North American station, from 1808 to 1811--Bermuda--Anecdote--Death
of Captain Conn.
We had a long passage out, running far to the southward, and crossing
the tropic of Cancer before we hauled to the westward for the islands
of Bermuda. In a squall we carried away the fore-yard, which, being a
bad stick, went in three pieces. However, we soon made another, which
answered our purposes remarkably well, and at the end of six weeks we
arrived in Murray’s anchorage.
These islands consist of a group of three hundred and sixty-five, which
the Bermudians tell you is the reason there are three hundred and
sixty-five days in the year. They are very picturesque, and covered
chiefly with sweet-smelling cedar trees, of whose timber several fine
18-gun sloops-of-war and small schooners have been built.
Had the Bermudians been permitted to follow their own plan, no doubt
these would have been very safe vessels: but our Navy Board took out a
_patent for making coffins_, and sent them out plans and dimensions,
from which they were by no means to deviate. The consequence was,
such a tribe of little tubs, in the shape of two and three-masted
schooners, were built, that it was absolutely throwing money away
to construct them. Several of them, indeed, did founder, with all
their crews. The ship-sloops were certainly better--I may say, with
truth, they were favourites--very good sea boats, and in every respect
excellent vessels.
Besides cedar trees, these islands produce arrow-root of the best
quality, tobacco, Indian corn, &c., but not in sufficient quantities
for their own consumption: they, therefore, import flour and other
articles of food from the United States, and other places. Abundance of
fish is taken, such as grouper--which is a fine, firm fish of the rock
species, frequently weighing several pounds--chub, porgay, and various
other kinds; and in the spring of the year a spermaceti whale fishery
is carried on, this species frequenting those seas at that period.
The scenery of these islands is very pretty. Everything here is in
miniature--little hills, valleys, and lakes; whilst blue and red birds,
flitting about under a brilliant sun, give the whole the appearance
of fairy land. The heat in summer is very oppressive, and the heavy
tempests of wind, or, to use the native expression, “the blow,”
accompanied with frightful storms of thunder and lightning, are most
terrific. In winter the gales generally commence from the S.S.W. to
S.W., and then fly round to the N.W. at once in a most severe squall.
The approach to the Bermudas, amongst coral rocks and breakers,
is attended with great danger, unless you are quite sure of your
reckoning. Before the great improvements in navigation, many an
unfortunate vessel was wrecked on them.
The whole chain of these islands is formed like the coral banks in the
south seas; there are no real springs of fresh water, and most of the
inhabitants get this necessary article from tanks attached to their
houses to catch the rain, and when these are dry they go to wells dug
in different parts of the sea coast, through which the salt water
filters, and becomes tolerably sweet. From these the men-of-war, too,
generally get their supply, which has the effect of Cheltenham water,
and saves the trouble of applying to the doctor.
With regard to society, much depends upon the military and naval
commanders-in-chief, the regiments, and king’s ships. Some of the
Bermudian families are highly respectable.
Much merriment was afforded one evening at a party, to which a naval
captain, who is now dead, was invited. He had come in from a long
cruise, and had been paying his addresses to a certain young lady
living on one of the islands; but the tongue of slander had been busy
against him during his absence, and on his making a proposal she
refused him. This came to the ears of the lady of the house, who,
wishing to quiz the poor man, and to be very facetious, forgetting that
her husband had but one eye, and was not very handsome otherwise, began
her attack thus: “So, Captain ----, I hear Miss ---- has refused you,”
and went on very cruelly to torment the poor man, in his distress,
as ladies _can_ do sometimes when they wish to be _mischievous_. He
bore it all for a long time with great patience and forbearance; being
goaded at length beyond endurance, he rose from his chair and said,
“Mrs. ----, when such an old, ugly fellow as your husband, with but one
eye, can get a pretty young woman like yourself for a wife, I ought
never to despair.” And out he walked, the tables fairly turned on
the facetious dame. Having mentioned the word “slander” in the above
anecdote, I am induced to add another story by way of advice to young
ladies.
