HMS Aphrodite (Sea Command Book 1)

by Richard Testrake

  As the discussion intensified, bystanders began gathering, listening. One went to the door and looked outside. Upon returning, he announced, “If we are going to do this, we had best do it now, before this rain lets up!”

  The plan began to take life of its own, as men gathered, adjusting their swords and wondering where they could find a pair of pistols. It was a motley crew of men Mullins found himself leading to the quay in the pouring rain. He knew some were already having second thoughts, the rain sobering them up.

  A ship’s launch lay abandoned on the beach, left there by a crew absconding from their ship in the early days of the mutiny. Now half full of rainwater, it had to be hurriedly bailed and oars located. A fisherman’s dory was close by, which would hold those unable to get into the launch.

  Mullins was becoming disillusioned by the sight and actions of the men. Although most of them were officers, supposedly intelligent enough to understand what they were about, they were also half drunk, noisily arguing with each other and taking offence at imagined slights. The drenched men appeared to be a very pitiful and bedraggled assault force.

  At length, they were launched and heading for the hoped-for location of Aphrodite. For a moment, the rain subsided enough to see the ship, now darkened and apparently asleep. Anxiously waiting for the hail of the ship’s anchor watch, the officers were relieved when the clouds opened again and poured water down on them with a vengeance.

  Mullins sat at the tiller, navigating by compass until a whisper came down the crowded thwarts. “Ship ahead!”

  There she lay, half hidden by the rain. As the bowman hooked on at the main-chains, it was seen the man-ropes had been taken in. One of the youngsters aboard, a midshipman, edged his way to the boat’s gunnel and eased himself onto a batten. Climbing the slippery steps, without the security of man-ropes, he made it through the entry port. A moment later, first one coil of line was lowered down, followed by a second. The officers in the boats, while perhaps a little drunk, were still seamen and came up hand over hand.

  While gathering in the waist, Mullins made his way forward. There, he found a seaman ensconced upon a folded sail, with another piece of sailcloth on top, partially shielding him from the rain. He was snoring away peacefully under canvas in a storm. Holding the blade of his sword at the man’s chin, he kicked his body.

  The seaman came awake with a start and a sputter, sitting up as he saw what he was facing.

  “Cap’n Mullins”, he whispered. “I’m not with the mutineers. I do what they tell me to or they will tip me over the side.”

  With an effort, the ship’s captain remembered the man. Arnold was one of the few landsmen aboard who had been employed to man the braces to haul the big yards around.

  Mullins quieted the man and gave him to some of his men who had come forward. “Looks like this man was the anchor watch”, Mullins remarked. “Let’s cut the cable, get some sail on her and get her out to sea.

  Placing armed men by the closed hatches to prevent the mutineers from swarming them from below, someone found the axe where the cook had always kept it to cut wood for the galley. The axe was not all that sharp and a big lieutenant took several attempts to sever the anchor cable.

  Immediately, the wind and current had their grip on Aphrodite and began sweeping her out to sea, stern first. Others up forward began hoisting some head sails to pull the ship around and into some control.

  Before any of this was effective though, men closed in below began trying to force their way out. One man, who had been sleeping in the great cabin, made his way on deck with one of Mullin’s Manton pistols in his fist, where Mister Doolittle brought him down with a sword slash to his leg.

  Men posted at the forward hatch were unable to cope with the desperate men below who had managed to get a crowbar under the hatch and were prying it open. As it broke free and opened fully, a burly lieutenant volunteer took a twelve-pound ball and dropped it onto the tangle of men bellow attempting to escape. Midshipman Raynor took another and threw that down, to a chorus of curses from injured men. A master’s mate, armed with a brace of Sea Service pistols, fired one down the hatch with the threat to loose another shot. With sails drawing and a man at the wheel, the ship-sloop was easing her way out of the harbor entrance. One of the liners, belatedly realizing one of her charges was escaping, fired off a gun, but no one noticed where the ball struck.

  By morning, the rain had stopped and the ship was under control, making her way across the channel to the Dutch island of Texel, hoping to join the blockade there if it was still extant.

  There had been disorder below decks when the re-capture had become realized. Now quiet had been restored, with questions and sometimes threats passing through the hatches in both ways.

  From Arnold, the anchor watchman captured asleep, some names were gathered that were said to be against the mutiny. Accordingly, these men were called to come to the hatch and questioned.

  Soon, a half dozen men were standing before their captain, swearing they were loyal. While the officers who had boarded the ship had been sailing the ship, it was decided the regular hands would be more familiar with these duties. As soon as a man below was shown to be faultless in regard to the mutiny, he was called to a hatch and put to his accustomed work.

  Eventually, save for a few obviously avid revolutionaries, most of the original crew were cleared and put to work. The delegates who had come from other ships to foment the mutiny, were put in irons on the orlop deck. The carpenter was found with a pistol in his sash, encouraging the other mutineers to fight. He was put in irons in his own quarters, to face justice later.

  To quell the muttering and murmuring, Mullins called the men aft.

