Chapter XV
I go on service and am made prisoner by an old lady, who, not able toobtain my hand, takes part of my finger as a token--O'Brien rescues me--A lee shore and narrow escape.
Two or three days after this conversation with Mr Chucks, the captainran the frigate in shore, and when within five miles we discovered twovessels under the land. We made all sail in chase, and cut them off fromescaping round a sandy point which they attempted to weather. Findingthat they could not effect their purpose, they ran on shore under asmall battery of two guns, which commenced firing upon us. The firstshot which whizzed between the masts had to me a most terrific sound,but the officers and men laughed at it, so of course I pretended to dothe same, but in reality I could see nothing to laugh at. The captainordered the starboard watch to be piped to quarters, and the boats to becleared, ready for hoisting out; we then anchored within a mile of thebattery, and returned the fire. In the meantime, the remainder of theship's company hoisted out and lowered down four boats, which weremanned and armed to storm the battery. I was very anxious to go onservice, and O'Brien, who had command of the first cutter, allowed me togo with him, on condition that I stowed myself away under theforesheets, that the captain might not see me before the boats hadshoved off. This I did, and was not discovered. We pulled in abreasttowards the battery, and in less than ten minutes the boats were run onthe beach, and we jumped out. The Frenchmen fired a gun at us as wepulled close to the shore, and then ran away, so that we took possessionwithout any fighting, which, to confess the truth, I was not sorry for,as I did not think that I was old or strong enough to cope hand to handwith a grown-up man. There were a few fishermen's huts close to thebattery, and while two of the boats went on board of the vessels, to seeif they could be got off, and others were spiking the guns anddestroying the carriages, I went with O'Brien to examine them: they weredeserted by the people, as might have been supposed, but there was agreat quantity of fish in them, apparently caught that morning. O'Brienpointed to a very large skate--"Murder in Irish!" cried he, "it's thevery ghost of my grandmother! we'll have her if it's only for the familylikeness. Peter, put your finger into the gills, and drag her down tothe boat." I could not force my finger into the gills, and as the animalappeared quite dead, I hooked my finger into its mouth; but I made a sadmistake, for the animal was alive, and immediately closed its jaws,nipping my finger to the bone, and holding it so tight that I could notwithdraw it, and the pain was too great to allow me to pull it away bymain force, and tear my finger, which it held so fast. There I was,caught in a trap, and made a prisoner by a flat-fish. Fortunately, Ihallooed loud enough to make O'Brien, who was close down to the boats,with a large codfish under each arm, turn round and come to myassistance. At first he could not help me, from laughing so much; but atlast he forced open the jaw of the fish with his cutlass, and I got myfinger out, but very badly torn indeed. I then took off my garter, tiedit round the tail of the skate, and dragged it to the boat, which wasall ready to shove off. The other boats had found it impossible to getthe vessels off without unloading--so, in pursuance of the captain'sorders, they were set on fire, and before we lost sight of them, hadburnt down to the water's edge. My finger was very bad for three weeks,and the officers laughed at me very much, saying that I narrowly escapedbeing made a prisoner of by an "old maid."
