Fanny Campbell, The Female Pirate Captain: A Tale of The Revolution

by Maturin Murray Ballou

  CHAPTER IX.

  _PEACE, YACHTING FOR PLEASURE, THE FAIRY BARQUE VISION ITS APPOINTMENTSAND FURNITURE. VISITING PLACES OF OLD REMEMBRANCES. THE ISLE OF MAN ANDTHE IRISH SEA. FANNY AND LOVELL LISTEN TO FORECASTLE YARNS THAT WILLINTEREST THE READER, ABOUT THIS RENDEZVOUS FOR THE RENOWNED FREEBOOTERSOF ENGLAND AND THE CONTINENT. AN EXCURSION PLANNED UPON THE LAND._

  |Peace came with all its smiles and drove away the grim spirit ofwar that had so long scowled upon the colonies of North America, nowacknowledged free and an independant nation. The bond was severed,the child sprang at once to the estate of manhood and to all itsresponsibilities and cares; but it was under the divine guardianship ofthe spirit of peace and the especial guidance of Freedom herself; withsuch patrons she was sure to prosper, and how she has prospered, let thepresent state of the Union bear testimony. Let the twenty millions offreemen who now people the land speak. From a tender plant as it were,we have grown to a large and powerful oak whose branches are spread farand near, and under whose shadowing protection millions may shelter.

  We may say peace with all its smiles had come again; Fanny and herhusband were settled in domestic enjoyment, and thrice happy were theyin the love of each other, a love which had been proved in storms andin calms, in peace and in strife. Habit, how strong a hold does it takeupon our very natures; how unseen yet sure is the progress it graduallymakes in binding us to its ways, and how certain is it of its finalsuccess in bringing us, either for good or for evil, to its supreme andindisputable will. Fanny, who had tasted the excitement of a lifeat sea, who had dwelt upon its breast as a home for many months, hadimbibed, as the sailor seems always to do, an ardent love for it. Thisfeeling was reflected in the breast of her husband, for William Lovellwas in every sense of the word a sailor, and he too pined for theexcitement he had been accustomed to.

  ‘William,’ said Fanny one fine evening as they sat by their own hearth,‘I think we might love each other just as well were we to be on theelement we have both proved so successful upon.’

  ‘I see no reason to the contrary, Fanny,’ said Lovell.

  ‘Then let us once more to sea, husband, if it be only to take a farewellcruise upon the domain of old hoary Neptune.’

  ‘With all my heart.’

  ‘And when shall it be?’

  ‘At as early a day as you please.’

  ‘Oh, this will be very fine, no enemy to look out for now, but I havegot so well used to that, I don’t know that I should regret if therewas.’

  ‘How shall we go, Fanny?’

  ‘It must be in a craft of our own, for I would go just where it may seempleasant to us.’

  ‘True, we must obtain a yacht.’

  ‘Let it be a small one, such as can be worked by a few hands, William;we’ll be our own masters.’

  ‘So it shall be.’

  ‘You know the kind of craft I love; I’d have her as tidy as a lady onSunday and as delicately sparred as any pleasure boat; trust to ourjudgment for safety.’

  ‘I’ll get you one that shall be a very pet for its beauty.’

  It was resolved upon thus, that they should again take a cruise upon thesea; some six years had intervened since they had left their maritimelife, and long and often had they thought with a wish to return to itagain, of their life upon the ocean, but never had they spoken of thematter before William Lovell set himself forthwith about the properarrangements to supply a beautiful pleasure yacht for the object, andas he was in no way short or wanting in the means, this was easilyaccomplished. A little fairy like cutter was provided, that sat like abird upon the water, and that made its way almost as swiftly through itsnative element as the bird might in its own. There are few objects ofmore beauty than a handsome vessel. One of about two hundred tons burdencan be made so as to combine all the grace and beauty of formation andevery needy comfort, without being too bulky or heavy for light andgentle Zephyrs to fan along the sea, or so large as to look unwieldlyand cumbersome.

