(I aass__3iMo_ Book Je iC^ 7 FAMOUS SHIPS OF THE BEITISH NAYY. Frontispiece. HOWE. See THE STORY OF THE 'QUEEN CHARLOTTE.'— Po^e 168. FAMOUS SHIPS OF THE BRITISH NAVY ; OH, STORIES OF ENTEEPRISE AND DAKING COLLECTED FROM #ur ^abal €l}xonuhB. BY W. H. DAYENPOET ADAMS, AUTHOR OF " MEMOKABLE BATTLES IN ENGLISH HISTORY," "THE MEN AT THE HELM,' "the sea-kings of ENGLAND," ETC. '' Fame of the asserted sea through Europe blown." — Dryden. WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND DIAGRAMS; AND AN APPENDIX ON IRON-CLAD SHIPS, By N. Barnaby, Meinber of the Tmtitute of Naval Architech\ LONDON: CASSELL, PETTEE, AND OALPIN, LA BELLE SAUVAGE YARD, LUDGATEj HII-iL, ^ I^.C.j ♦ 9s bb •01. THIS VOLUIVIE OF STORIES OF THE ENTERPRISE MD DARING OF BRITISH SEAMEN IS I2^SCRIBED, BY SPECIAL PEKMISSIOK, HIS GEACE THE DUKE OF SOMEKSET, E.G., rmST LOED OF THE ADMIRALTY, ETC., ETC. IN EESPECTFUL RECOGNITION OF HIS GRACE's ZEALOUS endeavours to maintain the efficiency of England's best defence, and adapt it to the needs of the future. PREFACE. 1^ the following pages are condensed the histories of some of those famous Ships which, commanded by gallant officers and manned by " hearts of oak," have done so much to illustrate the annals and perpetuate the fame of the British Navy. These stirring narratives have been compiled from authentic sources, and are purposely presented without verbal exaggeration or picturesque colouring. The deeds of British sailors require no adventitious adjuncts to merit the respect, and command the admiration, of their countrymen. At a time when the "wooden walls" of England seem virtually abolished, and the gallant vessel which walked the waters like *'a thing of life" is fast being converted into an iron tortoise, or armour-clad hulk, whose chief characteristic will be its invulnerability ; at a time, when the manoeuvres of ships and the tactics of great fleets are undergoing a complete revolution ; the reader may not be displeased to refresh his memory with the achievements of our old men-of-war, — those Vlll PREFACE. Queen Charlottes, Bellerophons, and Victories, whicli bore the flags of our famous Sea-kings in a score of glorious triumphs, and asserted in every sea the supremacy of the " Eed Cross. " The old forms, however, may change ; but the spirit will still live. Whether the Fleet of the Future be modelled after the Warrior, the Achilles, the Monitor, or the Boyal Sovereign, I doubt not that it will be led by oflBcers as heroic as Nelson, as gentle as CoUiugwood, and manned by no unworthy successors of the gallant "tars" who bled at Camperdown, Trafalgar, and the Nile. And if they need an inspiration, they will find it in such romantic narratives as this little volume is designed to preserve : — " In our halls is hung Armour of the invincible knights of old. We must be free or die, who speak the tongue That Shakspeare spoke ; the faith and morals hold That Milton held ; in everything have sprung From earth's best blood, have titles manifold !" — Wordsworth. W. H. D. A. Norwoody Februo^ry 1863. CONTENTS, CHAPTER I. RISE OF THE BRITISH NAVY, PAGE The " Henrye Grace a Dieu " — The " Sovereign of the Seas " — Ships first classified — Sloops and Yachts introduced — Expla- nation of the word " frigate " — Growth of the British Navy . 15 CHAPTER II. THE STORY OF THE "MARY ROSE." Henry VIII. — Portsmouth as it was — French Fleet under D'Annebault — Engagement between English and French — Loss of the "Mary Rose'' — French Invasion of the Isle of Wight — Quotation from Froude 20 CHAPTER m. THE STORY OF THE "GOLDEN HIND,'* AND DRAKE'S CIRCUMNAVI- GATION OF THE WORLD. Enterprise against the Spanish Colonies in North America — Drake's Flotilla — Thomas Doughty — Old Books of Travel — The Patagonians — A Skirmish — Port St. Julian — Execution of Doughty — Drake's Ships separate — Discovery of Cape Horn — The Sleeping Spaniard — Rifles the Cacafuego — Sails along the North- West Coast — Extreme Cold of the Climate — New Albion — Port San Francisco — Islands of Thieves — • The Philippines — The Moluccas — Interview with the King of Temate — A Narrow Escape — Arrival at Plymouth — Honours bestowed upon Drake — The "Golden Hind" at Peptford — Cowley's Yerses — A Latin Eulogium .... 27 X CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. THE STORY OF BLAKE's FLAG-SHIPS ! — • Tlie " Triumph ''—the " Swiftsure ''—the " ;S'^. George," • PAGE The *' Triumph .-"—Blake and Van Tromp— The two Fleets in Sight — ^A Storm — Blake gains the Weather-gage — The *' Triumph " begins the Engagement — It is desperately con- tested — Victory of the English — Remissness of the Parlia- ment — Danger of Blake — ^Slovements of the Dutch — The 18th of February 1653 — The two Fleets engage — Heroism of De Ruyter— Close of the First Day's Battle— The Dutch off Weymouth — Second Day's Battle — Dutch retreat during the Night— Third Day's Battle— Defeat of the Dutch- Blake sails for the Scotch Coast — Monk and Deane in the Downs — ^The 2nd of June — Van Tromp's Armada — Attacks the English — Death of Deane — Night comes on — Renewal of the Battle on the Second Day — Arrival of Blake — A Fierce Contest — Destruction of the "Brederode" — Total Defeat of the Dutch 43 The " Swiftsure :" — Before Cadiz — Blockade of the Port — Blake visits Algiers, and relieves Tangier — The Peru Trea- sure Fleet — Takes Refuge in Santa Cruz — Blake resolves to attack it — Preparations for Resistance — Movements of the English — A Prudent Dutchman — Attack upon Santa Cruz — Gallantry of Captain Stayner — Total Desti:uction of the Spanish Vessels — Eulogium of Lord Clarendon — Cromwell's Letter to Blake — After-career of the " Swiftsure " ... 56 The " St. George :" — Expedition against the Barbary States — Sails from the Solent — Obtains Compensation from the Grand Duke of Tuscany — Appears off Tunis — Is defied by the Dey — Attacks Tunis — Destruction of the Tunisian Fleet and Batteries — Visits Tripoli and Algiers — Illness of Blake — Steers for Home — Gradual Decline — Arrives off Ply- mouth — Quotation from Hepworth Dixon — Blake's Public Funeral — ^His Character — After-career of the " St. George ". 63 CHAPTER V. THE STORY OP THE *' ROYAL CHARLES." Launched as the *' Naseby "■ — Shares in the Sea-fights of the Dutch — Selected as the Flag-ship of Blake and Montagu- Narrow Escape— The Restoration of 1660— The " Naseby " re-christened as the *' Royal Charles " — Embarks Charles II. at Scheveling — Quotation from Dry den — The Dutch AVar of 1665~riag-ship of the Duke of York— Battle of the 3rd of CONTENTS. XI PAGE June — Defeat of the Dutch — Singular Conduct of the Duke — Treachery or Cowardice of Brouncker-— Quotation from Sir John Denham — Glorious Victory of June 1, 1666 — Quo- tation from Dryden — The Dutch in the Medway — Destruc- tion of the " Koyal Charles " . 72 CHAPTEK VI. THE STOEY OF THE " CENTURION." Romantic Character of Old Books of Travel — Associations of Childhood — Anson's Famous Voyage — Fleet fitted out in 1740 against Manilla, the Capital of the Philippines — Badly manned and improperly equipped — Sails from Spithead — ■ Fever breaks out — The Fleet reaches the Brazilian Coast — ■ Patagonia and the Patagonians — The Isle of Fire — The Straits of Lemaire — A Storm — The " Centurion " makes for Juan Fernandez — Arrives there, and lands her Crew — An Island- Settlement — Arrival of the *' Gloucester " — Sad Tidings — Eecovery of the Crew — The Expedition again puts to Sea — Bold Attack upon Paita — A Night-masquerade — • Cruises off Acapulco — Quotation from Captain Basil Hall — Loss of the " Gloucester "> — The " Centurion " at Tinian — An Alarm — Sails for China — Arrival at Macao — Cruises in Search of the Panama Treasure-ship — A Prudent Cook — Capture of the Great Galleon — Alarm of Fire — The " Cen- turion " and her Prize arrive at Spithead ...... 82 CHAPTER VII. THE STORY OP A MUTINY. TJiG "Bounty:' Dampier's Description of the Bread-fniit — The English Govern- ment resolve to plant it in the West Indies — The *' Bounty " sails for the South Seas — Arrives at Tahiti — Reception by the Tahitians — ^Friendly Intercourse — A Heivah, or Tahi- tian Dance — Tahitian Plants — A Supply obtained — The " Bounty " sails for Anamooka — Begins her Homeward Voy- age — The Mutiny breaks out — Captain Bligh's Account — The Boat-voyage — Bligh's Character — Real Causes of the Mutiny — Narrative by an Eye-witness — The Mutineers re- turn to Tahiti — Obtains Supplies — Discussions take place — Christian and his Adherents sail from Tahiti, and fall in with Pitcairn's Isle — An Extraordinary Colony — Its History 11 CONTENTS. PAGE detailed — Visited by Captain Sir Thomas Staines and Cap- tain Beecliey — Captain Beechey's Interesting Account — Re- moval of the Colonists to Norfolk Island — Bligh and his Companions — The Boat-voyage — Severe Privations — Arrive at Timor — Departure for England — Voyage of the "Pan- dora" — Seizes the Mutineers at Tahiti — Harsh Conduct of Captain Edwards — ^Wreck of the "Pandora" — Boat- voyage — Conclusion of the Eventful Story 97 CHAPTER VIII. THE STORY OF THE *' ARETHUSA." Dibdin's Popular Ballad — Narrative of the Engagement which it celebrates between the '*Arethusa" and "La Belle Poule" — Admiral Keppel and the French off Ushant— Indecisive Battle— Political Feeling . 131 CHAPTER IX. THE STORY OF THE "ROYAL GEORGE." Cowper's Celebrated Ballad — Sir Edward Hawke's Fleet in 1759 — Hoists his Flag on Board the " Royal George "■ — En- gagement with the French in Quiberon Bay — A Great Vic- tory — Falconer the Poet — Rear- Admiral Kempenfeldt — The " Royal George " at Spithead — Narrative of her Loss — The Extent of the Catastrophe — Graves on tlie Duver, at Ryde — The Wreck of the '* George " — Removal by Colonel Pasley . 137 CHAPTEfe X. THE STORY OF THE " BELLEROPHON." War with France — Lord Howe's Victory of the 1st of June — Share of the " Bellerophon " on tlie 29th of May — Attacks " La Revolutionnaire " — Renewal of the Engagement — Manoeuvres of the two Fleets — The 1st of June — Heroism of Rear-Admiral Pasley — A Complete Victory — Anecdotes of the 1st of June— The Battle of Trafalgar— The " Belle- rophon " captm-es the " Monarca " — Cruises in the Basque Roads — Fall of Napoleon — The Emperor goes on Board the "Bellerophon"' — Sails for Plymouth — Removed to the " Northumberland " — St. Helena 145 CONTENTS, XI 11 CHAPTER XI. THE STORY OF THE "QUEEN CHARLOTTE." PAGE Outbreak of the Eevolutionary War— The Channel Fleet — A Cruise — The French in sight — A Yain Pursuit — Lord Howe's Fleet in 1794 — The Enemy sails from Brest — Battle of the 28th of May— Battle of the 29th— The " Glorious First of June " — A fierce Engagement — A complete Victory — Ho- nours for the Victors — A Storm, and a Cruise — Lord Bridport off Belle-Isle — Behaviour of the " Queen Charlotte " — Mu- tiny at Spithead — Concessions of the Admiralty — Influence of Earl Howe — The *' Queen Charlotte" in the Mediterra- nean — Off Genoa — Alarm of Fire — Loss of the "Queen Charlotte" 163 CHAPTER XII. THE STORY OF THE " LEANDER." Gallant Engagement with a French 74 — At Santa Cruz with Nelson — Nelson's Pursuit of the French Fleet — Discovers it at anchor in the Bay of Aboukir — Aboukir Island — Nelson*s movements— Commencement of the Battle — Manoeuvres of the English — Explosion of the " Orient " — Casa-Bianca and his Son — Total Defeat of the French — The " Leander " sails . for Cadiz — Engagement with the " Genereux " — A Desperate Resistance — Her Capture— Restored to England by the Em- peror of Russia — Captures the ** Ville-de-Milan " and " Cleo- patra" • 181 CHAPTER XIII. THE STORY OF THE "DREADNOUGHT." Flag-ship of Admiral Comwallis — CoUingwood hoists his Flag on board of her in 1805— Shares in the Battle of Trafalgar — Captures the " San Juan de Nepomuceno " — Gallant Boat- action at Ushant — Employed as a Hospital-ship — Statistics — Concluding remarks 199 CHAPTER XIV. THE STORY OF THE "SHANNON." Causes of the War with America in 1812 — Successes of the Americans — Captain Philip Broke — The "Shannon" off XIV CONTEJTTS. PAGE Boston — Challenges the " Chesapeake "-—Captain Broke's Remarkable Letter — Relative Force of the two Vessels — The Battle— Complete Victory of the English—Interesting Details 204 CHAPTER XV. THE STORY OF THE "VICTORY." Built in 1765— Lord Hood's Flag-ship in 1793— Siege of Toulon — Capture of Corsica— Sir John Jervis succeeds to the com- mand of the Mediterranean Fleet — Hoists his Flag in the *' Victory " — She shares in the Battle off Cape St. Vincent — Details of the Battle — Defeat of the Spanish — Becomes Nel- son's Flag-ship in 1803— Pursuit of the French and Spanish Fleets — Preparations for Battle— Anecdotes of Nelson — Battle of Trafalgar — General Details — Wound of Nelson — His Last Moments — His Death, and Character — A Glorious Victory — Nelson's Funeral — After-career of the *' Victory " , 217 CHAPTER XVI. THE STORY OP A SHIPWRECK. The '' Alceste:' Her Early Career — Gallant Encounter with the " Pomone " — Embassy to China — Begins her Homeward Voyage — The Wreck — Island of Pulo Leat — A Strange Colony — Appear- ance of the Malay Pirates — Preparations for Defence — • Arrival of Relief— Captain Maxwell and the Emperor Napo- leon — Conclusion .»•••••••.•.. 267 APPENDIX. IRON-CLAD SHIPS. The " Warrior "—The " Black Prince "—General Principles on which an Iron-clad Fleet should be constructed — Plans of the British Admiralty— The Navy of the Future . . . .278 Chronological Table of Actions at Sea 297 Description of a Ship's Eigging, Sails, &c 303 ' of Naval Terms 312 FAMOUS SHIPS OF THE BEITISH NAVY. CHAPTER I. THE RISE OF THE BRITISH NAVY. " Thus we command The empu-e of the sea." — Slialisi^eare, Though naval victories had been achieved by England in the stormy reigns of the Plantagenets — and notably at Sluys by Edward III. — the Eoyal ^avy, strictly speaking, had no existence until Henry YIL caused to be constructed, in 1488, a three-masted ship which he called The Great Harry, and which is said to have been accidentally burnt at Woolwich in 1553. Previously, the English kings, when carrying on a maritime war, hired their ships of the great merchants, or relied upon the quota of vessels which every Cinque Port, and the sea-ports generally, were bound to supply at the so- vereign's demand. These small craft resembled in size and burden the fishing-boats which now hover about our coasts ; one-decked, one-masted vessels, carrying small guns which were fired, not through port-holes, but over the ship's bulwarks. Port-holes were the in- vention of one Descharges, a French builder at Brest, and in England appear to have been first introduced in the second famous ship of the Eoyal Navy — the Henrye Grace-a-Bieu, built at Erith, or, according to some authorities, at Woolwich, in 1515. The Senrye Grace-a-Dieu was then considered the tenth Wonder of the World. Giustinian, the Venetian ambassador at the court of Heniy YHP, seems to have 10 THE "GOLDEN DEVIL.'* been amazed at her extraordinary size : she was, lie says, " a galeas of TinusTial magnitude," whose numerous heavy guns would doubtlessly overpower " any fortress, however strong." She cost 6,478Z. 85. Ofd,— a large sum, when the value of money at that time is taken into con- sideration. Her burthen was, it is said, 1 000 tons, but we have no means of ascertaining in what way the Tudor shipbuilders computed tonnage. She carried two tiers of guns, and platforms — or short decks — both at stem and stem, j)resenting, indeed, a very fantastic and unwieldy appearance. Her armament consisted of 80 pieces — cannon-royal, cannon-serpentine, bastard-cannon, demi-cannon, and cannon-petro — 54 of which were fired through port-holes, the remainder mounted on the after- part of the forecastle. She had three decks and four masts. This memorable vessel was launched at Erith, October 1515, in the presence of King Henr}^ and his queen, and wellnigh all "the lords and prelates of the kingdom, who all dined on board at the king's charge." We hear of her, afterwards^ in 1552, as the Ediuard, — her name having been changed, perhaps, in compliment to Edward VI.5 — and from that date lose all trace of her existence. A vessel of 900 tons, named after Queen Elizabeth, was launched at Woolwich in her royal presence, in 1559 ; but the next great ship of the British navy, — which, under Henry VIII., had received its first formal organization, — was the Sovereign-of-the-Seas, built at Woolwich dockyard, in 1637, from tho designs of Phineas Pett. Fuller speaks of her as "a liegir-ship of state, the greatest ship our island ever saw." Her sides were richly adorned with emblems and mottoes in gold, so that the Dutch, in whose naval defeats she played a conspicuous part, called her the '* Golden Devil." Her decorator, Thomas Heywood, thus de- scribes her : — "She has three flush-deckes, and a fore- castle, an half-decke, a quarter-decke, and a round- house. Her lower tyre (tier) hath 30 ports, which are WHAT IS A FRIGATE? 17 to be furnished with demi-cannon and whole cannon throughout, being able to beare with them. Her middle tyre hath also 30 ports, for demi-culverin and whole culverin. Her third tyre hath 26 ports for other ord- nance. Her forecastle hath 12 ports, and her halfe- decke hath 14 ports. She hath 13 or 14 ports more wi thin-board for murdering pieces \i. e., guns mounted on the after part of the forecastle], besides a great many loop-holes out of the cabins for musket-shot. She carried, moreover, ten pieces of chase-ordnance in her right forward, and ten right aft, that is, according to land service, in the front and the reare." Her burthen is variously stated at 1141, 1637, 1543, and 1683 tons, and her armament numbered, in all, 100 guns. The ships of the Eoyal Navy appear to have been first classified into "rates" in 1626, when was issued, by- order of Charles I., '' the Kew Eates for Seamen's Monthly Wages, confirmed by the Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy, according, to His Majesty's several rates of ships, and degrees of officers." These rates were then, as they are now, six in number, but, of course, in every other respect, differed materially from the present arrangement. A " first-rate " of to-day is a vessel as infinitely superior to the " first-rate " of King Charles's time as the Great Eastern to one of the Chelsea steamers. About 1670 the description of vessel known as " sloops " was added to the Eoyal Navy. Bombs, in- vented by N. Eeyneau, were introduced in 1688; fire- ships and yachts, between 1660 and 1675. The word " yacht" is from the Dutch, and the first yacht ever seen in England was The Mary, a present from the Dutch government to Charles IJ. At a much earlier date our builders had become acquainted with the light swift vessel of war called " frigate." The word is ap- parently Italian, and indicates swiftness of sailing : it de- rives its origin, says the Dictionnaire de la Marine, from th^ Mediterrginean, where all long ships, built both for 18 OEIGIN OF THE FRIGATE. sail and oar, are named " frigates." The side, which is higher than that of a galley, has openings, like port- holes, for the oars to pass throngh. From the Italians they were adopted by the French, and from the French by the English, who called almost all their merchant ships frigates. Sir Francis Drake, among the ships which he led against the (misnamed) Invincible Ar- mada, had a " frigat " called the Elizabeth Fonnes, of 80 tons, and manned by 50 men. The first frigate, how- ever, as the moderns understand the term, was built by the ingenious Sir Kobert Dudley, afterwards Duke of Northumberland: it measured 160 ft. in length, and 24 ft. in breadth, and carried a tier of guns on a single whole deck, besides other guns on the quarter- deck and forecastle. Thus the English appear to have been the first to have introduced the armed frigate, and to have converted into a ship of war the fast- sailing merchant- vessel, though Fuller asserts that we ** fetched the first model and pattern of our friggots from the Dunkirks,* when, in the days of the Duke of Bucking- ham, then admiral, we took some friggots from them, two of which still survive in His Majesty's navy (Charles II.), by the names of the Providence and Expedition^' On the other hand, Pep^^s asserts that " the Constant Warwick was the first frigate built in England. She was built in 1649, by Mr. Peter Pett, for a privateer for the Earl of Warwick, and was sold by him to the States. Mr. Pett took his model of a frigate from a French frigate which he had seen in the Thames ; as his son, Sir Phineas Pett, acknow- ledged to me." For centuries the British navy was composed of ships inferior in point of sailing qualities to those of * Dunkirk was, for centui'ies, a famous nursery for seamen : hence, the importance which Cromwell attached to its possession by England, and the indignation with which the Enghsh regarded its sui'render to France by Ohailes II. The Dunkirk rovers did no small damage to English pommerce m lat^ m the Revolutionary INFEraORITY OF BRITISH SHIPS. 19 other maritime nations, and its numerous victories were won by the superior discipline and courage of its seamen. Their great fault, says Mr. James, in his in- valuable Naval History, was — *' their insufficient size in reference to the guns they were forced to carry. Hence, their lower batteries could seldom be used in blowing weather ; and they sailed and worked heavily. But even this had its advantages; for the British generally recaptured their ships, whenever they formed part of an enemy's chased fleet ; and it is remarkable that, of the Comte de Forbin's fleet, which, in 1708, attempted a descent on Scotland, the only ships which perished in the gale that happened were such as had been taken froni the English." For years, indeed, the best and swiftest vessels in the Eoyal Navy were those which had been captured from the French; but the application of steam power to men-of-war, and the im- proved science of our shipbuilders, has happily removed from us this long-enduring reproach, and we now construct in the royal dockyards ships of a strength, beauty, and speed which no nation can surpass. These desultory remarks may fittingly be closed with a comparison of the number and strength of the British Koyal Navy at different dates. In 1677, it included 41 ships, mounting 2,344 guns, and manned by 14,665 men. In 1793, it numbered (in commission, in or- dinary, &c.) 411 ships, whose total tonnage was 402,555, carrying 45,000 seamen and marines. In 1796, it numbered 592 ships with 530,423 tons. In 1800, 757 ships with 629,211 tons. In 1810, at the climax of the great French Eevolutionary War, 1,048 ships, with 860,990 tons, of which 664 sail were cruisers. In 1820, it had decreased to 613 ships, with 605,527 tons, but only 113 ships were in commission. In 1861, it in- cluded nearly 1,000 steamers and sailing vessels ; but the introduction of iron-clad ships has so completely altered the character of our marine, that it is difficult to furnish ^ny correct view of its actual condition, 20 CHAPTER II. THE STORY OF THE " MARY ROSE/' [Period of Service : Reign of Henry VIII., 1539-1544. Strength : 60 guns, 500 men.] " Ye ocean warriors ! Our song and feast shall flow To the fame of your name When the storm has ceased to blow ; When the fiery fight is heard no more, And the storm has ceased to blow." — Campbell, Henry VIII. was tlie first of our sovereigns who rightly comprehended the importance to England of a considerable marine, and it was the energy of his genius and the decisive resolution of his character which sowed the seeds of our surpassing maritime power. With that administrative ability which he so eminently possessed he introduced a complete system and a satisfactory organization into his infant navy, and placed his arsenals and dockyards upon an important footing. Portsmouth, under his care, became the' principal naval depot of England; and yet how weak and rude were these beginnings as compared with the splendid results now so conspicuous to our eyes, may easily be inferred by our young readers from Leland's quaint description of that famous seaport. Leland visited Portsmouth in 1548, and thus records his ob- servations : — '* The land here," he writes, " on the east side of Portsmouth haven, runs further by a great way straight into the sea, l^'' the south-east from the haven-mouth, than it does on the west point. There is, at the point of the haven, Portsmouth town, and a great round tower, almost double in quantity and strength to that on the west side of the haven right against it, and here POUTSMOOtH THREE CENTURIES AGO, 21 is a miglity chain of iron to draw from tower to tower. About a quarter of a mile above this tower there is a great dock for ships, and in this dock lies the ribs of the Henry Grace de Dieu, one of the biggest ships that has been made within the memory of man. There are above this dock creaks in this part of the haven. The town of Portsmouth is murid [walled] from the east tower a furlong's length, with a mud wall armed with brass ordnance, and this piece of the wall having a ditch without it, runs so far flat south-south-east, and is the place most apt to defend the town, there open on the haven. There runs a ditch almost flat east for a space, and within it is a wall of mud like to the other, and then goes on round about the town for the circuit of a mile. There is a gate of timber at the north-east end of the town, and by it there is cast up a hill of earth ditched, whereon be guns to defend the entry into the town by land. There is much vacant ground within the town wall, and there is one fair street in the town west to north-east." Such was Portsmouth in the reign of Henry VIIL, and as such it excited the jealousy and apprehension of our '* natural enemies" — for so our wise ancestors considered them! — the French. Accordingly, when war broke out between Henry VIII. and Francis I., in 1544, their first blows were aimed at Portsmouth, and thither was de- spatched a formidable fleet under the command of the gal- lant D* Annebault, Admiral of France. It consisted of 1 50 large ships, 25 galleys, and 50 small vessels and trans- ports, which, having securely crossed the Channel, were off the back of the Isle of Wight on the 18th of July. The English fleet, having just been reviewed by Henry VIII., lay at Portsmouth, under the command of the chivalrous Lord Lisle. It was far inferior in force to the French armada, but its vessels were of larger build, and manned by better seamen. Chief among these was the Mary Bose — so named partly in honour of the Virgin Mary, and partly in allusion to the Tudor 22 A FRENCH INtASIOi^. cognizance of tlie rose. Slie was a new sliip of 600 tons, recently built at Woolwich, and armed with 60 pieces of heavy ordnance. Her captain was the gallant Sir George Carew, but she was unfortunately manned with a crew who were said, all of them, " to be fitter, in their own conceit, to order than obey, and to be incom- petent for ordinary work " — very worshipful gentlemen and brave soldiers, but by no means well-disciplined seamen. D'Annebault's armada steadily progressed round the Isle of Wight, piloted by boats with sounding lines which carefully indicated the proper depth of water. They passed the lofty cliffs now crovoied by the glitter- ing villas of Ventnor and Bonchurch, while the bale-fires shooting up their spires of flame on every conspicuous height, warned the islanders that an enemy was at hand. Soon they rounded the picturesque headland of St. Helen's Point, and fell into position in a formidable line which extended nearly four miles in length — from Brading Harbour to the then little fishing village of Eyde. Fourteen English ships were despatched by Lord Lisle to reconnoitre the array, but D'Annebault bringing up his galleys to meet them, after a few drop- ping shot, they retired, and night silently encompassed the hostile fleets. Let us now adopt Mr. Froude's picturesque narra- tive : — *' The morning which followed," he says, ^* was breathlessly calm. Lisle's fleet lay all inside the Spit [a large sand-bank, whence the name Sjpit-Jiead], the heavy sails hanging motionless on the yards, the smoke from the chimneys of the cottages on shore rising in blue columns straight up into the air. It was a morn- ing beautiful with the beauty of an English summer and an English sea; but, for the work before him, Lord Lisle would have gladly heard the west wind among his shrouds. At this time he had not a galley to oppose to the five-and-twenty which D'Annebault had brought skiumish between the r\vo fleets:. 23 with him ; and in such weather the galleys had all the advantages of the modern gunboats. From the single long gun which each of them carried in the bow they poured shot for an hour into the tall stationary hulls of the line-of-battle ships ; and, keeping in constant motion, they were themselves in perfect security. According to the French account of the action, the Great Harry suffered so severely as almost to be sunk at her anchor- age ; and had the calm continued, they believed that they could have destroyed the entire fleet. As the moiTiing drew on, however, the off-shore breeze sprung up suddenly, the large ships began to glide through the water, a number of frigates — long, narrow vessels — so swift, the French said, they could outsail their fastest shallops — came out * with incredible swiftness ;' and the fortune of the day was changed. The enemy were afraid to turn lest they should be run over ; and if they attempted to escape into the wind, they would be cut off from their own fleet. The main line advanced barely in time to save them, and the English, whose object was to draw the enemy into action under the guns of their own fortresses and among the shoals at the Spit, retired to the old ground. The loss on both sides had been insignificant ; but the occasion was ren- dered memorable by a misfortune." This misfortune was the total loss of the Mary Bose ; a misfortune the more remarkable that it occurred nearly in the same spot, and through a very similar cause, as, at a later period, the loss of the Boyal George. It appears that her ports were open for the action ; her guns were run out ; but, misled by the calm which prevailed, the crew had insufficiently secured them. The wind came up with a sudden sweep, and as the Mary Bose v^'-s.s slightly heeled on one side, her wind- ward tier of guns broke loose, rolled across the deck, and with their weight and momentum so depressed her lee- ward side, that the water rushed in at the open ports, filled the ship, and sunk her, with every soul on board ! 24 THE WRECK OF THE ** MARY ROSE." Sucli was tlie fate of tlie Mary Bose, on the very first occasion that she bore the red cross of England in sight of an enemy. Her loss was probably owing to the unwieldiness of her construction as much as to the inefficiency and inexperience of her crew. To the heart of her royal master, who may be said to have been an eye-witness of the catastrophe, her loss was a grievous blow. It may have proved some consolation to him, how- ever, that the French experienced a similar misfortune. The French treasure-ship, La Maitresse, had suffered severe straining in her passage across the Channel, and the recoil of her own guns developed and completed the mischief. The crew were saved, and they suc- ceeded in bringing off the money-chest ; but they were compelled to tow their vessel into Brading Haven, and run her ashore. The action, however, was not terminated by these casualties — ■'' the first result of the meeting of the two largest navies which had encountered each other for centuries " — and, as the details of this French invasion have an interest for all time, we feel persuaded our young readers will permit us to include them in the " Story of the Mary Bose." We continue our quotations from Mr. Froude's animated pages :— *' The day had as yet lost but a few hours, and D'Annebault, hearing that the king was a spectator of the scene, believed that he might taunt him out of his caution by landing troops in the Isle of Wight. The sight of the enemy taking possession of English terri- tory, and the blaze of English villages, scarcely two cannon-shot distance from him, would provoke his patience, and the fleet would again advance. Detach- ments were set on shore at three different points. Pierre Strozzi, an Italian, attacked a fort, perhaps near Sea Yiew,* which had annoyed the galleys in the morning. The garrison abandoned it as he approached, * Mr. Fronde is probably riglit in his conjecture. In several old maps the headland at Sea View is named Old Fort, THE FRENCH LAND IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 25 and it was destroyed. M. de Thais, landing without resistance, advanced into the island to reconnoitre. He went forward till he had entangled his party in a glen surrounded by thickets; and here he was checked by a shower of arrows from invisible hands. The English, few in number, but on their own ground, hovered about him, giving way when attacked, but hanging on his skirts, and pouring death into his ranks from their silent bows, till prudence warned him to withdraw to the open sands. The third detachment was the most considerable ; it was composed of picked men, and was led by two of the most distinguished commanders of the galleys. These must have landed close to Bern- bridge [probably at Sandown Bay]. They were no sooner on shore than they were charged by a body of cavalry. . There was sharp fighting; and the soldiers in the nearest ships, excited at the spectacle of the skirmish and the rattle of the carbines, became un- manageable, seized the boats, and went off without their officers to join. The English, being now outnumbered, withdrew ; the French straggled after them in loose order, till they came out upon the downs sloping up towards the Culver Cliffs ; and here, being scattered in twos and threes, they were again charged with fatal effect. Many were cut in pieces ; the rest fled, the English pursuing and sabreing them down to the shore ; and but few would have escaped, but that the disaster was perceived from the fleet, large masses of men were sent in, under shelter of the guns, to relieve the fugi- tives ; and the English, being badly pressed in return, drew off, still fighting as they retreated, till they reached a stream [the Eastern Yar?], which they crossed, and broke down the bridge behind them." Evening had now come on, and D'Annebault held a council of war to decide whether an attack should be made upon Portsmouth, or a formidable force landed in the Isle of Wight, to hold it permanently. On board his transports were 7000 pioneers and soldiers, whose 26 DISASTERS OP THE FRENCH. labours migM be employed in the eonstrnction of for- tresses at Newport, Cowes, St. Helen's, and other suit- able points. For unknown reasons, D'Annebanlt de- cided upon carrying fire and sword to some other part of the English coast; and after three days' fruitless parade, weighed anchor, and sailed for the Sussex shore. " But his misfortunes in the Isle of Wight were not yet over. The ships were in want of fresh water ; and on leaving St. Helen's he went round into Shanklin Bay (July 21), where he sent his boats to fill their casks at the rivulet which runs down the Chine. The stream was small, the task was tedious, and the Chevalier D'Eulx, who, with a few companies, was appointed to guard the watering-parties, seeing no signs of danger, wandered inland, attended by some of his men, to the top of the high down adjoining. The English, who had been engaged with the other detachments two days before, had kept on the hills, watching the motions of the fleet. The Chevalier was caught in an ambuscade, and, after defending himself like a hero, he was killed, with most of his followers." — (Froude, vol. iv.) D'Annebault's next foray was made upon Brighton, — a fishing village of inconsiderable pretensions, which, at that time, gave no indication of the prosperity and repute it would enjoy as " London-super-Mare," — and^ at one or two other points, he committed depredations worthy of a freebooter, it is true, but not of the chief of a great armament. Having accomplished these doughty deeds, the French Armada betook itself once more to its native ports, covered rather with ridicule for the little it had effected than with glory for Vv^hat it had undertaken to perform. The greatest loss experienced by the English, throughout the imposing demonstration, was that of the unfortunate Mary Bose. 27 CHAPTER III. THE "GOLDEN HIND:" AND DRAKE's CIECUMNAVIGATION OF THE WORLD. [Period of Sei-vice : Reign of Queen Elizabeth. Strength : 100 tons, and about 70 men.] *' No English keel hath yet that ocean plough'd. If prophecy frora me may be allow'd, . Renowned Drake, Heaven does decree That happy enterprise to thee : For tliou of all the Britons art the first That boldly durst This Western World invade : And as thou now art made The first to whom that ocean will be shown, So to thy Isle thou first shall make it know^n." Sir William Bavenant. " Five years " — says the autlior of tlie Britannia — " after his return from a former voyage, to wit, in the year 1572, when Drake had gotten a pretty store of money, by playing the seaman and the pirate, he, to lick himself whole of the damage he had received from the Spaniards (which a divine belonging to the fleet had easily persuaded him to be lawful), set sail again for America." The enterprise now undertaken by the heroic Devon- shire Sea-king was secretly favoured by Queen Eliza- beth, and excited a lively interest in the breast of every English adventurer. And though his vessel was not furnished from the small quota which then composed the Eoyal Marine, yet shall we take leave to include her among the " Famous Ships of the British Navy," since she sailed on her daring voyage under the direct auspices of the English sovereign. 28 MAKERS SQUADRON SAILS. Tlie little squadron with which Captain Francis Drake proposed to attack — wherever and whenever he could — his old enemies, the Spaniards, and to carry the flag of England into unknown seas, was composed of five vessels, manned by only 164 seamen, and of a burthen of 275 tons. These were — the Pelican, Drake's own ship, of 100 tons; the EUzaheth, 80 tons, Capt. John Winter; the Marigold, 30 tons, Capt. John Thomas; the Swan, 50 tons, Capt. John Chester ; and the Chris- topher, pinnace, 15 tons, Capt. Thomas Moone. The Pelican wsiS a, good stout ship, '* well-found " and ap- pointed, and fitted up with some degree of luxury, for the purpose of impressing the minds of any strange people whom she might fall in with. Provision, indeed, was made in her " for ornament and delight," and Drake, with this object in view, carried with him ** expert musicians, rich furniture (all the vessels for his table, yea, many belonging to the cook-room, being of pure silver), with divers shows of all sorts of curious workmanship, whereby the civility and magnificence of his native country might, among all nations whither he should come, be the more admired." The expedition sailed from Plymouth on the 15th of November 1577, but was encountered by a severe storm, which drove Drake into Falmouth, and afterwards com- pelled him to return to Plymouth to refit. He set sail again, under more favourable auspices, on the 13th of December, and went gaily onward until, on the 27th, the ships anchored off Mogadore, on the Barbary coast, and took on board a supply of fowls, sheep, and other provisions. Coasting southwards, they fell in, at Cape Blanco, with three Spanish caravels, two of which Drake restored to their owners, and for the third, a craft of 40 tons, he exchanged the Christopher pinnace. The Cape de Verde Islands were next visited, and off St. Jago two Portuguese vessels were seized. One he detained, and placed on board of her a crew of 28 men, under the command of his friend, a gentleman volun- A MISUNDERSTANDING. 29 leer, named Thomas Doughty. Out of this circum- stance, however, arose a series of misnnclej'standings which finally resulted in a deplorable catastrophe. The beginning was in this wise : JS'ot long after Doughty had taken command of the prize, '' he was charged," says Fletcher (Drake's chaplain), " by John Brewer, Edward Bright, and some others of their fi'iends, to have purloined to his proper (i, e. his own) use things of great value, and therefore was not to be put in trust any longer, lest he might rob the voyage and deprive the company of their hope, and her Ma- jesty and other adventurers of their benefit, to enrich himself and make himself greater to the overthrow of all others. In regard whereof, the general speedily went on board the prize to examine the matter, who finding certain pairs of Portugal gloves, some few pieces of money of a strange coin, and a small ring, all which one of the Poiiugals gave him out of his chest in hope of favour, all of them being not worth the speaking of. These things being found with him, not purloined but only given him, received in the sight of all men, the general, in his discretion, deposed him from his place, and yet sent him in his own stead to the Admiral (?. e., to the Admiral's ship) as commander of that company for the time, in his absence, and placed Thomas Drake, his brother, in the prize, Captain, in the room of Thomas Doughty, but remained there himself till he had dis- charged the Portugals. " In the mean time the said Thomas Doughty being aboard the Admiral was thought to be too peremptory, and exceeded his authority, taking upon him too great a command, by reason whei'eof such as had him in dislike took advantage against him to complain a second time. The general [all naval commanders of expeditions were termed in those days of semi-military semi-naval war- fare ' generals and admirals '] came aboard the Admiral, and upon the second complaint, removed the said Doughty a prisoner into the Swan with utter disgrace." 30 THE EOMANCE OF TRAVEL. One of the pleasantest things in the old books of travel, and one which specially endears to ns the quaint nar- ratives of the early voyagers, is the romance which colours every page and informs every line ; the romance of adventure, and daring, and wild chivalrous courage ; the romance of strange islands clasped round by *' forlorn seas;" the romance of shadowy groves and musical waters ; the romance, in a word, of Nature as Nature seemed to the eyes of men before the electric wire had put a girdle round the earth in forty minutes, or the Genius of Steam brought the farthest shores within our constant and almost indifferent recognition. Thus, when the Pelican lay off the island of Brava, the mariners hastened to become acquainted with its secrets, and we are told in enthusiastic language of its trees, countless in number and always garlanded with the greenest foliage ; of its ripe figs, and milky cocoas, its luscious oranges and nutritious plantains ; nor are pictures wanting of sinuous streams winding their trails of silver through the pleasant shade. The squadron passed the Equator on the 17th Feb- ruary, and soon afterwards got becalmed, lying idly like painted ships upon a painted sea for five-and-fifty days. Then a wind arose which bore Drake and his fortunes to the coast of Brazil, where a large number of seals were killed and stored up for future use. In keeping to the southward the Sioan and the Portuguese caravel, which they had named the Mary^ separated from the rest of Drake's flotilla. A harbour on the Patagonian coast was next made, and the English seamen gazed for the first time upon the Patagonian natives, exaggerating their stature into that of giants by some strange freak of fancy. " Magellan," says the historian of Drake's voyage, ^' was not altogether deceived in calling them giants, for they generally differ from the common sort of mQn, both in stature, bigness, and strength of body, as also iu the hideousness of their voice ; but yet they are uotbing so monstrous or giant-Uk© as they were ?:§• A SKIRMISH WITH SAVAGES. 31 ported, there being some Englishmen as tall as the highest of any we could see; but, peradventnre, the Spaniards did not think that ever any Englishman could come thither to reprove them; and thereupon might presume the more boldly to lie : the name Pen- tagones, live cubits, namely 7i ft., describing the full height (if not somewhat more) of the highest of them." It is now, however, satisfactorily established by the testimony of recent voyagers that though the Patago- nians are strong-limbed and robust, their stature does not exceed the ordinary standard. On the 20th of June, being rejoined by the missing ships, the whole expedition anchored in Port St. Julian, which was destined to be the scene of two melancholy catastrophes. Drake had landed his men to exercise them in a trial of archery, when Eobert Winter, an able seaman, pulling the string of his bow wiin too much vehemence broke it. Whether the natives supposed that he had intended to menace them is uncertain, but while the Englishman was re-stringing his bow, they suddenly discharged a storm of arrows upon him, and he fell to the ground, wounded in his lungs and shoulder. Oliver, the gunner, immediately took aim at the savages with his musket, but it missed fire, and he was shot dead by an arrow. Drake hereupon drew up his men in regular array, and skilfully directed a succession of quick movements which baffled the enemy's aim. He also ordered his men to fend off the arrows with their shields, and then to pick them up and break them, which they did so diligently ^that the Patagonians were soon in want of missiles. This the general observing, he loaded his fowling-piece with care, and discharged it with such effect at the savage who had wounded Winter that he set up as " hideous and terrible a roar, as if ten bulls had joined together in roaring." Drake and his men then regained their ships in safety. Winter died, after a two days* struggle ; and both he and the gunner wero buried, with martial honours, in one gravo, *^ a$ they 32 A TERRIBLE INCIDENT. both were partakers of one manner of death, and ended their lives together by one and the self-same kind of accident." The second disaster that overshadowed Port St. Ju- lian with mournful memories was the death of Thomas Donghty, the gentleman-volunteer of whom we have already had occasion to speak. Doughty was a man of superior parts : *' a sweet orator, a pregnant phi- losopher, a good gift for the Greek tongue, and a reasonable taste of Hebrew ; a sufficient secretary to a noble personage of great place, an approved soldier, and not behind many in the study of the law for his time." He had long been associated with Drake on the terms of an intimate friendship; a circumstance which still further obscures the remarkable and mys- terious incident of his sudden trial and execution. It is proLuble, however, that his rare mental gifts were not tempered with discretion, nor accompanied by the faculty of obedience to his official superiors ; and that, inflated with vanity and excited by ambition, he was led to contemplate the mad adventure of usurp- ing Drake's power and position. The narrator, whose chronicle is included in Ha6- luyt's Collection, gives the following account of this singular transaction : "In this port," he says, " our General began to inquire diligently of the actions of Mr. Thomas Dought}^ and found them not to be such as he looked for, but tending rather to contention of mutiny, or some other disorder, whereby (without re- dress) the success of the voyage might greatly have been hazarded; whereupon the company was called together and made acquainted with the particulars of the cause, which were found partly by Mr. Doughty's own confession, and partly by the evidence of the fact, to be true : which, when our General saw, although his private affection to Mr. Doughty (as he then in presence of all sacredly protested) was great, yet the care he had of the state of the voyage, of the expectation EXECUTION OF DOUGHTY. 33 of her Majesty, and of the honour of his conntiy, did more touch him (as indeed it ought) than the private respect of one man ; so that the cause being thoroughly heard, and all things done in good order, as near as might be to the conrse of our laws in England, it was concluded that Mr. Donghty should receive punishment according to the quality of his offence. And he, seeing no remedy but patience for himself, desired before his death to receive the communion, which he did at the hands of Mr. Fletcher, the minister, and our General himself accompanied him in that holy action ; which being done, and the place of execution made ready, he having embraced our General, and taken his leave of all the company, with prayer for the Queen's Majesty and our realm, in quiet sort laid his head to the block, where he ended his life." From other sources we learn that he was tried before a jury of twelve men ; and that after taking the communion with Drake, both judge and prisoner sat down at the same table together, " as cheerfully in sobriety, as ever in their lives they had done aforetime, each cheering up the other, and taking their leave, by drinking each to other, .as if some journey only had been in hand." His body was in- terred in a grave dug near that of the two seamen, which was long marked out by a stone, engraved with their names and date of burial, and erected by the pious hands of Fletcher the chaplain. The squadron, now reduced to the Pelican, the Elizabeth, and the Marigold, gladly sailed away from the ill-omened and blood-stained shores of Port St. Julian; and on the 20th of August, descried the mouth of the famous Straits discovered a few years previously by the Spanish navi- gator, Magellan. Here topsails were duly struck in honour of Queen Elizabeth, and the name of the Pelican was changed to the Golden Hind, in remembrance of Drake's *' honourable friend and favourer," Sir Chris- topher Hatton, who bore a hart as his device. Then they entered the narrow, winding, and rock-bound c 34 THE STORMY OCEAN. channel, passing in the shadow of mountains whose crests are covered with eternal snow, and buffeting with violent storms, nntil, after sixteen days' weary toil, they happily glided into the Great South Sea. Their reception by its waters at first belied the truth of the epithet which the Spanish navigators had be- stowed upon them. It was no longer a Pacific, but a Stormy Ocean, and in the violent gales which ensued, Drake's ships were again separated. Driven to the south of Gape Horn, the English adventurers beheld, as it were, the commingling of the At:lantic and Pacific. Then, while beating to the north, the Mangold was lost sight of, and tidings of her never again reached human ears. In the wild waste of waters she must have foundered, and her ill-fated crew have found a silent grave in the "great deep." The Golden Hind, a,ccom.- panied by the Elizabeili^ continued her adventurous course, and on the 7th of October, endeavoured to take refuge from the driving winds and stormy seas in a bay near the western mouth of Magellan's Straits; but shortly after anchoring, the cable of the Golden Hind gave way, and she drifted out to sea. The Elizabeth made no effort to follow her, but the next day sailed into the Straits, put into an open bay, and (it is said) lit up great fires upon the shore in the hope that Drake might see them. After a decent interval, as no signs of the Golden Hind could be discerned, Winter, the captain of the Elizabeth, Vv^ho was not made of the same stern stuff as his admiral, put about ship, and bore away for England, much to the discontent, however, of his men. The Golden Hind, meanwhile, was the sport of the storms of the Pacific, and after many days' weary tossing to and fro, was once more driven to the south of Cape Horn, of which Drake was thus the discoverer. A favour- able change in the wind enabled him, on the 30th of Oc- tober, to turn his prow to the north, and after a fruitless search for the Elizabeth, he sailed away merrily to the PANIC AMOXa THE SPANIARDS. 35 island of Maclio. Here lie had hoped to obtain a snpply of fresh water, but the Englishmen were suddenly beset by the Indians, and every man of the watering party was wounded in the conflict, Drake himself being smitten under the right eye, by an arrow which nearly pene- trated into the brain. Happily,' no lives were lost, and the vo^'-age being resumed, on the 30th of November he came to an anchor in St. Philip's Bay, on the coast of the American mainland. Here they fell in with an Indian, and an amicable feeling was established between the natives and the English; so much so, that one of their chiefs undertook to conduct them to the Spanish port of Yolpariza, where they not only obtained a supply of provisions and wine, but captured a Spanish ship, heavily laden with valuable stores. In a skirmish with the Spaniards at Cyppo (19 Dec.) Drake lost one of his men. At Tarapaca a Spaniard was found asleep, with a burden of 13 silver bars, valued at nearly 4,000 ducats, by his side. The treasure was removed, and the Spaniard left to muse when he awoke on the mutability of human affairs. Another Spaniard was driving eight llamas, each loaded with a cwt. of silver. He was speedily re- lieved from his toil, and the llamas were found equally obedient by English drivers. At Callao, the harbour of the wealthy city of Lima, Drake arrived on the 15th of February, 1579. No eagle " in a dove-cote" ever pro- duced more consternation than the little Golden Hind among the ships of Callao, and such was the supine terror of the Spaniards that they suffered Drake to plunder seventeen richly-loaded vessels, without offering let or hindrance. At Callao he obtained tidings of the departure for Panama of a famous treasure- ship, the Cacafaego, termed, from her size and value, the " Great Glory of the South Sea." He immediately crowded on all sail in pursuit, and had the satisfaction of overtaking her, near Cape St. Francis, or some 500 miles from Panama. Drake c 2 36 A DARING ENTERPEISE. and his men were not to be denied by her crew. She was speedily boarded and taken possession of. Her treasures, estimated at 360,000 pieces of eight, or nearly 90,000?. at the then value of money, were re- moved to the Golden Hind — now, appropriately^ so named — and the Cacafuego was Ihen permitted to convey to her Spanish masters the sad story of her shame. We find the Golden Hind — stout barque that she was ! — at Acapulco on the 15th of April, taking in supplies of bread and other fprovisions, and not for- getting to devour such small stores of gold and jewels as fell in her way. She was here, moreover, thoroughly refitted, in order to prepare her for the long and daring voyage which her captain's bold spirit meditated. He had discovered the union of the oceans at the southern extremity of South America, and the passage by Cape Horn from the Atlantic into the Pacific. He now aimed at becoming the discoverer of a similar passage in the Northern seas, by which the Eastern might com- municate with the Western hemisphere without the long and dreary voyage round the Cape of Good Hope. He, therefore, turned his prow to the northward, and sailed along the western coast of North America. That he failed in accomplishing a part of his design is mainly to be attributed to the extraordinary severity of the weather, in a latitude where usually prevails a genial and delightful climate. Between April the 16th and June the 3rd the Golden Mnc? traversed 1,400 leagues, and suddenly, in N. lat. 42°, passed, as it were, into a region of Arctic cold. " Our meat," says Fletcher, the chaplain, "as soon as it was removed from the fire, would presently in a manner be frozen up ; and our ropes and tacklings in a few da^^s were grown to that stifihess, that what three men before were able with them to perform, now six men, with their best strength and utmost endeavours, were hardly able to accomplish ; whereby a sudden and great dis- DIFFICULTIES AND DISCOlJKAGEMENTS. 3? couragement seized upon the minds of our men, and they were possessed with a great mislike and doubting of any good to be done that way ; yet would not our General be discouraged ; but as Avell by comfortable speeches of the Divine Providence, and of God's loving care over his children, out of the Scriptures, as also by other good and profitable persuasions, adding thereto his own cheerful example, he so stirred them up to put on a good courage, and to acquit themselves like men, to endure some short extremity to have the speedier com- fort, and a little trouble to obtain the greater glory ; that every man was thoroughly armed with willing- ness, and resolved to see the uttermost, if it were possible, of what good was to be done that way. " The land, in that part of America, bearing farther out into the west than we had before imagined, we were nearer on it than we were aware, and yet the nearer still we came unto it, the more extremity of cold did seize upon us. The 5th day of June we were forced by contrary winds to run in with the shore which we then first descried, and to cast anchor in a bad bay, the best road we could for the present meet with, where we were not without some danger by reason of the many extreme gusts and flaws that beat upon us ; which if they ceased and were still at any time, immediately upon their intermission there followed most vile, thick, and stinking fogs, against which the sea prevailed nothing, till the gusts of wind again removed them, which brought with them such extremity and violence when they came, that there was no dealing [with] or resisting against them.'