Whenever your friend--and many young ladies have a confidential
one--abuses or throws out hints to the prejudice of your absent lover,
listen to her with caution. The following little tale will point out
the necessity of not relying entirely upon the recommendation of bosom
friends in love affairs, for it is an old saying that all advantages
in love, war, law, and elections are considered fair. Two young ladies
from twenty-three to twenty-five years of age, who lived in a large
town in the north, were first cousins, and dear confidential friends;
the one, a widow, had soft, pretty, languishing, blue eyes, that said,
“pray do love me;” the other, a spinster, had black, sparkling eyes,
that said, “you shall love me.” The former had an offer of marriage
from a widower, who had a son about fifteen years of age, whom he
wished to put into a profession previous to his marriage, but wanted
some ready money to do so. He, therefore, proposed that the fair
widow should advance him the money necessary to enable him to do it.
She, very properly, consulted her friends; some gave one opinion,
some another. She hesitated between love and money--she called in her
cousin, Miss Black-eyes, who strongly advised her by no means to part
with her cash. She still hesitated, asked other advice--sent for her
cousin again--went so far as to purchase her wedding dress and make
preparations for furnishing a house. In the meanwhile Miss Black-eyes
had had frequent communications with the gentleman, and also with
her cousin. At last, she got some friends to back her opinion, and,
finally, the match was broken off. But the same day the spinster gave
the money to the gentleman, who had a license ready--off they went to
the next parish and were married. Therefore, I say, be very cautious in
adopting any opinion where the least chance of a clash of interest is
likely to exist, particularly in _love_ affairs.
Our cruises in winter, during the time we were on this station, were
generally to the southward. Sometimes we ran down to the island of
Porto Rico, the Mona passage, and off Anegada, with the hope of
picking up some of the French vessels from Martinique or Guadaloupe;
but the whole time we remained here, nearly four years, only one ship
letter-of-marque, a schooner, and brig, fell into our hands.
In our summer cruises, we, on one occasion, went to Madeira; another
time to Fayal, one of the western isles, and when there, paid our
respects to the nuns in the convents, and bought some of their pretty
wreaths for ladies’ hair, beautifully made of parrots’ feathers, in
imitation of myrtle. When first we went to the bars of the convent,
the abbess sent some of the elder sisters to offer flowers for
sale, but these finding no market, she changed her set, and the next
time some pretty, interesting young nuns offered their goods, which
we immediately bought from such fair hands. If the old harpy of an
abbess went away for a minute they used to smile, talk, and give us
their hands to kiss through the grates; and their handsome dark eyes
seemed to say, “Oh! that these bars were removed, that I might get out
of this horrid prison, to which I am consigned by sordid parents to
make way for some male branch of the family.” Several of these young
ladies, we were informed, had been expatriated from Portugal, from that
motive. A short time after we left Fayal, one young nun did make her
escape with a captain in the navy, who very honourably married her;
but her poor friend, who tried to accompany her, met with a serious
accident, falling down and breaking her leg, when getting out of the
convent window. She was taken back to her cell, where, it was said, she
underwent purgatory upon earth.
When on the North American station I met with a severe hurt, while
making sail in chase, which laid me up for a considerable period. A
rope having got loose, struck me on the face, broke my jaw, and knocked
out five of my teeth.
In winter, the ships used to rendezvous at Bermuda; during summer at
Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the latter place we used to enjoy pleasant
society, amongst very kind-hearted and friendly people, whose pretty
daughters made sad havoc with the hearts of both the army and navy.
After one of our long summer cruises I got leave of absence for ten
days, and travelled with a friend, an officer of the Royal Engineers,
in his gig, across the country to Annapolis Royal; the scenery did not
strike me as being particularly interesting. I saw a great deal of
barren, dreary, uncultivated land, that wanted the hand of man to clear
it, and make it “bring forth its fruit in due season.”
Driving along the road we frequently started coveys of spruce
partridges. I used occasionally, when time permitted, to get a shot
at them. These birds do not, like our partridges, take to the fields,
but on rising from the ground always fly into fir trees; they are very
stupid, and once in a tree will allow you to shoot them all, provided
you begin with the lowest and proceed upwards.
I recollect at one place where we breakfasted after leaving Windsor, a
large brown bear and two cubs had been caught during the night in a pit
fall; the old one was shot in the pit, and the young ones kept alive,
probably to be sent to England.
The native Mic Mac Indians are a poor race, those, at least, that I saw
in Halifax and its neighbourhood. They are confined to a few families.
