CHAPTER IX.
"If we Cannot defend our own door from the dog, Let us be worried; and our nation lose The name of hardiness, and policy." _Henry V._
The combat between the Crisis and _la Dame de Nantes_ took placein 42.37'.12" north latitude, and 34.16'.43" west longitude, fromGreenwich. This was very near the centre of the northern Atlantic, andgave us ample time to get our ship in good condition before we drewin with the land. Shortly after the affair, the wind came out light atnortheast, forcing us down nearer to the Bay of Biscay than was at allconvenient, when bound to London. The weather grew foggy, too, which isnot usual on the coast of Europe, with the wind at east, and the nightsdark. Just a fortnight after the action, I was awakened early onemorning by a rough shake of the shoulder from Marble, who had the watch,but who was calling me at least an hour before the time. "Bear a handand turn out," he said; "I want you on deck, Mr. Wallingford." I obeyed,of course, and soon stood in the presence of the chief-mate, rubbing myeyes diligently, as if they had to be opened by friction.
It was just six bells, or seven o'clock, and one of the watch was on thepoint of making the bell proclaim as much, when Mr. Marble ordered himnot to strike the hour. The weather was thick, or rather foggy, and thewind light, with very little sea going. All this I had time to notice,to listen to the unusual order about the bell, and to gape twice, beforethe male turned to me. He seized my arm, carried me on the lee sideof the quarter-deck, shook his finger at a vacant spot in the fog, andsaid--
"Miles, my boy, down yonder, within half a mile of this very spot, isour friend the Frenchman!"
"How is it possible you can know that, Mr. Marble?" I demanded insurprise.
"Because I have seen him, with these two good-looking eyes of mine. Thisfog opens and shuts like a playhouse-curtain, and I got a peep at thechap, about ten minutes since. It was a short look, but it was a sureone; I would swear to the fellow in any admiralty court in Christendom."
"And what do you intend to do, Mr. Marble? We found him a hard subjectin clear weather; what can we do with him in thick?"
"That depends on the old man; his very natur' is overlaid by whathas happened already, and I rather think he will be for a freshskrimmage"--Marble was an uneducated Kennebunk man, and by no meansparticular about his English. "There'll be good picking in that Frenchgentleman, Master Miles, for those who come in at the beginning of theplunder!"
The chief-mate then told me to go below and turn up all hands, making aslittle rumpus about it as possible. This I did; and when I returnedto the deck, I found the fingers of Marble going again, with CaptainWilliams for his auditor, just as they had gone to me, a few minutesearlier. Being an officer, I made no scruples about joining the party.Marble was giving his account of the manner in which he had momentarilyseen the enemy, the canvass he was under, the course he was steering,and the air of security that prevailed about him. So much, he insistedhe had noted, though he saw the ship for about twenty seconds only. Allthis, however, might be true, for a seaman's eye is quick, and he hasmodes of his own for seeing a great deal in a brief space of time.Marble now proposed that we should go to quarters, run alongside of theFrenchman, pour in a broadside, and board him in the smoke. Our successwould be certain, could we close with him without being seen; andit would be almost as certain, could we engage him with our guns bysurprise. The chief-mate was of opinion we had dosed him in the otheraffair, in a way to sicken him; this time we should bring him to with around turn!
The "old man" was pleased with the notion, I saw at a glance; and Iconfess it took my fancy also. We all felt very sore at the resultof the other attempt, and here it seemed as if fortune gave us a goodoccasion for repairing the evil.
"There can be no harm in getting ready, Mr. Marble," the captainobserved; "and when we are ready ourselves we shall know better what tothink of the matter."
This was no sooner said, than away we went to clear ship. Our task wassoon done; the tompions were got out, the guns cast loose, ammunitionwas brought up, and a stand of grape was put in over the shot in everypiece in both batteries. As the men were told the motive, they workedlike dray-horses; and I do not think we were ten minutes before the shipwas ready to go into action, at a moment's notice.
