A Busy Season (The Duty and Destiny Series, Book 8)

by Andrew Wareham

  The master scowled, scratching his head to aid recollection.

  "What was your last ship, Ryder? I believe I have seen your face before, have I not?"

  "Yes, sir. Your Lark frigate stopped us last year, sir, and brought us into Gibraltar on the suspicion that we were engaged in unlawful activities, sir. But, sir, you will remember that we were found to be innocent traders."

  "So you were, I recall now. The imputation that you were running unfortunate young females from Spanish ports down to the shores of Morocco was quite unfounded!"

  "Yes, sir - a shocking falsehood, sir! That was certainly not our trade, sir."

  "I am sure that is so, Ryder. I am also quite sure that you are a seaman through and through. Why did you not ask to be a master's mate?"

  "No navigation, sir, and I can't hardly read nohow, sir. Nor write."

  "The chaplain holds classes for those who will put themselves out to learn, Ryder. Think about it. The First Lieutenant will wish to speak with you, and so will Mr Baker, the boatswain, before you are written into the muster roll. I shall tell them I have no doubts about you - as a seaman."

  "Thank'ee, sir!"

  Watson, wishing to take a midshipman's warrant, was wheeled before Frederick.

  "Mr Watson, are you Gibraltar born, sir?"

  "Fareham, sir."

  "Ran away to sea?"

  "Twice, sir. Got caught when I was no more than twelve and dragged back to school, sir, but I was quicker on my feet the next year."

  "Why?"

  "Third son, sir, my father a merchant in Fareham with an interest in the big iron foundry there. I was to go for a clerk in the offices there, for seven years from fourteen, and then I was to be bookkeeper, sir, 'on a safe one hundred and fifty pounds a year for life'. Picked up a berth on a fast bottom that ended up running down to the African coast, sir. Not what they told me at first. Thought she was on the smuggling, so I was told; she was a slaver, sir. Four years, and not going back to England at all. The war with Spain has made the Slave Coast too dangerous this year, so she is laid up for the while, and I have no wish to go back to the Trade, sir. The captain wanted a lad who could read and write for him, and keep a count on his books; young enough not to know what was what, as well."

  "It happens, Mr Watson. Have you learned much of seamanship?"

  "I can hand, reef and steer, sir; I can navigate. I can lay a gun, sir, and use a musket and a pistol, sir. A dozen of the men will follow me into Euripides, sir, if they are needed."

  "Then I shall offer you your warrant, Mr Watson. Four years as an apprentice on a merchantman running out of Gibraltar, sir, those years to count against your six. You will be able to stand before a Board in two years from now. Buy in all you can in Gibraltar, sir, in the way of uniform; we can make up much that you cannot buy from masthead sales. We need young gentlemen badly - if you know of others like yourself, I will speak to them."

  "None, I fear, sir."

  "A pity. By all means bring any of your past crewmates aboard, but remember that they are not to be your followers, sir. There will be no drinking; the midshipman's berth is dry on my ships, Mr Watson, I would add."

  "Yes, sir."

  "Good. I intend to sail in three days, sir."

  If Watson was determined then he would come aboard fully equipped; if he discovered later doubts then he would not come back. The choice was his.

  The shortage of young gentlemen was a nuisance, but it would probably deal with itself over a month or two. The word would spread and boys and young men, volunteers on other ships, would make application to join him, mostly with the approval of their own captains.

  Book Eight: The Duty

  and Destiny Series

  Chapter Two

  "A convoy, Sir Frederick, if you would be so good. The Mediterranean is in turmoil and we do not know just what is where and it is appropriate therefore to escort our stores to the island of Malta. I am given to understand that the Barbary rovers are currently inclined to give us free passage, having been recently chastised, but there are Spanish and French vessels at large in numbers unknown and there are also Greek pirates in the Eastern parts of the Middle Sea, and a number of Ottoman pashas and whatevers who are semi-autonomous and much inclined to play finders-keepers at sea."

  "I was never one for games, sir."

