sent us a few peppercorns to freshen our way. The firing made the men
in the boats alert, (for they were out of sight, the landing-place
being just over the brow of a hill,) and so they prepared for our
reception. The sodgers were coming up with us hand over hand, and
their shots flew pretty thick. The old master, as soon as he recovered
breath, did nothing but growl at being obliged to run away from the
enemy, and kept his pistols ready to salute them in case of their
coming alongside. There was now only a corn-field between us and the
descent to the boats, when the men, finding themselves considerably
in the rear, made a desperate push with their cargo and capsized
altogether. Up they sprung again: it was, however, too late to mount
the master afresh; besides, he had got a little rest in the carriage,
so all hands took to their heels: but just as they arrived in the
middle of the corn, the French poured in a smart volley, and the old
gemman fell. The rest of the party had reached the boats, and put off
upon their oars, all ready to give the troopers a warm reception.
The two guns in the launch and one in the barge were loaded with
musket-balls, and every man had his musket or pistols ready cocked
for the attack. The cavalry appeared on the brow of the hill, as
fine a mark as you’d wish to shoot at. Whiz--whiz--we let fly; and
they seemed to be struck comical. They thought to capture us at once
without difficulty; but, at the second fire, our arms had done so much
execution, that they turned tail and scampered off as hard as they
could drive.
“The frigate had witnessed the transaction; and when they could bring
the guns to bear without injuring our own people, a broadside of round
and grape completed their confusion. As soon as the action was over,
we found two or three of our men slightly wounded, while many of the
enemy lay dead upon the hill; others we could perceive moving about,
and some, who had been dismounted, were endeavouring to escape. In
about half an hour’s time we again pulled in, but not so cheerful as
we did at first. The master had always been a great favourite with the
captain, and, indeed, for the matter of that, every soul fore-and-aft
looked upon him as a friend. He had come in at the hawse-holes, knew
the duty of a tar, and was lenient to a seaman’s failings. No man could
ever complain that Mr. Soundings had laid a finger upon him, or been
the means of bringing him to the gangway, and, above all, stopping his
grog. He was strict with the purser’s-steward, and kept the cook to
his tethers. But now to be cut off, as it were, without being able to
give the enemy battle, and to be hove down upon his beam-ends by the
lubberly French sodgers,--it made all hands melancholy to think of it.
If he had died upon the quarter-deck in the heat of an engagement, it
would have been another guess-thing, because that would have been in
the way of his profession, and he would have dropped his peak and wore
round for t’other world with the same calmness and composure that he
conned his ship into action, under a firm conviction of going aloft,
because he had done his duty. But, to be popped at in a corn-field,
like a cock-lark or a partridge,--oh, ’twas a most unnatural death!
“‘Whereabouts did you leave the master?’ said the captain to the man
who was with him last.
“‘In the corn-field, sir,’ replied the man; ‘we carried him as long
as we could stand under canvass; but both of us were so heavily
laden, that I expected to founder every minute, and having too much
top-hamper, we did upset at last. But Mr. Soundings got up directly and
run with us ever so far, till the crapeaus gave us another broadside,
and down he dropped in an instant. I heard him give one loud holloa,
and then all was silent; so concluding death had grappled with him, I
made all sail for the boats.’
“‘Did you see him,’ inquired the captain, ‘after he fell?’
“‘No, sir; he was buried among the corn, for there was a deep hollow
ridge run along the place, and I suppose he rolled into it.’
“‘Poor fellow,’ rejoined Sir Sidney, his eye moistening as he spoke;
‘poor fellow, he’s gone, no doubt. However he shall have a seaman’s
grave; so follow me ashore, Mr. E. (addressing the lieutenant) and take
half the men with you. The rest, under Mr. L. must stay by the boats,
and be prepared in case the troops should charge again.’
“The party drew up upon the beach, all eager to search for the body,
and gratified to think that it would not be left as a prey for the
gulls, but be hove overboard, sewed up in a hammock and all ship-shape.
Sir Sidney Smith walked a-head in advance of the men, full of grief for
the loss of his old shipmate; when all at once we heard a voice roaring
most piteously, and the next moment a loud shout. We pushed forward,
and in another minute a trio of Frenchmen showed themselves at the
brow of the hill. Several muskets were presented at them; the sodgers
dropped on their knees, when another figure, close behind them, was
brought into view, holding a pistol in each hand. And who do you think
it was? Why old Soundings himself, with a face full of choler like a
heated furnace, his corporation heaving and setting like a mountain
billow, and puffing and blowing like a grampus in a storm. Sir Sidney
sprung forward and caught the master’s hand, while the rest gathered
round and gave three hearty cheers for joy.
