by M. C. Muir
William Liversedge did not think twice about the request. ‘Convey them across. I will speak with my first lieutenant and make the necessary arrangement to find berths for all three.’
‘Thank you, William – and if there is anything I can do in return.’
‘You can assist me to get Stalwart safely home. Our course takes us via Kingston, Jamaica before heading out across the Atlantic.
Oliver was surprised. ‘That is quite a detour and into hostile waters.’
‘I am aware of that and wish it were not necessary. However, I have my orders.’
Oliver regarded his fellow captain quizzically.
‘I have a passenger to deliver to the authorities there.’
‘Passenger?’ Oliver repeated, raising his eyebrows.
‘I do not refer to him by name but as my supercargo. He is a political prisoner being exiled from Britain to the colonies.’
‘Is he dangerous?’ Oliver asked.
‘Although he is under guard, he is no threat,’ William Liversedge explained. ‘I spoke with him several times on the voyage from England and enjoyed our conversations. He is Irish,’ he paused. ‘A literary man, a poet and a scholar. A man of peace. He is a gentleman who loves his country and deplores what has happened to Ireland and its people. But he is not a revolutionary or even a fighter.’
‘Then why is he being exiled from Britain?’
‘Because he was associated with members of the United Irish Party and because he had connections with judges and lawyers who were executed for their part in the rebellion. As a result, he spent five years in Ulster Jail.’
‘On what charge?’
Captain Liversedge shook his head. ‘Like several of the leaders, he was held on suspicion of conspiracy but was never charged. Eventually the court decided to wipe their hands of him and exile him. America was the usual dumping ground for such men but that country is now loath to take any more of our troublemakers.’
‘Five years is a long time to be held with no charge,’ Oliver noted. ‘Does he bear a grudge? Is he bitter?’
‘Not at all. He is a philosopher. A thinker. Though he believes in Ireland’s independence from Britain, he swears that despite his poetry and prose inspiring many songs and stories, he had no hand in inciting any of the unrest. However, he firmly contends that the dream of an independent Ireland will always remain. That desire, he says, is a flame that will never be snuffed out no matter how many battles have to be fought and how many lives forfeited. Rest assured,’ William said, ‘he is of no danger to the Crown or to my command.’
‘Do you believe what he says?’
‘I believe his conviction, although I believe that dream will always remain a dream because the British will never bend.’
‘So,’ Oliver said, after glancing to the clock on the mantelshelf over the fireplace. ‘When your supercargo is delivered to Port Royal, your duty in the Caribbean is discharged?’
‘Indeed. I have no intention of staying in Jamaica any longer than necessary.’
‘Is there anything else I should be aware of?’
Captain Liversedge thought for a moment. ‘Nothing. Needless to say, I am eager to sail from here as soon as possible. All that remains to attend to is the transfer of the special consignment you have for me.’
With his cabin windows open to catch the cat’s-paws of fleeting breeze, the cry, announcing a boat approaching, drifted across the water. Glancing out, the captain’s view was of the new government buildings and warehouses skirting the shoreline with the mountains rising up immediately behind them. With no boat in view, it was obvious the call was coming from the direction of the 74 on the bay. Lifting his coat from the hook, Oliver dressed and waited.
A few minutes later, the jubilant voice of his steward, outside the cabin door, informed him in advance of the identity of his visitor.
‘Well if it ain’t Mr H,’ Casson said. ‘Ain’t you just a sight for sore eyes? Just wait till Captain Quintrell sees you. He’ll be pleased as Punch.’
After politely thanking the steward for his greeting, Stalwart’s lieutenant was shown into the great cabin albeit a little overawed by the greeting.
‘Thank you, Casson,’ the captain said. ‘I think a glass of wine would be appropriate, if my visitor will be good enough to share one with me.’
Appearing somewhat embarrassed, Lieutenant Hazzlewood agreed.
‘I can only echo the sentiments of my steward,’ Oliver said, ‘and I welcome you aboard Perpetual. Congratulations on your step up to lieutenant. Fourth lieutenant on a third rate, no less. I applaud you.’
‘Indeed. Thanks to you, Captain.’
‘No thanks are due to me. You served long and honourably as a midshipman, you passed your examination, after much hard study, and no one is more deserving of the position you now hold. Please sit and let us share a glass together.’
The officer did as invited and relaxed, the nervousness he had felt earlier slowly disappearing. ‘As you can guess, I am here on behalf of Captain Liversedge. He sent his apologies for not coming in person. He is presently making preparations to leave Rio and is anxious to sail as soon as you are resupplied.’
‘I am aware of his impatience,’ Oliver said. ‘I, too, am anxious to leave this bay. Kindly inform Captain Liversedge that I received word less than an hour ago that the last of the stores are now aboard and are being secured at this very moment. As such, providing the captain is in agreement, I will deliver the special consignment I discussed with him, this evening. Once that is done, Perpetual will be ready to sail on the morning tide.’
The lieutenant was sure that his captain would welcome the news.
‘Good,’ Oliver said. ‘I am glad that is settled. Now, tell me, have you been keeping well?’