* Drake was, therefore, compelled to discontinue his onward course, and bear away for the south. Discover- ing a secure haven in lat. 38° 30' N., in an inhabited country, there the Golden Hind dropped anchor on the 17 th of June. The crew were landed; tents erected; a rude block-house was constiiicted for their defence ; the ship lightened of her cargo, brought in-shore, and 38 NEW ALBION. subjected to a complete repair. Meanwhile, an amicable intercourse sprung up between the natives and the seamen, — the latter compassionating the inferiority of the " heathen Indians ;" the Indians (we are told) regarding the sea- wanderers as ** gods." These Indians are described as people of " a tractable, free, and loving nature, without guile or treachery." Their weapons were frail and almost harmless, but the men who bore them were " so strong of body, that what two or three of our people could scarcely bear, one of them would take upon his back, and, without grudging, carry it up hill and down hill, an English mile together. The women were very obedient and serviceable to their husbands." These simple people entertained their strange visitors with songs, and dances, and with a grand ceremonial, which Drake was willing to interpret as a formal sub- mission of themselves and their country to the English Queen. He was by no means tardy in accepting this fancied submission. The coimtry, from the whiteness of its cliffs, he named New Albion, and in token that it henceforth belonged to the other Albion, he set up, as a memorial, a post upon the shore, and affixed to it a plate of brass which was engraved with his sovereign's name and titles, and the date of the arrival of the Eng- lish on that part of the American coast. After a residence of thirty-six days, and much to the regret of the natives, whose good will his tact and kindly management had secured, the English Sea-king set sail from the harbour which he had named the Port of Dralce, but which now is known to all the world as the rendezvous of the Californian gold-ships. Port San Francisco. On the 23rd of July the Golden Hind finally aban- doned the American coast, and commenced her passage across the Pacific Ocean to the sunny shores of the barbaric East. For sixty-eight days no land was sighted. On the 30th of September some islands were THE KING OF TEEN ATE. 39 fallen in with, and an attempt was made to trade with, their inhabitants, but such was their incorrigible dis- honesty that Drake was compelled to relinquish the idea, and with a discharge of small shot, turned away from the "Islands of Thieves," supposed by modern geographers to be identical with the Pellew Isles. The Philippines were made on the 1 6th of October, and at Mindanao, the largest and most fertile of this beautiful group, a supply of fresh water was obtained. On the 3rd of the ensuing month, the Golden Hind sighted the Moluccas. Drake applied to the prince or king of Ternate — then the chief city of the Moluccas — for permission to purchase provisions. The cliief in reply paid him a formal visit,|which was followed by an abundant supply of rare fruits, rice, poultry, and odorous spices. Some of Drake's most trusty officers having been commissioned to return the royal courtesy, were received with an imposing amount of elaborate pomp. On the 9th of November, Drake quitted the hospitable capital of the Moluccas, and on the 11th put into a small and uninhabited island, near the E. coast of Celebes ; landed his crew ; and set to work to repair his little bark. Here the English were much delighted with the swarms of fire-flies which, by night, like " fiery worms flying through the air," hovered from tree to tree. In this place also were discovered bats as big as large hens, and an abundance of cray-fishes, of such exceeding bigness, that one was " very good and re- storing meat" for no less ? than " four hungry stomachs at a dinner." From this strange and "romancy" island of bats, cray-fish, and fire-flies, the Golden Hind departed on the 12th of December, standing away to the southward in order to get into the open sea. But while running before the breeze, VN^ith all sail set, during the night of January 9th 1580, she drove upon a hidden rock with such force that she was soon set fast completely. An 40 HOMEWARD BOum). anchor was got out, but would not heave her off the reef. The crew then betook themselves to prayers, and afterwards began to lighten the ship of her heavier stores, throwing overboard three tons of cloves, eight guns, a stock of beans and meal, but by no means meddling with the gold, the silver, or the precious stones. These efforts were unavailing, but happily the wind changed, and at low water the Golden Hind, sliding off the ledge, once more resumed her homeward voyage. A few days (March 14 — 26) were spent at Java, and the supplies that were needed taken on board. But the Cape of Good Hope did not detain our wanderers, and at Sierra Leone they only paused two days for a supply of water, and to regale themselves upon fresh fruit and luscious oysters. On Monday, September 26, 1580, the Golden Hind safely arrived at Plymouth, " after we had spent," says the historian, '' two years, ten months, and some odd days besides, in seeing the wonders of the Lord in the deep, in discerning so many admirable things, in going through with so many strange adventures, in escaping out of so many dangers, and overcoming so many diffi- culties, in this our encompassing of this nether globe, and passing round about the world, which we have related : — " Soli rerum maximarum Effectori, Soli tot ins mundi Guberiiatori, Soli suorum Conservator!, Soli Deo sit semper gloria." Which may thus be paraphrased ; — To Him, sole Author of all works immense ; To Him, sole Ruler of earth, air, and sea ; To Him, of all his own the great Defence ; To God alone, let all the glory be !— TF. H. D. A, Merrily rang out the silver bells of Plymouth, as the Golden Hind sailed steadily into the depths of its capacious harbour. Drake, when he disembarked, was splendidly received upon " the Hoe " by the mayor and DEAKE. See THE STORY OF DRAKE'S CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE WORLD.— Pa^g 41. HONOURS FOU drake AND HIS SHIP. 41 members of tlie corporation, and the remainder of the day was honestly devoted to the wine-cup and the well- spread board. The next day he visited the early resi- dence of his parents, near Tavistock ; and after a brief interval of feasting and rejoicing, set sail for Deptford, where he moored his ship in the river Thames. He found at first the Queen much changed, Drake's enemies having poisoned her ears against him ; but after a while she learnt how to value so able and daring a servant, and paid him the unusual honour of visiting him on board his weather-beaten bark. " On the 4th of April 1581," says the honest chronicler, Stow, *' Her Majesty dining at Deptford, after dinner entered the ship which Captain Drake had so happily guided round about the world, and being there, a bridge which Her Majesty had passed over, brake, being upon the same more than two hundred persons, and no one hurt by the fall ; and there she did make Captain Drake knight, in the same ship, for reward of his service : his arms were given him, a ship on the world, which ship, by Her Majesty's commandment, is lodged in a dock at Deptford, for a monument to all posterity." The Golden Hind, after all her hair-breadth 'scapes and perilous ocean- wanderings, found at Deptford a secure haven of rest, and to the Englishmen of that day became as interesting a spectacle as the Victory to the Englishmen of ours. Her cabin was altered into a species of refreshment saloon for the accommodation of her numerous visitors. Gradually she sank into decay, and out of the solid timber still remaining a chair was quaintly carved, which the authorities presented to the University of Oxford, and Cowley celebrated in deca- syllabic verse : — " To this great ship which round the world has run, And match' d in race the chariot of the sun ; This Pythagorean ship (for it may claim, "Without presumption, so deserv'd a name), By knowledge once, aud transformation now, In her new shape this secret post allow. 42 'a poetical memorial. Drake and his sliip could not have wish'd from Fate An happier station or more blest estate. For lo ! a seat of endless rest is given To her in Oxford, and to him in Heaven." Tlie young alumni of Winchester School did honour to the famous sliip in choice Latin hexameters and pentameters, which were affixed in seemly show to her mainmast. They ran as follow : — *'Plus ultra, Hercnleis inscribas, Drace, colnmnis, Et magno dicas Hercnle major ero. Drace, pererrati novit qnem terminus orbis, Qnemque semel mundi vidit nterque Polus, " Si taceant homines, facient te sidera notum ; Sol nescit Comitis non memor esse sui. . Digna ratis quse stet radiantibus inclyta stellis ; Supremo cceh vertice digna ratis." Which we would venture to paraphrase thus looselyj — ' Beyond the Herculean columns thou, O Drake, dost guide the all-adventurous prow, And Alcides himself dost thou excel ! Captain ! whom e'en the farthest earth hath known,"] And either pole hath seen, the stars alone — If men were dumb— should of thy daring tell. And Sol himself his fellow-trav'Uer claim ! So 'mongst the luminous stars thy Ship of Fame Splendid shall shine ; worthy of highest show ; Where- the bright wonders of the zenith glow ! — W, H, D, A. And here v/e terminate our brief chronicle of the wanderings of the Golden Hind, which first, of all Eng- lish ships, accomplished the circumnavigation of the world, and surprised the shores of the Pacific with the *' meteor-flas; of En2:land/' 43 CHAPTEE IV. Blake's flag-ships. The *' Triui^iph," — ^the " Sweftstjee^' — and the "St. George." [Period of Service : The Commonwealtl], and reign of Charles II. Strength : The Triumph, 60 gims, 350 men, 850 tons. The Swiftsure, 64 guns, 380 men, 898 tons, The St, George^ 60 gims, 350 men.] ** They that the whole world's monarchy design'd, Are to their ports by our bold fleets confin'd. From whence our Eed Cross they triumphant see, Kiding without a rival on the sea I" — Edmund Waller, 1. The " Trioiph."— A.D. 1653-1657. After tliat discomfiture of tlie Dutch fleet, under De "Witt and De Euyter, wliicli took place on the 28th of September 1652, off the mouth of the Texel, the govern- ment of the English commonwealth had incautiously considered the naval campaign as virtually concluded for the year, and consequently reduced the fleet under *' Eobert Blake, Admiral and General at Sea," then lying in Dover Eoads, to about forty vessels. The States of Holland, however, smarting under the dis- grace which had been inflicted on their flag, lost no time in effectively, but silently preparing for sea such an armada as should reassert for them their long-un- disputed supremacy. They selected for its commander- in-chief their gallant and able seaman, Admiral Van Tromp, whose active spirit soon infused a corresponding energy into every department of the Dutch marine, and a large and powerful fleet was equipped with admirable rapidity. A winter campaign was, in those days, little 44 VAN TROMP'^ APPEOACH. relished by either generals or admirals, but Van Tromp, aware of the false security in which the English govern- ment reposed, was all unwilling to be deterred by stormy skies or boisterous seas from dealing his coun- try's most dangerous foe a deadly and an unexpected stroke. Blake, in his new flag-ship, the Triumph, a man-of- war of sixty guns, was lying in the Dover Roads, when his scouts discovered the approach of Van Tromp's mighty armament, a hundred sail of the line, frigates, and fire-ships, bearing down the Channel under a press of sail. The Dutch admiral's design was to crush Blake by his immense preponderance of force, and then, alarming the entire southern coast of England with fire and sword, to compel the Commonwealth into the ac- ceptance of such terms as the States might choose to impose. His strength exceeded that of the English in the proportion of three to one ; and a heart less resolute than that of Puritan Blake's — a genius less self- reliant and heroic — would undoubtedly have quailed before so unequal a foe. But Blake was not apt to trouble himself about the rule of proportion. He was made of the same stuff as the Ironsides who thundered irresistibly over the red field of Naseby, and having summoned a council of war, announced to his captains his intention to dispute the passage of the enemy. A dark, drear, and gusty morn was that of the 29th of November, when the stately war-ships of the Hollanders came in sight of the weak and badly-manned fleet of England. The winds blew so fiercely that no battle was possible on that day, and the two Admirals were occupied in skilful manoeuvres to obtain the weather- gage. Towards night the gale increased. ;< The ships were compelled to take in all sail, and to ride out the storm under bare poles. On the morning of the 30th, both fleets were driving westward, and renewed the manoeuvres of the preceding day. About three o'clock, when off the pitch of the Ness, — a headland on the BLAKE. See THE STORY OF BLAKE'S FLAG-SHIPS.— Pcpc 45. A HOT ENGAGEMENT. 45 Essex coast, — an impatient movement of tlie Dutch admiral gave Blake the required advantage, and sweep- ing under the Hollander's bow, he gained the weather- gage, delivering and receiving a broadside as he passed. The Garland^ closely following in the wake of the gallant Triumph, came into such violent collision with Yan Tromp's ship, the Brederode, as to lose her bowsprit and catheads in the shock. Assisted by the Bonad- venture, an armed trader of 30 guns, she engaged her leviathan enemy, and with such fury and constancy of courage that the Dutch admiral was like to have lost his honour had not Evertz, his third in command, bore up to the rescue. Against such overpowering oppo- nents the fight, nevertheless, was hotly contested for more than an hour, when the Garland, out of 200 men having lost 60 killed and a great number wounded, w^as compelled to strike her colours. And the Bonad- venture having suffered almost as severely was also taken possession of by the triumphant Dutch. Throughout the day the brunt of the battle^was endured by the Triumph, the Victory, and the Vanguard, which at one time boldly exchanged broadsides with not less than twenty of the enemy. Kight was already darkening upon the waters when Blake was apprised of the surrender of the Garland and Bonadventure, and though his ship had been sorely crippled, and his men were weary with the fight, he bore up to the Brederode to attempt the recapture of the prizes. But the enemy closed around him ; thrice was his ship most daringly boarded ; thrice were the boarders most gallantly repulsed. The Triumph lay upon the waters a very wreck, with shattered rigging, shot- beaten hull, and wounded masts ; and only the constancy of the Sapphire and the Vanguard, which stood by their Admiral to the last, saved him from destruction. The unequal fight could endure no longer, and, under cover of a foggy and tempestuous night, Blake withdrew his ships towards Dover Eoads, after suffering ** a defeat 46 VAN TROMP'S INSOLENCE. wliicli was only less glorious than a victory." The Dntcli were indisposed to follow liim ; but they did not forget to congratulate themselves on their success, and Van Tromp cruised along the coast from Harwich to the Isle of Wight, with a broom at his masthead, to indi- cate that he had swept the English from the seas ! But neither the people nor the governm,ent of England were much affected by this disaster, nor did they cease to place their whole and loyal triist in the great Puritan Sea-king. Unceasing exertions were made to reinforce and equip the fleet. Those officers who in the late engagement had displayed but little vigour were summarily cashiered. Generals Deane and Monk were ordered to hold themselves in readiness to share the command of the new armada with Blake, and the effective marine force was raised to 30,000 men. Ample stores of provisions and munitions of war, of timber, hemp, tar, and pitch were got together, and it was resolved that a winter campaign should be attempted, in order to wrest from Van Tromp the supremacy he had so laboriously acquired. Bounties and an increase of wages were offered to the seamen ; and so much energy was displayed on every side that, by the 18th of February, Blake saw assembled under his command no less than 60 men-of-war, fully manned and admirably equipped. Meanwhile, Van Tromp rode to^and fro in the Channel, with the broom still exalted to its post of honour, and the Dutch government boasted loudly of their resolve to subjugate the haughty islanders, and the jesters of Am- sterdam made what capital they could out of the recent engagement. " Ballads, by-words and scurrilous carica- tures delighted the ears and eyes of the excited populace. The names of the vessels captured in the fight afforded Dutch wits a theme for abuse : they had carried off the Garland, they said, from the islanders ; and there were squibs and jokes about the Bonadventure having realized the prophecy of its name in falling into their hands." A A WOODEN WALL, 47 report that Van Tromp meditated a descent upon the Channel Islands had, however, more effect than Dutch sarcasms upon the English administration, and hastened their preparations. Blake, in company ^Yith Monk and Deane, and having 1,200 soldiers on board his fleet, sailed from Queens- borough, with a fleet of 60 ships, on the 8th of Febru- ary. Penn was vice-admiral ; and Lawson rear-admiral. In the Dover Straits the fleet was augmented by a squadron of 20 sail from Portsmouth, and, encouraged by this opportune reinforcement, Blake resolved to give his enemy battle, whenever he could meet him, or what- ever might be his strength. He knew that every man on board burned with a hot desire to vindicate the national honour, and avenge npon the Dutch the dis- grace recently inflicted upon the national flag. He immediately bore away for Portland, and stretched his fleet across the Channel — '^ a wooden wall against which no enemy would rashly dash himself" — prepared to intercept Van Tromp on his return from his jubilant cruise. A distasteful surprise for the Dutch Admiral, truly ! who had by no means expected to meet so soon with another English fleet. Van Tromp had sailed southward in obedience to orders, to meet a large fleet of merchantmen off Eochelle, and convoy them into the ports of Holland. Learning that Blake, with 60 ships, was about to sail from the Thames, he had made haste to gain the river mouth that he might there shut up his enemy, and prevent him from effecting a junction with the Portsmouth squadron. But his movements had been outstripped by the English Admiral, and off Portland, on the morning of the 18th of February 1653, a glorious sunshine revealed to his astonished eyes the vanguard of the English armament. Tlie three flags of the Commonwealth admirals — Blake, Penn, and Lawson — floated side by side, and about seventeen other men-of-war were closing up around them, but Monk and the main body of the fleet were 48 HOW BLAKE FOUGHT THE DUTCH. still some miles astern. Van Tromp, witli a skilful eye, perceived his advantage. He might, it is true, — the wind being in his favour, — have carried his rich convoy securely into the Scheldt, bnt he loved glory v^ith a hero's passion, and he wanted victory for himself as well as safety for his traders. These he ordered to beat to windward, to slacken sail, and partake as spectators in the coming triumph. Then, with his fleet of nearly eighty powerful ships of war, commanded by such men as Evertz, De Kuyter, Eloretz, and De Wilde, he bore down, in line abreast, (or, according to some authorities, with his vessels disposed in the form of a half-moon), upon the English van. The Triumph, with Blake and Deane on board, was the first to meet the onset. Van Tromp, in the Brederode, favoured by the wind, swept down upon her, and as she passed, poured into her crashing sides a storm of shot. Then, suddenly tacking, and bringing up under her lee, she smote her with another terrible broadside, shivering her masts into splinters, and crowding her deck with dead and wounded. At this moment the SpeaJcer (Vice-Admiral Penn) and some other vessels dashed into the fight, and drew oif from the Triumph a portion of the fire that was pouring into her. The fight grew general, and was fiercely contested. About noon Monk came up with the main body of the fleet, and the battle was renewed, but on more equal terms. A Dutch man-of-war was blown up with a terrible explosion ; several were set on fire ; others went down with all on board ; scarce a ship in either fleet but its rigging was shattered, and its spars splintered into fragments. Along both shores of the Channel for niany a league echoed the thunder of the cannon. The Dutch fought with tenacious courage. De Kuyter laid himself alongside of the Prosperous, a hired merchantman armed with 40 guns. The contest lasted so long that De Euyter grew impatient, and called for boarders. They leapt on the English deck, sword and pistol in hand, but were THE FIRST day's BATTLE. 49 gallantly driven back, and Captain Barker prepared to return the compliment. But the Dutch admiral cried oufc, ''Come, my lads, that was nothing — at them again !" The second onset was so furious that Barker and his scanty crew succumbed before it, and were made prisoners. At this moment the Triumph drove into the press of the battle. The English ship was soon recovered, and De Euyter in his turn was threatened. Then the Dutch came up to his rescue, and the night, closing tranquilly over the grim and bloody scene, put an end to the engagement. Tromp, before this crisis, having observed that his convoy was menaced by some frigates and fast-sailing ships which Blake had despatched, had fallen back with a great part of his fleet for their pro- tection. Some of his captains, however, chose to mis- construe his movements, and taking advantage of the growing darkness, sailed as fast as might be out of the way of the courageous islanders. The results of this first day's battle were in favour of Blake. Eight Dutch men-of-war had been either taken or destroyed. Their loss in men could not be ascer- tained, but it was known that several vessels had been entirely cleared, and their weakened crews distributed among the fleet, while " the decks and guns of the captured ships were so spattered with blood, as to sicken and appal the most callous of the victors." Blake had lost one ship, — the Samjpson ; for her captain, and nearly all the crew having been slain, he had taken out the few remaining men, and suffered the ship to drift away. In the course of the action the enemy had captured the Prosperous, the Oah, and the Assistance ; but all thiee had afterwards been recovered. During the night Blake sent on shore his wounded men, but though himself severely stricken in the thigh, set to work with indefatigable spirit to prepare for a renewal of the engagement on the following day. Guns were cleaned; leaks were stopped; sails were refitted, ajjid masts repaired ; and the ships whose damages were D 60 THE SECOND DAY^S BATTLE. sucli as to render them "unfit to keep tlie sea despatclied to the nearest ports. The next morning showed the Dutch fleet seven leagues off Weymouth. It was drawn np in the form of a crescent, the convex side presented to the enemy, and in the hollow w^ere gathered two hundred merchantmen, — the whole standing up the Channel, under a heavy press of sail, with a light wind in their favour. Blake followed them closely, and about twelve o'clock the Triumph came within gunshot of the rear- most ships. About two nearly all his fleet closed with them off Dungeness. *' Compelled to fight against his will, Tromp ordered the merchants to make sail for the nearest Dutch port, keeping close rmder the French shore between Calais and Dunkirk for protection, and then turned like a panther on his pursuer. On both sides the battle was renewed with fury. De Kuyter gave fresh proofs of his skill and courage ; but the fortune of war was still against him. After some hours of this second engagement his vessel became unmanageable, and would have fallen into Blake's hands had not Tromp seen his danger and sent Captain Duin to bring him out of the fight. AVith great difficulty he was extricated from his position, and carried away. An hour or so later Tromp also began to fall slowly back towards Boulogne, still, however, contesting every wave, and the mingled roar and battle lasted until night again separated the hostile hosts." In this second day's encounter the Dutch had lost five men-of-war,, either captured or destroyed, and were so demoralised by their defeat that several cap- tains lost heart and declared to their admiral that the English could no longer be resisted. Van Tromp sent these cravens away to take up a position to the wind- ward, begging them to assume at least such a warlike aspect as might deter the English frigates from attack- ing the convoy. But when the day dawned Blaise THE THIRD DAY'S BATTLE. 51 easily interpreted the Admiral's intention, and despatch- ing in pursuit of them a squadron of fast-sailing ships, again bore down upon the foe with the main hody of his fleet. The result of the third day's battle we shall give in the picturesque words of Hepworth Dixon : — *'Tromp fought, as usual, with the most desperate courage : but he had now little hope, with his broken and di^dded power, of doing niore than occupy Blake's attention until his richly-laden merchants could run into the nearest port. Even this was doubtful. After the first shock he sent Captain Van Ness to the mer- chants, with orders for them to crov/d sail and make for Calais Eoad, as he found himself unable to promise them more than a few hours' protection. As the fight grew fiercer, he sent his Treasurer to urge them to press on faster, or the English frigates would soon be amongst them. But the wind was then blowing from the French coast, and notwithstanding his ener- getic attempts. Van Ness was unable to carry such a number of disorganised ships sufficiently near land to be out of danger. More than half the Dutch fri- gates and men-of-war had now been taken, sunk, or scattered ; and considering it a species of insanity in Tromp to continue the engagement until they were all destroyed, the other captains, contrary to their express orders, retreated on the flying traders. Con- fusion then reached its height. Some of the English frigates came up; and the merchants, in their alarm and disorder, ran foul of each other, knocked them- selves to pieces or fell blindly into their enemy's power. Still fighting with the retreating men-of-war, Blake arrived in the midst of this wild scene late in the afternoon, and finding several ships run against him, as if desirous of being captured, it occurred to him that this was a device of his wily adversary to stay the victorious pursuit, and give time to rally some part of the discomfited fleet, — and he issued strict and instant commands that every war-,i^]iip still in a condition to D 2 62 A GLORIOUS VICTORY. follow and fight tlie enemy should press on with all its force against the main body, leaving the traders in their rear to be watched and seized by the frigates already assigned to that service, or driven into ports whence it would be easy to recover them should the Dutch fleet be swept from the Channel. Darkness alone put an end to the exciting chase. Tromp ran in under the French shore, about four miles from Calais, where he anchored the remnant of his once mighty fleet — now reduced to less than half the former number of masts, and these damaged in every part. Blake consulted pilots and others well acquainted with the coast, as to what Tromp could do in his new position ; and the general opinion of these men being that the Dutch could not weather the coast of Artois, as the wind and tide then lay, and would be compelled to come out to sea in order to get home, he cast anchors and sat down to repair his damages. The night was unusually dark, with a high gale blowing, so that the enemy's lights could not be seen ; and when day again dawned the sea was quite clear in that direction, Tromp having slipped away and tided towards Dunkirk, whence he got off into the har- bours of Zealand. By twelve o'clock in the morning Blake was ready to give chase, but no enemy being then visible, and seeing how useless it would be to follow the runaways into the flats and shallows of their own coast, he stood over towards England, and the gale still rising, carried his fleet and prizes into Stokes Bay, in the Isle of Wight, whence he and his colleagues in com- mand wrote to inform the House of their success."* In these glorious Three Days the Dutch were very heavy sufferers : they lost 17 or 18 men-of-war, p^nd between 50 and 60 richly laden merchant - vessels. Three Dutch captains were taken; seven were slain. The number of killed and wounded is not accurately known, but certainly was not less than 1,500 killed and * Hepworth Dixon's Life of Robert Blake. FRESH EFFORTS OF THE DUTCH. 53 4,000 wounded, while 700 were taken prisoners. The English had one ship sunk, the Sampson ; and three captains killed. Blake and Lawson were sorely wounded, and the loss of life on board some of the English ships was .severe. The Triumph, whose name would seem to have been of happy augury to the English, had no less than 100 killed in the first day's battle. In April 1653, Blake, having the Hollanders shut up in their strongly-fortified harbours, sailed with a small squadron to watch the Scottish coast, while Monk and Deane remained in command in the Downs with eighty sail. The Dutch admirals, burning to avenge their late disaster, and encouraged by a belief that the recent seizure of the supreme power by Cromwell had bred serious disaffection and excited important divisions in the English fleets, hastily collected an immense force, and with 120 ships, poured into Dover Eoad, captured a few prizes, and insulted the town with their destroying guns. At this time the English fleet, largely reinforced through the exertions of the government, was lying in Yarmouth Eoads. The red division, under Monk and Deane, in the BesolutioUy numbered 38 sail, carrying 1,440 guns and 6,169 men. The white, under Penn, consisted of 33 sail, with 1,189 guns, and 5,085 men; and the blue, under Lawson, of 34 ships, with an arma- ment of 1,189 guns, and a complement of 5,015 men. The total consisted of — Ships. Gtihs. Men. Eed . . . 38 1,440 6,169 White. . . 33 1,189 5,085 Blue . . . 34 1,189 5,015 105 3,818 16,269 105 ships, carrying 3,818 guns, and 16,269 men; a force formidable enough in numbers, but really of less strength than our present Mediterranean or North American 54 DEATH OF DEANE. squadrons, so small v/ere the ships, and of siicli slight calibre the guns. The English admirals, halving received information of the disgrace inflicted upon Dover, immediately weighed anchor and bore down to engage the enemy. Similar tidings despatched to Blake awoke all the earnestness of his patriotism, and he streamed down the north coast under a press of sail, ardent to vindicate his country's wounded honour.* Monk and Deane sighted the enemy about three leagues off the Gable, early on the morning of the 2nd. of June, when the relative strength of the two fleets, whose personnel had undergone some slight changes, was — English, 95 men-of-war, and 5 fire-ships ; Dutch, 98 men-of-war, and 6 fire-ships. Van Tromp held supreme command in the Dutch fleet, supported by De Euyter and De Witt. We have already specified the English commanders. Thus, then, these two formidable armadas swept into the hurricane of battle. Lawson, in advance of his comrades, drove furiously into the enemy's van, about eleven o'clock, and cut off De Euyter's division from the main body. But Van Tromp soon came to tlie rescue, and Lawson, separated from his wished-for prey, fell pell-mell upon a 42-gun ship and sunk it. The Itesolu- tion had likewise sailed into the thick of the fight. The first broadside which crashed upon its deck slew the brave and faithful Deane, a man " who had grown from a common mariner to the reputation of a bold and ex- cellent officer," and who was so much beloved by his men that Monk, with great presence of mind, flung his cloak over the dead body, lest at its sight they should grow discouraged. t The fight continued until darkness, — the Dutch gradually retreating before their eager opponents, — when a stout ship commanded by the Eear- Admiral Kelson blew up. This increased the panic of the Dutch; and though Tromp used every * Charnock's Biographia Kavalis. t Life of Monk, JDuke of Albemarle. ARRIVAL OF BLAKE. 55 metliod in his power to oblige his officers to do their duty, and even fired upon such ships as drew out of the line; yet it was to no purpose, but rather served to augment their alarm. During the night the two fleets lay to and repaired damages, while the English, who had now learnt the death of their gallant admiral, anxiously looked out for the Triumph, and Blake's unconquerable flag. The morning came, but the Sea-king was not in sight. Some hours were spent by Van Tromp in an endeavour to obtain the weather-gage, but he was finally bafiEed by a sudden calm, and about noon the battle began. It was vigorously contested, and fortune at first seemed not to incline to either combatant. But at length the ships of Blake hove in sight, and the thunder of his guns proclaimed to both friend and foe that the Old Sea- king was mingling in the battle. The English now fought with redoubled energy, for their commander's name was to them a sure omen of victory, 'and despite Van Tromp's heroic exertions, the Hollanders sank before their rushing onset. The Brederode, indeed, — the Dutch admiral's flag-ship, — made a desperate effort to recover the fight. She boarded the James, which bore the flag of Vice-Admiral Peni:*, but her crew were flung back upon their own deck by the resolute English, and in their turn were themselves assaulted. The Brederode must have fallen into English hands, but Tromp, deter- mined not to survive the disgrace of capture, flung a light into the powder-magazine, and straightway both victors and vanquished were hurled into destruction ! By a chance little short of miraculous Tromp escaped unhurt, and having hoisted his flag in a quick-sailing frigate, passed through his fleet to convince the sailors that he was still alive, and to encourage them to freshf exertions. But the fight was lost, and as Blake in his good ship, the Triumph, rolled the tide of battle heavily and more heavily upon the discomfited Hollanders, the admiral, unwillingly, gave the signal of retreat. Backed 56 THE BED CROSS TRIUMPHANT. by a strong fresh wind the English pressed lustily for- ward. The retreat of the foe degenerated into a flight; the pursuit increased to a hot and impetnons chase. Night, which is always so merciful to the conquered, came at last to the relief of the unfortunate but heroic Tromp, and sheltered by its kindly shadows, he carried the remainder of his fleet into the Ostend Eoads. On that memorable day he had lost eleven men-of-war cap- tured, including a vice-admiral and two rear-admirals, — and two water-hoys, and one fly-boat. Six men-of- war had been sunk, two hlown up, and one burnt. 1,350 captains, officers, and men had been taken prisoners. The black list of the dead and wounded was never pub- lished. The English, on the other hand, lost not a single cockboat, though their ships suffered severely both in hulls and rigging. They counted as their slain, only 126 officers and men, including General Deane, and 236 wounded. — The victory was as complete as it was glorious ! * 2. The "Swiftsuee."—a.d. 1656-7. After various successes against the Spanish, in which Blake's famous flag waved triumphantly from ihe top- masts of the St. George, the winter drew near ; and as it was then considered impossible for heavy men-of-war to keep the sea in the storms and gales of the closing year, Blake despatched his ships to various home-ports, and took up a blockading position before Cadiz with a squadron of twenty fast-sailing frigates. The great * The Triumph afterwards figured as the flag-ship of Vice- Admiral Myngs, in the great battle with the Dutch fought on the 29th of March, 1665, of which we shall speak hereafter ; and again in the action of June 3rd, 1666, and 28th May, 1672, when her captain, Willoughby Harman, was mortally wounded. She was also, we believe, engaged in the three actions of May 28th, June 4th, and August 11th, 1673. As we do not meet with her name again we suspect that she was soon afterwards broken up, having gloriously served in no less than eight great naval battles, ON ACTIVE SERVICE. 57 admiral's flag was accordingly hoisted on board the Swifisure, a vessel of 898 tons burthen, carrying 64 guns and 380 men. The duties he proposed to discharge with his small squadron were of no slight importance : — • to shut the Straits of Gibraltar against the enemy ; to destroy, as far as possible, the commerce of Spain with her colonial possessions ; to check the depredations of the Barbary rovers ; and to intercept, if fortune fa- voured, Spain's anxiously-expected fleet of galleons laden with the treasures of her Peruvian mines. Ad- mirably were these duties discharged by the great Sea- king of the Commonwealth ; by him who, even in the long list of the Naval Heroes of England, has had no equals but Nelson and Dundonald. The Spaniards affected not to believe that the English frigates would dare the tempestuous seas of winter, but as the months passed away, and still, in spite of storms that often scattered the gallant little squadron, the Ked Cross floated persistently off the harbour of Cadiz, incredulity gave way to apprehension, and apprehension gradually'' deepened into absolute terror. The year 1657 opened, and Blake still remained master of the seas. Early in February the Swiftsure bore him to Algiers, and he obtained certain concessions from its terrified Dey. Next he appeared off Tangier, where the Portuguese were sore beset by the Moors, and, with keen sympathy for Christian interests, relieved the beleaguered garri- son, and drove the besiegers from their works. Yet all this time the great admiral laboured under a dangerous illness, and the vessels of his squadron were badly found and inadequately manned. The close of his career, indeed, drew nigh; but it was to be illustrated by an achievement of no ordinary character, just as the setting sun often goes down in a splendour which equals or surpasses its meridian glory. Blake received intelligence that the Peru treasure-fleet, consisting of six royal galleons and sixteen other great ships, had put into one of the Canary Islands, in whole- 58 SANTA CRUZ HARBOUR. some fear 'of the squadron witli Vv^hich. he blockaded Cadiz. With characteristic daring he resolved upon an attempt to capture it. Accordingly, having gathered together his scattered force, now recruited to 25 ships and frigates, he set sail, on the 13th of April, for the Canary Islands. Tidings of his movements had, by some means, reached Don Diego Diagues, the Spanish admiral at Santa Cruz, and all that his skill and science could suggest was done to improve the defences of that strongly-fortified port, which was then esteemed one of the most formidable naval positions in the world. *' The harbour, shaped like a horseshoe, was defended at the north side of the entrance by a regular castle, mounted with the heaviest ordnance and well garri- soned ; along the inner line of the bay seven powerful forts were disposed ; and connecting these forts with each other and with the castle was a line of earthworks, which served to cover the gunners and musketeers from the fire of an enemy. Sufficiently formidable of them- selves to appal the stoutest heart, these works were now strengthened by the whole force of the Silver Fleet. The precious metals, pearls, and jewels were carried on shore into the town ; but the usual freightage, hides, sugar, spices, and cochineal, remained on board, Don Diego having no fears for their safety. The royal gal- leons were then stationed on each side the narrow entrance of the Bay ; their anchors dropped out, and their broadsides turned towards the sea. The other armed, vessels were moored in a semicircle round the inner line, with openings between them, so as to allow full play to the batteries on shore in case of necessity. Large bodies of musketeers were placed on the earth- works uniting the more solid fortifications ; and in this admirable arrangement of his means of resistance Diagues waited with confidence the appearance of his English assailants." * * Hepwortli Dixon's Life of Blake. BLAKE MAKES READY.. 59 The Swiftsure, and her companions, were about three leagues off Santa Cruz, and bearing down upon it, with all their canvas set, on the morning of Monday, April 20th. Their coming was descried, and their errand under- stood, by the captain of a Dutch Yessel then lying in the roadstead, who knew something of the sort of blows dealt at his enemies by Admiral Eobert Blake. He therefore besought of the Spanish admiral his permission to withdraw from the coming fray. Diagues endeavoured to re-assure him by pointing out the strength of his defences, his strongly-armed galleons, his imposing bat- teries. *' Xevertheless," said the Dutchman, "I am very sure that Blake will soon be in among you." " Well," rejoined the Spaniard, *' go, if thou wilt, and let Blake come, if he dare." Both the Dutchman and Blake availed themselves of the haughty Don's permis- sion. For, at early dawn, a frigate despatched by Blake on- the look out had returned to the English admiral, with the welcome intelligence that the rich Peru fleet lay in the harbour of Santa Cruz. Aroused from his sick bed by the portents of the coming battle, Blake sum- moned a council of war, and proposed to break into that seemingly impregnable harbour, and, as the breeze coming off the land would render it impossible to bring out the great galleons, to destroy them where they rode in all their defiant majesty. Some of his captains thought the attempt must prove fruitless, but the majority had long sailed under Blake's flag, and had more faith in their commander's fortune and capacity. It was resolved to carry out Blake's bold design. About half-past six prayers were publicly read on board every ship in the fleet, and breakfast was duly served. A division of the best ships, under brave Eear-admiral StajTier, a man of proved coui'age and experience, was then ordered to ride into the port and attack the SjDanish galleons ; while Blake, with the remainder of 60 ^ , THE VICTORY. the fleet, hurled a deadly fire against the land-defences. Bravely did the rear-admirars ship, the Speaker^ fore- most of his division, steer forward into the storm of fire which belched out from the castle and batteries on the shore, and from the heavy galleons in his face. Then Blake, in the Swiftsure, followed by the main body of his fleet, rode forward against the land batteries, and diverted their cannonade from his rear- admiral's flank. For several hours the hot fight lasted ; the Spaniards never flinching from the defence, until, one by one, their batteries were smitten into silence by the terrible cannonade of the English. It was scarcely noon when the fire of the whole line of earthworks was so far sub- dued that Blake could leave a few frigates to complete the work, while he himself moved to the help of Stayner, who had for hours supported a contest with a greatly superior force. Twice sixty minutes more ol crashing shot and devouring flame, and the Eed Cross -w^as triumphant! Two galleons had gone down into the deeps, and every vessel in the harbour was on fire ! " Miles and miles round the scene of action, the lurid and fatal lights could be seen, throbbing and burning against the dull sky. The fire had done its work swiftly and awfully. Not a sail, not a single spar was left above water. The charred keels floated hither and thither. Some of them filled and sank. Others were thrown upon the strand. Here and there the stump of a burnt mast projected from the surface; but not a single ship — not a single cargo — escaped destruction. All went down together in the tremendous calamity." Blake, having accomplished his work, had now to get his conquering fleet out of the harbour ; a task of no little difficulty, as the guns of the fortifications, plied by fresh artillerymen, kept up a terrible cannonade. But Fortune is ever the handmaid of Valour. The wind now suddenly veering towards the south-west, soon bore the English ships out of the range of shot. By seven o'clock in the evening the entire fleet was safely Cromwell's letter. 61 at sea, — several sliips, indeed, rendered unfit for further service, — but still all floating securely with the Eed Cross at their mast-heads. About 50 killed and 150 wounded made up the small loss sustained by the English on this wonderful day of deeds and daring.* Blake's contemporaries, whether Eoyalist or Eound- head, could not fail in admiration of this noble enter- prise. " The whole action," writes Lord Chancellor Clarendon, " was so miraculous that all men who knew the place concluded that no sober man, with what courage soever endued, would ever undertake it ; whilst the Spaniards comforted themselves with the belief that they were devils and not men who had destroyed them in such a manner. And it can hardly be imagined how small loss the English sustained in this unparalleled action ; no one ship being left behind, and the killed and wounded not exceeding two hundred men, when the slaughter on board the Spanish ships and on the shore was incredible." The hero then at the head of the English Common- wealth was prompt in his recognition of his great sea- chieftain ; and addressed to him a noble letter of grati- tude : — OromweIVs Letter to Blahe, **SiR, "I HAVE received yours of the '20th of April last ;' and thereby the account of the good success it hath pleased God to give you at the Canaries, in your attempt upon the King of Spain's Ships in the Bay of Santa Cruz. *' The mercy therein, to us and this Commonwealth, is very signal ; both in the loss the Enemy hath re- ceived, and also in the preservation of our ships and men ; — which indeed was very wonderful ; and according to the goodness and loving-kindness of the Lord, where- with His People hath been followed in all these late * Burton, vol, ii., p. 142. Carlyle's Oliver Cromwell, ill. 62 CAREER OF THE " SWIFTSURE." revolutions ; and call for on oiir part, That we should fear before Him, and still hope in His mercy. "We cannot bnt take notice also, how eminently it hath pleased God to make use of yon in this service ; assisting you with wisdom in the conduct, and com^age in the execution ; — and have sent you a small Jewel, as a testimony of our own and the Parliament's good acceptance of your carriage in this Action. We are also informed that the Officers of the Fleet, and the Seamen, carried themselves with much honesty and courage ; and we are considering of a way to shew our acceptance thereof. In the meantime, we desire you to return our hearty thanks and acknowledgements to them. " Thus, beseeching the Lord to continue His presence with you, I remain, your very affectionate friend, "Oliver P."* Meanwhile, the good Swiftsure, with her Admiral on board, lying already — though his officers and men were slow and unwilling to believe it — in the very arms of death, had borne the Eed Cross off the pirate-settlement of Sallee, and by the terror of Blake's name, had com- pelled the Moorish buccaneers to yield up the Christians they had taken prisoners in their piratical expeditions, and to agree upon terms of peace. Then, leaving a squadron of frigates in the Bay of Cadiz, for the pro- tection of English interests, he removed his flag from the Swiftsure, hoisted it on board the St George^ and very anxious to see " home " before he died, pressed on all sail for his beloved England. [The Swiftsure, after Blake's removal, appears to have remained with the Cadiz squadron. The mission of the good ship was not yet accomplished, and in other ocean- battles she was to assert the honour of the English Navy. In the memorable | action with the Dutch, June 3, 1665, she was commanded by the rear-admiral * Carlyle's Letters and Speeches of Oliver CromYv^cl], iii., 304. Thuiice, vi., 342. EXPEDITION AGAINST BARBARY. 63 of tlie red squadron, the gallant Sir William Berkeley, and during the early part of the engagement bore almost alone the brunt of the battle. In the great fight of June 1, 1666, between the English under Monk, Duke of Albemarle, and Van Tromp and the Dutch, Sir William Berkeley was killed, with the greater portion of his crew, and the Swiftsiire captured.] 3. The « St. Geoege/' The St, George was a fine new ship of 60 guns and 360 men, in which Blake hoisted his victorious flag in 1.654. The Protector's government had determined to send an expedition against the rovers of the Barbary states, who had captured and plimdered many English merchant ships, and flung their crews into slavery. Blake was appointed to its command. iThe ships of which his expedition was mainly composed were 20 in number, carrying 794- guns, and 3,870 men; together with five smaller vessels ; which brought up the total force to 4,100 men and 874 guns. It was late in the year 1654 when Blake's squadron sailed from the Solent, and steered past Brest into the Bay of Biscay. The European powers, not less than the people of England, were sorely anxious to learn its destination or its object. Events, as the days rolled on, told their own lesson. Early in December the St. George and her comrades sailed into the Cadiz Eoads. A Dutch fleet was lying there ; whose admiral pru- dently did homage to the *' haughty islanders" — the Puritan Sea-kings — by lowering his flag. " One of oxir tenders, parting from the fleet, fell in with a Brest admiral, on his way with seven ships-of-war to join the Toulon fleet ; but on learning that it belonged to the English squadron then at Cadiz, the Frenchman sent for the captain into his cabin, told him he was at liberty to return, invited him to drink Blake's health in a cup of Burgundy, and ordered a salute of five guns to be fired in his honour. The renown of Blake's exploits 64 AN IRRESISTIBLE DEMAND. had gone before him to the warlike ports and towns of Barbary ; and some Algerine cruisers, having a number of English captives on board, brought them as presents to appease his wrath. Every prince and people in the south who had insulted or outraged the Commonwealth learned to tremble at his approach. In imagination the Grand Duke of Tuscany already heard the thunder of his cannon booming across the waters of Leghorn. The terrified Pope gave orders for a solemn procession, and the sacred Host was exposed for forty hours, to avert the threatening calamity from the dominions of the Church."* Now it happened that the royalist freebooters, the Princes EujDcrt and Maurice, had, during the war main- tained by the Commonwealth against Charles I., pirati- cally seized upon various English vessels lying in the harbours of the Duke of Tuscany, and sold them for what money they would fetch. As these outrages had been connived at by the Grand Duke, Blake was in- structed by Cromwell to demand a suitable compensa- tion, fixed in pecuniary value at the sum of 60,000Z. In due time the St George and her sister ships appeared off Leghorn, and with threatening broadsides Blake demanded payment of the money. The Duke was loth to part with it, but at last consented to yield up a portion of the sum, if allowed to take the advice of his venerable friend and ally, the Pope of Eome, with respect to the remainder. Inflexible Blake could not discern what the Pope had to do with a matter so simple, and would hear of no part payment. The Grand Duke accordingly found himself constrained to send on board the St George the amount demanded, in 35,000 Spanish and 25,000 Italian pistoles ; and at the same time, anxious (we suppose) that his " friend and ally," the Pope, should share in his misfortunes, he informed Blake that several English ships had been * Dixon's Kobert Blake, ' BLAKE AND THE DEY OF TUNIS. 65 sold by tlie marauding Eupert in Eoman ports. The English admiral immediately sent off a messenger to Alexander VII. demanding a suitable reparation, and despite of the protestations, prayers, equivocations, and entreaties of the Father of the Church, he was com- pelled to disburse to the heretic Blake the sum of 20,000 pistoles — '* probably," says Mr. Dixon, "the only money ever brought from Eoman coffers to enrich the public treasury of England." Our bold seaman next turned his attention to the punishment of the Barbary pirates, who, for many years, and with comparative impunity, had preyed upon English commerce, made prize of English merchant- vessels, and thrown their Christian crews into slavery. On the 8th of February 1655, Blake's squadron anchored off the Bay of Tunis. The Dey of Tunis had had news of his intended visit, and made formidable preparations to receive him. His ships were drawn in shore under the great guns of his famous castles of Goletta and Porto Ferino. The entire circuit of the bay bristled with defensive works, and a camp of several thousand horse and foot occupied an imposing position. The English Admiral's ships, on the other hand, had been much injured by foul weather. Their crews were weakened with the diseases then so common to a sea- faring life. They had but fourteen days' bread and five da^^s' drink on board. In these circumstances it was deemed advisable that a formal demand should be made for the restitution of the English ships seized by the Tunisian pirates, and the release of their crews from slavery. The Dey, with many professions of the re- spect in which, for the future, he would hold the English flag, very plainly refused compliance with the English xldmiral's prayer. Blake then withdrew, with the body of his fleet, to Cagliari, to refit and obtain provisions ; while Captain Stayner, with six ships, re- mained " on guard " off the port of Tunis. Frigates were despatched to the various harbours of Northern 66 BLAKE ATTACKS TtTiSnS. Italy and tlie Spanish, coast to purchase supplies, and a sufficient store having been got together after great exertions, Blake and the St, George once more appeared, on the Sth of March, within sight of Porto Ferino. An officer was sent on shore to communicate with the Dey, that peace, if possible, might be concluded without bloodshed. But the Dey was confident in his own strength, and contemptuous of what he supposed to be the weakness of the English. He not only treated the message of the Admiral with disdain, but refused to allow his ships to supply themselves with fresh water. '' Tell the Dey," exclaimed Blake, "that God has given the benefit of water to all his creatures ; and for men to deny it to each other is equally insolent and wicked." The Dey replied : — '' Here are our castles of Goletta and Porto Ferino : do your worst ; and do not think to brave us with the sight of your great fleet."* Marvellous was his surprise, nevertheless, when that great fleet, instead of opening its fire iipon his castles and batteries, suddenly bent sails, and stood out to sea. As one by one, the stately vessels of the English dis- appeared in the hazy distance, his surprise changed into contempt, and he began to think that his one hundred and fifty guns had terrified the hearts of the English sea-dogs. He was greatly mistaken. When the watchfulness of the Tunisians, as Blake had con- jectured, relaxed in the face of apparent security, the Eed Cross once more burst upon the eyes of the dis- mayed corsairs, and early on the 4th of April 1655, the English squadron sailed steadily into the harbour, and dropped anchor within half musket-range of its for- midable batteries. The Newcastle frigate led the van ; followed by the Taunton, the Foresight, the Amity, the Mermaid, and the Merlin. Then came the heavy ships, of which the St. Andrew, the Plymouth, and the St, George were the foremost. Anchoring as close as might be tinder the cannon of Porto Ferino and the batteries, * Lediard's Naval History. BLAKE EEADS THE DEY A LESSOR. 