The Sword And The Dagger
Page 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Fial McMurrin was becoming a changed man. For two months the fleet sat in Cowsand, Plymouth during the worst of the winter weather. The crews were busy with repairs and maintenance, leaving the fleet looking like part of the British navy it was supposed to be. The Ghost was painted a deeper black and her sails were replaced with jet black canvas. She flew the Irish Blue Ensign. No French ships had ventured into the English Channel since the fleet had put into an English port and British fleets concentrated on pounding the French where they could put to sea during the bad winter. The Battle of Trafalgar had turned the tide on the French navy and Fial was sealing its fate.
Fial's African crew could now speak fluent English. He had avenged the death of his family to such a point he felt he had gone too far and his life was being wasted. Attacking anyone with the Ghost, unless he was threatened, made no sense to him anymore. The more he talked to his crew about where they came from the more he knew that the key to helping was in changing the attitude and ways of the African nations that encouraged slavery.
He was reunited with William Wilberforce aboard the Ghost on the first sunny day of March 1808. His like-minded alliance of the British Quakers and the Anglicans in the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade was becoming ever more powerful, now including factions of the Whigs. Wilberforce had assisted in the pardon of Fial, giving evidence on his previous encounters to Parliament when Fial's fleet was discovered off the coast of the Congo.
Wilberforce pressed the fact to Fial and Bongo that his efforts would not contain French or Middle Eastern efforts in progressing with the slave trade. Wilberforce was also a supporter of the evangelical wing of the Church of England and believed that individual Christian observance would lead to a harmonious and moral society. The meeting would change Fial's life.
Wilberforce informed Fial of William Carey, an English Baptist missionary who was doing successful work in India. Other attempts at the time had been thwarted by the perils of Africa. French privateers had taken ships with missionary expeditions and simply sold the booty on, often killing the crews and missionaries. Some had made it to the Congo, never to be heard of again. There were rumours of cannibalistic behaviour and sickness beyond comprehension brought back by those in the slave trade. Wilberforce commented that to enter such areas one would need respect derived from power before ideals could be reconstituted. It was Wilberforce's parting statements that cemented the plan Fial and his crew had been forming.
As Wilberforce boarded a longboat alongside the Ghost they made their farewells. "It is people like you that give me faith to go on with the drawn-out task of slavery abolition. I am bolstered by our meeting and will continue with renewed vigour. I am reminded also of the legend of Spartacus from Roman history of 73 AD; a slave who became a warrior leading a slave army against Roman legions. It is written he said that once we lived for our masters, tomorrow we die for ourselves. You come within this creed of commoners fighting for a better life. If you take your skills to Africa you may become a present-day Spartacus. It is this the establishment fears for we are of Rome ourselves. You control the coliseum mob of our time, it is the origin of warriors," said Wilberforce.
"I will be looking at coming at things from the other end. I have the resources to make inroads. I have had my fill of revenge and need to focus on something I feel is fulfilling in my life," replied Fial.
"You need to move before this war breaks. It may be some time yet but do not trust the armed forces; they can be a rule unto themselves. Plenty of people in their ranks will come back at you should the time be right. If you are a big enough threat to be considered an ally in war you will no doubt be considered a threat in peace."
Fial shook Wilberforce's hand as he boarded the longboat. "I am well aware of the conduct of the British armed forces. My destiny will be long known by the time they finish with Napoleon. For now we are allies: I would draw the line at saying we are friends. If a present-day Spartacus will assist in our freedom then so be it."
Wilberforce's longboat pushed off with him smiling. "Good luck my friend and should we meet again may it be in far peaceful circumstances where outcomes are assured." Wilberforce's boat began to go beyond earshot as he yelled. "May God be with you and your crew!"
Fial and Wilberforce were indeed correct. Claremont had met with the King and his court and it was made clear that McMurrin must be contained once he was of no use. He was in control of the mob and spoken of more highly on the streets than the King.
As the weather improved so did other things for Fial. The French had chased a British warship off the south coast of Ireland near Cape Clear. The British ship reported a flotilla of at least four French warships. The weather was improving with several sightings of sails on the horizon around the south coast of Ireland. It was suspected the French were again attempting to unite Irish rebel factions, now few and far between but known of. Fial took advantage of the news.
Fial had not seen his son in a long time. He met with the crew captains and without consulting the British authorities put his fleet to sail at first light on March 12th 1808 before dawn under a full moon. The entire fleet was clear of the bay by sun up and Claremont was in Portsmouth. The fleet was headed for Cork Harbour, Ireland.