‘Yes, sir, thank you, sir.’
On that note, the captain proposed a toast to the success of the man who had held the dubious honour of being the oldest midshipman to have ever served under him. ‘Sixteen years, was it not?’
Lieutenant Hazzlewood nodded, blushing slightly and laughing nervously.
‘And what of that young titled gentleman you served alongside. Algernon Biggleswade Smythe. Went by the name of Mr Smith while aboard Elusive.’ Oliver smiled. ‘I remember the day I despatched the pair of you to sail to Kingston in command of a prize vessel. Despite its condition, the agent paid a reasonable price for it, as you will be aware.’
‘It was quite a challenge at the time but proved very worthwhile.’
Oliver leaned back. ‘If you will forgive me for saying, you were the most unusual pair of shipmates I have ever encountered. You, with your northern accent and humble ways and Mr Smith with his drawing room etiquette, gentlemanly manners and eloquent speech.’
The lieutenant shuffled in his chair.
‘Permit me to compliment you on how smart you look now. I remember the day you first presented on the deck of Elusive in an ill-fitting second-hand uniform standing alongside young Mr Smith. I heard he had a chest full of new clothes, enough to fill the racks of the best naval outfitters in Saville Row. I distinctly remember his uniform always smelled strongly of lavender. Tell me, how is Mr Smith?’
‘Algernon – Algy, as I know him, is well and asked me to pass on his regards should I speak with you. He’s not yet been appointed to lieutenant because of his age, but it’ll not be long now. We still remain close shipmates.’
‘That is well,’ Oliver said. ‘Perhaps one day we will all sail together again.’
‘I would like that, sir.’
‘But tell me, Mr H, Captain Liversedge informed me he is heading into the Caribbean and must touch on Kingston before we can head across the Atlantic. What do you know about the special passenger he is conveying?’
‘The gentleman was put aboard in Portsmouth under close military guard. I understand he is being exiled from Britain. I know little more about him than the fact he is locked up at night but during the day is at liberty to exercise on the quarterdeck with
strict instructions not to speak to the officers or crew. It seems a bit odd to me. Mr Smith agrees.’
‘Thank you, Mr H. As the stop in Kingston will be brief, it may not be necessary for me to drop anchor there. That is well. My concern is that our route into the Caribbean fetches us close to some of the French and Spanish islands.’
‘Captain Liversedge has also expressed that concern.’
‘Then we must all be extra vigilant.
The lieutenant agreed, and after draining his glass rather hastily, replaced it on the silver tray. ‘I was instructed to make this a brief visit,’ he said apologetically. ‘Algy – Mr Smith is ashore with the third lieutenant. We posted broadsheets around the town a week ago in an attempt to attract some experienced hands. The captain is hoping we will be able to fill a couple of boats with men from the docks before we sail tomorrow.’
‘Good luck. It is not an enviable task.’
‘Thank you. As to the transfer of goods you spoke of, I will be on deck at dusk to assist in receiving them.’
Oliver Quintrell shook hands with the officer and wished him well. ‘Perhaps at a suitable time during the cruise, a dinner could be arranged aboard Perpetual. That would provide me with the opportunity to meet with you and Mr Smith again, and allow us time to reminisce.’
‘I would like that and I know Algy would too.’
CHAPTER 6
The Barrels
Having passed word to the 74 that Perpetual would be ready to sail the following morning, there was a general hubbub of activity aboard the frigate. On deck, all loose items were securely lashed down after the final supplies had been stowed below and the hatch covers fastened. In accordance with Captain Quintrell’s Admiralty orders, only one item needed to be attended to – that was to convey the barrels to the 74
‘We will make the transfer to Stalwart this evening,’ Oliver advised his first lieutenant.
‘A responsibility off your hands,’ Simon Parry commented.
‘Perhaps.’ Oliver was not entirely convinced. ‘Until those chests are delivered onto English soil, I regard their care as my responsibility. They were entrusted to me by Captain Gore and I promised I would safeguard them.’
‘But, you must surely concede, a 74-gun man-o’-war, being a larger ship with twice Perpetual’s metal and more than twice our men, offers greater security. A ship of the line is well equipped to withstand an attack should that happen?’
Oliver agreed and the pair stood in silence for a moment, their gaze fixed on the third rate warship across the water.
‘Is Captain Liversedge familiar with the contents of these barrels?’ Mr Parry asked.
‘Until we met, a few days ago, and I mentioned coins and Spanish silver to him, he was totally unaware of the chests and certainly not cognisant of what they contained. However, I fear by the time the barrels have been transferred across the water and loaded into the third rate’s hold, every man aboard will know as much as the captain. News penetrates the wooden walls of sailing ships as insidiously as shipworm and the dire effect is equally as devastating.’ He turned back to his lieutenant. ‘Do you trust this crew?’
Simon nodded. ‘The majority of the hands are honest seamen but there are some whose colours can change in an instant if temptation is thrown their way.’
Oliver Quintrell valued his lieutenant’s opinion. For the present, however, his mind was awash with conflicting thoughts. Could he trust his own men? Had word of the treasure already leaked from the ship? Is it possible an attempt to steal the chests would be made while they were anchored in the bay?