We continued our cruise along the coast, until we had run down into theBay of Arcason, where we captured two or three vessels, and obliged manymore to run on shore. And here we had an instance showing, how veryimportant it is that a captain of a man-of-war should be a good sailor,and have his ship in such discipline as to be strictly obeyed by hisship's company. I heard the officers unanimously assert, after thedanger was over, that nothing but the presence of mind which was shownby Captain Savage could have saved the ship and her crew. We had chaseda convoy of vessels to the bottom of the bay: the wind was very freshwhen we hauled off, after running them on shore, and the surf on thebeach even at that time was so great, that they were certain to go topieces before they could be got afloat again. We were obliged todouble-reef the topsails as soon as we hauled to the wind, and theweather looked very threatening. In an hour afterwards, the whole skywas covered with one black cloud, which sank so low as nearly to touchour mast-heads, and a tremendous sea, which appeared to have risen upalmost by magic, rolled in upon us, setting the vessel on a dead leeshore. As the night closed in, it blew a dreadful gale, and the ship wasnearly buried with the press of canvas which she was obliged to carry;for had we sea-room, we should have been lying-to under storm staysails;but we were forced to carry on at all risks, that we might claw offshore. The sea broke over as we lay in the trough, deluging us withwater from the forecastle, aft to the binnacles; and very often as theship descended with a plunge, it was with such force that I reallythought she would divide in half with the violence of the shock. Doublebreechings were rove on the guns, and they were further secured withtackles, and strong cleats nailed behind the trunnions, for we heeledover so much when we lurched, that the guns were wholly supported by thebreechings and tackles, and had one of them broken loose, it must haveburst right through the lee side of the ship, and she must havefoundered. The captain, first lieutenant, and most of the officers,remained on deck during the whole of the night; and really, what withthe howling of the wind, the violence of the rain, the washing of thewater about the decks, the working of the chain-pumps, and the creakingand groaning of the timbers, I thought that we must inevitably have beenlost; and I said my prayers at least a dozen times during the night, forI felt it impossible to go to bed. I had often wished, out of curiosity,that I might be in a gale of wind, but I little thought it was to havebeen a scene of this description, or anything half so dreadful. Whatmade it more appalling was, that we were on a lee shore, and theconsultations of the captain and officers, and the eagerness with whichthey looked out for daylight, told us that we had other dangers toencounter besides the storm. At last the morning broke, and the look-outman upon the gangway called out, "Land on the lee beam." I perceived themaster dash his fist against the hammock-rails, as if with vexation, andwalk away without saying a word, and looking very grave.
"Up, there, Mr Wilson," said the captain, to the second lieutenant, "andsee how far the land trends forward, and whether you can distinguish thepoint." The second lieutenant went up the main-rigging, and pointed withhis hand to about two points before the beam.
"Do you see two hillocks inland?"
"Yes, sir," replied the second lieutenant.
"Then it is so," observed the captain to the master, "and if we weatherit, we shall have more sea-room. Keep her full, and let her go throughthe water; do you hear, quarter-master?"
"Ay, ay, sir."
"Thus, and no nearer, my man. Ease her with a spoke or two when shesends; but be careful, or she'll take the wheel out of your hands."
It really was a very awful sight. When the ship was in the trough of thesea, you could distinguish nothing but a waste of tumultuous water; butwhen she was borne up on the summit of the enormous waves, you thenlooked down, as it were, upon a low, sandy coast, close to you, andcovered with foam and breakers. "She behaves nobly," observed thecaptain, stepping aft to the binnacle, and looking at the compass; "ifthe wind does not baffle us, we shall weather." The captain had scarcelytime to make the observation, when the sails shivered and flapped likethunder. "Up with the helm; what are you about, quarter-master?"
"The wind has headed us, sir," replied the quarter-master, coolly.
The captain and master remained at the binnacle watching the compass,and when the sails were again full, she had broken off two points, andthe point of land was only a little on the lee bow.
"We must wear her round, Mr Falcon. Hands, wear ship--ready, oh, ready."
"She has come up again," cried the master, who was at the binnacle.
"Hold fast there a minute. How's her head now?"
"N.N.E., as she was before she broke off, sir."
"Pipe belay," said t
he captain. "Falcon," continued he, "if she breaksoff again we may have no room to wear; indeed there is so little roomnow, that I must run the risk. Which cable was ranged last night--thebest bower?"
"Yes, sir."
"Jump down, then, and see it double-bitted and stoppered at thirtyfathoms. See it well done--our lives may depend upon it."
