“One may guarantee that Mr Addington will never be overcome by either intellectual or diplomatic brilliance, sir. As for the man Bonaparte – he is no more than another military adventurer – a posturing despot such as the inadequate peasantry of Europe seem to admire as their leaders. There will be war, sir!”
“Then I must wish you good luck in fighting it, Sir Frederick. Your prizes will be sent to my court exclusively, I understand?”
“They will, sir, though I have not received more than the bare order that it should be so.”
“The governor in Port Royal, sir, has been in dispute with the Admiralty regarding the matter of the admiral’s share of prize-money. He holds that ships sailing under the command of the admiral there are by definition also subordinate to him – the Governor of Jamaica is the deputy of the King and therefore is the fountainhead of all authority on the island. Briefly, Sir Frederick, he wants to dip his greedy fingers into the pot – a part of the admiral’s eighth to be his. In your case, sir, where there is no admiral’s eighth, I do not know what he might claim, but you may be sure he would imagine some demand.”
Frederick was relieved to hear that the problem was simply one of greed. He had wondered if there might not be a whiff of treason in the business.
“Then he will see none of my people in his harbours, sir, short of hurricane driving us in.”
A bottle arrived, it being necessary that the Commodore and the Admiral should be officially seen to be on friendly terms and sharing glasses of wine. Had they not taken alcohol then rumours of internecine warfare would have instantly spread through the whole of the Sugar Islands and have reached London within two months. It was unfortunate that neither man especially enjoyed drinking in daylight hours, but there really was no alternative.
“Who have you in your Squadron, Admiral?”
“Two frigates, Niobe, 32, and Charmante, an old French 28, and a mix of sloops and brigs and cutters as always. Too few and too small, but there is nothing new in that, sir. The French fleet has gone home, thankfully, but I would like something a mite more powerful to hand.”
“Understandable, sir, but your frigates might be of use for my purpose, sir. I have a young lieutenant-in-command, sir, who would benefit from experience as, say, the first of a sloop or even a small frigate, if seniorities were appropriate.”
“Not man enough for the job, Sir Frederick?”
“A capable seaman, but lacking judgement, I fear. Very ambitious, to the extent of enthusiasm, and would benefit from an older, more mature man at his side.”
Lieutenant Byng had shown himself resentful of discipline, inclined to demonstrate his own initiative rather than conform to boring orders from the Flag. His early misjudgement in shipping the pair of carronades he had bribed from the dockyard had been compounded by a tendency to stray from the strict line overnight and a habit of putting his helm down to investigate possible sightings before informing Frederick. Probably he was no more than a young man overcome by his delight in his own command at so early an age, but he was becoming an irritation.
“If you had a lieutenant to hand, sir, one who was ready for promotion, then I could ship him on Trident, on the understanding that he would bring in a good prize at an early moment. That would give my own Second, Third and Fourth the opportunity of command for a month or two in turn.”
Neither frigate was in harbour and the single sloop tied up had only elderly lieutenants aboard. The Admiral would bear Frederick’s request in mind, however, and would send Niobe or Charmante south at a convenient moment to make the change.
“No doubt you will be taking care to close the French islands on your way to Tobago, Sir Frederick; I believe they have a busy trade there. The Spanish have no right to be in Tobago, of course, it was confirmed to be British by the Treaty of Amiens, but there is little doubt that they returned and fortified some part at least last year. While I think of it, a mention of any ships-of-war you happen to see could be despatched on any prize you happen to take, sir, and would be much appreciated. The Spanish still believe in the old watchword of ‘No peace beyond the Line’, and the Frogs are unpredictable.”
The French occasionally sent single line-of-battle ships out to the Caribbean and it was very bad for the nerves of frigate captains to come across them unexpectedly. Frederick was glad to cooperate.
He had to write orders for the squadron’s day to day conduct on the coast, and particularly to make allowance for the possibility of ships being separated by the demands of chases.
“Where is best to appoint a rendezvous in case of storm or action splitting the squadron, Mr Nias?”
“Barbados, sir, west coast where there are shallows or Georgetown itself. Georgetown, Barbados, that is. An alternative might be off Curacao, being well to the west and a good position to make use of the prevailing wind when we come together again.”
“Georgetown, I think, a harbour is better. There will be the opportunity to make repairs and take water, either of which might be necessary if we are, for example, taken unawares by a great storm.”
The squadron received its orders and then set sail down the island chain, in a scouting line east to west at the limits of visibility from each masthead, Speedy closest inshore, Nimble to the extreme east. A brief council-of-war established that each ship in the line would share equally, man for man, in prizes taken, the cutter and the brig out of sight of each other and thus not necessarily entitled by law to shares in each other’s captures.
As they had hoped, news of war had not yet percolated through to the French merchant community.
They took more than a thousand tons in prizes in the first four days, sending the six ships back to Antigua under escort of Nimble who was to bring the prize-crews back again.
