“Very well, Captain. Would you please send him over to Warrior after this meeting is over? You should have him back by this evening.”
The meeting began with Captain Howard informing the assembled merchant captains a total of thirty-six merchants would be making the voyage to Britain with three escorts. “My cutter will be left behind. She is better suited for maintaining the peace than crossing the Atlantic in hurricane season.”
“No further additions to the convoy will be permitted. I am told some merchants have expressed an interest in leaving the convoy early. This too will not be permitted. It is important for the safety of all for our ships to remain in one cohesive unit.”
“Should ships begin leaving the convoy whenever their masters wish, we will soon have an uncontrolled rabble. I must inform you now, if you do not intend to remain with the convoy until our destination, you must not sail with us. Any of you who intend to disregard this warning will find your insurance carrier has been notified, with possible loss of your Marine insurance.”
“Before departure, all of you will receive instructions of the actions you must take in certain events. You should familiarize with these instructions before sailing. All masters are warned that no excuses will be heard in the event of equipment breakdown or insufficient crew aboard your vessel. If your ship is not prepared to sail, please do not do so.”
Chapter Fifteen
The convoy set out raggedly. Intended to make the crossing in three columns, it would have been very difficult to discern any pattern at all in this confusion. HMS Hector’s responsibility was the starboard column, with Warrior watching over the middle column and Seneca attempting to impose discipline on the port column.
A particular sugar-carrier was Mullin’s cross to bear. The big ship had a number of her crew run in Jamaica, after they had their fill of her hard-horse first mate. Mullins had already spoken to her captain before sailing. He heard the promise that more hands would be taken on but thus far had seen no evidence of that.
At the moment Mullins was struggling to get all of the vessels in his column into line-ahead formation, with little success. This ship had her top’ls double-reefed in these light winds, and she was slowing the other ships astern. Ships behind were coming out of line to pass her. Mullins passed within hail and again ordered her to shake out some reefs and make more speed.
The mate standing beside her helm merely shook his head, declining to answer. Unable to get any compliance with his orders, Mullins called his clerk to the quarterdeck. Pointing to the delinquent sugar carrier, he said, “Turner, you will see there are four ships behind that laggard. I want you to draft four notes to the masters of the ships behind. I wish them to pass the sugar carrier to port and continue in line astern. The sugar carrier, Liverpool Commerce, should drop out of column and take her position as last in line. Perhaps you could put that one in a letter to her master. She declines to answer any of my signals.”
The launches crew piled down into the boat and its midshipman had its mast raised and the sail set, As it came alongside the sugar-carrier, the note was handed up to a crewman then the boat dropped back to the next ship.
The only initial response was the master of the sugar carrier shaking his fist at Mullins, but the column began to assume a more orderly form. As the individual masters learned more about their neighbors and began cooperating, the entire convoy became easier to control.
Warrior, watching over the center column, had thus far been surprisingly quiet concerning Hector’s difficulties. With more time to observe others’ problems, Mullins saw that Captain Howard was having the same struggle with one of his charges that Mullins had with the sugar carrier. Not surprisingly, he settled onto the same solution, bringing the trailing ships around the recalcitrant one and sending that merchantman to the rear.
As these trailing merchants dropped farther behind, both began signaling. Liverpool Commerce seemed to be using the wrong page of her signal book, at any rate her message could not be deciphered. The signal from the other ship, addressed to HMS Warrior, was clear enough. She had not enough seaman and needed to borrow some from the escort commander.
Mullins snorted when he had the signal read to him. Presumably Captain Howard did the same, since there was no reply.
Later that afternoon, as the sun was coming near the horizon, both of the ships were trailing badly. The sugar-carrier would soon be hull-down, well behind. When it again signaled, the flag hoist still could not be read, but Mister Flowers, the signal officer, from his perch in the mizzen crosstrees, spotted a sail coming up behind the two errant merchants.
Moments later, both ships began to increase sail. First the reefs were shaken out, then the courses set. With the extra canvas, the pair now began to slowly close the convoy. It appeared the trailing merchant from the center column, would make it back, but Liverpool Commerce was just too far behind. The stranger, a fast brig, was gaining handily. It seemed all but certain this was an enterprising privateer or pirate.
Had Hector not been responsible for the safety of the other ships in the convoy, he would have immediately gone to the rescue, however that was not the case. Since the trailing merchant had abandoned the convoy because of unwillingness to set more sail, the remaining ships took priority. If he were to leave his station, he would expose other ships to danger from predators.
As if to confirm his thoughts, Captain Howard in Warrior signaled for Hector to maintain station close behind the trailing ship in the starboard column. Warrior would move forward to the head of the second column, while Seneca would patrol off to port of its column. Liverpool Commerce was lost to sight in the gathering darkness as was its pursuer.
Shortly after the sun dipped below the horizon, a flurry of gunfire was seen and heard. Next morning, there was no sign of either ship.
Upon reaching the Channel, the convoy began to separate, each component sailing to its proper destination. Hector escorted six ships into Portsmouth, while Warrior took some to the Nore off the mouth of the Thames. Seneca took a few merchants into Plymouth.
