“Are you the chief, or headman, of this village?”
“Don’t got none of they, suh. The tax-man, he come, and we tells he to talk wi’ Alexander, and the rest of us, we pushes out the boats quick. The womenfolk, they all scream and run away if he tries to talk to they, and the piccaninnies just throws stones at him. We don’t need no headman to talk to they, suh!”
Murray wondered who Alexander was.
“He the billy-goat, suh, and, time the tax-man find that out, they ain’t no other man here at all!”
“It sounds like a very good way of doing things, sir. I must remember it for my own convenience. May I give you five shillings, sir?”
Even though he was not the headman he found it easy to take the money.
“My advice is to go down to Scarborough, sir. I believe there is a small sort of local garrison there, and they may have information for us.”
Frederick set sail as soon as the Marines were embarked. He called Lieutenant Quinlan to his cabin.
“Your report, sir?”
Quinlan had learned a little since being posted to Trident. He had painstakingly written out his account of the day’s activities and summarised for Frederick’s benefit.
“No fort, sir, and no sign that the Spanish had ever been here. No armed men. I could discover no evidence, sir, that any larger ship ever used the harbour. No Spanish privateer, for example.”
“Well done, Mr Quinlan. That was a good thought!”
Quinlan was most surprised – he was not used to congratulations.
“I intend to come to anchor in the port of Scarborough, Mr Quinlan. If the need arises then you must be ready to go ashore, but I do not expect any trouble.”
“Yes, sir.”
There was a harbourmaster’s assistant in the port and a magistrate made an appearance together with a lonely customs officer. After a delay a militia captain joined them, stinking of stale rum and displeased to have been dragged out of his bed before noon.
“Word came, Sir Frederick, that a Spanish army had landed, and the Deputy-Governor and all of his staff and many of the merchant community left for Trinidad, and have not returned. We do quite well without them, though it would be useful if some of the stores were to reopen.”
“I would advise you to send a boat to inform them that the Spanish battery has been wholly destroyed and its garrison killed, run or captured. There will be a fleet from England later in the year and no doubt they will place men ashore. For the while, we do not expect any great action from the Spanish.”
They left, making a detour to Antigua first to deliver their very valuable captures.
Charmante made port while the squadron was tied up and Admiral Makin begged the pleasure of Frederick’s company a few hours later. He waved at the two officers already in the cabin.
“Captain Walters informs me that his second has died of fever in the last week, and I have made one of my midshipmen to fill the vacancy. Your man in Speedy must therefore be senior to him and Captain Walters will be very pleased to give you his premier, Sir Frederick, in his place. Mr Corsham here is happy to make the exchange, to serve as a lieutenant on Trident as you suggested.”
“Good. Thank you, gentlemen! You appreciate, Captain Walters, that you are not necessarily getting the best of bargains in Lieutenant Byng? He has been an irritation to me.”
“He will learn, sir, never fear!”
Walters gave every impression of an ill-tempered tyrant, eyebrows a single black bar, face settled in an habitual frown.
“My sister’s boy sailed with you as a midshipman, sir, Pell by name, and came away with the better part of two thousands in his purse for the taking of a fat Dutchman! My family is indebted to you, Sir Frederick, and I am pleased to have this opportunity to assist you. Your Lieutenant Byng will learn his manners, sir!”
They laughed together, the small family that was the navy coming into its own again.
Frederick returned to his cabin with a headache and ordered Lieutenant Byng to him; he presented him with the written order the Admiral’s people had quickly scratched out.
“You are appointed premier of Charmante with immediate effect, Lieutenant Byng, and will report before the sunset gun.”
“Aye aye, sir.”
Byng saluted, waited for explanation, received none, and left.
“Mr McPherson, please, Bosomtwi.”