Inevitably their activities were observed and fast island boats carried word of them to the south; the seas emptied and when they reached Tobago they found a dozen or more of ships and brigs and small schooners anchored under the protection of a battery at the very north of the island. Frederick remembered having made his early captures in Magpie not so far from this spot, hoped this would prove as profitable.
The battery commanded a small bay, a storm anchorage and a possible landing spot for invaders. There was a headland to give protection and the guns were dug high into its side, just below the crest, commanding the whole of the bay. There was no masonry, an earth bank thrown up recently and still brown was all that could be seen.
“Wallsend to anchor to the north of the headland and then to bombard the battery, Mr Rogers, firing blind from behind the hill. Speedy to lie off and observe fire and signal corrections. Arnheim to the south to bottle up the bay, holding at least three miles clear of the battery, out of range. Trident to hold offshore to the north, Mr Nias, again clear of the battery.”
The signals were sent and the squadron moved into position, Wallsend finding holding ground and opening fire with a single mortar within the hour.
“Mr Vereker, double lookouts to the mastheads, if you please. The noise may serve to rattle the bars, as it were, and to attract company to us.”
Captain Smith found his range quickly, under instruction from Byng in Speedy. He experienced great difficulty in maintaining line, however, having to learn to allow for the action of the waves lapping against the bows and causing the head to veer just a fraction. It took two hours before the first shell crashed home inside the battery and he began to fire both mortars, left then right, thirty seconds apart for benefit of observation. The great shells wandered across the hillside around the battery, but enough landed to destroy the four big guns within ten concentrated minutes.
“Thirty-eight discharges, sir. I do not know the capacity of Wallsend’s magazine.”
“Neither do I, Mr Vereker, but you are very right to mention the matter.”
The frigates and Speedy descended upon the anchorage and proceeded to prize all there while a party climbed the headland to make everything tidy and pick up wounded and available priso
ners. Frederick noted but did not comment as work details were led uphill and the unexploded contents of the Spanish magazine were brought down to the three largest vessels. Practice powder was always welcome.
The old seamen had explained the realities of prize money to the new and had introduced them to the certainty that their pay tickets on their eventual discharge would have as much as ten extra years added to them. The last vestiges of dissatisfaction fled and even the most unhappy settled down to their trade. It was whispered as well that they were to take part in landings and that in all probability there would be the sack of a defended town with the license that implied.
The prizes were sent north with skeleton prize-crews and Speedy in company, Mr Byng under strict orders to remain in close escort and never to leave the convoy in chase of another sail.
“You will find us on the coast of Tobago and Trinidad for the next week, Mr Byng. I expect to see you with the prize-crews well before that time has elapsed. Your orders have no latitude, sir; they will be obeyed in full. I care not if you find the Manila Galleon strayed half the world to cross your bows – you will escort the convoy to Antigua; you will return with great promptitude. Am I clear, sir?”
Byng accepted that he was.
A week of close survey of the Tobago coast gave a dozen potential landing places, so many that it was not possible to defend them all. The island was low-lying and open, a soldier’s delight, rich as well. The Spanish must wish to keep the island, having landed a force in contravention of the Peace of Amiens, but would have to commit a great mass of troops to do so, weakening their every other possession in the Caribbean, and demanding that they sent a fleet south from Cuba.
“Unlikely that they would do that, sir,” Murray opined. “Cuba is a turbulent island and they could hardly afford to weaken their garrisons there. As well, to make their passage they would have first to discover and destroy all British naval units, and they must believe that there will be a force of seventy-fours sent at the beginning of the war to put them down. I believe, in fact, sir, that there will be line-of-battle ships escorting the British troops sent to reconquer the Caribbean islands.”
“A game of bluff, in fact. How best may we provoke the Spanish to unwise action, I wonder?”
“Cruise the Main, sir, disrupting trade as thoroughly as we may. The Peace brought about a return to prosperity for the Spanish merchants and they will scream very loudly when that new wealth is snatched from them.”
“Accepted, Mr Murray; we shall make ourselves thoroughly obnoxious along the coast as soon as we may. We have a wide degree of liberty, and it occurs to me that we have a frigate which is obviously Dutch in appearance…”
“The Guianas, sir, spring to mind – there are numerous sugar plantations there, and no doubt shipping as well. The Dutch islands might also be visited with ill intent. Bonaparte intends to keep his Batavian Republic as a client state in Europe, but we may demonstrate it to be powerless in the New World – which is much to be applauded.”
“’Captain Jackman to repair aboard the flag’, Mr Rogers.”
They watched the signals midshipman with idle interest as he sent the message.
“Bright lad – that was well done, Mr Murray.”
“It was, sir?”
“He used a hoist of four flags for the whole message – ‘captain’; the Jack; ‘man’; and the flag for report to admiral or commander-in-chief. Otherwise, he might have spelled out the name alphabetically, which would have needed ten flags and taken more time.”
“There is a new system due, is there not, sir?”
