The Threat in the West Indies (The Merriman Chronicles Book 4)

by Roger Burnage

  “Thank you Sir. Gentlemen, I am sure that most of you have heard about or even seen the effects of that dreaded scourge Scurvy. On long voyages it kills more men than enemy action and until recently it was not known what caused it. It seems that a Naval surgeon, James Lind, a Scotsman I am pleased to say, has studied the matter closely and proved that it can be prevented or cured by the use of citrus fruit, oranges, lemons or limes as part of a seaman’s diet. Back in 1753 he produced a treatise on this subject but only now is the Admiralty beginning to wake up and take notice of it.” He paused for a sip of wine.

  “Some of you will remember Dr. Simpson who saved Mr. Grahame’s life some weeks ago after the affair in the Irish Sea. He has studied this problem and has lent to me a copy of Lind’s writings in the hope it will help us. He also passed on to me his notes about health problems in tropical areas so I am very hopeful that I can keep us all healthy.”

  “Thank you Mr. McBride, we all look to you in this matter but there are certain other things we can do. You know that the worst problem in the Indies is Yellow Fever and Dysentery. They have killed thousands, nearly half of our troops in various garrisons often within twelve months of their arrival. Another killer is locally brewed rum, it’s cheap and readily available and rather foul. Therefore we must be sure to prevent any being bought from boat traders when we are in port. All parts of the ship are to be as well ventilated as possible at all times and only essential contact will be made ashore. Mr. St. James, your marines must do all they can to keep local traders away. If warnings won’t do it, a musket shot into the bottom of the boat should do it or maybe even a round shot dropped in will.”

  “Aye - Aye Sir” replied the marine officer, “The men would probably relish dropping a shot onto them.”

  “Now then Gentlemen,” continued Merriman, “ our visit to Barbados will be a short one, just long enough to take on more water and as much fresh fruit as you Mr. McBride decide is necessary and for me to make a courtesy call on the Admiral.

  “Don’t we have a treaty with Portugal Sir?” asked young Oakley. “Indeed we do” said Grahame, “It has been in existence since 1386 or thereabouts. It’s called the Windsor Treaty, must be one of the oldest in existence and still holding today, but that is the Azores you are thinking about not Barbados although I have no doubt that we would be welcome in the Azores if we stopped there but we will not be doing so.”

  Chapter 3 - Traitors leave England on a Slave Ship

  Four weeks before Aphrodite left Plymouth, two men bartered with the captain of a trading ship in Liverpool for passage to the Americas. It was settled, but it was obvious to the captain that they were in a hurry to get away, the two men were unshaven and disheveled and he wondered what the bigger man carried in the bag he clutched tightly - fugitives from the law no doubt. But the captain was an unsavory rogue and he thought there may be more money in the bag than they had agreed to pay him. Once at sea the two men were overpowered and the captain seized the bag to find out what was in it. More than money, there were jewels carefully wrapped in various items of clothing and a lawyer's wig which caused great amusement among the crew.

  The captain glared balefully at the two wretched men, “You are escaping from the law I expect and there may be a reward out for you, but these jewels are probably worth more than any reward so I'll keep them. Now tell me about yourselves. You, fat man, you must be a lawyer, otherwise why do you have a wig? Come on, out with it, why do you want to leave England? Tell me before I throw you overboard.”

  “Yes, I am a lawyer” stammered the frightened man “my name is Jerimiah Robinson, and this is my clerk Beadle. We stole the jewels from my wife the bitch, she demanded more and more money and I was driven to theft to satisfy her. So we beat her, badly, she may be dead for all I know and we decided to try our luck in America. We paid you and you said you would take us there.”

  “Yes I did didn't I, well I will but not directly, we are taking a detour round to the Bight of Benin in Africa to barter with coastal tribes for their prisoners who we take to America and Jamaica and sell as slaves. So I've decided that you'll work your passage and work hard you will, or maybe I'll sell you as slaves or throw you to the sharks.”

  Later, lying in a stinking hammock, Robinson cursed everybody and himself for the bad luck which had followed him. If his wife had not herself been so greedy then he would not have agreed to carry letters from Ireland to France in the course of legal business. He had been very well paid and only months later had he realised that they were between Irish rebels and French agents. That made him and Beadle traitors and he was glad he had said nothing of that to the captain. He groaned at the thought of the weeks of hard toil ahead of him.

