Newton Forster; Or, The Merchant Service

by Frederick Marryat

  VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER ELEVEN.

  Ships are but boards, sailors but men; There be land rats, and water rats, water thieves, And land thieves; I mean pirates. SHAKESPEARE.

  Most prophetical was the remark made by Newton Forster to Isabelprevious to the action; to wit, that it would make or mar him. Thedeath of Captain Oughton, and the spirited defence of the WindsorCastle, were the _making_ of Newton Forster. As a subordinate officerhe might have been obliged to toil many years before he could haveascended to the summit of the ladder of promotion; and during the timewhich he remained in that situation, what chance had he of making anindependence, and proposing for the hand of Isabel Revel? But now, thatby a chain of circumstances peculiarly fortuitous, he was in command ofan East Indiaman, returning home after having beat off a vessel of equalif not superior force, and preserved a cargo of immense value, he feltconfident that he not only would be confirmed to his rank which he wasnow called upon to assume, but that he had every prospect of beingemployed. As a captain of an Indiaman, he was aware that reception intosociety, wealth, and consideration awaited him; and, what made his heartto swell with gratitude and exultation, was the feeling that soon hewould be enabled to aspire to the hand of one to whom he had so longbeen ardently attached.

  As the Windsor Castle plunged through the roaring and complaining seas,with all the impetus of weight in motion, Newton's eyes were radiantwith hope, although his demeanour towards Isabel was, from the peculiarcircumstances attending their situation, more delicately reserved thanbefore.

  When the Windsor Castle touched at St. Helena, Newton had the goodfortune to obtain a supply of able seamen, more than sufficient for theremanning of his ship. They had been sent there in an empty brig by aFrench privateer, who had captured many vessels, and had beenembarrassed with the number of her prisoners. Having obtained thestores which were required, Newton lost no time in prosecuting hisvoyage to England.

  It was about a fortnight after they had quitted St. Helena that astrange sail was reported on the starboard bow; and, as they neared her,it was evident that her foremast was gone, and that she was otherwise ina disabled state.--When the Indiaman was within a mile, the strangerthrew out neutral colours, and hoisted a whiff, half-mast down, as asignal that she was in distress. Newton ordered the ship to be keptaway, and when alongside of the vessel, lowered down a boat, and sentthe third mate to ascertain what assistance could be afforded. Withsailors, thank God! distress, is sufficient to obtain assistance, andthe nation or country are at once merged in that feeling of sympathy forthose misfortunes, which may perhaps but the next hour befall ourselves.The boat returned, and the officer informed Newton that the vessel wasfrom the Island of Bourbon, bound to Hamburgh;--that she had beendismasted and severely injured in a gale off the Cape of Good Hope; andthat when her mast went over the side, one half of her crew, who were upat the time on the fore-yard had been cast overboard and drowned: thatfrom the want of men and material, they had been unable to rig aneffective jury-mast, and had in consequence been so long on theirpassage, that their provisions and water were nearly expended. Theofficer concluded by stating, that there were a French lady and twogentlemen, with their attendants, who had taken their passage home inthe vessel. Newton immediately went down the side, and pulled on boardof the vessel to ascertain what assistance could be afforded. When hearrived on board, he was met by the Flemish captain, who commenced astatement of his misfortunes and his difficulties, when the French lady,who, unobserved by Newton, had come up the companion-ladder, screamedout as she ran into his arms--

  "Ah! mon Dieu!--c'est Monsieur Nu-tong!"

  Newton looked at the lady, who had burst into tears, as her face laidupon his shoulder, and immediately recognised his former kind andaffectionate friend, Madame de Fontanges: close to him, with his handextended, was her generous husband. The meeting was joyful, and Newtonwas delighted that circumstances had enabled him to render assistance tothose who had been so kind to him in his former distress.

  "Oh! Monsieur Nu-tong, nous avons tant soufferts! Ah! mon Dieu!--pointde l'eau--rien a manger," cried Madame de Fontanges; then smilingthrough her tears, "mais ce rencontre est charmant;--n'est ce pas monami?" continued the lady, appealing to her husband.