The ship continued to hold her course good; and we were within half amile of the point, and fully expected to weather it, when again the wetand heavy sails flapped in the wind, and the ship broke off two pointsas before. The officers and seamen were aghast, for the ship's head wasright on to the breakers. "Luff now, all you can, quarter-master," criedthe captain. "Send the men aft directly. My lads, there is no time forwords--I am going to _club-haul_ the ship, for there is no room to wear.The only chance you have of safety is to be cool, watch my eye, andexecute my orders with precision. Away to your stations for tackingship. Hands by the best bower anchor. Mr Wilson, attend below with thecarpenter and his mates, ready to cut away the cable at the moment thatI give the order. Silence, there, fore and aft. Quarter-master, keep herfull again for stays. Mind you ease the helm down when I tell you."About a minute passed before the captain gave any further orders. Theship had closed--to within a quarter of a mile of the beach, and thewaves curled and topped around us, bearing us down upon the shore, whichpresented one continued surface of foam, extending to within half acable's length of our position. The captain waved his hand in silence tothe quarter-master at the wheel, and the helm was put down. The shipturned slowly to the wind, pitching and chopping as the sails werespilling. When she had lost her way, the captain gave the order, "Let gothe anchor. We will haul all at once, Mr Falcon," said the captain. Nota word was spoken, the men went to the fore brace, which had not beenmanned; most of them knew, although I did not, that if the ship's headdid not go round the other way, we should be on shore, and among thebreakers in half a minute. I thought at the time that the captain hadsaid that he would haul all the yards at once, there appeared to bedoubt or dissent on the countenance of Mr Falcon; and I was afterwardstold that he had not agreed with the captain, but he was too good anofficer, and knew that there was no time for discussion, to make anyremark; and the event proved that the captain was right. At last theship was head to wind, and the captain gave the signal. The yards flewround with such a creaking noise, that I thought the masts had gone overthe side, and the next moment the wind had caught the sails, and theship, which for a moment or two had been on an even keel, careened overto her gunnel with its force. The captain, who stood upon theweather-hammock rails, holding by the main-rigging, ordered the helmamidships, looked full at the sails, and then at the cable, which grewbroad upon the weather bow, and held the ship from nearing the shore. Atlast he cried, "Cut away the cable!" A few strokes of the axes wereheard, and then the cable flew out of the hawsehole in a blaze of fire,from the violence of the friction, and disappeared under a huge wave,which struck us on the chess-tree, and deluged us with water fore andaft. But we were now on the other tack, and the ship regained her wayand we had evidently increased our distance from the land. "My lads,"said the captain to the ship's company, "you have behaved well, and Ithank you; but I must tell you honestly that we have more difficultiesto get through. We have to weather a point of the bay on this tack. MrFalcon, splice the main-brace, and call the watch. How's her head,quarter-master?"
"S.W. by S. Southerly, sir."
"Very well; let her go through the water;" and the captain, beckoning tothe master to follow him, went down into the cabin. As our immediatedanger was over, I went down into the berth to see if I could getanything for breakfast, where I found O'Brien and two or three more.
"By the powers, it was as nate a thing as ever I saw done," observedO'Brien: "the slightest mistake as to time or management, and at thismoment the flatfish would have been dubbing at our ugly carcases. Peter,you're not fond of flatfish, are you, my boy? We may thank Heaven andthe captain, I can tell you that, my lads; but now, where's the chart,Robinson? Hand me down the parallel rules and compasses, Peter; they arein the corner of the shelf. Here we are now, a devilish sight too nearthis infernal point. Who knows how her head is?"
"I do, O'Brien: I heard the quarter-master tell the captain S.W. by S.Southerly."
"Let me see," continued O'Brien, "variation 2 1/4 lee way--rather toolarge an allowance of that, I'm afraid; but, however, we'll give her 21/2 points; the _Diomede_ would blush to make any more, under anycircumstances. Here--the compass--now we'll see;" and O'Brien advancedthe parallel rule from the compass to the spot where the ship was placedon the chart. "Bother! you see it's as much as she'll do to weather theother point now, on this tack, and that's what the captain meant, whenhe told us we had more difficulty. I could have taken my Bible oath thatwe were clear of everything, if the wind held."
