Cruise off Cadiz--Proceed up the Mediterranean to Egypt after a
French squadron under Rear-Admiral Ganteaume, 1801.
In November, 1800, we sailed for Gibraltar. I was much pleased to see
the celebrated rock, so well defended by the gallant Elliot in 1782,
and to read, on the spot, Colonel Drinkwater’s most amusing history of
that famous siege.
As late as the year 1801, the greater part of the garrison was still
covered with shot and broken shells, thrown by the Spaniards at that
period. They have since been collected, and sold to be melted down for
various purposes, some probably to be again converted into missiles of
destruction.
We cruised off Cadiz in company with the _Dragon_, _Hector_, and
_Gibraltar_, of 74 guns each, until the spring of 1801, detaining the
Danish and Swedish vessels, when a French squadron of eight sail of
the line (some frigates, and a store ship), having made their escape
from Brest, at a time the channel fleet was blown off, passed us in the
night, and pushed up the Mediterranean for Toulon, to embark troops for
Egypt, to strengthen their force there.
The _Mercury_ (28), Captain Rogers, and the _Incendiary_ (fire-ship),
joined us in the morning, and informed us they had been chased by
them. Although we had only four sail of the line, no time was lost in
proceeding after them; first touching at Gibraltar for provisions,
then running over to Marjarine Bay, on the coast of Barbary, for
water, and from thence to Port Mahon, to see if chance would send us
a reinforcement. There we found the _Alexander_ (74), Captain Sir
Alexander Ball, the _Généreux_ (80), not half-manned, and the _Harlaem_
(64), _en flute_; however, they made a show of strength, and to sea we
went in search of the French squadron, under Rear-Admiral Ganteaume,
and steered for Toulon. Ill fortune attended us; for in a heavy gale,
the _Généreux_ rolled away all her top-masts, and sprung a leak, which
caused us to put back to Minorca, with our crippled ships, from which
place the above-named ship was never again in a state to accompany us.
The moment the rest of the squadron was ready for sea, our persevering
admiral again sailed, and although with one ship less, he ventured
to reconnoitre Toulon, where we found the French had also put back
damaged, and were apparently employed in refitting. We, therefore,
shaped our course for Minorca. On our way thither, to complete our
water and provisions, we chased a Spanish convoy into Cadeque, a small
port near the entrance of the Bay of Rosas; but the admiral did not
think, under existing circumstances, it was worth while risking the
loss of lives to attack them, having the prospect of an action with a
superior French force in view; we, therefore, returned to Port Mahon
to get ready to proceed after the enemy’s fleet in Toulon.
During our stay, we heard that we were to be joined at Malta by His
Majesty’s ship _Athénienne_ (64), which was not even coppered, and
had only half her complement of men. Having put the ships into as
good a state as circumstances would admit, we proceeded to Malta, and
there picked up the 64 gun-ship, which completed our ill-conditioned
squadron, viz., five good ships of the line, one 64, _en flute_, and
another 64, half-manned, and with no copper on her bottom.
With these ships we went to look for Admiral Ganteaume; and off the
island of Maretimo, we fell in with the _Salamine_ brig, of 16 guns,
which gave us information that the day before she had been chased by
the French squadron, and that by shaping our course to south-east,
we should probably see them next morning. What joy ran through the
different ships! but, alas! owing to the ill-sailing of our squadron,
all our hopes were frustrated. We did, indeed, get sight of them
the following day at dawn, far to windward, and by a shift of wind,
shortly after brought them right a-head, so that although there were
no light airs, by sun-set we could see more than halfway down their
courses; yet most of our ships, with the exception of the _Hector_ and
_Dragon_, were very far astern, some hull down. Still, however, we
hoped with three good ships of the line to bring their rear to action
in the night, and so retard them, that the next day our bad sailing
ships might pick up any birds we had winged, while we stood on after
the others; but bad fortune attended us, our only frigate, the old
_Mercury_, of 28 guns, sailed so heavily as to be unable to keep them
in view. At ten at night, foggy, hazy weather came on, we lost sight
of our game, and the next morning the horizon was so obscured that the
enemy was no longer to be seen.