“‘Ay, ay,’ said the old gemman, laughing, ‘you’re a pack of cowards,
to leave a ship in distress. Safety lays in the length of the legs
now-a-days. Run, eh! fine clean-going craft like you, run! and suffer a
crazy, weather-beaten, old hulk to battle the watch with a whole fleet!
But there, d’ye mind, I have taken three prisoners, and now lend me a
hand down to the boat.’
“The fact was, the old boy had tumbled into a hollow, the troops had
passed over him, and sometime after their retreat, finding all quiet,
he crawled out; when meeting suddenly with three Frenchmen dismounted,
he presented his pistols and compelled them to go a-head just as we
hove in sight.
“With light hearts the boats were once more shoved off from the beach;
and, notwithstanding the old gemman boasted highly of his prowess, he
swore it should be a long day before he’d trust his precious limbs out
of the ship again, to go bush-fighting like a land privateer.”
“Arter all,” exclaimed the old boatswain’s-mate, “them there were
spirit-stirring times; but the Neapolitans and Italians were scarcely
worth fighting for. I was aboard the ould Culloden, 74, along with
Troubridge up the Mediterranean; and one day a boat comes along-side
and up mounts a Neapolitan officer, his rigging dressed out in gold
lace and stars, so that he looked like a man-cake of gilt gingerbread.
So he goes aft into the cabin, and tells the captain the Neapolitan
troops were going to attack the French in a small fortified town on
the coast, and Captain Troubridge being commodore, he had made bould
to ax him for one of the sloop-of-war brigs to cannonade ’em by sea
whilst the sodgers stormed ’em by land; and he talked so big of the
bravery of his men, that it was enough to make a fellow believe that
they cared no more for a bagonet than they did for a sail-needle,
and no more for a two-and-thirty pound shot than they did for a ball
of spun-yarn, and it puzzled me to think how the captain could hoist
it all in; for he bowed very politely, and told the officer ‘he made
no doubt that they would eat all they killed;’ and the officer bowed
again almost to the deck, and he kept bending and bending like a ship
heeling over to sudden gusts from the land. Howsomever, the skipper
grants him the eighteen-gun brig, and then they began to overhaul a
goodish deal about the plan of attack; and the Neapolitan observed,
that if the captain would let ’em have a frigate instead of the brig,
it would be much better and must ensure success. So the captain, very
good-humouredly, countermands the order for the brig, and makes the
signal for the captain of one of the frigates; and then they conversed
together again, and the Count--they called him a Count, but Lord love
you! he wouldn’t count for nothing among British sodgers:--I say, the
Count danced about the cabin as if he was charging the French garrison,
and cutting ’em up into four-pound pieces. Well, ashore he goes, and
the frigate’s signal was made to unmoor and prepare for sea; when
aboard comes the Count again to say the commander-in-chief requested a
line-of-battle ship might be sent instead of the frigate, as it would
place the victory beyond a doubt, and after some backing and filling
about the matter, Troubridge consented, and the brig was ordered to
get under way and direct one of the seventy-fours outside to proceed
to the place appointed. So away goes the Count, though it was plain
to see the skipper warn’t over and above pleased with the shuffling;
but still he hoped the French would be beat, and ill as he could spare
the seventy-four, the sloop was soon walking away under her canvass
and had got to some distance; when alongside comes the Count again
and goes into the cabin; but he hadn’t been long there before out he
comes again holus-bolus through the door-way, and the skipper in his
wake with a face like scarlet, kicking the Count under his counter and
starting him endways like seven bells half-struck. The Count scratched
his indecencies and run along the quarter-deck, with old Troubridge
belabouring him, and hollaing out, ‘D-- his eyes, first a brig, then
a frigate, and next a line-of-battle ship; and now he won’t fight
arter all!’ So the Count jumped into his boat, the brig was recalled,
and the French kept possession till the army retreated, and then they
capitulated.”
“Ay, that was a sweet ship,” said an aged pensioner, “that ould
Culloden. Did you know Bill Buntline, as was captain of her fore-top?”
“Why, to be sure I do,” replied the other; “we were messmates for three
years, and a worthy soul Bill was, too. He could spin a yarn that would
last the whole look-out; and then, like some of your magazines, he
continued it in the next. He was brave, too; but I fear we shall never
muster many such as he again.”
“’Cause why?” said my old chaperon, “they don’t steer the right course
to gain the point: who’d live burning under the line with only half
allowance of grog? or in regard of the matter o’ that, what heart could
go boldly into action that was swamped in tea-water? The parsons may
say what they please, but they arn’t more fond of the kettle nor other
folks, unless they takes it warm with a couple o’ lumps o’ sugar. But
most of our tars are now in foreign sarvices, and teaching their art to
our enemies.”