  “Men, I know you have been sold a bill of goods telling you how badly you have been treated. Now, I realize there are bad captains who do treat their crews in that manner. But can anyone say that I am one of those captains? How many times since I took command have any of you had to face the lash?”

  “Another difficulty I know is the slow payment of your wages, often months or years in arrears. Parliament decrees when we have funds to pay you, not I. However, as you know, this ship has been fortunate in the earning of prize money. I will promise you, that when we next make port in a British harbor, if the paymaster will not pay you, I will take a portion of my own money to give each of you an advance upon your own prize money.”

  “I know many of you are distressed over the poor quality of your food and wish Admiralty to correct that problem. I have no influence at all upon Admiralty but I will spend my own funds to secure better food for you. The Royal Navy is not a perfect institution, but it is the only barrier preventing the French, with their bigger army, from swarming across the Channel and taking our country. Do any of you want some French soldier to throw your parents from their home or to take your wife or sister off to France?”

  After his harangue, the men seemed quiet and Mullins could try to get the ship in better order. With all of the extra officers on board, he hardly had space to stow the seamen. Some advocated returning to Britain and sending some people ashore, but Mullins had no idea of which ports were infected with revolutionary fervor.

  In the end, he continued across to Texel, where he met with the remnants of Admiral Duncan’s fleet. All of his ships had left him, save for his own line-of-battle ship, the Venerable with another, the Adamant. The frigate Circe also remained with Admiral Duncan.

  It was a curious situation. The two liners were anchored at Texel’s outer buoy, while Circe took station farther out, where she acted as if she was a repeating frigate, sending and receiving imaginary signals to non-existent ships.

  These three ships prevented the Dutch commander and his fleet of fourteen liners and eight frigates from leaving harbor. The Dutch admiral, DeWinter, was certain Duncan had a large fleet farther out at sea which would fall upon him if he tried to leave port. Duncan kept up the bluff for a week before the arrival of more ships from home brought the news that the mutiny was
over. Admiral Duncan relieved Aphrodite of a few of his excess officers by assigning them to several of the other ships in the blockading fleet, but the ship still remained overstaffed with officers.

  Chapter Fifteen

  With the reinforcement of the blockade, Admiral Duncan now had some breathing room. He sent Aphrodite off to Yarmouth to make arrangements to provision the fleet. Mullins was delayed returning to the blockade because the dockyard officials were outraged at the condition of the ship.

  Aphrodite had received many a severe blow in battle and her repairs had been makeshift, at best. Assured another vessel would reply to Admiral Duncan, Mullin’s ship spent much of the summer in the Yarmouth dockyard getting her hull and rigging back into condition. Promised he would be able to keep the bulk of his crew during the refit, Mullins left on leave to visit his family at their home, leaving Mister Doolittle in command during his absence.

  Because of differences with his father, Mullins had very little contact with father and family. His mother had died when he was a baby and he had been reared by a succession of nannies and governesses. His older brother would, of course, inherit and he had known from a young age he must make his own way, probably in the King’s service. The baron had assured him that he would come to his aid in matters of importance, but his time and energy would be fully occupied with estate matters and the education and training of Thomas so that he would be qualified to take the reins when the time came. His father convinced a fellow member of Lords to take him aboard his ship in the early days of the war and he suspected the baron had arranged his initial commission as lieutenant. He knew he could expect to receive little more help in the future.

  He understood his father, being so involved insuring his eldest son was becoming prepared for his future life, that he had not the will to deeply involve himself with his second son.

  Thomas Frederick, older by two years, would receive most of the attention. Charles Alfred Mullins would go into the Royal Navy where, given the opportunity, he might have the chance to rise upon his own merits.

  There was the expected commotion when his hired chaise rolled up to the entrance and the doorman came out to take his bags and the hostler came running up to take the horse. He would normally have expected his brother to be at the door, but thought nothing of his absence.

  When his father came out of his study, he noticed the man was now painfully slow. He walked with a cane now and his hair had turned white. Normally, his father showed him little sign of affection, so Mullins was surprised when the baron took him by the arm and led him into the library, a room that he had never been allowed to enter as a boy.

  After a lengthy conversation between the pair concerning friends and acquaintances, his father got to the point.

  “Charles, I am aware of the indifference you may think I have shown to you. You have been done a grievous wrong which I have no way to amend. The very least I can do is explain my motives.”

  “I realized when your brother Thomas was young, that he was different from other boys. It was something I was certain he would grow out of, something I thought was very necessary. Soon, I will be gone and your brother will be Baron Yarley, with all of the responsibilities that entails.”

  “My son, your brother Thomas, will never marry and produce children. His inclinations do not go that way. At this moment, he is living with an actor in London. I have known for a few years of Thomas’ inclinations, but there is no getting around it. I must make other plans.”

  “A few months ago, Thomas told me plainly of what I suspected. He has no wish to be Baron and asked me to do what I could to make you the heir instead of himself. A court action to accomplish this would generate untold scandal and this I will not subject the rest of the family to.”