67 the terrible contest^ was begun by the English. A tempest of crashing shot fell down upon Blake's bold vessels, which replied with a more terrible hurricane, and drove ashore a very whirlwind of flame and smoke. The wind blew from the sea, and beat the sulphurous clouds into the faces of the Tunis gunners ; while every ball from the English ordnance made its mark in killed and wounded. AVhen the battle was at its height, the long boats were lowered from each ship, and under the command of John Stokes, the gallant captain of the St. George, were despatched on a perilous expedition. It was for them to row alongside the pirate-vessels, and fling upon their decks a quantity of torches and flaming brands. In the face of a dreadful cannonade from the shore, this perilous errand was successfully accom- plished, and the whole of the corsair-fleet, — nine large ships of war, — were speedily devoured by fire. The spectacle was so grand and yet so terrible, that for a moment it silenced the din of battle, while the en- croaching tongues of flame greedily consumed every mast, and yard, and spar, and, with a hissing sound, dipped deep into each scarred and blackened hull. The walls of Goletta and Porto Ferino had, meanwhile, crumbled beneath Blake's vigorous broadsides ; and his work thus done — and done with the loss of only 25 men killed and 48 wounded — the victorious admiral bore up for another pirate settlement, that of Tripoli. The Dey of Tripoli, however, had comprehended the value of the lesson which Blake's guns had preached at Tunis, and was very willing to salute the English flag in honour, and to conclude an amicable arrangement with the English government. After a brief trip to Venice, Blake now paid a second visit to Tunis, to find its Dey also willing to concede all that Cromwell had demanded. At Algiers too the sovereign was wonder- fully courteous. Thus the shores of the Mediterranean echoed with the fame of Blake, and with the power and glory of the ruler of England ; and the Eed Cross E 2 68 THE SEA-KING WAXES FAINf . swept over the seas — a terror to all enemies and evil- doers ! After a long but glorious cruise the Admiral, towards the end of 1655, returned to England, and struck his flag on board the St. George. Illness was undermining his vital powers, and he longed for peace and repose in the hope of recruiting his shattered frame. But England could not long dispense with his valuable^ services, and we find him again afloat, in " the Naseby," early in 1656. In the Nasehy he cruised off Cadiz until October, when he removed his flag to the Swiftsure, whose'' share in the glorious attack on Santa Cruz we have already related (pp. 59, 60). It was after that memorable exploit that the old Sea- king again hoisted his flag on board of his old flag- ship, the St. George, and steered for Home. He was slowly dying. " A life of shocks," daring, and deeds — of continuous action and marvellous endurance — had worn out his once stalwart frame, and Blake was reduced to the very extremity of feebleness. His death-voyage has been described with eloquent sim- plicity by Hepworth Dixon : — " While the ships rolled,'^ he writes, *Hhrough the tempestuous Bay of Biscay, he grew every day worse and worse. Some gleams of the old spirit broke forth as he approached the latitude of England. He inquired often and anxiously if the white cliffs were yet in sight. He longed to behold once more the swelling downs, the free cities, the goodly churches of his native land. But he was now dying beyond all doubt. Many of his favourite officers silently and mournfully crowded round his bed, anxious to catch the last tones of a voice which had so often called them to glory and victory. Others stood at the poop and forecastle, eagerly examin- ing every speck and line on the horizon, in hope of being first to catch the welcome glimpse of land. Though they were coming home crowned with laurels, gloom and pain were in every face. At last the Lizard HIS DEATH. 69 was announced. Shortly afterwards the bold cliffs and bare hills of Cornwall loomed out grandly in the dis- tance. But it was now too late for the dying sailor. He had sent for the captains and other great officers of his fleet to bid them farewell; and w^hile they were yet in his cabin, the undulating hills of Devonshire, glowing with the tints of early autumn, came full in view. As the ships rounded Eame Head, the spires and masts of Plymouth, the wooded heights of Mount Edgecombe, the low island of St. Nicholas, the rocky steeps at the Hoe, Mount Batten, the citadel, the many picturesque and familiar features of that magnificent harbour rose one by one to sight. But the eyes which had yearned to behold this scene once more, were at that very instant closing in death. Foremost of the victorious squadron, the St. George rode with its pre- cious burden into the Sound ; and just as it came within view of the eager thousands crowding the beach, the pier-heads, the walls of the citadel, or darting in count- less boats over the smooth waters between St. Nicholas and the docks, ready to catch the first glimpse of the hero of Santa Cruz, and salute him with a true English welcome, — he, in this silent cabin, in the midst of his lion-hearted comrades, now sobbing like little children, yielded up his soul to God. *' The mournful news soon spread through the fleet and in the town. The melancholy enthusiasm of the people knew no bounds, and the national love and admiration expressed itself in the solemn splendour of his funeral rites. The day of his death the corpse was left untouched in its cabin, as something sacred; but next morning skilful embalmers were employed to open it ; and, in presence of all the great officers of the fleet and port, the bowels were taken out and placed in an urn, to be buried in the great church in Plymouth. The body, embalmed and wrapt in lead, was then put on board again and carried round by sea to Greenwich, where it lay in state several days, on the spot since 70 HIS CHARACTER. consecrated to the noblest hospital for seamen in the world." On the 4th of September, it was borne, in grand pro- cession, up the river from Greenwich to Westminster, — the trumpets pealing forth a solemn dirge, and artil- lery filling the resonant skies with a dull drear thunder. At Westminster Stairs the procession was re-marshalled by the heralds, and conducted through Palace Yard into the old historic Abbey, where, in a vault in Henry the Seventh's gorgeous chapel, was laid the dust of Eobert Blake, " Admiral and General at Sea." The Puritan hero's character as a seaman has been faithfully drawn by the royalist historian. Clarendon : *' He was the first man that declined the old track, and made it manifest that the science might be attained in less time than was imagined; and despised those rules which had long been in practice, to keep his, ship and his men out of danger, which had been held in former times a point of great ability and circumspection, as if the principal art requisite in the captain of a ship had been to be sure to come home safe again. He was the first that infused that proportion of courage into the seamen, by making them see by experience what mighty things they could do if they were resolved, and taught them to fight in fire as well as upon water ; and though he hath been very well imitated and fol- lowed, he was the first that drew the copy of naval courage, and bold and resolute achievement." [We have now to indicate briefly the future career of the St, George. Blake's flag-ship was commanded by the gallant Joseph Jordan, a Commonwealth seaman, in the sea-fight of the 3rd of June 1665, and she held her own, in a manner not unworthy of her former com- mander, in the actions with the Dutch in the two suc- ceeding years. In the Earl of Sandwich's memorable action with De Euyter, off Solebay, on the 28th May 1672, the St. George was hotly engaged, and -lost her ABOUT THE " ST, GEORGE." 71 gallant captain, Geoffrey Pearce, as well as a large pro- portion of her crew in killed and wounded. In the following year she was in the thick of the battle between the English, tinder Prince Eupert and Sir Edward Spragge, and the Dutch, under De Enyter and Banequert (August 11, 1673). The English, on this occasion, were disgracefully deserted by their pretended allies, the French, and being consequently outnumbered by the Dutch, retreated slowly towards their own coast, while maintaining a spirited running fire. Spragge, at first, had his flag hoisted in the Moydl Prince, which, after a severe fight of three hours' duration, with Van Tromp, in the Golden Lion, — a far more powerful ship, — was so shattered, that the English seaman was com- pelled to remove his flag to the >S'^. George. The Dutch Admiral, at the same time, hoisted his on board the Comet, and the two chiefs again renewed the fight. After a fierce engagement, the St. George lost her main- mast. Spragge, with a resolution worthy of an English sea-king, again took to his barge to go on board the JEtoyal Charles^ but had scarcely quitted the St. George^ when a chance shot sunk his boat, and the gallant seaman and most of his boat's crew were drowned. This appears to have been the last action in which the St. George bore the English flag.] CHAPTEK V. THE "ROYAL CHARLES " (OR, *' NASEBY "). ' [Period of Service : The Protectorate, and' Keign of Charles II. to A.D. 1667. Strength : 78 guns, 558 men.] " The Nasehy, now no longer England's shame. But better to be lost in Charles's name, Receives her lord." — Dry den, Astrasa JRedux, The Nasehy, a fine first-rate of 80 guns, witli a comple- ment of 558 men, was named in commemoration of the great figlit wliicli, in 1646, finally shattered the pros- pects of the Eoyal cause, and gave the sovereignty of England into the hands of the Parliament. She was one of the noble vessels built by the orders of Sir Henry Vane, while that able administrator presided over the naval affairs of the Commonwealth, and was launched at Deptford about 1652. In the English navy, as that navy was then constituted, she was justly regarded as a triumph of marine architecture, and well fitted to bear the Ked Cross in honour before any of England's foes ; but both in size and swiftness, it may here be remarked, she was excelled by the Sovereign, which carried 1,100 men and 88 guns, of which twenty were heavy 40-pounders. In the memorable ocean-battles of the Common- wealth the Nasehy bore herself as became a vessel so proudly named ; but of these we have already spoken, and it was not until March 1656 that she was honoured with an Admiral's flag. Eobert Blake and the gallant Montagu, afterwards Earl of Sandwich, then selected her as their flag-ship, when they received the joint com- mand of the fleet destined to chastise the insolence of THE "naseby" in peril. 73 Spain. From *' aboard the Nasehy in St. Helen's Road," March 16, 1656, we find Blake writing to the Secretary Thurlow, — " we are now getting an anchor aboard, making ready to sail, although there be little wind, or none at all." The Nasehy and the fleet soon afterwaids got under weigh, and in the first week of June anchored in Cascaes Road at the 'mouth of the Tagus. The sight of their terrible broadsides soon menaced King John of Portugal, hitherto well inclined to side with Spain, into compliance with the Protector's demands, and into pecimiary compensation for the damages he had wrong- fully inflicted upon English commerce. The two admirals next sailed for Cadiz, and while riding in that capacious bay, the Nasehy narrowly escaped destruction in a fearful tempest. About one hour past midnight, when she was safely riding at anchor and defying the violence of the gale, Captain Vallis's ship, the Taunton, with rent canvas and unshipped rudder, was seen to be driving directly down upon her, threatening to strike her right amidships. Lights were hung out, and loud voices shouted an order to her captain to get up a new sail ; but, at first, it seemed that no efforts could avert a fatal collision. Blake, as a last chance, had ordered his cables to be cut adrift, when, on a sudden, it pleased God in very mercy that the ToAinton let slip, and ** getting a sail open with much ado steered clear off us, else one or both of us, in all likelihood, had immediately gone to the bottom." Soon afterwards the Nasehy, and most of the great ships, returned to England, and Blake, hoisting his flag in the Swifisure, went forward to his last, and, perhaps, his greatest triumph. When the reins of power slipped from the feeble hands of Richard Cromwell, and the silent and astute Monk effected the restoration of Charles II. to the throne his vices afterwards blackened with a foul dis- grace, the Nasehy formed one of the squadron of escort despatched to Breda to bring home the royal profligate. That her name might bring back to his recollection no use- 74 dryden's poetical enthusiasm. fill lesson, nor convey a signal warning to his thoiiglitless mind, she was formally re-christened as the Boyal Charles — a dishonour of which, perhaps, her old Commonwealth sailors, if such were still retained among her crew, would bel^keenly sensible. On the 23rd of May 1660, while flags streamed gaily to the wind, and cannon thundered out their noisy welcome, Charles II. embarked on board her at Scheveling, escorted by Admiral Montagu, and a noble squadron of those famous vessels which had asserted the supremacy of the Eed Cross in many a fiery battle. On the 25th he landed at Dover ; to be received with a storm of enthusiastic adulation. This memorable royal voyage has been described by the poet Dryden in lines of spirited exaggeration. — '* Oh, had you seen," he cries, — " Oh, had you seen from Scheveling's barren shore, (Crowded with troops, and barren now no more,) Afflicted Holland to his farewell bring True sorrow, Holland to regret a king ! Yfhile waiting him his royal fleet did ride. And willing winds to their lowered sails denied. The wavering streamers, flags, and standards out, The merry seamen's rude but cheerful shout ; And last the cannons' voice that shook the sM-es, And, as it fares in sudden ecstasies, At once bereft us both of ears and eyes. The Ncisehy, now no longer England's shame, But better to be lost in Charles s name, (Like some unequal bride in nobler sheets,) Eeceives her lord : the joyful London meets The princely York, himself alone a freight ; The Swiftsure groans beneath great Gloster's weight : Secure as when the Halcyon breeds, with these. He that was born to drown could cross the seas." Such is the poet's picture of the royal voyage. In equally glowing phrase he depicts the King's landing at Dover : — *' Methinks I see those crowds on Dover's strand. Who, in their haste to welcome you to land. Choked up the beach with their still-growing store, And made a wilder torrent on the shore ; WAU WITH THE DUTCH. 75 While, spiirr'd with eager thoughts of past delight, Those, who had seen you, court a second sight ; Preventing still your steps, and making haste To meet you often, wheresoe'er you pass'd. How shall I speak of that triumphant day, When you renewed th' expiring pomp of May !" But from the sweet music of ''Apollo's lute" we must now be fain to turn our ears to the stormier echoes of '* Bellon^'s strains." The Boyal Charles was no vessel for holiday pomp alone, and as one of the finest men-of-war in the English navy was selected, in 1665, for the flag-ship of James Duke of York, then placed in chief command of the immense fleet fitted out against the Dutch. For nearly four years a chronic state of warfare had existed between England and the States, and acts had been committed on each side which assuredly the present age would not consider in accordance with the principles of International Law. Proclamation of war, however, was not' openly made until 1665, when the Dutch declared hostilities in January, and England in the succeeding month. Great exertions were made by both combatants to prepare for the desperate struggle. The English fleet was composed of 110 ships of war, carrying 4,537 guns, and 22,206 men, — exclusive of fire-ships, bombs, and ketches. The Dutch fleet, of 121 sail, including 11 fire-ships, and 7 yachts, was commanded by Admirals Opdam, Gor- tenaer, John and Cornelius Van Evertzen, Schram, and Cornelius Tromp. " Admiral Opdam was one of the best seamen the States could boast, but his policy was of a Fabian character. Knowing the unfortunate results which had attended all their sea-fights with the English, he wished to avoid a general engagement, and to harass and ruin their commerce by pouncing upon single ships,^ convoys, or fleets of merchantmen. But the Prince of Orange having ordered him, at all hazards, to fight _ the English, he, to avoid the impu- 76 A FIERCE ENGAGEMENT. tations wMcli miglit ottierwise be cast upon his conduct, with this order resolved to comply. He called a council of war, but found his officers averse to an en- gagement. * Your sentiments are mine,' he exclaimed, ' but here are my orders. To-morrow my head shall be bound with laurel or with cypress !' " * The Dutch fleet hove in sight of the English coast, at noon, on the first of June, and the Duke of York im- mediately put to sea. After a series of wearisome man- oeuvres, a change of wind,— early on the morning of the 3rd, — ^gave the advantage of the weather-gage to the English, who immediately bore down upon the enemy, in a formidable line which extended many miles ; Prince Kupert leading the van, the Duke of York the centre, and the Earl of Sandwich the rear. The centre of the Dutch line was led by the gallant Opdam, the van by Cornelius Tromp. An attack upon the English centre commenced about three o'clock in the morning, and both fleets were soon driving into the press of the terrible melee. Soon after six a.m. the Dutch, finding themselves unable to penetrate the English line, bore up and passed to leeward ; a movement frustrated by the English rear tacking in obedience to signal from the Moyal Charles and closing with the enemy; — Sir John Lawson, in the Moyal Oak, sweeping into the heart of the fire, followed at a short interval by the Duke of York himself. Soon afterwards the Dutch fleet was completely cut into two divisions by the fury of the English onset, and the battle raged with a terrible degree of earnestness. The deadly character of the fight told fearfully both on the English and their foe. On board the Boyal Charles four gallant young volun- teers — the Earls of Portland and Falmouth, Lord Mus- kerry, and the Honourable Mr. Boyle — were smitten to death^by one shot. Eear- Admiral Sansum fell on board the Besolution ; the Earl of Marlborough, on board the Boyal James ; brave Sir John Lawson received a wound * Adams's Sea-Kings of England, TREACHERY, OR COWARDICE? 77 in the knee of which he afterwards died ; and three other captains fell in the battle. The total number of killed was 250, and of wounded, 340. The Dutch lost two fine men-of-war, blown up ; four, destroyed by an English fire-ship ; three which fouled and were burnt by another fire-ship; and in sunk, captured, burnt or blown up, in all, four and twenty vessels. Their crews fought obstinately : so that the slain and wounded are said to have numbered 6,000, and about 2,500 were taken prisoners. The Boyal Charles engaged Opdam's ship — the Concord, of 84 guns — with such persistent fuiy, that in less than an hour, the latter caught fire, and blew up with her admiral and all on board. The van of the Dutch fieet, suddenly stricken with a panic discouragement, bore off for the Texel, followed, as quickly as might be, by such ships of the other division as could escape the death-grapple of the English. But though the victory remained so decidedly with the English it was not followed up with the energy which had secured it. Whether this mishap arose from state reasons which have never been revealed, or from the timidity or folly of one Henry Brouncker, the Duke of York's gentleman of the bedchamber, is now an historical mystery impenetrable to the keenest wit and most eager curiosity. It appears that when night closed in, over the vanquished and the vanquisher, a council of war was held on board of the Boyal Charles, whereat the immediate attendants and friends of the Duke distinguished themselves by their affected solicitudS for the safety of the royal person, entreating him to remain content with the success already gained. James, however, had undoubtedly an Englishman's bravery, and persisted in giving orders to set all sail in pursuit of the Dutch fleet. When they should heave in sight of the enemy he directed his attendants to arouse him. In the course of the night, however, Brouncker sud- denly appeared on deck, and directed Sir William Penn, 78 Sm JOHN denham's satihe. as if from the Admiral, to slacken sail. The gallant old seaman J though highly inflamed by the receipt of such a message, could not dare to disobey it. But when the Duke's sleep was ended, "he, upon his waking, went out on the quarter-deck, and seemed amazed to see the sails slackened, and that thereby all hope of overtaking the Dutch was lost. He questioned Penn upon it; Penn put it upon Brouncker^^ who said nothing. The Duke denied that he had given any such order ; but he neither punished Brouncker for carrying it, nor Penn for obeying it." And in this impenetrable mystery the whole transaction is still overshrouded. The poet, Sir John Denham, in his '* Directions to a Painter," a clever piece of satirical ruggedness, has a happy allu- sion to the incident : — ** Now all conspire unto the Dutchman's loss ; The wind, the fire, we they themselves do cross ; When a sweet sleep began the Duke to drown, And with soft diadems his temples crown ; And first he orders all the crew to watch, And they the foe, while he a nap doth catch. But lo, Brounker, by a secret instinct, Slept not, nor needed ; — lie all day had ivinTct The Duke in bed, he then first draws his steel, "Whose vu'tue makes the misled compass wheel ; So, e'er he waked, both fleets were innocent ; But Brounker Member is of Parliament," Had this victory been more complete, nor frustrated in its consequences by the timidity or treachery of this "Bedchamber parasite, it is possible that an earlier termi- nation might have been put to the Dutch war, and England have saved much treasure, many valuable lives, and some amount of reputation. But neither combatant as yet had tasted sufficient blood, and in 1666, the narrow seas were once more alive with hostile vessels. Unhappily, the English fleet now suffered from the perils of a divided command. Between Prince Eupert and Monk, Duke of Albemarle — both brave DEFEAT OF THE DUTCH. 79 men ; tlie former a dashing seaman, and the latter an approved general — a bad feeling had long existed, and neither was snfficiently the patriot to prefer the in- terests of his country to the indulgence of a private feud. On the 1st of June 1666, Monk found himself with his division of 60 ships in sight of the Dutch fleet, at anchor, in very superior force, off the Goodwins. Hoping to be speedily joined by Prince Eupert's squadron, the Duke, with characteristic courage, bore down upon them, and a fierce conflict ensued ; in whiqjl^ despite all the steady valour and unflinching endurance of the English, superiority of numbers carried the day. Sir "William Berkeley was killed, and his ship, and two others were captured, and many of the English vessels so shattered as to be scarcely able to keep the sea. The battle was continued on the following day with doubtful fortune. On the 3rd the Dutch were reinforced by 16 fresh ships, — a plenitude of strength with which Monk felt it was impossible to contend. He, therefore, bore up in search of his dilatory comrade. Prince Eupert, who, with his 20 ships, was at last fallen in with, towards night. On the 6th, the battle was resumed under these new conditions ; but the Dutch still pos- sessed such a preponderance of force that, though the English fought with desperate bravery, they were even- tually compelled to retire with severe loss. In these sanguinary actions the Boyal CJiarles bore no inconsiderable share, and she was again present in the great victory off the ISTorth Foreland, fought on July 25th. The English fleet was still commanded by Kupert and Albemarle, and consisted of 89 men-of-war and 18 fire-ships. The Dutch mustered an equal force, under De Euyter, Cornelius Tromp, and Evertzen. After a hotly contested action the Dutch fell back, in fierce haste, upon their own dull coast, with a loss of 20 ships, and 4,000 killed and wounded. This decisive victory has been nobly celebrated in 80 HEROIC DEATH. the Annus MirabiUs, and with the poet's splendid picture we cannot refrain from adorning our pages : — *' Now van to van the foremost squadrons meet, The midmost battles hasting np behind : Who view far off the storm of falling sleet, And hear their thunder rattling in the wind. " At length the adverse admirals appear ; The two bold champions of each country's right : Their eyes describe the lists as they come near, And draw the lines of death before they fight. " Fierce was the fight on the proud Belgians' side, For hdiour, which they seldom sought before : But now they by their own vain boasts were tied, And forced, at least in show, to prize it more. ** But sharp remembrance on the English part, And shame of being matched by such a foe, Eouse conscious virtue up in every heart. And seeming to be stronger makes them so. " Nor long the Belgians could that fleet sustain, Wliich did two generals' fates and Ciesar's bear : Each several ship a victory did gain, As Kupert or as Albermarle were there."— Dr?/cZew. . To US it seems the most fitting death for a hero, — for a soldier whose laurel is red with the flames of a thousand fights, or a seaman whose ocean-triumphs have resounded on every shore, — to die in the flush of his greatest success. " The most triumphant death," says South ey, " is that of the martyr; the most awful that of the martyred patriot ; the most splendid that of the hero in the hour of victory." And so it would seem that a gallant war-ship, whose tall masts have borne in hgnour the meteor-flag of England through the depths of the battle, and from whose threatening sides a' hundred guns have told of England's might and majesty, should sink to rest in the waters she has so proudly ridden, or yield up her life, as it were, in the heart of the triumphant flames. To rot in the black mud of the Medway, or the rank ooze of Portsmouth Harbour, or to end her career as a grimy and loathsome *' convict CAPTURE OF THE ** EOYAL CHARLES." 81 hulk " seems but a poor destiny for the stately vessel which has been distinguished by the flag of a Hawke, a Nelson, or a Collingwood. No such destiny, indeed, but even a more inglorious fate, was reserved for the Boyal Charles; — the noble ship which had borne no dishonourable part in the great Dutch wars of the Commonwealth, and had been chosen to convey to English shores her " restored monarch." She was lying at Chatham for repair, when, in June 1667, a Dutch fleet appeared in the Thames, and owing to the criminal neglect of the king and his ministers, sailed unopposed up the river Medway, ascend- ing as high as Upnor Castle, in the very face of English forts and guns ! Everything was in dire confusion : batteries were inadequately mounted, or not mounted at all. Ammunition could not be found for the gunners. There was no guiding spirit to rally the men of Kent against the invaders, and so the insolent thunder of the Dutch artillery rolled up the valley of the Thames, and sounded even in. the luxurious seraglio of the diKSSo- lute Charles. Meanwhile, the Loyal London, considered the finest ship of the time, — the Great James, — and the Boyal Oah, all first-rates of great size and strength, were destroyed by fire, but the Boyal Charles, — as if in greater mockery of the English sovereign, — the Dutch bore away as a trophy of their triumph. In a few days after this signal disgrace, — which was keenly felt by the English people, if disregarded by the English court, — peace was concluded between England and Holland, and the Dutch fleet retired from the Thames. 82 CHAPTEB VI. THE STOEY OF THE " CENTURION." [Period of Service : Eeign of George II. Strength : 60 guns, 400 men.] *' I'll read you matter deep and dangerous ; As full of peril and adventurous spirit, As to o'erwalk a current, roaring loud. On the unsteadfast footing of a spear." — Slialispeare. Lives there a lad of Saxon growth whose imagination has not been fired by the tales of wild adventure and the legends of daring enterprise, which inform, with the very spirit of romance, the lives of our early Sea- kings ? Is there an English lad, who having once dipped into the enchanted pages of HaMuyt or Pnrchas, • — who having once perused the stirring record of the wonderful exploits of Drake, and Cavendish, Oxenham, and Sir Henry Morgan, — but straightway dreams for himself the bravest dreams of deeds to be done on the haunted shores of the Spanish Main, of fresh Panamas to be sacked by a handful of gallant Eugiishmen, of newly laden galleons to be captured by the tiniest English cockboats imaginable ? What boy but imagines for himself a Juan Fernandez where, monarch of all he surveys, he will fortify himself in his lonely, wave- beaten island ? Oh, those old Voyages ! Those pre- ciously quaint narratives of wanderings in unknown seas and visits to shores never before trodden by Euro- pean foot ! What a wonderful freshness breathes in every page ! As one reads, there seems to ring in one's ears the music of the " mysterious main," and there comes from afar the perfume of strange flowers, and one YOUTHFUL EEMINISCENCES. 83 moves, as it were, in a world of wild enchantment, where wealthy Spaniards, and bead-counting priests, and generous Indians flit to and fro like phantoms. Who does not 'envy Balboa his first glimpse of the Pacific, when he stood " Silent, upon a peak in Darien ?" "Who would not have been with Ponce de Leon in his romantic quest after the Fountain of Eternal Youth? Who would not have wished to sail with Drake in the Golden Hind ? Even into our later life penetrates the wild romantic truth of these adventurous pages, mingling with the sombre tide of our everyday existence a current of brighter aspect, and lifting us up from that worldli- ness in which our hearts would otherwise be eternally steeped into a fresher and purer atmosphere. With us, in our early days, a favourite book was the dusty, thin, and somewhat mouldy quarto which told of the gallant Anson's circumnavigation of the world in his good ship the Centurion, How we devoured -its pages ! How we sympathized with the intrepid chief when he sought to cheer his scurvy-stricken crew ! How we lingered over the pleasant picture of the tents at Juan- Fernandez, and enjoyed the brightness of the streams which rolled down on either side of the Commodore's canvas-palace! And, finally, how we rejoiced whem the Centurion, after many months of weary watching, came in sight of the great Spanish treasure-ship and compelled her to strike her flag, and how grand it seemed to us that Spain which, in the days of Elizabeth, arrogantly pretended to the sovereignty of the world, was at last beaten down on her knees, and compelled to acknowledge the supremacy of the Eed Cross ! EJicu, nan sum qualis eram, but we have still a secret affection for the bold tales of the buccaneers and the history of the matchless valour of our English Sea-kings ! The Centurion was not a new vessel when Anson hoisted his Commodore's pennant on board her in July F 2 84 ANSO^^'S SQUADRON. 1740, but lier antecedents are not of sufficient import- ance to require any detailed notice in these pages. She was an ordinary 60-gun ship, carrying as her full com- plement 400 men, and is said to have been much in want of repair when ordered to form one of the expedi- tion destined against the opulent city of Manilla, — the capital and *' queen " of the Philippine Islands. Her consorts were in almost as bad a condition as herself, and none of them were adequately manned. Indeed, it would seem as if the English ministry, upon whom the war with Spain had been forced by popular clamour, had beforehand determined on the ill-success of the expedition. The total strength of Anson's little squad- ron may be seen in the following table : — Ships. Guns. Men. The Centurion . , 60 400 Commodore George Anson. f{(\ ^f\r\ /Captain Richard Norris. ou 6W ^(Afterwards Captain Mitchell.) 50 300 Captain Edward Legg. The Gloucester The Severn . The Fearl , The Wager . The Trial Sloop d.(\ o^n / Captain TMatthew Mitchell, ^u zou ^(Afterwards Captain Kidd.) 9Q tan j Captain Kidd. Z8 iw I (Afterwards Captain Murray.) Q T^^ ] Hon. John Murray. » luu |(Afterwards Lieut. Cheap.) This small force was attended by two transports of 400 and 200 tons respectively, and had on board a military quota, considerately composed of " aged and decrepit invalids." Such was the expedition intended to operate against one of the most important colonies of Spain ! After many tedious delays Anson's squadron left Spithead, on the 18th of September, and, as if to indicate its future disasters, was no less than 40 days on its voyage to Madeira. While refitting at this pleasant isle Capt. Norris resigned the command of the Gloucester, on the plea of ill-health, and Capt. Mitchell was pro- moted to the vacancy. The squadron then bore away for the Brazils, making a long and tedious passage against contrary winds and heav^i seas, while sickness THE ISLE OF FIRE. 85 broke out with fatal effect upon the ill-found and badly- manned ships. In due time they made the Island of St. Catherine, on the coast of Brazil, and here Anson landed his invalids (to the number of 80 from the Centurion alone), of whom nearly one-fifth speedily suc- cumbed to their mortal maladies. After a brief interval of repose the expedition gladly made sail from that sad isle of graves (18th January 1741), and commenced a southward course. To refit the Trial Sloop, which leaked terribly and was almost unseaworthy, the Commodore put into the Bay of St. Julian, on the coast of Patagonia, where Magellan's fleet had wintered in 1520, and Drake passed the summer in 1578. The gi"^bet on which the unfortunate Doughty was hung here attracted the atten- tion of the adventurers. The wild bleak scenery of Patagonia does not appear to have commended itself to Anson's men, who gazed with surprise upon its cloud-piled mountain-peaks and broad tracts of sterile country, never enlivened by the freshness of verdure or the varying colours of a thousand flowers. The puma and the wolf, the wild emu and the quaint armadillo inhabit its desolate plains, and seem to contend for their occupancy with the scanty tribes of the native Patagonians and their numerous herds of wild shaggy horses. These rude and inhospitable savages, whom the early voyagers described as a nation of giants, are in reality a people of more than ordinary stature and strength — muscular, athletic men, averaging six feet in height. Very different, indeed, the inhabitants of the wave-beaten Isle of Fire, — the mountainous Tierra del Fuego, — which Anson's ships sighted early in the month of March. These are a puny, weak, and diminutive race, whose chief sustenance is derived from fishing. An American explorer (Capt. Wilkes) confirms, and enlarges upon, the accounts of earlier navigators : — *' The natives of these islands," he says, *'are not more than five feet high, of a light copper colour, which is much concealed by smut and dirt, particularly on their 86 THE ISLANDERS DESCRIBED. faces, wliicli they mark vertically- with charcoal. They have short faces, narrow foreheads, and high cheek- bones. Their eyes are small, and usually black, the tipper lids in the inner corner overlapping the under one, and bear a strong resemblance to those of the Chinese. The nose is broad and flat, with wide-spread nostrils, mouth large, teeth white, large, and regular. The hair is long, lank, and black, hanging over the face, and covered with white ashes, which gives them a hideous appearance. The w^hole face is compressed. 'Their bodies are remarkable from the great develop- ment of the chest, shoulders, and vertebral column ; their arms are Ipng and out of proportion ; their legs small, and ill-made. There is, in fact, little difference between the size of the ankle and leg ; and, when stand- ing, the skin at the knee hangs in a large, loose fold. In some, the muscles of the leg appear almost wanting, and possess very little strength. The want of develop- ment of the muscles of the legs is owing to their constant sitting posture, both in their huts and canoes. Their skin is sensibly colder than ours. It is impossible to fancy anything in human nature^^ more filthy. They are an ill-shapen and ugly race." For the convenience of fishing they build their huts as close to the shore as possible, — constructing them of boughs or small trees fastened in the earth, with a roof of matted grass or woven bark. Their form is that of a circle, with a diameter of seven or eight feet ; height, about five feet. Between Staten Island and Tierra del Fuego roll the stormy waters of the Straits of Lemaire. Scarcely had Anson's squadron weathered the dangerous passage (7th of March 1741) ere "the lurid cloud-drifts came scud- ding up the horizon: the winds gathered; the waters heaved with tumultuous throes ; snow and sleet fell blindingly around them; the storm-tost vessels were hurled from side to side with so dread a violence that many men were flung about the decks, and killed out- right. An affecting incident occurred at this conjunc- A TERRIBLE INCIDENT. 87 ture. A sailor belonging to the Centurion fell overboard. He swam well; lie swam bravely and stoutly, still keeping liis face towards the vessel, and straining his aching eyes for the relief his comrades could not afford him. Such was the fury of the storm the ship could not be put about, and it sped away with terrible swift- ness from the drowning mariner — * Who still renewed the strife Upheld by buoyant hope and love of life ' — but was at length outworn by the wrestling waters, and compelled to yield the unequal struggle." A tempest of even more terrible violence visited the ill-fated expedition on the 4th of April, and in the height of the gale the Wager was driven so far away to leeward that she was unable to rejoin the squadron. The tale of her buffetings to and fro for many a weary month, and of the sufferings of her crew, has a wild weird interest of its own ; but we must be content to follow the Centurion^ which, in a series oT tropical gales, successively lost all her consorts, and was compelled to make for Juan Fernandez, alone, in the hope that there she might recover them. On her voyage thither the scurvy broke out on board with fearful violence, no less than 43 of her crew falling victims to it in one month. For in those days sanitary philosophy was little studied ashore or afloat, and the brave seamen of England were cooped up without remorse in badly- ventilated and ill- found ships which, at the present time, we should deem imfitting receptacles for the worst classes of our con- victs. Duiing the month of May the Centurion lost seventy more of her inadequate complement ; and before she dropped anchor off Juan Fernandez, on the 9th of June, there had perished, we are told, upwards of 250. It is easy, therefore, to understand with what delight both the intrepid Anson and his gallant crew gazed upon the green and pleasant shores of that romantic island. How 83 AT JUAN FERltANDEZ. they loved to linger In its shadowy valleys, — to roam across its broad and open leas, — to climb its pine-crested bills, — and track tbe winding course of its rippling rivu- lets ! The men were quickly landed, and tents were erected in the most attractive spots, that their frames might be the more speedily restored by the wholesome influence of Nature upon the reinvigorated mind. The Commodore's tent was placed at the head of a grassy slope which stretched between overshadowing woods to the very margin of the sea, and commanded a noble prospect of the distant bay. An amphitheatre of myrtles reared its wondrous verdure in the background, and, beyond all, and against the encircling skies, towered the lofty and woody hills. Over the declivity flowed two streams of bright and wholesome water. Strange flowers flung their odours abroad upon the wind. Strange birds made the air musical with their songs. When reading the glowing description of this " summer isle of Eden," given in his Narrative of the Voyage by the chaplain of the Centurion, we are forcibly reminded of the words of Barry Cornwall : — "T tread amongst a thousand sweets unseen, Born of the flowery slopes, and woods, and meadows green. How fresh the daisied grass ! I hear and bless The tiny people in each cool recess : I scent the south-wind through the woodbines blowing : I see the rivei'-waters rippling,— flowing, — . Flashing along the valley to the sea."* Soon after Anson had placed his men ** under can- * Juan Fernandez was the residence for years of the solitary Alexander Selkirk, the original of Defoe's Eobinson Crusoe. Anson refers to this circumstance, and adds : — " Selkirk tells us, among other things, that, as he often caught more goats than he wanted, he sometimes marked their ears and let them go. This was about thirty-two years before our arrival at the island. Now it happened that the first goat that was killed by our people had his ears slit ; whence we concluded that he had doubtless been formerly under the power of Selkirk. He was an animal of a most venerable aspect, dignified with an exceeding majestic beard, and with many other symptoms of antiquity." ANSOK SeeTHE STORY OF THE 'CENTURION.»— Pa^e 8 THE ILL-FATIJD *' GLOUCESTER.'* 89 vas'* the Trial arrived, and on the 21st of June the Gloucester hove in sight, but was again driven off to windward. When, five days later, she reappeared, Anson despatched his boats to her assistance, laden with fish, fresh water, and vegetables. The rescue came but in time. The ill-fated vessel was a very lazar- ship, — a floating hospital, — having lost two-thirds of her crew, while those who survived were so wan and weak that their appearance struck terror into the hearts of their comrades. The boats returned to the island for additional supplies, but meanwhile the unfortunate Gloucester again drove out to sea, and when, for the third time, — on the 23rd of July, — she made the island, she bore within her loathsome walls few others but the dead or dying ! Out of 961 soldiers who had left England in the Gloucester, the Centurion, and the Trial, only 335 reached Juan Fernandez alive, and the mor- tality among the seamen was in equal proportion. For upwards of three months Anson lefreshed his men at Juan Fernandez, and again put to sea on the 19th of September, with a Spanish prize, named the Monte Carmelo, captured by the Centurion a few days previously, and fitted out as a cruiser. A Spanish mer- chant-ship was shortly afterwards taken by the Trial, and as the latter was found unfit to contend with the storms of the Pacific, her crew was removed on board the prize, and the Trial destroyed. I^lidings of Anson's appearance on the coast had by this time spread through the neighbouring Spanish settlements, and from a trading- vessel captured on the 11th of November, the Commodore learned that the governor of Paita, in anticipation of an unwelcome visit, was removing the stores and treasures of that town into the interior. He decided, therefore, upon seizing Paita by a coup de main ; and selecting a picked body of 60 volunteers, despatched the boats at midnight to cap- ture a town protected by a battery and defended by 300 soldiers. They stole softly into the bay, covered 90 "A NIGHT MASQUERADE. by the deep darkness, and readied the mouth of the haven without discovery. Then the look-outs of a trading-ship lying at anchor in the stream caught sight of the advancing boats, and instantly leaping into their skiff, rowed hastily towards the fort, crying, " Los Ingleses ! Los Ingleses !" But English seamen have nervous arms, and bending to their oars with a will, shot into the harbour with such rapidity that they anti- cipated the Spaniards in their would-be defensive pre- parations. They leaped upon the shore, and with loud exultant shouts pushed forward into the centre of the market-place, so that the enemy, in sore affright, re- treated before their waving cutlasses, and yielded up to them both town and battery. ' Then Jack Tar, with his wonted grim humour, begun to attire himself in such apparel as he could seize upon; — plumed sombreros and richly-embroidered jackets harmonizing but sadly with the loose trousers and long thick pigtails of the true English seaman. Many there were who figured in loose mantillas and waving petti- coats — the habiliments of some dark Southern beauty — so that the town of Paita, in the gray twilight of the early morning, seemed the scene of a grotesque and weird masquerade. Meanwhile, the Spaniards collected themselves on a gentle ascent which rose behind the town, and endeavoured to scare away their conquerors by the beat of drums and the flutter of many flags. Anson's men, however, v/ere made of no such quaj|ing stuff, and did not retire until they had loaded their boats with plunder, and given up the town to the flames. For some time Anson had resolved that, with his scanty force, an attack upon the opulent and populous city of Manilla would be an act of inexcusable desperation ; and he now determined upon cruising in the Spanish seas, in the hope of intercepting the great galleon, the golden Treasure-Ship, which yearly sailed between Manilla and Acapulco. Having been informed that she was ACAPULCO HARBOUR. Dl expected to leave Acapulco oxi the 3rd of Marcli 1742, Anson's squadron immediately beat towards that port, and on the 1st of the month arrived off the swelling heights quaintly named the " Paps of Acapulco." At about 15 leagues from the shore he disposed his ships in the form of a crescent, so that they included a sweep of sea of not much less than 80 miles in breadth. Acapulco was then a rich and prosperous town, whose commodious harbour rendered it the western port of Mexico, and the principal commercial emporium on the shore of the Pacific. '' It is familiar," says Captain Basil Hall, *' to the memory of most people, from its being the port whence the rich Spanish galleons of former days took their departure, to spread the wealth of the Western over the Eastern world. It is celebrated, also, in Anson's delightful voyage, and occupied a conspicuous place in the very interesting accounts of the Bucca- neers ; to a sailor, therefore, it is classic ground in every sense. I cannot express the universal professional ad- miration excited by a sight of this celebrated port, which is, moreover, the very heau-ideal of a harbour. It is easy of access ; very capacious ; the water not too deep ; the holding-ground good; quite free from hidden dan- gers; and as secure as the basin in Portsmouth dockyard. From the interior of the harbour the sea cannot be dis- covered ; and a stranger, coming to the spot by land, would imagine he was looking over a sequestered moun- tain-lake." The Governor of Acapulco, however, had obtained information of Anson's cruise, so that in vain every eye was bent upon Acapulco from morn to nigfft in the hope of first descrying '' the tall masts of the stately treasure-ship." She remained securely anchored in the harbour, until Anson's ships falling sadly in want of water the Commodore was forced to quit his unavail- ing watch, and bear away for China. Deep in his heart, however, he still nourished the hope of falling in with the galleon before she could reach Manilla. In a severe tempest which broke out on the 26th of 92 THE "centurion" disappears. July tlie Gloucester sprang a leak, and was soon reduced to so complete a wreck that it became necessary to remove tier crew on board the Centurion, Here, the insufficient food and loathsome malaria reproduced the scurvy, and it seemed as if the plague was about ^to burst forth with its old violence ; but happily the ship shortly hove in sight of the island of Tinian, one of the Ladrone group, and reaching it on the 27th of August, began to disembark her invalids. An incident now occurred which, as novelists say, mighty have been attended with fatal consequences. It is thus related by the present writer in his little volume, The Sea-Kings of England : — " One night (22 Septem- ber), while the Commodore — who was himself afflicted with disease — was ashore, a violent storm came on. The Centurion, the only ship remaining of Anson's squadron, was driven from her moorings, and forced out to sea. So terrible was the gale that her signals of distress were not observed by those on the island, and great, therefore, was their consternation when the morning broke and no ship was to be seen ! They paced the shore in silent dismay. No doubt could be entertained but that the Centurion had foundered, and that they were doomed to spend their lives on a solitary island, never again to revisit their homes, or greet the *old, familiar faces.' In this hour of trial, Anson's calmness of mind and nobility of heart were splendidly conspicuous, and he evinced that resolute temper which had alone borne up his men under the successive dis- asters they had experienced. He reasoned away their fears, and encouraged them to hopeful exertion. He directed the construction of a vessel which should be stout enough to bear them to China. For this purpose, a Spanish bark which had been captured, and had escaped the storm from its proximity to the shore, was hauled up on land, and sawn asunder that she might be suitably lengthened. The carpenters of the ship were among those left on the island, and as they had their '' THE SHIP ! THE SHIP !" 93 tools with them, all hands set to work with sailor-like heai-tiness and considerable success. " But it happened that on the morning of the 11th of October, one of the men had ascended a hill, and looking out upon the sparkling sea, discovered the Centurion in the offing. He was not long in rejoining his comrades, exclaiming, almost breathless with joy, ' The ship ! The ship !' The commodore was at work upon the Spanish boat, but hearing the gladsome news, flung down his axe, and gave expression to feelings which his followers had little thought he entert^ned. The Centurion came to anchor in the evening, and on the 21st of October, bore away from Tinian for Macao, on the coast of China." China was then to Europeans a mysterious Terra Incognita, — a vast territory of cloud and shadow into which even Saxon enterprise had been unable to pene- trate. The only European settlement was that which the Portuguese had been permitted to establish at Macao, in 1556, as a reward for the services they had rendered in sweeping the pirates and Malayan sea- rovers from the neighbouring coasts. This colony occu- pied the southern peninsula of the small island of JMacao, at the mouth of the great estuary of the Canton river, — a breezy healthy acclivity/ now dotted with white villas and large "factories." Here lies the dust of Camoens, the unfortunate poet of Tlie Lusiad. At twilight, on the 5th of November 1742, the Centu- rion swiftly rode into the Canton river ; and an English man-of-war was then so unusual a sight in the busy waters where the Union Jack now waves all proudly and defiantly, that in the course of a few hours nearly 5,000 fishing-boats had gathered round her. Macao was reached on the 12th, and here Anson, who had determined upon making one more efi'ort to capture the Acapulco treasure-ship, remained until the 1 9th of April 1743, occupying that long interval in replenishing his stores of provisions, and recruiting the strength of his 94 ^ A PRUDENT COOK* crew. Nor was he himself less in want of repose than his men, — his energies having been sorely shattered by the many disasters of his singular expedition. The Centurion, too, stood in great need of repair, and busy were the hammer and chisel of the carpenter during her jstay in the waters of Macao. When the Commodore was fairly out at sea, with a fresh breeze filling his sails, he called his men together on the quarter-deck, and announced to them his resolu- tion to make another attempt upon the Spanish galleon. As hg held out glowing prospects both of " a brush with The Dons " and an ample amount of doubloons and moidores as prize-money, his men greeted their com- mander with enthusiastic cheers, and immediately, with the natural confidence of British seamen, began to regard the rich treasure- ship as already their own. So assured were they of victory in the coming struggle that when, one day, the Commodore, knowing his supply was not exhausted, inquired why no mutton had recently appeared on his table, the cook replied, — " Certainly, your honour, there are still two sheep left in the galley, but I thought your honour would wish them kept for the dinners of the Spaniard captain, whom your honour is going to take prisoner !" The Centurion reached the waters of the Philippine Islands on the last day of May, and cruised oif Cape Espiritu Santo without success for nearly three weeks. But early on the morning of the 20th of June, the look- out man descried her tall masts in the offing, and im- mediately, crowding on every stitch of canvas she could carry, the Centurion bore down upon her long- expected foe. Nor did the stately Spaniard seem anxious to decline the contest. Probably aware that Anson had scarce 200 men and 30 boys on board, she hoisted the standard of Spain at her main-top-gallant- masthead, and lay to in haughty defiance of the English man-of-war. About one o'clock the battle commenced, Anson laying his ship across the bows of the galleon, CAPTURE OF THE TREASURE-SHIP. 95 and sweeping her decks witli a destrnctive and in- cessant fire, which proved the proficiency in gunnery his crew had acquired through constant exercise. The Spaniards defended themselves gallantly, but were no match for the resolute valour of the English. After a two hours' hotly contested engagement, they struck their colours, having lost 67 men killed and 84 wounded, while Anson had "but 2 men killed, and 17 wounded, all of whom, with one exception, recovered. .With so slight a loss was effected the capture of a vessel of 44 guns and 500 men, carrying a cargo valued at 313,000?. — one of the most costly prizes which ever surrendered to an English ship ! Just in the moment of victory, however, arose a peril which threatened the loss of everything. One of his officers approached Anson, and whispered to him the appalling intelligence that the ship was on fire. During the engagement some cartridges had accident- ally exploded, and ignited a quantity of oakum lying near the magazine. • As the galleon had fallen aboard the CenturtGn, the destruction of both vessels seemed ineivitable ; but Anson did not lose his presence of mind, calmly gave the necessary orders, maintained by his own coolness the coolness of his men, and had the satisfaction of seeing the fire extinguished without any material damage. Both the Centurion and her valuable prize now re- turned to Macao, and having refitted and taken on board a supply of provisions, sailed for England, on the 15th of December. The homeward voyage was as prosperous as the outward had been disastrous ; and Anson and his treasure-ship actually sailed, in the thick of a dense fog, through the hostile French fleet, then cruising in the chops of the Channel. On the 15th of June 1744, the Centurion safely cast anchor at Spithead, after a voyage round the world of nearly four years' duration ; a voyage almost unexampled for the variety and wonderful character of its incidents. 96 A NEW SHIP WITH AN OLD NAME. It is almost unnecessary to add that tlie Centurion was no longer fit for service. Her timbers were rotten ; her masts and spars disabled ; her rigging and canvas worn and tattered ; and the weather-beaten ship, racked by the storms of many a sea, little resembled the gallant men-of-war which lay at Spithead in readiness for the *' shock of battle." She was, therefore, sent into dock, and in time received a thorough repair, — becoming, in fact, a new ship with an old name. Commissioned by Captain Denis, she shared in Vice-Admiral Anson's action with the French fleet, off Cape Pinisterre, May 3, 1747, and bore herself right gallantly, contributing in no slight degree to the enemy's defeat. The French, on this occasion, though superior in force, lost six men-of- war (a 74, a QQ^ a 56, two 62's, and a 44-gun ship). Anson received a peerage for this eminent service. 