  Chapter 4 - Battle with Privateers

  And so Aphrodite continued her journey westward across the Atlantic Ocean. Merriman had originally thought of calling in at Punto Delgado in the Azores to collect a large number of oranges and lemons, enough to give each member of the crew more than half a fruit each per day. Merriman on the advice of the ships surgeon was insistent that everybody had the fruit, enjoining the petty officers to ensure that each man ate his portion with no shirkers. This however proved unnecessary as it was obvious that the men enjoyed fruit when they got it. With time pressing, he reluctantly decided to wait until they arrived in Barbados.

  Some days later, one of the lookouts aloft yelled “Deck there, topmasts on the horizon dead ahead.” Merriman immediately ordered the ship to action stations. After a short while the thud of gunfire was heard over the clatter of partitions and furniture being taken down to the hold. “Up you go with your glass Mr. Gorman and tell me what you see.” Lieutenant Gorman, like a monkey aloft, was quickly at the mainmast crosstrees and shouting “It’s a small convoy heading north Sir, it looks to be under attack.” He waited a few more minutes, then shouted excitedly “there’s an English frigate Sir, I can see her colours, seems to be heavily engaged with some small, fast sloops. And there’s another smaller ship Sir, a brig, fighting the sloops.”

  “I’ll have our colours hoisted. Mr. Laing and you can bring Mr. Gorman down to his station at the guns.” He waited until the action could be seen from the deck though gun smoke obscured the ships until the wind took it away. As the ship drew closer he said “I’ll have the courses off her right away Mr. Laing and have the guns loaded with round shot and run out. Those sloops must be privateers and full of men.” After Laing bawled out the orders Merriman was pleased to see the guns hauled into position and the gun ports rise as one as the ship showed her teeth, whilst the lower mainsails - the courses - disappeared like magic. As the noise and bustle died down Merriman looked along the length of his ship. Every man was in his position, including the powder boys, all looking eager for the fight to come. The marines were up in the fighting tops or at the hammock nettings with muskets at the ready and officers Andrews and Gorman at their positions by their divisions of guns larboard and starboard and Lieutenant Laing on the quarterdeck near him with Midshipman Oakley, and Midshipman Shrigley was by his flag lockers at the stern.

  Only moments later they were in the thick of it. Merriman steered Aphrodite directly at the closest privateer which was stern on to Aphrodite. They did not seem aware of the threat until too late. He waited until his ship was almost alongside before he said “Open fire Mr. Laing.” Every gun of the starboard battery spoke together with clouds of smoke obscuring the target until they were clear.

  As the smoke cleared Merriman looked back. The privateer had been badly damaged, holed amidships and was already listing heavily to one side and as he watched, the mainmast crashed down.

  “Well done Sir, that’ll teach them” crowed Laing. Shrigley was capering about with excitement and there were cheers from the crew as they reloaded the guns in moments. Merriman was looking ahead to see the stern of the brig with one of the privateers alongside on its starboard side and the crew fighting desperately to stop the flood of boarders, with another sloop closing from ahead on the
other side.

  “We’ll engage that other sloop next Mr. Laing, We’ll pass between it and the brig and give them the larboard broadside first to slow her down, and then we’ll go about and give her another broadside before we go about again and deal with the one alongside the brig”. As Laing bawled the necessary orders, he turned as his man Owen appeared with his sword saying “I brought this Sir, thought you might need it.”

  The larboard side broadside erupted doing enormous damage to the sloop; scores of men must have been killed or wounded because the privateers always carried plenty of men ready to form prize crews of captured ships. But Aphrodite did not escape as easily as she had done with the first sloop. This second privateer had time to prepare and fired her broadside almost at the same time and although her weight of shot was not as heavy as that of Aphrodite it did do damage. Splinters flew in all directions causing some casualties; one gun was upended onto a screaming sailor and Merriman saw a marine thrown back with blood pouring from his throat. Then before they were fully past, Laing’s bellowed orders had men hauling madly on the braces and sheets to bring the ship round onto the other tack. Aphrodite seemed to spin on the spot and as she passed the privateer again a second broadside was delivered wreaking havoc and bringing down her mainmast with little fire in return.

