Ben Burton: Born and Bred at Sea

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  CHAPTER FIVE.

  The first boat which came alongside was announced to be the barge ofAdmiral Don Martin Alaba. She rowed twenty oars, and had on board arear-admiral and two other officers, one of whom was the Governor'snephew, who came to pay his respects to their supposed friends. Theother, a felucca, contained the same number of officers and men, andamong them was an aide-de-camp of the Admiral's, who sent hiscompliments and congratulations to the French, with the information thatthey would be supplied with all they desired. He also announced, whichwas less agreeable to us, that several launches with anchors and cableswere getting ready to assist the frigates into the harbour.

  Unless, therefore, a good excuse could be framed for not going in, ourtrue characters would immediately be discovered. However, as Spaniardsare not very quick in their movements, it was hoped that some time wouldpass before the arrival of the launches, and that an opportunity mightoccur of taking a few more prizes without bloodshed. The new visitorswere ushered down, with every mark of respect, into the cabin, while thecrews were handed below as the others had been. The first glance theAdmiral caught of the Spanish captain's countenance gave him, probably,some anxiety. This was still further increased when Captain Masterman,with a polite bow, requested his pardon for the trick which had beenplayed off on him and his countrymen.

  "What trick!" exclaimed the Admiral. "Surely you do not mean to saythat you are not the people we took you for?"

  "We must confess that we are not," said Captain Masterman; "we beg toassure you that neither you nor any of your countrymen will suffer theleast insult or hurt at our hands. We must, however, request youcontentedly to remain on board for a few hours, after which time I havelittle doubt that we shall be able to set you at liberty."

  These remarks reassured the Spaniards, who were further reconciled totheir lot when they saw the cloth spread, and a number of covers broughtaft by active hands. The table glittered with plate and glass, andnumerous well-filled bottles of ruby wine. While, however, the dinnerwas getting ready, the Spanish officers were invited to take a turn ondeck. Their astonishment and vexation had been considerable before; itwas now increased when they saw a number of Englishmen come up, dressedin the clothes of the Spaniards, and immediately jump into the Spanishboat. Several of the frigates' boats were also seen at the same time toshove off with their officers and men well armed, and to pull towardsthe three Spanish gunboats which lay at their anchors just outside theriver leading to Manilla. The Admiral and his officers watched themanxiously. What could they be about? On they went till they werealongside the gunboats. Not a sound of a shot was heard, not a triggerapparently had been pulled. In a short time the gunboats under sailwere seen slowly dropping down towards the frigates.

  "Dinner is ready," observed our Captain to his guests. "We will informyou of the particulars of what has taken place after you have enjoyedit."

  The Spaniards were wise men. They shrugged their shoulders, twirledtheir moustaches, but said nothing, quickly following their hosts intothe cabin. Their eyes could not help brightening up when they saw thegood dinner spread before them, for such will, with few exceptions,touch the hearts of mortals of all nations. Toasts were proposed,healths drunk, and the Spaniards began to think that the accounts theyhad read of British ferocity and British barbarism must have beensomewhat exaggerated. Meantime the three gunboats were broughtalongside with about one hundred and twenty officers and men asprisoners. Several of their people had managed to escape on shore. Theofficers acknowledged to their captors that there were a considerablenumber more gunboats in the harbour, all new and coppered, very fast,and well fitted for service. We, having plenty of provisions on board,our Captain had ordered a good entertainment to be prepared for all theprisoners, who showed no unwillingness to make themselves happy and athome. We had already had a pretty good morning's work, but theSpaniards seemed still willing to present us with another prize, forsoon after the gunboats had been brought alongside, a secondfelucca-rigged boat, pulling eighteen oars, was seen coming off.Several officers were also aboard her. As she came alongside, they werereceived with the same politeness as the others had been. The principalofficer informed us that he was Captain of the port. He requested toknow for what reason the boats were detained, saying that if they werenot immediately restored the authorities would consider the two frigatesas enemies, and not only decline giving them any assistance, but directthe squadron to come out of harbour and drive them off.

  "Tell him what we know about the squadron," said Captain Cobb to ourpilot.

  "Why, my friend," observed Mr Noalles, "you must be aware that you havethe larger portion of your squadron without their masts, and that eventhe others will not be able to follow us for a fortnight at least. Weknow perfectly well what we are about; in fact, it must be confessedthat we are Englishmen!"

