The hands spent the rest of the day setting up the shore battery while the carpenter and his mate spent their time properly shaping the planks that would replace the damaged ones.
Next morning, scaffolding was hung over the ship’s side and the damaged planks removed. Mullins was appalled at the state of the underlying frame, which had split sometime after the shot impact that had caused the initial damage.
Quigley was prepared for the task of mending that frame. Selecting an auger from his box, the carpenter set about boring three holes through both parts of the split. Satisfied, he called for the armorer who had stoked up his forge on Vigilant’s deck, When the charcoal was furiously glowing, three iron rods, of a size that would fit into the holes drilled previously, were placed in the coals and the armorer began pumping the bellows.
Powerful men were stationed with heavy hammers, where they could get a good swing at their target. With everyone ready, the armorer pulled one of his iron rods from his forge, it was now glowing at an intense white heat. While the armorer held it with his tongs, the rod was slipped into one of the bored holes and lightly rapped home. Immediately, strongly-smelling smoke poured out of the hole, where the hot iron was burning the seawater-soaked wood. Nodding his satisfaction, the carpenter handed two iron washers to the armorer who slipped one over each end of the pin.
Now the men armed with their hammers were given the signal to start their work. Both men swung simultaneously, striking each end of the iron pin at the same time. Working rapidly, after several blows, the hot iron began to upset over the washers, at the same time drawing the split timber together. By the time the iron had cooled enough that it was difficult to further upset the metal, the iron at either end of the pin was spread over the washers, and a tight strain was placed on the split beam that would prevent it from separating in the future. The men with the hammers took a short break to recover, then the remaining pins were installed in their own holes, and tightly peened. The frame was now stronger than it had been originally when new.
Now it was time to install the planking. Planks had previously been cut and shaped, then left to soak in seawater. One plank was held in position while Quigley bored holes for the wooden pins that would secure the plank to the ship. These pins, called treenails or trunnels, were perfectly dry oak and fitted tightly into the bored holes. They had to be pounded home with a heavy mallet.
Once the wet planks that had been installed had a chance to season, the wood would shrink around those dry trunnels, holding the plank firmly in place.
Chapter Seven
Everyone’s eyes had been on this work, until a series of shots good distance away alerted them. A shout from Lieutenant Baker from the shore battery then got their attention. He was pointing to the mouth of the inlet where Vigilant was moored. Three of the open boats that fishermen of these parts used to earn their livelihood were coming into the harbor, frantically trying to escape a small xebec that was pursuing.
This was an unusual craft for British eyes. She had three pole masts with huge lateen sails on heavy yards. As she entered the inlet and experienced the fluky wind in the narrow entrance, she took in her lateen sails and deployed her oars.
The sight of the warship anchored near shore did not make her pause. Mullins thought the sight of the ship with a heavy list to port persuaded the newcomers this ship under repair offered no threat to them, and she altered course directly toward Vigilant.
Gunner Jones had been ashore inspecting the battery there but was on his way back to the frigate when the xebec made her appearance. Almost running up the side of the ship he made for the quarterdeck and asked for orders.
“Master Gunner, would you have a gun available to put a shot in front of that fellow”, Mullins wondered.
Jones assured his captain he had four guns that he thought would bear. The guns on the port beam were all pointed at the sky because of the ship’s list. It was necessary to insert the quoins to their full extent to get them to bear. The first gun fired, the ball flying high over the prow of the xebec. A hoot of derision came from the craft and her oars increased tempo.
At that moment, Lieutenant Baker in the shore battery saw his chance. While the frigate partially masked the battery’s field of fire, the xebec had altered course slightly to come at Vigilant’s bow. Probably the change was meant to avoid fire from Vigilant’s broadside guns, but it also exposed the xebec to the shore guns. It was difficult for the frigate’s portside guns to fire on the xebec at this close range, but the shore guns had no trouble at all. A dozen guns fired, and Mullins saw not a single ball miss. The xebec was a very lightly constructed craft, not intended to survive long in a slugging match with a powerful opponent.
A very maneuverable vessel under oars, the xebec began her turn, intending to reverse course and pull out of this confined inlet. Instead, the craft began to come apart as the hail of iron shot pummeled her.
At this time Mullins noted a swarm of the local falkusa boats had appeared from where ever they had been hidden, to join with the three boats the xebec had driven into the inlet. The last time Mullins had met with these boats, their crews had been armed only with their long-bladed fishing knives. Today, every boat had several bayonetted muskets aboard, and the crews were not shy about attacking those pirates who found themselves in the sea.
The bloody slaughter was sickening to Mullins, but he knew undue difficulties would arise if he tried to stop it. The killing continued as the islanders now climbed onto the wreckage. Mullins was concerned with the slaves chained at the oars, but it appeared one of those slaves was of the same people as the fishermen. After a brief discourse between the slave and several fishermen, only the pirates themselves were targeted.
