Richard Testrake - (Sea Command 2)

by Richard Testrake

  This display caused the boatmen to abandon their approach and instead, to return to shore. A flag hoist summoned Ferret who began her own entrance into the harbor. Mullins boarded Shrike’s launch and was taken to the site of the wreck. She was clearly visible in the water, her upper deck merely a few feet under the surface. The launch was able to move right over the foredeck. The natives had removed a hatch cover and Mullins could look into the dark opening.

  Off to the port side of the brig’s deck as she lay there, two of the submerged carronades were clearly visible. Apparently, the natives had no tackle yet that would hoist one of those big guns from the wreck.

  Having seen enough for now, he went back to Shrike. The crews on both brigs spent the rest of the day breaking out the equipment that might be needed for the salvage. The guns would be removed first. Shrike would pull the guns off the sunken wreck, while Ferret would remain on watch for any unseemly activity by the natives.

  When ready to begin operations, seamen from Shrike dropped from their boat onto the wreck’s submerged deck, laughing like children as they splashed in the water. Bosun’s mates oversaw the securing of lines on each gun, which were connected to tackle from Shrike’s main yardarm.

  It was judged too difficult to separate the gun’s bolted-on slide from the gun itself, so gun and slide would be removed together. After disconnecting the gun’s breaching cables, men at Shrike’s windlass wound the individual gun and its slide from the submerged deck and into the air. Then, men on Shrike’s braces would swing the load over to the gun brig.

  Some of the guns were difficult to get at, especially the ones on the port side. The wreck was not level on the bottom and the guns on the port side were deeper than those on the starboard. It was not possible to finish the job that day, but Mullins was satisfied, judging the work was continuing at a faster rate than he had a right to expect.

  The next morning, the watch officer summoned Mullins from his breakfast and handed him his glass, and pointed to shore. The Moors ashore built a low, stone rampart overnight along the shore. Several embrasures were visible, with the muzzles of guns protruding. Captain Andrews immediately signaled Leviathan, informing Commodore Hennings of the problem. Salvage operations were suspended, and both brigs cleared for action. Apparently, the Moors had found some guns after all.

  A pair of boats soon left the shore and came toward the brigs. These were fishing boats of good size, filled with men. An enormous turbaned man sat in the stern of one, while a slight, apparently Caucasian man sat on a nearby thwart.

  Apparent slaves, chained to the boats, pulled the craft out to each gun brig. The Marines were paraded and the guns trained on the boats. The slight man spoke, in accented English, saying he was slave to Ibn bin Mohammed, who wondered why English ships were invading his waters.

  There was no way to hide what they were doing, especially as one of the big carronades from the wreck was in the process of being raised. Mullins pointed to the gun and said he had been sent to recover all of the arms aboard the wreck of the Achilles.

  There was some conversation between the interpreter and his master, then the interpreter announced, “This wreck belongs to the bey. He will be most angry if you continue your efforts without his permission. All work must stop until it is determined how much you must pay.”

  Mullins felt his choler rising as he digested this statement. Speaking slowly to ensure no mistake in translation, he recounted how the brig Achilles had come into this harbor on a peaceful mission to trade. While engaging in such discussions, men from boats treacherously swarmed the brig and took her crew captive, only freeing them after a vast ransom was paid. No further treasure would be expended. He would take what he came for, peacefully, if possible. If not, he would use what force was required.

  The boat, during the discussion, had drifted up against Shrike and the big slave master took hold of the brig’s manropes and hoisted himself onboard. Shrike visibly listed under his massive weight as he pulled himself aboard, followed by his interpreter.

  The Moor began an impassioned speech, working himself into a frenzy. At its apex, he pulled a curved sword from his sash and began waving it threateningly at Captain Mullins.

  Without a second thought, Corporal of Marines Hawkins, standing behind his captain, raised his musket and smashed the iron-shod butt into the Moor’s head, dropping him like a pole-axed bullock.

