"O, I am out of breath in this fond chase!
The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace."
Shakspeare.
Marble and I looked each other in the face, and then burst into a laugh,
as the French fired a single shot from the two-gun battery, which flew
beyond us, but which could scarcely hit us on account of some intervening
rocks. I altered the course of the ship in order to get a little more out
of the range; after this, we had nothing to fear from the French. The boat
did not attempt to follow us, and thus ended our communication with _le
Polisson_ and her people, a that time. As for la Fortunée, it would
require at least four hours for her to beat round the end of the cluster
of islands, and seeing the hopelessness of doing this in time to overtake
such a ship as the Dawn, her commander made a dash in at the unfortunate
brig, which he actually succeeded in cutting out from the roadstead, in
spite of all the defences of the place. The last I _heard_ of these
gentlemen, was the reports of the guns that were exchanged between the
battery and the frigate, while the last I _saw_ of them, was the smoke
that floated over the spot, long after the islands had sunk beneath the
horizon. The Dawn stood directly out to sea, with the wind still at the
northward, though it had drawn more through the pass in-shore.
"Well, Miles," cried Marble, as he and I sat eating our dinner on deck,
where Neb had been ordered to serve it, "you know what I've always said of
your luck. It's proof ag'in every thing but Providence! Die you must and
will, some of these times; but, not until you've done something
remarkable. Sail with you, my boy! I consider your company a standing
policy of insurance, and have no sort of consarn about fortin, while I'm
under your orders. With any other man, I should be nothing but a bloody
hermit, instead of the dutiful son and affectionate uncle I am. But, what
do you mean to perform next?"
"I have been thinking, Moses, our best step will be to shape our course
for Hamburg, whither we are bound. This northerly wind can't last long at
this season, and another south-wester would just serve our turn. In ten
days, or a fortnight, we might make our haven."
"And then those French chaps that are attacking yonder kid of pork, as if
it were a wild beast; the fellows never saw good solid food before!"
"Feed them well,--treat them well--and make them work. They would never
think of troubling us; nor do I suppose they know anything of navigation.
I see they smoke and chew; we will give 'em as much tobacco as their
hearts can wish, or their mouths hold; and this will keep them in
good humour."
"And John Bull?"
"Why, John is another sort of a person to deal with, certainly, I am not
sure that a third English cruiser would molest us. We can keep our own
secret concerning Sennit and his party; and we may not meet with another,
after all. My plan is to run close in with the English coast, and show our
colours boldly;--now, nine in ten of the British men-of-war will let us
pass unquestioned, believing we are bound to London, unless they happen to
have one of those pressing gentry, like Sennit, on board. I have often
been told that ships which pass close in with the English coast, generally
pass unquestioned; by the large craft, uniformly;--though they may have
something to apprehend from the brigs and cutters. Your small-fry always
give the most trouble, Moses."
"We have not found it so this v'y'ge, Miles. However, you're not only
captain, but you're owner; and I leave you to paddle your own canoe. We
must go somewhere; and I will not say your plan is not as good as any I
can start, with thirty years more of experience."
We talked the matter over, canvassing it in all its bearings, until it was
settled to adopt it.
The ship was steered large, until the French coast was entirely sunk; and
then we trimmed her by the wind, heading up as near to our course as the
breeze would permit. Nothing occurred in the course of the remainder of
the day to produce either trouble or uneasiness, though my three Frenchmen
came to certain explanations with me, that at first menaced a little
difficulty. They refused to work; and I was compelled to tell them, I
should put them on board the first English vessel of war we met. This had
the desired effect; and, after an amicable discussion, I agreed to pay
them high wages on our arrival in a friendly port: and they agreed to
serve me as well as they knew how. Seven men were rather less than half a
crew for a vessel of the Dawn's size, but it was possible to get along
with that number. The steering was the hardest part of the duty--neither
of the Frenchmen being able to take his trick at the helm. We got along
with the necessary work, however; and so glad were we all to be rid of
both English and French, that I hazard little in saying, we would have
endured twice as much, cheerfully, could we be certain of meeting no more
of their cruisers. Providence had ordered matters very differently.