They used to come to the town in their slight bark canoes, bringing
game, and skins of the silver and black fox, and boxes made of the bark
of the birch tree, ornamented with the small quills of the porcupine,
dyed of various colours. I have often been in their wigwams, and always
found the people civil. Some of the young squaws were passable, but
the old women frightful. These wigwams are easily built: half a dozen
poles placed triangularly and covered with the bark of the birch tree,
is the general plan; the fire is in the middle of the hut, the smoke
finding its way out at the top, and by the door-way. These habitations
appear warm, and the inmates healthy. When travelling, the women
carry their babies in a kind of basket, strapped to their back, which
resembles the lower part of a fiddle-case, peeping out of which their
little smoked faces have a curious appearance. After disposing of their
wares, these people generally get drunk and fight, the men beating
the squaws, who, in their turn, belabour the men. It not unfrequently
happens that those who return by water contrive to upset their canoes,
when they lose all the articles they have bought; it is, however, very
rare that any of the crew are drowned. Fish of various sorts are most
abundant, and the market very good. The harbour of Halifax is safe, but
sometimes difficult to make, on account of the thick fogs, which in
particular winds,--those from south-east to south-west,--hang about the
coast.
A very provoking circumstance occurred to one of the lieutenants,
who was a Welchman, and a married man, during a cruise, caused by a
nanny-goat eating his letters that he had just received from England,
previous to his having read them.
A schooner joined us at sea from Bermuda, bringing the mail and letters
from there and Halifax, Nova Scotia. We all felt very anxious about
news, for it was nearly ten months since we had heard from “sweet
home;” in consequence of our being out cruising, and going from place
to place, they had missed us.
The weather was squally when the above vessel joined us with the
letters, and by the time her boat had reached us, and they were
delivered to their owners, it was necessary to turn the hands up to
reef the topsails. Poor M----, for fear his letters should get wet in
his pocket, for it began to rain as well as blow, left them for safety
on the rudder-head in the wardroom, and went on deck to his station. No
sooner was the evolution performed than down he ran below, thinking,
poor fellow! to have a nice, quiet reading of his two letters from his
wife, giving an account of a new bit of mischief that had been added to
his establishment during his absence, for he had left his wife near her
confinement, previous to his leaving England. Now, only imagine M----’s
rage, vexation, and consternation, on beholding Mrs. Taffy, the Welch
goat, mounted on the rudder-head, very quietly eating up the letters.
One was quite gone, and a very small corner of the other sticking out
of the goat’s mouth, which she was endeavouring to masticate with all
possible dispatch. “Nanny” was seized by the throat in a moment, and
measures adopted to make her disgorge the precious writing, but all in
vain, for she had taken such good care to bite them in small pieces,
in order that they might the more easily be swallowed, and readily
digested, that not a fragment larger than a crown piece was recovered,
and he had to wait eight long months more, before he got others to tell
him the contents of those, and give him information about his family.
This was a trial of temper. We commiserated, sympathised, and found
fault with him for not putting them in his pocket, writing-desk, or
any safer place than where he had left them; in short, he had all
Job’s comforters, but was obliged to have recourse to Dame Patience,
hoping that some other vessel might soon come from home and bring him
others. Eight long months elapsed ere he received information from
England--making in the whole nearly eighteen months--a vexatious period
at any time, but still more so in his case. The goat had been used to
run in and out of the ward-room, for she was a great pet, and generally
after dinner had some biscuit and a little wine or grog given to her,
which she was very fond of. After the unfortunate affair of the letters
she was banished for a month. After that period it was forgotten, and
she came in for her biscuit and grog as usual.
On one of our spring cruises, in May, 1810, we lost our captain (John
Conn), who, in a fit of derangement, jumped overboard out of his stern
cabin, and was drowned. He was a thorough seaman, and very much beloved
by us all. He served in Lord Rodney’s fleet in the action of the 12th
of April, 1782, and commanded the _Dreadnought_ (98), at the battle
of Trafalgar. He was mate of the _Ramilies_ (74), Rear-Admiral Thomas
Graves, when she was lost in that dreadful gale, which proved fatal
to the _Ville de Paris_ (110), _Glorieux_ (74), _Centaur_ (74), and
various other men-of-war, transports, and merchant ships, in the gulf
stream, not far from the latitude of Bermuda, when returning to England
in August of that year with the prizes taken by Lord Rodney.