  This was just the tonnage of Fanny’s yacht, and she called it ‘TheVision,’ so fairy like and pretty was it in every point.--The rigwas somewhat picturesque, and combined in some respects the odd, yetgraceful and peculiar rig of the Mediterranean sea with the morenatural and reliable arrangements of our own waters. She showed at oncewhat her character was, a pleasure boat, and she was in every sense ofthe word one to take pleasure in. She was a topsail schooner rig, withcertain additions of the peculiar character which we have mentioned.The Vision was stored with every luxury that the wealth of Lovell could,procure, and every accommodation prepared for her who was to be itsMistress. Couches and cushions, with rich and graceful hangings, were asprofusely arranged, and as in good taste as in her parlors at home.The larder was well cared for, and such shipped, including that honestfellow Terrence Moony, as were chosen in person by Fanny for theirorderly habits and experience. Thus equipped, the Vision sailed out ofLynn harbor one fine day for parts unknown.

  The ocean is the place for excitement--there is no monotony there, butchange enough; the moment you trust yourself upon its breast you becomean adventurer, and your experience will commence. You have the storm tocontend with, and happy are you if you master it in room of becoming itsvictim. You have tides and currents to watch, winds to trim your sailsto, and not unfrequently some daring rover to repel. All these arevicissitudes of the ocean, and how deeply attached will the marinerbecome to the fickle element, even as Fanny and her husband.

  The mild, tropical seas of the West Indies were visited, the Moro Castleonce more looked upon, the old anchorage without the harbor once moreassumed, and the very prison within whose walls Lovell had been confinedwas visited, each drawing forth fresh interest and an increased desirefor exploration.

  After revictualing their fairy craft, the Vision was steered boldlyacross the great ocean to the North East, nor furled sail until shedropped anchor at Gibralter. From thence she entered that great inlandsea the Mediterranean. They visited its ports and ancient spots ofrenown and interest, roamed together in that classic land of generousnature, soft, sunny Italy and thus together whiled away many a month ofpleasant occupation.

  Not a little admiration was elicited by the appearance of the Americanpleasure yacht in those distant seas. Compared to the large cumbersomevessels that navigated the waters about her, she looked but a meancockle shell, a bird. She spread a large extent of canvass, which,projecting over her low and graceful hull, hid it mostly from sight whenshe was under way.

  Like a diamond in a broach, the Isle of Man is set in the very midst ofthe Irish Sea midway between the bold shores of England, Scotland, andIreland. It is a gem of an Island, and even in the days of which wewrite, it boasted of one or two as fine castles and ancient estates, asthe oldest part of England itself. It was at this time, not dependanton any of the surrounding powers but appeared to be neutral ground whereeach and all might meet in amnesty; nor was it until a comparativelylate date that it came completely within the power and possession ofthe crown of England, to which it now belongs. It was a romantic spotin those days, being the resort of the most daring smugglers andfreebooters of the times. The inducements for smuggling from this wellknown spot were great, and gave employment to a few hardy and daringspirits, whose large profits in their perilous trade, more thancompensated them for the continued risk they encountered in theirnightly voyages from the Island to the banks of the Solway, where thecontrabandists generally landed their goods.

  Here too, peace and time have worked almost a miracle. At this day, thespot once the rendezvous for freebooters, has become a place of nosmall commercial importance, forming a military and naval depot forthe crowded ranks and numerous flats of the British army and navy.Its productive soil and highly cultivated lands, its neat cottages andadmirable roads, are a picture of modern improvement. From the highestpoint of this Island of the Irish sea, in clear weather the visitor hasa view of the three united Kingdoms of Great Britain. The Vision had rundown the coast, and desiring to see this far-famed spot, she was steered
to its western side, and now lay at anchor in one of its quiet bays.

  It was a clear moonlight night--Lovell sat inhaling the flavor of hissegar upon the deck; near to him sat Fanny engaged in contemplating thebeautiful scenery about them, lit up as it was by the silver smiles ofthe moon. The Vision gently rose and fell on the swells of the Irish seaas it rode at anchor.

  Suddenly the voices of the crew, some eight fine, active fellows, wereheard aft speaking together. Lovell heard them propose to one of theirnumber to spin a yarn, which he acceded to.

  ‘Wife,’ said he to Fanny, ‘let us draw forward and hear the yarn, itwill while away the hour.’

  ‘With all my heart, William.’

  The two brought their deck stools further forward, and seatingthemselves listened to the following yarn. It was told by an old weatherbeaten mariner who had evidently seen much of salt water, and whopossessed no small degree of intellect.

  ‘Come, Sky Scraper,’ said one, ‘go ahead, all clear’ The crew called himthus, from his being much taller in height than his companions, a man ofabout six feet.

  ‘Ay, ay, messmates,’ said he first replenishing his quid.