  “When I pass on, Thomas will be the new baron, under the law, but it will baron be in name only. You will have to be the one who handles the estate and the responsibilities in his name. When he passes himself, of course, you or your eldest boy will become the next Baron Yarley.”

  Mullins was speechless for a time, and settled his nerves by draining the goblet of brandy by his hand.

  “Sir, are you telling me that you wish me to quit the Royal Navy?”

  “I am afraid I am, Charles. You will never know how proud I am of you and your continued exploits, but someone else will have to carry the torch now.”

  “Sir, I must tell you that as captain of my own ship, I have certain responsibilities that I must attend to. It would be infamous were I to just resign my commission and walk away.”

  “My boy, I understand what a dilemma I have placed you in. I can assure you I do not plan to step away from life soon. Go back to your ship and defeat our enemy. But, when you are quite through, remember you have a place to come to and a duty to perform.”

  After a very pleasant month at home with family and old friends, he received a message from his first officer informing him that hands were being drafted from Aphrodite on a nearly daily basis, on orders from the port captain. Within days, Mister Doolittle forecast there would be no crew left if this continued.

  Showing the letter to his father, the Baron exclaimed, “You must certainly return and sort these villains out, my boy. You had better take a few sturdy men with you in case you may need some assistance. My forester has a few likely lads that may be just the thing. I will tell him to place some guns into the landau in case the highwaymen become bothersome.”

  Mullins knew well he probably had no need of his father’s men, but if hands were indeed short, a pair of strong, healthy men could be invaluable. While the servants were packing his chest, he went out to the stables to inspect the landau. This was an ornate, finely finished four-horse carriage that had been purchased since he had last been home. It had seating for four passengers, besides the driver and footman.

  While going over the elaborate machine with the head groom, the Baron’s forester came in, summoned by one of the servants. Accompanied by his setter, he came up to Mullins and touched his cap.

  “Ben Lawrence, young master, I hear tell you want to take some of my lads with you.”

  Mullins took the forester’s hand. “I am glad to meet you Lawrence. My father has told me about you. He suggested my taking a few men with me. I do not wish to take anyone who does not wish to leave. I am captain of a ship and do not know how long we will be at sea. However, I think I can promise anyone that comes with me a good fight. The French think to invade our country and we intend to try to change their minds.”

  “Well sir, Will and Edward are strong young men. Few can claim to have bested them in an honest fight. I will put it to them and if they are willing, they will be standing by the coach when it is ready to leave.”

  After a last brandy with his father, the baron took him into the gun room and began to pick weapons from the wall. The weapons were of various periods from the present to two centuries previously.

  “I think we may rely on the highwaymen to be about, this time of year. The harvests have been in for weeks now and there is little employment for many. Sometimes men who can find no other employment turn to the highway.”

  “When these are taken and brought before me as the magistrate, I endeavor to find out if they have actually injured or badly insulted any passengers. If I think they only were interested in the contents of purses, I would probably just send them off to the Army to let them do as they will with them.”

  “If I found they have assaulted passengers, especially women, then it is the gibbet for them. In any case, I would be happy if you would take a selection of weapons with you. They will be yours, one day anyway.”

  Mullins selected a cased set of duelers. These were an older style, purchased by the Baron’s father as a young man. Old as they were, they were still deadly efficient pistols, perfectly capable of dropping any man in his tracks. Another weapon placed up in the box was a short-barreled blunderbuss with a belled muzzle.

  Will and Edward brought oaken cudgels, with which they announced
they were well satisfied. Will affirmed any man tapped on his noggin with one of these clubs would soon see the error of his ways, after he woke up of course.

  It would take the better part of two days to reach Yarmouth and his ship. By changing horses at every posting inn, they were able to make excellent time, but still, it was a tiring drive. At length though, the landau pulled up in front of the dockyard with no incidents of highwaymen or breakdowns.

  Spotting Aphrodite riding at anchor out in the harbor, Mullins went to the signal tower to signal her to send a boat. The signalman, a crippled seaman who made his living hauling signals up and down the mast, warned him the ship had hardly a seaman left aboard by now. “Probably the first officer and the carpenter will have to pull over the jolly boat by themselves.!”

  Pointing to a crown of loungers on a pier, he asserted, “I reckon one of those would pull you over for a few coppers.”

  With his heavy sea-chest and other kit, he picked a boat with two oarsmen and set out, leaving Will and Edward to guard the other chests on the dock.. They were challenged properly by the anchor watch and Mullins was piped aboard. He immediately noticed the absence of any Marines, and midshipmen, of which there seemed to be a surplus, were doing most of the work. Few seamen were in sight.

  Escorted to his quarters by Doolittle, he listened to the tale of woe. No sooner had the captain left when first one post captain, then another, came to the ship with requisitions to take a certain number of hands. It was only after the ship had been stripped bare, when the captains stopped coming.

  Enough men to man the jolly boat were found and an irate ship captain set out, first to the pier to retrieve his belongings and two men. Then it was off to the hulked third rate serving as flag and receiving ship.