  The interpreter stood there aghast, terrified at the possible implications. After thanking the corporal for his intervention, Mullins asked the interpreter for his status in these proceedings. He repeated he was slave to Ibn bin Mohammed, who would be very angry for the assault on his vassal.

  When asked how he had become a slave, the interpreter informed him he had been a passenger on a French merchant ship that had been captured by Moorish rovers two decades before. Since he spoke English as well as French, Greek and the local dialect, he eventually became the interpreter for the recent rulers of this area.

  When asked if he might like to be freed, the interpreter was at first fearful, explaining that bin Mohammed would have him flayed alive if he were to come into his hands again.”

  After some thought, he agreed to accept the freedom offered and introduced himself as Marcel Dupret of Marseilles, although he had not seen France in twenty years.

  Mullins had him call down into the boat, asking the crew how many might wish to come over to the British brig. A Moor left in charge would have nothing to do with the idea and refused vociferously. The chained oarsmen kept their silence, but some of them nodded furtively in agreement.

  With seamen at the rails, holding twelve-pound shot over the side, offering to drop them into the boat, the craft remained quiet while the armorer and some Marines dropped into the craft. The armorer struck off the chains and the freed slaves climbed aboard. When all of the original volunteers had boarded, the remainder decided they too would like their freedom. At length, even the overseer, changed his mind. M. Dupret explaining he was fearful of what might happen to him if he would return without his master and most of the boat crew.

  The slave-master was sent below to be seen to by the surgeon’s mate and the overseer was placed under guard. The hands remained at the guns until it could be seen what the reaction from shore might be. Because of the cumbersome nature of the signal system, Mullins penned a narrative of the proceeding thus far and sent it by launch out to Leviathan, asking her captain to provide covering fire if that was needed.

  When the surgeon’s mate reported the slave-master was in no danger from his head injury, Mullins decided to return him to shore, since he would be an infernal nuisance on the ship. Questioning M. Dupret, he found the former slave to be able to write in Arabic, although he did not think his former master could read it.

  Deciding it would be bin Mohammed’s problem to get a note read to him, he ordered Dupret to explain the defection of his boat crew and interpreter. He further explained his intention to recover what valuables aboard Achilles he might be able to and advised no interference with their activities. When the note was written and sealed, it was pinned to the bound slave-master’s robe and the man was lowered into the boat on a carry-board.

  Taken in tow by the returning launch, it was taken close ashore, followed by the second boat filled with Moors, which had remained aloof from the previous proceedings. When the launch began attracting musketry fire, the boat with its passenger was cast adrift and the launch returned to Shrike. It was well into the afternoon watch when an answer was received.

  A ragged volley erupted from the shore battery, with balls splashing around the pair of brigs, one impacting the port quarter of Ferret. Both brigs immediately returned fire, with Leviathan joining in moments later. The shore battery was pummeled by a rain of large balls, which soon knocked down their stone parapets and reduced the stone to rubble.

  Each warship fired in turn, to enable each to adjust its own fire. They kept it up until no further sign of life appeared around that battery then ceased fi
re. Shrike went back to work while Ferret maintained her vigil.

  The bombardment had caused havoc on shore and the battery had apparently ceased to exist.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  The remaining guns in the wreck, deeper than the others, were difficult to access. One of the hands had better lung capacity than the others and could remain submerged a bit longer. The main difficulty consisted in removing the gun’s breeching cables. The men found the carpenter’s saw could sever the cables under water more efficiently than other blades. When the last gun was hoisted from the Achilles and lowered into Shrike’s hold, it was time to complete the destruction of the wreck.

  Five powder kegs were removed from the magazine and placed on deck, inspecting each for flaws in the wooden containers. Each was opened and two twelve pound shot placed in the keg with the powder, before it was closed up again.

  A bucket of pitch was brought on deck and placed on a piece of canvas., while a loggerhead was taken below to be heated in the galley. Brought up on deck, the hot iron ball at the end of the tool was plunged into the pitch, which began melting immediately. It took a second heat to get the pitch to the proper temperature.

