the frigate
until just at sundown, when we saw her making sail, apparently in chase
of some vessel, to the southward. Our brig was a letter of marque, and
had a valuable cargo on board, so that she was worth preserving, and
would give us, we hoped, a nice little sum of prize-money.
For long I had not been in such good spirits, as I hoped soon to be able
to get home and to see my beloved wife, even if I could not manage to
obtain my discharge, for which I intended to try. When it was my watch
below, I could scarcely sleep for thinking of the happiness which I
believed was in store for me.
We had kept two Frenchmen, one to act as cook, the other, who spoke a
little English,--having been for some time a prisoner in England,--as
steward. They were both good-natured, merry fellows. The cook's name
was Pierre le Grande, the other we called Jacques Little. He was a
small, dapper little Frenchman, and played the violin. He would have
fiddled all day long, for he preferred it to anything else; but he could
not get any one to dance to him except Le Grande, who, as soon as he had
washed up his pots and kettles, came on deck, and began capering about
to Jacques' tunes in the most curious fashion possible.
The rest of us had plenty to do in getting the brig into order, and
occasionally taking a spell at the pumps, for she leaked more than was
pleasant. We tried to discover where the water came in, but could not
succeed. However, as the leak was not serious it did not trouble us
much.
As we were so small a crew, we were divided into only two watches. Mr
Harvey had one and gave me charge of the other, at which I felt pleased,
for it showed that he placed confidence in me. I understood navigation,
which none of the other men did, and I had a right to consider myself a
good seaman.