97 CHAPTER Vn. THE STORY OF A MUTINY. The *' Bounty" [Period of Service : Reign of George III. 1787-9. Strength : 215 tons, 43 men.] *' The boat is lowered with all the haste of hate. With its slight plank between thee and thy fate ; Her only cargo such a scant supply As promises the death their hands deny ; And just enough of water and of bread To keep, some days, the dying from the dead . . , The launch is crowded with the faithful few That wait their chief — a melancholy crew : But some remained reluctant on the deck Of that proud vessel, now a moral wreck — And viewed their captain's fate with piteous eyes ; While others scoff'd his augur'd miseries, Sneer'd at the prospect of his pigmy sail, And the slight bark, so laden and so frail." — Byron, Dampiee, the braye old navigator, who saw so much and told in such manly language of wliat he saw, thus describes the famous Bread-Fruit plant : — " The bread- fruit, as we call it," he says, *' grows on a large tree, as big and high as our largest apple-trees ; it hath a spreading head, full of branches and dark leaves. The fruit grows on the boughs like apples : it is as big as a penny-loaf, when wheat is at five shillings the bushel ; it is of a round shape, and hath a thick, tough rind ; when the fruit is ripe, it is yellow and soft, and the taste is sweet and pleasant. The natives of Guam use it for bread. They gather it, when full-grown, while it is green and hard ; then they bake it in an oven, which scorcheth the rind and makes it black ; but they scrape off the outside black crust, and there remains a tender, G 98 THE BREAD-TREES. tliin. crust ; and the inside is soft, tender, and white, like the crumb of a penny loaf. There is neither seed nor stone in the inside, but all is of a pure substance like bread. It must be eaten new; for if it is kept above 24 hours, it grows harsh and choaky, but is very pleasant before it is too stale. This fruit lasts in season eight months in the year, during which the natives eat no other sort of food of bread kind. I did never see of this fruit anywhere but here (the island of Tahiti, or Otaheite). The natives told us that there is plenty of this fruit growing on the rest of the Ladrone Islands ; and I did never hear of it anywhere else." In the year 1787, the West India merchants resident in London represented to the Government the advan- tages to be derived from the introduction of so useful a plcfcnt into the West India islands, and it was ac- cordingly determined that an expedition foi' this purpose should be fitted out. Its organisation was intrusted to Sir Joseph Banks, who was himself ac- quainted with Tahiti and the invaluable properties of the bread fruit, and every care was taken to insure complete success. A vessel was purchased by Govern- ment at Deptford, and enrolled in the Eoyal Navy by Ihe significant name of the Bounty. Her burthen was 215 tons, and from her build and draught she was peculiarly adapted for an exploring voyage. Lieutenant William Bligh, one of Captain Cook's companions in his famous circumnavigations, was appointed to the com- mand, and a complement of one master, three warrant- officers, one surgeon, two master's mates, two midship- men, and thirty-four petty officers and seamen was allotted to her. Two persons were also appointed to take charge of the plants that might be collected, — " The bread-tree which, without the ploughshare, yields The unreap'd harvest of unfurrow'd fields, And bakes its unadulterated loaves Without a fiunace in unpurchas'd groves," — ■ and all those comforts and necessaries were abundantly AN OMINOUS BEGINNING. 99 supplied whicli could tend to secure the health and happiness of the crew and commander of the good ship Bounty. She sailed from Spithead on the 23rd of December 1787. As if ominous of her future fortunes she met, on the 26th, with a terrible storm which endured until the 29th, and inflicted considerable damage; so that Lieu- tenant Bligh judged it prudent to put into Teneriffe to refit and obtain additional stores. The rock-isle of Teneriffe was reached on the 5th and quitted on the 10th of January 1788. And now the commander -organised his little crew into three watches, of which the third was given in charge to an officer, who will play a prominent part in our narrative, — Fletcher Christian, one of the master's mates. *' I have always considered this," writes Bligh, *' a desirable regulation when circumstances will admit of it; and I am per- suaded that unbroken rest not only contributes much towards the health of the ship's company, but enables them more readily • to exert themselves in cases of sudden emergency." Towards the close of March the Bounty was off Cape Horn, tossing to and fro in a tempestuous sea, baffled by contrary winds, and pursued by storms of hail and sleet. For nine days she braved this weather, and then her commander despairing of effecting, at so unfavour- able a season of the year, the passage of the Horn, bore away for the Cape of Good Hope, *' to the great joy of every person on board." The Cape was reached on the '23rd of May; and there the weary mariners remained for eight and thirty days, refitting the ship, and taking on board a fresh supply of provisions. They sailed again on the 1st of July, and anchored in Adven- ture Bay, Van Diemen's Land, for wood and water, on the 20th of August. On the evening of the 25tli of October they came in sight of the green hills, the prolific meadows, and wooded shores of beautiful Tahiti — the queen-island of the Polynesian seas — I r r G 2 100 THE sailor's paradise, " Where all partake the earth without dispute, And bread itself is gather'd as a fruit ; Wliere none contest the fields, the woods, the streams. The goldless age, where gold disturbs no dreams, Inhabits or inhabited the shore, Till Europe taught them better than before, Bestow'd her customs, and amended theirs. But left her vices also to their heirs." — Byron, On the following day the Bounty glided into the secure anchorage of Matavai Bay, having sailed over 27,086 miles, at an average progress of 108 miles daily. Tahiti was then the Sailor's Paradise ; the Fortunate Isle in whose abundant pleasures he compensated himself for the toil and weariness of his long sea- wanderings. Its inhabitants were hospitable, generous, and warm-hearted. Its groves were shadowy ; its hills were pleasant ; the climate, tempered by cool ocean- winds, was genial and healthy. Cocoa-nuts, and ^ shaddocks, plantains and bread-trees, were among the natural luxuries the island profusely afforded. Ko marvel that to the English sailor Tahiti seemed a joyous Eden, a delightful isle of bowers and gardens, where all the women were beautiful, and all the men frank, hospitable, and true. The new-comers were received by the Tahitians with their wonted courtesy. " As soon as the ship was secured," we are told, ** Lieutenant Bligh went on shore with the chief, Poeeno, passing through a walk delightfully shaded with bread-fruit trees, to his ot\ti house, where his wife and her sister were busily em- ployed staining a piece of cloth red. They desired him to sit down on a mat, and with great kindness offered him refreshments." He was then introduced to several strangers, who all behaved with that decorous gravity and natural politeness so often the characteristics of the so-called savage. When the lieutenant bade them adieu, the ladies rose from their seats, and taking some of their finest cloth and a mat, attired the lieutenant in true Tahitian style, and accompanied him to the TAHITI AND THE TAHITIANS. 101 water-side. On another occasion, having exposed himself too much in the snn, *Vl was taken ill," says Bligh, *' on which all the powerful people, both men and women, collected round us, offering their assistance. For this short illness I was made ample amends by the pleasure I received from the attention and appearance of affection in these kind people." Equally hospitable was the reception accorded to Bligh's officers and crew. In the course of two or three days, there was scarcely a man in the ship who had not secured his tayo, or friend, and who did not live in the undisturbed enjoyment of the luxuries of ^^ease, indo- lence, and female companionship. Every house was free to the footsteps of every Englishman ; and it would seem that the Tahitians must have conspired to render the residence of Bligh and his companions in their beautiful island an uninterrupted holiday. The lieutenant, in his published Journal, gives a glowing description both of Tahiti and the Tahitians. The former he speaks of as a perfect Arcadia, — " A summer-isle of Eden lying in dark purple spheres of sea," — ■ and luxuriates in its hills and groves, its clear fresh streams, its bowery hollows, its plantations of bread-fruit and cocoa-trees. The inhabitants he libe- rally endows with almost every virtue: "There is," he says, '' a candour and sincerity about them quite delightful." Their manners were easy without being familiar, and dignified without being formal. Some of them, indeed, were giA^en to petty thefts, chiefly of ironwork and buttons, but the majority were as honest as they were hospitable, and as frank as they were gene- rous. Their life would seem to have been a round of innocent amusements. The children indulged in flying kites, in swinging in ropes suspended from the boughs of trees, in walking on stilts, in wrestling, and playing ** all manner of antic tricks, such as are common to boj^s in England." The girls — as is usual with girls — chiefly 102 TAHITIAN PLANTS. affected their dances, or heivahs. '* On an evening, just before sunset, the whole beach abreast the ship is de- scribed as being like a parade, crowded with men, women, and children, who go on with their sports and amusements until nearly dark, when every one peace- ably returns to his home. At such times, we are told, from 300 to 400 people are assembled together, and all happily diverted, good-humoured, and affectionate to one another, without a single quarrel having ever happened to disturb the harmony that existed among these amiable people. Both boys and girls are said to be handsome and very sprightly." This semi-Elysian life could not, however, be pro- longed beyond certain limits. The Bounty had arrived at Otaheite on the 26th of October 1788. Her de- parture was fixed for the 4th of April 1789. In these intervening weeks Lieutenant Bligh had collected a vast number of healthy and vigorous bread- trees, which were placed in 724 pots, 39 tubs, and 24 boxes. " The number of bread-fruit plants was one thousand and fif- teen; besides which, we had collected a" number of other plants : the avee, which is one of the finest- flavoured fruits in the world ; the ayyali, which is a fruit not so rich, but of a fine flavour and very refresh- ing ; the rattali, not much unlike a chestnut, which grows on a large tree in great quantities ; they are found singly in large pods, from one to two inches broad, and may be eaten raw, or boiled in the same manner as Windsor beans, and so dressed are equally good; the orai-ab, which is a very superior kind of plantain. All these I was particularly recommended to collect, by my worthy friend Sir Joseph Banks." After winding among various islets of this island- crowded sea, the Bounty anchored at Anamooka on the 23rd of April. Here Bligh landed to procure some bread-fruit plants in the place of those that were dead or dying, and made various purchases of yams, and fowls, and dogs, and shaddocks. Then the Bounty OUTBREAK OF THE MUTINY, 103 turned her prow towards the north, favoured by light winds and a smooth sea. On the morning of the 28th of April she sailed past Tofoa, the north-westernmost of the Friendly Islands, — the ship '*in perfect order," the crew and officers in excellent health, the plants " in a most flourishing condition," and everything apparently promising a happy conclusion to a fortunate voyage. The great obstacle, however, to such a consummation, was Lieutenant Bligh himself, whose notions of dis- cipline were rigid, and his capacities for command few, while his temper was harsh and his manner overbear- ing. At an unexpected moment, these faults produced an unexpected catastrophe, distinguished in the mari- time history of England as The Mutiny of the Bounty. The particulars of this curious outbreak may first be given in Lieutenant Bligh's o^svn words. The correc- tions we shall derive from the narratives of other actors in, or witnesses of, the deplorable drama. ''In the morning of the 28th April," says Bligh, "I made the north-westernmost of the Friendly Islands, called Tofoa, bearing north-east, and was steering to the westward with a ship in most perfect order, all my plants in a most flourishing condition, all my men and officers in good health; and, in short, everything to flatter and ensure my most sanguine expectations. On leaving the deck I gave directions for the ^course to bo steered during the night. The master had the first watch ; the gunner, the middle watch ; and Mr. Chris- tian, the morning watch. This was the turn of duty for the night. " Just before sun-rising on Tuesday the 28th, while I was yet asleep, Mr. Christian, officer of the watch, Charles Churchill, ship's corporal, John Mills, gunner's mate, and Thomas Burkitt, seaman, came into my cabin, and, seizing me, tied my hands v/ith a cord behind my back, threatening me with instant death if I spoke or made the least noise. I called, however, as loud as I could, in hopes of assistance; but they had already 104 PROGRESS OF THE MUTINY. secured the officers, who were not of their party, by- placing sentinels at their doors. There were three men at my cabin-door, besides the four within ; Chris- tian had only a cutlass in his hand, the others had muskets and bayonets. I was hauled out of bed, and forced on deck in my shirt, suffering great pain from the tightness with which they had tied my hands be- hind my back, held by Fletcher Christian, and Charles Churchill, with a bayonet at my breast, and two men, Alexander Smith and Thomas Burkitt, behind me, with loaded muskets cocked, and bayonets fixed. I demanded the reason of such violence, but received no other answer than abuse [for not holding my tongue. The master, the gunner, Mr. Elphinstone, the master's mate, and Nelson, were kept confined below; and the fore- hatchway was guarded by sentinels. The boatswain and carpenter, and also Mr. Samuel, the clerk, were allowed to come upon deck, where they saw me stand- ing abaft the mizen-mast, with my^hands tied behind my back, under a guard, with Christian at their head. The boatswain was ordered to hoist the launch out, with a threat, if he did not do it instantly, to take care of him- self. '* When the boat was out, Mr. Hay ward and Mr. Hallet, two of the midshipmen, and Mr. Samuel, were ordered into it. I demanded what their intention was in giving this order, and endeavoured to persuade the people near me not to persist in such acts of violence ; but it was to no effect — * Hold your tongue, sir, or you are dead this instant,' was constantly repeated to me. '' The master by this time had sent to request that he might come on deck, which was permitted ; but he was goon ordered back again to his cabin. AVhen I exerted myself in speaking loud, to try if I could rally any with a sense of duty in them, I was saluted with oaths, and an order to * blow his brains out ;' while Christian was threatening me with instant death, if I did not hold my tongue. ^ ^ PKOGHESS OF THE MUTINY. 105 *' 1 continued my endeavours to turn the tide of afifairs, wtien Christian changed the cutlass which he had in his hand, for a bayonet that was brought to him, and, holding me with a strong gripe by the cord that tied my hands, he threatened, with many oaths, to kill me immediately, if I would not be quiet; the villains round me had their pieces cocked, and bayonets fixed. Particular persons were called on to go into the boat, and were hurried over the side ; whence I con- cluded that with these people I was to be set adrift. I therefore made another effort to bring about a change, but with no other effect than to be threatened with having my brains blown out. " The boatswain and seamen who were to go in the boat, were allowed to collect twine, canvas, lines, sails, cordage, an eight-and-twenty gallon cask of water ; and Mr. Samuel got 150 lbs. of bread, with a small quantity of rum and wine, also a quadrant and compass; but w^as forbidden, on pain of death, to touch either map, ephemeris, book of astronomical observations, sextant, time-keeper, or any of my surveys or drawings. *' The mutineers having forced those of the seamen whom they meant to get rid of into the boat, Christian directed a dram to be served to each of his own crew. I then unhappily saw that nothing could be done to effect the recovery of the ship ; there was no one to assist me, and every endeavour on my part was answered with threats of death. ^' The officers were next called upon deck, and forced over the side into the boat, while 1 was kept apart from every one, abaft the mizen-mast ; Christian, armed with a bayonet, holding me by the baggage that secured my hands. The guard round me had their pieces cocked ; but on my daring the ungrateful creatures to fire, they uncocked them. '* Isaac Martin, one of the guard over me, I saw had an inclination to assist me, and, as he fed me with shad- dock, (my lips being quite parched,) we explained our 106 BLIGH IN THE OPEN BOAT. wishes to each other by our looks ; but this being ob- served, Martin was removed from me. He then at- tempted to leave the ship, for which pnrpose he got into the boat ; but with many threats they obliged him to return, " The armourer, Joseph Coleman, and two of the carpenters, M'Intosh and Norman, were also kept con- trary to their inclination ; and they begged of me, after I was astern in the boat, to remember that they de- clared they had no hand in the transaction. Michael Byrne, I am told, likewise wanted to leave the ship. '' It is of no moment for me to recount my endeavours to bring back the offenders to a sense of their duty; all I could do was by speaking to them in general ; but it was to no purpose, for I was kept securely bound, and no one except the guard suffered to come near me. *' To Mr. Samuel (clerk) I am indebted for securing my journals and commission, with some material ship papers. Without these I had nothing to certify what I had done, and my honour and character might have been suspected, without my possessing a proper docu- ment to have defended them. All this he did with great resolution, though guarded and strictly watched. He attempted to save the time-keeper, and a box with my surve3^S5 drawings, and remarks, for 15 years past, which were numerous ; when he was hurried away with an oath, and the exclamation, ' You are well off to get what you have.' '' It appeared to me that Christian was some time in doubt whether he should keep the carpenter or his mates : at length he determined on the latter, and the carpenter was ordered into the boat.. He was per- mitted, but not without some opposition, to take his tool-chest. *' Much altercation took place among the mutinous crew during the whole business : some swore, and said, ' he will find his way home, if he gets anything with him;' and when the carpenter's chest was cariying bligh's followers. 107 away, ' Tlie fellow will have a vessel built in a month ;' while others laughed at the helpless situation of the boat, being very deep, and so little room for those who were in her. As for Christian, he seemed as if medi- tating destruction on himself and every one else. " I asked for arms ; but they laughed at me, and said I was well acquainted with the people among whom I was going, and therefore did not want them ; four cutlasses, however, were thrown into the boat, after we were veered astern. '* The officers and men being in the boat, they only waited for me, of which the master- at-aims informed Christian; who then said, — 'Come, Captain Bligh, your officers and men are now in the boat and you must go with them ; if you attempt to make the least resistance, you will instantly be put to death;' and, without further ceremony, with a tribe of armed ruffians about me, I was forced over the side, when they untied my hands. Being in the boat, we were veered astern by a rope. A few pieces of pork were thrown to us, and some clothes, also the cutlasses I have already mentioned ; and it was then that the armourer and carpenters called out to me to remember that they had no hand in the transaction. After having undergone a great deal of ridicule, and been kept for some time to make sport for these unfeeling wretches, we were at length cast adrift in the open ocean. '' I had with me in the boat 18 persons, and there remained in the Bounty 25 seamen, who were the most able of the ship's company. " Christian, the chief of the mutineers, is of a re- spectable family in the north of England. This was the third voyage he had made with me ; and as I found it necessary to keep my ship's company at three watches, I had given him an order to take charge of the third, his abilities being thoroughly equal to the task, and by this means the master and gunner were not at watoh and watch. 108 CHARACTERS OF TitE LEADERS. *• Heywood [midsliipman] is also of a respectable family in the north of England, and a young man of abilities as well as Christian. These two had been objects of my particular regard and attention, and I had taken great pains to instruct them, having en- tertained hopes that, as professional men, they would have become a credit to their country. " Young [midshipman] was well recommended, and had the look of an able, stout seaman ; he, however, fell^hort of what his appearance promised. Stewart [midshipman] was a young man of creditable parents in the Orkneys ; at which place, on the return of the Resolution from the South Seas, in 1780, we received so many civilities, that, on that account only, I should gladly have taken him with me ; but, independent of this recommendation, he was a seaman, and had always borne a good character. " Notwithstanding the roughness with which I was treated, the remembrance of past kindnesses produced some signs of remorse in Christian. When they were forcing me out of the ship, I asked him if this treatment was a proper return for the many instances he had received of my friendship? He appeared disturbed at my question, and answered, with much emotion, ' That, Captain Bligh, that is the thing; — I am in hell, — I am in hell!' *' As soon as I had time to reflect, I felt an inward satisfaction which prevented any depression of my spirits : conscious of my integrity and anxious solicitude for the good of the service in which I had been engaged, I found my mind wonderfully supported, and I began to conceive hopes, notwithstanding so heavy a calamity, that I should one day be able to account to my king and country for the misfortune. A few hours before, my situation had been peculiarly flattering. I had a ship in the most perfect order, and well stored with every necessary both for service and health ; by early attention to those particulars, I had, as much as lay in CAUSES OF THE MUTINY. 109 my power, provided against any accident in case I could not get througli Endeavour Straits, as well as against what might befall me in them ; add to this, the plants had been successfully preserved in the most flourishing state : so that, upon the whole, the voyage was two- thirds completed, and the remaining part, to all ap- pearance, in a very promising way ; every person on board being in perfect health, to establish which was ever amongst the principal objects of my attention. " It will very naturally be asked, What could be the reason for such a revolt ? In answer to which I can only conjecture, that the mutineers had flattered them- selves with the hopes of a more happy life among the Otaheitans than they could possibly enjoy in England ; and this, joined to some female connexions, most pro- bably occasioned the whole transaction. The ship, indeed, while within our sight, steered to the W.N.W., but I considered this only as a feint ; for when we were sent away, ' Huzza for Otaheite !' was frequently heard among the mutineers. *' The women of Otaheite are handsome, mild and cheerful in their manners and conversation, possessed of great sensibility, and have sufficient delicacy to make them admired and beloved. The chiefs were so much attached to our people, that they rather encouraged their stay among them than otherwise, and even made them promises of large possessions. Under these and many other attendant circumstances, equally desirable, it is now, perhaps not so much to be wondered at, though scarcely possible to have been foreseen, that a set of sailors, most of them void of connexions, should be led away ; especially when, in addition to such powerful inducements, they imagined it in their power to fix themselves in the midst of plenty, on one of the finest islands in the world, where they need not labour, and where the allurements of dissipation are beyond any- thing that can be conceived. The utmost, however, that any commander could have supposed to have hap- 110 SECRECY OF THE MUTINEERS. pened is, that some of the people would have been tempted to desert. But if it should be asserted that a commander is to guard against an act of mutiny and piracy in his own ship, more than by the common rules of service, it is as much as to say that he must sleep locked up, and, when awake, be girded with pistols. *' Desertions have happened, more or less, from most of the ships that have been at the Society Islands ; but it has always been in the commander's power to make the chiefs return their people : the knowledge, there- fore, that it Y/as unsafe to desert, perhaps led mine to consider with what ease so sma^ll a ship might be surprised, and that so favourable an opportunity would never offer to them again. " The secrecy of this mutiny is beyond all conception. Thirteen of the party, who were with me, had always lived forward among the seamen ; yet neither they, nor the messmates of Christian, Stewart, Heywood, and Young, had ever observed any circumstance that made them in the least suspect what was going on. To such a close-planned act of villany, my mind being entirely free from any suspicion, it is not wonderful that I fell a sacrifice. Perhaps if there had been marines on board, a sentinel at my cabin door might have pre- vented it; for I. slept with the door always open, that the officer of the watch might have access to me on all occasions, the possibility of such a conspiracy being ever the farthest from my thoughts. Had their mutiny been occasioned by any grievances, either real or ima- ginary, I must have discovered symptoms^^ of their discontent, which would have put me on my guard ; but the case was far otherwise. Christian, in particular, I was on the most friendly terms with : that very day he was engaged to have dined with me ; and the pre- ceding night he excused himself from supping with me, on pretence of being unwell ; for which I felt concerned, having no suspicion of his integrity and honour.'* We have thus given in extenso the published Narrative A RIGID DISCIPLINARUN. Ill by which Lieutenant Bligh endeavoured to account for this remarkable mutiny. A comparison of it with statements from other sources will show that he was not altogether justified in the conclusions he formed, or the assertions he hazarded. He endeavours to represent the mutiny as the deli- berate result of a long-meditated design; but, on the contrary, it arose from the sudden impulse of a wounded and excited spirit. Lieutenant Bligh was an excellent seaman and a rigid disciplinarian, but he was neither a good officer nor a courteous gentleman. Indeed, it would appear, that at a very early period of the voyage, a feeling of discontent was aroused in the minds of his crew and officers. He stinted them in their provisions, and (as he was purser as well as commander) too often supplied those provisions of a very inferior quality. Thus, on one occasion, when the men were unwilling to make their repast upon some decayed pumpkins which he had purchased at Teneriffe, he went upon deck, in an excess of rage,, turned the hands up, and ordered the first man in each mess to be called by name, ex- claiming, — " ril see who will dare to refuse the pump- kin, or anything else I may order to be served out," adding, " You scoundrels, I'll make you eat grass, or anything you can catch, before I have done with you." To Fletcher Christian, a young man of considerable talent and impetuous disposition, he appears to have behaved with special harshness. On the 23rd April 1789 the good ship Bounty anchored off Annamooka, and water and wood being required, a party was sent on shore, under the command of Mr. Christian, to procure a supply. The inhabitants proved very troublesome, and threatened the watering party with their clubs and spears. " As it was Lieutenant Bligh's orders that no person should affront them on any occasion, they were emboldened by meeting with no check to their insolence. They at length became so troublesome that Mr. Chris- tian found it difficult to carry on his duty; but on 112 BLTGH AND FLETCHER CHPJSTIAN. acquainting Lieutenant Bligh with, their behaviour, he received a volley of abuse, was censured as a cowardly rascal, and asked if he were afraid of naked savages whilst he had weapons in his hand ? To this he replied in a respectful manner, ' The arms are of no effect, sir, while your orders prohibit their use.' " The Mutiny itself seems to have arisen from the following incident which significantly illustrates Bligh's fury of temper and coarseness of manner. We give it in the words of an eye-witness : '* In the afternoon of ■ffiLe 27th, Lieutenant Bligh came upon deck, and missing some of the cocoa-nuts, which had been piled up between the guns, said they had been stolen, and could not have been taken away without the knowledge of the officers, all of whom were sent for and questioned on the subject. On their declaring that they had not seen any of the people touch them, he exclaimed, ' Then you must have taken them yourselves ;' and proceeded to inquire of them separately, how many they had purchased. On coming to Mr. Christian, that gentleman answered, * I do not know, sir, but I hope you do not think me so mean as to be guilty of stealing yours.' Mr. Bligh replied, * Yes, I do ; — you must have stolen them from me, or you would be able to give a better account of them ;' then turning to the other officers, he said, * You are all thieves alike, and combine with the men to rob me : I suppose you will steal my yams next ; but I'll sweat you for it, you rascals ; — I'll make half of you jump overboard before you get through Endeavour Straits.' This threat was followed by an order to the clerk * to stop the villains' grog, and give them but half a pound of yams to-morrow; if they steal them, I'll reduce them to a quarter.' " One may easily understand, when a commander insults his officers mth such gross insinuations and violent language, the meaning of Christian's reply to Lieutenant Bligh, — *' That, that is the thing — I am in hell, I have been in hell for a fortnight." christian's sufferings. , 113 The authority we have just quoted — Morrison, the boatswain's mate — also informs us that when Bligh was convinced he must really go into the boat, he im- plored Christian to relent, saying, *' I'll pawn my honour, I'll give my bond, Mr. Christian, never to think of this, if you'll desist," and spoke of the misery which might result to his wife and children. Christian re- plied, *' No, Captain Bligh, if you had any honour, things had not come to this ; and if you had any regard for your wife and family, you should have thought on them before, and not behaved so much like a villain." The boatswain also made an effort to promote an amicable arrangement, but Christian replied, "It is too late ; I have been in hell for this fortnight past, and am determined to bear it no longer; and you know, Mr. Cole, that I have been used like a dog all the voyage." With one more extract from Morrison's account of these transactions we may conclude our account of the Mutiny. From that account, which is amply confirmed by other evidence, it wdll appear that Christian's design was as suddenly conceived as it was boldly carried out, and that, at least, his crime if a great one was not pre- meditated. Morrison affirms that Christian himself gave the following narrative of the transactions in which he played so unhappy a part : — *' Finding himself much hurt by the treatment he had received from Lieutenant Bligh, he had determined to quit the ship the preceding evening, and had informed the boatswain, carpenter, and two midshipmen (Stewart and Hayward) of his intention to do so ; that by them he was supplied with part of a roasted pig, some nails, beads, and other articles of trade, which he put into a bag that was given him by the last-named gentleman ; that he put this bag into the clue of Eobert Tinkler's hammock, where it was discovered by that young gentleman when going to bed at night; but the business was smothered, and passed off without any further notice. He said he had H 114 Morrison's narrative. fastened some staves to a stout plank, with, whicli lie intended to make his escape ; but finding he could not effect it during the first and second watches, as the ship had no way through the water, and the people were all moving about, he laid down to rest about half-past three in the morning; that when Mr. Stewart called him to relieve the deck at four o'clock he had just fallen asleep, and was much out of order; upon ob- serving which, Mr. Stewart strenuously advised him to abandon his intention; that as soon as he had taken charge of the deck, he saw Mr. Hayward, the mate of his watch, lie down on the arm-chest to take a nap ; and finding thg^t Mr. Hallet, the other midshipman, did not make his appearance, he suddenly formed the reso- lution of seizing the ship. Disclosing his intention to Matthew Quintal and Isaac Martin, both of whom had been flogged by Lieutenant Bligh, they called up Charles Churchill, who had also tasted the cat, and Matthew Thompson, both of whom readily joined in the plot. That Alexander Smith (alias John Adams), John Williams, and William M'Koy evinced equal will- ingness, and went with Churchill to the armourer, of whom they obtained the keys of the arm-chest, under pretence of wanting a musket to fire at a shark, then alongside ; that finding Mr, Hallet asleep on an arm- chest in the main hatchway, they roused and sent him on deck. Charles Norman, unconscious of their pro- ceedings, had, in the meantime, awaked Mr. Hayward, and directed his attention to the shark whose move- ments he was watching at the moment that Mr. Chris- tian and his confederates came up the fore -hatchway, after having placed arms in the hands of several men who were not aware of their design. One man, Mat- thew Thompson, was left in charge of the chest, and he served out arms to Thomas Burkitt and Eobert Lamb. Mr. Christian said he then proceeded to secure Lieutenant Bligh, the master, gunner, and botanist." Such, then, are the principal details of this singular RETtJHN TO TAHITI. 115 Mutiny, which, in many respects, stands alone in the history of the English Kavy. We have now a twofold story to tell : (I.) to trace the fortunes of the Bounty and the mutineers who held possession of her, and (II.) the wanderings of Bligh and his companions, whose fate it was in a small and feeble boat to dare the perils of the pathless seas. (I.) In the first instance Christian and his crew made for the pleasant island of Toobooai, in lat. 20° 13' S., long. 149° 35' W., where the Bounty anchored on the 25th May 1789. Here they had designed to form an establishment ; but the natives were found to be un- favourable, and the mutineers were divided among themselves, so that a removal to Tahiti was finally decided upon. At that Calypso's Isle the Bounty arrived on the 6th of June. The chiefs and principal natives of the island eagerly inquired for Lieutenant Bligh and the remainder of the crew of the vessel* Christian was ready v/ith an ingenious evasion. They had met, he said, on their voyage Captain Cook, at the recently-discovered island of Whytoolakee, where that great navigator designed to found a colony, and natural^ ize the prolific bread-tree. That Captain Bligh and a large portion of his crew were assisting Captain Cook — that Mr. Christian had been ajopointed commander of the Bounty, and had returned to Tahiti to obtain an addi- tional supply of the vegetables and fruits peculiar to the Polynesian Islands. The islanders willingly accepted this explanation ; and delighted to find that their be* loved Captain Cook was living, and about to settle him- self in their own vicinity, eagerly made haste to prepare the stores they understood he required ; so that, in a week or two, there were put on board the Bounty, 312 hogs, 38 goats, eight dozen fowls, a bull and a cow, and. liberal supplies of bread-fruit, bananas, yams, plan- tains, and cocoas. Eight men, nine women, and seven boys also embarked with the mutineers, and the ship, H 2 116 pitcairn's island. hus loaded, sailed from Tahiti on the 19th of June, and anchored off Toobooai on the 26th. She was then warped np the harbour; the live stock were landed, and working parties were sent ashore to erect a block house, or timber fort, about fifty yards square. But Christian soon found that the natives of Toobooai were neither to be menaced nor cajoled into an amiable disposition, and that if he persisted in effecting a settle- ment there, he would have to live in a state of constant warfare. It was, therefore, proposed to start for Tahiti, and the proposition was carried by a majority of voices. They anchored again in Matavai Bay on the 22nd September, and Stewart and Heywood, accompanied by 14 others, who repented the crime of which they had been guilty, went ashore, with the determination of abandoning the Bounty, Christian was thus enabled to carry out his original design of exploring the Polynesian seas until he should reach some hitherto undiscovered island, or one out of the ordinary track of commerce. He took with him, besides his eight associates — Edward Young, Alexander Smith {alias John Adams), William M'Koy, Matthew Quintal, John Williams, Isaac Martin, John Mills, and William Brown — six men and twelve women, natives of Toobooai and Tahiti. After a few days' sail he fell in with Pitcairn's Island, which was then incorrectly designated in the Admiralty Charts, and of which Christian doubtlessly considered himself the discoverer. It was, however, originally discovered in Captain Carteret's voyage (a.d. 1767), by one of his midshipmen, "son to Major Pitcairn of the marines," after whom it was named. It lies in 24° 40' S. lat., and 130° 24' W. long., and rises from the ocean — a pyramidical mass of lofty green hills, fenced in against the stormy waters of the Pacific by a steep and iron- bound coast, which constantly echoes with the clang and clash of surfy breakers. There being no harbour wherein a vessel could be safely moored, the Bounty was run ashore, and speedily A SINGULAR COLONY. 117 broken up by Christian and his assistants. Christian then divided the island, which is about four miles long and two to three broad, into nine equal portions, one of which he appropriated to each European. In like manner he apportioned the hogs, goats, and poultry which he had brought from Tahiti. Houses were then built ; the land was tilled ; and such preparations for a permanent settlement were made as suggested them- selves to Christian. At first it would appear that the affairs of this singular colony progressed peacefully "and prosperously ; and except the occasional outbursts of Christian's temper, rendered gloomy and morose by brooding upon the evil he had done, a halcj^on tranquillity prevailed in the rock-bound ocean-fastness of Pitcairn's Isle. By de- grees fear for his safety overtook Christian's mind, and he made himself a place of concealment in a cave at the extremity of the lofty ridge of hills which traverses the island. Here he always kept a supply of pro- visions, and near it, in the heart of some thick-branching trees, constructed ' a hut as a look-out station. " So difficult w^as the approach to this cave," says Captain Beechey, '' that even if a party were successful in crossing the ridge, he might have bid defiance, as long- as his ammunition lasted, to any force." The good terms which at first existed between the mutineers and their Tahitian allies were interrupted, about two years after the destruction of the Bounty^ by the misconduct of the armourer Williams, who, having lost his wife by a fall from a rock, insisted upon taking away by force the companion of one of the Tahitians. The islanders, exasperated by this foul deed, secretly determined to revenge themselves by murdering all the Europeans, but the Tahitian women proved faithful to their white companions, and revealed the conspiracy against them by singing a song, whose burden was — "Why does black man sharp axe? To kill w^hite man," The husband who had been wronged, and 118 ITS DISSENSIONS, another Tahitian whom Christian had fired at, betook themselves to the woods, where they were treacherously murdered by their own countrymen. No fresh outbreak occurred until about October 1793, when the Tahitians were driven into another murderous plot by the oppressive treatment they received at the hands of the mutineers. They now fixed upon a par- ticular day for killing the English tyrants while labour- ing in their respective plantations. The plot was to a great extent successful. V/illiams, who had acted as armourer, was first shot. The next victim was Chris- tian, who was working amongst his yams ; the third Mills ; and Martin and Brown the fourth and fifth. Adams (Alexander Smith) was slightly wounded in the shoulder, but having contrived to make terms with the Tahitians, was removed to Christian's house, where also Young, who was much esteemed by the women, was safely conveyed. M'Koy and Quintal escaped to the hills, though of all the mutineers they least deserved their security. Thus out of nine Englishmen only four were spared by the revengeful Tahitians. A quarrel speedily arose amongst the islanders re- garding the disposal of the wives of the murdered Englishmen, and Young and Adams found in these very women their best allies. One of the Tahitian mur- derers was shot to death by Young, the others were killed in the night by the Tahitian women. The settle- ment, now reduced to four men and ten women, enjoyed tolerable peace until 1798, when an outbreak occurred on the part of M'Koy and Quintal. The former had at one time been engaged in a Scotch distillery, and the knowledge there acquired he turned to evil account by distilling, with Quintal's help, an intoxicating liquor from a plant called the tee-root (or Draccena terminalis). From the moment of this discovery the two men were constantly intoxicated, until M'Koy in a fit of delirium tremens flung himself off a cliff and was dashed to pieces. Soon afterwards Quintal revived his demand for a wife, A PASTORAL RULE. 119 selecting as the object of his desire one of the wives of his companions, and when they rejected his proposal, vowing their destruction. In self-preservation, there- fore, Adams and Young were compelled to put him to death. The two survivors now endeavoured to establish in their little settlement the recognized code of morality and the laws of a pure religion. The Church Service was read regularly every Sunday ; family prayers were celebrated every morning and evening ; and instruction was duly given to the nineteen children who had been born upon the island. Young died about a year after Quintal's death ; but Adams continued these earnest endeavours to educate the community in a thorough knowledge of their duties both to God and man, and so far succeeded that an Eden-like purity character- ized the youthful sons and daughters of Pitcairn's Island. Their peaceful ocean-solitude was at length broken in upon. The American ship Topaz, of Boston, commanded by a Captain Folger, chanced to fall in with Pitcairn's Island in September 1808, and communicated the inte- resting particulars of his discovery to the British Admi- ralty. K o notice, however, was taken of the existence of a surviving participator in the Mutiny of the Bounty by the government. In 1814, the frigates Briton, Sir Thomas Staines, and Tagus, Captain Pipon, were cruising in the Pacific, and they, too, happened upon the Mu- tineers' Isle. Captain Sir Thomas Staines' official ac- count, addressed to the Lords of the Admiralty, may here be quoted :— *' BritoUi Valparaiso, 18th October,, 1814. *'• I have the honour to inform you that on my passage from the Marquesas Islands to this port, on the morn- ing of the 17 th September, I fell in with an island where none is laid down in the Admiralty or other charts, according to the several chronometers of the 120 NARRATIVE OF CAPTAIN STAINES. Briton and Tagus. I therefore hove to, until daylight, and then closed to ascertain whether it was inhabited, which I soon discovered it to be, and, to my great astonishment, found that every individual on the island (forty in number) spoke very good English. They proved to be the descendants of the deluded crew of the Bounty, who, from Otaheite, proceeded to the above- mentioned island, where the ship was burnt. '' Christian appeared to have been the leader and sole cause of the mutiny in that ship. A venerable old man, named John Adams, is the only surviving Englishman of those who last quitted Otaheite in her, and whose exemplary conduct, and fatherly care of the whole of the little colony, could not but command admiration. The pious manner in which all those born on the island have been reared, the correct sense of religion which has been instilled into their young minds by this old man, has given him the pre-eminence over the whole of them, to whom they look up as the father of one and the whole family. " A son of Christian was the first born on the island, now about twenty-five years of age, named Thursday October Christian : the elder Christian fell a sacrifice to the jealousy of an Otaheitan man, within three or four years after their arrival on the island. The mutineers were accompanied thither by six Otaheitan men and twelve women ; the former were all swept away by desperate contentions between them and the English- men, and five of the latter died at different periods, leaving at present only one man (Adams) and seven women of the original settlers. " The island must undoubtedly be that called Pit- cairn, although erroneously laid down in the charts. We had the altitude of the meridian sun close to it, which gave us 25° 4' S. latitude, and 130° 25' W. longi- tude, by the chronometers of the Briton and Tagus, *' It produces in abundance yams, plantains, hogs, goats, and fowls ; but the coast affords no shelter for a THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS. 121 ship or vessel of any description ; neither could a ship water there without great difficulty. " During the whole of the time they have been on the island, only one ship has ever communicated with them, which took place about six years since ; and this was the American ship Topaz ^ of Boston, May hew Folger, master. " The island is completely iron-bound with rocky shores, and the landing in boats must be at all times difficult, although the island may be safely approached within a short distance by a ship. (Signed) '' T. Staines." Young Christian, whose singular names — Thursday October — indicated his birth on a Thursday in the month of October^ was at this time a tall athletic youth, full six feet J high, with hair nearly jet black in colour, a frank open countenance, and a ruddy-brown com- plexion. He wore no clothes but a piece of cloth round his loins, and a straw hat, which was adorned with black cock*s feathers. His companion, George Young, the son of Young the midshipman, was '* a fine handsome youth of seventeen or eighteen years of age." The colony numbered forty-six persons in all, mostly grown- up young people, with a few infants. The young men, all born on the island, were finely formed, athletic, and handsome ; their countenances, open and pleasing, indi- cated much benevolence and goodness of heart ; but the young women were particularly objects of attraction, being tall, robust, and beautifully formed, their faces beaming with smiles, and glowing with unruffled good humour ; while their manners and demeanour exhibited a degree of modesty and bashfulness that would have done honour to the most virtuous circles of English society. Their teeth are described as beautifully white, like the finest ivory, and perfectly regular, without a single exception ; and all of them, both male and female, had the marked expression of English features, though 122 THEIB ISLAND-HOME. not exactly the clear red and white that distinguish. English skins, — their complexion having the general hne of what is called the brunette. The little village of Pitcairn is spoken of as forming a neat square ; the house of John Adams, with its out-houses, occupying the upper corner, near a spreading banian tree, and that of Thursday October Christian the lower corner, opposite to it. The central space was a broad open lawn, where the poultry wandered, fenced round so as to prevent the intrusion of hogs and goats. It was obviously visible, from the manner in which the grounds were laid out, and the plantations formed, that in this little establishment, the labour and ingenuity of Euro- pean hands had been employed. In their houses the islanders possessed a good deal of decent furniture, con- sisting of beds and bedsteads, with suitable coverings. They had also tables and large chests for their clothing. Their linen was made from the bark of a certain tree, and its manufacture formed the chief employment of the elderly portion of the women. The bark was first soaked, then beaten with square pieces of wood, of the breadth of one's hand, hollowed out into grooves, and the labour continued until the cloth was brought to the required breadth. The attention of the English Government, however, could not yet be stimulated into any degree of interest in the settlers on Pitcairn's Island. This was not effected until Captain (afterwards Eear - Admiral) Beechey's visit, in 1825, during his exploring voyage in the Blossom, Meanwhile, the islanders had received an important accession to their number in a person, named John Buffet, left among them by a whaling vessel. In him they had found both an able and willing instructor of the young, and a moderate and sincere guide in their religious duties. Captain Beechey's accoimt of his visit is of high interest ; and although we have already loaded our pages with] quotations, we cannot refrain from dipping into HANNAH YOUNG. 123 his graphic pages for a few agreeable details. It was several hours after the Blossom had been descried by the male inhabitants of the island before she approached the shore. Then Captain Beechey and his party were landed in a whale boat belonging to the colony, after a difficult passage through the rocks and breakers whieh are the island's effectual and natural defence. But the difficulty of landing (says the Captain) was more than repaid by the friendly reception accorded to the strangers by Hannah Yoimg, a very interesting young woman, the daughter of John Adams. " In her eager- ness to greet her father [who had rowed aboard the Blossom when she first appeared in the offing], she had outrun her female companions, for whose delay she thought it necessary, in the first place, to apologise, by saying they had all been over the hill in company with John Buffet to look at the ship, and were not yet returned. It appeared that John Buffet, who was a sea- faring man, had ascertained that the ship was a man-of- war, and, without knowing exactly why, became so alarmed for the safety of Adams, that he either could not or would not answer any of the interrogatories which were put to him. This mysterious silence set all the party in tears, as they feared he had discovered something adverse to their patriarch. At length his obduracy yielded to their entreaties ; but before he explained the cause of his conduct, the boats were seen to put off from the ship, and Hannah immediately hur- ried to the beach to kiss the old man's cheek, which she did with a fervency demonstrative of the warmest affec- tion. Her apology for her companions was rendered unnecessary by their appearance on the steep and cir- cuitous path down the mountain, who, as they arrived on the beach, successively welcomed us to their island, with a simplicity and sincerity which left no doubt of the truth of their professions." Captain Beechey describes the village as consisting of five houses, which crested a cleared piece of ground 124 PRIMITIVE INNOCENCE. sloping boldly towards the sea. When the voyagers had arrived there, the island women began their pre- parations for supper, using — as a stove— stones heated in a pit or hollow made in the ground. Plates, knives, and forks showed the English origin of the male settlers. Before the meal commenced, John Buffet said grace with remarkable fervonr, — a custom which was never neglected even if the person saying ib had but a piece of bread or a biscuit before him. On one occasion, when Captain Beechey and Adams were intent in con- versation, Adams incautiously took a mouthful without the usual preface. Before he had swallowed it, he recollected his error, — and, as if he had been guilty of some great crime, immediately removed the obnoxious portion from his mouth, and commenced his prayer. A curious illustration is given by Captain Beechey of the innocence and simplicity of the island women. The captain and his companions had slept in the hut on one occasion. When they awoke they found that by their bedside had already been placed some ripe fruits ; and their hats were adorned with garlands of the nono, or flower-tree (Morinda citrifolia)^ all bespangled with the diamond drops of the morning dew. *' On looking round the apartment," says the captain, ** though it con- tained several beds, we found no partition, curtain, or screens ; they had not yet been considered necessary. So far, indeed, from concealment being thought of, when we were about to get up, the women, anxious to show their attention, assembled to wish us good morning, and to inquire in what way they could best contribute to our comforts, and to present us with some little gift, which the produce of the island afforded. Many persons would have felt awkward at rising and dressing before so many pretty black-eyed damsels, assembled in the centre of a spacious room ; but by a little habit we overcame this embarrassment, and found the benefit of their services in fetching water as we required it, and in substituting clean linen for such as we pulled off." SUPPLIES FROM ENGLAND. 125 On liis return to England, Captain Beechey made a report to the Government of the condition of the Pit- cairn Islanders, and it was determined to se d them a supply of certain necessaries which they were much in need of. So many years had elapsed since their crime was committed that if any of the mutineers of the Bounty had survived, no English administration, under the circumstances, would have cared to render them amen- able to the law ; but John Adams, the last survivor and the patriarch of Pitcairn's Island, had died in 1829, and no other of the inhabitants knew aught of the Mutiny but by tradition. A supply, for sixty persons, of sailors' jackets and trousers, flannel waistcoats, stockings, women's clothing, boots, agricultural imple- ments, &c., was accordingly despatched in the Seringa- jpatam (Hon. Captain Waldegrave), which arrived at Pitcairn's Island in March 1830, and found the little colony as prosperous, as peaceful, and as happy as of yore. From that date its numbers so largely increased, that the island could no longer provide for their support, and the British Government, therefore, upon the abandon- ment of Norfolk Island as a penal settlement, removed to that more suitable and extended area the descendants of the mutineers of the Bounty (a.d. 1856), numbering 199 in all, of whom the oldest woman was eighty, and the oldest man sixty years of age. (II.) Bligh and ms Cojipanions: the Boat Voyage. Having traced the fortunes of those members of the original crew of the Bounty who, acting under the leadership of Christian, established themselves upon Pitcairn's " rock-bound isle," let us now — very briefly ^sketch the adventures of Lieutenant Bligh and his companions, exposed to dare the perils of the sea in a frail and ill-provided boat. The provisions supplied for the Lieutenant and his eighteen followers consisted of 150 lbs. of bread, 32 lbs. 126 A BOAT- VOYAGE. of pork, 6 bottles of wine, 6 quarts of rum, 28 gallons of water, and 4 empty casks. To increase this scanty store Bligh, in the first place, made for the island of Tofoa in search of cocoa-nnts and plantains. Of these he obtained but a small supply, which served, however, to recruit the spirits of his men: *' every countenance appeared to have a degree of cheerfulness, and they all seemed determined to do their best." From Tofoa they were speedily driven away by an attack from the natives, in which Norton, the quartermaster, was unfortunately killed ; and Bligh now determined to attempt the voyage to Timor — a distance of nearly four thousand miles — where he hoped to fall in with some European Tessel bound for England. To accomplish so prolonged a passage it was evident their small store of provisions must be managed with the utmost parsimony ; and Bligh informed his men that he could only allow them daily an ounce of bread and a quarter of a pint of water. To this arrangement every man consented ; and at about eight o'clock at night on the 2nd of June, in a small boat only twenty-three feet long from stem to stern, Bligh and his seventeen companions bore away across the pathless seas. The dangers to which the adventurers were exposed, and the hardships they suffered, are almost indescrib- able. They were buffeted by storms, and drenched with violent rains, — their only extra comfort, in these cases, being the occasional allowance of a tea-spoonful of rum. An ounce and a half of pork was each man's daily share of meat. Very few of the crew but, from exposure and insufficient food, fell ill with violent pain in the bowels and rheumatic affections of the limbs. After the sea broke over the boat so much that two men had to be constantly emploj^ed in baling, — ^' I could look no way," says Bligh, " but I caught the eye of some one in distress. Extreme hunger was now too evident ; but no one suffered from thirst, nor had we much inclination to drink, that desire perhaps being satisfied A MUTINY QUELLED. 