  "Quite, Sir Frederick. Captain Murray will be very pleased to share some of his knowledge with you."

  "West of Malta, Sir Frederick, the sole fear at present is of French and Spanish ships of war - of which at any given moment there may be a dozen or none pursuing their own affairs, independently of each other. The French and Spanish are allied again, but they do not choose to pursue any single policy overseas. The French have some degree of control over larger matters – the Spanish Atlantic Fleet is probably subject to their orders, to the extent that the inefficiency of the Spanish Admiralty and dockyards will permit.”

  “To what extent is that cooperation willing, Captain Murray? Do the Spaniards willingly subordinate themselves to the French or are they unenthusiastic in their obedience to the orders that come from Paris?”

  “Reports are unclear, confused and contradictory, Sir Frederick. Much like Spain itself, in fact. One suspects that in the event of a fleet action between a combined French and Spanish force and the British then some – a few or many is a guess – of the Spanish captains will find themselves unable to reach the scene of battle. The wind will be contrary; they will lose contact with their admirals in the night; they will fail to see or misunderstand signals; they will simply be so long delayed in attaining the formation demanded that they will never quite come into action – the excuses will be many, I have no doubt. It is not an alliance of love, or not on the part of all of those forced into it by obedience to their government.”

  “So, it is not impossible that duties would be carried out in half-hearted fashion? Was I to attack a French convoy might I expect an escorting Spanish ship of war not to notice what was happening? Has every Spanish ship orders to be rigorous in their prosecution of this war or has each captain leeway to interpret any situation he discovers?"

  Murray did not know – his sources in Spain had been compromised. The betrayal and death of his agent Sanchez had told him that one, or a few, or many, of his people were playing double and he could not evaluate his information for the while.

  “Some, quite possibly most, of the reports coming to me are accurate, Sir Frederick – but which, I cannot tell! It will be a few months until all is tidy again. Your man Deptford will aid me no end in discovering who is false. I doubt not. For the while I have to say that I am unsure what is happening in the Spanish navy."

  “A nuisance, Captain Murray. What of the rest of the Mediterranean, to the east of Malta?”

  Murray smiled happily: he could answer that question.

  “To the east of the island, you may find an even bigger political maelstrom than when last you were in those waters. French, Russian and Ottoman naval vessels and the occasional Austrian who is to some extent a privateer; French, Ottoman and Egyptian private ships of war; Ottoman, Greek and undeclared pirates. And, as always the Barbary corsairs. All of them quite likely to attack a convoy, its escort, or each other, or perhaps all three together."

  "I was under the impression, Captain Murray, that the Russians are allies and the Ottoman friendly neutrals. The Austrians are currently allies as well, are they not? Why privateers of a sort, by the way?"

  "The Austrians decided to create a navy, so they opened an officers' training school some few years ago. They have yet to build any ships, however, but it seems they borrow some occasionally. The difficulty is that any government department must be headed and staffed in its higher levels by the blue-blooded, and they have no naval families of rank. Their sole experience in any related field is of gunboats on the Danube, which are manned and officered by professional rivermen, none of whom are in any way aristocratic and hence could not give advice. The titular heads of their na
vy consequently know nothing and do very little; they cannot build ships because they do not know how, and there are none to tell them, for they cannot listen to mere commoners. They did seek information from London, but could find no reliable sources - it transpires that our naval officers are none of them true gentlemen. It mattered little to them while they had influence over Venice, which could control the Adriatic for them. Now, however, they have a problem, and the dilettantes in Vienna are not very good with such things… They do not like difficulties and hope that if they pretend they do not exist then they will go away. So they tell each other that Austria is a Great Power and ignore all facts which offer a contrary view and at intervals hire a ship to fly their flag in the Mediterranean.”

  Frederick could not quite understand this; Captain Murray was forced to explain that a 'gentleman' by the Austrian definition had sixty-four quarterings of nobility.

  "To be a gentleman then all of one's great-great grandparents must be nobly born. I may have left a 'great' out, by the way. Younger sons are included, but it is still a rather restrictive definition; I do not believe there is a single family in England that could meet the demand."