All this time, Captain Williams refused to keep the ship away. I believehe wanted to get a look at our neighbour himself, for he could not butforesee what might be the consequences, should he run down in the fog,and engage a heavier vessel than his own, without the ceremony of ahail. The sea was covered with Englishmen, and one of their cruisersmight not very easily pardon such a mistake, however honestly made. Butpreparation seems to infer a necessity for performance. When everythingwas ready, all eyes were turned aft in a way that human nature couldhardly endure, and the captain was obliged to yield. As Marble, of allon board, had alone seen the other vessel, he was directed to conn theCrisis in the delicate operation she was about to undertake.
As before, my station was on the forecastle. I had been directed tokeep a bright look-out, as the enemy would doubtless be first seen fromforward. The order was unnecessary, however, for never did human beingsgaze into a fog more anxiously, than did all on board our ship on thisoccasion. Calculating by the distance, and the courses steered, wesupposed ten or fifteen minutes would bring us square alongside of Mr.Marble's ship; though some among us doubted his having seen any vesselat all. There was about a five-knot breeze, and we had all our squaresails set, knowing it was necessary to go a little faster than ouradversary, to catch up with him. The intense expectation, not to sayanxiety, of such a scene, is not easily described. The surrounding fog,at times, seemed filled with ships; but all vanished into _thick_ air,one after another, leaving nothing but vapour. Severe orders had beengiven for no one to call out, but, the moment the ship was seen, forthe discoverer to go aft and report. At least a dozen men left theirquarters on this errand, all returning in the next instant, satisfiedthey had been deceived. Each moment, too, increased the expectation; foreach moment must we be getting nearer and nearer to her, if any vesselwere really there. Quite twenty minutes, however, passed in this manner,and no ship was seen. Marble continued cool and confident, but thecaptain and second-mate smiled, while the people began to shake theirheads, and roll the tobacco into their cheeks. As we advanced, our ownship luffed by degrees, until we had got fairly on our old course again,or were sailing close upon the wind. This change was made easily, thebraces not having been touched; a precaution that was taken expressly togive us this advantage. When we found ourselves once more close uponthe wind, we gave the matter up forward, supposing the mate had beendeceived. I saw by the expression of the captain's face that he wasabout to give the order to secure the guns, when, casting my eyesforward, there was a ship, sure enough, within a hundred yards of us!I held up both arms, as I looked aft, and luckily caught the captain'seye. In an instant, he was on the forecastle.
It was easy enough to see the stranger now. There he was in thefog, looking mystical and hazy; but there he was, under hismain-top-gallant-sail, close-hauled, and moving ahead in all theconfidence of the solitude of the ocean. We could not see his hull, orso faintly as only to distinguish its mass; but from his tops up,there was no mistaking the objects. We had shot away the Frenchman'smizen-royal-mast. It was a pole, and there the stump stood, just as itwas when we had last seen him on the evening of the day of the combat.This left no doubt of the character of our neighbour, and it at oncedetermined our course. As it was, we were greatly outsailing him, butan order was immediately given to set the light staysails. As CaptainWilliams passed aft, he gave his orders to the men in the batteries.In the mean time, the second-mate, who spoke very good New York French,came upon the forecastle, in readiness to answer the expected hail. Asthe Crisis was kept a little free, in order to close, and as she sailedso fast, it was apparent we were coming up with the chase, hand overhand.
The two ships were not more than a hundred feet asunder whenthe Frenchmen first saw us. This
blindness was owing to severalcircumstances. In the first place, ten men look forward in a ship,where one looks aft. Those who looked aloft, too, were generally onthe quarter-deck, and this prevented them from looking astern. Then theFrenchman's crew had just gone to their breakfasts, most of them eatingbelow. She was so strong-handed, moreover, as to give a forenoon's watchbelow, and this still left many of the sluggards in their hammocks. Inthat day, even a French ship-of-the-line was no model of discipline ororder, and a letter-of-marque was consequently worse. As it afterwardsappeared, we were first seen by the mate of the watch, who ran to thetaffrail, and, instead of giving an order to call all hands, he hailedus. Mr. Forbank, our second-mate, answered; mumbling his words so, that,if they were bad French, they did not sound like good English. He gotout the name "Le Hasard, de Bordeaux," pretty plainly, however; and thisserved to mystify the mate for a few seconds. By the end of that time,our bows were doubling on the Frenchman's quarter, and we were sheeringinto him so fast as quite to distract the Nantes man. The hail had beenheard below, however, and the Frenchmen came tumbling up by the dozen,forward and aft.