127 throTigli the skin. Tlie little sleep we got was in the midst of water, and we constantly awoke with severe cramps and pains in our bones." On the 25th, the capture of a bird called the noddy— sihout the size of a chicken — was hailed by everybody as an incident of rare good foi'time. It was divided into eighteen por- tions, and regarded as a valuable addition to the nsual allowance. Others were caught on succeeding days, and their capture infinitely relieved the spirits of the men by breaking the monotony of their daily life. On the 28th, the launch glided into smooth water off the coast of New Holland, and in the evening a party who landed having discovered a quantity of oysters and freshwater, the wanderers enjoyed a feast which seemed to them of unusual sumptuousness. The change of diet and scene proved of great sanitary benefit ; and on the 30th, Bligh and his companions bore away from Eesto- ration Island — as they named the little sandy islet where they had rested — in renewed hope and with increased vigour. On the 31st they landed on another Australian island, to which was given the name of " Sunday." " I sent out two parties," writes the Lieutenant, " one to the northward and the other to the southward, to seek for supplies, and others I ordered to stay by the boat. On this occasion fatigue and weakness so far got the better of theii' sense of duty, that some of the people expressed their discontent at having worked harder than their companions, and declared that they would rather be without their dinner than go in search of it. One per- son, in particular, went so far as to tell me, v^dth a mutinous look, that he was as good a man as myself. It was not possible for one to judge where this might have an end, if not stopped in time. To prevent, there- fore, such disputes in iiiture, I determined either to pre- serve my command or die in the attempt ; and, seizing a cutlass, I ordered him to lay hold of another and defend himself ; on which he called out that I was going to 128 SUFFERINGS OF THE VOYAGERS, kill him, and immediately made concessions. I did not allow this to interfere further with the harmony of the boat's crew, and everything soon became quiet." On the 8rd of June the voyagers cleared the last headland on the Australian coast, and once more sailed away upon the open ocean. Some bad weather was now encountered ; and Ledward the surgeon,- and Le- bogue a seaman, fell into so grievous a condition of ill health as to excite alarm. No remedy, however, could be administered to them but an occasional tea-spoonful of wine. *' In the morning of the 10th," continues the Lieu- tenant, '' after a very comfortless night, there was a visible alteration for the worse in many of the people, which gave me great apprehensions. An extreme weak- ness, swelled legs, hollow and ghastly countenances, a more than common inclination to sleep, with an appa- rent debility of understanding, seemed to me the melan- choly presages of an approaching dissolution. The surgeon and Lebogue, in particular, were most miserable objects : I occasionally gave them a few tea-spoonfuls of wine, out of the little that remained, which greatly assisted them. The hope of being able to accomplish the voyage was our principal support." The melancholy condition and the sufferings of these brave and uncomplaining navigators — true sons of the sea, like the Norsemen of old — has been graphically pictured by the poet : — " 'Tis mine (he says) to tell their tale of giief, Their constant peril and their scant relief ; Their days of danger, and their nights of pain ; Their manly courage, even when deem'd in vain ; The sapping famine, rendering scarce a son Known to his mother in the skeleton ; The ills that lessen'd still their little store, And starved even Hunger till he wrung no more ; The varying frowns and favours of the deep, That now almost engulfs, then leaves to creep "With crazy oar and shatter'd strength along The tide, that yields reluctant to the strong ; ARRIVAL AT TIMOR. J 29 Th' incessant fever of that arid thirst Which welcomes, as a well, the clouds that burst Above their naked bones, and feel delight In the cold drenching of the stormy night, And from the outspread canvas gladly wrings A drop to moisten Life's all-gasping springs ; The savage foe escap'd, to seek again More hospitable shelter from the main ; The ghastly spectres, which were doom'd at last To tell as true a tale of dangers past, As ever the dark annals of the deep Disclos'd for man to dread or woman weep." But the end of these perilous wanderings was haj)pily at hand. On the 12th of June, the island of Timor was discovered at only a distance of two leagues from the shore, and never probably did the cry of " Land!" fall upon more grateful ears. In an open boat, and inade- quately provided with stores, Bligh and his companions had safely accomplished a voyage of 3,618 nautical miles in 41 days, and that, happily, without any loss of life. Their condition, • when they landed in Coupang Bay, might have been depicted by the honor-loving pencil of a mediaeval artist. Their bodies were " nothing but skin and bones," their limbs festered with sores, and their habiliments reduced to rags. For upwards of two months they remained there, to recruit their strength, and then, on the 28th of August, set sail in a schooner which had been bought and armed for the purpose, arriving in the Batavia Eoads on the 1st of October. Here, Lieutenant Bligh embarked for England in a Dutch packet, which landed him on the Isle of Wight on the 14th of March 1790, about two years and four months from the departure of the Bounty on her fatal voyage. Eleven of his companions speedily followed him in the Dutch East Indiamen. The remainder must be thus accounted for: — Nelson, the botanist, died at Coupang; Elphinstone, master's mate, Linklater and Hall, seamen, at Batavia; Eobert Lamb,. seaman, on his passage to England; and of Led- I 130 VOYAGE OF THE ** PANDORA." ward, the surgeon, who was left behind at Coiipang, no tidings were ever afterwards obtained. When the particulars of the Mutiny had been com- municated by Bligh to the British Government, steps were immediately taken to bring the mutineers to justice. The Pandora frigate, Captain Edwards, was accordingly despatched to secure the persons of the criminals. The Pandora anchored in Matavai Bay on the 23rd March 1791. Joseph Coleman, the armourer of the Bounty^ immediately went on board, and was followed by the two midshipmen, who voluntarily surrendered. The other mutineers were soon secured, and the persons thus confined on board the Pandora included, — Hey- wood and Stewart, midshipmen ; Morrison, boatswain's mate; Norman, carpenter's mate; M'Intosh, carpenter's crew ; Coleman, armourer ; Skinner, Ellison, Hillbrant, Burkitt, Mill ward, Sumner, Muspratt, and Byrne, seamen. They were immediately loaded with irons and con- fined in a small unwholesome round-house on the after- part of the quarter-deck. In fact. Captain Edwards behaved to them with studied barbarity throughout their long and dangerous voyage. The frigate was wrecked on the Barrier Eeef, off the coast of New Holland, on the 29th of August, when four of the mu- tineers, and about seventy seamen, were drowned. The survivors were distributed in four boats, and after a tedious voyage of nearly 1000 miles, arrived at Coupang on the 13th of September. A court-martial was held upon the ariival of the mutineers in England, which adjudged to suffer death Heywood, Morrison, Ellison, Burkitt, Millward, and Muspratt, and acquitted Norman, Coleman, M'Intosh, and Byrne. A free pardon was subsequently awarded to Heywood, Morrison, and Muspratt ; and the only victims were Ellison, Millward, and Burkitt. Thus ended the story of the *' Mutiny of the Bounty," 131 CHAPTER VIII. THE STORY OF THE *' ARETHITSA." [Period of Service : Reign of George III, Strength : 32 guns, 220 men, 850 tons.] " Come all ye jolly sailors bold, Whose hearts are cast in honour's mould, Wliile English glory I unfold. Hurra for the Arethusa /" — Charles Bihdin, During that protracted war with Revolutionary and Im- perial France which England for twenty years carried on, almost unaided, the spirit of an ardent patriotism glowed so warmly in English breasts that any additional incentive or extraneous stimulant seemed unnecessary. But if those *' hearts of oak " who so nobly maintained the honour of our fiag and preserved our shores invio- late had required such an inspiration, they might have found it in the bold and dashing sea-lyrics of Charles Dibdin. Fletcher of Saltoun said that if he had the making of the ballads of a nation, he cared not who made its laws ; and probably the influence of Dibdin's songs upon our seamen was as great as any rewards proposed by the British legislature. One of the most famous of these was the ballad of The Arethusa,^ It has now a smack of antiquity about it ; a flavour of days that are past, and of things that can never be again. Yet there is a life and fervour in its rude rough strains which will rescue them from oblivion as long as Englishmen respect the traditions of their naval supremacy. * It is set to a very beautiful melody by Shield. I 2 132 dibdin's ballad. The "Arethtjsa." Come all ye jolly sailors bold, Whose hearts are cast in honour's mould, "While English glory I unfold, Hurra for the Arethusa ! She is a frigate tight and brave As ever stemm'd the dashing wave, The men are staunch to their favourite launch, And when the foe shall meet our fire, Sooner than strike we'll all expire On board of the A rethusa ! 'Twas with the spring fleet she went out. The English Channel to cruise about. When four French sail in show so stout Bore down on the Arethusa ! The fam'd Belle Poule in sight did lie, The Arethusa seem'd to fly. Not a sheet or a track or a brace did she slack, TJio' the Frenchmen laugh'd, and thought it stuff, But they knew not the handful of men, how tough, On board of the Arettusa. On deck ^yq hundred men did dance. The stoutest they could find in France ; We with two hundred did advance On board of the Arethusa : Our captain hail'd the Frenchman, ho ! The Frenchman then cried out, hallo ! "Bear down, d'ye see, to our Admhal's lee," — • " No, no," said the Frenchman, " that can't be ;" " Then I must lug you along with me," Says the saucy Arethusa ! The fight was off the Frenchman's land. We forc'd them back upon their strand. For we fouglit till not a stick would stand Of the gallant Arethusa ; And now we've driven the foe ashore, Never to fight with Britons more. Let each fill a glass to his favourite lass, A health to the captain and officers true. And all that belong to the jovial crew On board of the Arethusa ! Dibdin's spirited lyric, which, during the last naval war, was very popular with our British tars, was A I^RIGATE-ACTION. 133 founded on an incident which will be described in the following narrative. The Aretliusa was a fine French frigate of 32 guns, captured by the frigates Thames and Venus, in Audieme Bay, on the 18th of May 1759, and added to the British Navy under the same name. Peace being concluded in 1762, and hostilities with France not being recom- menced until she displayed her open sympathy with our revolted colonies, she was not commissioned for active service until 1778. She was then attached to Admiral Keppel's fleet intended to operate against the French in Brest. On the 12 th of June, the Admiral put to sea, with twenty sail of the line, three frigates, and a fire-ship. When oif the Lizard, on the 17th, two frigates and a schooner were discovered, which Keppel ordered the Aretliusa and Milford to pursue. The Aretliusa was then commanded by Captain Samuel Marshall, a gallant and experienced officer, who crowded on all sail, and towards night came up with one of the French fugitives, which proved to be the 40-gun frigate Belle Poule. Notwithstanding his great inferiority of force. Captain Marshall hailed, and no formal declaration of war having yet taken place between France and England, at first contented himself with requesting the captain of the Belle Poule to bear up in his company for the British admiral. The Belle Poule refused, and the Aretliusa then fired a shot across her bows to compel her to bring to. The French frigate I'ejDlied with a broadside. A terrible action commenced, and was continued at close quarters, and without inteimission for two hours, when in conse- quence of the disabled condition of the Arethusa, the Belle Poule contrived to make sail, and succeeded in getting under the land. So well, however, had iho Aretliusa handled her guns, that the Belle Poule lost no . less than 4 officers and 44 men killed, and 50 wounded. The Arethusa counted only 8 killed and 36 wounded; 134 DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH. but her sails and rigging were so cut up, and her yards and spars so knocked to pieces, that she required tow- ing back to the fleet. Meanwhile, the Milford and the 74-gun ship Hector had quickly compelled the other French frigate, La Licorne, of 32 guns, to surrender. The French schooner, which proved to be Le Courier, of ten guns, was over- taken by the English Alert, of about equal force. Having refused to answer the summons of the Alert, Captain Fairfax laid his schooner alorpgside of her, and after a gallantly contested action, had the satisfaction of hauling down the French colours. The Alert had two of her men mortally, and two severely wounded ; the Courier, out of a much more numerous crew, lost five killed, and had seven wounded mortally. On the 18th of June, the French 32-gun frigate Pallas was taken by the British, and sent into Ply- mouth. From this ship Admiral Keppel obtained in- telligence that the French Channel fleet contained no less than 32 sail of the line, and he accordingly returned to Spithead to obtain a reinforcement. Admiral Keppel sailed from Spithead on the 11th of July, with a fleet composed of 30 sail of the line, and 6 frigates : — The Victory, 100 guns ; Queen, 90 ; For- midahle, 90 ; DuJce, Sandwich, Prince George, and Ocean, 90's ; Foudroyant, 80 ; Courageux, Thunderer, Valiant, Terrible, Vengeance, Monarch, Hector, Centaur, Shreivshm-y, Cumberland, Berwick, Elizabeth, Bobust, Egmont, Bamillies, 74:'s ; Exeter, Stirling Castle, Bienfaisant, Vigilant, Wor- cester, Defiance, America, 64:'s : — in the aggregate, 2,470 guns. The French, under the Comte d'Orvilliers, had one ship of 110 guns, one of 92, three of 80, thirteeen of 74, twelve of 64, one of 50, and thirteen frigates : in all, mounting (including the frigates) 2,638 guns. The French guns carried heavier metal, and their ships were manned by larger crews, than the English. The Comte d'Orvillier's flag flew on board *the 110-gun ship, BATTLE OFF USHANT. 135 the Bretagne : Admiral Keppel hoisted his on board the Vidoi-y ; Vice -Admiral Sir Eobert Harland, on board the Queen ; and Vice- Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, on board the Formidable, The Foudroyant was com- manded by Captain John Jervis (afterwards Earl St. Vincent). These two mighty armadas came in sight of each other off Ushant on the 23rd of July, but the French having the advantage of the wind, declined the general engagement sought by the British. On the 27th, the British fleet ^ras much scattered through the variable- ness of the wind and the activity of the chase, but the weather moderating, Admiral Keppel was enabled to bear up for the enemy. Desirous of bringing his ships together, he then signalled several of Sir Hugh Palliser's division to chase to windward. At about a quarter to twelve, a succession of manoeuvi^es brought the two fleets within gunshot range, — the French in an irregu- larly formed column attempting to pass along the British line to windward. In executing this movement the Bretagne was the van ship, and the first engaged by the Victory, which afterwards exchanged broadsides with each vessel of the enemy as she parsed. The British van suffered, in this curious engagement, but little damage ; but the wind dropping, the French passed along the rear division much more slowly, and their heavy cannonading inflicted considerable loss. The Comte d'Orvilliers having thus '* run the gaunt- let " of the whole British line, Admiral Keppel, at half- past one, signalled for his fleet to wear and follow the enemy, and the Victory and other ships of his division obeyed the signal ; but in consequence of some grievous misapprehension on Sir Hugh Palliser's part, his ships did not close in the chase, and the action, therefore, was not renewed. *' This has been attributed to the bad code of signals in use at the time, which caused much delay in sending messages by frigates." From whatever cause so lamentable a failure arose, it naturally 136 INGLORIOUS RESmt. produced mucli dissatisfaction in tlie popular mind* Admiral Keppel accused Palliser, and Palliser recrimi- nated npon Keppel. Courts-maii;ial were held upon "both, officers, — that of Keppel on the 7th of January. The Admiral was acquitted ; pronounced a brave and experienced officer, and to have rendered essential service to the state. Palliser was also acquitted, but censured for not having acquainted his commander-in- chief with the disabled condition of his ships, which was the alleged cause of his disobedience of the signal to renew the action with the enemy. The popular feeling was decidedly in favour of Keppel, and his acquittal was celebrated by great rejoicing. General illuminations prevailed in London and Westminster ; and the mob burnt Palliser in efQgj and sacked his house. The Common Council voted the thanks of the city to Keppel for his patriotic services, and presented him with its "freedom" in a box of heart of oak. The loss of the British in this most inglorious action was 133 killed and 373 wounded, against a French loss of 163 killed and 519 wounded. The frigates bore no share in the engagement, and the Arethusa had nojop- portunity of again distinguishing herself under British colours. In 1779 she was commissioned by Captain Everitt as a Channel cruiser; and on the 18th of March, catching sight of a French frigate, made all sail in pursuit. When off Brest, however, a French line-of-battle ship, lying in the outer road, was despatched to her com- rade's assistance ; and the Arethusa, endeavouring to escape from so powerful an enemy, struck in the night upon a reef of rocks, near Molines, and went to pieces. All on board were saved, but with the exception of one boat's crew, whose escape was not effected without great labour and privation, made prisoners. Such was the unhappy end of Dibdin's saucy Arethma ; but her name was long preserved in the British Kavy. 137 OHAPTEE IX. : THE STORY OF THE LOSS OF THE '* ROYAL GEORGE.'* [Time of Service : Keign of George III., 1759-1782. Strength : 108 guns, 850 men, 2,200 tons.] ** Plangimiis fortes. Periere fortes, Patrium propter periere littiis Bis quater centum ; subito sub alto uEquore mersi. " Kavis, innitens lateri, jacebat, Mains ad summas trepidabat undas, Cum levis, funes quatiens, ad imum Depulit aiu'a." — Coicper. The loss of tlie Boyal George, off Spithead, is one of the best-knoYy^n occurrences in tlie annals of the British Kavy. For this general fame it is perhaps largely- indebted to the poet Cowper, who has recorded the catastrophe in simple but effective verse, as well as to the singularity of the event, — taking place, as it did, in the calm of a summer day and in the waters of a sheltered anchorage. Cowper's popular ballad runs as follows : — " Toll for the brave ! The brave that are no more ! All sunk beneath the wave, Fast by their native shore ! ** Eight hundred of the brave, Whose courage well was tried. Had made the vessel heel, And laid her on her side. " A land-breeze shook the shrouds. And she was overset ; Down went the Eoyal George, With all her crew complete. 1 38 COWPER's ' LYRIC. ** Toll for the brave! Brave Kempenfeldt is gone His last sea-fight is fought, His work of glory done. *' It was not in the battle ; No tempest gave the shock ; She sprang no fatal leak ; She i-an upon no rock. " His sword was in its sheath ; His fingers held the pen, When Kempenfeldt went down. With twice four hundred men. ** Weigli the vessel up, Once dreaded by our foes ! And mingle with our cup The tear that England owes. ** Her timbers yet are sound. And she may float again. Full-charged with England's thunder, And plough the distant main. *• But Kempenfeldt is gone. His victories are o'er ; And he, and his eight hundred. Shall plough the wave no more." The Boyal George was a lOO-gun sliip of great size and excellent construction, which was jnstly regarded as the finest and most powerful vessel in the Eoyal Navy. She was quite a new ship when, in 1759, Admiral Sir Edward Hawke hoisted his flag (Blue) on board of her, and proceeded with a powerful fleet to blockade Brest. Her consorts were as follow : — The Union of 90 s-uns \ Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Hardy. Ane union, ot yu guns \q^^^^^^ l£,^f^nQ. Mars, 74 . . . Commodore James Young. Diihe, 90 . . . Capt. Graves. Namur, 90 . . . . „ M. Buckle. Warspite, 74 . . „ Sir J. Bentley. Hercules, 74 . . „ W. Fortescue. Torhay, 74 . . . „ Hon. A. KeppeJ. Magnanime, 74 . „ Lord Howe. Eesolution, 74 THK HOSTILE FLEETS. 139 Capt. H. Speke. Hon. G. Edgcmnbe. Sir T. Stanhope. P. Dennis. S. Gambier. S. W. Willett. Hon. W. Shirley. J. Storr. L. O'Brien. T. Shirley. J. Maplesdon. J. Rowley. R. Digby. P. Baiid. Hero, 74 Sioiftsure, 70 Dorsetshire, 70 Burford, 70 , Chichester, 70 Temple, 70 . Revenge, 64 Essex, 64 . Kingston, 60 Intrepid, 60 Montagu, 60 Dunkirk, 60 Defiance, 60 On the other hand, the French fleet in the harbour of Brest consisted of: — Le Soleil Boyal, 80 ; Tonnant, 80 ; Formidable, 80 ; Orient, 80 ; L'Intrepide, 74 ; Glorieux, 74 ; Th^see, 74 ; L'Reros, 74 ; Magni- fique, 74 ; Jiiste, 70 ; Superhe, 70 ; Dauphin Royal, 70 ; Dragon, Northumberland, Sphyrvx, Solitaire, Brilliant, L'Eveille, Bizarre, E Inflexible, dM 64's ; and five frigates, Hebe, Vestale, D'Aigrettet Calypso, and Prince Noir. We may, therefore, assume that the English fleet, Tinder Hawke, mounted 1,726 guns; the French, under M. de Conflans, a good and intrepid seaman, about 1,600. The French guns, however, were generally of heavier calibre than the English; but, on the other hand, M. de Conflans had no ship equal to the Boyal George, After showing his formidable broadsides to the block- aded foe for several weeks, Hawke was driven off his station by a violent gale, and constrained to put into Torbay. On the very same day the alert De Conflans slipped out of Brest, and proceeded in search of a small English squadron (four 50-gun ships and six frigates), under Commodore Duff, which he supposed to be sta- tioned in Quiberon Bay, and intended to overpower before Hawke could come to its relief. But the English Admiral, wlien he learnt t)f his escape from Brest, imme- diately conjectured his design, and signalled to his fleet to weigh anchor and keep down Channel under press of sail. A strong south-east wind, however, prevented his 140 ACTION OFF BELLE-ISLE. arrival off Belle-Isle until the morning of the 20th, when at half-past eight, the French fleet hove in sight. A cold thick mist closed in the dreary horizon, and a strong gale came up from the north-west. Signal was made for the ships to form in line abreast, and soon afterwards, the haze clearing away, the French were discovered in precipitate flight. Hawke now ordered the seven nearest line-of-battle ships to make all sail in chase, and the gale still fresh- ening, the whole fleet was soon sweeping down upon the retreating foe with as much canvas as the masts could carry. Two hours after noon, the Warspite and the Dorsetshire came up with the French rear, and com- menced the action, and soon afterwards the deadly game was joined in by the Magnaniine, most gallantly fought by Lord Howe, the Bevenge, Torbay, and others of the English van. The 80-gun ship Formidable, bearing a rear-admiral's flag, was so closely prest by the English that it lost 200 men killed in about an hour, and at 4 P.M., struck to the Besolution. Meanwhile the Mag- nanime having completely disabled the Thesee, fell upon the Heros, and compelled her to surrender. The Thesee, having fallen astern, B.ui[ig a dropping fire from its lower deck ports at the Torbay, as she came into action, but a sudden squall overtook her, her ports filled, and she sunk with a loss of 780 men out of a crew of 800. The Swperbe overset from a similar cause. Hawke had now come up in the Boyal George, and brought her heavy guns to bear upon the fortunes of the fight, but the weather grew so fearfully violent, and the chase had brought his fleet so near the French coast, that he signalled for his ships to anchor, dropping his own anchor in 15 fathoms water. Unfortunately the Besolution misunderstood the signal, and drifting ashore, became a total wreck. . . The next day the Heros and Soleil Boyal, the two prizes, were set on fire, and these, with the Su^erbe and Thesee, made up the list of the French losses in the action of the 20th November. REAR-ADMIRAL KEMPENFELBT. 141 This was the only great sea-fight in which the Boyal George bore a part, though by successive admirals she was often selected as a flag ship. But it may be men- tioned as an interesting incident in her history that, in 1762-3, William Falconer, the poet of The SMpwrech, served on board of her as a midshipman. Early in 1762 she hoisted the flag of Eear-Admiral Kempenfeldt, a brave seaman and an experienced tactician, who was held, both at home and abroad, to be one of the best naval officers of his time. " He was the son of a Swedish gentleman who, coming early into the English service, generously followed the ruined fortunes of his master, James II., but who, after the death of that monarch, was recalled by Queen Anne, and who has been portrayed by Addison in his excellent sketch of Captain Sentry (in No. 2 of the Sjpedator)'' With a squadron of nine ships he joined the fleet under Admiral Lord Howe, despatched to convoy to Jamaica the great West Indian armada. This duty successfully performed. Lord Howe was ordered to take command of a vast expedition, then fitting out at Portsmouth, for the relief of Gibraltar, which was beleaguered by the combined French and Spanish fleets. The Boyal George was destined to bear Eear-Admiral Kempenfeldt's flag as third in command under Lord Howe. But as she was on the point of sailing — while she lay at Spithead- with her admiral, officers, and crew all on board, and only awaiting her final orders — a slight leak was discovered near the keel. It was deemed, however, of so little importance as to render unnecessary her return into Portsmouth Harbour to be docked, and the carpenters in order to repair it laid the vessel slightly on her side. So little risk was supposed to attend the operation that the officers and crew re- mained on board, and also that heterogeneous assemblage of wives, sweethearts, " bumboat women," and children which usually congregates on the decks of a vessel ordered on foreign service. 142 LOSS OF THE "ROYAL GEORGE." It was on the morning of tlie 29th of August, when Kempenfeldt was writing in his cabin, and most of the crew and visitors were engaged between decks, that the work commenced. The carpenters, eager to get at the leak that the ship might not be detained at Spithead, appear, in their anxiety, to have laid her more on her broadside than was originally intended, or than her officers were aware of. About ten o'clock a sudden gale of wind arose in the north-west, threw the Boyal George upon her side, and her lower deck ports being open, she immediately filled with water, and in three minutes went down ! A victualler, which lay alongside, was swallowed up in the terrible vortex created by the sudden plunge of so huge a vessel, and several small craft, at a greater distance, were placed in imminent peril. The catastrophe was so sudden, so unexpected, so terrible, that those on shore who were accidentally spec- tators of it, could not for a space recover the power of action. Then, indeed, every boat and wherry at Ports- mouth put oif to the assistance of the drowning ; but as most of the crew and their friends were between decks when the disaster occurred, comparatively few were saved. Kempenfeldt himself was among those who perished. About 300 were rescued, chiefly sailors who could swim, or had been able to catch hold of a stout spar or plank, and among them were Lieutenant, after- wards Adaiiral Sir Philip Durham, and Captain Martin Waghorn. The number of those who were drowned or suffocated has been variously computed at between 700 and 1000. The full complement of the Boyal George was nearly 900, and allowing 300 women, children, and other strangers to have been aboard her at the moment she went down, we may reasonably place the total loss at nearly 1000 souls ! A catastrophe so singular, arising from such an appa- rently trifling cause, involving so much misery, and lamentation over the numerous dead, and occurring in a secure roadstead — within sight of a populous and busy FORGOTTEN GRAVES. 143 seaport — naturally excited considerable attention, and few events in our naval annals are better known than the *' Loss of the Boyal George.'' Some of her timbers drifted ashore, and from these a variety of relics was fjxshioned, whose rapid sale suggested to speculators a^ j)rofitable mode of business, not yet utterly extinct in the streets of Portsmouth. As many snuff-boxes, wooden cannons, card-cases, models, and other souvenirs have been sold with the guarantee that they were manu- factured from the wreck of the Boyal George as would provide timber for the construction of half a dozen of our largest men-of-war! Not long ago, in a shop in Portsmouth, we saw ticketed for sale as made from the aforesaid wreck a many-bladed knife of palpable Sheffield manufacture ! The visitor to Eyde, that charming seaside resort of *' fashion'' and *' gentility," invalids and yachtsmen, will doubtless be familiar with certain handsome streets of Tillas and cottages, opening upon the shore, known as " Dover Street" and " The Strand." These streets cover an area formerly occupied by marsh-plants and seaweeds, and known as *' the Duver," — that is, land once overflowed by the sea. Here were buried in large numbers the hapless dead, which the sea cast up from the wreck of the Boyal George. The grassy mounds which indicated their last resting-places were visible as late as 1804, when Sir Henry Englefield penned his elaborate account of the Isle of ^\'ight. Kot a trace, not a memorial of them now exists. The builders have made free havoc with the graves of the dead. Surely it would be a graceful act if the proper authorities raised in the neighbourhood of this desecrated '' Aceldama" some simple stone, or pillar, to record the great catas- trophe of August 29, 1782, and to consecrate the memory of its victims. From the position of the vast wreck of the Boyal George in the very midst of a much- frequented roadstead, great obstruction was caused to shipping, and several 144 THE WEECK HEMOVED. accidents arose whicli attracted tlie attention of the Admiralty to the necessity of its removal. Certain attempts were made at intervals to effect this desirable object, but very little resulted from them. In the summer of 1839, however, Colonel (afterwards General) Pasley, an officer of great scientific attainments, under- took the task, and in the course of six seasons (1839- 1844) completed it, — much to the renown of that famous corps, the Eoyal Sappers and Miners, by a de- tachment of whom his directions were courageously and perseveringly carried out. The divers were some- times 6 to 8 hours. a day under water, at a depth of from 10 to 12 fathoms; and by long experience had learned so skilfully to economise time and save labour, that all sent up their bundles of staves, casks, or timber, " as closely packed together as a woodman would make up his faggots in the open air." In one haul a certain Corporal Jones sent up 58 such pieces lashed together, and a certain Corporal Harris 91. Ijarge copper cylinders were closely filled with gunpowder, and placed in suitable parts of the wreck. They were then connected by wires with a powerful Voltaic battery, which was fixed in a barge moored near the spot. The divers having retired, the battery was fired, and the explosion of the cylinders separated the timbers of the submerged vessel. In 1844 these operations were con- cluded; cannon having been recovered valued at upwards of 5,0 OOL, as well as a vast quantity of iron- work, planks, beams, spars, and general stores. 146 CHAPTER X. THE STORY OF THE *' BELLEROPHON." ■^ [Time of Service : Eeign of George III. Strength, &c. : 74 guns, 1,901 tons ; a two-decker, 3rd rate.] " Blow, favouring gales, in her answering sails ! Blow steadily and fi-ee ! Eejoicing, strong, Singing a song, Her rigging and her spars among, And waft the vessel in pride along !" — C, Mackay, We shall commence our history of the Bellerophon when bearing the flag of Eear-Admiral Thomas Pasley in the Channel Fleet which Admiral Earl Howe commanded in 1794 * She was then a comparatively new ship : a fine two- decker, (third rate,) of 1,900 tons burthen, carrying 74 gnns, and about 650 men. The British tars made sad havoc with her mythological name, but she was nevertheless very popular among them as the " Billy Euffian,'* and is celebrated in many of the old sea songs of the French Eevolutionary Yfar. That she deserved poetical panegyrics a brief epitome of her career will abundantly illustrate. At this time — Februaiy 1794, the second year of the great War with Eevolutionary France — there lay in the well-fortified harbour of Brest a powerful French fleet, under the command of Eear-Admiral Villaret- Joj^euse, a young chef de division of considerable merit* The British Channel Fleet, meanwhile, was anchored * In the previous year, however, she had been attached to the Channel Fleet, and well-handled by Captain Pasley, though not engaged in any general action. 146 LORD HOWE'S FLEET. at Portsmoutli and Plymoutli, in readiness to put to sea the moment the departure of the hostile armament was ascertained. But as the spring advanced two important objects compelled the English Admiral to weigh anchor. One was to protect the Newfoundland and West India convoy, amounting to 100 sail, until clear of the Channel, the other, to intercept a Franco- American convoy of, it was said, 350 ships, returning to famishing France with provisions and stores ob- tained in North America and the V/est Indies. The West India convoy having assembled at St. Helen's, off the Isle of Wight, weighed anchor early on the 2nd of May, escorted by a fleet of 49 ships of war, of which 34 were ships of the line. On the 4th, Lord Howe and his valuable charge, — a complete naval and commercial armada, — arrived off the Lizard, and here the convoy parted company, and proceeded on its voyage escorted by a suitable force. The fleet under Lord Howe was therefore reduced to the following complement, which we give in extenso for the benefit of our young naval students : — Admiral Lord Howe's Fleet. Ships of the Line — 26. Queen Charlotte, 100 guns, Admiral Richard Earl Howe, Captains Sir Roger Curtis, and Sir A. Snape Douglas. Boyal George, 100, ViceAdmiral (Red) Sir Alex. Hood, K.B., Captain W. Domett. Boyal Sovereign, 100, Vice- Admiral (Red) Thomas Graves, Captain H. Nichols. Barfleur, 98, Rear- Admiral (White) G. Bowyer, Cap- tain C. CoUingwood. Impregnable, 98, Rear-Admiral (White) B. Caldwell, Captain G. B. Westcott. Queen, 98, Rear- Admiral (White) Alan Gardner, Captain J. Hutt. Glory, 98, Captain J. Elphinstone. Gibraltar, 80, Captain T. Mackenzie. Csesar, 80, Captain A. MoUoy. Seller oplion, 74, Rear-Admiral (White) T. Pasley, Captain W. Hope. Montagu, 74, Captain J. Montagu; Tremendous, 74, Captain J. Pigott. Valiant, 74, Captain T. Pringle. Bamillies, 74, Captain H. Harvey. Audacious, 74, Captain W. Parker. Bruns- wick, 74, Captain J. Harvey. Alfred, 74:, Captain Bazely. Defence, 74, Captain S. Gambier. Leviathan, 74, Captain H. Seymour. Majestic, 74, Captain C. Cotton. Invincible, 74, Captain Hon. T. Pakenham. Arion, 74, Captain S. T. Duckworth. Bussel, 74, Captain S. W. THE FRENCH FLEET. 147 Payne. Marlborough, 74, Captain Hon. G. C. Berkeley. Thunderer, 74, Captain A. Bertie. Culloden, 74, Captain Schomberg. • Frigates— 7. Phaeton, 38, Captain W. Bentinck. Latona, 38, Captain E. Tliom- borough. Niger, 32, Captain Hon. A. K. Legge. Southampton, 32, Captain Hon. K. Forbes. Venus, 32, Captain W. Brown. Aqullon, 32, Captain Hon. K. Stopford. Pegasus, 28, Captain K. Barlow. [The British ships of the line (26 in number) mounted 1,087 broad-side guns, which, threw a weight of metal equal to 22,976 lbs. Their crews may be computed at 17,421 men and boys. Tonnage, 46,962.] Let us now look at the strength of the French fleet, with which Lord Howe was so soon to cope : — Feexch Fleet : txdeb M. Villaeet-Joyeuse. Ships of the Line— 26. Montague, 120, Rear-Admiral Yillaret-Joyeuse. Terrible, 110, Captain Longer. Revolutionnaire, 110, Captain Vandangel. Pifpub- licain, 110, Rear-Admiral Bouvet. Indomptable, 80, Captain Lamel. Jacobin, 80, Captain Gassin. Juste, SO, Captain Blavet. Sa'pion, 80, Captain Huguet. Achille, 74, Captain La Villegris. Amerique, 74, Captain L'Heritier. Conception, 74, Captain Allary. Entreprenant, 74, Captain Le Franc. Eole, 74, Captain Keranguin. Gasparin, 74, Captain Tardy. Jemappes, 74, Captain Desmartis. Impetueux, 74, Captain Douville. Montagnard, 74, Captain Bompart. 3Iont Blanc, 74, Captain Thevenard. Mucins, 74, Captain Larregny. Neptune, 74, Captain Tiphaine. Northumberland, 74, Captain Etienne. Pelle- tier. Captain Berard. Tourville, 74, Captain Langlois.^ Tyrannicide, Captain Dordelin. VeJ^geur, 14:, Captain Eenaudin. ' Patriote, 74, Captain .... Frigates and coi-vettes — 16 in number. [The 26 French, ships of the line mounted 1,107 broadside ^uus, throwing a total weight of shot of 28,126 lbs. Their crews numbered 19,989 men. Aggregate tonnage, 52,010. That is to say, the French had 20 broadside guns more th.an the English, tlu'owing heavier shot by no less than 5,150 lbs., and worked by 2,748 more men.] It was early on the morning of the 28th of May that these two great fleets came in sight of each other, the wind blowing freshly from the south-west, and the waters of the Channel rolling to and fro with an almost K 2 H3 THE TWENTY-EIGHTH OP MAY, tempestuous motion. The crews on board Lord Howe's ships were mostly inexperienced recruits, but they possessed the true and steady courage of British sailors, and ardently longed for a brush with '' the Mounseers." A long series of successes had taught them the habit of victory, and hence they entered into battle with a confidence which was in itself a guarantee of triumph. Their leader, too, was a tried and able veteran — a man of seventy years, most of which had been passed on the seas, and in the service of his country. On the other hand, the French government had resorted to every artifice to raise the spirit and excite the courage of their sailors, and had placed in joint command with M.Villaret-Joyeuse, a conspicuous mem- ber of the National Convention, Citizen Jean Bon Saint • Andre, whose presence, it was supposed, would act as a surprising stimulus. *' Never before," according to a French writer, " did France send forth a fleet so for- midable and well-disciplined. Unanimity and dis- cipline reigned among officers and men ; and all burned with desire to fight the enemies of their country, and to pursue them to the very banks of the Thames, under the very walls of London." In obedience to a signal from th'e Admiral, the Belle- rophon, at a quarter past eight a.m. stood towards the French fleet to reconnoitre, and having discharged this duty, was ordered to shorten sail as the enemy's force developed itself. Together with the Bussel, Marl- borough, and Thunderer, she kept in advance of the main body of the fleet, which Lord Howe had formed in two columns, and about half-past one, got near enough to the foe to harass his rear with a quick and rattling fire. As the French seemed to dislike their reception, and gave indications of a desire to avoid an engagement. Lord Howe ordered a general chase, and signalled for each ship to engage the enemy on coming up with him. After various manoeuvres, whose detailed description GALLANT CONDUCT OF THE <* BELLEROPHON." 149 would only interest a professional reader, tlie Bellero^hon, by skilfully tacking at the right moment, came up with the French 110-gnn ship, La Revolutionnaire, and despite the disparity of force, gallantly engaged her. She maintained the fight alone, for upwards of an hour and a quarter, until compelled, by the wounded state of her mainmast, to bear up. Her antagonist, having suffered even more severely from the Bellei'ojphon's steady fire, also put before the wind, but was grappled by the Leviathan, and engaged by her until the Audacious came up. Then, indeed, the fight grew warm. The Ait- dacioiis plied her great antagonist so hotly that she was glad to strike her colours, having lost 400 killed and wounded. But owing to the disabled state of the rigging of the English ship, which, however, had lost but 3 killed and 19 wounded, she could not be taken pos- session of, and being relieved by the French frigate Audacieux, was towed into Eochefort. Night had now come on, and a thick rain increased the ocean- mists. The Audacious, unable to regain Lord Howe's fieet, ran for home, and r-eached Plymouth Sound in safety on the 3rd of June. Meanwhile, the Bellerophon and her consort had been recalled to the main body of the fleet, which, through the drear and misty night, with lights shimmering at every masthead, steered under press of sail, in close companionship with the enemy. He was discovered, when the morning dawned (29th May), about six miles off, and Lord Howe immediately manoeuvred to obtain the weather-gage. About 8 o'clock the British van, having hoisted the glorious red ensign, opened fire in passing upon the enemy's rear, and the French admiral bringing up the body of his fleet in support, several ships became closely engaged. Soon after noon Lord Howe, in the Queen Charlotte, finding that his van ship, the Ccesar, was inattentive to his repeated signals (" to engage, and cut through the enemy's line"), boldly stretched to windward of the 150 THREE days' FIGHTING. culprit, and running the gauntlet of half a dozen of the French ships, fell upon the Eole, and giving her two heavy broadsides, broke through into the enemy's rear. In this daring movement she was immediately followed by the Bellerophon and the Leviathan, both ships sufifer- ing from a heavy fire as they passed through the line. A similar manoeuvre, however, on the part of the French admiral, and the want of support from the body of the British fleet, prevented Lord Howe from reaping much profit from his daring movements, and as it was impossible to bring M. Villaret-Joyeuse and Citizen Jean Bon Saint- Andre to a general engagement, the action of the 29th of May closed soon after five o'clock without any decisive results. In the day's skirmishing the British loss was 67 killed and 128 wounded, but the French suffered still more severely. It must, however, be mentioned to the discredit of several of the best ships in Lord Howe's fleet that they were manoeuvred badly and fought indifferently. Had all behaved like the flag-ship — the Belleroplion — the Queen — the Mussel — the Leviatlian, a heavy blow would have been dealt the enemy, and the victory of the 1st of June rendered more complete. The 30th passed in comparative inaction, owing to a heavy fog, but the ships of both fleets were occupied in repairing damages. M. Villaret-Joyeuse, moreover, was reinforced by several fresh ships of the line, the Trente- un-Mai, 74, the Sans-pareil, Trajan, and Temeraire, which took the places of the Montagnard, Indomptahle, Mont Blanc, and Bevolutionnaire, thus leaving the French admiral with 2G ships comparatively uninjured, to contend with the British, weakened by two days' fighting. The 31st was a day of manoeuvres, which prepared the way for the decisive action Lord Howe was resolved should illustrate the following day — the "glorious First of June " — the day famous for the first of the great naval victories of the French War. THE FIRST OF JUNE. 151 " Howe made the Frenchmen dance a tune, An admiral great and glorious ; Witness for that the First of June, — Lord ! how he was victorious !" Or as a graver poet sings, — " When Howe, upon the First of June, met the Jacobins in fight. And witli Old England's loud huzzas broke down their godless might !" At daj^break, on the 1st of June, in lat. 47° 48' N. and long. 18° 30' W., "the wind a moderate breeze from south by west, and the sea tolerably smooth," the French were discovered about six miles to starboard of the British fleet, and steering in line of battle under heavy canvas. After the British crews had breakfasted, Lord Howe's fleet, about a quarter past eight, set all sail, and bore down on the enemy — signal flying for each ship to engage with any enemy's ship she fell across. The British force was thus arranged : — • Ccesar (van-ship), BelleropTiorij Leviathan, Mussel, Boyal Sovereign, Marlborough, Defence, Impregnable, Tremendous, Barfleur, Invincible, Culloden, Gibraltar, Queen Charlotte, Brunswick, Valiant, Orion, Queen, Bamillies, Alfred, Mon- tagu, Boyal George, Majestic, Glory, Thunderer = (25). These were formed in line abreast. The French were drawn up in close head-and-stern line, east to west; and were thus arrayed : — W. — Trajan, Bole, Amerigue^ Temeraire, Terrible, Imjoetueux, Mucins, Tourville, Gasjparin, Convention, Trente-un-Mai, Tyrannicide, Juste, Montagne, Jacobin, AcJiille, Vengeur, Batriote, Northumberland, Enire- prenant, Jemappes, Neptune, Belletier, Bepublicain, Sans- pareil, Scipion — E. = (26). The frigates attached to both fleets were stationed as usual in the rear. Lord Howe's design was, that each ship should cut through the French line astern of her opponent, and engage her to leeward, but the bad management of several of his captains prevented the complete success of this well-conceived manoeuvre. The Queen Charlotte, however, gallantly advanced *' to the fore;" was the 152 OPENING OF THE BATTLE; first ship through, the enemy's line ; and after receiving and returning, en passant, the fire of the AcJiille and the Vengeur, swept close under the poop of the Montagne, and hurled a crashing broadside into her which shook her from stem to stern. The Jacobin had now got abreast of the Montagne to leeward — that is, in the very position Lord Howe had marked out for his own ship, — but by putting the helm of the Queen Charlotte hard a-starboard, he drove her in between the two French vessels, and fought them on each broadside with ad- mirable success. The Montagne, in less than an hour, lost upwards of 100 killed and 200 wounded, and not relishing so terriblD ''a pounding," both she and the Jacobin made sail, and shot ahead out of range of the Queen Charlotte's fatal fire. Meanwhile, where was our heroine, the Bellerophonf Not loth, we may be sure, to plunge into the thick of the fight. With the signal for close action flying at her mast- head, she ran down to the enemy's line, and opened her broadside upon the Eole as early as a quarter to nine ; receiving, as she fell upon her antagonist, the fire of the three headmost French vessels — the Trajan^ Eole, and Amerique, From want of adequate support she had to contend single-handed with both the Eole and the Trajan, but her crew were animated by a noble courage, and inspired by the example of their gallant chief, Eear-Admiral Pasley. At ten minutes to eleven, the Eear- Admiral lost his leg, and was removed below ; the command devolving upon Captain Hope, who carried on the contest with unflinching vigour. For three hours the hot fight lasted, and then the Eole made off as best she could, under shelter of the Trajan s fire. Still keeping up the battle with both opponents as ihej passed, she lost her main-topmast and fore-topmast, and at a little before noon, having suffered severely in the unequal contest, signalled for the Latona to come to her assistance. Of her crew four were killed, and 27 wounded during the four hours' fight. PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE. 153 It is not our province, in these pages, to relate every movement of Lord Howe's fleet, and it will be enough to afford a brief general view of the different aspects of the battle. We take it from Mr. James's elaborate and impartial Naval History : — " Between a quarter and half-past 9 a.m., the French van opened its fire upon the British van. In about a quarter of an hour the fire of the French became gene- ral, and Lord Howe and his divisional flag-officers, bearing the signal for close action at their mast-heads, commenced a heavy fire in return. A few of the British ships cut through the French line, and engaged their opponents to leeward ; the remainder hauled up to windward, and opened their fire, some at a long, others at a shorter and more effectual distance. At 10 .10 a.m., when the action was at its height, the French admiral, in the Montague, made sail ahead, followed by his second astern, and afterwards by such other of his ships as, like the Montague, had suffered little in their rigging and sails. At about 11.30 a.m., the heat of the action was over, and the British were left with 11, the French with 12 more or less dismasted ships. None of the French ships had, at this time, struck their colours ; or, if they had struck, had since re-hoisted them : they, for the most part, were striving to escape, under a sprit- sail, or some small sail set on the tallest stump left to them, and continued to fire at every British ship that passed within gun-shot." The vessels which most distinguished themselves in this great victory were the Queen Charlotte, the Belle- ropJion, the Boyal Sovereign, the Queen, the Brunswick, the Marlborough, the Glory, and the Defence, The British loss amounted to 290 killed, and 858 woimded; including among the killed Captain Montagu ; and among the wounded. Admiral Bowyer, Bear- Admiral Pasley, Cap- tain Hutt (who lost a leg), and Captain John Harvey " (mortally), with the loss of an arm. The total loss of the French in killed, wounded, and 154 VICTORY OF THE BRITISH. prisoners is computed at 7,000. Six ships of the line were captured — the Sans-Pareily Juste, Amerique, Impe- tueux, Nortliumherland, and Achille, and one sunk — the Vengeur, On board the six prizes 690 were killed, and 580 wounded. Having refitted his own ships, and put into as sea- worthy a condition as might be, his six prizes, — a task which was not completed until the morning of the 3rd of June, — Lord Howe made all sail for the north-east, and at 11 a.m. on the 13th, anchored in triumph at Spit- head. The veteran wamor was received with a national welcome; visited on board the Queen Charlotte by the royal family ; and loaded with honours by a grateful country. Kear- Admiral Pasley, of the Bellerophon, was created a baronet, and received a yearly pension of 1,000Z. in consideration of his wounds. The services of Eear- Admiral Bowyer were recognized in a similar manner, and baronetcies were also conferred upon Rear- Admirals Gardner and Curtis. Vice-Admiral Graves was created Lord Graves, and Vice-Admiral Sir Alex- ander Hood Viscount Bridport. The moral effect of Lord Howe's victory was important. It inspirited the nation to persevere in the great struggle it had com- menced, and taught British seamen confidence in their own invincibility which induced them, on any occa- sion, to attack with all the energy of success a largely superior force. Finally, the " First of June " was the first of those great naval victories which illustrated our annals during the Eevolutionary War, and culminated at Trafalgar in the establishment of the supremacy of England "at sea." Several interesting anecdotes of the " First of June " have been preserved by Sir John Barrow, in his Life of Earl Howe, and by other writers. While the Marl- borough was hotly engaged with the Imjoetueux, one of her seamen boldly leaped on board the latter to ''pay the Mounseers a visit," and when asked to take a sword A BUDGET OP ANECDOTES. 