That night the wind shifted again to the southward and westward. We
braced in the yards, and brought the ship to her course; but I thought it
best not to carry sail hard in the dark. Accordingly, I left orders to be
called at sunrise, Marble having the watch at that hour. When I came on
deck, in consequence of this summons, I found my mate examining the
horizon with some earnestness, as if be were looking for strangers.
"We are a merry party this morning, Captain Wallingford," Marble cried
out, as soon as he saw me. "I have found no less than six sail in sight,
since the day dawned."
"I hope that neither is a lugger. I feel more afraid of this Polisson,
just now, than of all the names in christendom. That fellow must be
cruising in the chops of the channel, and we are working our way well in
towards that part of the world."
"I hope so too, sir; but this chap, out here at north-west has a
suspicious, lugger-like look. It may be that I see only the heads of his
top-sails, but they are amazingly like luggs!"
I now took a survey of the ocean for myself. The vessel Marble distrusted,
I unhesitatingly pronounced to be a lugger; quite as likely the Polisson
as any other craft. The other four vessels were all ships, the five
forming a complete circle, of which the Dawn was in the centre. The
lugger, however, was some miles the nearest to us, while as to the
strangers, if they saw each other across the diameter of the circle at
all, it was as much as was possible. Under the circumstances, it struck me
our wisest way was to keep steadily on our course, like honest people.
Marble was of the same opinion, and to say the truth, there was little
choice in the matter, the ship being so completely surrounded. The worst
feature of the case was our position, which would be certain to draw all
the cruisers to the centre, and consequently to ourselves.
Two hours produced a material change. All five of the strangers had closed
in upon us, and we were now able to form tolerably accurate notions of
their characters. The two astern, one on our larboard, and one on our
starboard quarter, were clearly heavy vessels and consorts, though of what
nation it was not yet so easy to decide. That they were consorts was
apparent by their signalling one another, and by the manner in which they
were closing; as they carried studding-sails, alow and aloft, they were
coming up with us fast, and in all probability would be alongside in two
or three hours more.
Two of the ships ahead struck me as frigates, having their broadsides
exposed to us: we had raised one line of ports, but it was possible they
might turn out to be two-deckers; ships of war they were, beyond all
question, and I fancied them English from the squareness of their upper
sails. They, too, were consorts, making signals to each other, and closing
fast on opposite tacks. The lugger was no longer equivocal: it was the
Polisson, and she was standing directly for us, though it was ticklish
business, since the remaining ship, a corvette, as I fancied, was already
in her wake, carrying sail hard, going like a witch, and only about two
leagues astern.
Monsieur Gallois had so much confidence in his heels, that he stood on,
regardless of his pursuer. I thought it best to put a bold face on the
matter, knowing that sufficient time might be wasted to enable the sloop
of war to get near enough to prevent the privateer from again manning us.
My principal apprehension was, that he might carry us all off, in revenge
for what had happened, and set fire to the ship. Against either of these
steps, however, I should offer all the resistance in my power.
It was just ten o'clock when the Polisson ranged up abeam of us the second
time, and we hove-to. It was evident the French recognised us, and the
clamour that succeeded must have resembled that of Babel, when the people
began first to converse without making themselves understood. Knowing we
had no small boat, Monsieur Gallois lost no time, but lowering a yawl of
his own, he came alongside of us in person. As I had commanded the three
Frenchmen to remain below, he found no one on deck but Marble, Diogenes,
Neb and myself.
"Parbleu, Monsieur Vallingfort!" exclaimed the privateersman, saluting me
very civilly notwithstanding appearances--"_c'est bien extraordinaire_!