  "You do not remember Monsieur le Marquis?" said Monsieur de Fontanges toNewton, Newton turned his head, and recognised the governor ofGuadaloupe, who had expressed such sympathy at his shipwreck, and hadsent him away in the cartel instead of detaining him as a prisoner.

  The vessel was indeed in a deplorable condition, and had she notreceived the timely assistance now afforded, would in all probabilityhave soon been a scene of horror and of suffering. They had not morethan three days' water remaining on board, and provisions barelysufficing for three days. Newton hastened to send back the boat withorders for an immediate and ample supply of these necessaries, in caseof bad weather coming on, and preventing further communication.Satisfied that their immediate wants were relieved, Newton took leave ofhis friends for the present, and returned on board of his own ship,despatching his carpenters and part of his crew to the immediate refitof the vessel, and then selecting a part of every thing that the WindsorCastle contained in her store-rooms or on her decks, which he thoughtwould administer to the comfort or the luxury of the passengers on boardof the neutral.

  In two hours, they, who were in a state bordering upon famine, foundthemselves revelling in plenty. Before night, the English seamen had ajury-mast up, and the sails set. The Hollanders on board would havegiven their assistance, but they were told to remain on deck and make upfor lost time, which they acquiesced in very readily, eating anddrinking as if they were determined to lay in a stock for the remainderof the voyage. Newton, who had returned on-board of the neutral tosuperintend the repairs and enjoy the society of his old friends,received from them a long account of what had occurred since theirseparation. At nightfall he took his leave, promising to continue undereasy sail and remain with them for a day or two, until they weresatisfied that all was right, and that they no longer required hisassistance.

  The narrative obtained by Newton may be thus condensed for theinformation of the reader. The Marquis de Fontanges had been appointedfrom the government of Guadaloupe, to that of the Island of Bourbon,which was considered of more importance. Monsieur and Madame deFontanges accompanied him to his new command; and they had remainedthere for two years, when the ruling powers, without any ground, exceptthat the marquis had received his appointment from the formergovernment, thought proper to supersede him. Frigates were not soplentiful as to spare one for the return of an ex-governor; and themarquis being permitted to find his way home how he could, had takenadvantage of the sailing of the Hamburgher, to return to Europe or toFrance, or as he might find it advisable.

  For two days, during which the weather was so fine that Madame deFontanges and the gentlemen went on board of the Windsor Castle, andwere introduced to the ladies, Newton continued under easy sail, eachday despatching to the neutral every thing which his gratitude couldsuggest; but, as Newton was most anxious to proceed on his voyage, itwas agreed that the next morning they should part company. At the closeof the evening a strange sail was observed on the weather-beam; but, asshe carried no foretop-gallant sail, and appeared to be steering thesame course as the Windsor Castle, she excited but a momentaryobservation, supposing that she was some homeward-bound neutral, or amerchant vessel which had separated from her convoy. During the night,which was dark, the moon being in her first quarter, the officer of themiddle-watch lost sight of their _protegee_; but this was to beexpected, as she did not carry a light. Before morning the wind fell,and when the sun arose it was a perfect calm. The officer of the watch,as the day dawned, went on the poop, surveying the horizon for theircompanion, and discovered her six or seven miles astern, lying alongsideof the strange vessel which they had seen the day before. Both vessels,as well as the Windsor Castle, were becalmed. He immediately went downto Newton, acquainting him with the circu
mstance, which bore a verysuspicious appearance. Newton hastened on deck; with his glass he couldplainly distinguish that the stranger was a vessel of a low, rakingdescription, evidently no merchant-man, but built for sailing fast, andin all probability a privateer. The man at the mast-head reported thatboats were constantly passing between the two vessels, Newton, who feltvery anxious for the safety of his friends, accepted the offer of thesecond-mate to take the gig, and ascertain what was going on. In littlemore than an hour the gig was seen from the mast-head to arrive withinhalf a mile of the vessels, and shortly afterwards the smoke from a gun,followed by a distant report. The gig then winded, and pulled backtowards the Windsor Castle. It was in a state of great excitement thatNewton waited for her return, when the second-mate informed him that onhis approach he discovered that she was a flush vessel, pierced forfourteen guns, painted black, and apparently well manned; that sheevidently, to use a nautical term, was "gutting the neutral;" and that,as they had witnessed, on their boat coming within range, the vessel hadfired a round of grape, which fortunately fell short of them. She hadshown no colours; and, from her appearance and behaviour (as allprivateers respect neutrals), he had no doubt that she was the piratevessel, stated, when they were at St. Helena, to be cruising in theselatitudes. Newton was of the same opinion; and it was with a heavyheart that he returned to the cabin, to communicate the unpleasantintelligence to Mrs Enderby and Isabel.