  “Round to larboard Mr. Laing, we’ll go round astern of the brig and give the other fellow a broadside along the length of him.” As they passed round the stern and the privateer ship appeared, Merriman shouted “Mr. Andrews, fire as your guns bear. Mr. Laing, have the boarding parties ready”. One by one the guns erupted in smoke and flame, the shot bursting in at the stern and tearing along the length of the unfortunate ship, doing immense damage and killing many men before Aphrodite turned and crashed against the side of it. Merriman, sword in hand, leapt across the gap followed by his boarding party with Lieutenant Gorman leading his party from the forecastle. There was little resistance from the privateers left alive, they threw down their weapons and meekly surrendered.

  The brig’s crew were cheering wildly as they boarded the ship and the commander of the brig came forward to shake Merriman’s hand saying “Congratulations Sir, I thought we were done for when we saw those two closing, one astern and the other on our larboard side. It looked as though they wanted to dispose of us before tackling the merchant ships. I’m Lieutenant Humphreys Sir, Captain of this ship. Please accept my congratulations and thanks again. The way you dealt with them all, privateers the lot, was good to see.” He looked about him at the carnage on the brig’s deck, “We’ve lost some good men but I believe we will manage to clear up and get back to the convoy.”

  “I’m glad we were in time to help Mr. Humphries. Fortunately both of us can make up our losses from the prisoners. Press as many as you need, some will be French or even Americans but the Admiralty won’t worry. I leave it to you to sort them out and I'll take three of them. I trust your wound is not too serious Sir.” The man was bleeding profusely from a head wound, indeed the shoulder of his coat was sodden with blood and he swayed on his feet. Owen, pass the word for Mr. McBride to come over at once to look to the wounded over here.” He turned back to Humphries saying, “We have an excellent surgeon aboard Sir, he and his assistants will soon have you and your men set to rights.”

  “Thank you Sir, we have a doctor of sorts but I think this may be too much for him. But what about your own crew, have you no casualties?” Merriman replied, “We sustained some damage Sir, but less than I expected, nothing serious and a few men wounded and two men killed”. “What has happened to the privateers now?” asked Humphries, “I know that of the two you engaged one sank and the other is badly damaged”. They looked around to see that there was indeed only two still afloat, the dismasted one and also the one tied alongside the brig.

  “Well, I don’t think you will be bothered with them again Mr. Humphreys, the one alongside is a wreck, surprising that she’s still afloat. I would advise you to have it cut adrift before it drags you over.” A hail from the mast head cut across their conversation “Deck there, Vigilant is approaching Sir.” He pointed, and sure enough the frigate was rapidly closing with them and then hove to a hundred yards away with the officers and men cheering at the victory. There was no sign of the privateers the frigate had been fighting.

  A string of flags appeared on the frigate and Shrigley reported “Frigate signals us Sir, Captains to report to Vigilant immediately.” Merriman looked down at his blood splashed uniform and that of Humphreys. Neither of them was ready to see a senior officer. “The signal said immediately Mr. Humphreys, I shall have to go as I am, but let Mr. McBride look to your head first and I’ll send the boat back for you.” Leaving orders to his officers Merriman was hastily rowed across to the Vigilant.

  Signs of battle were evident. Damaged rigging which was being repaired and some wounded men, but the most distressing sight was the small group of bodies lined up ready for burial at sea.

  Merriman saw it all as he was taken down to the Captain’s cabin. “I assume you are the captain of the sloop Sir, welcome aboard Lieutenant, sorry Captain, you’ll join me in a glass of wine I hope, and where is Mr. Humphries, not hurt I hope?” asked the captain, Gordon by name. Merriman hastily introduced himself and told him that Humphries had been wounded but would come over as soon as the surgeon had seen to him. As the captain’s servant lifted a bottle from a magnificent silver wine chest and dispensed the drinks Merriman quickly looked around him noting how much bigger the frigate’s cabin was than his own aboard Aphrodite. That the Captain was wealthy and married was quite obvious. The furniture was of far better quality than the dockyards supplied and the curtains though much faded showed a woman’s touch.