Captain Williams was a prime seaman, and one of the coolest men thatever lived. Everything that day was done at precisely the proper moment.The Frenchman attempted to keep off, but our wheel was so touched as tokeep us lapping in nearly a parallel line with them, the whole time; andour forward sails soon becalmed even their mainsail. Of course wewent two feet to their one. Marble came on the forecastle, just as ourcat-head was abreast of "The Lady's" forward-rigging. Less than a minutewas required to take us so far forward, and that minute was one of greatconfusion among the French. As soon as Marble got on the forecastle, hemade a signal, the ensign was run up, and the order was given to fire.We let fly all five of our nine-pounders, loaded with two round and astand of grape, at the same moment. At the next instant, the crash ofthe ships coming foul of each other was heard. Marble shouted "Come on,boys!" and away he, and I, and Neb, and all hands of us, went on boardof the Frenchman like a hurricane. I anticipated a furious hand to handconflict; but we found the deck deserted, and had no difficulty whateverin getting possession. The surprise, the rush, and the effect of thebroadside, gave us an easy victory. The French captain had been nearlycut in two by a nine-pound shot, moreover, and both of the mates wereseverely wounded. These accidents contributed largely to our success,causing the enemy to abandon the defence as hopeless. We had not a soulhurt.
The prize proved to be the ship I have mentioned, a letter-of-marque,from Guadaloupe, bound to Nantes. She was a trifle larger than theCrisis, mounted twelve French nines, and had eighty-three souls on boardwhen she sailed. Of these, however, no less than twenty-three had beenkilled and wounded in our previous affair with her, and several wereabsent in a prize. Of the wounded, nearly all were still in theirhammocks. Among the remainder, some sixteen or eighteen suffered by ourclose and destructive broadside on the present occasion, reducing theefficient part of her crew to about our own numbers. The vessel wasnew and valuable, and her cargo was invoiced at something like sixtythousand dollars, having some cochineal among it.
As soon as assured of our victory, the Crisis's main-top-sail was bracedaback, as well as it could be, and her helm put down. At the same time,the Dame was kept away, and the two ships went clear of each other.Little injury had been done by the collision, or the grinding; and, inconsequence of our guns having been so much shotted, no damage whateverwas done the lower masts of the prize. The shot had just force enough topass through the bulwarks, make splinters, and to lodge. This left bothvessels in good condition for going into port.
At first it was determined to leave me in _la Dame de Nantes,_ asprize-master, with directions to follow the Crisis into Falmouth,whither she was bound for orders. But, on further examination, it wasdiscovered that the crew of an American brig was on board the prize asprisoners; _la Dame de Nantes_ having captured the vessel only two daysbefore we met the former the first time, taken out her people, mannedher, and ordered her for Nantes. These Americans, including the masterand two mates, amounted to thirteen souls in all, and they enabled usto make a different disposition of the prize. The result of an hour ortwo's deliberations was as follows:
Our old second-mate, whose hurt was likely to require better care thancould be had on the North-west Coast, was put on board the French shipas prize-master, with orders to make the best of his way to New York.The master and chief-mate of the American brig agreed to act under him,and to assist in carrying _la Dame_ across the ocean. Three or fourof our invalids were sent home also, and the liberated Americans tookservice for the passage. All the French wounded were left in the ship,under the charge of their own surgeon, who was a man of some littlemerit, though a good deal of a butcher, as was too much the fashion ofthat day.
It was dark before all the arrangements were made, when _la Dame deNantes_ turned short round on her heel, and made sail for America. Ofcourse our captain sent in his official report by her, and I seized amoment to write a short letter to Grace, which was so worded as to beaddressed to the whole family. I knew how much happiness a line from mewould bestow, and I had the pleasure to inform them, also, that I waspromoted to be second-mate--the second-mate of the American brig havingshipped as my successor in the rank of third-officer.