  The start given by the Captain of the port was even more violent thanthat of his predecessors. What, had he actually run his head into thelion's den, after so many of his companions had been already caught?However, on being conducted into the cabin, he was received with shoutsof laughter from his countrymen, who by this time were feeling theeffects of the generous wine they had imbibed. The Spaniards were,however, able to punish us slightly in return by the information theygave, that of the two merchant vessels we had come to cut out, one wasaground, and the other had landed her cargo in consequence of theappearance of a suspicious looking ship of war, which we afterwardsascertained was one of our cruisers, whose melancholy fate I shall someday have to relate.

  By this time we had fully two hundred prisoners on board, and a happierset of prisoners it would have been difficult to find, for not only hadthe officers' hearts been made merry, but the seamen had as much grog onboard as they could well carry. There could be little doubt that bythis time the people on shore must have been fully certain of our realcharacters. Their suspicions must have been confirmed when they saw abreeze spring up, and that we did not proceed into the roads as they hadsupposed we should do. Our Captains, who were as generous and liberalas brave, now told the Spanish officers that they should be at libertyto return on shore, offering to present them with the Admiral's barge,the guard boat, and the two feluccas; nor would they even ask for theirparole nor impose a restriction of any sort upon them. The Spaniards'astonishment on being captured had been very great, but it was greaterstill when they received this information. I did not hear what theAdmiral said, but I know he made a very long speech, full ofgrandiloquent words, that he pressed his hands to his heart very often,and in other ways endeavoured to show his sense of British magnanimity.Evening coming on, he and his countrymen took their departure in theirrespective boats, some of which were rather overcrowded, as, of course,they had to carry the crews of the gunboats which we had detained.

  Our ship's company shook hands with all the men as they helped them intotheir boats, and parted from them with three hearty cheers, as if theyhad been their dearest friends. As soon as our guests had departed, weonce more stood out of the bay with our three prizes, keeping away tothe south in the hopes of visiting other places before the informationof our true character could reach them. The gunboats were manned, alieutenant from the "Zephyr" taking charge of one of them, and ourjunior lieutenant and Mr Oliver having the command of the other two.

  They were respectively named by the ship's company the "Bam," the "Boo,"and the "Zel". The "Zephyr" took the "Bam" in tow, while we had the"Boo" and the "Zel". It was young Mr Oliver's first command, and withno small pleasure he descended the ship's side to go and take charge ofthe craft, fully expecting to perform great deeds in her. Many anotheryoung man has done the same, and found, after all, his expectationssadly disappointed. I remember perfectly watching the little vessels asthey followed in our wake. They were handsome, graceful craft, verywell fitted for the work for which they were intended, cruising alongshore, and being able to run into harbour again on the appearance of badweather. Somehow or other Englishmen are apt to thin
k if a vessel canfloat she is fit to go anywhere, and that there is no considerabledifference between smooth water and a heavy cross sea,--a summer breezeand a snorting gale.

  Mr Oliver had with him a young midshipman, ten seamen, and a boy--avery much smaller crew than the gunboat had under the Spanish flag. Ofcourse, however, fewer Englishmen are required to man a vessel thanSpaniards, not but that Spaniards are very good sailors, but then theyhave not got the muscle and the activity of Englishmen. As a rule,Spanish vessels are far better found than English craft, and are ratherover than under manned. We continued to run down the coast withoutmeeting with any adventure till we sighted the large island of Mindanao.We were standing off that island one night, when about midnight theship was struck by a heavy squall. She lay over till her yardarmsalmost dipped in the ocean. Topsail and topgallant sheets were let fly,and she soon again righted without much apparent damage to herself, butat that instant there was a cry from aft that one of the gunboats hadparted.

  The night was dark, and those who looked out could nowhere distinguishher. The frigate was, however, immediately brought to. A gun wasfired, but there was no report in return. A blue light was next orderedto be lit. No answering signal was to be perceived. The missing boatwas the "Zel" under charge of young Harry Oliver. He was a greatfavourite on board, and many anxious eyes were looking out for him.Another and another gun was fired, and blue lights ever and anon senttheir bright glare over the foam-topped waves. While one of these bluelights was burning, one of the men on the look-out whispered to another:"What do you see there, Bill? As I am a living man there is a long lowship under all sail gliding by right in the wind's eye."

  "And I see her too! And I, and I!" exclaimed several men in suppressedvoices. "Hark? There are sounds. There is music."

