by Griff Hosker
”You can’t be too careful.” As I closed the door I thought that as prisons go this one was the best I had ever enjoyed.
I rose early, as was my want and descended the stairs. I noticed that the guard followed me. I smiled at his diligence and sense of duty. Had I wanted to escape then the climbing plants which were on the wall near to my room would have afforded me an easy egress.
I sat on the terrace and watched the sea, a cold blue at this time of day. It was pleasant although I knew that it would be uncomfortably warm later.
A soft voice wafted over to me, “Enjoying the view captain?”
I leapt to my feet and bowed. “Yes your ladyship. It is not often that I have the opportunity to witness such views.”
“Quite. Marine you may go.”
“But your ladyship I have been ordered to watch the prisoner.”
Her voice changed from soft to authoritative. “Do you think he will leap from the walls? Do as I say?” He snapped to attention and left. “Soldiers,“ she muttered and then as she realised I too was a soldier she giggled. “I am sorry captain, perhaps it is only English soldiers who are like that.” She gestured for me to sit and waved the hovering servant over. “Coffee?”
“Yes your ladyship. Thank you. And I can tell you that we have soldiers just such as he in the French army.”
As the delicate cups were filled she asked, “How long have you been a soldier then?”
“About five years.”
“Five years? Then you must have been a child when you joined.”
“If I was then I was a big child your ladyship.”
She laughed and became suddenly serious, “We have much in common, you and I for I too began to work at a young age.” Then she smiled, “But it does no harm does it captain?” She hesitated and then leaned forward, “Forgive my questions and, if they are impertinent then pray do not answer but were your mother and father married?”
I liked her frankness and felt no shame in answering. “My mother was the count’s father’s ward and when the old count died my father took my mother to his bed. He took others too.”
“But you were his only issue?”
“I believe so.”
She gave me a shrewd look. “When the revolution is over then you will have the title and the land of your father?”
I shrugged, “Perhaps. I have a lawyer making a claim but…”
“Quite. I now see another reason for the general’s choice of envoy. You are almost an Englishman,” she giggled, “sorry, Scotsman.”
“Let us go and breakfast. You look as though you have a healthy appetite.” As we went in she linked my arm and leaned into me. She exuded a sensuous aroma and I could see how she could bend men around her little finger. I was hooked already.
Sir William looked a little red around the cheeks but he smiled genially. “Well I think that we can accommodate your general. Colonel Selkirk will write a letter for you to take back with you. You do not need to know the contents but, should anything happen to prevent you returning to the general you must destroy the letter. Is that clear?”
“Yes sir.” I smiled. “The general told me the same with the other letter.”
He nodded his approval. The admiral and the colonel joined us. “Now then as to how you will return home to Egypt.”
“I will arrange that sir, with your permission of course.”
“Hmn, I will be intrigued as to how you do that.”
Admiral Nelson sipped some of the orange juice and said, “I rather fancy there is an American flagged ship in the harbour which might do the trick.”
For once I was unable to keep my impassive face and I stared at the admiral who laughed. “The sea is my world young man. My officers told me of the American ship crewed by Frenchmen who did not go ashore and were repairing a fine ship which was perfectly seaworthy.” He saw my shoulders sag. “Oh do not worry. You can sail and we will not pursue. Apart from the fact that your sloop would lead my battleships a merry dance it suits me to let you return. Besides I now know the ship and if I see it again I will know it for a Frenchie eh? But a word of advice young man, once your ship leaves the harbour then she and you will be in danger. My frigate captains are hungry for plunder.”
After I had eaten I said, “If I might have the letter my lord then I will be on my way.”
He handed it over but added darkly, “I hope this Bonaparte is as honourable a man as you are Captain Macgregor.”
“So do I my lord, for if we are both wrong then this war could last our lifetimes.”
We shook hands. Lady Hamilton gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek but she lingered close to me so that I almost drowned in her perfume. Admiral Nelson shook my hand, a little awkwardly, and said, “I enjoyed your company young man and I hope we might meet again under better circumstances eh?”
Colonel Selkirk said, “I will take you to the door. I believe Sergeant Tobias is on duty again. As we walked through the house he said, “If you ever tire of your regiment and wish to join the soldiers of your mother’s and grandfather’s people then please contact me.”
I asked, “Here in Naples?”
“No captain. I normally operate in London; at Horse Guards in Whitehall.”
“I think it is unlikely sir, but I will do so should I ever make it to London.”
“You are a resourceful young man and whether you know it or not you are an accomplished spy. I could use you.”
As we exited Sergeant Tobias and the other marine snapped to attention. The colonel held out his hand for me to shake. As he did so I noticed a smirk on the sergeant’s face.
“Good luck, captain.”
“And to you, colonel. Thank you for your hospitality.” I leaned in to the sergeant. “And the next time I see, you ape I will acquaint your ugly face with my fists and believe me you will not be smirking then. This Jock will teach you a lesson, lobster. If you were a real soldier you would be on a ship not guarding a palace.”
I could see him reddening as the marine, next to him, grinned at his discomfort. The colonel said, “I will be having a word with the corporal myself.”