The parting on the wide ocean, that night, was solemn, and, in somerespects, sad. We knew that several who were in _la Dame de Nantes_would probably be left behind, as she travelled her long, solitarypath, in the depths of the ocean; and there were the chances that she,herself, might never arrive. As respects the last, however, the oddswere in her favour, the American coast being effectually cleared ofFrench privateers by that time; and I subsequently received elevenhundred and seventy-three dollars for my share in that exploit. How Iwas affected by the circumstance, and what I did with the money, willappear in the sequel.
The Crisis made sail on a bowline, at the same moment her prize filledaway for America; Miles Wallingford a much more important personage thanhe had been a few hours before. We put the prisoners below, keeping agood watch over them, and hauled off to the northward and westward, inorder to avoid any French cruisers that might be hovering on their owncoast. Captain Williams seemed satisfied with the share of glory he hadobtained, and manifested no further disposition to seek renown in arms.As for Marble, I never knew a man more exalted in his own esteem, thanhe was by the results of that day's work. It certainly did him greatcredit; but, from that hour, woe to the man who pretended to disputewith him concerning the character of any sail that happened to cross ourpath.
The day after we parted company with our prize, we made a sail to thewestward, and hauled up to take a look at her, the wind having shifted.She was soon pronounced to be an American; but, though we showed ourcolours, the stranger, a brig, manifested no disposition to speak us.This induced Captain Williams to make sail in chase, more especiallyas the brig endeavoured to elude us by passing ahead, and the run waspretty nearly on our course. At 4, P. M. we got near enough to throw anine-pound shot between the fellow's masts, when the chase hove-to, andpermitted us to come up. The brig proved to be the prize of _la Damede Nantes_, and we took possession of her forthwith. As this vessel wasloaded with flour, pot and pearl ashes, &c., and was bound to London, Iwas put in charge of her, with a young man of my own age, of the name ofRoger Talcott, for my assistant, having six men for my crew. Of coursethe Frenchmen, all but one who acted as cook and steward excepted, werereceived on board the Crisis. Neb went with me, through his own and myearnest entreaties, though spared by Marble with great reluctance.
This was my first command; and proud enough did I feel on the occasion,though almost dying with the apprehension of doing something wrong. Myorders were, to make the Lizard light, and to crawl along up-channel,keeping close in with the English coast; Captain Williams anticipatinginstructions to go to the same port to which the Amanda (the brig) wasbound, and expecting to overtake us, after he had called at Falmouthfor his orders. As the Crisis could go four feet t
o the Amanda's three,before sunset our old ship was hull down ahead of us.
When I took charge of the deck the next morning, I found myself on thewide ocean, with nothing in sight, at the age of eighteen, and in theenemy's seas, with a valuable vessel to care for, my way to find intonarrow waters that I had never entered, and a crew on board, of whomjust one-half were now on their first voyage. Our green hands hadmanifested the aptitude of Americans, and had done wonders in the way ofimprovement; but a great deal still remained to be learned. The Crisis'scomplement had been too large to employ everybody at all sorts of work,as is usually done in a merchant-vessel with her ordinary number ofhands and the landsmen had to take their chances for instruction.Notwithstanding, the men I got were stout, healthy, willing and able topull and haul with the oldest salts.
By the arrangement that had been made, I was now thrown upon my ownresources. Seamanship, navigation, address, prudence, all depended onme. I confess I was, at first, nearly as much depressed by the noveltyand responsibility of my command, as Neb was delighted. But it issurprising how soon we get accustomed to changes of this sort. The firstfive or six hours set me quite at my ease, though it is true nothingoccurred in the least out of the usual way; and, by the time the sunset, I should have been happy, could I have got over the uneasinessproduced by the darkness. The wind had got round to south-west, and blewfresh. I set a lower and a top-mast studding-sail, and by the time thelight had entirely vanished, the brig began to drag after her canvass ina way to keep me wide awake. I was at a loss whether to shorten sailor not. On the one hand, there was the apprehension of carrying awaysomething; and, on the other, the fear of seeming timid in the eyes ofthe two or three seamen I had with me. I watched the countenances ofthese men, in order to glean their private sentiments; but, usually,Jack relies so much on his officers, that he seldom anticipates evils.As for Neb, the harder it blew, the greater was his rapture. He appearedto think the wind was Master Miles's, as well as the ocean, the brig,and himself. The more there was of each, the richer I became. As forTalcott, he was scarcely as good a seaman as myself, though he waswell-educated, had good manners, was well-connected, and had been myoriginal competitor for the office of third-mate. I had been preferredonly through the earnest recommendations of Marble. Talcott, however,was as expert a navigator as we had in the ship, and had been placedwith me on that account; Captain Williams fancying two heads might provebetter than one. I took this young man into the cabin with me, not onlyas a companion, but to give him consideration with the people forward.On shore, though less fortunate in the way of state, he would have beenconsidered as fully my equal in position.