“Mr Byng has been relieved of his duty aboard Speedy, Mr McPherson. It is my intention that each of my three junior lieutenants will be given the experience of command aboard her, probably two months apiece, turn and turn about. Should Mr Vereker be promoted you will be immediately called back to take your place as premier. I need not say that I am very satisfied with your behaviour, sir, and have every hope to see you as master and commander before this commission ends – hence my desire that you should unfurl your feathers, as it were, in Speedy. As a member of my quarterdeck, sir, you must have become aware that I was sometimes displeased with Mr Byng, and you will know why and avoid the same faults.”
“Thank you, Sir Frederick!”
“I have had your commission prepared, sir. Go and read yourself in.”
McPherson left the cabin, almost at a run. He knew that for two months he was to be a captain, which was unexpected; he was also aware that if they came into action, and if he distinguished himself in some way, then he could be promoted directly to master and commander of his own sloop. He had an early chance to excel – and he would not spoil it for himself as Byng had done.
The question arose of whether to split the squadron while they cruised the Main and annoyed the Dutch islands. There was much to be said for sending Arnheim and Wallsend far to the west, to work their way back, merchantmen running before them, to meet Trident at a convenient half-way point. They had, however, already caused the French, Spanish and Dutch some hurt and it was not impossible that they would have sent whatever force they could scrape together out in pursuit; it would be better to meet them as a single unit.
On balance, it was probably wiser to keep together. That decided, what were they to do?
Better not to raid the Dutch islands – that might force them to build fortifications which could be a nuisance when the time came to actually invade them. A cutting-out might be a good idea, encouraging the Dutch to think in terms of commerce-raiding rather than annexation. A possibility, if the opportunity presented itself. That left the Spanish, as they were not ordered to patrol the French islands.
Wallsend needed practice with her mortars – she had not shone in her attack on the battery. An assault upon one of the smaller harbours, landing parties to take the warehouse area while the bomb reduced the forts. There would be the possibility of taking some useful naval vessels as well, and the Admiral would welcome the chance to buy in a sloop or two to reinforce his weak squadron.
They watered and the pursers and masters argued with the yard for stores, getting always less than they demanded and then inspecting every bag and barrel in the bright sunlight of the wharf before allowing it aboard.
“Mouldy biscuit and rotten beef, sir – the normal story!”
Nias fumed as he reported to Frederick.
“Had I not double-checked, sir, we would still have been robbed! I rejected a full wagon load and sent it to one side and as soon as I had turned away the bad was pulled back under the slings and a load of good was put over in its place. Fortunately, sir, I was not born yesterday! I had slipped a guinea into the hand of one of the labourers and he gave me the office.” Nias snorted, said he had complained and received no satisfaction. “A mistake on the part of one of the carters, an illiterate who knew no better!”
“Warn Arnheim.”
“I have, sir, for all the good that it will do. We shall still be robbed.”
“I care little about the robbery – the government has more money than it sensibly knows what to do with. I do care about the men being fed noxious rubbish. My respects to Mr Jenkinson and instruct him to purchase all he
can in the markets.”
“He has done so, sir. I am also unofficially aware that there was an amount of food and other stuffs in the Spanish battery which have gone to barter, to the benefit of us all.”
A good purser would loot the galleys and pantries of prizes, using the spoils for the crew. In tropical waters, where a diet of boiled ration beef and pork was less than ideal for the hands’ health, he could keep many more fit for duty.
“Very good, Mr Nias – be sure to tell me when I should not be on deck.”
It could be awkward if the captain was forced to notice a line of men carrying sacks on the gangplank.
“Doctor Morris wishes to speak to you, sir.”
Dreadful words to hear in the waters of the Sugar Islands.
“Ask him to come in, Mr Nias.”
Frederick relaxed as Morris spoke – he was not informing him of the typhoid or Yellow Jack aboard, he was merely begging for funds.
“A cruise on the Main, sir, brings us into the certain contamination of the malarial miasma, and of breakbone fever as well. My stocks of bark may well prove inadequate to the purpose, sir. I would beg to purchase more while we are here.”