  Sky Scraper after a few preliminary haws and hems, at length commenced.We do not give his precise language, which was so interspersed withnautical illustrations and language, that should we do so, the readerwould be unable to understand it.’

  ‘Well, messmates, you see our laying here just now, with the moonlooking out upon us, and this cove and the land hereaway, and the numberof bells we count just now--all these have brought to my memory the dayswhen I used to sail from this very anchorage night after night for theSolway, in as staunch a vessel as ever walked the sea. A real snorterwas the saucy little Dolphin, I can tell you, messmates.

  ‘Well d’ye see--it might have been just such a night as this, and so itwas, and we lay just here where the land tackle of the Vision now holds,at just about this hour somewhere about the year 1772. It was a threemasted lugger, the Dolphin, and she was one of the sweetest things thatever floated, always saving the Vision,’ said the old tar, tipping histarpaulin in honor of the little craft in which he sailed. ‘She wasabout a hundred and fifty tons burthen, and sat low and deep in thewater. She was painted black, and about her waist ran a single streakof white, broken in both sides by a couple of ports. Our captain was anoble fellow and I remember how he looked as he walked the quarterdeck that night. He was rather below the common size, messmates, yet helooked the captain all over. He wore a broad belt about his waist, inwhich he always wore a couple of boarding pistols, and a short cut andthrust sword.

  ‘“Unmoor ship,” said the captain through his trumpet.

  ‘Fifty as fine fellows as ever handled a marlinspike, sprang to executethe order while the boatswain’s whistle rang out on the still night air,and the captain walked the quarter deck.

  ‘“We are brought to, sir,” says the first Luff to the captain.

  ‘“Heave round, sir. Heave and pull,” said the captain, for everythingaboard was done regular man of war fashion.

  ‘The anchor was raised and stored, the wide wings that a lugger alwayscarries were spread one by one, and the sweet little craft bendinggracefully, like a coquette mincing before her lover, took her courseunder a cloud of canvass for the Solway.

  ‘I was quarter gunner, and my place was pretty near the quarter deck,and I heard the captain say, just after we round-ded the mouth of thecove hereaway, to his second officer:

  ‘“Mr. Merrick,” that was the Luff’s name.

  ‘“Mr. Merrick,” said the captain, “I think we are likely to have troubleon this night’s trip. I understand from my agents that intelligence hasbeen lodged relative to the character of our swift-footed craft, and Ifear there has been treachery on board the Dolphin.”

  ‘“I hardly believe that, captain,” said the Luff, “though the men havehad liberty enough on shore.” And so we had, to be sure, having most ofus been up to Carlisle and Keswick.

  ‘“They know the rules of the ship, Mr. Merrick,” said the captain, “andhow treachery will be rewarded. Let the crew sleep with one eye open,sir, we may have work for them to do.”

  ‘The watch was set on deck, and I was among them; the rest turned in,all standing ready for immediate service. Our cargo was contraband, anda valuable one, and the captain’s object was to land it safely duringthe night, and return again from the main land to the island beforemorning.

  ‘Well, messmates, you see the lugger held on her course ‘till roundingthe Northern point of the Island, when the captain, who had not yet leftthe deck, discovered off the star board bow a vessel whose indistinctoutlines could hardly be made out in the distance, being half shut in bythe night fog; but we soon made her out to be a small sloop of war undereasy sail. The course of the Dolphin was changed one or two points morenortherly in order to keep the sail at such a distance, if possible,that she might not discover us. This was easy enough, for do ye see, thelugger was a mighty little thing compared with the sloop, and then too,there was’nt much of a watch kept on her deck, I reckon. Our captainsaid it was earlier than they expected us, and so we got off safely,keeping everything snug and still.

  ‘“Mr. Merrick,” said the Capt., after he had got fairly away, and it wasnot necessary to keep quiet any longer, “Mr. Merrick, pipe all hands toquarters. I have a few words to say to them.”

  ‘It was’nt much use to pipe the crew up, seeing they were almost all ondeck at the time. For as soon as they knew there was a strange sail insight they tumbled up to get a look at her, thinking perhaps we mighthave a brush with them: Well, we were piped to quarters, and all was asstill as death--each little crew was at its gun, and at last the captainspoke up.

  ‘“My lads,” said he, that’s the way he always used to speak to us, “Mylads, most of you saw that strange sail we passed within the hour. Doyou know that nothing save treachery could have placed her there, in thedirect track of the Dolphin’s night course? speak up some of you.”

