“By the time I send to London for someone to command her, a week will go by, and the new man will still need to have time to sort out his crew. Two transports I have been waiting for came in with the last convoy, so this problem with Daring’s commander is the only problem preventing the convoy from sailing.”
Mullins wondered, “Sir, is it necessary to appoint a present commander, or would it be possible to promote a worthy lieutenant to take command?”
The flag captain, after some thought, decided the admiral would likely approve a promotion, but where would they get this lieutenant. “I just do not have the time to sort through dozens of records to choose the proper man.”
“Captain, as it happens, Mister Drummond, my first officer, is a capable man and I can assure you he would be an excellent choice.”
“Well, what about you? Where would you get another first officer?”
“Captain, my second, Mister Persons, could take over that position. As it happens, I have a passed midshipman in my gunroom that could take over as third officer.”
“Very well, Captain Mullins. While I do not approve of these wholesale promotions, in this case I think we may be justified. I will submit this proposed promotion to the admiral and should he approve, I will send the commission and orders by boat.”
When Mullins returned to Hector, he found Mister Drummond already over on Daring, supervising the installation of her guns. With no officer assigned to HMS Daring yet, the naval officers of the other ships in harbor had been ordered to assist in preparing the ship for sea.
Daring had come into harbor with her original French eight-pounder guns, but British nines were available and these were coming aboard now. Drummond was still on Daring when a boat from the flag came to Hector and delivered the commission and orders for the new commander.
Not wishing to take the time to have Drummond report back to Hector, Mullins was pulled over in his gig. Daring was in turmoil, with guns coming aboard and a lighter loaded with nine-pounder shot awaiting its turn to unload. Drummond, with no other officers to assist, had to handle all of the decisions himself as well as answer all of the questions fired at him by the newly-caught landsmen that composed much of the crew.
Seeing the situation on board Daring, Mullins had his cox’n pull around to the port entry. Boarding unobserved, he approached the harried Drummond. His former first officer apologized for not furnishing the proper respects when he boarded. Waving off the regrets, Mullins handed him the commission. Looking at the document blankly, Drummond then read it again. Wondering, he muttered, “Sir?”
Taking pity of his friend, Mullins gave him the orders and said. “To put it briefly, Captain, you have been promoted commander and given this ship. You are now commander of HMS Daring.”
Adjourning to the cabin for some privacy, Drummond protested he had no other officers on the ship and with all new hands, disliked giving any of these unknowns petty-officer ratings. He had no idea of how he would get all this work done by himself.
“Captain Drummond, as captain of Daring, you may take on any unemployed naval officer you may find ashore. I will leave you my cox’n and the midshipman who brought me here. These two should be able to manage your people for a bit. You and I will take my gig back to Hector where we will have Mister Flowers come over to take charge while you are away.”
“If you were to take a boat ashore and search a bit, you may well find an officer looking for employment. If not, then you may have to send word by signal telegraph to London that officers are needed.”
Mullins and Drummond took the gig back to Hector, where Mister Flowers was given his instructions. Drummond borrowed a boat and left for the shore, while Mullins immersed himself ‘in paperwork. Only the departure of Turner, his clerk, for supper and his grog reminded him it was so late.
Turner, he reminded himself, had proven to be a most invaluable individual. He had once been a priest before drink brought him into the navy. A wandering vagrant when discovered by a recruiting party, he had volunteered when he found he would be furnished with a rum ration twice a day. Initially, he had a most difficult time. A man with no understanding of his duties or the sea, he was constantly in trouble with the various petty officers as well as the first officer. The hands ridiculed him and stole his few possessions.
It was only after the ship had been at sea for a few weeks early on, that Mullins noticed the man. It was at Sunday divisions that day. The hands were lined up on deck for inspection, with everyone shaved, wearing clean slops, except for Landsman Turner. Turner’s clothing was filthy and he was unshaven. Mullins first thought was to turn on him and give him a broadside. On second thought though, he turned to Turner’s midshipmen and directed him to report to the cabin following divisions. “Bring Turner with you,” he added. “Have him wait outside.”
When Midshipman Sanders was announced by the sentry and entered, Mullins stared at him dispassionately for a moment. Sanders was exceptionally large for a sixteen-year-old and was reputed to be a bully in the gunroom. Mister Cummings, the sailing master, said Sanders was a hopeless student.
Shaking these thoughts off, Mullins asked about Turner. Sanders told his captain the men would not allow Turner to wash his clothing nor would the ship’s barber shave him. Turner had become a pariah in the few weeks he had been aboard.
Mullins dismissed Sanders and called for Turner. The middle-aged man was shaking in fear when he entered. His mess-mates had entertained themselves informing this landsman of the various gruesome punishments that would likely be imposed upon him.
Mullins began by asking Turner about himself. When he found he was not going to be keelhauled, he opened up and was able to talk about his affliction to drink. His captain was struck by his cultured accent. Eventually, he admitted to being a defrocked priest.
Astonished, Mullins admitted he had little use for a priest aboard ship, but wondered if Turner would care for a position as captain’s clerk.