Mullins put his armorer and some seamen into a boat with a few Marines, and these pulled over to the wreckage where the armorer began striking off the slaves’ bonds. By the end of the day, all of the living slaves had been rescued and most of the pirates had died in the fight. A few had survived the fighting and these were taken ashore where they would soon regret not having fallen in the battle.
One of Vigilant’s Italian crewmen had served in the navy of the Venice Republic in better days. Benito was able to make himself understood in the dialect of these parts and there was a three-way conference with Mullins, Benito and the leader of the fishermen. The crew of Vigilant was recognized for their assistance in the battles with Frenchmen and Moorish pirates. Many muskets had been recovered earlier from the bodies of the French intruders, but unfortunately, most of their powder had been wetted and spoiled. Mullins was able to rectify this matter by supplying a small keg of British powder, dry and perfectly ready to use on the common enemy.
The conference was adjourned to the beach where a supply of a very rough local wine found its way to the site, and was sampled by all parties. A keg of navy wine was subsequently brought on shore and opened. Numerous women and girls then appeared and began cooking and serving various island delicacies to the guests.
When he saw Vigilant seamen, well into their cups, beginning to become familiar with the island women, he had to warn the local elder of the amazing tendency of British seamen to go out of control in the presence of women, especially when under the influence of wine. This elder thought the British seaman must be very similar to the male fishermen from Lissa, but agreed it might be better if the ship left soon.
The party broke up soon after, with the women gathering up their food and making their way back into the interior of the island. The men remained, and next morning, the island men covered the exterior of the ship, caulking the seams and moving stores back onto the ship. They would be ready to sail by the next morning.
While waiting, Mullins took a party of islanders in his launch over to the wreck of the xebec, now stranded on the bottom. A pair of six-pounder brass guns were just visible on her remains. Benito told Mullins the men of the community lusted over the guns, with them no pirate would dare come into their harbor again. They had people who could dive d
own and put lines on the weapons, but had no way to get the clumsy guns to shore.
Mullins made no commitment, but next morning, told the ship was ready to put to sea, he asked the sailing master to take the ship to the wreck. He had it in mind to recover the guns of the xebec for the islanders. Some of the islanders were still camped on shore, a delegation was invited on board and the ship pulled her anchors and went under headsails to the site of the wreck.
Anchored again, fore and aft, next to the wreck, her mainyard was swung over the site and the islanders were shown where the guns were believed to be. In the now choppy water, it was impossible to see what they were looking for, but one of the pair of local women accompanying the islander party removed her outer clothing, and took hold of the forward anchor cable. Someone passed her a nine-pound shot, and she slid down the anchor cable to the bottom, trailing a coil of light line behind.
When her head emerged, she clung to the anchor cable for a moment before some of her people installed her into a bosun’s chair which hung down from the forward rail. Mullins got a good look at her as she stood shivering in the wind. While she was certainly no girl, she was a most attractive woman of mature years. He sent one of the seamen into his cabin for his own robe, which he presented to the women. Benito came over and she was asked what she had seen while on the bottom.
While waiting for Benito to learn what the woman had to say, Mullins looked around. Uncharacteristically, the hands were all staring intently at points on the horizon or at the state of the foremast backstay rather than the water-soaked clothing clinging to this attractive woman.
Benito came aft with the diver’s report. “Sir, both guns are there. Maria has passed a line about the cascabel of one. Her daughter will dive down and secure a heavier line to the gun.”
“She reports the gun carriage had been shattered and she thinks we can pull the gun away from its gun tackle.”
The woman diver stood by the side and directed a party of seamen who were lowering a heavy shot-weighted line into the sea. The next diver would secure this line to a gun.
The other woman of the pair now strode to the side and prepared herself. This woman, apparently the daughter of the first diver, was quite young, probably about fifteen years or so of age. Benito told him, while the woman was preparing herself, both mother and daughter were sponge divers from an island farther south, visiting relatives on Lissa. Holding the line leading to the gun in her hand, she took the shot one of the hands handed her and stepped over the side.
After a few anxious moments, the girl’s head appeared on the water’s surface and her mother leaned over the rail and exchanged a few words with her. After a few deep breaths, the girl submerged again. Benito, interpreting the conversation between the two women, reported she was having trouble getting the heavy line about the gun but would try again.
The wait this time was as long as before, but when the girl surfaced, she said something to her mother at the ship’s rail. Benito said he thought she was reporting success. The first woman came aft and reported to the assembled officers. Benito said the daughter had two turns of line about one of the guns at its trunnions. Neither the woman nor Benito knew the proper English term for this item, but Rosa went over to one of the ship’s guns and pointed to the cylindrical projections on each side of the breach that served to secure the gun to the carriage.
The line was passed to the capstan. The watch on deck inserted the capstan bars and prepared to take a strain. For a short time, there was resistance after the slack in the cable was taken up, but, after more men were put on the capstan bars, suddenly something below let go and the line began coming in.
The tarnished bronze gun rose above the surface, trailing the remnants of its gun tackle, and some shattered remnants of its old carriage. Once above the side of the ship, the load was hauled over the deck and dropped onto a mat.