As the portent of the words sank in I thought that the ex-sergeant would have an apoplexy. I turned and headed for the harbour. With the letter safely ensconced in my hidden belt I wanted to be away as soon as I could. Now that I knew that the navy was aware of the identity of the ‘Carillon’, I felt nakedly exposed as I walked alongside the huge battleships with the gawking sailors. I kept my head down and walked purposefully towards the end berth. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I saw that she was still there. The crew must have had someone watching the harbour for me; even as I was walking up the gangplank the ropes were being untied and the sails were being lowered. I knew better than to bother François and so I stood by the wheel watching Naples become smaller as we headed south west. Surprisingly I had enjoyed my stay and yet, when I had landed, I had feared for my life.
“Well Robbie was your mission successful?”
“It was and I still cannot tell you about it but I can say that I met Admiral Nelson and he knew you were a French ship.”
“But how? None of my men went ashore and we flew the American flag.”
“And that is the reason. The Americans speak English and they like to go ashore. As soon as you did not they were suspicious.”
“Then why did they not capture us? It would have been simplicity itself.”
“I cannot tell you all but it suited the admiral to let me leave aboard your ship but he did warn me about frigates eager for prize ships. I think the Battle of the Nile gave them a taste for it.”
He shook his head. “You live a charmed and exciting life. I bet you stayed in the residency itself.”
“I did but how did you know?”
“It is you and your luck but I am pleased that we escaped and escaped so quickly. Now we will make a swift journey home. This time however, I think we will avoid the straits of Messina and travel around Sicily. It is a longer journe
y but we have sea room if we need it. If there are frigates hunting us then we will need to run and run fast.”
“Well I will go to my cabin and change out of these clothes. They were cleaned for me…”
He held up his hand. “I wondered why you smelled like a Paris tart! You bathed as well?” I nodded. He came and sniffed my coat, “And there was a lady, unless you have taken to wearing expensive perfume.”
“Lady Hamilton was a beautiful and hospitable hostess.”
He shook his head. “As I said, I would like a tenth of the luck that you seem to enjoy although I think there will be a payment at some time. Your luck must run out some time.”
After I had changed and returned to the main deck I saw that there were some black clouds to the west. I pointed at them, “Inclement weather François?”
“Just a squall I think and it will speed us home but it will make sailing around Sicily more difficult. You had better stay on deck and we will see if some of your luck can rub off on us.”
When the storm struck it was savage. I daresay they are worse in the Atlantic but this one was bad enough for me. The ship seemed to heel over so much that I though the ends of the cross trees would touch the water. François had me tied to the rail as he feared I would be washed overboard. I did not mind. I wished to stay with a deck beneath me and not above me. It blew all day and into the night. I could see the salt crusted beard of the weary helmsman glowing in the dark as he fought the ship and the elements. It became so tiring that François had to order two men on the wheel. I was terrified that we would lose someone overboard but, thankfully, when a damp dawn broke we were still intact.
Francois ordered the galley fire lit. “We need hot food and then I need to find out just where we are.”
As the First Mate ordered men to repair and replace the damage masts, sails and rigging, I went below deck to wash away the salt. The clean clothes I had put on the day before were now so soaked that I would have to put my others on.
This time when I emerged on to the main deck I saw that we had almost stopped. “What is the problem François?”
He pointed to the mainsail, which hung in tatters, “We need to replace that urgently. I have taken a sun sight and we are quite close to the African coast. Malta is not far to the north and the English are now there with their ships.”
I took his words in. We were too far south and were too close to the frigates Nelson had warned me about. I scanned the horizon for the sight of a sail. Whilst all hands were needed for repairs, the lookout and I watched the thin distant line to see a speck appear. It was, of course, the lookout who spotted them. “Sail Ho! To the north.” It was the direction we had expected. When we had been attacked by xebecs they had approached from the south. The Barbary pirates liked to dart out from their lairs and attack unsuspecting victims. I stared north but could see nothing. Part of me wondered if I had been tricked by the admiral but I could not see what they had to gain from the deception. Had they not wanted me to return home they could have just thrown me into a cell.
“Two more sails. A frigate and two brigantines!”
I saw the lieutenant’s shoulders sag as he came up to me. “That is the worst possible news. The brigs will be as fast as we are and will be the terriers. The frigate can pound us to matchwood. The only thing in our favour is that the British like to take prizes and so they will attempt to dismast us and then board us.”
“Could we not head inshore?”
“The pirates are there, remember. No we will try to out run them. The wind is blowing from the west and we are ahead of them but we will need to use every inch of canvas. Hoist the stuns’ls.” He strode over to the helm. “I think I will need to be here for this voyage.” He glanced over his shoulder. “If we can avoid them until dark then we have half a chance. Hopefully there will be no more ships ahead of us.”
I knew what he feared. There was a squadron blockading Alexandria and another at Acre. If either of those had patrols out they could bump into us and capture us without even trying. I felt better when the extra sails were used and the ship leapt forwards like a greyhound released from a trap. My face must have shown my expectation for François said, “Do not get your hopes up Robbie; those brigs can do the same and they have the advantage that there are two of them. If it was just one ship we could turn and lose them but they will be like sheepdogs nipping at our heels until the frigate is close enough to fire.”