“Home Popham’s numeric – it will enable more to be said and will be simpler, but will require more by way of alphabetic spelling. A little slower, perhaps, and less demanding of the signals people, but I fear it will enable admirals to talk too much – better far to give a set of orders and let the people get on with them.”
Jackman had obviously had a boat towing and was able to reach Trident inside fifteen minutes, setting an example to the other captains.
“A cruise, sir, along the coast of the Guianas, where possible using our Dutch profile to best advantage. An excellent idea, sir!”
“Not more than three weeks, Mr Jackman, and to rendezvous off Tobago again. Keep prizes in company.”
No matter how much a friend he might be, every captain relished being free of the commander-in-chief’s direct eye.
They patrolled the coast, instituting a blockade, more or less for the form of things. The Spanish had no significant ships in any of the fishing villages around the island and they spotted no other battery or fort. No matter how much they scanned the shore they could not locate the barracks or tented camp they thought must be there. They became increasingly puzzled.
“Tell me, Mr Murray, is it possible that the Spanish might have established the battery to state that they have repossessed the island, and have then gone away to see what will happen next?”
“Possible, sir, but improbable. I suspect that they sent a couple of ships and a transport ahead of a main invasion fleet to establish the base from which they would expand to control the whole island. Having done so, they returned to, where? Maracaibo? The Havana? One of the Mexican ports?”
“Not likely Mexico, but could be any of their other great harbours. Tell me more, sir.”
“Reaching their port and expecting to escort a brigade of troops, they find none. The General has fallen out with the Viceroy; possibly new orders have come from Madrid; perhaps the French do not think it a good idea – any or all of these could supervene. The battery stays in increasing unhappiness on Tobago and the ships lay idly in port and they all wait for something to happen and to provoke a response. Manana controls all in Spain, after all. It is a country in terminal decline, distinguished by its history, which is all it possesses apart from a religion that prevents it ever rising again.”
“When Arnheim comes in we shall make a landing, I think, Captain Murray. The practice will be good for the men and we may well liberate our lost, stolen colony – which can only be a feather in our caps.”
Jackman returned to the day of his three weeks, proudly ushering a little flotilla, swans led by a very ugly duckling. Two of the merchantmen were large ships, eight hundred tonners at least.
“In port, sir, loaded and ready to sail – full of sugar and a modicum of indigo and some furniture woods besides – finest-grain mahogany my carpenter assures me! And, sir, I needed do nothing at all to take them – I appeared wearing the Orange Flag of Holland on the main and tricolours besides and they instantly cast off and pottered out of harbour to form a convoy at my stern, the masters swinging out their boats and coming aboard to receive their instructions from me!”
“Sad to prick the bubble of their illusions, Mr Jackman. You took the other four separately, one presumes?”
“Local traders, sir, coastal traffic bringing part cargoes of sugar to make up at the major exporting harbour. None seemed at all surprised to discover a Dutch ship of war, sir.”
“And your two large West Indiamen expected an escort, it would seem… I wonder who and what, and, of course, where she is.”
No answer showed itself and Frederick decided to land a party ashore to discover what exactly was happening on Tobago. He had been unwilling to send a small boat to see what the situation was, for fear that the fishing villages might shelter Spanish garrisons sufficient to kill them out of hand.
“Arnheim will lead, Captain Jackman, carronades loaded grape and close inshore – any company of soldiers appearing will very quickly cease their troubling, I believe. Trident will hold off at two cables, watching for horse artillery or such that might show themselves. Twenty-four pound long guns will more than suffice for that purpose. Wallsend will land all of the Marines from the squadron, Lieutenant Quinlan in command, Captain Murray accompanying to gather intelligence.”
Frederick ignored the whisper that suggested that with Quinlan present extra intelligence would be sorely needed.
“Speedy, depending on the wind, south along the coast, watching onshore and seawards; Nimble to the north. Not more than two hours distant and patrolling back and forth, using your own judgement to ensure that the squadron is not caught inshore and unable to manoeuvre sensibly.”
It seemed to Frederick that any enemy was more likely to come from the north than the south and he preferred to rely on Perlman.
A small fishing village on a large freshwater creek; deep, coral-free and empty of any threat.
The population owned six boats and made a good enough living from them. They had seen no Spaniards and had no wish to. They had been aware of the battery established ten miles to their north and had kept well away from it. They very rarely made their way as far as Scarborough and thought there might be a few English soldiers there, or almost British, militia, that sort of thing.
“I done see they barefoot, Captain, suh, and that ain’t no sort of soldier the way I thinks, ain’t it now! They is no more than mi-litias! So I am saying!”
“But they have uniforms, and muskets?”
“They do that, suh. They coats is red as red can be, suh, and they wash they shirts, too! They is white! But they don’t go to wear them big ties round the neck, like what I done see many years agone and like what you red coat men has got.”
Murray was satisfied; they were militia, locally officered almost certainly. He stared consideringly at his informant, a very black man dressed in cut-off trousers and nothing else, ready to go out in his boat, he had said.
Sugar and Spice (The Duty and Destiny Series, Book 6) Page 5