“Ay, it is so, ould shipmate,” rejoined the pensioner; “I reads of ’em
sometimes when they used to be with Cochrane in South America, and I
glories in the whacking the Portuguese fleet have just napped from
Napier. It makes my ould heart bound with joy when I thinks of it.”
“But, mayhap,” said the boatswain’s-mate, “there’ll be some whistling
to get ’em back again, in case of another war; but I hardly think a
British tar would battle the watch against his country.”
“Tell that to the marines!” exclaimed the old man. “Why! warn’t the
Yankee frigates principally manned with British tars,--many of ’em
who had fought under Nelson, and hailed with three cheers his last
memorable signal? Did not the United States have two of her guns, one
named Nelson and the other Victory, worked solely by men who had fought
at Trafalgar, and in most of the general actions? Nay, more: all of
them had been bargemen to the undaunted hero, had shared his dangers,
and revenged his death! Oh, what could have wrought such ruinous
principles in their hearts, as to make them not only desert from, but
strive to crush the proud flag for which they had shed their richest
blood! And yet we are to be told, that this is not a fit subject for
inquiry among the gemmen at the head of affairs; and that, in the
event of another war, seaman are again to be dragged into the service,
and compelled to toil under the dread of the cat. As for me, I always
served my king and my country, (God bless ’em!) and mean to stick to
my stuff as long as my timbers will hold together. But, nevertheless,
I am a seaman, have a seaman’s feelings, and cannot bear to see a
seaman injured: they are my messmates, my brothers; and I long to see
them once more under the ‘union,’ gallantly asserting their country’s
rights, and maintaining her naval glory.
“But to return to Bill; poor fellow, the last time I saw him he was on
board an East Ingeeman, outward bound. The frost of years was on his
head, and age had ploughed deep furrows on his brow; but his heart was
as light as ever. I can remember him, the finest-looking fellow in the
fleet, full of life and spirit; and, one day, when we were all, (that
is the boarders,) exercising our cutlasses on the quarter-deck,--by the
by, Mr. Kendall, who went out with Captain Franklin, was midshipman
of our division, and a worthy little officer he was; his father was a
captain in the navy, and both his grandfathers died admirals: I knew
’em well, and brave officers they were. Well, as I was a saying, there
we stood, cutting and slashing right and left, while the officers
watched our motions, and practised among themselves. ‘That’s a bonnie
lad there,’ said the captain’s lady, leaning on the arm of the marine
officer, and pointing to Bill; ‘a bonnie lad, in gude truth, Mr.
M.’--‘Yes, ma’am,’ replied the officer, ‘a fine muddle for a Polly.’
But, Lord love you! as for being muddled, why he was as sober as a
judge, and warn’t no more like a Polly than this pewter pot’s like a
wooden platter.
“Well, d’ye see, there the boarders continued exercising; for we had a
west-country sergeant who had received instruction in the horse-guards,
but he turned foot-sodger and came to sea, and so he was appointed to
teach the men upon a new system. A tyrannical upstart fellow he was,
too; and nobody liked him. ‘Mind,’ says he, ‘when I say sooards, thee
mustn’t draa, but only handle thee’s sooard for ready; but when I say
draa sooards, thee must lug them out t’ scabbard:’ and so he kept on
posing us, till we all wished him at ould Nick. At last we came to the
cuts and guards: the first was all very well; but we could make nothing
of the guards; for if a sailor, in boarding, stands like a doctor to
pick and choose what limb to dissect, it would soon be all dickey with
him. Straight forward work’s the best, and soonest over. ‘Now,’ says
he, ‘if the enemy should cut at thee leg, thee must draa it back, and
then thee wult be able to strike him down by the head, thus,’--showing
the position. Howsomever, we could not scrape as he did; and so he
got into a terrible passion. ‘Thee be a pack of fools,’ said he. ‘Now
mind, as soon as I draa my leg back, I strike thus; and the enemy will
fall!’ So saying, with the roll of the ship, he made a step back,
when unfortunately--the scuttle was open behind him--down he went and
disappeared in an instant. ‘And the enemy will fall!’ cried Bill,
imitating him; while all hands, officers, ladies and all, burst into a
roar of laughter. ‘Yo hoy, sergeant,’ bellowed Bill, down the scuttle,
‘where are you, my hearty? An’t you coming up again? Here we are all
waiting to put the enemy to flight.’--But Mr. sergeant had had enough
of it for that day, and slunk quietly to his berth.