  Another length of old sailcloth was placed on the deck next to the hot pitch and a powder keg rolled over on it. Hot pitch was painted all over the outside surface of the keg, making sure all seams were sealed. Now, the sailmaker took over. Canvas was cut to wrap the entire barrel, and sewed with small stitches. When covered, it received another coat of hot pitch. Upon completion, that keg was set aside and a guard placed over it, to prevent anyone from interfering with it. The other kegs were treated in similar fashion with the exception of the last. This was left until the next day, to insure the maximum amount of daylight to do the necessary work.

  At first light, the last cask was treated the same as the others, except the cask’s bung was not covered or sealed. When ready, the kegs already sealed were lowered individually via tackle from the Shrike’s yardarm, to the open hatch in the wreck. Each keg was lowered to the bottom of the wreck’s hold, the line was cut and another keg was lowered until all were down except the last.

  Now, it was the time for the last keg. The water depth to the lowered casks was measured and a pipe, made from musket barrels brazed together, was selected that would extend from the previously lowered kegs to a few feet above the surface. A length of quick match was threaded through the pipe, with a foot of match extending from each end.

  The keg and separate ignition pipe was placed in Shrike’s launch, while a bucket of pitch with a brazier and loggerhead were carried in Ferret’s boat. The brazier would be necessary to heat the pitch but the fire must not come near the charged powder cask.

  The two boats moored themselves over the wreck, with the open hatch of the wreck with its deadly contents directly below. The quick match extending out of the base of the pipe was buried in the gunpowder inside the cask. Then, the ignition tube was placed upright in the bung and wedges were tamped in to secure it. Hot pitch was again spread liberally around the join and the canvas sewn together. More pitch was spread over the canvas and now it was time to lower the keg. Supported in a net bag, it was lowered onto the pile of powder kegs in the wrecks hold. A previously made raft was brought alongside of the vertical pipe protruding from the sea and secured to three boat anchors, before being fastened to the ignition pipe. As a final act, a short length of slow match was connected to the quick match protruding from the pipe, and lit. This would slowly burn toward its meeting with the quick match, then it would flash down the ignition tube almost instantly. Assuming the charges had not been spoiled by water, an explosion could be expected.

  The boats retreated back to the gun brigs, which slipped their mooring and sailed away from the site.

  At this time, bin Mohammed was heard from again. Musket men on shore began firing at the brigs. At their distance of several hundred yards, there was little chance for anyone to be injured, but the possibility was always there.

  As the brigs made their way out into the harbor, both gave the snipers broadsides of grape. Leviathan was too distant for grape to be effective, but she again opened fire with her upper deck battery, intent on knocking down shore-side buildings with round shot from her guns.

  All three ships were busily punishing their shore-side foe, when the charges in the wreck exploded. There was an enormous gout of water and mud from the bottom, with sections of the wreck hurled into the air. Moments later, quantities of fish, dead and injured came to the surface.

  The bombardment and explosion had halted the firing from shore so both brigs returned to the site. Deciding he needed to visually examine the effects of the explosion himself, Mullins went into the launch and was pulled over the site. At first, the sea was clouded with mud and nothing was visible, but soon the murk began to dissipate and he was able to see some of the detail below.

  The bow and stern of the Achilles were still more or less intact, but her entire midsection was gone. He was unable to see any remaining artifacts that might be valuable to the Moors. A conference with Shrike’s gunner’s mate revealed that all of the powder kegs may not have exploded. One or more may have been spoiled by the incursion of seawater. Mullins decided though, the wreck was sufficiently destroyed to make any future salvage impossible.

  With Mullins judging the task complete, both brigs set sail and began carefully to make their way through the shallows out to sea. While doing so, a leg of the channel they were following took them closer to shore and the musketry began again. A dozen balls struck Shrike without injuring anyone, so he ordered everyone not actually at the guns or handling the ship to lie on the deck until passing this danger. Both brigs and Leviathan were thundering away at the enemy and Mullins, pacing back and forth on Shrike’s quarterdeck, was beginning to wonder how many men the bey could have left, when a tremendous blow on his leg knocked him off his feet.