Turner would and the deed was done. He remained addicted to alcohol but, forced to limit himself to his half-pint of rum each day, was able to regain some of his health. Since his shipmates now knew he was the captain’s clerk, he was thought to be almost a confidant of the captain and began treating him with more respect.
Drummond returned the boat early in the forenoon watch the next morning. A shockingly gaunt man of thirty years or so was sitting beside him in the sternsheets. When he struggled aboard the ship, it was seen that he was missing a foot. After the ceremonial greeting, Mullins invited Drummond to his cabin to hear his news.
Drummond began, “I found a lieutenant right off. I had gone into the naval outfitter to be measured for a new coat, I struck up a conversation with a clerk behind the counter, who disclosed he was a former naval officer himself. When he came out from behind the counter, I saw he had a peg for a foot.. When I asked him if he missed the sea, he replied that part of his life was over. He told me the navy wanted no part of a one-legged lieutenant. After we talked a few minutes, I offered him the position pf first officer.”
Mullins wondered, “What will the navy say about that?’
“I don’t propose to say anything about it. We will sail soon and by the time we reach the Cape, Mister Haggerty will be part of the ship.”
“What about your other officers, do you expect to get them before we sail?
“I may already have them, Captain. A young man wearing a ragged midshipman’s jacket approached me and asked if he could carry my purchases. After talking with him a bit, I learned he had completed two cruises. He has been without a ship for two years. He offered to lead me to other in his same position. Two of these additional people were passed midshipmen. Of course, I know full well some of them will probably be useless, but I am hoping to take the two on as my second and third officers. Time will tell.”
Chapter Seventeen
The convoy began its voyage in the fashion Mullins had come to expect. Some masters could not abide being reminded of where their place in
the convoy should be. Some ships had insufficient crew aboard so it was difficult to maintain their proper station, when it became necessary to reef or let out sail.
At the beginning of the voyage Mullins had specified that Hector’s place was to be to windward of the leading ship in the port column, while Daring was to cover the after portion to leeward. As he had expected, these plans soon became meaningless as individual masters attempted to rearrange the convoy according to their own ideas. Both Daring and Hector fired away an amazing amount of powder attempting to intimidate some of these masters into their appropriate positions.
The master of one troop transport absolutely refused to comply with his orders or even answer to signals. Eventually, Mullins had his master gunner put a ball in front of her cutwater and shouted over his speaking trumpet for her to await a boat.
The cutter was being towed behind, with its crew and Mister Midshipman Sawyer in command. Mullins shouted down to Sawyer to board the recalcitrant vessel and warn its master he would be ordered out of the convoy and left behind should he continue his abstinence. For now, this master was directed to fall back to the rear of the convoy and take position as the trailing ship in the port column.
The transport plodded on without reply, sailing in the gap between the two columns. The cutter’s bowman hooked onto the transport’s mizzen chains and Sawyer scrambled aboard, with no assistance from any of ship’s crew.
Sawyer could be seen in animated conversation with the master. Mullins now regretted sending the young midshipman over, thinking Mister Drummond would have presented a more imposing presence.
However, after much arm-waving, the confrontation seemed to calm down and the transport backed its main topsail and slowed to allow Sawyer to drop down into the cutter. As the cutter’s crew struggled to pull the boat up to Hector, the transport dropped back and took its new assigned position as the aftermost ship in the column.
Mullins congratulated the lad when he came on board to report and asked him how he had convinced the master to cooperate. Sawyer replied that he had told Captain Dearborn, master of Dover Strait, of the previous altercation with a ship in a convoy, informing Captain Dearborn of that ship’s capture by trailing pirates.
Dearborn replied, reminding Sawyer that he had several hundred redcoats on board that would surely drive off any pirate attack. Sawyer said he had politely asked how many of the soldiers were prostrate with sea-sickness.
Sawyer stood by for a moment before asking whether he should go back into the cutter. Mullins thought for a moment then asked, “Mister Sawyer, is there a midshipman in the gunroom that could handle the cutter?”
Sawyer grimaced, “There is Sanders, sir. Next to myself, he is the oldest.”
Mullins thought to himself that Midshipman Sanders was certainly not the brightest. This train of thought solidified his resolve though.
“Mister Sawyer. You have been standing watches with Lieutenant Persons. How have you found this duty?”
“I like it main well. sir.”
“Sawyer, I have noticed that you passed your boards a few years ago. It is in my mind to appoint you as my third officer. What do you have to say about that?”
“Sir, just that I would thank you for the opportunity and will do my best.”
“Very well, Lieutenant Sawyer. Your promotion will be inserted into the log this day. You will see Mister Persons to determine which watch you will stand.”
“After you do this, I wish you to seek out among the men any intelligent hands whom I may consider rating as midshipmen. In the meantime, you will send Mister Sanders into the boat, after instructing him as to his duties.”
Soon after his new officer went in search of the midshipman, a loud altercation erupted up forward. He recognized both Sanders and Sawyers voices. When the argument showed no sign of diminishing, he asked his sentry to pass the word for Midshipman Sanders to report aft.