  ‘“It does look mighty suspicious, your honor,” said I, “but shiver mytimbers, if I believe we have got anybody shipped aboard this ere craftbut loves the saucy Dolphin and your honor too well to play them ascurvy trick.”

  ‘“There has been treachery,” said he, “is there one of my crew that cantell its penalty?”

  ‘“Death at the yard arm,” said the crew, shrinking before the eye of thecaptain, for he used to look a man right through.

  ‘“It is my duty,” said the captain, “to watch your interests and myown, with a jealous eye. I never deceive you, my men; the traitor shallreceive his punishment though I pursue him to the foot of the throne.Enough--now to your duty.” ‘We soon reached the shores of the Solway,and a few hours were enough to land our cargo with such ready andwilling hands as we had to do it with, and the whole freight was soon onits way inland, far out of the reach of those land sharks, the Revenueofficers.

  ‘But the greatest danger was yet to come, messmates, for do you see,though the cargo was landed, the lugger must, somehow, gain the shelterof the little cove where we now lay. The moon did seem to shine outtwice as strong as ever, as if just to bother us; because, do ye see, ifit hadn’t been so very light, the night mist that always hangs about thesea and shores here, would have hid us from the enemy. But hardly hadthe lugger got under weigh, before the cruiser was again discovered,lying nearly mid-way between the English and Irish coast, in the verycourse that the Dolphin must steer. The captain of our lugger was calmand collected as a parson, and the men, seeing this, were all quitecourageous, too, and didn’t care a fig for the King’s ship. We were nowfast nearing each other, when suddenly a hail came across the sea:--

  ‘“What vessel is that?”

  ‘Our captain knew that all the time he could gain was worth so much goldto us, for he had got to run the gauntlet of the cruiser’s broad side,and thereby all he gained before she commenced to fire, was so manylives saved, very likely, on board the lugger. So to gain time hemumbled back a
reply to the hail that could not be understood, but, toall appearance, in in good faith. Well, you see, this was no go, only tosave time, as I said, so the sloop hailed again.

  ‘“What answer do you make?”

  ‘We were going through the water at a ten-knot rate, and had already gotnearly abreast of the cruiser, who, having tacked, now stood on the samecourse as ourselves.

  ‘“What vessel is that?” said the commander of the sloop--“answer, or Ishall fire into you?”

  ‘No answer was made to this hail, and a gun from the cruiser whichsent a shot through the mainsail of our lugger, showed that she was inearnest. In answer to this, our captain aimed our heavy gun amidshipwith his own hands, and the ball shot away the fore topmast of the York,so the cruiser was named. A fierce broadside from the cruiser wasthe reply to the shot, and sad havoc did it make among the light andbeautiful spars and rigging of the Dolphin. Our armament was made up ofonly four small pieces and a heavy gun amidship, revolving on a pivot,and this was of heavier metal than any gun on board of the York. Ourcaptain managed this gun and aimed it himself, and he soon brought downthe foremast of the York by his shot, confounding the crew of the enemy,and bothering them about their guns. The York carried sixteen guns witha complement of about an hundred men. She was now unable for some timeto return our fire, because the foremast had tumbled in board with mostof its hamper along the larboard battery where we lay, and the way wepeppered them in the mean time wasn’t slow.

  ‘We were both so cut up in our rigging as to make but little headway,and we were now rising and falling on the swells of the sea, closeaboard of each other. Several of our heavy shots had struck the Yorkabout the water line, and large numbers of her crew were engaged pumpingher out, for she leaked out very fast. About this time our captaindiscovered one of our foremast hands on board the enemy, and the secretwas all out in a minute; the truth came to us all at once, the treacherywas accounted for, and there stood the traitor. The grapnel irons werethrown, and our boarders piped away. A few words from the captaintold the story to us all, and heading us himself, we all rushed up thecruiser’s side.

  ‘“Secure that traitor, and back to the lugger every one of you,” saidthe captain, while he fought a path towards where the man stood. Ittakes some time to tell this, messmates, but it was all done mightyquick, I can tell you, in less time than it takes me to spin this partof the yarn.