A battle on the land is one of preparation where the armies manoeuvre and get into position. Once an attack is started then it is obvious what will happen. At least in the battles I had fought that was true but at sea nothing seemed to happen for a long time. I was not aware of the three ships closing but they were. I went below decks to get my sword and pistols. I would not need them for a long time but it gave me something to do. I was a spare part on the ship and not a particularly useful spare part at that. Yet I had to get back with the letter and my news. If not then the whole venture would have been a waste of time.
I saw the sun begin to slowly dip behind the three ships. All three of them were now clearly discernible and I could see just how big the frigate was. Not as big as a battleship she still had a lot of guns. Looking at the scene in a positive way I could see that we would be hidden by the dark before they were. The sun was setting behind them and made them as clear as day. The captain of the frigate must have worried too for suddenly there were two puffs of smoke and them the distant crack as he fired his bow chasers.
François laughed. “He must think I am a novice and will wet my pants when he fires his guns. He expects us to change course. The captain must be a fool. If I did that I would be caught. Our only hope is use every breath of wind there is.” He must have realised that I needed a task. “Robbie, load the swivel guns. We do not have spare crew so if they close you will have to fire them all.”
I laughed, “A one man army! I like it. It will keep me occupied at any rate.”
I went to the powder magazine and brought up the powder and the musket balls. I knew nothing would happen for a while and I loaded the guns carefully. If I did have to fire them then I would have little chance to remedy mistakes. After I had finished I looked up and saw that the two brigs were much closer. The Frigate still popped ineffectually away with her bow chasers. The water spouts were getting closer but we appeared to be in no danger.
“Gun crews run out the guns.”
I could see that the brigs had both closed to within a mile of us. I could see that they had three guns a side. We had four but we did not have enough crew to man all eight. If they came at us from both sides then we would struggle. The light was now deteriorating quickly. One of the brigs began to turn to starboard and I knew what that meant, they would rake our stern and take out the rudder. We would be helpless. Surprisingly this seemed to please François. “At last, they have made a mistake. Larboard guns, be ready to fire as you bear when I turn. I want that brig dismasting. Use chain shot.”
I knew our guns were the smallest in the navy and we could never hope to batter an enemy into submission but we could use accuracy. “Robbie, when they fire then fire the larboard swivel gun; we may get lucky.”
I waved an acknowledgement but I was not hopeful. Although the range would be less than half a mile when we fired the swivel gun would be like firing a shotgun at range. Some of the balls might strike home but the odds were not in my favour.
“Ready!” Suddenly François turned the ship to port, towards one of the brigs and the frigate. The darkness was already working in our favour and they did not see the manoeuvre for a precious few minutes. The brig was head on to us and the chain shot was bound to hit a mast if fired accurately. The first gun fired and then, as the second one cracked I pulled the cord on the swivel gun. Once again I was deafened as I had forgotten to tie a cloth around my ears as the gunners had. I entered a silent world. As the smoke cleared I saw that the brig had slewed around. The brig only had two masts and the foremast had been sliced in two and now h
ung over the side like a huge anchor. The gunners fired a second time with ball and I saw all the balls strike home.
As François turned to starboard once more the frigate tried a broadside but they were hampered by their own brig drifting towards them. Even so one of the guns was upended and two of the crew hurt as a ball struck us. Holes appeared in our new canvas and I felt the thud as balls hit the side of the ship. Before they could fire again we had turned and presented a tiny stern to their guns. As darkness enveloped us we heard the crack of cannons but did not feel the strike of any balls. The captain turned once again to port. I thought it was a risky move and I made my way back to the stern. As I did so he turned again so that we were heading directly east again.
“Aren’t you worried we might run into them?”
He shook his head. “They will expect me to head for the coast. Look,” he pointed to the flashes in our wake. They were firing blind. “First Mate, get those men below deck. Robbie, take some men and see if you can get that gun working. We have too few as it is.”
I joined the other gun crews as we struggled to repair it. It was the trunions and not the barrel which was damaged and the carpenter’s mate brought some wood to repair the gun. It would be awkward to fire but at least it would fire. I suddenly felt exhausted. None of us had slept the night before and now it looked as though we would have a second night without sleep. François had other ideas. “Port watch get some sleep. Starboard watch we will rest in two hours. Robbie, you are with me and the starboard watch. Go to the galley and get something hot for us to drink.”
I did not mind as it gave me something to do and I went below decks to find the galley. In the darkened ship it was like descending into Hades. The cook was a cheerful Creole. “Hot drinks for the watch.”
“Coming right up, soldier boy.” He poured a milky looking liquid into a jug and then emptied a small bottle of rum into it followed by a ladle of sugar. Finally he took a poker from the fire and thrust it into the liquid. It steamed and hissed. “My own recipe; you take a little cocoa, a little coffee, a jug of milk and some rum from my island home!”