While his new orders had been written months earlier in Whitehall, the brief instruction, scribbled quickly on the page, seemed to reflect the inconsequential regard given to this matter in London. Yet for Captain Quintrell, his men and the captain and crew of the 74, the ramifications of carrying such a precious cargo ran as deep as the ocean that separated them. Even the question of Britain’s legal rights to the treasure was something Oliver had spent hours mulling over while at sea. Yet he had accepted the responsibility and given his word. He intended to keep his promise.
‘At what hour do you wish to ship the items across? It was dark and most of the crew were at supper when we received the chests in Gibraltar Bay.’
Gazing out across the bay, the captain answered cautiously. ‘The conditions here are somewhat better than those in Gibraltar. If nothing changes, I suggest the delivery takes place at six o’clock with the start of the last dog watch when the men from the first dog watch will go below to eat.’
‘It will be done.’
‘I need not remind you that extreme care must be taken. The loss of one of the barrels would spell disaster.’ Oliver continued, his mind still racing. ‘Aside from having men operating the tackles, put away two boats to ship the containers across to Stalwart. Each boat is to carry only a single barrel and to make the journey twice. Utilize my boat and crew for one of them. I have already arranged for four seamen to assist in the hold.’
‘What duties are they to undertake?’ Mr Parry asked.
‘They will work under the direction of the cooper.’
‘Bungs?’
‘Indeed. Having placed the chests into the barrels in Gibraltar, Bungs knows exactly where they are. Without him it would be nigh impossible to identify the particular ones without breaking them apart.’
‘Can the cooper be relied on – considering his recent injury?’ Simon asked.
‘I have spoken with him and with the doctor and am satisfied he is up to the task. He has indicated the location of the specific barrels to me, though, I admit, with the vast number in the hold, I could not return and identify them with confidence.’
Simon Parry was still concerned. ‘As you said, news of the treasure and its transfer to the third rate will travel round the ship faster than a rat along the rail. No threats or bribes will quell the tittle-tattle once tongues start flapping. However, the sooner it is attended to the better. I will attend to it personally.’
‘Thank you. And I will speak with Mr Crosby and William Ethridge who will be assisting below decks. They are both trustworthy and reliable. Bungs also requested Ekundayo the Negro. He is both strong and honest. And Mr Tully has volunteered to lend a hand.’
‘Can we trust them all to keep their mouths shut?’ the lieutenant asked.
‘I have faith in them,’ the captain said. ‘Let it be. Thus far, we have been particularly lucky that no attempt has been made on the coins. Once we sail from this bay with the barrels safely conveyed across and stowed, it matters little who knows their location as they cannot easily be removed. The only problem I foresee is if Captain Liversedge comes under enemy fire and his ship is searched.’
‘What if he is sunk?’ Simon asked.
‘I will not allow that to happen,’ Oliver retorted. ‘Perpetual will be sailing alongside the third rate for the entire cruise and will remain within pistol shot of her in Kingston Harbour. Besides that, Captain Liversedge has a company of marines aboard who, in his words, “are scratching their crotches bare for lack of something to occupy their time”. Let us hope we do not have to call on them but, if the need arises, I am sure they will guard the barrels with their lives.’
‘Sailing into the Caribbean will place us in the path of both Spanish and French ships.’
‘I do not need to be reminded of that,’ Oliver replied.
The newly risen moon cast little light across the steely water but the sailors preferred to adjust their eyes to the darkness than be distracted by the glimmer of flickering lanterns. The waist, however, was illuminated, and lanterns mounted in the bows of the two ship’s boats. Manned by his own crew, the captain’s boat was the first to be lowered to the bay and secured alongside ready to receive one of the containers. The longboat followed and waited its turn, floating a few yards behind.
Despite the feeling of excitement simmering on deck, it was tempered by the presence of the bosun’s mate gripping a newly spliced starter in
his left hand. Few words were exchanged.
The first barrel hoisted from the waist was enclosed in a web of cargo netting. It presented as any regular barrel containing pork or beef or water. No notches or stencil marks had been scratched or painted on it to indicate it held anything unusual. The only difference was that it weighed considerably heavier than most.
‘Careful, men,’ the midshipman called.
The ropes squealed through the blocks as the yardarm was braced round and the consignment was swung out over the water and lowered gently onto the thwarts of the waiting boat. As it settled, the waters of Guanabara Bay rose noticeably up the side of the boat’s hull. In order to prevent the barrel from rocking, crushing the gunnels and rolling into the water, chocks were inserted under the curved staves and a rope fastened firmly over it. With the boat’s crew limited to six oars it was a hard pull but the distance was less than a cable’s length.
Oliver scowled at the burst of excitement and the cheer that went up on the deck of the third rate when the first boat touched alongside. To anyone observing, it was an obvious announcement that something out of the ordinary was taking place. Although the noise was quickly quelled by the officer on the deck of the 74, whispers spread that the barrels contained something other than victuals or water.
The second boat followed closely behind, while the captain’s boat returned to receive the third item in the consignment.