155 for liis defence, replied, *' I'll find one where I am going." He fulfilled his promise, for he returned in safety with two French cutlasses in his hand. " A cock released from its coop by a stray shot, perched, in the heat of the action and when the hearts of the men were failing, on the stump of the mainmast, flap- ping his wings and crowing loudly — much to the en- couragement of the seamen, who, with three ringing cheers, regarded it as an omen of victory, and fought with renewed vigour." Captain Harvey, of the Brunswick, displayed through- out the engagement a heroism worthy of a British sea- man. Knocked down by a splinter, and seriously in- jured, he leaped again to his feet, and refused to quit the deck. A chain-shot afterwards shattered his right arm, but as he was removed below, he cried out to his men, — " Persevere, my brave lads, in your duty. Con- tinue the action w4th spirit, for the honour of our king and country ; and remember my last words — the colours of the Brunswick shall never be struck !" The figure-head of this well-fought ship represented the Duke of Brunswick, wearing a regulation "cocked hat." In the action, it was carried off by a chance shot. The crew immediately went aft, and petitioned the captain to give them another " out of respect to the Duke," and receiving one of his own cocked hats, they persuaded the carpenter to nail it on the vacant figure-head, where it remained throughout the engagement. A young midshipman serving on board the Queen Charlotte --Jjord Howe's own flag-ship — was placed in a position of so much danger that the admiral, out of compassion for his extreme youth, commanded him to descend between decks. The young hero looked up in his chiefs face, with all the modesty of true courage, and respectfully replied, *' What, my lord, would my father say were I not on deck during the action ?" After the fight was done, and the victory assured, the seamen of the Charlotte requested the admiral to permit 166 THE " BELLEHOPHON " AT TRAFALGAR. them to thank him for having led them to so glorious a triumph. He received them on the quarter-deck ; but in reply to their hearty congratulations, his feelings would only suffer him to falter — '' No, no, I — J thank you, my lads; it is you, not I, that have conquered." The Bellerophon,^' under Captain Cooke, was engaged in the great battle off Cape Trafalgar, of which in a succeeding chapter we shall furnish a full account. She formed one of the lee division, led by the gallant Collingwood, and early in the contest found herself engaging both the Spanish Monarca, 74 guns, and the French Aigle, also a 74. Seeing her thus embarrassed, the French Sioiftsure, the Montanez, and Bahama also brought their guns to bear upon her, and to so terrible a cannonade was she exposed that in ten minutes' time both her main and mizen topmasts fell over her starboard side, setting her sails on iire from the explosion of her guns, and the flashes of the hand-grenades hurled from th.QAigle's tops. At 5 minutes past 1, or a quarter of an hour after discharging her first broadside, her master was killed ; and at 11 minutes past 1, her gallant commander. Captain Cooke. The command was then assumed by Lieutenant Pryce Carnby, who fought her with deter- mined courage. The Colossus now came up, and drew off the fire of the French Siciftsure and the Bahama, while the Montanez dropped astern out of range. A furious attempt was made by the crew of the Aigle to board her ; but though her decks were strewn with the dead and dying, the men of the Bellerophon soon repulsed the audacious boarders; and at 40 minutes past 1, the Aigle, having had enough of it, sheered off from her staunch opponent, receiving, as she dropped astern, a parting broadside both from her and from the Bevenge. * The Belleroplion also shared in the victory of the Nile, of which an account will be found in Chapter xii., and was one of the sliips hi Vice- Admiral Cornwallis's small squadron which, in June 1795, made so masterly a retreat before a largely superior French force, reaching port uninjured. ABDICATION OF NAPOLEON I. 157 The Belleroplion now flung a few scattered shot into the Monarca^ which, deprived of her consorts, instantly hauled down her colours, and was taken possession of. Her loss was found to have been very severe. The BeUeroplio7i herself had 27 killed, and 123 wounded. ''A great proj)ortion of this heavy loss unquestionably arose from the explosion of a quantity of loose powder spilt about the decks from the cartridges ; and which, but for the water that lay around the entrance of the magazine, must have destroyed the ship and all on board of her." Her main and mizen topmasts were shot away ; her foretopmast, all three lower masts, and most of her yards, badly wounded ; her hull was much injured ; and her rigging nearly cut to pieces. In July 1815, the Bellerophon, under Captain Frede- rick Lewis Maitland, was cruising in the Basque Eoads. Fortune had reserved for her an event which has done more to make her name historic than even her glorious share in the victories of the 1st of June and Trafalgar. ' After Napoleon's second abdication of the throne of France, the provisional government which, for a time, directed the affairs of the empire, thought it advisable that the fallen "potentate should withdraw from Paris, where his presence stimulated new intrigues and threat- ened fresh convulsions. He accordingly retired, on the 25th of June, to Malmaison, and finding that all hope of regaining his lost power had vanished, he deter- mined on Tepairing from thence to Eochfort, with the intention of sailing for the United States of America. He left Malmaison on the 29th of June, accompanied by Generals Montholon, Eesigny, Planat, and the two Las Casas, and arrived at Eochfort on the 3rd of July. The next day he was joined there by his brother Joseph. On the 8th, he embarked, and reached the island of Aix, but as the Bellero^lion was lying in the Basque Eoads, he deemed it advisable to send Las Casas and Savary on board of her, to ascertain whether 158 HIS LETTER TO THE PRINCE REGENT. her captain had received any orders to oppose his pas- sage. Captain Haitian d, as yet, had received no in- structions from the British Government, and he accord- ingly contented himself with replying that he would refer the Emperor's inquiry to the Admiral in command on that station. On the 14th, Napoleon w^as still at Aix, and having received no further communication, he again despatched Las Casas, accompanied by Lalle- mand, to the commander of the Belleroplion, Captain Maitland could but repeat his former answer, offering, at the same time, to receive the Emperor on board his vessel, and convey him to England, assuring him that the safety of his person would be carefully considered. Napoleon, indeed, had no other alternative. Before him was a powerful man-of-war, with which he could not hope to contend, nor whose watchfulness could he expect to elude. Behind him was the land of France, which the return of the Bourbons and the presence of the Allied armies rendered no secure asylum. He resolved, therefore, to confide himself to the custody of Captain Maitland, and addressed the following letter to the Prince Eegent, invoking the protection of Eng- land : — *' EoYAL Highness. — " Exposed to the factions which divide my country, and to the hostility of the greatest powers of Europe, I have closed my political career. I come, like Themis- tocles, to seek the hospitality of the British Nation. I place myself under the protection of their laws, which I claim from your Eoyal Highness, as the most power- ful, the most constant, and the most generous of my enemies. (Signed) *' Napoleon." This epistle was placed in Captain Maitland's hands by Generals Las Casas and Gourgaud, and on the fol- lowing morning, the 15th of July, at daybreak, the EMBARKS ON BOARD THE *' BELLEROPHON." 1 50 brig Epenier convc^'ed the hero of a hundred fields on board of the Bellerojplion. As he placed his foot upon her deck, he said to her captain, — " I come on board yonr ship to place myself under the protection of the laws of England." He was immediatel}" conducted to his cabin, with every respectful ceremonial, and the BeUerophon then bore up to communicate with the Admiral, the gallant Hotham. The Admiral, next day, conducted his illustrious prisoner over his own flag- ship, the Superb, and displayed so much tact and cour- tesy throughout the interview as to win from Las Casas, in his narrative, the candid eulogium that he evinced *' all the grace and refinement of a man of rank and education." The Emperor then returned to the Belleroplion, which immediately set sail for England. On board the English man-of-war Napoleon showed himself specially anxious to secure the good will and es- teem of his involuntary captors. He treated the officers wdth marked courtesy, and frequently jested and con- versed wdth the men in that attractive and persuasive manner which he could easily assume when needed. He inquired much about the different details of the ship, and often discussed English manners and customs, the events of the war, and the characters of the leading European potentates. It is not to be wondered at that the glamour of his comprehensive ! genius and the splendour of his fame should have exercised a powerful influence upon those with whom he came in such im- mediate contact. " He had not been long," says Las Casas, " among his most inveterate enemies, those who had been continually nourished with rumours no less absurd than irritating, before he acquired all the influ- ence over them which belongs to glory. The captain, officers, and crew soon adopted the etiquette of his suite, showing him exactly the same attention and respect ; the captain addressed him either as Sire, or Your Majesty ; when he appeared on deck, every one took off his hat, and remained uncovered while he was 160 ARRIYES IN PLYMOUTH SOUND. present. This was not the case at first. There was no entering his cabin, except by passing the attendants; no persons but those who were invited appeared at his table. Kapoleon was, in fact. Emperor on board the Bellero]phonr He arrived at Torbay on the 24:th of July, and Captain Maitland despatched a messenger for instructions ■to the commander-in-chief, Lord Keith, who desired him to repair without delay to Plymouth. The BelleropJion anchored in the Sound on the 26th ; and the news that she brought to the shores of England their most pov/erful and dangerous enemy, having rapidly spread abroad, the beautiful expanse of that famous harbour was soon alive with crowded boats, and thousands hastened to gaze — not with unseemly ex- ultation, but with respectful curiosity — on the fallen conqueror, who, for fifteen years, had been the virtual ruler of trembling Europe. " The Desolator desolate ! The Victor overthi'own ! The Arbiter of others' fate A Suppliant for his own !" The British government, now responsible to its allies for the safety of their great enemy, found it necessary to place a cordon of armed boats around the Belleroplion to prevent the development of any fresh intrigue. Meanwhile, they entered into communications with the European Powers, by which it was finally determined that the Hero of Austerlitz should be retained in safe custody by the British government, in some colonial possession which should offer a secure asylum, and preclude all hope of escape. The Island of St. Helena, a breezy healthy rock in the Atlantic Ocean, was, there- fore, selected as Napoleon's place of confinement, that he might never again disturb the peace of Europe by the daring conceptions of his vast and insatiable am- bition. It was late in the month of July when Sir Charles napoleon's protest. 161 Bunbuiy, as ilie representative of the English govern- ment, appeared on board the Bellerojphon, and annonnced to Napoleon the decision of the Allies. The fallen conqueror burst out in a torrent of indignation, — '' I am the guest of England, and not her prisoner : I came of my o^\Tl accord to place myself under the protection of her laws ; the most sacred rites of hospitality are violated in my person. I will never ^^luntarily accede to the outrage inflicted upon me : violence alone shall compel me to do so." But what right had the despot, w^ho, in his flush of power, had trampled dow^n without scruple the rights of humanity and the obligations of honour, to appeal to the protection of laws which he had never ceased to violate ? Or how could he expect that the English government would again cast abroad upon society the firebrand which had scathed all Europe with the blackness of desolation ? The Bellero^lion left Plymouth on the 4th of August, and sailed up the Channel to transfer her illustrious prisoner on board the NortJinmherland, the man-of-w^ar appointed to convey him to the Atlantic isle. Ere he quitted her, he addressed the following Protest to the British government : — *' Protest. *' I hereby solemnly protest, in the face of heaven and mankind, against the violence that is done me ; against the violation of my most sacred rights, in forcibly disposing of my person and liberty. I voluntarily came on board the Bellerophon ; I am not the prisoner, I am the guest of England. I came at the instigation of the Captain himself, who said he had orders from the Government to receive and convey me to England, together with my suite, if agreeable to me.* ** I came forward w^ith confidence to place m^'self under the protection of the laws of England, \\hen * It is almost unnecessary to say that this is not a correct version of the facts, L 162 napoleon's protest. once on board the Bellerojyhon, I was entitled to the hospitality of the Britifeh people. If the Government, in giving the captain of the jBeZZerop/zo^i orders to receive me and my followers, only wished to lay a snare, it has forfeited its honour and disgraced its flag. *' If this act be consummated it will be in vain for the English henceforth to talk of their sincerity, their laws, and liberties. British faith will have been lost in the hospitality of the Bellerophon. '^ I appeal to history : it will say that an enemy who made war for twenty years against the English people came spontaneously, in the hour of misfortune, to seek an asylum under their laws. What more striking proof could he give of his esteem and confidence ? But how did England reply to such an act of magnanimity ? It pretended to hold out a hospitable hand to its enemy ; and, on giving himself up with confidence, he was immolated ! (Signed) ** Napoleon." " BelleropTion at Sea, Friday, August 4tb, 1815." Napoleon quitted the BelleropliGn on the 7th of August, and was conveyed on board the NGrtJiumberland, which bore the flag of Admiral Sir George Cockburn. On the 11th, the NortJiiimherland got clear of the Channel, and on the 15th of October, anchored in the roads of St, Helena. 163 CHAPTER XL THE STORY OF THE " QUEEN CHARLOTTE." [Period of Service : Eeign of George III. ^Strength : 100 gaus, 2,281 tons, 851 men.] " Howe made the Frenchmen dance a tune, An admiral great and glorious ; Witness for that the First of June — Lord ! how he was victorious !" — Charles Dihdin. At the outbreak of the war between England and Eevo- lutionaiy France, in 1793, the gallant veteran. Admiral Lord Howe, was appointed to the command-in- chief of the Channel fleet, and on the 14th of July set sail from St. Helen's with fifteen sail of the line, besides a few frigates and sloops; On the 2ord he anchored in Tor- ■ bay ; but receiving information that a French fleet of seventeen sail of the line had put to sea, and had been descried off Belle Isle, Lord Ho\ve again made sail on the 25th, and having received a reinforcement of two sail of the line proceeded in search of the enemy. But a succession of adverse gales compelled him to desist from the pursuit, and after an ineffectual attempt to re- connoitre Brest, he returned to his anchorage in Torbay. On the 23rd, Lord Howe's fleet again weighed, and sailed to the westward, under orders to escort the New- foundland ships out of the narrow seas, and to protect the homeward-bound West India convoy, which was daily expected. These objects accomplished, the admi- ral cruised for nearly a fortnight to the north-west of the Scilly Isles, and then re- anchored in Torbay. On the 27th of October he once more put to sea, to cruise in the Bay of Biscay, his flag flying in the noble 100-gun L 2 164 A PURSUIT. sTiip, the Queen Charlotte, and his fleet augmented to twenty -two sail of the line, besides frigates. On the 18th of November he came in sight of a French squadron of six 74-giin ships and two frigates, under Rear- Admiral Vanstabel, on a cruise in Cancale Bay. Vanstabel probably mistook the English fleet for a convoy of wealthy merchantmen, and bore down upon them under a press of sail, until their hulls could be plainly seen from the decks of the British ships. Five of the latter, in obedience to the commander-in-chief's signal, now made sail in pursuit ; and the French, dis- covering the formidable character of their expected prize, crowded on all the canvas their masts would bear in order to effect their escape. The whole British fleet now joined in the pursuit ; but the advantage of the wind was with their enemy, and Lord Howe finding the chase ineffectual, and that many of his ships had carried away important spars, bore up for the Channel. Here he continued to cruise until towards the middle of De^ cember, when, neither French fleet nor squadron making its appearance, he returned to Spithead. During the winter months Lord Howe's fleet received considerable reinforcements, and having been thoroughly repaired and refitted, was ready for service early in the spring, or as soon as it might be ascertained that the enemy had put to sea. For the latter, however, the admiral found himself unable to wait, as the East and West India outward-bound merchantmen and the New- foundland traders required his protection until they got clear of the Channel, and information was received of a valuable French convoy of (it was said) 350 sail, laden with American produce and provisions, intended for the French ports, and then on its homeward route, which he was directed, if possible, to intercept. Accordingly, on the 2nd of May 1794, with a fleet of 34 ships of the line and 15 frigates, having under his protection about 100 richly-burdened traders, the veteran admiral set sail from St. Helen's, his flag still flying on THE ENEMY IN SIGHT. 165 board the Queen Charlotte. On the 4th, when off the Lizard, he dismissed the merchantmen on their different routes, detaching Rear-Admiral Montagu, with six 74's and two frigates, to escort them as far as Cape Finis- terre ; and Captain Eainier, with a 74, a 64, and five frigates, to protect them for the remainder of their voyage. Lord Howe's fleet was thus reduced to twenty-six sail of the line and seven frigates, besides two fireships, a sloop, and two cutters ; and with this still imposing force he made for his old cruising ground between Ushant and Brest Harbour. His reconnoitring frigates discovered the enemy at anchor in Brest Roads, and in order to entice him from his security Howe made sail at once for the latitude in which it was probable the great American convoy would be met with. He rightly con- cluded that the French admiral would endeavour to prevent a prize so valuable from quietly slipping into his grasp. But having, for several days, covered the Bay of Biscay with his ships, without descrying a hos- tile sail, he returned on the 19th off Ushant, and once more sent out his frigates to observe the enemy's posi- tion. The roadstead was found empty, and intelligence was obtained that the French fleet had escaped from Brest some days before. It was, indeed, on the 16th of May that the "grand fleet of France," consisting of 26 ships of the line, and 16 frigates and corvettes, under the joint com- mand of Rear-Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse and the fierce Republican deputy. Citizen Jean-Bon Saint Andre, had made all sail from Brest, with a fair wind from the north-east filling its canvas. On the 17th, during a thick fog, it came so near the track of the English fleet that the clashing bells and rolling drums of the latter were distinctly heard, but on the morrow the two enemies were so wide apart that not a sail could be dis- covered. The further movements of the two fleets will hardly 166 *^ PREPARE FOE BATTLE.^* interest our readers, tintil the pursuers and the pursued draw near together. It was not, however, until the 28th, at about half-past six in the morning, the wind coming np freshly from the south-west, and a heavy swell cresting the waves with foam, that Lord Howe's look-out frigates came in sight of Villaret-Joyeuse and Citizen Jean-Bon Saint Andre. At about nine, the hos- tile fleet was seen, with topgallants set, gallantly bear- ing down upon the British, and Lord Howe accox"dingly made the signal so dear to British tars — *' Prepare for battle," and recalled his reconnoitring frigates. One hour later, and the French fleet, consisting of 26 sail of the line and 5 frigates, having approached within three leagues of its enemy, '' hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, and lay to," after which they formed " an indifferent line ahead." The British fleet now wore round in succession, and gathering in two columns, with four line-of-battle ships ahead as a flying squadron, made all sail to windward, eager to grapple with their antagonists. Some movements among the French vessels inducing Lord Howe to apprehend that they declined an engage- ment, he threw out the signal for a general chase, and for the British to engage the enemy as they came up with him. The first five was exchanged between the Bellerojphon and the Bevolutionnaire (110 guns) at six P.M., and about twenty minutes later the MarlhGrougJi, Mussel, and Thunderer mingled in the strife. The further movements of both fleets we have sketched in our narrative of the Bellerophon, and we may here confine ourselves to a statement of the doings of the Queen Cliarloite. She bore no very conspicuous part in^the actions of the 28th and 29th, though, of course, her signals directed the operations and con- trolled the manoeuvres of the British fleet. On the 30th the ships of both fleets were occupied in repairing damages. The 31st was a day of manoeuvres, it being Lord Howe's object to prevent the French from wea- THE FIRST OF JUNE. 1G7 tliering him, and so effecting tlieir escape; and during the night every British ship carried a press of sail in order to keep up with the fue. At daybreak, on the 1st of June, — the "glorious First of June," — the sea was rolling with a gentle swell, and the wind came up from the south-west with a moderate breeze ; and the French fleet was discovered, with all canvas set, in lat. 47'^ 48' N., and longitude 18^ 30' W., at about two leagues on the starboard bow. From the Queen Charloite it soon became easy to examine the French line of battle, formed of 26 men-of-war, — 13 ahead, and 12 astern of the French admiral, — and 6 frigates and corvettes. At about a quarter past seven, Lord Howe made signal that he should attack the centre of the enemy, and ten minutes later, that he should break through his line and engage him to leeward. He then hove-to, and allov/ed his crews to breakfast, and at twelve minutes past eight filled and bore down on the enemy, — each ship, by signal, steering for the vessel opposed to her in the French line, which she was independently to engage. It was Lord Howe's intention that each of his ships should break through the French ranks astern of her opponent, wear, and engage her to leeward; but the complete success of his well-conceived plan was defeated by the misconduct of some of his captains, and the same cause interfered to prevent his victory from assuming its full proportions. At half-jDast nine the Queen Charlotte, with the signal for close action flying at her masthead, was so near the enemy that the Vengeur, the third ship in the French admiral's rear, opened fire upon her. She passed it un- noticed, for the veteran Howe's design was to be first to break the hostile line, and to expedite her progress the Queeji Charlotte set topgallant sails, let fall her foresail, and with a rush and a surge swept through the boimd- ing billows. Thus she broke away from the Vengeur, exchanged broadsides with the Achille, and passing close under the stern of the Montagne, a 120-gun ship, crashed 168 PROGRESS OF THE FiaHT. into lier sides a terrific broadside, wliicli made her reel from stem to stern. The Jacobin (80) had now got nearly abreast of her comrade, the Montague, to leeward, — that is, in the very position Lord Howe had marked out for the Queen Charlotte, — but a dexterous movement, sug- gested by Mr. Bowen, the master, drove her in between the two French line-of-battle ships, fighting one with her larboard and the other with her starboard guns. In about twenty minutes the Jacobin gladly dropped astern, flinging a few shot at the Britiish admiral with such guns as she could bring to bear, while the Montague, having received a fearful *' punishment," losing not less than 100 killed and 200 wounded, made what sail she could to escape from the feu d'eufer that hurtled over her. The example of the French admiral was not lost upon his ships, and several made ready to effect their escape ; whereupon Lord Howe, at lOh. 13m. a.m., threw out the signal for a general chase, while he now directed his resistless broadsides upon the 80.gun ship, La Juste. The latter lost all her masts, and soon after- wards the Queen Charlotte dropped her maintopmast, » which, with the shattered state of her spars and rigging, rendered her almost unmanageable. Having silenced the Juste, however, she contrived to wear, and proceeded to the relief of the Queen, which was menaced by the ap- proach of the French admiral, and eleven fresh line-of- battle ships in his wake, and had already suffered severely in the fierce fight. The Barfleur, Leviathan, Valiant, Thunderer, and Boyal Sovereign came up, by sig- nal, to her rescue, and Villaret-Joyeuse, imwilling to cope with such an accession of force, stretched away to protect five of his own disabled vessels towing towards him in the east, and which, but for neglect of duty on the part of some of the British captains, ought long ago to have been taken possession of as prizes. These— the Bepublicain, Mucius, Scipion, Terrible, and Jemajp;pes, — the French chief succeeded in recovering. ITS RESULTS. 169 The result of the action, indecisive as it may be con- sidered, could not but add to the glory of the British navy, and to the claims which the veteran Howe's long and gallant career already advanced to the gratitude of his country. Six French line-of- battle ships were captured, — La Juste, VAmerique, Le Sans-Pareil, L'Impetueux, Le Northumberland, and L'Achille, — and a seventh was so ter- ribly shattered {Le Vengeur) that about ten minutes after she had been taken possession of she went down, with upwards of 200 of her crew on board. But had Lord Howe been equally well supported by all his cap- tains ; had every ship imitated the example so nobly set by the Queen Charlotte, and so brilliantly followed by the Queen, the Royal Sovereign, the Bellerojphon, the Marl- horough, and the Defence ; not less than twelve or thir- teen trophies would have attested the completeness of the victory of the glorious First of June. Villaret-Joyeuse and Citizen Jean-Bon Saint Andre having effected their escape, leaving six men-of-war in the hands of their victorious opponents, Lord Howe re- paired his crippled. ships and refitted his prizes, and on the 3rd made sail for the north-east. The Queen OAar- Zo/^e anchored at Spithead on the morning of the 13th. On his arrival the gallant septuagenarian — who, to the experience of age, proved, on the 1st of June, that he added the fire of youth, — was received with such a wel- come as enthusiastic England, when in earnest, knows so well how to give her heroes ! On the 26th of the month the royal family visited Portsmouth, and the king went aboard the Queen Charlotte, accompanied by the sovereign lady after whom the vessel was named, and by a brilliant suite. There he held a levee, and presented the veteran chief with a diamond-hilted sword, valued at 3000 guineas, and threw a costly chain upon his shouldeis. The royal visitors afterwards partook of dinner in the admiral's state-room, and returned to Ports- mouth in the evening. Medals were struck to celebrate this important victory, 170 HIDING THROUGH A GALE. but some of Lord Howe's ships were not considered to deserve the recognition. The vessels thus marked with dishonour were the Ccesar, Impregnahle, Tremendous, Culloden, Gibraltar, Alfred, 3Iajestic, and TJmnderer. We have else^vhere alhided to the rewards which a grateful nation poured out upon those who had done their duty. On the 7th of September, Lord Howe, in the Queen Charlotte, having repaired his damages and made up his crew to the full complement, set sail from Torbay with a fleet of 34 sail of the line, and cruised along the French coast, and off Ushant. He then stood down Channel to afford protection to the homeward bound convoys, and cruised for about eight da3^s " with pleasant easterly weather." Then a strong breeze sprang up from the south-west, and, veering to the north-west, increased to a terrible gale. Howe was neither daunted by hurri- canes nor French broadsides, and persevered in riding through the storm, although his ships were compelled to lie to with almost bare poles. But the damages suffered by some of the men-of-war compelled him at last to return to Torbay (on the 21st), whence he did not again sail until the first week in November. For the remainder of the year, with occasional visits to a British port, the Queen Cliarlotte and her consort cruised in the Channel and the Bay of Biscay ; much to the discomfiture of the French fleet, which durst not venture from under the guns of the batteries of Brest. On the 14th of February 1795, Lord Howe, suffering neither age nor sickness to damp his zeal in his country's service, again hoisted his flag on board the Queen Charlotte, and put to sea with a formidable armada of not less than 42 sail of the line, and nearly as many sloops, corvettes, and frigates. Having convoj^ed the East and West India merchantmen out of the Channel, and dismissed the squadrons designed to escort them to their respective destinations, the admiral returned to Spithead. Soon afterwards, his illness having assumed a serious character, the veteran hero hauled down his OFF BKLLE-lSLi:. 171 stainless flag, and Lord Biidport was appointed to the command-in- chief of tlie Channel fleet, selecting for his flag-ship the noble lOO-gnn ship Boyal George. The Queen Charlotte, however, still formed a portion of the fleet, under Captain Sir Andrew Snape Douglas. Lord Bridport sailed from Spithead on the 12th of June, and having escorted for some days an expedition inider Sir John Borlase Warren, destined for Quiberon Bay, stood off Belle-Isle to intercept the Brest fleet. On the 22nd he came in sight of the enemy, consisting of 12 sail of the line and 14 frigates, distant about four- teen leagues from Belle-Lsle. Lord Bridport's own force consisted of 14 sail of the lino, five frigates, and a 20-gun ship. Perceiving that the French admiral — our old friend Villaret-Joyeuse — had an insuperable objection to a close engagement, and was edging off the wind. Lord Bridport, at half -past six in the morning, ordered his fastest sailers (the Sans-Tareil^ Colossus, Irresistible, Orion, Mussel, and Valiant) to chase, and a few minutes later the whole fleet crowded on all sail in pursuit. They soon gained upon the French, and though retarded during the night by a calm, were within three miles of the four rearmost ships of the enemy at daybreak on the 23rd. Li advance of the whole British line was the Queen Charlotte, having been most admirably handled by her gallant captain. The Irresistible was within hail, and four other line-of-battle ships at some distance astern. At about six in the morning, the Irresistible and the Orion opened fire upon the sluggish Alexandre, while the Queen Charlotte, as if still inspired with the ardour of the veteran Howe, swept majestically onwards, and at about a quarter past six sent her broadsides crashing in among the spars and rigging, and tearing up tlio decks of the French 7 4- gun is of Nelson's daring manoeuvre was complete, but he himself, sepa- P 2 228 BOARDINa THE '^ SAN NICOLAS." rated from his squadron, was for some time exposed to the fire of several SpanisTi ships. The Gulloden, and ships which followed Trowbridge, only covered him for a moment while passing on, and then left him to struggle with his numerous foes. He was forced to get fresh supplies of shot out of the hold, those which were at hand being exhausted by the rapid fire ; and at this moment, when his fire necessarily slackened, Nelson found himself under the broadside of an 80-gun ship, the San Nicolas, The confusion prevailing in the Spanish line had collected three or four ships, which, having no other opponents, directed against the Captain all the guns which bore. The San Josef especially, a ship of 112 guns, placed astern of the San Nicolas, gave the aid of her powerful artillery." The Excellent, Collingwood's ship, who had already borne a noble part in the battle, now came up to Nelson's succour, and, in seeking to escape from her broadside, the San Nicolas fell on board the San Josef, partially dismasted. Nelson resolved to carry these formidable ships by boarding. How he succeeded we shall let him describe in his own characteristic language : — " The soldiers of the 69th, with an alacrity which will ever do them credit, and Lieutenant Pearson, of the same regiment, were almost the foremost on this service. The first man who jumped into the enemy's mizen- chains was Captain Berry, late my first-lieutenant (Captain Miller was in the very act of going also, but I directed him to remain) : he was supported from our sprit sail -yard, Avhich hooked in the mizen-rigging. A soldier of the 69th regiment having broke the upper quarter-gallery window, I jumped in myself, and was followed by others as fast as possible. I found the cabin-doors fastened : and some Spanish officers fired their pistols : but, having broken open the doors, the soldiers fired ; and the Spanish brigadier (commodore with a distinguishing pendant) fell, as retreating to the quarter-deck. I pushed immediately onwards for the OLD " AGAMEMNONS." 229 qnarter-deck, where I found Captain Berry in'possession of the poop, and the Spanish ensign hanling down. I passed with my people and Lieutenant Pearson, on the larboard gangway, to the forecastle, where I met two or three Spanish officers, prisoners to my seamen : they delivered me their swords. A fire of pistols, or muskets opening from the admiral's stern gallery of the San Josefs I directed the soldiers to fire into her stern ; and, call- ing to Captain Miller, ordered him to send more men into the San Nicolas, and directed my people to board the first-rate, which was done in an instant, Captain Berry assisting me into the main-chains. At this moment, a Spanish officer looked over the quarter-deck rail, and said they surrendered. From this most wel- come intelligence it was not long before I was on the quarter-deck, where the Spanish captain, with a bow, presented me his sword, and said the admiral was dying of his wounds. I asked him on his honour if the ship was surrendered. He declared she was : on which I gave him my hand, and desired him to call on his officers and ship's company ; which he did : — and, on the quarter-deck of a Spanish first-rate, extravagant as the story may seem, did I receive the swords of van- quished Spaniards; which, as I received, I gave to William Fearney, one of my bargemen ; who put them. with the greatest sangfroid, under his arm. I was surrounded by Captain Berry, Lieutenant Pearson, of the 69th regiment, John Sykes, John Thompson, Francis Cooke, all old Agamemnons ; and several other brave men, seamen and soldiers. Thus fell these ships." The battle off Cape St. Yincent began about noon and ceased at five p.m., when four Spanish line-of-battle ships had struck their colours — the Salvador del Mimdo, 112 guns ; the San Josef , 112 ; the San Nicolas, 80 ; and the San Tsidro, 74. Ten other ships were severely damaged, but night coming on, and several English vessels being disabled. Sir John was forced to be con- tent with the victory he had won, and at five p.m. threw 230 HESITLTS OF THE VICTORY. out tlie Signal to discontinue the action. The Spanish, l^st, on board the four prizes alone, 261 killed and 342 wounded ; probably, in all, 400 killed and between 500 and ()00 wounded. The British had to regret but 73 killed and 227 wounded, of whicb the greater propor- tion fell on board the Captain, the Excellent, and the Culloden. The moral and political consequences of the victory of St. Valentine's-day were incalculably great, and it is no marvel that England poured out her enthusiastic gratitude upon the heroes to whose skill and courage it was due. Sir John Jervis was created Earl St. Vincent, with a pension of 3,000Z. per annum ; Nelson received the Order of the Bath and the freedom of the city of London. Gold medals were distributed among the flag- ojfficers and captains, and the whole fleet was gratified with the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. Nor has the renown of the battle of Cape St. Vincent been wholly eclipsed by the surpassing brilliancy of the victories of the Nile and Trafalgar. Earl St. Vincent now proceeded with his fleet and prizes to Lisbon, where he was joined by a reinforce- ment from England, and shifted his flag from the Victory to the new three-decker, Ville-de-Paris, of 110 guns. With twenty-one sail of the line he steered for Cadiz, on the 31st of March, and twice bombarded that unfortu- nate city. He continued to cruise in the Mediterranean until June 1799, when ill health compelled him to resign the command into the hands of Vice- Admiral Lord Keith. The Victory, in 1800, received a thorough repair, and, having shared in the glorious battle off Cape St. Vincent, was fitly to close her career of active service by taking pait in the yet more glorious battle of Trafalgar. Lord Nelson hoisted his flag on board her, on the 18th of May 1803, to take the command of the Medi- terranean fleet. On the 20th he set sail from Spit- ^telson's complaints. 231 head, accompanied by the Amphwn, 32, Captain Thomas Mastferman Hardy, bound in the first instance for Brest, which was then blockaded by Admiral Corn- wallis. On the 23rd, Lord Nelson shifted his flag to the AmpMoUy and left the Victory to join the Brest blockading fleet, if Cornwallis should require her as- sistance ; if otherwise, she was to follow him to the Mediterranean. The AmpMon found the Mediterra- nean squadron, consisting of one 80-gun ship, five 74's, two 64's, and two frigates, under Eear- Admiral Sir Eichard Bickerton, cruising off Toulon, where a con- siderable French fleet was preparing for sea. The Victory arrived on the evening of the 30th, and Lord Xelson immediately re-hoisted his flag on board her. He then patiently resumed his watch over the move- ments of the French fleet, despatching two of his own men-of-war on different sei^vices, in order to tempt the enemy to dare an engagement with an inferior force. But the French were not disposed to cope with the gi*eatest of the British Admirals, for whose courage, genius, and activity they entertained a wholesome respect. For fourteen months Nelson kept his cruising- gi'ound, only retiring in the winter to some securer anchorage, and then so disposing his 'ships that the enemy could make no movement unobserved. He called this station his home. " We are in the right fighting trim," he said; " let them come as soon as they please. I never saw a fleet altogether so well- officered and manned : would to God the ships were half as good ! — The finest ones in the service would soon be destroyed by such terrible weather. I know well enough, that if I were to go into Malta, I should save the ships during this bad season ; but if I am to watch the French, I must be at sea ; and, if at sea, must have bad weather : and if the ships are not fit to stand bad weather, they are useless." Still the monotony of the service tenibly wearied his active spirit, and the expenses of his command pressed 232 SPAIN DECLARES WAR. heavily npon his limited pecuniary resources. " Some* how," he wrote, *' my mind is not sharp enough for prize-money. Lord Keith would have made 20,000Z., and I have not made 6,000Z." He poured in complaints upon the Admiralty of the weak and inefficient con- dition of his ships : — " The Sujperh'' he writes, " is in a very weak state, but Keats is so superior to any diffi- culties that I hear but little from her. The Kent is gone to Malta, fit only for a summer-passage. Every bit of twice-laid stuff belonging to the Ganopus is con- demned, and all the running rigging in the fleet, except the Victory's. We have fitted the Excellent with new main and mizen rigging : it was shameful for the dock- yard to send a ship to sea with such rigging." His health was much affected by the severity of his exertions. "A few months' rest," he writes, *'I must have very soon. If I am in my grave, what are the mines of Peru to me ? But to say the truth, I have no idea of killing myself. I may, with care, live yet to do good service to the state. My cough is very bad, and my side, where I was struck on the 14th of February, is very much swelled ; at times a lump as large as my fist, brought on occasionally by violent coughing. But I hope and believe my lungs are yet safe." He was occasionally put in better spirits by a movement of the French fleet. "Yesterday," he writes, " a rear-admiral and seven sail of ships put their nose outside the harbour. If they go on playing this game, some day we shall lay salt upon their tails." Towards the close of the year 1804, hostilities broke out between England and Spain, whose court and government were then completely imder the influence of the French Emperor. The immediate cause of the war was the seizure by England of four Spanish frigates, loaded with treasure from Monte Video, on the ground that that treasure was destined for the purposes of the French government. For the British ministry had longj^been in possession of information which proved NELSON BLOCKADES TOULON. 233 that a close alliance had been concluded between France and Spain, and that only a favourable oppor- tunity was waited for to launch the resources of the latter country against England. Spain issued a formal declaration of war on the 12th of December 1804, and her fleets and armies were im- mediately placed at the disposal of the French Emperor. She agreed to furnish him, and supply with six months' stores, from 25 to 29 sail of the line, with from 4,000 to 6,000 Spanish troops, by the 20th or oOth of March. To these were to be added 25,000 French soldiers. Napoleon, then, calculated that with a fleet of 70 sail of the line he could so occupy the attention of the British admirals as to obtain the command of the Channel for a few days, and carry out his long-cherished design of the invasion of England. And when it is remembered that Great Britain could not muster more than 80 sea-going ships of the line, with which to protect her wide-spread dominions, we must acknowledge that Napoleon's schemes were far more feasible, and more easily prac- ticable than some authorities are willing to confess. On the 15th of April 1804 the Brest fleet, including 21 sail of the line, made an attempt to put to sea, but was frustrated by the activity of Lord Gardner, then in command of the English blockading squadron. Villeneuve, with the Toulon fleet, had actually escaped the watchfulness of Nelson, and it was Napoleon's design that both fleets should sail to the West Indies, should there efiect a junction, plunder and ravage the English colonies, and return to the Channel, augmented on their route by the Spanish squadron at Ferrol, so as to number not less than 56 sail of the line. With so overpowering a force the command of the Channel would be secured, and the invasion of England accom- plished. It was reserved for the genius and devotion of Nelson to defeat this bold conception, and assure the safety of his country. Throughout the whole of the year 1804 that extra- 234 PURSUIT OF VILLENEUVE. ordinary man continneii his vigilant blockade of tlie port of Toulon, never even setting his foot upon the shore, but wholly absorbed in the performance of the solemn duty intrusted to him. The outbreak of the war with Spain rendered his task trebly more arduous, for it now became necessary to prevent the junction of the Spanish ships got ready for sea at Ferrol, Cadiz, and Carthagena, with the fleet under Admiral Villeneuve at Toulon. The Spanish in Ferrol were blockaded by Eear-Ad- miral Cochrane with seven sail of the line ; off Cadiz was stationed a squadron of five sail under Sir John Orde ; while Nelson, with ten sail, cruised off Cape San Sebastian, and occasionally looked in at Carthagena. On the 3rd of January 1805, Nelson detached two frigates to watch Toulon, while he himself, with his fleet, repaired to Agincourt Sound, on the coast of Sar- dinia, to refit and provision his ships. On the loth he was joined by the Superb, from Algiers. On the 17th, Villeneuve, with eleven sail of the line, seven frigates, and two brigs, having on board a body of 3,500 troops under General Lauriston, put out to sea, and on the evening of the same day his movements were descried by the British reconnoitring frigates. The welcome intelligence was conveyed to Nelson on the 19th, at Ih. 50m., and at half-past four, Lord Nelson weighed anchor with the following ships : — Victory, 100 ; Boyal Sovereign, 100 ; Canopus, 80 ; Superb, Spencer, Swiftsure, JBelleisle, Conqueror, Tigre, Le- viathan, and Donegal, 74's ; and two frigates, Active and Seahorse, Yilleneuve's fleet included : — Bucentaure, Formidable, Neptune, Indomptable, 80's ; Annibal, Mont Blanc, Swiftsure, Atlas, Intrepide, Scipion, Berwick, 74's ; seven fris^ates, Cornelie, Hortense, In- corruptible, Bhin, Sirene, Themis, and Uranie; and two brigs, Furet and Naiade. At six in the evening the British fleet rapidly streamed through the narrow strait between Biche and Sardinia ; PURSUIT OF villeneuve/ 235 a passage so narrow that the ships could only pass one at a time, each guided by the stern liglits of the ship ahead, and the whole led by the Victory. From the movements of the enemy it was inferred that they must be destined for the south coast of Sardinia, and a frigate was despatched to look in at Cagliari, but no further intelligence could be obtained. On the 26th, the Phoebe, 36-gun frigate, joined company, with the infor- mation that she had seen a disabled French ship, the Indomitable, standiug in for Ajaccio; and as no other tidings could be secured, Nelson made sail for the eastward, and assured of the safety of Naples and Sicily, ran under press of canvas for Egypt. His mental anxiety at this time was extreme : — " I have consulted no man," he wrote to the Admiralty, " therefore the whole blame of ignorance informing my judgment must rest with me. I would allow no man to take from me an atom of my glory had I fallen in with the French fleet ; nor do I desire any man to partake of the respon- sibility." The Egyptian coast was reached early in February, but no trace of the French fleet could be discovered. Nearly maddened with disappointment and apprehension Nelson now shaped his course for Malta, and on his route, received intelligence from Naples which at last informed him of Villeneuve*s actual movements. On the second day after quitting Toulon, when crossing the Gulf of Lyons, his ships had been severely damaged in a terrible gale of wind, which had driven most of them back into port. Nelson derived much consolation from this signal proof of the inferiority of French seaman- ship : — *' These genflemen," he said, " are not accus- tomed to a Gulf of Lyons' gale : we have buifeted them for one-and-twenty months, and not carried away a spar." But if he could brave, he could not control the weather, and the winds at length compelled him to anchor his battered ships in Pula Bay, in the Gulf of Cagliari. From the 21st of January up to the 236 Air INEFFECTITAL CHASfi. 27th of February each vessel had remained prepared for battle, without a bulkhead up, either by day or night. On the 10th of March Nelson again weighed anchor, and on the 1 2th, discerned the hills which tower above the city and port of Toulon. But in order to deceive the enemy into a belief that he was stationed off the coast of Spain, he detached the Leviathan off Barcelona, and working back to eastward, reached the Gulf of Palma to re-victual and refit his ships. Here he was joined by the 32-gun frigate Ambuscade, and Rear- Admiral Louis, who hoisted his flag on board of the Canopus, Meanwhile, Villeneuve had refitted his fleet with commendable i-apidity, and taking advantage of the absence of the English, slipped out of Toulon Eoads on the evening of the 29th of March. The wind failing he made, however, but little progress, and when, on the 31st, off Cape Sicie, was discovered by the British frigates Active and Phoebe, who watched his movements for a few hours, and then made all sail for the Gulf of Palma. Keeping cautiously close to the coast of Spain, Villeneuve, on the 6th of April, arrived off the port of Carthagena, and so contrived to avoid the cruisers of the English fleet. In the absence of more certain intelligence Nelson had concluded that the French meditated a design against Sicily, and bore up for Pa- lermo, but tidings soon reached him of their passage of the Straits of Gibraltar. He was now alarmed for the safety of Ireland or the West Indies, and endeavoured to follow up the enemy with all speed. But the winds were dead against him, and spite of all his exertions, and the energy of his men, he did not reach Gibraltai until the 30th. " My good fortune," he wrote to Captain Ball, *' seems to have flown away. I cannot get a fair wind, or even a side wind — dead foul! dead foul I — but my mind is fully made up what to do when I leave the Straits, supposing there is no certain information of the THE FRENCH AND SPANISH FLEETS. 237 enemy's destination. I believe this ill-luck will go near to kill me ; but as these are times for exertion, I must not be cast down, whatever I may feel." To Lord Melville, the First Lord of the Admiralty, he wrote, — " I am not made to despair ; what man can do shall be done. I have marked out for myself a decided line of conduct, and I shall follow it well up, although I have now before me a letter from the physician of the fleet, enforcing my return to England before the hot months. Therefore, notwithstanding I shall pursue the enemy to the East or West Indies, if I know that to have been their destination, yet, if this Mediterranean fleet joins the Channel, I shall request, with that order, permission to go on shore." Villeneuve, having been disappointed in his hopes of effecting a junction with the Spanish fleet at Carthagena, pushed forward to Cadiz, driving off that station Vice- Admiral Orde and his five sail of the line. Here he was joined by six Spanish men-of-war and one frigate, having 1,600 troops on board, and the whole fleet, now consisting of eighteen sail of the line, seven frigates, and four corvettes, got under way for the West Indies. They anchored at Martinique on the 13th of May. Lord Nelson and his fleet, still in ignorance of the ultimate destination of the enemy, stood through the Straits of Gibraltar on the 7th of May, and now for the first time received authentic information. His in- formant was Rear- Admiral Donald Campbell, a Scotch- man serving in the Portuguese navy, who had formerly communicated important intelligence to Earl St. Vincent, and was now able to assure Lord Nelson that the combined fleet had certainly sailed for the West Indies. Thither, therefore. Lord Nelson determined to proceed. With but ten ships of the line and three frigates, he crowded sail to the westward, in pursuit of an enemy of double his force. " Take you a Frenchman apiece," he said to his captains, *' and leave me the Spaniards : — when I haul down my colours, I expect you to do the 238 nelson's plan of attack. same, — and not till then." The Prench had five-and- thirty days' start, but Nelson calculated that he should gain eight or ten days upon them by his exertions. During his passage to the West Indies, he drew up a plan of attack, to be adopted if the enemy's fleet were overtaken. In a volume specially intended for those of the youth of England who contemplate the adoption of the naval profession, a document of so much importance, drawn up by so distinguished a seaman, cannot be omitted. It must be regarded as one of the best ma- nuals for the young naval officer, who would emulate Nelson's zeal, if he never attained Nelson's glory. '* The business of an English commander-in-chief being first to bring an enemy's fleet to battle, on the most advantageous terms to himself (I mean, that of laying his ships close on board those of the enemy as expeditiously as possible, and secondly, to continue them there without separating until the business is decided), I am sensible, beyond this object, it is not necessary I should say a word, being fully assured, that the admirals and captains of the fleet I have the honour to command will, knowing my precise object, that of a close and decisive battle, supply any deficiency in my not making signals, which may, if extended beyond these objects, either be misunderstood, or, if waited for, very probably, from various causes, be im- possible for the commander-in-chief to make. Therefore it will only be requisite for me to state, in as few words as possible, the various modes by which it may be necessary for me to obtain my object, on which depends not only the honour and glory of our country, but pos- sibly its safety, and, with it, that of all Europe, from French tyi^anny and oppression. *' If the two fleets are both willing to fight, but little manoeuvring is necessary. The less the better; a day is soon lost in that business. Therefore I will only suppose that the enemy's fleet being to leeward, standing close upon a wind on the starboard tack, and that I NELSOX'g PLAN OF ATTxVCK. 239 am nearly aliead of them, standing on the larboard tack, of course I should weather them. The weather must be supposed to be moderate ; for, if it be a gale of wind, the manoeuvring of both fleets is but of little avail, and probably no decisive action would take place with the whole fleet. Two modes present themselves ; one, to stand on just out of gun-shot until the van- ship of my line would be abreast of the centre ship of the enemy, then make the signal to wear together, then bear up, engage with all our force the six or five van- ships of the enemy, passing certainly, if opportunity offered, through their line. This would prevent their bearing np, and the action, from the known bravery and conduct of the admirals and captains, would be decisive ; the second or third war-ships of the enemy would act as they pleased, and our ships would give a good account of them, should they persist in mixing with our ships. The other mode would be, to stand under an easy but commanding sail, directly for their headmost ship, so as to prevent the enemy from knowing whether I should pass to leeward or to windward of him. In that situation, I would make the signal to engage the enemy to leeward, and to cut through their fleet about the sixth ship from the van, passing very close; they being on a wind, you, going large, could cut their line when you please. The van-ships of the enemy would, by the time our rear came abreast of the van-ship, be severely cut up, and our van could not expect to escape damage. I would then have our rear- ships, and every ship in succession, wear, continue the action with either the van-ship or second ship, as it might appear most eligible from her crippled state; and, this mode pursued, I see nothing to prevent the capture of the five or six ships of the enemy's van. The two or three ships of the enemy's rear must either bear up or wear; and, in either case, although they would be in a better plight probably than our two van- ships (now the rear), yet they- would be separated and 240 OFF TO THE WEST INDIES. at a distance to leeward, so as to give our ships time to refit; and by that time, I believe, the battle would, from the judgment of the admirals and captains, be over with the rest of them. Signals from these moments are useless, when every man is disposed to do his dut^^ The great object is, for us to support each other, and to keep close to the enemy and to leeward of him. If the enemy are running away, then the only signals necessary will be, to engage the enemy as arriving up with them, and the other ships to pass on for the second, third, &c. ; giving, if possible, a close fire into the enemy in passing, taking care to give our ships engaged notice of your intention," The British fleet anchored in Carlisle Bay, in the island of Barbadoes, on the 4th of June, and found there Eear- Admiral Cochrane with two sail of the line, the Northumberland and S;partiate, both 74's. Nelson was now informed that the Franco-Spanish fleet had been seen from St. Lucia on the 28th, standing to the south- ward, and that its objects were Tobago and Trinidad. He doubted the correctness of the news, and exclaimed, ** If your intelligence proves false, you lose me the French fleet," but embarked 2000 troops on board, and, the next morning, sailed for Tobago. On his voyage, some false information purposely given by the master of an American merchantman, still further misled the English Admiral, and he at length concluded that he should grapple with the enemy in the Bay of Paria, and make " the mouths of the Orinoco as famous in the annals of the British navy as those of the Nile." But not a single tricolor was there. Nelson found that he had been deceived, and was soon apprised that the terror of his name had driven back to Europe Villeneuve and his formidable armada. But if he had failed in engaging and destroying the combining fleet, he had, at last, the satisfaction of knowing that he had saved the West Indian colonies from plunder, and above 200 RETURNS TO EUROPE. 