"See what the distance is, O'Brien," said Robinson. It was measured, andproved to be thirteen miles. "Only thirteen miles; and if we do weather,we shall do very well, for the bay is deep beyond. It's a rocky point,you see, just by way of variety. Well, my lads, I've a piece of comfortfor you, anyhow. It's not long that you'll be kept in suspense, for byone o'clock this day, you'll either be congratulating each other uponyour good luck, or you'll be past praying for. Come, put up the chart,for I hate to look at melancholy prospects; and, steward, see what youcan find in the way of comfort." Some bread and cheese, with the remainsof yesterday's boiled pork, were put on the table, with a bottle of rum,procured at the time they "spliced the mainbrace;" but we were all tooanxious to eat much, and one by one returned on deck to see how theweather was, and if the wind at all favoured us. On deck the superiorofficers were in conversation with the captain, who had expressed thesame fear that O'Brien had in our berth. The men, who knew what they hadto expect--for this sort of intelligence is soon communicated through aship--were assembled in knots, looking very grave, but at the same timenot wanting in confidence. They knew that they could trust to thecaptain, as far as skill or courage could avail them, and sailors aretoo sanguine to despair, even at the last moment. As for myself, I feltsuch admiration for the captain, after what I had witnessed thatmorning, that, whenever the idea came over me, that in all probability Ishould be lost in a few hours, I could not help acknowledging how muchmore serious it was that such a man should be lost to his country. I donot intend to say that it consoled me; but it certainly made me stillmore regret the chances with which we were threatened.
Before twelve o'clock, the rocky point which we so much dreaded was insight, broad on the lee-bow; and if the low sandy coast appearedterrible, how much more did this, even at a distance: the black massesof rock, covered with foam, which each minute dashed up in the air,higher than our lower mast-heads. The captain eyed it for some minutesin silence, as if in calculation.
"Mr Falcon," said he at last, "we must put the mainsail on her."
"She never can bear it, sir."
"She _must_ bear it," was the reply. "Send the men aft to the mainsheet.See that careful men attend the buntlines."
The mainsail was set, and the effect of it upon the ship was tremendous.She careened over so that her lee channels were under the water, andwhen pressed by a sea, the lee-side of the quarter-deck and gangway wereafloat. She now reminded me of a goaded and fiery horse, mad with thestimulus applied; not rising as before, but forcing herself throughwhole seas, and dividing the waves, which poured in one continualtorrent from the forecastle down upon the decks below. Four men weresecured to the wheel--the sailors were obliged to cling, to preventbeing washed away--the ropes were thrown in confusion to leeward, theshot rolled out of the lockers, and every eye was fixed aloft, watchingthe masts, which were expected every moment to go over the side. A heavysea struck us on the broadside, and it was some moments before the shipappeared to recover herself; she reeled, trembled, and stopped her way,as if it had stupefied her. The first lieutenant looked at the captain,as if to say, "This will not do." "It is our only chance," answered thecaptain to the appeal. T
hat the ship went faster through the water, andheld a better wind, was certain; but just before we arrived at the pointthe gale increased in force. "If anything starts, we are lost, sir,"observed the first lieutenant again.
"I am perfectly aware of it," replied the captain, in a calm tone; "but,as I said before, and you must now be aware, it is our only chance. Theconsequence of any carelessness or neglect in the fitting and securingof the rigging, will be felt now; and this danger, if we escape it,ought to remind us how much we have to answer for if we neglect ourduty. The lives of a whole ship's company may be sacrificed by theneglect or incompetence of an officer when in harbour. I will pay youthe compliment, Falcon, to say, that I feel convinced that the masts ofthe ship are as secure as knowledge and attention can make them."
The first lieutenant thanked the captain for his good opinion, and hopedit would not be the last compliment which he paid him.
"I hope not too; but a few minutes will decide the point."
The ship was now within two cables' lengths of the rocky point; some fewof the men I observed to clasp their hands, but most of them weresilently taking off their jackets, and kicking off their shoes, thatthey might not lose a chance of escape provided the ship struck.
"'Twill be touch and go indeed, Falcon," observed the captain (for I hadclung to the belaying-pins, close to them, for the last half-hour thatthe mainsail had been set). "Come aft, you and I must take the helm. Weshall want _nerve_ there, and only there, now."