After the two women had a talk, Maria, the elder, took off her robe and went to the rail. Taking hold of the line to the wreck with one hand, she took a shot in her other and dropped over the side. After several minutes on the bottom, she emerged, filling her lungs with air. When Rosa asked her something, she nodded her head vigorously.
After catching her breath, Maria handed up the heavy line to the waiting seamen and this gun also was lifted from the wreck. The carriage on this one had not been greatly damaged and came up with the gun. Once swung aboard, the gun was let down on the deck, where it sat like one of the ships’ guns, except that one truck was missing.
A conference with the islanders resulted, and one of their falkusa boats was brought alongside. A gun was lowered down to the boat and it was taken ashore. Later, the second gun was also sent to the beach. Mullins had Benito explain to the islanders that he had no shot that would fit the guns, but perhaps they could find a few shot on the wreck of the xebec. If not, they could probably use stones as projectiles. There were other guns on the submerged wreck, some of heavier caliber than the ones recovered, but these would be difficult to recover. Mullins decided to leave them. Perhaps the islanders might decide later to recover them.
As Vigilantes’ crew completed the re-stowing the ship, in preparation to sail, some of the islanders brought a flock of sheep to the shore and brought out a dozen to the ship. At least, they would have some fresh meat for a day or two.
While the crew was putting together pens for the animals on the fore deck, several islanders approached the quarterdeck with Benito. It seemed they were concerned about the two women, who were from the island, Kalymnos to the south. Maria, originally from Lissa, had married a man from Kalymnos and had settled there. After his death, she came back to Lissa to visit, but the daughter was anxious to return to Kalymnos. Both could resume their careers as sponge divers there and make a living, perhaps even finding husbands.
There was some danger returning though. Piracy were rife in these waters and two women would be easy prey. Some of the Lissa islanders wondered if Vigilant could carry the women to Kalymnos. The women’s boat could be towed behind, and the ship would not need to enter port. The women could drop into their boat and sail into their harbor.
Mullins was not at all happy about taking two attractive women aboard his ship. This could be a recipe for discord among his hands. After discussing the matter with Mister Heyward and the sailing master. Mister Weatherby thought the matter could be managed easily enough, if the women could be kept away from the seamen. The first officer said there would be no room in the wardroom for the women and besides he did not fancy having to constantly shield the women from his randy fellow offices.
Mullins realized he would have to do as he had often enough done before. He would put the women in his own quarters and himself sleep in the chart room. It would be an inconvenience, but nothing that could not be overcome.
Thankfully, the women did not have a great deal of personal belongings, and they were soon settled into their new quarters. There was some alarm among the hands when it became time to win their anchor. When the order came to man the capstan, the women looked around when the men went running to their positions on the capstan bars. At once getting the idea, the ladies spotted spaces where they could fit in and put themselves to the bars as the men had done. The bosun’s mate overseeing had not the slightest idea of what action he should take and looked questioningly at Mister Weatherby.
The sailing master in turn looked to Captain Mullins, who shrugged and decided to let the matter drop. The anchor was now off the bottom anyway. He did have the word passed for Benito who he asked to explain to the women they were not to engage in any ship’s work. They should go to their quarters and remain there until reaching their destination.
Somehow this was not quite understood, since moments later he saw both women helping to haul up the fore staysail. It soon became evident both women knew their way about a sailing ship, and although Vigilant was undoubtedly larger and more complex than any rig they had experienced, still, they were both knowledgeable and quickly grasped the purpose of wh
at they were about.
Although most of the seamen were perfectly respectful to the women, one hand at the braces took the opportunity to pinch Rosa’s buttock as she worked. At her gasp, her mother, without pausing at her self-imposed task of hauling up the staysail, managed to pull a belaying pin from the pin rail and cosh the fellow over his head.
Higgins, the master at arms, came running up and looked questioningly at Captain Mullins. Looking at the unconscious hand bleeding on his deck, Mullins told him to get him to the surgeon and then put him in irons until he could behave himself.
Summoning Benito, he walked over to the women and directed his translator to explain to the women that the ship was now in good hands and request they return to their quarters. He wished to invite them to supper that evening and would be delighted if they would attend.
Now it was necessary to confer with his cook to find something to serve. It was decided one of the sheep could be sacrificed, and served with some potatoes and onions. A boiled pudding would be attempted for dessert and he had several dozen bottles of wine, both red and white, still aboard. None of the wine was especially noteworthy, but perhaps the women would not be aware of its defects.
Chapter Eight
HMS Vigilant sailed south down the eastern coast of the Aegean. As she went, the wind became fitful, often dying down to a calm. The calms had been lasting for longer periods, and the frigate became becalmed for extended lengths of time. Some of the hands made use of their temporary inactivity by fishing over the rail. The women got into their boat which had been towing alongside. Maria had a cylindrical object which had a glass pane set into one end of its hollow interior.
HMS Vigilant: A Charles Mullins Novel (Sea Command Book 5) Page 5