Talcott and myself remained on deck together nearly the whole of thefirst night and the little sleep I did get was caught in a top-maststudding-sail that lay on the quarterdeck, and which I had determinednot to set, after rowsing it up for that purpose. When daylightreturned, however, with a clear horizon, no increase of wind, andnothing in sight, I was so much relieved as to take a good nap untileight. All that day we started neither tack nor sheet, nor touched abrace. Towards evening I went aloft myself to look for land, but withoutsuccess, though I knew, from our observation at noon, it could not befar off. Fifty years ago the longitude was the great difficulty withnavigators. Both Talcott and myself did very well with the lunars, it istrue; but there was no chance to observe, and even lunars soon get outof their reckoning among currents and tides. Glad enough, then, was I tohear Neb sing but "Light ahead!" from the fore-top-sail-yard. This wasabout ten o'clock. I knew this light must be the Lizard, as we were toofar to the eastward for Scilly. The course was changed so as to bringthe light a little on the weather-bow; and I watched for its appearanceto us on deck with an anxiety I have experienced, since, only in themost trying circumstances. Half an hour sufficed for this, and then Ifelt comparatively happy. A new beginner even is not badly off withthe wind fresh at south-west, and the Lizard light in plain view onhis weather-bow, if he happen to be bound up-channel. That night,consequently, proved to be more comfortable than the previous.
Next morning there was no change, except in the brig's position. We werewell in the channel, had the land as close aboard as was prudent, andcould plainly see, by objects ashore, that we were travelling ahead at afamous rate. We went within a mile of the Eddystone, so determined wasI to keep as far as possible from the French privateers. Next morning wewere up abreast of the Isle of Wight; but the wind had got round to thesouthward and eastward, becoming much lighter, and so scant as to bringus on a taut bowline. This made England a lee-shore, and I began to beas glad to get off it, as I had lately been to hug it.
All this time, it will easily be understood that we kept a sharplook-out, on board the brig, for enemies. We saw a great many sail,particularly as we approached the Straits of Dover, and kept as muchaloof from all as circumstances would allow. Several were evidentlyEnglish vessels-of-war, and I felt no small concern on the subject ofhaving some of my men impressed; for at that period, and for many yearsafterwards, ships of all nations that traded with the English lost manyof their people by this practice, and the American craft more than anyother. I ascribed to our sticking so close to the coast, which we didas long as it was at all safe, the manner in which we were permitted topass unnoticed, or, at least, undetained. But, as we drew nearer to thenarrow waters, I had little hope of escaping without being boarded. Inthe mean while, we made short stretches off the land, and back again,all one day and night, working slowly to the eastward. We still met withno interruption. I was fast getting confidence in myself; handling theAmanda, in my own judgment, quite as welt as Marble could have doneit, and getting my green hands into so much method and practice, that Ishould not have hesitated about turning round and shaping our coursefor New York, so far as the mere business of navigating the vessel wasconcerned.