Vat you do vid me men--eh! Put 'em in ze zea, _comme avec le Anglais_?"
I was spared the necessity of any explanation, by the sudden appearance
of my own three prisoners, who disregarded my orders, and came rushing up
to their proper commander, open-mouthed and filled with zeal to relate all
that had passed. The whole three broke out at once, and a scene that was
sufficiently ludicrous followed. It was a continued volley of words,
exclamations, oaths, and compliments to the American character, so
blended, as to render it out of the question that Mons. Gallois could
understand them. The latter found himself obliged to appeal to me. I gave
a very frank account of the whole affair, in English; a language that my
captor understood much better than he spoke.
Mons. Gallois had the rapacity of a highwayman, but it was singularly
blended with French politeness. He had not always been a privateersman--a
calling that implies an undue love of gold; and he was quite capable of
distinguishing between right and wrong, in matters in which his own pocket
had no direct concern. As soon as he comprehended the affair, he began to
laugh, and to cry "Bon!" I saw he was in a good humour, and not likely to
resent what had happened; and I finished my history in somewhat sarcastic
language, portraying Mons. Le Gros's complaisance in quitting the ship and
in piloting her about the bay, a little drily, perhaps. There were sundry
"_sacr-r-r-es_" and "_bêtes_" uttered the while; but all came out freely
and without anger, as if Mons. Gallois thought a good joke the next thing
to a good prize.
"_Tenez, mon ami!_" he cried, squeezing my hand, as he looked round at the
corvette, now less than a league distant. "You are vat you Anglais call
'good fellow.' _J'admire votre esprit!_ You have escape _admirablement_,
and I shall have _vifs regrets_ now to 'ave _opportunité_ to _cultiver
votre connaissance. Mais_, I most laafs,--_mille pardons_,--you àve _non_
too moch peep's, _mais c'est impossible d'abandonner mes compatriots.
Allons, mes enfants; au cânot_."
This was the signal for the French to quit us; the three men I had shipped
taking their departure without ceremony. Mons. Gallois was the last in the
boat, of course; and he found time to squeeze my hand once more, and to
renew his "_vifs regrets_" at not having more leisure to cultivate my
acquaintance. The corvette was already so near, as to render it necessary
for the Polisson to be in motion; another time, perhaps, we might be more
fortunate.
In this manner did I part from a man who had not scrupled to seize me in
distress, as he would a waif on a beach. By manning me, the prize-crew
would have fallen into the hands of the enemy; and, making a merit of
necessity, Mons. Gallois was disposed to be civil to those whom he could
not rob. Odd as it may seem, I felt the influence of this manner, to a
degree that almost reconciled me to the act before committed, although the
last was just as profligate and illegal as any that could well be
committed. Of so much more importance, with the majority of men, is manner
than matter; a very limited few alone knowing how to give to the last its
just ascendency.
The Polisson was not long in gathering way, after her boat was hoisted in.
She passed, on the crest of a wave, so near, that it was easy to
distinguish the expressions of her people's faces, few of which discovered
the equanimity of that of their commander's; and to hear the incessant
gabbling that was kept up on board her, day and night, from "morn 'till
dewy eve." M. Gallois bowed complaisantly, and he smiled as amiably as if
he never had put a hand in another man's pocket; but his glass was
immediately turned towards the corvette, which now began to give him some
little uneasiness. Manning us, indeed, with that fellow surging ahead at
the rate he was, would have been quite out of the question.
Being reduced to our old number of four, I saw no use in working ourselves
to death, by filling the top-sail, with the certainty the sloop-of-war
would make us round-to again. The Dawn, therefore, remained stationary,
wailing the issue with philosophical patience.
"There is no use, Moses, in endeavouring to escape," I remarked; "we are
not strong-handed enough to get sail on the ship before the fellow will be
up with us."