241 richly-laden traders which must otherwise have fallen a prize to the enemy. Kelson's own views on the subject were thus expressed to his captains : — " I am thankful that the enemy has been driven from the West India Islands with so little loss to our country. I had made up my mind to great sacrifices, for I had determined, notwithstanding his vast superiority, to stop his career, and to put it out of his power to do any further mis- chief. Yet do not imagine I am one of those hot-brained people who fight at immense disadvantage, without auy adequate object. My object is partly gained. If we meet them we shall find them not less than eighteen, I rather think twenty, sail of the line ; and therefore do not be sui-prised if I should not fall on them imme- diately. AVe won't part without a battle. I think they will be glad to let me alone, if I will let them alone ; which I will do either till we approach the shores of Europe, or they give me an advantage too tempting to be resisted." Lord Nelson quitted Antigua on the 13th of June, making all sail for Europe. On the 17th of July he came in sight of Cape St. Vincent, his wave-worn and storm-beaten ships having run 3459 miles in 34 days. On the following day, when steering for Gibraltar to re-victual his fleet, he fell in with Vice- Admiral Colling- wood, with the JDreadnougJit, 98, and two other sail of the line. Collingwood, whose sagacity was equal to his courage, had interpreted correctly the real intentions of Napoleon. " I have always had an idea," he wrote to Nelson, '' that Ireland alone was the object they have in view, and still believe that to be their ultimate destina- tion. They will now liberate the Ferrol squadron from Calder, make the round of the Bay, and, taking the Eochfort squadron with them, will appear ofi" Ushant, perhaps with 34 sail, there to be joined by 20 more. I have always considered the invasion of Ireland as the real mark and butt of all their operations. Their flight to the West Indies was to take ofi" the naval force, Q 242 RETURNS TO ENGLAND. which proved the great impediment to their under- taking." On the 19th of July the British fleet anchored in Gibraltar Bay, and on the 20th, Lord Nelson went on shore for the first time since June 16, 1803, and from having his foot out of the Victory, two years wanting ten days. The fleet obtained water and provisions, and then bore away for Ushant, where they joined Admiral Gornwallis on the loth of August. Leaving with him all the ships but the Victory and Superb, Nelson next proceeded homeward, and anchored on the 18th at Spit- head. There he sti-uck his flag, and went on shore, after having devoted two most arduous and anxious years to the service of his country. Called once more to the command of the Mediter- ranean fleet by the unanimous voice of England, the hero of the Nile hoisted his flag on board his old ship, the Victory, on the 15th of September 1805. His de- parture was the signal for a remarkable popular mani- festation : — " Having despatched his business on shore," say« Southey, " he endeavoured to elude the populace by taking a by-way to the beach ; but a crowd collected in his train, pressing forward to obtain a sight of his face : many were in tears, and many knelt down before him, and blessed him as he passed. England has had many heroes ; but never one who so entirely possessed the love of his fellow-countrymen as Nelson. All men knew that his heart was as humane as it was fearless ; that there was not in his nature the slightest alloy of selfishness or cupidity; but that, with perfect and entire devotion, he served his country with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength ; and, therefore, they loved him as truly and as fervently as he loved England. They pressed upon the parapet to gaze after him when his barge pushed oif, and he was returning their cheers by waving his hat. The DEPARTS FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN. 243 sentinels, who endeavoured to prevent them from tres- passing upon this ground, were wedged among the crowd; and an officer, who, not very prudently upon such an occasion, ordered them to drive the people down with their bayonets, was compelled speedily to retreat; for the people would not be debarred from gazing, till the last moment, upon the hero — the darling hero of England !" The Victory arrived off Cadiz on Nelson's birthday, the 29th of September, in company with the Ajax, the Thunderer, and Euryalus frigate. Nelson had previously instructed Collingwood, who was then in command of the blockading fleet, not to fire any salute or hoist any colours on his arrival. He knew the enemy would not venture out of Cadiz if they thought the British force at all approximated to their own. The station which he selected for himself was some sixty miles W. of Cadiz, near Cape St. Mary's, and his ships were so disposed that the slightest movement of the enemy would be communicated to him with all possible rapidity. Mean- while, the blockade of the port was rigorously enforced that a want of supplies might drive Villeneuve out to sea. On the 9th of October, Nelson sent to Collingwood, his old comrade, and second in command, his plan of attack — the '* Nelson-touch," as he called it. "1 send you," he said, *' my plan of attack, as far as a man dare venture to guess at the very uncertain position the enemy may be found in : but it is to place you perfectly at ease respecting my intentions, and to give full scope to your judgment for carrying them into effect. We can, my dear Coll., have no little jealousies. We have only one great object in view, that of annihilating our enemies, and getting a glorious* peace for our countiy. No man has more confidence in another than I have in you ; and no man will render your services more justice than your very old friend *' Nelson and Bronte." ThifS plan of attack, a masterpiece of naval tactics, Q 2 244 THE <* nelson-touch/^ we shall here introduce, — premising that Nelson sup- posed the Brest fleet would probably effect a junction with the Cadiz fleet, and raise the enemy's strength to 54 or 55 sail, while his own, by reinforcements on their way from England, would be increased to 40 sail of the line. nelson's plan of attack. ** Thinking it almost impossible to form a fleet of 40 sail of the line into a line of battle, in variable winds, thick weather, and other circumstances which must occur, without such a loss of time, that the opportunity would probably be lost of bringing the enemy to battle in such a manner as to make the business decisive ; I have therefore made up my mind to keep the fleet in that position of sailing (with the exception of the first and second in command) that the order of sailing is to be the order of battle ; placing the fleet in two lines of 16 ships each, with an advanced squadron of eight of the fastest sailing two-decked ships ; which will always make, if wanted, a line of 24 sail, on whichever line the commander-in-chief may direct. The second in com- mand will, after my intentions are made known to him, have the entire direction of his line, to make the attack upon the enemy, and to follow up the blow until they are captured or destroyed. '* If the enemy's fleet should be seen to windward in line of battle, and that the two lines and the advancing squadron could fetch them, they will probably be so extended that their van could not succour their rear. I should therefore probably make the second in com- raand's signal, to lead through about the twelfth ship from their rear, or wherever he could fetch, if not able to get so far ad'vanced. My line would lead through about their centre; and the advanced squadron to cut two, three, or four ships ahead of their centre ; so as to insure getting at their commander-in-chief (supposed to be in the centre) to the rear of their fleet. I will sup- pose 20 sail of the enemy's line to be untouched : it INSTRUCTIONS TO HIS CAPTAINS. 245 must be some time before they could perform a manoeuvre tO bring tbeir force compact to attack any pai-t of the British fleet engaged, or to succour their own ships; which indeed would be impossible without mixing with the ships engaged. The enemy's fleet is supposed to consist of 46 sail of the line : British 40 : if either is less, only a proportionate number of enemy's ships are to be cut of. British to be one-fourth superior to the enemy cut off. Something must be left to chance. Kothing is sure in a sea-fight : beyond all others, shot will carry away the masts and yards of friends as well as foes ; but I look with confidence to a victory before the van of the enemy could succour their rear ; and then, that the British fleet would, most of them, be ready to receive their 20 sail of the line, or to pursue them should they endeavour to make off. If the van of the enemy tack, the captured ships must run to leeward of the British fleet; if the enemy wear, the British must place themselves between the enemy and the captured, and disabled British ships ; and should the enemy close, I have no fear for the result. " The second in command will, in all possible things, direct the movements of his line, by keeping them as compact as the nature of the circumstances will admit. Captains are to look to their particular line, as their rallying point ; but in case signals cannot be seen or clearly understood, no captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of an enemy. *' Of the intended attack from to windward, the enemy in the line of battle ready to receive an attack : British Lines. Enemy's Line of Battle. '' The] divisions of the British fleet will be brought nearly within gunshot of the enemy's centre. The 24.6 COMES UP WITH THE COMBINED FLEETS. signal will most probably then be made for the lee line to bear up together; to set all their sails, even their steering-sails, in order to get as quickly as possible to the enemy's line, and to cut through, beginning at the twelfth ship from the enemy's rear. Some ships may not get through their exact place, but they will always be at hand to assist their friends. If any are thrown round the rear of the enemy, they will effectually com- plete the business of 12 sail of the enemy. Should the enemy wear together, or bear up and sail large, still the 12 ships composing, in the first position, the enemy's rear, are to be the object of attack of the lee line, unless otherwise directed by the commander-in- chief: which is scarcely to be expected, as the entire management of the lee line, after the intentions of the commander-in-chief are signified, is intended to be left to the judgment of the admiral commanding that line. The remainder of the enemy's fleet, 34 sail of the line, are to be left to the management of the commander-in-chief, who will endeavour to take care that the movements of the second in command are as little interrupted as possible." On the 19th, twelve of the Franco-Spanish fleet, and on the 20th, the remainder, weighed and put out to sea, under the command of Vice- Admiral Villeneuve (French) and Vice-Admiral Gravina (Spanish). The joyous tid- ings were immediately conveyed to Nelson, who ordered the signal to be made for the fleet to chase in the south- east quarter. All night they continued under press of sail. At daybreak, on the 20th, they were off the entrance to the Straits, but no tricolor was in sight. They accordingly wore, and made sail to the north-west, when the PJioehe frigate signalled that the enemy bore north. About ^ve in the afternoon the Euryalus tele- graphed that the Franco-Spanish fleet seemed determined to go to the westward — " and that," wrote the Admiral in his diary, "they shall not do, if it is in the power of Nelson and Bronte to prevent them." The Victory , therefore, signalled to the Euryalus (Captain Blackwood) THE BRITISH FLEET. 247 tliat Lord Nelson trusted to lier to keep sight of the enemy during the night, and on the following moniing about six o'clock, Cape Trafalgar bearing E. by S. distant about seven leagues, the Victory and her com- panions obtained a sight of Villeneuve and Gravina's fleet. At 6*40, the Victory signalled for the order of sailing to be formed in two columns, and to prepare for battle ; and in ten minutes afterwards, to bear up. The rapid approach of the British thus rendering a general engagement unavoidable, the French admiral formed his ships in line in close order. But the manoeuvre was badly executed ; the line, therefore, bowed like a crescent, while the ships were mostly two, and in some cases, three deep. AVhile the two fleets are thus approaching the death- grapple, we may pause to examine their relative strength, and to record the names of the Famous Ships of which they were composed. The British Fleet. Under the command of Vice- Admiral Lord Nelson, K.B. Second in command, Yice- Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood. Captains, &c. -Admiral Lord Nelson. , Thomas Masterman Hardy. I- Admiral Collingwood. , Edward Kotheram. -Admiral, the Earl of Northesk. , Charles Bnllen. Eliab Harvey. Ki chard Grindall. Thomas Francis Fremantle. John Conn. Charles Tyler. William Hargood. Robert Moorsom. George Duff. Sir Francis Laforey, Bart. Philip Charles Durham. Israel Pellew. George Hope. James NicoU Morris. Gnns Names of Ships. 100 Victory i V ice- • • \Capt. 100 Royal Sovereign , • ry^^ 100 Britannia . (Rear • • tCapt. 98 Tem&aire . • j> 98 Prince . • »> 98 Neptune . • »» 98 Dreadnought • it 80 Tonnant • • 11 74 Belleisle * )) 74 Revenge • »i 74 Mars . . , * a 74 Spartiate . • j» 74 Defiance . »» 74 Conqueror . • >» 74 Defence • »» 74 Colossus . • »» 248 THE FRENCH AND SPANISH. Guns. Names of Ships. 74 Leviathan . 74 Achille 74 Bellerophon 74 Minotaur , 74 Orion . 74 Swiftsure . 74 4/^^ • 74 Thunderer . 64 Polyphemus 64 Africa . 64 Agamemnon 36 Euryalus, frigate 38 Naiad, „ 36 PTicebe, „ 36 Sirius, „ With the P«ife, Captains, &c. Capt. Henry William Bayntun. „ Eichard King. „ Jolm Cooke. „ Charles John Moore Mansfield. „ Edward Codrington. „ William George Kutherford, Lieut. John Pinfold (Acting Captain). „ John Stockham (Acting Captain). Capt. Eobert Eedmill. „ Henry Digby. „ Sir Edward Berry. • „ Hon. Henry Blackwood. ,, Thomas Dundas. „ Hon. Bladen Capel. „ William Prowse. schooner, and Entreprenante, cutter. The French and Spanish Fleets. Under the command of Vice-Admiral Villeneuve. Second in command, Vice-Admiral Gravina. Guns. Names of Ships. 80 Bucentaure 80 Formidable 80 Neptune . 80 Indomptdble 74 Alg^siras . 74 Pluton . . 74 Mont Blanc 74 Intrepide . 74 Swiftsure . 74 Aigle . . 74 Scipion 74 Buguay-Trouin 74 Berwick , 74 Argonaute . 74 Achille 74 Redoubtable 74 Fougucux . 74 Heros . . Frigates : — Cornelie, Argus and Furet* FRENCH SHIPS. Captains, &c. rVice- Admiral P. Ch. Villeneuve. \ Capt. Jean- Jacques Magendie. JEear-Admiral P. E. Dumanoir-le-PeJley. \Capt. Jean-Marie Letellier. Commodore Esprit-Tranquille Maistral. „ Jean-Joseph Hubert. (Eear- Admiral Charles Magon. Capt. Gabriel Bronard. Conmiodore Cosmas-Kerjulien. „ Guillaume La Villegris. „ Louis-Antoine Infernet. Capt. L'Hospitalier-Villemadrin. „ Pierre Gourrege. „ Charles Berenger. „ Claude Touffet. „ Filhol- Camas. „ Jacques Epron. „ Gabriel Denieport. „ Jean- Jacques Lucas. „ Louis- Alexis Beaudouin. „ Jean-Baptiste Eemi Poulain. Hermicme, Eorteme, BMn, Tli^mis ; and brigs, THE TWENTY-FIRST OF OCTOBER. 249 SPANISH SHIPS. Captains, &c. i Bear- Admiral Don Hidalgo Cisneros. ( Commodore Don Francisco de Uriarte. JAdmiral Don Frederico Gravina. (Rear- Admiral Don Antonio Escano. (Vice- Admiral Don Maria de Alava. \ Capt. Don Josef Gardoqui. Commodore Don Enrique Macdonel. „ Don Cayetano Valdes. „ Don Antonio Parejas. Capt Don Dionisio Galiano. „ Don Josef Salzedo. „ Don Felipe Xado Cagigal. „ Don Josef Bargas. > „ Don Cosme Churruca. „ Don Teodoro Argumosa. > „ Don Luis de Flores. „ Don Miguel Gaston. „ Don Josef Quevedo. Guns. Names of Ships. 130 Santissima Tri- nidad 112 Frincipe - de -Astu- Has . 112 Santa Anna 100 Rayo . 80 Nepiuno 80 Argonauta 74 Bahama 74 Montanez 74 San Augustin 74 San Ildefonso 74 S. Juan-Nepomu- ceno . 74 Monarca 74 San Francisco-de- Asis . 74 San Justo . 74 San Leandro English Ships of the line 27, carrying 2,148 guns. French and Spanish do. 33, „ 2,626 „ [The British fleet was formed into two divisions, — the Weather Division, including the Victory^ Temeraire^ Nejptune, Leviathan, Conqueror, Britannia, Agamemnon, Africa, Ajax, Orion, Minotaur, Spartiate, Euryalus, and Naiad ; and the Lee Division, comprised of the Boyal Sovereign, Belleisle, Mars, Tonnant, Bellerojphon, Colossus, Achille, Dreadnought, Polyphemus, Bevenge, Swiftsure, Defiance, Thunderer, Defence, Prince, Phoebe, and Sirius,'\ Nelson came upon deck, shortly after daylight, on this memorable 21st of October. The day had long been regarded as a festival in his family, being the anni- versary of his uncle's (Captain Suckling) gallant repulse of a French squadron of four sail of the line, and three frigates, with only the Dreadnought and two other men- of-war ; and the hero of the Nile, " with that sort of superstition from which few persons are entirely ex- 250 ANECDOTES OF NELSON. empt," had often expressed his conviction that it would prove Ms day of battle also. He was gratified at seeing that his piophecy was about to be fulfilled. The wind now came up from the west, in a fresh free breeze, and a heavy swell rolled along the deep. The British were approaching the enemy, but very slowly, for though the studding-sails were set, they did not make more than three knots an hour. Nelson occupied himself in visiting the diiferent decks of the Victory, and addressing the men at their quarters, warning them not to fire a single shot without being sure of their mark. Then he retired to his cabin, and wrote the following prayer : — '* May the great God, whom I worship, grant to my country, and for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious victory, and may no misconduct in any one tarnish it ; and may humanity after victory be the predominant feature in the British fleet ! For myself individually, I commit my life to Him that made me ; and may his blessing alight on my endeavours for serv- ing my country faithfully ! To Him I resign myself, and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend. Amen! Amen! Amen!" Afterwards he drew up a memorandum by which he bequeathed to the generous care of his King and country Lady Hamilton, and his adopted daughter, and then he once more went on deck. He wore his old admiral's frock-coat, with the four " w^eather-tarnished and lack-lustre stars alwa3^s to be seen there." His officers dreaded that so conspicuous an attire would especially indicate him to the enemy's riflemen, as it was believed that his life would be particularly aimed at; but his feelings on the subject were so well kno^Ti that no one dared to remonstrate with him. On a former occasion he had exclaimed, — '* In honour I gained them, and in honour I will die with them !" It was about six o'clock when Captain Blackwood, of the Euryalus, went on board the Victory, He found his ANECDOTES OF NELSvON. 251 chief in good spirits, but calm and grave ; not glowing with the fire of inspiration as at the Nile and Copen- hagen ; for though he was sure of triumph, he was also confident of death. After watching for some time the manoeuvi'es of the enemy, he asked Blackwood what he should consider a complete victory ? He replied, that considering the superiority in force of the combined fleet, and the gallantry with which they ofiered battle, he thought it would be a triumphant issue if fourteen ships were captured. Nelson exclaimed, '* I shall not be satisfied with less than twenty." Considering that the Victory, both as the leading ship of the column, and as distinguished by Nelson's flag, would, on going into action, attract to herself the entire force of the enemy's fire, and knowing of how much value to England was the life of her greatest naval hero, both Blackwood and Hardy endeavoured to per- suade him to allow the Temeraire, then close astern, to forge ahead. Lord Nelson, '* smiling significantly at Captain Hardy," replied, " Oh yes, let her go ahead," and the Temeraire was hailed to that effect. *' But at about the same time," says Mr. James, " Lieutenant John Yule, who then commanded upon the forecastle, observing that the lee or starboard lower studding-sail was improperly set, caused it to be taken in for the purpose of setting it afresh. The instant this was done, Lord Nelson ran forward, and rated the lieutenant severely for having, as he supposed, begun to shorten sail without the captains orders. The studding-sail was quickly replaced; and the Victory, as the gallant chief intended, continued to lead the column." When the Temeraire ranged up on the Victory's quarter with the view of moving ahead, Lord Nelson hailed her ; and speaking with his usual " slight nasal intonation," said, *' I'll thank you, Captain Harvey, to keep in your proper station, which is astern of the Victory.'' Captain Blackwood, having received his chiefs last instructions, now took leave of him, to return on board 252 THE FIRST SHOT. tlie Euryalus. Taking him by the hand, he expressed his hope that after the battle he should congratulate him on the capture of twenty prizes. Nelson replied, *' God bless you, Blackwood ; I shall never see you again." The Admiral next directed the Victory to steer more to the northward, and telegraphed to Colling wood, " I intend to pass through the van of the enemy's line to prevent him from getting into Cadiz;" and as ihe shoals of San Pedro and Trafalgar were now under the lee of the British fleet, the Vidm-y signalled for every ship to prepare to anchor at the close of day. These preparations being completed, the Admiral ob- served that " he must give the fleet something by way of a fillip ;" and after musing a while, remarked, " Suppose we telegraph that ' Nelson expects every man to do his duty.' " The officer whom he addressed suggested that it would be better, ^' England expects every man to do his duty." Lord Nelson exclaimed, ''Certainly, cer- tainly !" and at about 20 minutes to 12, there flew from the Victory's mizen topgallant-mast-head the famous signal which so thoroughly expresses an Englishman's idea of patriotism. " Not once or twice in our rough island-story, The path of duty was the path of glory." ^ The moment the purport of the signal became known throughout the fleet, it was greeted with three earnest cheers on board' of every ship, and to each bold true English heart it appealed like a touch of inspiration ! It was now noon; the wind was light, but the sea heaved and rolled with a heavy swell from the west- ward ; the sunshine lit up with a dazzling sheen the glittering sides of the long line of the combined fleets ; when suddenly from the Fougueux, which occupied nearly the centre of the French and Spanish ships, rattled forth a heavy fire upon the Boyal Sovereign, which had approached considerably within range. That first SHOT — the opening of a great battle — the signal of a MOVEMENTS OF THE ADMIRAL. 253 long and deadly strife — witli what an appalling sound it must fall upon the hearts of even the bravest! Of how many hopes, how many tender aspirations, how many vivid sympathies and beautiful emotions, it be- comes the knell I Far into the Future must echo its fatal voice, — ^the voice of a fallen empire or a liberated people. Nations and realms shall be shaken by it, and to many a desolate hearth and darkened home that First Shot shall be for ever as a black and bitter memory ! Sweeping past the Fougueux, the Boyal Sovereign took up a position close astern of the 112-gun ship the Santa Anna, and hurled upon her a broadside from double- shotted guns which killed or wounded nearly 400 of her crew. It was just at this moment that Colling- wood exclaimed to his captain, " Eotherham, what would Nelson give to be here !" and Nelson himself re- marked to those around him, *' See how that noble fellow Collingwood carries his ship into action !"* But our business in these pages is more immediately with the Victory, and leaving the other ships of the British fleet, for the present, to drive into the press of the great battle, we must now direct our attention to the movements of their Admiral. At twenty minutes past noon, the Bucentaure fired the first shot at the Victory, It fell short. A second fell alongside. A third went over the ship, and the sixth or seventh went through the maintop-gallant-sail. A pause ; and then, as if by signal from the French ad- miral, the whole of the van of the combined line opened so fearful a fire upon her, that it seemed wonderful * The following anecdote of Collingwood will interest the reader (from Sir Edward Gust's Annals of the Wars of the Idth Cen- tury) : — " He had dressed himself that morning with peculiar neatness and care, and, in conversation with some of his officers, recommended them to put on silk stockings as he had done ; * for,' said he, * if one should get a shot in the leg, they would be so much more manageable for the surgeon.' He likewise, as Nelson had done, visited his decks before he got into action, and said to his officers : * Now, gentlemen, let us do something to-day which the world may talk of hereafter.' '* 254 WARM WORK. ' she did not reel under it. Mr. Scott, Lord Nelson's secretary, was killed by a cannon-ball while conversing with Captain Hardy. As he was a great favourite with the Admiral, Captain Adair, of the Marines, sought — with the help of a sailor — to remove the body out of sight ; but he anxiously inquired, '' Is that poor Scott that's gone?" and added, "Poor fellow!" Another shot struck a party of marines drawn up on the quarter- deck, and killed eight of them; whereupon Nelson desired their captain to disperse his men about the ship, that they might not suifer so much from being together. Presently, a shot struck the fore-brace bits on the quarter-deck, and whistled between i^elson and Hardy, bruising the left foot of the latter with a splinter. Both instantly stopped, and looked at each other in- quiringly, each thinking the other wounded. The Admiral then smiled and said, " This is too warm work, Hardy, to last long," and added, that in all the battles he had seen, he had never witnessed more cool courage than on this occasion was exhibited by the Victory's gallant crew. For up to this time the Victory had not fired a single gun. But the enemy having discovered that Nelson, like Collingwood, intended to break through their line, now closed up into an almost impenetrable wall, and Hardy pointed out that he must run on board one of their ships if a passage was to be effected. " I cannot help it," replied Nelson; *' it does not signify which we run on board of. Go on board which you please." At this moment the Victory had lost, by the destructive fire to which she had been exposed, no less than twenty- killed and thirty wounded, and her sails and rigging were severely damaged. She still moved ahead, how- ever, and about one o'clock, poured into the cabin windows of the Bucentaure her first fire, — a 68-pounder carronade loaded with round shot, and a keg containing 600 musket-balls. Keeping on her way she deliberately hurled at her unfortunate antagonist every gun of the ISTELSOK See THE STORY OF THE ' VICTORY.'— Paj/e 255. ATTACKS THE ** REDOUBTABLE." 265 remaining fifty upon her broadside, each double or treble shotted. So close were the two ships that their yards touched, and *' had there been wind enough to blow it out, the large French ensign trailing at the Bucentaure's peak might, even at this early period of the action, have been a trophy in the hands of the Victory's crew." The French loss, according to their own account, equalled that which the Santa Anna sustained from the Itoyal Sovereign's fire, and the Biicentaiire was reduced to an almost defenceless condition. The French 80-gun ship Nejptune now took up the game, and crashed into the bows of the Victory with a most destructive fire. But fearing that the English three-decker intended to run on board of her, she ranged ahead, and Captain Hardy, putting his helm hard a-port, swept up against the Bedouhtahle, and the boom-iron of the Victory catch- ing the leech of the fore-topsail of the latter, the two ships were closely linked together. Almost immediately after the Victory had thus got hooked alongside an opponent, her boatswain cleared the French ship's gangways with the starboard 68-pounder carronade, and the guns of the middle and lower decks also rattled upon her. The Bedouhtahle returned the fire with her main- deck guns, and with musketry from her three tops harassed the Victory's deck. The Victory also kept up a constant fire at the Santissima Trinidad. '' Kever allowing mere personal comfort," says Mr. James, " to interfere with what he considered to be the good of the service, Lord Kelson, when the Victory was fitting to receive his flag, ordered the large skylight over his cabin to be removed, and the space planked up, so as to afford him a walk amidships, clear of the guns and ropes. Here, along an extent of deck of about 21 feet in length, bounded abaft by the stancheon of the wheel, and forward by the combings of the cabin ladder- way, were the Admiral and Captain Hardy, during the whole of the operations we have just detailed, taking their customary promenade. At about 1 h. 25 m. p.m., 256 KELSON WOUNDED. just as the two liad arrived within one pace of the regular turning spot at the cabin ladder-way, Lord Nelson, who, regardless of quarter-deck etiquette, was walking on the larboard side, suddenly faced left about. Captain Hardy, as soon as he had taken the other step, turned also, and saw the Admiral in the act of falling. He was then on his knees, with his left hand just touch- ing the deck. The arm giving way. Lord Nelson fell on his left side, exactly upon the spot where his secretary, Mr. Scott, had breathed his last, and with whose blood his lordship's clothes were soiled." A ball fired from the mizen-top of the Bedouhtdble had struck the fore part of his epaulet, entered the left shoulder, and, descending, had lodged in his spine. Captain Hardy immediately expressed a hope his chief was not severely wounded. Lord Nelson, with the sure prescience of a dying man, replied, " They have done for me at last. Hardy." " I hope not," said the captain. " Yes," continued Nelson, ** my backbone is shot through." Sergeant Seeker, of the Marines, and two seamen, who had run up on seeing the Admiral fall, now bore him to the cock-pit ; and such was his coolness and presence of mind that he observed, as he was carried down the ladder, the tiller-ropes which had been shot away, were not yet replaced, and ordered new ones to be rove immediately. Then, that he might not be recognized by the crew, he took out his handkerchief, and covered his face and stars. The cock-pit was crowded with the wounded and dying, over whose bodies he was conveyed with difficulty, and laid upon a purser's bed. Here his wound was immediately ex- amined by the surgeon, and found to be mortal. It was evident that he suffered great pain. *' He fre- quently called for drink, and to be fanned with paper, making use of these words : * Fan, fan,' and * drink, drink.' " In about an hour and ten minutes after he had re- ceived his wound he was gratified by a visit from Cap- HIS LAST HOURS. 257 tain Hardy, for whom he had often inquired. '' Will no one bring Hardy to me ? He must be killed ! He is surely dead !" They shook hands in silence, for Hardy dared not give vent to his emotions. *' Well, Hardy/' said Nelson, ''how goes the day with us?" "Very well," was the reply; '' ten ships have stiiick, but five of the van have tacked, and show an intention of bearing down upon the Victory. I have, therefore, called two or three of our fresh ships round us, and have no doubt of giving them a drubbing." " I hope," said his lord- ship, '' none of our ships have struck. Hardy." '' Xo, my lord, there is no fear of that." Lord Xelson then said : "I am a dead man, Hardy. I am going fast : it will be all over with me soon." The captain now returned on deck ; and shortly after- wards, the Victory opened her larboard gims upon Eear- Admiral Dumanoir's squadron, which was sailing to windward, and some of her starboard guns upon the French Sicifisure, then preparing to rake the Colossits. The firing so affected the dying Admiral that he ex claimed, " Oh, Victory, Victory, how you distract my poor brain!" Adding, after a moment's pause, " How dear is life to all men !" By this time he had lost all feeling below the breast, and having made the surgeon ascertain this, he said to him, "You know I am gone; I know it. I feel something rising in my breast" — putting his hand on his left side — " which tells me so." And upon Dr. Beatty's inquiring whether his pain was very great, he replied, " So great that I wish I was dead. Yet," he added, in a lower voice, " one would like to live a little longer too." In the same tone, a few minutes later, he cried, " What would become of poor Lady Hamilton if she knew my situation ?" About fifty minutes had elapsed since Captain Hardy's return to the deck, and he now again presented himself before his revered chief. Taking his hand, he con- gratulated him on having gained a glorious victory, 258 HIS DEATH AND CHARACTEB. * whicli, lie said, was complete, though, he did not know to a certainty how many of the enemy's ships had sur- rendered. Bnt assuredly not less than fourteen or fifteen. Nelson answered, '' That is well, but I bargained for twenty;" and then emphatically exclaimed, " Anchor, Hardy, anchor !" — " I suppose, my lord. Admiral Col- ling wood will now take upon himself the direction of affairs." — '^ Not while I live, I hope, Hardy," cried Nelson, ineffectually endeavouring to raise himself. " No, do you anchor. Hardy." Presently, calling the captain back, he said to him in a low voice, " Don't throw this poor carcase overboard," and expressed a desire that he might be buried by his parents, unless the King should please to order otherwise. Then, the home-feelings and the home-sympathies again woke up in his heart: — " Take care of my dear Lady Hamilton, Hardy : take care of poor Lady Hamilton Kiss me, Hardy." Hardy knelt down and kissed his cheek. Nelson then said : '' Now I am satisfied. Thank God I have done my duty." Hardy stood over him in silence for a moment ; then knelt again, and kissed his forehead. *' Who is that?" said Nelson; and being informed, he replied, " God bless you. Hardy." Nelson now asked to be turned upon his right side, and said, '' I wish I had not left the deck ; for I shall soon be gone." To the chaplain he said, " Doctor, I have not been a great sinner;" and, after a short pause, " Kemember that I leave Lady Hamilton and my daughter Horatia as a legacy to my country." His articulation grew very indistinct, but he was heard frequently to repeat, " Thank God, I have done my duty." They were his last words, and they summed up the lesson of his life. He expired, without a struggle or a groan, at thirty minutes past four, — three hours and a quarter after he had received his wound. " The most triumphant death," says Southey, elo- quently, " is that of the martyr ; the most awful that of the martyred patriot; the most splendid that of tho NELSON AS A DISCIPLINARIAN. 259 hero in the hour of victory : and if the chariot and the horses of fire had been vouchsafed for Kelson's trans- lation, he could scarcely have departed in a brighter blaze of glory. He has left us, not indeed his mantle of inspiration, but a name and an example, which are at this hour inspiring thousands of the youth of England : a name which is our pride, and an example which will continue to be our shield and our strength." It is unnecessary for us to pronounce any eulogium upon the hero of Aboukir, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar. Such a labour would be as futile as the task of the herald who stands over the tombs of princes, and re- peats the long roll of their titles and honours. Kelson's fame is part and parcel of the glory of England, who among all her illustrious Worthies never had one whom she loved so well. Others have received her gratitude, her praise, her reverence. She loaded honours and rewards upon Wellington, for he had deserved well of the commonwealth •; but yet Wellington was never the people's hero. He was, so to speak, too much of an abstraction ; his very virtues, his very freedom from the ordinary errors of humanity, raised him above the com- mon crowd. But Kelson was thoroughly English in his genius, his follies, even his antipathies. His patriotism was so warm ; his loyalty so ardent ; his courage so audacious ; there was in that weak and diminutive body such a soul of fire ; that everybody was irresistibly attracted to him, and inspired by the impulses which inspired himself. The people did not love him the less for his errors, — they served by their contrast to heighten and exalt his virtues. He was their Kelson; not the Kelson of the court or the aristocracy, but the Kelson of the people of England. How they rejoiced in his victories ! How they mourned over his death ! Kelson was no common man. He was not simply a brave and dashing seaman ; he was a consummate naval tactician ; and never before or since has England pro- duced an officer -who so thoroughly understood the ^3 260 HIS FUNERAL. management of great fleets. He was the Napoleon of tlie British, navy, and revolutionised the tactics and administration of our marine. All his victories were gained over considerably superior forces, and in the face of obstacles which would have seemed insuperable to a man of inferior genius. Though greedy of glory he was incapable of selfishness, and delighted in duly acknow- ledging the services of those who fought under him, and who owed so much to his splendid example. Though a strict disciplinarian, he never wearied his men with useless minutiaB or unwise restraints, and accord- ingly received their entire confidence and devoted love. No admiral, except Earl St. Yincent, ever equalled him in the successful formation of a school of intelligent officers. Men bred up under the eye of Nelson were fit to go anywhere, and do anything; they were capable of the greatest achievements, for insensibly they had become imbued with his own spirit, and learned the great lessons which his career was continually teaching. His daring, his intrepidity, his presence of mind, his fi^rmness of purpose, they could all understand and imitate ; it was only the originality of his genius and the comprehensiveness of his intellect which they could not hope to rival. The hero's body was conveyed to England in the Victory, and on the 6th of January 1806, after lying for some days in state at Greenwich Hospital, was interred with elaborate pomp in St. Paul's Cathedral ; a vast and sorrowing multitude attending the solemn obsequies. The leaden coffin in which his remains were brought home was cut in pieces, and these were distributed as relics of Saint Nelson — so the gunner of the Victory called him ;— »-and when, at his interment, his flag was about to be lowered into his tomb, the seamen who were present — as if with one accord, and at a given signal — rent it into fragments, that each might preserve the memorial while he lived. Statues and monuments were voted by most of our DETAII^ OF THE BATTlE. 2G1 principal cities, and notably the tall column in London, which still, to our dishonour, remains unfinished. His brother was created an earl, with a grant of 6000Z, per annum ; 10,000/. were voted to each of his sisters ; and 100,000Z. for the purchase of an estate. Having thus brought to a close our narrative of Kel- son's death, we intend to trace, very briefly, the share of the Victcyi^y in this famous battle, which virtually anni- hilated the navies of France and Spain, and freed the shores of England from all apprehension of invasion. But, fi.rst, we may extract from Mr. James's elaborate Naval History a general view of the engagement, and its immediate results : — " Soon after the first four ships of the British lee- division had cut through between the centre and rear of the Franco-Spanish line, the remainder successively, as they came up, pierced the mass (for it could no longer be called line) of enemy's ships, in various directions, and found opponents as they could. Meanwhile the leading ships of the weather-division had begun to engage in a similar manner, a little ahead of the centre. The action, which had commenced at noon, arrived at its height about 1*30 p.m. At 3 p.m. the firing began to slacken, and, at about 5 p.m., wholly ceased. Of the fourteen van-ships of the combined line, reckoning to the Medouhtahle inclusive, three only were captured in their places. The remaining eleven wore out of the line. Of these eleven, three were captured, and eight escaped; four by hauling to windward, and four by running for Cadiz. Of the nineteen rear-ships, twelve, including one burnt, were taken, and seven escaped into Cadiz ; mak- ing, as the result of the first day's proceedings, nine French (including one burnt), and nine Spanish sail of the line captured, total eighteen ; and nine French, and six Spanish sail of the line escaped, total fifteen : of which lat- ter number four French ships got away to the southward [and were captured by Sir Eichard Strachan], and eleven, five of them French and six Spanish, and most of the 262 DETAILS OV THE BATTLt:. ships mucli scattered, with all the frigates and brigs, reached the bay of Cadiz." After Lord Nelson had been removed below, the fire from the Bedoubtahle's tops was kept up with such terrible effect that, in a few minutes, several officers and about forty men, nearly the whole of them upon the upper deck, were killed or wounded. The few effec- tive men who escaped the enemy's musketry were em- ployed in removing their wounded comrades below, and the quarter-deck and poop being thus comparatively empty, the officers and crew of the Bedouhtahle seized the opportunity, and made a gallant attempt to board. A party of the Victory s officers and men, however, soon sprang up the stairs from the lower decks, and after a quick sharp interchange of firing, repulsed the French, but not without a considerable loss. Captain Adair and eighteen men were killed, and two officers and twenty men wounded. The hand-grenades flung from the tops of the Redoubt- able did far less mischief to her antagonists than herself, for some of them falling among her larboard fore -chains and starboard fore-shrouds, set them on fire. The flames quickly caught the foresail of her antagonist, the *' brave old Temeraire,^^ but her energetic crew extinguished them before they became serious, ^^he Victory's men, after having put out a fire that had Spread itself among some ropes and canvas on the boom^ also lent their aid to extinguish the fire on board the Bedoubtabhy and flung bucketsful of water from the gangway upon her chains and forecastle. The Bedoubtable now ceased hostilities, and became the prize of the Victory, Her other antagonist, the Temeraire, was now grappling with the Fougueux. She poured in a terrible broadside, which crashed through every timber of the French vessel, and the latter, reel- ing under the shock, and running foul of the Temeraire, was immediately lashed fast by her fore rigging. She LOSS ON BOARD THE *' VICTORY." 263 was then boarded by Lieut. Kennedy, and twenty-eight gallant fellows, and in ten minutes was in the possession of the English. The Victonj now disengaged herself from the shattered spars and rigging of the Bedouht- able, and the Temeraire sent a prize crew on board the latter. The damages sustained by the Victory were necessarily very great ; her mizen topmast was shot away ; her hull much damaged ; not a yard or spar that was not wounded ; the rigging was literally cut to pieces ; and some shots had been received between wind and water. Her roll of killed and wounded also illustrated the glorious part she had borne in the victory of Trafalgar. Besides Lord Nelson and his secretary, she had her captain of marines, one lieutenant, two midshipmen, the captain's clerk, 32 seamen and 18 marines, killed; two lieu- tenants, two lieutenants of marines, three midship- men, and 95 seamen and marines, ivounded. It was by such sacrifices as these that our forefathers main- tained the freedom and asserted the honour of the '' in- violate isle!" Before closing our sketches of this memorable battle, we shall briefly indicate what was accomplished in it by each British ship. We have already spoken of the Temeraire, which had 47 killed and 76 wounded. The Boyal Sovereign (Collingwood's flag-ship) first engaged the Santa Anna, and in one hour and five minutes compelled her to surrender, after a desperate and well - contested action. She lost 47 killed, and 94 wounded. The Belleisle, on entering into action, sustained a tre- mendous fire from the rear of the combined line ; exchanged broadsides with the Monarca and Santa Anna ; engaged the San Juan Nepomuceno, and was also beset by the Fougueux, which, on the coming up of the Mars, dropped astern. She was afterwards surrounded by the AchiUe, the Aigle, the San Justo, and San Leandro, and reduced to a perilous extremity. At half-past two the 264 WHAT EACH BRITISH SHIP ACCOMPLISHED. Frencli Neptune placed herself across her starboard bow, and it was high time that relief arrived. Foi'tiinately the Polyphemus and Defiance now came up, and soon afterwards the &(J^/^swre engaged the ^cMZe. "As the Swiftsure passed close nnder the Belleisle's stern the two ships cheered each other ; and to signify that, notwith- standing her dismasted and shattered state, the Belleisle remained nnconquered, a union-jack was suspended at the end of a pike and held up to view, while an ensign was being made fast to the stump of her mizenmast." Killed, 33 ; wounded, 93. The Mars was chiefly engaged with the Pluton, but had also to contend with a heavy fire from the Fougueux. Captain Duff was killed about Ih. lorn. p.m. Killed, 29 ; wounded, 69. The Tonnant, after relieving the Ma7^s from two Spanish ships, engaged the Monarca, and compelled her to haul down her colours. Next she ran aboard of the Algesiras,^ and fought her gallantly for upwards of an hour. The Algesiras then surrendered, and was taken possession of. The San Juan also struck her colours to the Tonnant, Killed, 26 ; wounded, 50. Of the Bellerophon we have spoken in another part of our little volume. She took possession of both the Monarca and the Bahama, — the latter, however, having struck to the Colossus, Killed, 27 ; wounded, 123. The Colossus suffered more severely in her aggregate of killed and wounded than any other British ship. She was closely engaged with the Argonaute, which she silenced ; and afterwards with the Bahama, and the French Swiftsure. After a hot contest, both surrendered. Killed, 40 ; wounded, 160. The Achille (English) engaged the Montanez, which in fifteen minutes was glad to sheer off, and then proceeded to the relief of the Belleisle. In doing so she was met by the Argonaute, and a warm engagement ensued. The Berivich now came up, and the Spanish shijD dro23ped to FURTHER PARTICULARS. 265 leeward. After an lionr's action tlie Berwiclc surrendered. Killed, 13 ; wounded, 59. The Leviathan first directed her attention to the Bucen- taure, and afterwards to the French Neptune^ and the San Augustin, which she carried by boarding. Killed, 4; wounded, 22. The Conqueror engaged the Bucentaure, which had pre- viously been shattered by the Victory's terrible broadside (see p. 254), and took possession of her. Killed, 3; wounded, 9. The Neptune had also a brush with the Bucentaure, and afterwards engaged the Santissima Trinidad, Being joined by the Africa, she silenced the great Spanish, three-decker, which, at the close of the action, was boarded and taken in tow by the Prince. The Neptune had 10 killed, and 34 wounded; the Africa, 18 killed, and 44 wounded. IferThe Orion attacked the Intrepide with so heavy a can- nonade that in ten to fifteen minutes she surrendered, having lost, in killed and wounded, nearly 200 of her crew. Killed, 1 ; wounded, 23. The Britannia was engaged, first, with the San Fran- cisco, and, second, with the Bayo, three-decker. Killed, 10 ; wounded, 42. The Agamemnon exchanged broadsides with several of the French and Spanish ships. Killed, 2 ; wounded, 8. The AJax sustained but little damage. Killed, 2 ; wounded, 9. The Minotaur and Spartiale did not get into action until late, when they pounced upon the Si^eimsh. Neptuno, which was compelled to surrender. The Minotaur had 3 killed, and 22 wounded; the Spartiate 3 killed, and 20 wounded. The Dreadnought engaged and captured the San Juan, She then attacked Admiral Gravina's ship, the Principe- de-Asiurias ; but the Spaniard, after two or three broadsides, made sail and escaped. Killed, 7 ; wounded, 26. 266 THE *« victory'* in PORTSMOUTH HARBOUR. The Erjglisli Swiftsure engaged the AcMlle, which found afterwards a second antagonist in the Polyphemus. The AcJiilU was soon silenced. The Swiftsure had 9 killed and 8 wounded ; the Polyphemus, 2 killed and 4 wounded. The Defence, after an hour's engagement, compelled the San Ildefonso to strike her colours. Killed, 7 ; wounded, 29. The Thunderer assisted the Dreadnought in her attack upon the Principe- de-Asturias, and was afterwards en- gaged by the Freuch Neptune. Killed, 4; wounded, 12. The Defiance, after a brisk brush with the Principe, ran alongside of the Aigle, " boarded her with little re- sistance, got possession of the poop and quarter-deck, hauled down the French colours, and hoisted the Eng- lish in their stead ; when, suddenly, so destructive a fire of musketry was opened upon the boarders from the forecastle, waist, and tops of the Aigle, that the Briti|^ were glad to quit her, and escape back to their ship." The Defiance, therefore, recommenced her cannonading, and in twenty-five minutes the Frenchman surrendered. Killed, 17; wounded, 53. The total loss in the English fleet amounted to 449 killed, and 1241 wounded. Every English lad must know that the Victory, since the day of Trafalgar, has been carefully preserved in Portsmouth Harbour, — the best of all monuments to her great Admiral's fame. She has been so frequently re- paired that very little of Nelson's ship remains ; but the spot on the deck where he fell is still pointed out, and the corner in the cockpit where he expired. On the . anniversary of Trafalgar, October 21st, she is gaily decorated with wreaths of evergreen ; and no stranger, for the first time in Portsmouth Harbour, fails to visit the historic vessel which, in the most decisive naval battle of the century, bore the flag of England's most illustrious naval hero. Esto perpetua ! May her name never pass away from the records of the British Navy ! 207 CHAPTER XVI. THE STORY OF A SHIPWRECIC. "The Alceste." [Period of Service : Reign of George III. Strength : 46 guns, 218 men, 900 tons.] *• The shore look'd wild, without a trace of man, And girt by formidable waves ; but they Were mad for land, and thus their course they ran. Though right ahead the roaring breakers lay : A reef between them also now began ^ To show its boihng surf and bounding spray. But finding no place for a landing better, They ran the boat for shore." — Byron, In the preceding chapters we have sketched the careers of some of the most famous ships of the British navy, and recorded many of those deeds of brilliant courage and resolute intrepidity which have won for the British sailor so exalted a character. Before closing our little volume, and bidding farewell to those kind readers who have followed thus far our simple narratives, we propose also to show him under circumstances of peculiar peril and privation, as we have shown him in the flush of victory and the glow of success, and to tell, as concisely as possible, the spirit-stirring Story of the Wreck of the Aleeste. We shall preface it, however, with a few details of her earlier adventures. The Alcests was a fine 46-gun frigate, commissioned in 1806 by Captain Murray Maxwell, an officer who had previously distinguished himself by his skill, discretion, and courage. 268 ACTION WITH GUN-BOATS. On the 4tli of April 1808, she lay at anchor about three miles from Cadiz, in company with the 28-gun fri- gate Mercury^ and 18-gun brig Grasshopper, A large convoy, protected by abont twenty gun-boats, and a nu- merous train of flying artillery, which moved along the beach, was observed creeping along the coast from the northward. Captain Maxwell immediately determined to cut them off, and the squadron weighing stood in shore. The Alceste and Mercury flung their fire upon the gun-boats, while the Grasshopper from her light draught of water got nearer in, and engaged the bat- teries. She soon drove the Spanish from their guns, and so ably directed was all her movements, that Captain Maxwell, in his account of the action, says — " It was a general cry in both ships, ' Onl}?- look how nobly the brig behaves !' " The boats of the Alceste and 3Iercury, under their re- spective lieutenants, now pushed off, and made a gallant dash upon the convoy, bringing off, from under the very guns of the enemy, whose forces by this time had been considerably augmented, seven loaded " tartans." Two of the gun-boats, meanwhile, were destroyed by the can- nonades of the English frigates, and several driven on shore ; and this spirited and successful affair was thus happily concluded with the loss of only one man mor- tally and two severely wounded. The Alceste was next employed as a cruiser upon the coast of Italy; and in 1811 we find her in the '* storm}^ Adriatic," in company with the frigates Active and Unite. On the 28th of November, at early dawn, while lying in Port St. George, in the Island of Lissa, the appear- ance of three suspicious sail in the south was tele- graphed. Captain Maxwell immediately concluded they were French ; unmoored ; and began warping out of har- bour against a strong head wind ; and such were the strenuous exertions of both officers and men that by the evening all three frigates were at sea, and crowding on CAPTURE OF THE " TOMONE." 269 every stitcli of canvas they could carry in pursuit of the enemy. They came up with them about eleven o'clock the next morning, and discovered them to be the 40 gun frigates Pauline and Pomone, and ihe frigate-built store- ship PersannCj of 26 guns, on their way to join the French squadron at Trieste. The French, finding them- selves discovered, hung out all their sails, and endea- voured to escape, but the Alceste soon gained upon the Pomone, and the Unite overhauled the Persanne, The Alceste got engaged with the Pomone about a quarter past one, but, giving and receiving a broadside, pushed ahead to fight the Pauline, the Commodore's ship. At this moment a shot from the Pomone carried away her maintopmast, and as it fell over her side, cheers from both the French frigates of " Vive I'Empereur " were lustily raised. *' They thought the day their own," says Captain Maxwell, "not aware of what a second I had in my gallant friend Captain Gordon, who pushed the Active up under every sail." The Active brought the Pomone to close action about two, and soon afterwards the French commodore en- gaged the Alceste, But seeing that his companion stood no chance against the Active, he suddenly set all sail, and stood to the westward. The Alceste now bore up, and directed her fire at the Pomone, which, — her main and mizen masts coming down by the board, — hoisted a union-jack as a signal of surrender. The Pauline escaped, owing to the disabled condition of the British frigates ; but the Persanne struck her colours to the Unite, According to naval etiquette Captain Maxwell, as senior officer, was entitled to the sword of the captain of the Pomone, but with the generosity of a noble spirit, no sooner did he receive it than he presented it to Captain Gordon, considering the Pomone to be fairly the prize of the Active, In this brilliant affair the Alceste, out of a crew of only 218 men and boys, had 7 killed and 13 wounded. Th^ 270 ' EMBASSY TO CHINA. Active lost 8 killed, and 27 wounded. Captain Gordon lost his leg, a 36-potind shot striking him on the knee- joint, — '' carrying all off as if it had been done with a knife, and leaving the leg hanging by the tendons." Captain Maxwell was shortly afterwards removed to the Dcedalus, 3 8 -gun frigate, ordered on a cruise in the Indian seas, but had the misfortune to be wrecked, upon a reef of rocks, off the island of Ceylon. Fortu- nately all the crew were saved. (July 2nd, 1813.) Towards the close of the year 1815, the English Government determined to send an embassy to the court of Pekin, with the view of inducing the Chinese government to remove some of the restrictions which impeded commercial enterprise and pressed heavily upon European traders. This delicate and important mission was intrusted to Lord Amherst; and the 46-gun frigate, the Alceste, was commissioned by Captain Murray Maxwell for the reception of the ambassador and his suite. The Alceste sailed from Spithead on the 9th of Febru- ary 1816, and arrived in the Chinese seas in the July following. Lord Amherst duly cai'ried out the objects of his embassy, and having satisfactorily concluded his negotiations with the court of Pekin, left China on his return to England on the 9th of January 1817. The Alceste arrived at Manilla on the 3rd of February, and finally sailed for home on the 9th. At that time of the year the passage through the Straits of Caspar is considered preferable to that of the Straits of Banca, from its greater width and depth of water. Thither, therefore, Captain Maxwell directed the Alceste ; and on the morning of the 18th of February she made Caspar Island, and soon afterwards came in sight of Pulo Leat, or Middle Island. A gentle wind was blowing from the north- west ; the sea was smooth and tranquil ; but as the waters were much discoloured by a quantity of fish-spawn, great care was used in steering the frigate to prevent her running on any WRF.CK OF THE *'ALCESTE." 