“I remembers another time, in a six-and-thirty, when we engaged a
Spanish frigate, and a heavy one she was too; they had men in their
tops with rifles, who seemed only intent to pick out our officers.
Well, d’ye see, the two ships swung alongside, and the main yards
locked, with the Spaniard’s just abaft ours. Bill happened to be in the
main-top with two others stoppering the shrouds, and every now and then
he caught a glimpse of these fellows, laying down to load and firing
over the top-brim.
“‘My eyes! shipmates, look there,’ says he; ‘the cowardly lubbers are
bush-fighting. D--n the rigging; let’s go and clap a stopper over-all
upon them:--but, avast, avast; do you two get upon their topsail-yard;
and when you see me in the top, then come down hand over hand amongst
us.’
“Away went Bill with his brace of pistols in his belt, and
cartridge-box and cutlash by his side, along the main-yard, entirely
concealed by the folds of the enemy’s main-sail, and got unobserved
(except by those on deck) close in by the slings. The first man that
rose,--pop he had him, to the great astonishment of the rest, who could
not conceive where the shot came from; while those on deck were afraid
of firing up, lest they should injure their own people, and the roar of
the guns wouldn’t allow of a hail being heard. Bill squatted down as
unconcerned as possible, re-loaded his pistol, and presently down went
another. By this time the other two had gained the enemy’s mast-head;
and finding they could douse a few of ’em without injuring Bill, they
let fly, to the great terror of the Spaniards, who thinking themselves
bewitched, bundled out of the top down the foot-hook shrouds, where
they caught sight of Bill, when a desperate conflict ensued. He was,
however, joined by his two shipmates; while others, from both ships,
crowded up the riggings to the assistance of their several comrades.
For a few minutes the fight seemed to be transferred aloft, when a
shot from one of our main-deck guns brought down the enemy’s main-mast;
and away the combatants came flying down upon deck, where, though
severely shaken and bruised in the fall, all that were able still
continued the fight. The confusion occasioned by the falling mast was
instantly taken advantage of by our captain, who, heading the boarders,
dashed fearlessly on to the enemy’s quarter-deck. Here he found Bill
and his party at close quarters, hammering away like anchor-smiths;
but the numbers were too many to cope with, and we were compelled
to retreat. Just, however, as we had reached the sides of our own
frigate,--‘Where’s the captain? where’s the captain?’ resounded on all
sides. The Spaniards had grappled him, when Bill and his comrades again
rushed back, and brought him off in safety.
“Well, d’ye see, at it we went again like sons of thunder; when shortly
after, the ships parted and we played a game at long bowls. The enemy
had all picked men, who fought with determined resolution; but the
precision of our fire soon thinned their numbers, and orders were again
given to prepare to board.
“‘Come here, my man,’ said the captain to Bill; ‘you’re a brave fellow,
and deserve promotion: what shall I get for you?’
“‘Only a glass of grog, your honour, just to drink your honour’s
health, and success to the day,’ says Bill.
“‘Well, well,’ says the captain, ‘I see your wishes are not unbounded;
so go to my steward, and tell him to give you a bottle of rum.’
“‘Ey, ey, sir,’ answered Bill; ‘but if your honour would just let me
speak a word,--may be your honour would not be angry if I axed for a
toothful for all hands. The purser can afford it, your honour; and the
people have had cobwebs in their throats these two hours. It would give
’em a little more spirit just before boarding.’
“‘I scarce know what to say to it, my man,’ replies the skipper;
‘however, send the purser’s steward here.’
“The steward came, and a tub of grog was soon mixed upon the
main-deck, and equally as soon despatched. ‘All ready,’ was now heard
fore-and-aft, when the helm was put up. ‘Stand by, my boys, as we pass
under his stern,’ cried the captain: ‘point your guns well; pour it
into him; and then follow me.’
“The Spaniards seemed to be aware of our intention; for they
immediately hove all aback; but they could not accomplish their object,
while we came easily round upon his quarter, and gave him a whole
raking broadside double-shotted. All hands rushed from below; and, in
less than two minutes, scoured the enemy’s decks; while Bill and a
party broke in the cabin-windows, and dashed forward on the main-deck,
bearing down all before them. The two captains met, and science was
instantly called into play, while for a few minutes both parties seemed
to pause, as if the victory depended on the conqueror; but a Spaniard,
unnoticed, levelled his musket at our captain, and the ball lodged in
his hand. The sword instantly dropped, but the gallant Spaniard scorned
to take advantage; he lowered the point of his weapon, and flew to
another part of the deck.