The lights on the English coast were safe guides for our movements, andthey let me understand how much we made or lost on a tack. Dungeness wasdrawing nearer slowly, to appearances, and I was beginning to lookout for a pilot; when Talcott, who had the watch, about three in themorning, came with breathless haste into the cabin, to tell me there wasa sail closing with us fast, and, so far as he could make her out in thedarkness, she was lugger-rigged. This was startling news indeed, for itwas almost tantamount to saying the stranger was a Frenchman. I did notundress at all, and was on deck in a moment. The vessel in chase wasabout half a mile distant on our lee-quarter, but could be plainlyenough distinguished, and I saw at a glance she was a lugger. There werecertainly English luggers; but all the traditions of the profession hadtaught me to regard a vessel of that particular rig as a Frenchman. Ihad heard of privateers from Dunkirk, Boulogne, and various other portsin France, running over to the English coast in the night, and makingprizes, just as this fellow seemed disposed to serve us. Luckily, ourhead was toward the land, and we were looking about a point and ahalf to windward of the light on Dungeness, being also favoured with aflood-tide, so far as we could judge by the rapid drift of the vessel towindward.
My decision was made in a minute. I knew nothing of batteries, or whereto seek protection; but there was the land, and I determined to make forit as fast as I could. By keeping the brig a good full, and makingall the sail she could carry, I thought we might run ashore before thelugger could get alongside us. As for her firing, I did not believe shewould dare to attempt that, as it might bring some English cruiser onher heels, and France was some hours' sail distant. The fore and mizentop-gallant-sails were set as fast as possible, the weather-bracespulled upon a little, the bowlines eased, and the brig kept a rap-full.The Amanda was no flyer, certainly; but she seemed frightened as muchas we were ourselves, that night. I never knew her to get along so fast,considering the wind; and really there was a short time when I began tothink she held her own, the lugger being jammed up as close as she couldbe. But this was all delusion, that craft coming after us more like asea-serpent than a machine carried ahead by canvass. I was soon certainthat escape from such a racer by sailing, wa
s altogether out of thequestion.
The land and light were now close aboard us, and I expected every momentto hear the brig's keel grinding on the bottom. At this instant I caughta faint glimpse of a vessel at anchor to the eastward of the point, andapparently distant about a quarter of a mile. The thought struck me thatshe might be an English cruiser, for they frequently anchored in suchplaces; and I called out, as it might be instinctively, "luff!" Nebwas at the helm, and I knew by his cheerful answer that the fellow wasdelighted. It was lucky we luffed as we did, for, in coming to the wind,the vessel gave a scrape that was a fearful admonisher of what wouldhave happened in another minute. The Amanda minded her helm beautifully,however, and we went past the nearest land without any further hints,heading up just high enough to fetch a little to windward of the vesselat anchor. At the next moment, the lugger, then about a cable's lengthfrom as, was shut in by the land. I was now in great hopes the Frenchmanwould be obliged to tack; but he had measured his distance well, andfelt certain, it would seem, that he could lay past. He reasoned,probably, as Nelson is _said_ to have reasoned at the Nile, and as someof his captains unquestionably _did_ reason; that is, if there was waterenough for us, there was water enough for him. In another minute I sawhim, jammed nearly into the wind's eye, luffing past the point, andfalling as easily into our wake as if drawn by attraction.
All this time, the night was unbroken by any sound. Not a hail, nor acall, our own orders excepted, and they had been given in low tones, hadbeen audible on board the Amanda. As regards the vessel at anchor, sheappeared to give herself no concern. There she lay, a fine ship, and,as I thought, a vessel-of-war, like a marine bird asleep on its properelement. We were directly between her and the lugger, and it is possibleher anchor-watch did not see the latter. The three vessels were not morethan half a cable's length asunder; that is, we were about that distancefrom the ship, and the lugger was a very little farther from us. Fiveminutes must determine the matter. I was on the brig's forecastle,anxiously examining all I could make out on board the ship, as her size,and shape, and rig, became slowly more and more distinct; and I hailed--
"Ship ahoy!"
"Hilloa! What brig's that?"
"An American, with a French privateer-lugger close on board me, directlyin my wake. You had better be stirring!"
I heard the quick exclamation of "The devil there is!" "Bloody Yankees!"came next. Then followed the call of "All hands." It was plain enoughmy notice had set everything in motion in that quarter. Talcott nowcame running forward to say he thought, from some movements on board thelugger, that her people were now first apprised of the vicinity of theship. I had been sadly disappointed at the call for all hands on boardthe ship, for it was in the manner of a merchantman, instead of that ofa vessel-of-war. But we were getting too near to remain much longer indoubt. The Amanda was already sweeping up on the Englishman's bows, notmore than forty yards distant.