Mullins received orders almost immediately to call upon the port admiral. He was received by the flag captain who wished to know the state of his ship and crew. Aside from the usual stores needed as well as a few crew replacements, Mullins was able to assure the flag captain the frigate was prepared for duty as soon as her needs were filled.
The ship would receive a brief survey, to insure she was indeed ready to face her enemies at sea again. Aside from some minor weed growth on her bottom, she was pronounced fit. She had been recently coppered and it was felt that copper would inhibit additional growth in these cold northern waters.
A few hands, landsmen for the most part, came aboard and a file of Marines marched down from the barracks, accompanied by Lieutenant Reynolds, a seasoned Marine officer with several cruises behind him.
Mullins had hoped to spend a little time at home in London with his family, but it was learned shortly after arriving that the new Mrs. Flowers was with child, and the captain felt compelled to allow her husband a few days ashore. Having given Flowers liberty, he had to do the same for Mister Persons as well as his first officer.
With his officers ashore, it fell on the captain to oversee all of the work being done on the sip. With her husband unable to come to London, Mrs. Mullins posted to Portsmouth with her son. She spent her first day at the Flower’s residence while Sarah Flowers located rooms for her and the child. Apparently all remembrances of the former hostility between the two women had vanished.
Mrs. Mullins would carry the scars of her bout with smallpox for the rest of her days, but the scarring was not extensive and she remained a most attractive woman, now most devoted to her husband who had stood beside her in her illness.
Repairs on the frigate were continuing, assisted in great part by the ship’s midshipmen. Mister Sawyer was especially useful. In the absence of their other officers, this young former seaman was able to tend to his duties without having to constantly s
eek assistance. Sawyer had been a topman aboard a frigate that had had the misfortune to have many of her people felled by fever. Being one of the rare seamen that could read and write, his old captain had rated him midshipman to replace casualties.
Now being rather old for his rating, Sawyer was in a difficult position, While most captains found him a credit to the ship, still a midshipman of his age was not a first choice of many captains. Mullins had taken him aboard upon the recommendation of another captain. This officer had explained that the young man was capable of most duties that might be assigned to him. Of course, as a former lower-deck man, he should never be raised above his present station, but one may as well make as much use for him as possible, while he was still available.
Curious about the midshipman, Mullins had looked through his records one evening. Surprisingly, Sawyer had gone before a board of captains to ascertain his suitability for promotion to lieutenant. He had passed this examination, but had never been ‘made’. Since this board was a few years in the past, it was now unlikely he would ever walk a quarterdeck as a commissioned officer.
Mullins expected orders that would put Hector on blockading duty so he was surprised when he was ordered to London for a visit to the Admiralty. This would give him the opportunity to escort his wife and child back home though, so he had no complaint. The coach ride to London could be uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous, but they had no difficulties this trip.
After taking his family home, Mullins spent the night in his own bed before having his hostler drive him to the Admiralty in the morning. There, he was called into the office of Mister Parker, who informed him of a situation concerning the Royal Navy.
Parker already had charts spread over his desk and on a nearby table, He began, “I know, Captain Mullins, that you are aware of the benefits of our trade with India. The revenue from this trade allows us to prosecute the present war. Citizen Bonaparte has decided to put a spoke in our wheels by interrupting this commerce. You already know, in the recent peace, we gave Cape Town in South Africa back to the Dutch.”.
“Once the war resumed, the Dutch resumed their alliance with France, so then our East Indiamen were required to steer well clear of Cape Colony. In addition, French naval ships as well as privateers based on Ile de France, an island in the Indian Ocean, began raiding British mercantile traffic to and from India.”
“Cape Town was soon re-taken, as was Dutch-controlled Java, which eliminated the threat from those areas, but the threats from Ile de France and Ile Bonaparte remain troublesome. Vice Admiral Bertie has assembled a force to meet these threats, including HMS Raisonable, an old 64-gun third-rate, Leopard, a fourth-rate, and a few frigates. Commodore Rowley will use this force to blockade Ile de France and Ile Bonaparte.”
“On the French side, Commodore Jacques Hamelin brought four powerful frigates to the islands; these are now being used to take British merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean. While Rowley is following orders, blockading French ports and raiding shore installations, Hamelin thus far, had continued his depredations in the region. The East India Company has become quite alarmed with their losses.”
“It is considered vital to reinforce our fleet in the Indian Ocean. Therefore, HMS Hector will make the best of her way to Simon’s Town and report to Vice-Admiral Bertie. Before departing, you will take on such stores and people as the Portsmouth port admiral may direct. A convoy to the Cape is being assembled as we speak and you may be required to serve as an escort.”
Believing Hector would not be able to sail for at least another week, Mullins took a chance and loaded his family into the carriage which carried them to his father’s estate. Actually, Lord Yarley also owned the house where they lived in town, but since the marriage, allowed his son and family free use of it. The boy Alfred rarely had a chance to ride in the carriage, since in the city, the chaise was more often used. Doris, fearful of the damage travel in the open would cause to her clothing, remained inside but Mullins took his son to sit with him on the box, beside the driver.