When the red-faced midshipman came aft, still obviously furious, Mullins noted, “Mister Sanders, I believe I heard your voice raised in anger a few minutes ago.”
“Sir, that fool of a midshipman Sawyer tried to tell me he is an officer. I told him what he could do with himself.”
“And what did Mister Sawyer tell you?”
“He told me I was mastheaded. I should go to the main masthead and stay there until he told me to come down.”
Patiently, Captain Mullins explained, “Mister Sanders, Sawyer is neither a fool nor is he a midshipman. I have appointed him this day to be the ship’s third officer. Now, since an officer has ordered you to the masthead, I wonder why you are still on my deck?”
“After Lieutenant Sawyer releases you, you would oblige me by putting yourself on report for insolence to an officer.”
Later, having remained at the main masthead for the remainder of the day and stood before his captain and the assembled crew. Sanders was disrated to able seaman and assigned to the mizzen tops, where Mullins could keep a closer eye upon him. Now a midshipman short, Mullins promoted a promising seaman recommended by Lieutenant Sawyer and placed him in charge of Sanders. The new midshipman, Mister Rainer, took hold at once and Mullins thought the exchange would be good for the ship.
Hector took her convoy south, until she found herself in the trades coming out of Africa, then sailed southwesterly toward the American continent. Approaching the Line at about thirty degrees of latitude, the convoy crossed it in light and fitful winds, now looking for a slant of wind that would take them southeastward toward the southern tip of Africa. Eventually, as the ships made their way farther south, the winds became more favorable and they began to make better time.
The convoy reached Simon’s Town in late September, where the individual ships went about their business and Captain Mullins with Commander Drummond reported to Vice-Admiral Bertie aboard the flag on HMS Raisonable. Both were ushered into his office and offered wine and local fruit.
After listening carefully to their accounts of the voyage and glancing at the invoice of materials the convoy had delivered, he got to business.
“Gentlemen, I must tell you these new frigates of Hamelins’ recently arrived from France are becoming an infernal nuisance. They are based on Ile de France, in the Seychelles, but only seem to visit there to refit. They spend most of their time at sea, searching for our East India Company ships, of which they have captured several. My resources here are limited. What ships I do have are employed in blockading the islands that most concern us, Ile de France and Ile Napoleon.”
“Hamelin’s frigates could probably defeat ours if he could concentrate his fleet. Fortunately for us, he has decided to continue his attacks on the John Company ships and has not aggressively attempted to defeat our warships. An additional problem we have is the number of enemy privateers that also base themselves on those French islands.”
“I am going to send both of your ships out, to cruise separately, Captain Drummond, at this time, I do not wish you to seek combat with any of the frigates, because I believe we will have great difficulty to make good any needed repairs. However, I hope you can sort out a few of those privateers that vex me so much.”
“Captain Mullins, I believe your Hector will be a match for any of the enemy frigates that you may meet singly. You have my express order to avoid combat with multiple enemy frigates, however. I really doubt if any of these frigates will attempt to engage you, whether singly or in combination. They are a long way from home and Commodore Hamelin too, cannot have a good source of naval stores. He will probably concentrate on taking prizes, rather than fighting powerful ships that will cause him to expend the resources he may have.”
“Both of your ships would be better employed in reducing the number of privateers and native pirates and, if possible, re-taking any of the ships that have already been taken.”
Both warships were able to re-supply at their leisure, since the monsoon winds had shifted and no more merchant ships were sailing now for the Indian subcontinent. Ships from that part of the wor
ld had not yet begun to arrive. HMS Daring left first, followed a few days later by Hector.
Before leaving, Mullins had gone together with the wardroom and gunroom and purchased a bullock and some sheep for wardroom and cabin stores. In addition, Mister Persons had convinced a few of the local Cape Colored natives to sign on. These hands, although not considered blue water seamen, had worked on small craft about the harbor for much of their lives. It was expected these men would soon learn their way about the frigate and become valued hands.
Leaving her mooring, Hector made her way back out into the South Atlantic, from where she had recently arrived. Mullins had been given free rein of the area he was to patrol and he had learned from masters of merchant ships recently arrived, that enemy privateers were becoming a problem on the Atlantic approaches.
Now fully manned and provisioned, Mullins thought the ship to be well prepared for a long cruise against the local enemy. A month spent patrolling west of the Cape though, brought no sightings, so he took his frigate right around onto the Indian Ocean. He was encroaching on the area to be patrolled by Daring, but felt the big sea was large enough for their two warships. With few masters willing to take ship into the area until the monsoon change had settled down, there was again no activity, until a sail was sighted ahead a week later.
Sailing up Africa’s east coast, the masthead lookout saw a sail just nicking the horizon ahead. When first seen, hull down as she was, the ship, as seen through Mullin’s glass, appeared to have been damaged. Her sails and rigging seemed to have had some hard use. Closing, it was identified as a badly battered brig, making her way toward the Cape. Soon after the initial sighting, the brig veered to port, as though attempting to escape notice, but soon changed back to a course directly toward Hector.
HMS Hector: A Charles Mullins Novel (Sea Command Book 6) Page 12