  ‘Well, you see, we were soon back again on our own deck, because thecruiser was too strong for us to take, and if we had got her, it wouldhave done us no good, for we could not have managed her in our business.The Dolphin was worth two of her for our purpose. So as soon as wegot on the lugger’s deck, while the enemy were still confounded at ourboarding, our captain backed his topsails, while the York’s remainedfull, and the breeze freshening just then, the two crafts separated. Aswe fell astern of the enemy, we gave him one raking shot with our biggun loaded with grape and small shot, which sent more than one poorfellow to his last home, and scattered the splinters like snow flakes.

  ‘We steered straight for this cove here on the west side, cut up sadlyin hull and rigging by our brush with the King’s cruiser, while shemade the nearest land on the English side, and run on shore in a sinkingcondition, so fast did she leak from our shot.

  ‘Well, it was not long before we were back again, laying at ouranchorage, and soon the boatswain’s whistle summoned us, just atnightfall the next day, most unwelcomely.

  ‘“All hands to witness punishment, ahoy.”

  ‘The man who had betrayed us, had confessed his guilt, the paymentof his treachery was found on his person. The crew were all at theirstations, all save six seamen chosen by lot, who stood apart from theircompanions; these were to be the executioners of their messmate. Theship was as still as death; the wounded below had hushed their groans,and the tick of the captain’s watch might be heard at any part of thequarter deck. The miserable man who was now to suffer, stood upon a gun,his arms confined behind him, and a rope around his neck. The rope wasrove through a block at the end of the fore yard arm, and reaching downto the deck again, the other end was placed in the hands of the six menchosen by lot.

  ‘Our captain looked at the arrangements, and after a few moments, we allthe time expecting the word to swing him off, he said:--

  ‘“My men, next to mutiny I know of no blacker or more accursed crimethan treachery. That man has betrayed us--may Heaven forgive him, as Ido now. He was seduced from his duty in an evil hour, while under theeffects of liquor; he is now penitent, and you will see how bravely hewill die--you have had related to you all the peculiarities of the case,which, I think, has many extenuating points; you are his jurors--shallhe die? Shall we send your old messmate into eternity? Speak, my men!”

  ‘“No, no!” said the crew, with one voice; “if the captain forgives him,that’s enough. Let him be spared.”

  ‘“Blow me,” thought I, “if I don’t think a man who would betray such acommander and such a ship, must find punishment enough in overhaulingthe log of his own conscience, without our sending him to soundingsafter this fashion.”

  ‘The man was forgiven, and, damme, messmates, if he didn’t feel it,too,’ said Skyscraper, with no little degree of feeling.

  ‘Well, you see, the captain knew very well that this last fight with aKing’s cruiser must put a stop to our game, so we run down to the Frenchcoast, and the pretty little Dolphin was sold to the Mounsers for apretty round sum, which was equally divided among us all. Well, now yousee, I happen to know something about our captain after that, though Inever sailed with him again. He loved the sea, and so went to Londonand engaged as captain in the West India trade, and in a few years hesettled in America.

  ‘Well, you see, messmates, he was a Scotchman by birth, and didn’t oweany great love to England, so, on the breaking out of the long war thatis but lately fairly ended, he offered his services to the ContinentalCongress, whose cause he espoused. He was soon appointed captain ofa noble vessel, the first in the American navy. With this vessel, andothers with which he was entrusted as commander, he gained some mostbrilliant naval victories. And let me tell you, messmates, through hiswhole service he had one faithful follower who would never quit him, andwhose protecting arm twice saved his life in the memorable battle of theBon Homme Richard and the Serapis, the former of which our old captaincommanded. Now, messmates, that man was the pardoned criminal of theDolphin Lugger.

  ‘Of the captain--Congress passed a vote of thanks to him for hisservices, and conferred upon him the highest rank in his profession,within its gift, and his name will long be remembered by the nation inits future prosperity.

  ‘Why, Sky Scraper, who the deuce was this captain?’ asked one.

  ‘Aye, what’s his name?’ put in several at the same time.

  ‘I’ll tell you, messmates,’ said the old tar, reverently uncovering hishead as he mentioned the name; ‘it was Admiral JOHN PAUL JONES!’

  Fanny and her husband had heard this chapter in the life of the greatnaval hero with no small emotion. There was a point involved in it whichnearly touched their own feelings, and the circumstances relative to thepardoned Englishman on board her own brig the Constance, were broughtstrongly to her mind.

  A drive upon the island was arranged for the coming day. Lovell and hiswife having promised themselves this pleasure for several days previous.