The captain and first lieutenant went aft, and took the forespokes ofthe wheel, and O'Brien, at a sign made by the captain, laid hold of thespokes behind him. An old quarter-master kept his station at the fourth.The roaring of the seas on the rocks, with the howling of the wind, weredreadful; but the sight was more dreadful than the noise. For a fewmoments I shut my eyes, but anxiety forced me to open them again. Asnear as I could judge, we were not twenty yards from the rocks, at thetime that the ship passed abreast of them. We were in the midst of thefoam, which boiled around us; and as the ship was driven nearer to them,and careened with the wave, I thought that our main-yard-arm would havetouched the rock; and at this moment a gust of wind came on, which laidthe ship on her beam-ends, and checked her progress through the water,while the accumulated noise was deafening. A few moments more the shipdragged on, another wave dashed over her and spent itself upon therocks, while the spray was dashed back from them, and returned upon thedecks. The main rock was within ten yards of her counter, when anothergust of wind laid us on our beam-ends, the foresail and mainsail split,and were blown clean out of the bolt-ropes--the ship righted, tremblingfore and aft. I looked astern: the rocks were to windward on ourquarter, and we were safe. I thought at the time, that the ship,relieved of her courses, and again lifting over the waves, was not a badsimilitude of the relief felt by us all at that moment; and, like her,we trembled as we panted with the sudden reaction, and felt the removalof the intense anxiety which oppressed our breasts.
The captain resigned the helm, and walked aft to look at the point,which was now broad on the weather quarter. In a minute or two, hedesired Mr Falcon to get new sails up and bend them, and then went belowto his cabin. I am sure it was to thank God for our deliverance: I didmost fervently, not only then, but when I went to my hammock at night.We were now comparatively safe--in a few hours completely so; forstrange to say, immediately after we had weathered the rocks, the galeabated, and before morning we had a reef out of the topsails. It was myafternoon watch, and perceiving Mr Chucks on the forecastle, I wentforward to him, and asked him what he thought of it.
"Thought of it, sir!" replied he; "why, I always think bad of it whenthe elements won't allow my whistle to be heard; and I consider ithardly fair play. I never care if we are left to our own exertions; buthow is it possible for a ship's company to do their best, when theycannot hear the boatswain's pipe? However, God be thanked, nevertheless,and make better Christians of us all! As for that carpenter, he is mad.Just before we weathered the point, he told me that it was just the same27,600 and odd years ago. I do believe that on his death-bed (and he wasnot far from a very hard one yesterday), he will tell us how he died somany thousand years ago, of the same complaint. And that gunner of oursis a fool. Would you believe it, Mr Simple, he went crying about thedecks, 'O my poor guns, what will become of them if they break loose?'He appeared to consider it of no consequence if the ship and ship'scompany were all lost, provided that his guns were safely landed on thebeach.
"'Mr Dispart,' said I, at last, 'allow me to observe, in the mostdelicate way in the world, that you're a d----d old fool.' You see, MrSimple, it's the duty of an officer to generalise, and be attentive toparts, only in consideration of the safety of the whole. I look after myanchors and cables, as I do after the rigging; not that I care for anyof them in particular, but because the safety of a ship depends upon herbeing well found. I might just as well cry because we sacrificed ananchor and cable yesterday morning, to save the ship from going onshore."
"Very true, Mr Chucks," replied I.
"Private feelings," continued he, "must always be sacrificed for thepublic service. As you know, the lower deck was full of water, and allour cabins and chests were afloat; but I did not think then about myshirts, and look at them now, all blowing out in the forerigging,without a particle of starch left in the collars or the frills. I shallnot be able to appear as an officer ought to do for the whole of thecruise."
As he said this, the cooper, going forward, passed by him, and jostledhim in passing. "Beg pardon, sir," said the man, "but the ship lurched."
"The ship lurched, did it?" replied the boatswain, who, I am afraid, wasnot in the best of humours about his wardrobe. "And pray, Mr Cooper, whyhas heaven granted you two legs, with joints at the knees, except toenable you to counteract the horizontal deviation? Do you suppose theywere meant for nothing but to work round a cask with? Hark, sir, did youtake me for a post to scrub your pig's hide against? Allow me just toobserve, Mr Cooper--just to insinuate, that when you pass an officer, itis your duty to keep at a respectable distance, and not to soil hisclothes with your rusty iron jacket. Do you comprehend me, sir; or willthis make you recollect in future?" The rattan was raised, and descendedin a shower of blows, until the cooper made his escape into the head."There, take that, you contaminating, stave-dubbing, gimlet-carrying,quintessence of a bung-hole! I beg your pardon, Mr Simple, forinterrupting the conversation, but when duty calls, we must obey."
"Very true, Mr Chucks. It's now striking seven bells, and I must callthe master--so good-by."
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