“Again the battle closed, and each fought with a determination to
conquer or die. At last, three British cheers resounded from abaft; and
there, upon the taffrail, stood Bill, hoisting the English colours over
the Spanish at the peak. Several Spaniards flew to resent the insult,
and the poor fellow would, no doubt, have fallen, had he not caught
hold of a little French officer in the Spanish service, and held him up
as a shield against their thrusts, till timely assistance rescued him.
This affair, however, had divided the attention of the enemy, while
it cheered up our men to fresh exertion. With one desperate rush they
cut down all before them, and in a few minutes more, the frigate was
our own. The slaughter ceased, and we were all good friends. The two
captains dined together, and ever after lived like brothers; while the
prisoners shared in our messes and partook of our grog.
“In overhauling our prize, we found she was from Buenos Ayres, with
a freight of money. So away we went into port with gold candlesticks
at each yard-arm, and at each mast-head; and as long as it lasted,
fiddles, girls, coaches,--all were in motion; till by dint of hard
labour we got rid of it, and then tossed up the anchor for more.”
I was highly entertained with these characteristic sketches of
the man-of-war’s man, and the old boys seemed delighted with the
opportunity of relating their former achievements. I was also much
pleased with the deference they seemed to pay to each other, and the
attachment which appeared to exist amongst them. The grog, however,
began to operate a little, and the question was put, “whether his
honour would like to hear a song?” Of course I acceded to any thing
that was calculated to increase their enjoyments, and one of the
younger men of the party--a marine, but blind--gave us the following
song, which my old chaperon whispered to me was one of his own making.
“NED SPLICE was a tar as devoid of all fear
As e’er swabb’d a deck from the spray of a sea;
He knew every rope, and could hand, reef, and steer,--
Book-larning, why, Lord! ’twas all dickey to he.
Our chaplain could spin out a very fine yarn,
And bother each man in his mess;
Says NED, ‘My brave boys, if your duty you’d larn,
’Tis--succour a friend in distress.’
“‘Ne’er get drunk!’ says the priest, with a wave of his fist,
‘Never swear;--never covet another man’s prog;’
But see him next day, when he’s cheating at _whist_--
My eyes! ’tis a storm in an ocean of grog.
Says NED, ‘them ’ere maxims I don’t understand,
We should practice the thing we profess;’
While the pray’r from his heart, and the gold from his hand,
He gives to a friend in distress.”
This song was sung with no small degree of feeling and taste. Other
songs followed, with a few characteristic observations and sentimental
touches between them, till the termination of one which had for its
burthen.
“Thus smiling at peril, at sea or on shore,
We box the whole compass round cheerly;
Toss the can, boys, again;--drink the king! and what’s more,
We’ll drink to the girls we love dearly!”
“Sweet creatures!” exclaimed Bill Jennings “I loves ’em all a little,
d’ye see; for what’s a sailor without a sweetheart? Why, he’s like
a ship without a rib,--like a mast without stays,--like a lanniard
without a dead-eye,--like a binnacle without a compass,--or a block
without a sheave. Pretty dears! they’re the very ach-me of a sailor’s
hopes,--the main-top of his heart. What, though the Turks think they’ve
got no souls, you and I, your honour, both of us know, (and which of
us doesn’t?) that they have got souls and spirits too, bless ’em! for
I take it that’s much the same thing. I’ve seen ’em of all colours and
shapes from the Hopping-tops at the Cape to the Axquemo near the North
Pole; but there’s none to beat our own countrywomen. All the Wenuses of
Italy,--all the beauties of Buss-aloney,--all the brilliant black eyes
of Spanish America, can’t box the compass with the dear little lasses
of our native land.
“Ah, I can remember the first time I fell in love, by tumbling down
the main-hatchway! ’Twas when I was with Cook, out at the Sandwich
Islands, where King Tommy-rammer and his wife came from. D’ye see, we
had been refitting the rigging, and one of the ladies of Owyhee would
be my doll-sinner; so she lent me a hand to tar the parcelling and pass
the ball; and we were as kind and as loving as two tartle-doves. Well,
I was walking near the hatch-way, when, somehow or other, I capsized,
and Lowtowchinchow, in trying to save me, gave me a shove: I cotched
hold of her, and away we went, Lowtowchinchow and I, down into the
main-hold, like a couple of cherry-bums from the clouds. The hatchway
was full of logs, and there we lay, like the babes in the wood, as
natural as life. Howsomever, there were no bones broke, so they hauled
us up again, and how could I help falling in love with her after that?
Oh, we used to talk together, she in her lingo and I in mine, like
two cats in a gutter. But what was the use on’t? the fore-topsail was
sheeted home, and away we went; I promised to write to her by the first
post, but she didn’t understand me, and so I forgot all about it next
day.