He gave me a piece of advice respecting the coast of America which I
shall never forget, and as it is of that sort which all seamen liable
to be sent on the North American station ought to be acquainted with,
I shall mention it here. “Never lay your ship to at night in a gale
of wind to the S.S.W. on the coast of America on the larboard tack,
for the wind generally flies round at once to the N.W. with a heavy
squall, and takes the ship flat back.” It was this, and lying-to under
a main-sail, which caused the loss of the _Ramilies_ at that period. He
often gave me an account of that misfortune. It was as follows:--“We
were on the larboard tack, with a reefed main-sail set. The gale
commenced from S.E., and gradually came round to the S.S.W., blowing
extremely hard. When in the middle watch of the night of the 16th of
October, 1782, the wind flew round in a most tremendous squall to the
N.W., taking the ship aback, and throwing her nearly on her beam ends.
We tried to brace the main-yard round, but, finding it impossible, we
cut the foot rope of the main-sail, which was quite a new one, with
the hope of splitting it, but it was bound so tight against the mast
and rigging that we could not effect this. The ship at this time had
great stern-way upon her; the sea, breaking over her poop, stove in
the dead-lights and windows, and filled the ward-room and admiral’s
cabin with water, and before anything could be done the main-mast,
mizen-mast, and foretop-mast went over the side; the stern-post was
much shaken, and the ship, nearly a new one, sprung a dangerous leak.
At daylight the whole convoy was scattered; many of the vessels
dismasted--some had foundered--and the sea was covered with wreck;
the wind blowing a hurricane. By dint of perseverance, having thrown
overboard most of her guns and heavy stores, we succeeded in keeping
the ship afloat until the 22nd, when, finding she would not float much
longer, we took advantage of a lull of wind, and saved the crew on
board a few of the merchant ships that had continued by her.”
Captain J. Conn also mentioned that had the orders of Rear-Admiral
Graves been attended to the ship would probably not have been lost. The
admiral came out of his cabin in the middle watch, and, after looking
about him and making his remarks to the officer on deck, said, “It
looks black under the lee bow, and I see some flashes of lightning.
Should the clouds appear to near you, immediately haul up the main-sail
and wear ship.” Unfortunately the admiral went into his cabin without
sending for the captain, who slept in the ward-room. The moment the
admiral had gone in, the officer of the watch ran down to Captain S.
M., and mentioned the directions he had received. The captain replied,
“It is my positive order you do no such thing without first coming to
acquaint me.” The lieutenant of the watch had scarcely got on deck when
he saw that a most violent squall, with shift of wind, was about to
take place. Down he ran to acquaint his captain, according to orders,
but before he could get again upon the deck to give the necessary
directions the mischief had been done: she was taken aback, lost her
masts, and was finally abandoned and burnt--all owing to adhering too
closely to etiquette. The captain very properly was never employed
afterwards.
From Bermuda we sailed to Halifax, where, one afternoon, a man fell
from the main-top, and striking first against the main-rigging, then
against the spare topsail-yard in the chains, dropped into the sea.
Being on deck, I ran to the gangway, and, seeing no time was to be
lost, jumped overboard, and, fortunately, getting hold of the man
just as he was sinking, I kept him up until a boat was sent to our
assistance. His fall having been broken by the main-rigging, previous
to his striking the topsail-yard, was probably the cause of his life
being saved.
After remaining in port some time, orders arrived from England for the
7th Fusiliers, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Blakeney, to proceed to
join the army of Lord Wellington. We embarked the headquarters and four
hundred men of this fine regiment. The remainder were sent out in other
men-of-war, and, after a passage of three weeks, were landed at Lisbon.
The officers were a most pleasant, gentlemanly set of men; but out of
the whole of those whom we took thither only the gallant Sir Edward
Blakeney (now a Major-General) and another are alive.
After returning to Halifax nothing of interest occurred on the station
for the remainder of our time, except that Captain Charles Austen, a
very amiable man and excellent officer, who had been placed in command
of the _Swiftsure_ in lieu of Captain Conn, who was drowned, was
appointed to the _Cleopatra_, Captain Lloyd joining the former ship in
his stead.
We returned to England in the spring of the year 1811, and the ship was
paid off at Chatham.
After a month at home, I took a passage in the _Port Mahon_, brig, of
18 guns, to Lisbon, and on the 11th of June arrived in the Tagus, and
was placed on the Admiralty list for promotion.