What was to be done? We knew Alexandria, or some part of the coast
of Egypt, was their destination, and thither we steered. Ganteaume
guessed we should follow him thither, and, like a cunning old fox,
taking advantage of the hazy night, soon after dark hauled his wind
on the starboard tack, and doubled round us; therefore, at daylight,
in consequence of the very thick state of the atmosphere preventing
our seeing him, we preceded him to the coast of Egypt, while he shaped
his course for Cape Derne Head, and tried to land his troops a little
to the westward of Alexandria; but the few that attempted it were
soon murdered by the Arabs, and he, not feeling himself quite at his
ease for fear of our again meeting him, returned back to Toulon to
refit. After taking in water and provisions, he once more proceeded to
the coast of Egypt, and although he did not land his men, picked up
His Majesty’s ship _Swiftsure_ (74), Captain Ben. Hallowell, who was
obliged to surrender, after a gallant defence, and took his prize safe
into the harbour of Toulon.
In the meantime we kept on our course for Alexandria, and at the end
of March arrived off there, and joined the fleet of Lord Keith. Here
a sad and heavy affliction awaited our amiable admiral. The first
news was, that our gallant army had landed on the 8th, and that his
brave, handsome, and only son, who belonged to the Coldstream Guards,
had been killed on landing. He bore his loss with the resignation of a
Christian, but with the feelings of a father.
Having remained off Alexandria for a few weeks, Lord Keith detached
us in search of our old friend Ganteaume, but first of all taking
away one of our best ships, the _Hector_ (74), and giving us in lieu
the _Stately_ (64), _en flute_, a Turkish 64, and a corvette. During
our stay the captain pacha, and other Turkish admirals, came on
board on a visit of condolence to our admiral. I recollect he was a
very fine-looking man, with a long black beard, and brought his pipe
and coffee-cup bearers with him. The mouth of the pipe was set with
diamonds, and so were his coffee-cups. Old Tombrook, the captain of the
Turkish 64, that sailed with us, was introduced to the admiral, and the
captain pacha said that if he did not behave well, Sir John had only
to write a note to him, and his head should be taken off immediately
on his return to the Turkish fleet; or if the admiral preferred it, he
would send an executioner on purpose to decapitate Captain Tombrook,
and lay his head at Sir John B. Warren’s feet.
We left Alexandria the beginning of May, and sailed for Coron, in the
Morea, to procure wood, water, and fresh provisions, of which we stood
very much in need, the scurvy having begun to make its appearance from
our long continuance at sea upon bad salt and other food of the worst
quality. The bread was full of maggots and weevils, the flour musty,
and swarming with insects, the water so putrid, thick and stinking,
that often have I held my nose with my hand while I drank it strained
through my pocket handkerchief; and we were so short of this necessary
article, that our consumption was limited to two pints a day for all
purposes. Provisions, at the time I am speaking of, were not like those
supplied now-a-days from Her Majesty’s stores; everything then was done
by an infamous job contract; government paid through thick and thin
for everything, and we poor devils had to suffer in consequence of the
neglect of those persons under government winking at the nefarious jobs
of contractors, and no doubt they had weighty reasons for so doing.
I recollect, in a mid’s berth, we used to ask what such-and-such a
county was famous for. Suffolk, in our black book, was put down as
famous for supplying the navy with rotten and bad cheese. Burgoo was
served out with treacle for breakfast, instead of nice wholesome cocoa
and sugar; and will it be believed, that until the peace of 1802,
French merchants had a contract for supplying the British Navy with
French brandy, while our West Indian merchants knew not what to do with
their rum and cocoa! At last John Bull awoke from his dream, and it
struck him that soldiers and sailors liked rum just as well as brandy,
and that by giving them cocoa for breakfast it would not only assist
the West Indian merchants, but give general satisfaction throughout the
fleet.
I take this opportunity of mentioning the night-blindness which seized
several of our ship’s company after dark. It came on immediately it
began to grow dusk. First we thought it was sham, in order to skulk
from their watches, but we soon found it was not the case. The men were
first attacked off Egypt, and it was supposed it was occasioned by the
heavy dews. I have since been informed that it frequently occurs in
tropical climates.