  The English nobility had a habit of marrying into money which, it would seem, the Austrians deplored.

  Frederick shrugged; it meant little to him. He returned to the important point.

  "They are our allies, even so."

  "That is a true statement, Sir Frederick, but is nonetheless effectively meaningless. The Balkans are a rule unto themselves."

  "Then, what is the actual position, Captain Murray?"

  "An excellent question, Sir Frederick! I have not the least idea! I think much must depend on the presence of witnesses. Unseen, anything can happen; most things will."

  "I wish you could come to sea, sir! I would benefit much from your advice!"

  "Never no more, sir! My adventuring will be done by proxy for the future; I shall confine myself to reading the reports of more active individuals. I am truly 'cribbed, cabined and confined'."

  Murray observed the blank expression on Frederick's face.

  "Shakespeare. Macbeth, in fact."

  "Ah yes, of course - I knew I had heard the words somewhere!"

  Murray shook his head, sadly offered to lend Frederick a copy.

  "I should perhaps stay on land, Captain Murray, there to improve my education. I grow tired of the naval existence. The sea is for boys, I suspect, and I am rapidly losing my youth."

  "Never say so, Sir Frederick! Youth exists in the mind, sir, and may be replenished with a little of rest and calm, sir. You are concerned perhaps that you may be forced to the slaughter of Christian slaves at their oars, yet the probability is strong that you will meet no more galleys in the coming year, for they are to take pains to avoid English ships for the while."

  Heartening information, if it was correct; Frederick was much happier in his mind as he returned to the admiral for his final instructions.

  "You are to have Harriet brig and an armed schooner to assist with the convoy, Sir Frederick. Had Euripides still been in the yard they would have been the whole of the escort, I would add."

  "What is the schooner, sir?"

  "Just come into Gibraltar, Sir Frederick. Bluenose, by name and under the command of a lieutenant, let me see..."

  "Dench, by any perchance, sir?"

  "Just so, Sir Frederick. You know him?"

  "Recently under my command, sir, and an enterprising young man. One who will deserve well of the Navy, I suspect. He may well suit a sloop within a very few months, sir, assuming he does not manage to kill himself first, of course. The old problem with boys in command - they tend either to meet with great success or with a single and terminal reverse."

  "I presume you are thinking of your own career, Sir Frederick!"

  "Or that of Lord Nelson, sir. He became a post-captain at much the same age as myself, I believe! Not, I hasten to add, that I am comparing my abilities to his, sir - there is, can be, only one such as he!"

  "Agreed, sir!"

  "What of the convoy itself, sir? There are only a few ships in the harbour."

  "Five, in fact, Sir Frederick. Three are carrying a battalion of infantry for the garrison at Malta, following earnest representations from the Governor there that he is sadly understrength for a defence of the island. I believe that he will find himself less than delighted by his access of manpower, sir!"

  "What are they, sir?"

  "A recently enlisted battalion, Sir Frederick; men offered the chance to serve their country in redemption of their past misdemeanours; brought to the Colours in recognition of Albion's dire state in the face of the threat of invasion."

  "Misdemeanours, sir? Might 'felonies' be a better term?"

  "I would imagine so, Sir Frederick. Almost all are gaol-delivery, and permitted to serve only if overseas. The bulk might have gone to transportation in more normal days, I am told, some few to the gallows. Their officers and sergeants have been dug out of retirement; commonly beached, or the army's equivalent, for being hopeless drunks, or for having gone onto half-pay to avoid a court-martial that might have brought shame to their previous regiment. None of them, officers or men, have been permitted to come ashore in Gibraltar."

  "And the other two vessels, sir?"

  "One carries the muskets and powder and ball for the battalion, it being preferred that the tools of mutiny should not be in their hands at sea. Rations, as well, I believe, so that if they take their ship and sail away they will soon go hungry. The fifth is a trader, a Levanter, who missed the convoy earlier in the season for some reason - I have the details here on my desk, let me see... Ah, yes! A collision on the Thames - only too frequent an event, I am told - and a spell in the yard for repairs. Not the widest of waterways, the Thames, and sometimes as many as five hundred of merchantmen and barges moving on the one tide. Small wonder ships are rammed!"