  He lay there, feeling foolish that his right leg would not work properly, when the pain came. The surgeon’s mate came up from below and a party of men gently got him on a carrying board and strapped him down. While being carried below, he lost consciousness from the loss of blood from a large wound in his upper thigh.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  It was early in the morning watch when he awoke, still strapped on the carrying board, in his cabin. A loblolly boy was standing watch over him and, seeing him awake picked up a glass partially filled with an amber liquid and handed it to him. “Doctor’s orders sir. Down the hatch, please, Sawbones says you must drink this.”

  Mullins tried a sip of the liquid. He could tell it was mostly brandy, but there was a strange, bitter taste he was not familiar with. His leg was hurting him intensely, and he did not wish to hear more of the loblolly boy’s nagging, so he gritted his teeth and swallowed the substance.

  Strangely, the pain soon had nearly left him and he felt relaxed and at peace. When the medical assistant returned later with more of the substance, he swallowed it without protest. Mister Draper came in later to examine him. The surgeon’s mate was no doctor, but he had read a little medicine and worked under a noted surgeon for a short period, gaining enough knowledge to satisfy the ‘Sick and Hurt Board’. This was his first position on a ship of war and hoped one day to become a medical doctor.

  Draper satisfied Mullin’s curiosity concerning his medicament, tell him it was called tincture of opium or laudanum. Mullins was extremely weak because of the loss of blood. Mister Draper had a remedy for that, Assuring Captain Mullins that large quantities of port wine were a specific for rebuilding excessive blood loss, he was plied with quantities of that. When the supply on board was becoming low, boats were sent to Leviathan and Ferret to seek out additional supplies.

  Once out to sea, Leviathan’s surgeon came over to inspect the wound. There was some inflammation around the wound in his upper thigh and Doctor Hazlet recommended the leg come off to forestall gangrene. Since the wound was so near the hip, there would be unusual danger in removing
it and he offered to do the procedure himself, since he had much more experience than Mister Draper.

  Hazlet advised saying nothing to the patient, merely giving him a large dose of laudanum and performing the surgery when the patient fell unconscious. As Mullin’s surgeon, Draper did not quite dare to remove his commodore’s leg without further consultation. He reported to Shrike’s captain, Lieutenant Andrews and told him of the advice from Leviathan’s surgeon.

  Andrew’s was horrified. “I was just talking to Captain Mullins earlier today. He seemed alert and in no great distress. Why would you want to cut off his leg?”

  “Sir, I do not really wish to do that, but it is Doctor Hazlet’s opinion the patient is in danger of developing gangrene if we do not remove the leg.”

  Andrews asked, “Is there not danger in removing the leg?”

  Draper replied, “Yes sir, significant danger, especially since the wound is so high. I myself would hesitate to perform the surgery, so Doctor Hazlet says he will do it himself.”

  Andrews considered, “Tell me Draper, are you not Captain Mullin’s surgeon and as such responsible for his treatment?”

  “Yes sir, I am.”

  “Well, then, as your captain, I am ordering you to follow your own judgement about the captain’s treatment. Let us avoid any plans of amputation until it becomes obviously necessary.

  Nothing was said to Captain Mullins and he continued to improve without the surgery. Whenever weather cooperated, Doctor Hazlet, with the blessing of Captain Hennings of Leviathan, came over to Shrike to inspect Captain Mullins. Even in spite of the increasingly healthy patient, Hazlet was still insisting on the need for amputation.

  The matter became moot, when a sudden storm came up and the two brigs separated from Leviathan. This was not altogether by accident. Shrike’s captain, Lieutenant Andrews had been hearing reports that Captain Hennings was going to insist Mullins be transferred over to the big 74. Once there, Doctor Hazlet would be his surgeon, and the amputation almost assured.