Alfred, still a young boy, was delighted with the experience and constantly questioned his father and the driver concerning most of what they saw. At mid-day, they halted beside a stream running past a meadow, where Doris opened her basket and laid their food out on a blanket.
Mullins and the driver quenched their thirst on some cider laid down from the previous autumn, while Doris and Alfred satisfied themselves with tea. When they started out again, Alfred was sleepy and went into the coach with his mother for the rest of the journey. It was late when they arrived and they took the sleepy boy straight up to bed.
Mrs. Johnson, Lord Yarley’s housekeeper, greeted them and after Alfred was put in bed, everyone went to the sitting room where they became re-acquainted.
Actually. Mrs. Johnson had once been Mullin’s housekeeper and Doris had been Mrs. Johnson’s maid before the wedding. There had been an amount of dissention early on between Mullins and his housekeeper and it had been thought best for Mrs. Johnson to exchange places with Lord Yarley’s housekeeper.
This evening, all of those difficulties were forgotten and the evening was spent discussing all the news of the past few years. Mullins had not had occasion to give his father notice of his arrival so the Baron was away on governmental business. Mullins explained they could stay but a few days, since he must get back to his ship very soon.
The next morning, Mullins begged some fishing gear from the gardener and took his boy out to the pond. As a boy himself, he had spent hours in this pond and the stream into which it emptied trying to catch small fish.
There was now a small punt, moored in the pond and half full of water, just large enough to hold a man and small boy. Mullins pulled the little boat in and tipped it on its side, emptying the water. The two set out in the punt, imagining they were at sea in a King’s ship, doing battle with the French. Using bits of bacon as bait, Alfred landed two tiny perch before they anchored their vessel, setting out for the house and a required nap.
Next morning the family went out together. Doris was driving a pony harnessed to an old trap stored in an outbuilding, while Mullins rode one of his father’s big hunters. Alfred sat beside his mother explaining how he was going to be a Navy man, like his father. On their outing, they watched the hands moving sheep from one paddock to another. Alfred was excited to see the dogs working the sheep with hardly a word being spoken.
They had another meal on the sheep meadow then the boy was tired and it was time to go back to the house. Next morning, he would have to leave but Doris and Alfred could stay a few more days. By the time they returned, Mullins would likely be gone, possibly not returning for another year.
Chapter Sixteen
A water hoy was alongside Hector when Mullins boarded, pumping water into the big tuns. All of his officers were now present. Mister Drummond had the hands at work restowing the hold, under the direction of the sailing master. It was necessary to make room for tons of beef in casks which would come aboard later in the morning. This food was over and above the ships’ requirements and was destined for the forces presently in Cape Town.
Mister Braddock pointed out the ships in the harbor that would accompany them. At the moment, there were a dozen vessels, although more were expected. Consignments of American grain and beef were hoped to arrive on the next convoy from Halifax, although with the present state of relations between Britain and America, this could not be certain.
It was now decided HMS Hector would serve as one of the escorts, but at least one more was thought to be needed. It had been intended to assign a ship of force, perhaps an old 64 third-rate, in case some of those new French frigates came out to interfere with their passage. These were forty-gun ships, just one of them thought to be capable of giving Hector a most difficult time.
There were few suitable ships available though. The Royal Navy was straining at the seams trying to cover all of her responsibilities in the world and there were just not enough ships and men.
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p; It was then the inshore squadron off Brest came across a small convoy of French coasters creeping along the coast off that port. HMS Emerald, a thirty-eight-gun fifth rate gave chase and was able to pin the convoy’s escort, an eighteen-gun corvette, against a lee shore during a north-easterly gale.
A privately built ship, newly built, the Gloire had just come off the ways, She had been hastily armed and provisioned, crewed with whatever men could be found on shore, then sent to sea to escort this convoy.
Her young commander bravely put his corvette between Emerald and his convoy, prepared to fight to the death. His crew however, was having none of that. When Emeralds’ first shots came crashing home, the privateer’s bosun, without consulting his captain, slashed the halyard, and the tricolor came fluttering down.
HMS Emerald got a party aboard and the prize under control only moments before she would drive onto the rocks, then she was taken into Portsmouth. Normally, it would be weeks before all of the formalities were observed and the proper measures taken.
In this case, it was realized this privateer was a gift from heaven, a new ship, relatively undamaged, and available to be quickly put to sea under British colors. Only days after mooring, she had been purchased into the navy, hastily manned with men taken from various ships in harbor, as well as a sprinkling available from the receiving ship.
When the convoy from Halifax arrived, hands were pressed from the incoming transports and sent to the new HMS Daring. Mullins happened to be on the flag at this time, assisting the flag captain juggle all of his pressing duties. Captain Jervis had just remarked that he had no idea who he was going to send to the new sloop-of-war to command.
HMS Hector: A Charles Mullins Novel (Sea Command Book 6) Page 11