  There is nothing more annoying in this world than the will without thepower. At any time, a vessel becalmed is considered a very sufficingreason for swearing by those who are on board of her. What then musthave been the feelings of Newton, lying on the water in a state ofcompelled inaction, while his friends were being plundered, and perhapsmurdered by a gang of miscreants before his eyes! How eagerly andrepeatedly did he scan the horizon for the coming breeze! How did Hoperaise her head at the slightest cat's paw that ruffled the surface ofthe glassy waters! Three successive gales of wind are bad enough; butthree gales blowing hard enough to blow the devil's horns off areinfinitely preferable to one idle, stagnant, motionless, confoundedcalm, oppressing you with the blue devils, and maddening you with thefidgets at one and the same time.

  At last, as the sun descended, the breeze sprung up, first playing alongthe waters in capricious and tantalising airs, as if uncertain andindifferent in its infancy to which quarter of the compass it shoulddirect its course. The ship again answered her helm; her head was putthe right way, and the sails were trimmed to every shift which it made,to woo its utmost power. In a quarter of an hour it settled, blowingfrom a quarter which placed them to-windward of, and they carried itdown with them to within two miles of the stranger and the neutral, whostill remained becalmed. But, as the wind freshened, it passed a-headof them, sweeping along the surface, and darkening the colours of thewater, until it reached the vessels to leeward; one of which, the onethat Newton was so anxious to get along-side of, immediately tookadvantage of it, and, spreading all her canvas, soon increased herdistance. When the Windsor Castle arrived abreast of the neutral, thestranger was more than two miles to leeward. A little delay was thennecessary to ascertain what had occurred. Newton, who perceivedMonsieur de Fontanges on the deck, shouting to them and wringing hishands, rounded to, lowered down a boat, and pulled on board of theneutral. The intelligence communicated was distressing. The strangevessel was a pirate, who had plundered them of every thing, had takenaway Madame de Fontanges, Mimi and Charlotte, her two female attendants.The captain of the pirates had wounded, and severely beaten Monsieur deFontanges, who had resisted the "_enlevement_" of his wife; and, afterhaving cut away all the standing rigging, and nearly chopped through themasts with axes, they had finished their work by boring holes in thecounter of the vessel; so that, had not Newton been able to come up withher, they must all have perished during the night.

  There was no time to be lost; the Marquis de Fontanges, Monsieur deFontanges, and the crew, were hurried on board of the Windsor Castle(the pirate had taken care that they should not be delayed in packing uptheir baggage,) and Newton, as soon as he returned on board, and hoistedup his boat, crowded every stitch of canvas in pursuit of the pirate,who was now more than four miles distant. But, although the windgradually increased, and was thus far in their favour, as they firstbenefited by it, yet, as the sun went down, so did their hopes descend.At night-fall the pirate had, increased her distance to seven miles.Newton pursued, watching her with a night-glass until she could nolonger be distinguished. Still, their anxiety was so great, that no onewent to bed on board of the Windsor Castle. When the day broke, thepirate was not to be discovered in any quarter of the horizon from themast-head of the Windsor Castle.