"She is an English West-Indiaman, Mr. Wallingford," said one of myoldest seamen; "and a running ship; some vessel that has deserted orlost her convoy."
"Do you _know_ anything of the lugger?" demanded an officer from onboard the ship, in a voice that was not very amicable.
"No more than you see; she has chased me, close aboard, for the lasttwenty minutes."
There was no reply to this for a moment, and then I was asked--"To tack,and give us a little chance, by drawing him away for a few minutes. Weare armed, and will come out to your assistance."
Had I been ten years older, experience in the faith of men, andespecially of men engaged in the pursuit of gain, would have preventedme from complying with this request; but, at eighteen, one views thesethings differently. It did appear to me ungenerous to lead an enemy inupon a man in his sleep, and not endeavour to do something to aid thesurprised party. I answered "ay, ay!" therefore, and tacked directlyalongside of the ship. But the manoeuvre was too late, the lugger comingin between the ship and the brig, just as we began to draw ahead again,leaving him room, and getting a good look at us both. The Englishmanappeared the most inviting, I suppose, for she up helm and went on boardof him on his quarter. Neither party used their guns. We were so near,however, as plainly to understand the whole, to distinguish the orders,and even to hear the blows that were struck by hand. It was an awfulminute to us in the brig. The cries of the hurt reached us in thestillness of that gloomy morning, and oaths mingled with the clamour.Though taken by surprise, John Bull fought well; though we couldperceive that he was overpowered, however, just as the distance, and thehaze that was beginning to gather thick around the land, shut in the twovessels from our view.
The disappearance of the two combatants furnished me with a hint howto proceed. I stood out three or four minutes longer, or a sufficientdistance to make certain we should not be seen, and tacked again. Inorder to draw as fast as possible out of the line of sight, we kept thebrig off a little, and then ran in towards the English coast, which wassufficiently distant to enable us to stand on in that direction somelittle time longer. This expedient succeeded perfectly; for, when wefound it necessary to tack again, day began to dawn. Shortly after, wecould just discern the West-Indiaman and the lugger standing off theland, making the best of their way towards the French coast. In 1799, itis possible that this bold Frenchman got his prize into some of hisown ports, though three or four years later it would have been a nearlyhopeless experiment. As for the Amanda, she was safe; and Nelson did notfeel happier, after his great achievement at the Nile, than I felt atthe success of my own expedient. Talcott congratulated me and applaudedme; and I believe all of us were a little too much disposed to ascribeto our own steadiness and address, much that ought fairly to have beenimputed to chance.
Off Dover we got a pilot, and learned that the ship captured was theDorothea, a valuable West-Indiaman that had stolen away from her convoy,and come in alone, the previous evening. She anchored under Dungeness atthe first of the ebb, and, it seems, had preferred taking a good night'srest to venturing out in the dark, when the flood made. Her berth was aperfectly snug one, and the lugger would probably never have found her,had we not led her directly in upon her prey.
I was now relieved from all charge of the brig; and a relief I found it,between shoals, enemies, and the tides, of which I knew nothing. Thatday we got into the Downs, and came-to. Here I saw a fleet at anchor;and a pretty stir it made among the man-of-war's-men, when our story wasrepeated among them. I do think twenty of their boats were alongsideof us, to get the facts from the original source. Among others who thusappeared, to question me, was one old gentleman, whom I suspected ofbeing an admiral. He was in shore-dress, and came in a plain way; themen in his boat declining to answer any questions; but they paid himunusual respect. This gentleman asked me a great many particulars, andI told him the whole story frankly, concealing or colouring nothing. Hewas evidently much interested. When he went away, he shook me cordiallyby the hand, and said--"Young gentleman, you have acted prudently andwell. Never mind the grumbling of some of our lads; they think only ofthemselves. It was your right and your duty to save your own vessel, ifyou could, without doing anything dishonourable; and I see nothing wrongin your conduct. But it's a sad disgrace to us, to let these Frenchrascals be picking up their crumbs in this fashion, right under ourhawse-holes."
Afloat and Ashore: A Sea Tale Page 10