271 hidden rock. Captain Maxwell^ the master, and his officers were all on deck, and there seemed no cause for apprehension, as the soundings corresponded exactly with the charts, when the ship, about half-past seven, struck with a terrible crash on a sunken reef, and remained immoveable ! All hands were set to work at the pumps ; but it soon became evident that no exertions could keep the water under, and in a very few minutes it rose above the orlop deck. The boats were therefore hoisted out, and Captain Maxwell attended to the safety of Lord Amherst and his suite, who, with a guard of marines for their protection, were despatched as quickly as possible to the Island of Pulo Leat, then distant between three and four miles. There it was hoped a supply of fresh water and tropical fruits might be procured. Meanwhile, Captain Maxwell and his men were stre- nuously exerting themselves to obtain from the sub- merged hold a supply of provisions ; but experienced no slight difficulty in the attempt from the force and depth of the water. The boats returned from Pulo Leat in the afternoon, but their report was a gloomy one ; there were no signs of food or water on the island, and the approach to the shore was much impeded by the mangrove trees, which grew out to a considerable dis- tance. No other resource, however, presented itself, and by eight o'clock that evening, all the crew were landed but one division, who, with the captain, first- lieutenant, and some other officers, remained that night on board the wreck. And a perilous and stormy night it proved ! Happily the ship remained stationary on the reef, and the wind moderating towards morning, no catastrophe occurred. About six o'clock, the boats re- turned, and Captain Maxwell pushed off to Pulo Leat to consult with Lord Amherst upon his future move- ments. Mr. Hick, the first-lieutenant, remained in charge of the wreck, and a boat was stationed there to receive him and his men if any danger arose. 272 THE ISLAND OF PULO LEAT. Captain Maxwell arrived at the island near noon, and found the ambassador, his suite, and the officers and crew of the Alceste in a position of considerable dis- comfort. They had landed on a most noxious salt water marsh, whence the tropic sun drew up a cloud of pestilential vapour. Few of the party — not even the ambassador himself — had on other attire than a shirt and a pair of trousers, while all around, and on the neighbouring trees, fluttered a curiously heterogeneous assemblage of mandarin robes, gay Chinese shawls, court dresses, tarr}^ shirts, canvas trousers, and check shirts ! Captain Maxwell's primary object was to insure Lord Amherst's safety ; and he therefore determined, with his lordship's assent, to send the members of the embassy to Batavia in the barge and cutter, under escort of a party of marines, to protect the boats from the j)iratical Malays. It was arranged that on their arrival at Ba- tavia, Mr. Ellis, the ambassador's secretary, should charter a vessel, and return to the island for the crew and officers of the Alceste. "• A small quantity of provisions," says Mr. Gilly, whose concise account we have closely followed, *' and nine gallons of water, was all that could be spared from their very scanty store ; but at sunset every heart was exhilarated by hope and sympathetic courage, on seeing the ambassador strip, and wade off to the boats with as much cheerfulness as if he had stepped into them under a salute. At seven o'clock, the barge, under the charge of Lieutenant Hoppner, and the cutter, commanded by Mr. Mayne, the master, containing in all 47 persons, took their departure for Batavia, accompanied by the anxious thoughts and good wishes of their fellow-suf- ferers, who were left to encounter new dangers." A party was now told off to dig for water. But a small supply had been obtained from the wreck, and each man, for the last two days, had- been limited to a pint apiece. Another was set to v/ork to cut a path to the summit of the hill, where Captain Maxwell resolved MALAY PIRATES. 273 to establish his encampment ; and a third was employed to remove thither the scanty stock of provisions. These labourers under a tropic sun, half fed and half clothed, suffered severely from thirst. But about midnight descended a heavy shower, affording a delightful relief. The men caught it by spreading out their table-cloths and garments, and when these were thoroughly wetted, wiimg their delicious contents into their parched mouths. Shortly afterwards, the well-diggers announced that they had found water ; an announcement which was received with enthusiastic cheers. During the following day it supplied each person with a pint of water, and as it savoured something of a milky taste, the men added a little rum, and then declared that it formed most delec- table milk-punch. On Friday, the 21st, the party engaged in rescuing from the wreck what stores they could get at, descried a number of armed Malay proas, bearing down upon them. Unprovided with weapons they could only leap into their boats, and push off with all speed to Pulo Leat. The pirates closely pursued them, until two boats put out to sea to the assistance of their comrades. The Malays then returned to the wreck, and took pos- session of it. These circumstances instantly aroused the whole settlement to action. " The order was given," says Mr. M'Leod, *' for every man to arm himself in the best manner he could, and it was obeyed with the utmost promptitude and alacrity. Eude pike-staves were formed by cutting down young trees ; small swords, dirks, knives, chisels, and "even large spike-nails sharp- ened, were finnly fixed to the ends of these poles, and those who could find nothing better hardened the end of the wood in the fire, and bringing it to a sharp point, formed a tolerable weapon. There were, perhaps, a dozen cutlasses ; the marines had about thirty muskets and bayonets ; but we could muster no more than seventy-fi.ve ball cartridges among the whole party. 274 PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE. *' We had fortunately presei-ved some loose powder^ drawn from the upper deck guns after the ship had struck (for the magazines were under water in five minutes), and the marines, by hammering their buttons round, and by rolling up pieces of broken bottles in cartridges, did their best to supply themselves with a sort of shot that would have some effect at close quar- ters, and strict orders were given not to throw away a single discharge until sure of their aim. ' ' Mr. Cheffy, the carpenter, and his crew, under the direction of the captain, were busied in forming a sort of abattis by felling trees, and enclosing in a circular shape the ground we occupied ; and by interweaving loose branches with the stakes driven in among these, a breastwork was constructed, which afforded us some cover, and must naturally impede the progress of any enemy unsupplied with artillery. " Even the boys managed to make fast table-knives on the end of sticks for their defence. One of them, who had been severely bruised by the falling of the masts, and was slung in his hammock betw^een two trees, had been observed carefully fixing, with two sticks and a rope-yarn, the blade of an old razor. On being asked what he meant to do with it, he replied, ' You know I cannot stand, but if any of these fellows come within reach of my hammock, Fll mark them !' " The officers and men were divided into companies ; sentries were stationed at suitable points, and regularly relieved ; the boats hauled up to the landing-place, and a guard ajjpointed ; and other defensive measures con- certed and adopted. An attempt was made, on the 22nd, to enter into a peaceable arrangement with the Malays, and at first they seemed to respond to the overtures of the English. This favourable disposition did not last. Mr. Hay, the second-lieutenant, was, therefore, ordered to proceed to the ship with three of the boats, and drive off the pirates by force. When they saw the boats approach the Alceste AN AMUSING INCIDENT. 275 they quickly abandoned it ; but not before they had set fire to the wreck. This act, 'however, proved of advan- tage to the English, for the upper works and decks burning down to the water's edge, everything buoyant floated up, and was easily laid hold of. During the night an incident occurred which may amuse the reader, though it startled its hero. " A sentry sin*prised by the approach of a very suspicious looking personage, who was making towards him, levelled his musket and fired. In an instant the whole camp was alive with excitement, supposing that they were attacked by the savages, when, behold, the enemy turned out to be a large baboon, one of a race that abounded in the island. These creatures became very troublesome : they were most audacious thieves, and even carried away several ducks which had been saved from the wreck; till at last the poor birds were so frightened that they left their little enclosure and voluntarily sought for safety and protection amongst the people." From Sunday morning, the 23rd, till Wednesday, the 26th, the men were engaged in rescuing what stores and provisions they could from the hull of the wreck ; and it was with no ordinary pleasure they secured between fifty and sixty boarding-pikes, and eighteen muskets, all of which would be serviceable against their piratical foes. But as provisions began to fail, and no succours had yet arrived from Batavia, Captain Maxwell ordered the launch to be repaired, and a raft to be con- structed, that his people might quit the island before reduced to the extremities of famine. The Malays now began to make preparations for an intended attack. They occupied a small islet, about two miles distant, and every day brought them reinforce- ments. On Sunday, the 2nd of March, their demon- strations were so formidable that Captain Maxwell kept all his men under arms, and believing that an attack would be made during the night, he addressed them in a spirited harangue. *' I do not wish to deceive you," s 2 276 BELIEF AT HAND. lie said, ** as to the means of resistance in our power. When we were first thrown together on shore we were almost defenceless. Seventy-five ball-cartridges only could be mustered ; we have now sixteen hundred. They cannot, I believe, send up more than five hundred men, but, with two hundred such as now stand around me, I do not fear a thousand — nay, fifteen hundred of them ! I have the fullest confidence that we shall beat them. The pikemen standing firm, we can give them such a volley of musketry as they will be little pre- pared for, and when we find they are thrown into con- fusion, we'll sally out among them, chase them into the water, and ten to one but we secure their vessels. Let every man, therefore, be on the alert with his arms in his hands ; and should these barbarians this night attempt our hill, I trust we shall convince them that they are dealing with Britons ! " To this hearty address the crew of the Alceste replied with three enthusiastic cheers. The night, however, passed in tranquillity; and the morning showed the pirates assembled to the number of six hundred. In this perilous position the men of the Alceste displayed all the best qualities of British seamen, and preserved as rigid a discipline as if they were on board ship. They were soon rewarded for their heroic patience. In the afternoon, an officer who had ascended one of the tallest trees, thought he descried a sail at a great distance. Closer examination proved that he was in the right, and before the day closed the brig Ternate, which Lord Amherst had despatched to their relief, approached near enough to communicate with the shore. The Malays immediately took to flight, but not without a farewell volley from the Alceste's people. On Friday, the 7th of March, they were all embarked on board the Ternate, and on the 9th, they arrived at Batavia, where they w^ere most kindly welcomed by Lord Amherst, and their comfort sedulously studied. They were afterwards sent home to England. Captain ' CONCLUDING REMARKS. 277 Maxwell, on tlie route, touclied at St. Helena, and was favoured by the Emperor Napoleon with an interview. The Emperor reminded him of the capture of the Pomone, and said, — " Vous etiez tres mechant. Eh bien ! Your government must not blame you for the loss of the Alceste, for did you not -capture one of my frigates ?" Amongst the many narratives which testify to the calm cool courage and patient endurance of the British sailor, there is not one, we think, which more vividly illustrates those qualities than that of the Shipwreck of the Alceste, And with no other record could we more fitly close a volume devoted to the celebration of his daring, enterprise, and heroism. From these pages may our youthful readers gather not only amusement, but instruction ; and learn to imitate while they reverence those manly virtues which a Blake and a Nelson, a Collingwood and a Howe dis- played ! And, above all, may they take to their hearts the great lesson of Duty ; in whatever position and tinder whatever circumstances ; remembering the noble lines of the poet, — *' Not once or twice in our rough island- story, The path of duty was the way. to glory : He that walks it, only thirsting For the right, and learns to deaden Love of self, before his journey closes, Ho shall find the stubborn thistle bursting Into glossy purples, which out-redden All voluptuous garden-roses. Not once or twice in our fair island-story, The path of duty was the way to glory : He, that ever following her commands. On with toil of heart and knees and hands, Thro' the long gorge to the far light has won His path upward, and prevailed, Shall find the toppling crags of Duty scaled Are close u^Don the shining table-lands To which our God himself is moon and sun." — Tennyson. 278 APPENDIX. THE *' WARRIOR," AND IRON-CLAD SHIPS.* ''It is said that ideas produce revolutions ; and truly tliey do — not spiritual ideas only, but even mechanical." — Carlyle. In giving a brief notice of the prominent features of the several varieties of iron- cased ships, it will be desirable to divide them into two classes, Sea-going Ships, and Coast-defence Ships, Sea-going Ships. — Of these we have built, or are building, the following ships : Warrior, Black Prince, Achilles, Defence, Resistance, Hector, Valiant, Northumherland, Minotaur, Agin- court, Boyal Oah, Boyal Alfred, Ocean, Prince Consort, Cale- donia, Zealous, Favourite, Enterprise. The Coast-defence Ships are the batteries, Olatton, Trusty, Thunder, jEtna, Terror, Erehus, and TJiunderholt ; and the Shield ships Boyal Sovereign, and Prince Albert. The Warrior (6,039 tons, 1,250 H.P.) is an iron ship of war protected by iron armour. In this respect she is like the batteries Thunderholt, Terror, and Erebus. But while these earlier ships are from their slowness and low free-board incapable of warlike operations on the open sea, the Warrior is in every respect an efficient man-of-war. The main object regarded in her construction was to resist the action of sJtiells, which had long been known to be readily capable of setting ships on fire, and to be frightfully destruc- tive to limb and life when they exploded among the men massed on the fighting decks. It was, however, the startling illustrations of this fact which had been recently given at Sinope and Sebastopol that showed the necessity for a special means of resisting these dangerous missiles. The mode adopted by the French architects for obtaining * We are indebted for this chapter to the kind assistance of Mr. N, Ba-naby, Member of the Institute of Naval Architects. SHEER OF ** WARRIOR." 279 I •g I s bo 06 ^•g 280 IRON SHIPS. this object, was to cover the exposed parts of the ordinary wooden ships with iron. But it was considered by Enghsli architects that^ notwithstanding the rapid fouhng of iron shi])s, and their local weakness of bottom, a great advantage might be obtained by the use of iron instead of wood in the whole of the ship. Wood is, under all circumstances, very perishable, and its liability to decay is likely to increase when inclosed within large masses of iron and perforated by nume- rous iron bolts. In these ships it was particularly desirable to secure a considerable amount of durability, as they would be neces- sarily very costly. It was considered, further, that the heavy masses of iron required for plating the bow and stern would make the ship labour in a sea-way, and that by using iron for the construction of the hull, the necessity for armour-casing at the ends of the ship might be avoided. Iron having for these reasons been adopted as the material for constructing the hull, all danger of destruction by fire from the action of shells was removed. It would not have been difficult to make the whole of the plating of this hull sufficiently thick to break up common shells, without the use of thick armour at all. But iron plates of moderate thickness, while they will successfully resist such shell, are broken up into innumerable fragments by the blows of shot, which fragments fly about the decks, and do much mischief. In an iron ship of war it is therefore necessary to protect with shot-proof plating all those portions of the ship in which the crew are engaged during an action. The portion of the Warrior which is thus protected is shown in fig. 1 (p. 279). It is sufficiently long to enclose a battery of 26 guns, with intervals between the guns of 15 feet 6 inches from centre to centre. It has walls or bulkheads across its extremities, formed of 12 inches of timber and 4-inch iron plates, on a strong frame of iron. These waUs extend from the spar deck to 8 feet below the water. The sides are strongly framed with ribs and plating, and have outside these, 18 inches of sound hard teak, and plates of hammered iron 4J inches thick. Each plate is about 15 feet long and 3 feet wide, and weighs 4 tons. Each plate is fastened by about 30 bolts, two feet long. These bolts are formed with a conical head, sunk into the plate, and a screwed point, on which there are two nuts set up inside the skin of THE ARMOUR OF THE <« WARRIOR." 281 the ship. This side has been proved to be capable of re- sisting both 68-pouuders fired from a 9o-cwt. gun, and 150-pounders from an Armstrong 100-pounder gun, at 200 yards range, the ordinary charges of powder (16 lbs.) being employed. It was found further that, when a loO-lb. shot was fired from a 300-pounder gun with a charge of 50 lbs. of powder, the side was not perforated until two shots struck in the same place. For all practical purposes the central battery of the Warrior may therefore be said to be impregnable, except at the ports. In order that these might be reduced in breadth from 3 feet 4 inches to 2 feet, a directing bar has been devised by the Ordnance Department which pivots in the port, and ex- tends under the gun-carriage. By this means greater readi- ness and precision is obtained in training, and the guns can be made to lire over an arc of 60° through the 2-feet port. The port hds are made of thin iron, and are only musket-proof. The accompanying figure (p. 282) shows the depth to which the armour extends below the water, in order to make this central tower impenetrable by shot. It shows also an inner water-tight side for additional security, in the event of the ship receiving injury below the armour by the blows of a ram, or by any other means. It has been assumed in the construc- tion of all these ships, that shot cannot be made to penetrate a ship's side more than two or three feet below the surface of the water. This is probably the fact, and will continue to be so while the depression of the guns is limited to 7°. Shot fired at this angle have to pass through 50 feet of water in order to reach a depth of 6 feet below the surface. There is, however,, nothing to prevent the construction of shigs with lower port-siUs, or higher carriages, and an increased height* between decks, which shall be able to fire their guns at such an angle of depression as wiU penetrate the iron-cased ships below their armour. With guns loaded at the muzzle there might be some danger of the shot rolling out, but in breech-loading guns no such fear can be entertained. Fig. 2 also shows an inner bottom in the middle of the ship, as a security against serious injury in the event of the ship getting aground. This inner or double bottom is 240 feet long, and terminates at each end at one of the transverse watertight bulkheads. Fig. 3 (p. 283) is a section of the undefended pai-t of the ship 282 SECTIOJ^^ OF *' WARRIOR." Fig. 2. — Section of Warrior. Vfifief J}ee^ Maiit jDeek Lonrer Hech rr yio^ ^?^ -hotl^^' 1 N.B.— The depth of the frames and beams is shown by dotted lines, as they only occur at intervals. The drawa lines show the actual seclion of the plating ana framing in these intervals. EXTREME SECTION OF " WARRIOR.'' Fig, 3. — Extreme Section of Warrior, XT^per JDecTi 283 Main Be ek Zomer DecH, \. p-*k^V^^^^sVs»//.%s^W/^ K\s-i;y/.-i...J.^, ...A.., j;;..y r^ Wiihf tight Deck /^ Section of ^Yarrior before the Battery. N.B.— The deptli of the frames and beams is shown by dotted lines, as they only occur at intervals. The drawn liueij show the actual .section of the plating and framing in these intervals. 284 THE BUOYANCY OF THE " WAHRIOR." in whicKis a watertight iron deck^ 8 feet below the load- water line. The portions of the foremost and after holds lying below this deck are not required for use, and it is intended that the scuttles and the man-holes leading through the deck into them should always be closed. Such being the case, it is assumed that no shot will be able to penetrate the deck, and that the holds below will always remain empty, whatever amount of damage is done to the undefended sides lying above them. The buoyancy of these lower holds, together with that of the impregnable central hull, is sufficient to float the ship, though the remainiog upper portions should be completely bilged. These upper portions are divided by numerous bulkheads into a great many compartments, so that it would take a long time to pierce them all. When this is done, the loss of buoyancy will be 1000 tons, and the ship would after the loss steam at about ten knots, and with its ports 6 feet 6 inches out of water. In conjunction with this statement, we may record the facts that the Oloire has at her best an average speed of only 11*8 knots, and swims with her ports within 6 feet of the water. The total weight of the Warrior is 8,800 tons, of which about 7,000 tons are iron. The armour, of which the greater part is hung upon the sides, weighs 1,000 tons. The height to which this armour rises above the sea line is so great that fear was entertained by eminent naval officers that the ship would not be able to stand uiTunder her load. It may, therefore, be interesting to show upon what grounds her designers rested their confidence in her stableness. In fig. 4 (p. 285) the point G marks the position of the centre of gravity of the entire ship and lading. In other words, it is the point about which the ship would balance in any position while the contents of the ship retained their places. B is the position of the centre of gravity of the mass of water displaced. In other words, it is the point about which this body of water would balance in any position if it were congealed or made solid. If the ship, or rather an exact model of the ship, had to be supported in the upright position by a hand placed be- neath it, the hand must be placed at A, and must press upwards in the direction AM, otherwise the ship would fall to one side or the other. And since the ship is supported in the upright position by the upward pressure of the fluid, we see that this fluid acts as if it were a single force equal to the THE STABILITY OF THE "WARRIOR." Fig. 4. , ^ Inelminif fovee 285 Diagram to show the stability of the VTarrior. weight of the ship appHed at A, and pressing upwards in the direction AM. Thus, as the ship weighs 8,800 tons, she sinks into the fluid until she fills the space previously occu- pied by exactly 8,800 tons of water, and she then receives that amount of support from the surrounding fluid which she requires. There is, then, 8,800 tons of weight puUing the ship downwards, and 8,800 tons of fluid resistance pushing her upwards : the consequence is that she neither rises nor falls, but floats at rest. Now suppose the ship or model to be pushed over, im- mersing the right side, and raising the left side out of the water until the hue of immersion is changed to that marked inclined line. Since the weight of the ship is un- altered, the size of the hole which she makes in the water must be the same as before, but its shape and position have undergone a change. "While the ship was upright there was the same amount of displaced fluid on both sides of the line A M, but now there is more on the right than on the left side of this Hne. There 286 THE STABILITY OF THE "WARRIOR." is, therefore, an increase in tlie amount of fluid pressure on the right side, and a decrease in that upon the left ; so that if the model were without weight, and it were required to keep it immersed at the inclined line by the pressure of a hand downwards, that hand must be placed somewhere to the right of the position which it would have occupied for this purpose had the vessel been upright, and it would press down per- IDendicularly to the inclined line. Supposing the exact posi- tion of the hand to be at the point a, we should conclude that the fluid forces which support the ship were all pushingi upwards as though they were collected in the line 6M. Having remarked this from the evidence of our senses in attempting to keep the model immersed by the hand, in the inclined position, we should notice further, that if the model had to be supjoorted by the hand in the inclined position, the hand must be placed at the point W, and must press upwards in the direction of the line W G, because G is the centre of gravity, and it is only about this point that it will balance. From this we should reach our second conclusion, that all the weights in the ship are pushing downwards, as though they were collected in the line GW. But if all the supporting forces act as though they were collected in the line b M, and all the weights as though they were collected in G W, they will, by their joint pushing and pulling, bring the vessel into the upright position again. It is, in fact, only by the appli- cation of some other forces, such as the pressure of the wind on the sails, or the blow of a wave, that such a vessel can be made to incline. As soon as she is forced out of her upright position her very weight drags her back again. To avoid a somewhat difficult proof, the position • of the point a was assumed. Its real position is, however, to be found by discovering the point Z>, which is the centre of gravity of the irregular mass of fluid displaced by the ship in her inclined position, and drawing the line h M vertically up- wards. The point M, where this line cuts the middle line of the ship, is for all ordinary angles of roUing practically coin- cident with what is called the meta-centre. If the weights in the ship were so disposed that their centre of gravity G were situated at M, then the upward and downward forces would be acting in the same line, and there would be no tendency to pull the ship upright; in other words, there would be no stability. And if the point G were above M, then, although the upward and downward forces acted in difl'erent hncs, EXTREME SECTION OP *' ACHILLES.'* Fig. 5. — Extreme Section of Achilles, lihcT Deck 287 Section of AcJiiHes before the Battery. N.B. — The deptb of the frames and beams is shown by dotted lines, as they only occur at intervals. The drawn lines show the actual section of the plating and framing in these intervals. 288 THE "ACHILLES." they would so act as to pull her still further from the upright position until she was keel upwards. The stableness of the ship is therefore measured by the height of the point M above G. In order to keep G low, the weights must be kept down ; and in order to make M high, the rate at which the point B or h (called the centre of buoyancy) moves towards the inchned side must be great. This may be done by increasing the breadth, or diminishing the depth of the ship. Thus, although the tendency of the armour is to raise the centre of gravity, and make the ship crank, the breadth and form of the ship may be such as will entirely counteract such tendency. One effect of the armour, hung as it is at a great distance from the«middle of the ship, is to make her roll more slowly and deeply than she otherwise would. She would also take a longer time to come to rest than ordinary ships^, when rolling once commenced. To obviate this, bilge-pieces, a a, are fitted on the bottom as shown in fig. 2. Their object is simply to increase the friction of the bottom as it rolls through the water, and thus to aid in bringing the vessel to rest. The preceding considerations show us that crankness can in no way be remedied by their use. Stability must be obtained by other means, but they offer a most effectual check to deep and long-continued rolling. Black Prince and Achilles (6,039 tons, 1,250 H.P.).--A11 that has been said of the Warrior applies equally to the Black Prince, and most of it to the Achilles also. The Achilles will however differ from her sister ships in the following respects. She is protected by shot-proof armour, not only in the battery portion, but also in the region of the water line, throughout the entire length of the ship. There is thus a continuous belt of 4J-inch armour on 18 inches of timber extending 8 feet above the water line, and 5 feet below it, as shown in the preceding sketch, fig. 5 (p. 287). The Achilles differs from her sister vessels also in having four masts, and in an altered form of head and stern. The knee and head are removed, in order to free the ship from what is considered to be a mere useless encumbrance, both when encountering a head sea, and when operating as a ram. The stern is so altered as to afford protection to the head of the rudder and stern-post, both of which are exposed in the other ships. They are, however, so massive in those ships as to promise sufficient resistance to the blows of shot. THE " JVIIXOTAUR," AXD SISTER VESSELS. 289 The belt of iron employed in this ship, in conjunction with iron plating on the deck, is expected to render her hull secure against the admission of water through shot holes, so that she may go into action without fearing any loss of buoyancy or speed. Minotaur, Agincourt, and Northumherlcmd (6,621 tons, 1,350 H.P.). — These ships were designed with the view of escaping the objections which were brought by many men of position against such partial protection as that of the Warrior, They contended that the exposed portions of the Warrior would become such a wreck under fire, as to make the ship unmanageable ; and they considered that thq loss of sea-worthiness which would result from loading the ends of the ship with armour was a less disadvantage than that which might be apprehended from the absence of such armour. The truth probably lies somewhere between the two posi- ' tions. It is a great misfortune to have a large portion of the hull capable of being waterlogged, and perhaps a still greater misfortune to have the steering gear exposed to fire. But, on the other hand, the. complete plating requires the ship to be increased in size and cost, and it is feared will prove most injurious to its sea-going qualities. The ships of this latter class are 20 feet longer than the Warrior y 18 inches broader, and have 600 tons more burden. They possess a considerable advantage in the fact, that while the Warrior has only 26 out of her 40 guns under the protec- tion of the armour, they have 40 guns protected. The armour in these ships is omitted from a portion of the fore- end of the top side of the ship, and an athwartship shot- proof bulkhead is erected on the forecastle. Besistance and Defence (3,668 tons, 600 H.P.). — These ships were designed for coast-defence purposes, but there is nothing to prevent their forming part of the line-of-battle in any part of the world. In comparison with the other ships they are somewhat un- dermasted, and have a limited supply of coal, but they will perform useful service whenever they are brought into action. It is to these ships, rather than to the heavier and less manageable frigates, that we must look for active and useful service as rams. They are formed in such a manner as to give them extraordinary strength in the stem and bow. It is to be regretted that their bowsprits are not fitted with a view T 290 IBON RAMS. to such services ; but there can be little doubt that this would speedily be done if a war were to break out. That the use of the ram will become general, in future naval warfare, is certain. In a paper read before the Institution of Kaval Architects by the writer of this chapter, in March, 1860, he said : " We have seen that one of the ancient modes of fighting was by the use of rams, for piercing the sides of opposing vessels* This mode continued in constant use so long as vessels of war were propelled by oars, i. e., so long as the attacking vessels were perfectly under command for rapid advance in any direction, or for retreat at pleasure. Sailing vessels are not under command in this way, and therefore such a mode of fighting has been, for the last 500 years, impracticable* But steam has again given us this control over our ships, and the opinion is growing that we shall revert to this most ancient mode of warfare. Whether it would be prudent, or even practicable, to use line-of-battle ships as rams is very doubtful ; but that a class of vessels for coast defence ought to be, and yet will be, constructed on this principle, I hold to be certain." " And so long as it is possible for a small vessel, at a moderate speed, to penetrate the sides of the strongest ship below the water, as it certainly is, so long will it be im- prudent to build large ships of war." Two years after this paper was read, the Merrimac furnished a startling illustration of its truth. Since it was written the Northumberland class has been designed, but the writer has seen no reason to change hi^ opinions, stated at length in the paper referred to, with regard to the imprudence of building large ships of war. The Defence and Resistance are armour-plated in the samd partial manner as the Warrior, but a somewhat smaller pro- portion of the hull is defended. The number of protected guns in these ships is only 14. In the Hector and Valiant (4,063 tons, 800 H.P.), the plating extends throughout the whole length of the ship at the height of the battery. It is also nearly complete below the battery. There are a few feet left undefended at each end, and the defended part is completed by armour-plated transverse bulkheads, extending from the under side of the battery to a sufficient distance below the water. These ships are, there- fore, much less exposed to damage under fire than the Defence and Bcsistance, They are so constructed as to be able to WOODEiJ SHIPS, mON-CASED. 291 serve the purpose of rams in case of need, and their bow- sprits are made to turn up, about a pivot at the inner end. But their chief advantage as compared with the Defence and Besistance Hes in the increase of speed. The average speed of the latter ships will not exceed llj knots, but these may be expected to reach 12| knots. They possess a further advantage in having 30 guns protected, or more than twice the number of the other ships ; and they have one-fourth more men in the crew. Prince Consort^ Caledonia^ and Ocean (4,045 tons, 1,000 H.P.) ; Boyal Oak and Boyal Alfred (4,045 tons, 800 H.P.).— Of these ships, it is only necessary to say that they are ordinary line-of-battle ships, with one deck taken off. They are plated from end to end with iron 4J inches thick, and have 32 guns on their main deck. They will be much more formidable than they would have been as line-of-battle ships, although greatly inferior to ships of the Warrior class. Of all the ships we have mentioned, the smallest are the Besistance and Defence, the tonnage of which is 3,668, or nearly twice that of Nelson's flag-ship at Trafalgar. Such large ships are so costly that it becomes important to inquire whether it is not possible to construct smaller vessels, pos- sessing the necessary qualities of an iron-cased ship. If the plating is to extend over the whole of the ex^Dosed surface of the ship, and to some 4 or 5 feet under water, then small ships are altogether out of the question. They are almost equally so if the Warrior system is adhered to. Mr. Keed therefore proposes to abandon the idea of protecting a central portion large enough to support the undefended ends after they are bilged, and to adopt instead the belt at the water line, as already shown in the Achilles, The central battery may then be made as short as we please, and the same measure of invulnerability may be obtained in a small vessel as in a large one. With this mode of plating, it also becomes possible, by reducing the number of guns, to use iron armour of any desired thickness without greatly increas- ing the size of the ship. Enterprise, — In this ship the principle has been applied with such success that, with a burden of only 990 tons, we have an iron-cased sea-going ship. The great object sought by Mr. Eeed in this ship was the reduction of dimensions, for which purpose every possible device has been adopted for lightening the hull without weakening the ship. T 2 292 THE ^* enterprise/' and ^'PRIl^dE AiBEM.*' o — <^ •^ c$ ^ ^ I' THE ** ENTERPRISE," AND THE «* FAVOURITE.'' 293 This vessel will carry four of the heaviest guns, and will be propelled bv engines of 160 H.P., at a speed of 9J knots per hour. The transverse walls of the central tower are pierced on each side the ship, to allow the guns to fire ahead or astern, a portion of the light topside turning down for the purpose. The guns may be fired within 10"^ of the fore-and- aft line. The walls are also pierced for musketry for sweep- ing both the decks. The upper portions of this ship are of iron, in order that they may be hght and incombustible : when the ship is in action these portions of the ship will not be occupied. That por- tion of the ship's company which is not actually employed at the guns, is accommodated below the deck that is situated at the height of the top of the belt, which deck is bomb- proof. The whole of the ship below the bomb-proof deck is in communication with the battery, so that the men may readily be collected for boarding or for repelling boarders. Favourite (8 guns, 400 H.P.) — The same arrangement of armour is being apphed in the conversion of the corvettes of the Favourite class into iron-cased ships. But in them, the deck which is made shell-proof is 7 or 8 feet above the water, and the belt is considerably wider. It will be observed that there is a very 'great reduction in the number of guns carried, as compared with uncased ships of similar classes. Instead of the 17 guns of the sloop we have only 4 guns, and instead of the 22 guns of the corvette only 8 guns. This is a starthng reduction in the nominal power of the ship, but the increase in the weight of the projectiles thrown goes far towards a complete compensation. And there can be no doubt that the weight and power of naval ordnance will continue to increase until, perhaps, being able to strike with the ship as easily as with the gun, and more efifectually, we may dispense with guns in sea fights. Coast-defence Ships. — The first iron-cased ships which were built in England were those known as the floating batteries. There are seven of them, four built of wood, and three of iron. Of the wooden ships three are of the Trusty class, viz., Trusty, Thunder, and GUdton, 14 guns. Their tonnage is 1,469 tons ; and the power of the engines 150 nomi- nal H.P., with which they obtain a speed of 4i knots per hour. They swim when loaded, at a draught of 8 feet 8 inches, and 294: FLOATING BATTERIES. with their ports 3 feet 2 inches out of the water. The average thickness of timber in the ribs and planking at the strongest part of the side is 18 inches, and the average thickness of the armour is 4 inches. The fourth wooden battery is the jEtna, 16 guns. Her tonnage is 1,588, and the nominal H.P. of her engines 200. The load draught of water is 8 feet 6 inches, and the height of port 4 feet 3 inches. Those which are built of iron are the Erehus, Terror, and Thunderbolt, 16 guns. Their tonnage is 1,954, and H.P. of engines 200. Their mean draught of water is 8 feet 9 inches, and height of port 3 feet 10 inches. They are formed with ribs of iron 6 inches deep, on which is placed the armour and backing. The Shield Bhips. — The revolving shield or cupola of Captain Coles is an engineering device of considerable merit ; but its use in naval warfare seems likely to be limited to vessels in- tended solely for coast defence. The invention consists^ really, in a novel description of gun- carriage, the merits of which are facility of training, and pro- tection of the guns and gunners from the fire of shot and shell. These are advantages which we should suppose to bo valuable in a fixed fortress ; but when applied to a ship they are greatly reduced in value. First, with regard to facility of training, it is found that by the use of this invention two lOO-pounder guns may be worked by half a dozen men. But of what value is this economy of labour in a ship which must have a large crew to navigate her and defend her against boarding? Thus, the Boyal Sovereign was a three-decked line-of-battle ship, of 3,765 tons, with a complement of 1,100 men. Instead of her former armament of 131 guns, she will probably have 8 guns in four shields. Assuming that six men are sufficient for working each shield, there will be twenty-four men employed at the guns. But she will need a crew of at least 200 men, so that only one-eighth of her men will be engaged. This is not of course a disadvantage ; but it is so small an advantage as to set off very badly against the serious difficulties intro- duced by the shields. Secondly, with regard to the protection which the shields afford to the gunners, it is only necessary to observe that just as much armour is required on the sides of the ship for her protection, in addition to that on the shields, as would be needed if the shields were not used. And while the two CUPOLA-SHIPS, 295 prime advantages of the invention are thus deprived of much of their value when apphed to ships, it appears also that the introduction of shields must necessarily deprive a ship of sea- going qualities. There are s^ral reasons why this must be so. First, the shield-guns must fire over the highest deck, and all the per- manent part of the hull of the ship must lie below the line of fire. If in order to get a good free-board this deck is raised more than six or seven feet out of the water, gun-boats might lie under cover of her sides with impunity while a breach was made in the armour, or while measures were taken for cap- turing her. It may be said that ordinary ships of war are subject to the same mode of attack ; but it must be remem- bered that these shield-ships have no top-side, under cover of which their own men may assemble, and no tops from which the men may be picked off at the guns of the attack- ing vessels. Any gun-vessels which should dare to take up a position by the side of the Warrior would be liable to instant capture, and it cannot be conceived possible that their crews would be able to work the guns under, the fire of musketry which would be directed against them. As the shield ships are helpless in these respects, it is indis- pensable to keep the free-board low. The Royal Sovereign, for example, is only six feet out of the water, and is on that account quite unfit for sea-going purposes. Again, vessels fitted with shields, must either be without masts, or having masts, must dispense with shrouds to them. With the ordinary masts and rigging, the angle of training of the shield-guns would be as limited as that of guns fired through common broadside ports. Captain Coles proposes to fit tripod masts, which shall not need the support of shrouds and stays. It is not impossible that he may by some such means be able to introduce a light rig into shield-ships ; but it must always be of such a character as will tend still further to render the use of shields in sea- going ships undesirable. In the Prince Albert (2,529 tons, 500 H.P.), fig. 7 (P- 292), the armour and backing extend throughout the entire length of the sides. The upper deck is perfectly straight and level amidships, but slopes down at the sides to form a glacis, to allow the guns to fire with a depression of G^. The men and officers are berthed on the lower deck, between and beyond the shields. In this ship the water-tight bulkheads are obliged to stop 296 CONCLUSION. at the lower deck. This being the case, if one compartment became filled with water, the water would flow over into tho adjoining compartments. In order to give greater security to the compartments, the ship is fitted throughout the greater portion of her length with a complete inner j|ottom and side. We have thus described the prominent features of all the iron-cased ships now in existence, and in course of con- struction. Of such ships the fleet of the future will be composed. 2'J7 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF ACTIONS AT SEA, FOUGHT BY BEITISH FLEETS. June 24, 1340. Off Shitjs.— The English fleet, under Edward HI., the Earls of Derby, Northampton, and Anindel, defeat a superior French force, manned by NoiTQans, Picards, and Genoese. Tlie French loss is c:.timated at between 25,000 and 30,000, and the English at 4,000, killed and wounded. August 29, 1360. Off Wiiiclielsea. — Between the English, under Edward III., and * Spaniards, who were completely beaten, and lost 26 large ships. J'wne22, 1372. Off Rochelle. — Between the English, under the Earl of Pembroke, and a very superior force of Spaniards. Almost all the English iihips were taken or destroyed. March 24, 1387. In the Channel. — A large Flemish fleet totally defeated by the Earl of Arundel's squadi'on. 80 sail were taken. August 15, 1416. Off' Harfleur. — The English fleet, under John Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford, and Sir Walter Hungerford, defeat a large number of Genoese carracks, hired by the French. The English lose 100, and the French 1 ,500. August 10, 1512. Off' Brest. — A desiDerale engagement, but with no decisive results, between the English and French fleets : — the first action in which great guns were extensively used. 1513. Off Brest.— Bets^een. the English and French. Sir Edward Howard, iu rashly boarding a large French galley, was slain. July 18 and 19, 1545. Off Portsmouth. — Indecisive engagement between an immense French * armada, under D' Aunebanlt, and the English fleet, under Lord Lisle. (See Chapter II. — The Story of the ** Mary Rose.") 298 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLK. July 19 to July 28, 1588. In the Channel and Straits of Dover, — Defeat of the Spanish (mis- named the Invincible) Armada by the English under Lord Howard of Effingham, Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Hawkins, Kaleigh, Frobisher, and others. June 20, 1596. Cadiz. — Capture of Cadiz, and destruction of the Spanish fleet, by an expedition under the Earl of Nottingham, Earl of Essex, Raleigh, and others. May 18, 1652. In Dover Boads, — Between the Dutch, under Van Tromp, and the English, under Blake. The Dutch lost two ships. July 4, 1652. On the French Coast. — Sir George Ayscue defeats a French fleet of 40 sail, and captures or destroys 30. August 16, 1652. Off Plymouth. — Sir George Ayscue, with 38 ships, defeats De Ruyter, at the head of a Dutch fleet of equal force. Two Dutch ships were sunk. September 28, 1652. Off the Goodwin Sands. -^Blsike and Penn defeat the Dutch, under Admirals De Witt and De Euyter. They capture several ships. November 29, 1652. Off the Ness. — A Dutch fleet, of 95 sail, under Van Tromp, attacks Blake, who has only 40 ships under his command. Two English ships were taken, after a desperate resistance, and Van Tromp cruises with a broom at his mast-head, to intimate that he would sweep all English shipping off the narrow seas. February 18, 19, and 20, 1653. In the Channel. — Three days' engagement between the English (70 ships), under Admirals Blake, Monk, and Deane, and the Dutch (73 ships), under Tromp, De Ruyter, and Evertzen. The Dutch lose 11 ships of war, 1,500 killed, and 700 prisoners, June 2 and 3, 1653. Off the Gable.— The English (105 ships) under Monk and Deane, afterwards joined by Blake, attack a Dutch fleet of equal force, under Tromp, De Witt, and De Ruyter. 20 Dutch ships were taken or destroyed. August 7, 1654. Off the Texel.—BeUYeen. Van Tromp (who was killed in the action) and Admirals Monk, Penn, Jordan, and others. The two fleets were about equal in force. The Dutch lost 26 men-of-war, 2,700 ACTIONS AT SEA. 299 men killed, 2,500 wounded, and 1,000 prisoners. The English lost three ships, and 1,300 killed and wounded. The Dutch now sued for peace. 1655. Bomhardment of Tunis^ by the English fleet, imder Blake. April 20, 1657. Bomhardment of Santa Cruz, and destruction of six Spanish galleons, by the English fleet under Blake. June 1, 2, and 3, 1665. Solehay. — Between the English fleet, under the Duke of York, Sir William Perm, Sir John Lawson, and Sir George Ayscue (110 ships), and the Dutch (120), under Opdam, the two Evertzens, and Cornelius Tromp. After an animated action, the Dutch fled, and were piu*sued nearly to their own coast. They lost 24 ships taken, burnt, and sunk; and between 6,000 and 7,000 killed, wounded, and prisoners. The English lost 250 killed and 340 wounded. ^ June 1 to 4, 1668. Off the Goodwin. — The Dutch, under De Euyter, Evertzen, and Cornelius Tromp ; the English, under Monk, Duke of Albemarle, and Prince Rupert. Owing to the ill-feeling which existed between the English commanders, the Dutch, after four days* severe fighting, obtained a slight advantage. The English lost 600 killed, 1,100 wounded, and 2,000 prisoners. Jicly 25, 1666. Off the North Foreland, — The two fleets, under the same admirals, again met in battle, the superiority of force being with the Dutch, who, however, were totally defeated, mth a loss of 20 ships and 4,000 men killed and drowned. Maij 10, 1667. Off St. Christopher' St West Indies. — Su* John Harman, with 12 frigates, defeats the Dutch and French squadi'ons of 22 ships, destroying several. May 3, 1672. In Solehay. — The French and English fleets, of nearly 140 sail, under the Duke of York and the Comte d'Estrees, are attacked by a Duteh fleet of 75 heavy ships and 40 frigates, under De Ruyter, Bancquert, and Van Ghent. The French leaving the English to bear the whole brunt of the action it ended indecisively, but the Boyal James, a 100-gim ship, exploded, and the gaUant Earl of Sandwich perished on board. May 28, 1673. In the Channel, — Between the English, under Prince Eupert and 300 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. Sir Edward Spragge, and the Dutch, under Tromp, who were com- pelled to retreat. Another action, with a similar result, occurred on June 4. August 11, 1673. Off the Coast of Holland. — Between the English and French TOO ships) and the Dutch (100), under De Kuyter and Banequert. The French, at the first onset, sailed away, and the English slowly retired to their own shores. May 1, 1689. Bantry Bay. — Between the English (19 sail of the line), under Admiral Herbert, and the French (28) under Admii'al Chateau Renaud, — ending in a drawn battle. June 30, 1690. Off Beachy Head. — Between the English and Dutch (56 sail), under the Earl Tof Torrington, and the French (78 sail) under the Com.te de Tourville. Neither combatant won much glory in this action. May 19 to 23, 1692. Off Cape La Hogue. — Admiral Russel's fleet consisted of 99 ships, English arid Dutch, with 6,998 guns ; the French, under De Tourville, of 105 ships, with about 5,300 guns. The French were totally defeated, and lost 16 ships. June 17, 1693. In Lagos Bay. — Sir George Rooke, with 23 sail of the line, and a large convoy, is attacked by a French fleet of 71 sail of the line, but saves a part of his convoy with the loss of only three men-of- war. August 20 to 24, 1702. Off Santa Martha, — Vice-Admiral Benbow, with seven ships, the largest a 70, falls in with the French (10) under Rear- Admiral Du Casse. Four of the British ships made no efibrt to join in the action, but Benbow compelled the French to retreat. He died of his wounds and of chagrin, at Jamaica, on the 4th of November. Two of his captains were afterwards shot. October 12, 1702. At Vigo. — The English and Dutch, under Sir George Rooke and Vice-Admiral Hopson (25 men-of-war), break into Vigo Harbour, and cajoture and destroy 17 French ships, "^caiTying 960 guns, under the fire of the land batteries. Three Spanish men-of-war, and 15 galleons, were also taken or burnt. August 13, 1704. 0/ ilfaZa^a.— Between the English and Dutch, under . Sir George ACTIONS AT SEA. oOl llooko (59 ships, 3,700 guns, 23,200 men), and the Frcncl!, under tlie Comte Thoulouse (58 ships, 3,G89 guns, 25,181 men). The French compelled to retire, with a loss of 3,239 killed and wounded. The English lose about 2,719. May 28, 1708. Near Carfliagena (America). — Commodore "Wager, with three GO-giin ships, chases 17 Spanish galleons and sloops, destroys the admiral's ship, and captures the rear-admiral's. July 31, 1718. Off Cape Passaro. — The English (21 ships, carrying 1,390 guns, and 8,885 men), under Sir George Byng, attack the Spanish (29 sail, with about 900 guns, and 8,830 men) ; but eight sliips, under Captain Walton, were despatched to pursue eight Spanish, who attempted to get inshore. Altogether the Spanish lost 10 ships taken, and three destroyed. November 21, 1739. Capture'' of Porto Bella, and destruction of Spanish shipping, by a squach-on of three 70's, two 60's, and one 50, under Yice-Admiral Vernon. February 11, 1744. Off Toulon. — Between the English (27 ships of the line, nine of 50, and 12 of 40 guns and less, of w^hich six 50's, two 40's, and the smaller vessels were not included in the line-of-battle}, under Admiral Matthews and Vice-Admiral Lestock, and the Franco- Spanish fleet (Z8 sail of the line, including a 114-gun ship), under Admiral Navarro and M. de Court. One Spanish ship was cap- tured. For this disgi'aceful action Admiral Matthews was cashiered. May 3, 1747. Off Cape Finisterre. — Vice-Admiral Anson's fleet (15 sail), attacked the French (38 sail), under M. de la Jonquicre, and gained a complete victory, capturuig six men-of-war, and four armed (French) East Indiamen. October 14, 1747. Off Cape Finisterre. — A squadron (one 61, one 70, three (>4's, seven 60's, and two 50's), under Rear-Admiral Hawke, attack the French (one 80, three 74's, one 70, three G4's, two 56's, and numerous frigates), under M. de Letendeur, and capture six ships. October 1, 1748. Near the Havannah. — Between Rear-Admiral Knowles's squadron (seven sliips, 926 guns) and a Sj^anish squadron of superior force. The Spanish were defeateil, and lost one ship, but the action excited much discontent in England. 302 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. May 20, 1756. Off Minorca,' — Between Admiral Byng's fleet (15 sail, 892 guns) and the French (17 sail, 956 guns, of heavier calibre than the English), under M. de Galisonniere. The action ended indecisively, through Byng's want of resolution, and the unfortunate admiral was after- wards shot in Portsmouth Harbour, on board the Monarch (March 14th, 1757). April 29, 1758. Off Negapatam. — Indecisive action between Vice- Admiral Pocock's squadron (seven sail, 404 guns) and the French (seven sail, 380 guns), under the Comte d'Ache. August 18 and 19, 1759. Off the JBarhary Shore. — Between Admiral Boscawen's fleet (15 sail of the line) and M. de la Clue's (seven sail — eight having parted company). Only eight British ships, however, got up with the enemy, who lost three ships taken, and two destroyed, Septemher 10, 1759. Off Ceylon, and the East Indian Coast. — Between Vice-Admiral Pocock (10 sail, 536 guns) and the Comte d'Ache (11 sail, two frigates, 800 guns). Neither party gained an advantage. Novemher 20, 1759. Off Belle-Isle. — Between Admii-a! Sir Edward Hawke (27 line-of- battle ships, and six frigate OQ jigrcciibie fiud veiuabie- pleasing^ to the youn^, and a Ipjlp to Ute 01(1 ILLUSTRATED BOOKS PUBLISHED BV JAMES HOGG & SONS. In small crown 8vo. ricli gilt binding^ 3s. 6d. eaclu 1. — Men who have Eisen : A Book for Boya. With Illustrations printed on Toned paper. 2._Women of Worth : A Book for Girls. With Illustrations printed on Toned paner. 3. — Friendly Hands and Kindly Words : stories Illustrative of the Law of Kindness, the Power of Perseverance, and the Adyao- tages of Little Helps. With Illustrations printed on Toned paper. 4. — Roses and Thorns ; Or, Five Tales of the Start in Life. With Illustrations printed en Toned paper. 5. — The Sea and her Famous Sailors : A History of Maritime Adventure, Exploration, and Incidents in the Lives of Distin- guished Naval Heroes and Adventurers. 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