We remained at Coron ten days, getting supplies; but gained no
intelligence of the French squadron, though the Turkish corvette had
been despatched for that purpose, to make enquiries at the different
out-ports. On her return, we sailed for Malta, where the Christian
slaves, on board the two Turkish men-of-war, were liberated on our
arrival, to the great joy of the Maltese. Having refitted, we proceeded
to Port Mahon, and from thence to cruise off Toulon. On our passage,
we had most severe thunder and lightning, which struck the _Dragon_
and ourselves, indeed, all the squadron more or less; the former’s
main-mast was injured, and our mizen-top-gallant-mast was dashed to
atoms, the top-mast shaken into laths, the mizen-mast set on fire,
and the few tin and iron pots and pans, we mids had in the gun-room,
were every one perforated in the same manner, as if a musket-ball had
been fired through them. The lightning then providentially took a
direction out of one of the gun-room ports, and escaped; several men
on board both ships were much scorched, and one man in the _Dragon_
killed. If the _Renown_ had been one of the old 74’s, whose mizen-mast
stepped in the after magazine, she must have been blown up; but,
fortunately, her’s stepped in the gun-room. We stood on for the Gulf
of Lyons, and looked into Toulon, and there saw the French ships lying
with their prize, the _Swiftsure_, some of the ships stripped, one
with her main-mast out, and no chance of their putting to sea again
for some time. We, therefore, proceeded to the Island of Elba, and
on our way fell in with two French frigates, and chased them into
Leghorn; the _Stately_ (64), _en flute_, got pretty near them, but
they slipped through her fingers. One named the _Success_, of 32 guns,
formerly British, captured by the French squadron, under Rear-Admiral
Ganteaume, on his passage from Brest to Toulon, a few months before,
was afterwards taken by the _Minerve_ (36), Captain Cockburn, and
_Phœnix_ (32), Captain Halstead, and they drove the _Bravoure_ (44) on
shore near Leghorn, and destroyed her. We then went to endeavour to
relieve the garrison of Porto Ferajo, which was closely besieged by the
French, and a sortie was agreed upon by the garrison. The intention was
to turn the enemy’s works, and destroy his batteries, and a party of
sailors and marines were landed to assist at the attack; but the troops
from Porto Ferajo, being all foreigners, in our pay, composed of Swiss
and Germans, did not know us nor we them. All parties met in the dark,
and hearing these people talk French, our men fired upon them, and they
upon us. The sortie never reached its destination--Johnny Crapaud was
not to be caught napping--our expedition partly failed in its object;
Captain Long, of His Majesty’s brig _Vincego_, was killed. “_Sauve
qui peut_” was the order of the day, and a pell-mell retreat to the
boats became necessary. Followed by the French, several were killed,
wounded, and taken prisoners, and some shot in the water, trying to
swim off to the boats. A few days after, the following ludicrous song
appeared on board, to the tune of “Vinegar Hill”:--
“Pray were you at Elba races?
Were you there in the morning?
Some were picking of grapes,[D]
Some were drinking of wine,
And some were running away,
And singing out, ‘Oh! rare Elba races.’”
We then returned to Minorca to get more troops; but shortly after our
arrival, a French man-of-war brig, from Toulon, came into the roads,
with despatches, to inform us the preliminary treaty of peace had been
signed at Amiens.
While we remained at Minorca, we lost our captain of marines (Burns),
a very worthy man. His death was singular. A vessel, a few weeks after
the arrival of the French brig, came from England, confirming the
news from France, with an order to cease hostilities; also bringing
letters and papers. It was one in the morning when the news came. Poor
Burns got up quite well, and sat laughing and talking, and hearing the
news from old England, and saying what he should do when he got upon
half-pay; called for a glass of cold water, which he drank off, and
laid down in his cot again; the cramp seized him in his stomach, and in
five minutes he was a corpse. He was much beloved in the ship, full of
humour, and a kind-hearted pleasant man. He was buried with military
honours at Port Mahon, all the officers of the ship, and many of the
squadron, attending his funeral.