It was an expense that would bear directly on Frederick’s pocket as the local merchants would have little use for bills drawn upon the Admiralty. With the best will in the world an official docket would not translate into cash for at least a year; bearing in mind the sloth of clerks in London, three years was a not unreasonable estimate. It could be hard to persuade a ships chandler in England to accept Admiralty paper – in Antigua it must be very nearly impossible.
“Is there a Physician of the Fleet, or his like, in Antigua, Doctor Morris?”
“A small hospital up on the hillside, sir, with a single surgeon and no physician. The sole practitioner there is an able enough man in his limited way, but with no great stocks of medicines to draw upon. He is very good with lunatics landed from the local squadron, however, has ameliorated the symptoms of several.”
Madness was not uncommon among sailors who had been years away from home; it was normally regarded as incurable.
“That is a very good thing, Doctor Morris, but does not assist in our current difficulty. Bosomtwi!”
Gold coins taken from the decreasing stock in the little chest and Bosomtwi sent as escort with a pair of seamen to carry. It could be unwise for a man on his own to be seen to have gold in his pocket.
A final word with Admiral Makin and Perlman was called to his flagship, coming away with his lieutenant’s commission in his hand and a look of delight on his face. Frederick, as Commodore, could have made him, but it was better to have a full admiral’s signature on the document, for the benefit of future captains and wardrooms.
“How long have you had Nimble, Mr Perlman?”
“Two years, sir, a little more. I was given Nimble after the sloop Hertford engaged privateers out of Dunkirk just before the Peace, sir. Captain and both lieutenants were killed, sir.”
Perlman must have been the senior man left and had brought her back to port, had been given Nimble as a reward, and then employed throughout the Peace. It would be unusual, never to have been a junior lieutenant, but he could be made master and commander in a sloop within a few months; Frederick must bear him in mind if the occasion arose.
Admiral Makin believed that the Jamaica squadron was in the habit of patrolling Cuban waters rather than the Main, was fairly sure that Frederick would not be stepping on their toes by working the coast towards Maracaibo.
“It might be better, even so, Sir Frederick to consider a patrol towards the Guianas first. There is word of some Spanish activity during the Peace, arguing the borders, one understands. There may be a garrison, a fort, a ship or two to discover.”
Brig and cutter to lead them down the coast; the cutter invisible among local rigs and to poke her nose into bays and estuaries; the brig to venture further out to sea in patrols that would never take her more than half a day distant.
“Arnheim to lead; Wallsend at two cables astern of her; Trident to hold the rear. In case of contact with any French or Spanish or Dutch force then Wallsend is to make all sail the wind allows and is to drop back from the scene of action. No, Captain Smith! A broadside of four twenty-four pound carronades is not so valuable as to risk your command. Use your initiative, by all means – pick up anything that retires hurt, for example – but do not join the main action, except there is the most clear cut prospect of success. Should you be presented with the opportunity to cross the stern of a wounded frigate or sloop, then do so, but exercise the most tender care, sir!”
“Trident will follow Arnheim into action, but we may expect to have been forewarned by the scouting vessels and will be able to make our plans accordingly. In case of night action, then we shall close the largest we can see, either side, and hammer her unmercifully.”
Simple plans, but they should suffice and they could be changed to fit the circumstance.
They had risked shore leave, half a day for each watch in turn, because it was difficult to desert in Antigua and the men mostly had no money and were reduced to the pleasures of walking on dry land and seeing the unfamiliar sights. The bulk of the hands appreciated the change though a few had coins and used them to get drunk or buy a disease, and two were taken up for attempted theft.
Vereker reported to Frederick that the port authorities had the two in their cells and proposed to heave them before their own court, unless Trident herself wished to hang them.