  "Why, they are singing on board. What can she be? I for one wouldrather never have looked on her. Can you make out the words?"

  "No, I should think not."

  "Do you see her now?"

  "No, she seemed to shoot right up into that thick cloud to windward."

  Such and similar expressions were heard, and the men were still talkingabout the matter when my father and Pat Brady, who had been below, cameon deck. At that moment Mr Schank's voice was heard shouting out"Shorten sail!" and the ship was brought speedily under still closercanvas, barely in time, however, to enable her to bear the effects ofthe second violent squall which came roaring up from the quarter wherethe supposed stranger had disappeared. Guns were again fired, and moreblue lights burned, and thus we continued waiting anxiously till morningbroke. The other gunboat was safe, but it was too certain that theunfortunate "Zel" had foundered, and that her crew and the brave youngHarry Oliver and his still more youthful companion had perished. Manyhearts on board grieved for their loss. I will not say tears were shed,because, however poets may write about the matter, it is my belief thatBritish seamen are not addicted to express their feelings in that way,unless perhaps occasionally a few do so when they become sentimentalwith a larger amount of grog on board than usual, but even that is notvery common. They are more inclined to become obstreperous andcombative on such occasions.

  The latter part of our cruise was not likely to prove so successful asthe commencement.

  Standing to the extreme south of the group, we came off a Spanishsettlement, guarded by a couple of forts, and which, as it was ofconsiderable size, our Captains determined to lay under contribution forwood, water, and refreshments. We fortunately captured a felucca ashort distance from the coast, and her master was now directed to standin and make our request for the articles we required known to theauthorities of the place. They not understanding our amiabledisposition, or supposing that we were the bloodthirsty monsters we hadbeen described, declined acceding to our petitions. There was no helptherefore but to attempt to take by force what was denied to our modestrequest. The wood and water we might have procured elsewhere, butvegetables and fresh meat and other provisions we had no hopes offinding. We accordingly stood in towards the town, hoping that ourappearance would overawe the enemy. The Spaniards, however, as soon aswe got within range of their guns, opened a hot fire upon us whichshowed that they fully intended to keep to their resolution of notrendering us assistance. Hungry Englishmen are not well-pleased to bebaulked of their provisions. The order was "Out boats and take thefort." Four boats shoved off, under command of Captain Masterman, andmade for the shore, in spite of the hot fire with which they werereceived. One, however, grounded on a sandbank, and several men werehit while they were endeavouring to get her off. The intention was totake the fort. They reached the beach, and on the men dashed, expectingin a few minutes to be engaged in storming the fort. As, however, theywere rushing up the hill, a large body of armed men appeared on the topof it, five or six times their number. A braver man than CaptainMasterman never stepped; but, unless the enemy were great cowards, theycould scarcely hope to drive them off, and to get into the fort at thesame time. The walls, too, as they approached them, were seen to be farmore difficult to climb than they had expected. Meantime the batterieswere keeping up a very heavy fire on the frigates, our guns making butlittle impression in return. With a heavy heart Captain Masterman gavethe order to retreat and the British had to hurry down to their boats,while the Spaniards were rapidly advancing. The latter, however, didnot venture to come to close quarters, being well content with theirsuccess, but continued firing on the boats as long as they were withinreach of their muskets. By this time the frigates had lost several men.The "Zephyr"--her master and three or four men killed, and a midshipmanand several men wounded. We lost five or six killed or wounded. Amongthe latter was Pat Brady, who came on board vowing vengeance against theSpaniards wherever he should meet them. The two frigates, besides, hadreceived considerable damage.

  Our wheel was hit, the head of our mizzen-mast wounded, several of ourshrouds were cut away, and running rigging and sails much injured. Atlength a shot cut away two strands of our cable. The gunboats whichjoined in the fight had escaped with very little damage, although theykept up a pretty hot fire on the fort. There seemed to be not theslightest possibility of our success, and as our chief object was to getwood and water, which certainly could be obtained elsewhere, cutting ourcables, we made sail out of the harbour. Altogether we had paid prettydearly for our morning's amusement.

  I give the account, however humbling to our national pride it may be, toshow that it is possible for the bravest and most sagacious officers tomeet with reverses, and as a warning lesson to others not to think toohighly of themselves.

  I leave the reader to count up what we did during the cruise, and tojudge whether we had much cause for congratulation, I had the accountfrom my father in after years, and, calculating profits and losses, Irather think that the balance was terribly against us.