  "I have never sailed those waters, sir. Nor shall I without a Pilot, I think! Will it be possible to bring the masters together, sir, before we sail?"

  "Dine with me today, Sir Frederick. I shall bring the five to this office one hour beforehand."

  The ships' captains were not happy in their task; they would not willingly carry soldiers again, they said.

  "Beg pardon, Sir Frederick, but them soldiers, so-called, is gettin' mighty restless. What do us do if they comes to riotin' and takin' the ship?"

  The master was an elderly man, probably owner as well and, like the others, inclined to regret accepting this particular cargo.

  "Abandon her, immediately, sir. Take to your small boat and fire off a distress light, a blue rocket if you have such."

  "Don't got none of they, sir."

  "I will send a pair across to you. Was I you, I would tow the boat astern sir, for ease of escape."

  "What then, sir?"

  "Then Euripides will bring herself onto your beam, rescuing you first, sir, and run out the broadside, loaded grape. They will have a warning to behave themselves and sit upon the deck while my people take the ship back. If they refuse then we shall fire broadsides until we see no further sign of disorder."

  "Jesus! There might be four bloody hundred of stiffs, sir!"

  "Those who survive may cast them over the side, sir. We may assume that the other two ships will observe and choose to behave themselves thereafter. You may wish to pass the word to your own crew - they will, no doubt, talk to the soldiers. Obviously, you would have a claim for damages, though whether against the Army or the Navy, I would be unsure."

  Frederick presumed that the message was passed to the troops - they behaved remarkably well for the duration of the voyage to Malta, the sole distraction caused by a two weeks drunk subaltern who chose, he announced, to walk home, being bored with his new occupation. It transpired that he could not swim.

  The sea was empty, not a sail sighted in good sailing weather, much to the disquiet of the naval captains.

  "The question, Mr Gentry, is simply why th
ere are no ships in what should be busy waters. What do other masters know that is causing them to avoid these seas?"

  "The French must be out, sir, and Lord Nelson must be chasing them - somewhere in five thousand square miles of sea, sir."

  "Agreed, sir. Let us hope they may not, either of them, stumble across us in the night!"

  The two fleets chose not to occupy the same patch of sea as Euripides and the voyage remained uneventful.

  Admiral Fortescue still had the command in Malta, though becoming restless in his expectation of relief from his place of torment.

  "Too few ships, Sir Frederick. Too few soldiers. Too little money. Too many enemies! How Malta has remained in our possession I do not know. French or Ottomans could have taken the island at any time these three years; even the bloody Russians could have given me a hard time! I have been forced to rely upon the Greeks you delivered for the bulk of my forces, sir, and they have, in fact, proved very reliable. They are settled here now and I believe that few will ever return to their own places; I know in fact that most have turned to the Catholic Church, there being no Orthodox gentleman to hand, so would find it very difficult to fit in again in their islands. Some might well wish to join with you again, perhaps, sir."

  "I am short of young gentlemen more than anything else, sir. It goes without saying that able-bodied seamen will be very welcome - when are they not? But the main need is for bodies on my quarterdeck. I hate to admit it, but there is a need for warrant officers at a junior level, and captain's servants could be useful on a Third Rate."

  "You could do me a service there, Sir Frederick. I have recently found myself acting as guardian to a pair of boys, one aged ten, the other twelve, children of my widowed sister who has herself suddenly died. Their father perished in the Sugar Islands some six years ago, a post-captain who took out his frigate and caught a fever in his first days in Antigua - before he could take any prizes! My sister was left poor and in, it would seem, ill-health, though that I did not know. Suffice it to say, she is no more and the boys were sent to me and are to make their way in the world. A quarterdeck is the obvious place for them. I will deal with their allowances, of course."