“Landsmen, sir, both gaol-delivery from the Assizes, neither showing any particular promise. Threatened a liquor-seller, one or both displaying a jack-knife, which they had probably stolen earlier – Mr Cheek is not aware that either carried a seaman’s knife. Too stupid to realise that every liquor-seller in town keeps a pair of heavies to hand for his protection, they were both clubbed down and the patrol was called.”
Frederick shook his head; hangings might upset the crew, still not fully settled down and reconciled to their lot.
“We should not risk annoying our people, Mr Vereker. My thanks to the provosts for their courtesy in contacting me, but say that we would not attempt to interfere with their – what’s a good word? ‘Jurisdiction’, would that make sense?”
Vereker did not know but suspected that it would do. To avoid possible embarrassment, he would go ashore and deliver the message verbally – what was not written down would not be remembered and laughed at later.
“When do they hang, Mr Vereker?”
“Trial today, sir, and stretch their necks in the morning, at dawn when it is cool and such energetic business is easier to perform.”
“I see that sentence has been pronounced in advance of a verdict, Mr Vereker. Is that not something of a reversal of normal procedure?”
Vereker could not see that there was a problem, decided that Frederick was exercising the captain’s privilege of being witty. He gave a sickly smile, all that he thought it was worth.
“Would it be possible to ask them to delay for one day, do you think? The gallows is in full view of our berth and it might upset some of their acquaintance on board. We sail on tomorrow’s tide and will be a long way distant by Friday’s dawn.”
Vereker was unsuccessful in his mission, the provosts pointing out that the whole function, the very purpose, of public hanging was to cause upset to those who might consider the same crimes. It was, in fact, in the highest degree desirable that the shipmates of the unfortunate should observe their condign end and ponder deeply upon it.
“The lieutenant in command of the provost detachment is a pompous, sermonising, tedious, un-promoted forty years old lackwit, sir. He has finally found a place in the service, and is probably very good at hanging felons and wishes for an audience to admire his sole talent.”
“Then we must not disappoint him, Mr Vereker. If we cause him offence now then none of our people will be safe from him in future.”
Vereker agreed - the harbour authorities would no
rmally turn a blind eye to roisterers on shore leave, but they could be vindictive.
“Delay breakfast, Mr Vereker. Turn up the hands as normal, scrub the deck and then call them to Divisions. I will tell them why, and the word can be passed quietly of the real reason for the performance. Bosomtwi and Ablett will talk to the senior petty officers tonight.”
Almost all of the men had seen hangings before, they were not so uncommon an event; a few were aficionados, in the habit of travelling many miles for their entertainment. The reaction generally was of minor interest and shrugged shoulders – they were only landsmen and had made few friends in their time aboard.
They stood in their lines and looked idly across at the gallows and roared with laughter when the hangman’s assistant fell off the crosspiece while tightening the knot on the second rope.
Frederick was in dress uniform, attempting to add solemnity to the procedure, attended by a full retinue on the quarterdeck. He had to keep a rigidly straight face as the man hobbled around the foot of the scaffold, rubbing at a bruised leg.
“I wonder just what he’s saying, Mr Vereker?”
“I can’t imagine, sir – I lack the inventiveness, myself.”
A five minute delay and all was ready and the procession marched slowly from the cells.
“Twenty armed militiamen, two gaolers to each; a full set of irons, feet and wrists – they must think they are mighty fierce, Mr Vereker!”
“I expect it’s written down in a book of regulations somewhere, sir. That fat fool will go word for word by the book!”
It seemed that Vereker had conceived a dislike for the Provost Lieutenant.
“Behind you, sir,” Vereker murmured, jerking his head.
Frederick looked round, saw his new clerk, Mr Dunnett, staring in horror, increasingly white in the face. Presumably he had never attended an execution before.
“He will see worse yet in this commission, I fear, Mr Vereker. Best he had watch.”
Frederick glanced across to Bosomtwi, beckoned him across.
Sugar and Spice (The Duty and Destiny Series, Book 6) Page 6