  “Your health Captain Merriman.” said Captain Gordon referring to the fact that the captain of a ship was always called Captain even if he was only a lowly Lieutenant. “Your arrival was unexpected but very welcome. This convoy sailed from Barbados keeping well out to sea, more eastward than usual expecting to turn north to north-east once well away from land in the hope of avoiding interception by the damned privateers. As you know that hope was shattered and we encountered ten of them. Thanks to you they have been defeated. Vigilant sank two and battered two more, you and Mr. Humphries accounted for another three and the others fled. Maybe we can reach England without any more bother. But you know, I think there must be a spy in the Admiral’s offices because our plan was only talked about there and none of the convoy captains knew about it until we were on the point of sailing. Now then, tell me what your orders are, but before that I must comment on your ship, one of the new sort of sloops I think but it is the first I have seen with three masts and such big square sails. Sails well does she?”

  “Indeed she does Sir, she is more like a small frigate really, fast and I am constantly amazed at how far up to the wind she will sail. As to why I am heading to Antigua Sir I cannot divulge any details but I think these documents will show my Bona Fides. He handed over his Admiralty orders and the letter from Mr. Pitt. The Captain’s eyebrows rose as he read them, “Very good Lieutenant. It is obviously an important mission that you are on so I won’t detain you any longer than necessary, but my report to the Admiralty will contain favourable mention of this encounter.”

  “Thank you Sir,” Merriman replied courteously, about to speak of the action when they were interrupted by the arrival of Humphries, very pale and with a heavy bandage round his head. “My dear fellow, you look terrible,” said Gordon, “sit down right away. A glass of wine perhaps?”

  “Thank you Sir, that I would like”. Humphries paused brieflyto accept a glass then continued “This wound is not too bad but I lost a lot of blood.” He turned to Merriman “Your surgeon fixed me up and said it would heal quickly Sir.” “Good, good, I’m pleased to hear it,” said Captain Gordon, will you be able to continue our voyage?” “Oh yes Sir, I’m a little weak but well able to carry on.”

  Merriman spoke, “Another thing Sir, are you aware that Fr
ance declared war on us in January, which is in part the reason for my orders.” “By God! No! Doesn’t surprise me though, I have been expecting it. Whilst I relish the thought of action I hope it won’t amount to anything serious as this ship is riddled with worm and is as likely as not to fall apart if we fire too many broadsides. She’s an old ship, never been copper bottomed, which is the main reason I’m escorting the convoy back to England. Maybe she will be scrapped but that is for the dockyard to say.”

  “Thank you for your hospitality Sir, and may I wish you a safe voyage?” “Indeed you may and success to you Sir,” responded Captain Gordon, as Merriman made his way back to his boat. Aphrodite was soon on her way and the convoy’s masts disappeared below the horizon.

  Chapter 5 - Arrival at Barbados

  On arrival at Barbados Merriman and Grahame lost no time in going ashore at Bridgetown to see the Rear Admiral commanding, Sir Henry Bartlett. His flag was flying over a large building instead of his flagship, the reason he quickly explained to them. “Cooler here Gentlemen with all windows and doors open and you will have noticed that we are well shaded for most of the day by palm trees.” Merriman and Grahame showed the Admiral the orders and other documents and informed him of their requirements.

  “Well Gentlemen, I doubt I can help you much, I have only recently arrived but I do know we are well placed to defend ourselves if necessary. As to French agents I'm sure there must be some but I have seen or heard nothing suspicious. Certainly my predecessor told me nothing of such matters.”

  ”Thank you Sir, perhaps if you find out anything you could send news to me in Antigua which I will make my base for further enquiries around the islands?” “Certainly I will Mr. Grahame, there are still plenty of small English trading ships coming and going between the islands, I'm sure that one or two could be persuaded to carry messages. Also I will question the captains to see if they can tell us anything which will be of use to you. As you know, Barbados has been British since sixteen twenty seven, going on for nearly two centuries and we are very well established and plentiful producers of tobacco, cotton, indigo and ginger. There are many slaves of course but they are quite well looked after by the owners and overseers and there have been no reports of any recent unrest.”