"Ay, and there goes his bunting, and a gun," answered the mate. "The white
English ensign, a sign the chap is under some admiral, or vice, or rear of
the white, while, if I mistake not, the two frigates show blue flags--if
so, 'tis a sign they're not consorts."
The glass confirmed this, and we were left to suppose that all three
Englishmen did not belong to the same squadron. At this moment, the state
of the game was as follows:--The Dawn was lying-to, with her fore-course
up, main-sail furled, main-top-sail aback, and top-gallant yards on the
caps, jib and spanker both set. The Polisson was flying away on the crests
of the seas, close-hauled, evidently disposed to make a lee behind the two
frigates to windward, which we took for, and which it is probable she
_knew_ to be, French. The ships to leeward were passing; each other within
hail; the one to the eastward tacking immediately after, and coming up in
her consort's wake; both vessels carrying everything that would draw. The
ships to the southward, or the supposed Frenchmen, might then have been
two leagues from us, while those to leeward were three. As for the
corvette, her course seemed to lie directly between our masts. On she
came, with everything beautifully trimmed, the water spouting from her
hawse-holes, as she rose from a plunge, and foaming under her bows, as if
made of a cloud. Her distance from us was less than a mile.
It was now that the corvette made signals to the ships to windward. They
were answered, but in a way to show the parties did not understand each
other. She then tried her hand with the vessels to leeward, and,
notwithstanding the distance, she succeeded better. I could see these two
frigates, or rather the one that led, sending questions and answers to the
corvette, although my best glass would hardly enable me to distinguish
their ensigns. I presume that the corvette asked the names of the English
vessels, communicated her own, and let the fact be known that the ships to
windward were enemies.
A few minutes later, our affairs, as they were connected with the
sloop-of-war, came to a crisis. This ship now came on, close under our
lee, losing a little of her way in passing, an expedient probably thought
of to give her a little more time to put her questions, and to receive the
desired answers. I observed also, that she let go all her bow-lines, which
seemed much to deaden her way, of which there still remained sufficient,
notwithstanding, to carry her well clear of us. The following dialogue
then passed, the Englishman asking the questions, of course, that being a
privilege expressly appropriated to the public vessel on occasions of
this sort:
"What ship's that?--and whither bound?"
"Dawn, of New York, Miles Wallingford, from home to Hamburg."
"Did not the lugger board you?"
"Ay--ay--for the second time, in three days."
"What is she called?--and what is her force?"
"Le Polisson, of Brest--sixteen light guns, and about a hundred men."
"Do you know anything of the ships to windward?"
"Nothing, at all; but I suppose them to be French."
"Pray, sir, why do you sup--um--um--ook--ook--"
The distance prevented my hearing more. Away went the sloop, steadying her
bow-lines; the call piping belay, as each sail was trimmed to the officer
of the deck's fancy. In a few more minutes, we could not distinguish even
the shrill notes of that instrument. The corvette continued on in chase of
the lugger, regardless of the four other vessels, though the two to
windward now showed the _tri-color,_ and fired guns of defiance.
Mons. Gallois soon after tacked, evidently disposed to stand for the
frigates of his country; when the sloop-of-war immediately went round,
also, heading up towards these very vessels, determined to cut off the
lugger, even if it were to be done by venturing within range of the shot
of her protectors. It was a bold manoeuvre, and deserved success, if it
were only for its spirit and daring.
I thought, however, that the frigates of the tri-color paid very little
attention to the lugger. By altering their course a trifle, it would have
been in their power to cover her completely from the attempts of the
corvette; but, instead of doing this, they rather deviated a little the
other way, as if desirous of approaching the two ships to leeward, on the
side that would prevent their being cut off from the land. As neither
party seemed disposed to take any notice of us, we filled our top-sail,
and stood out of the circle, under easy canvass, believing it bad policy
to have an appearance of haste. Haste, however, was a thing out of our
power, it requiring time for four men to make sail.
About eleven, or half-past eleven, the four frigates were distant from
each other rather more than a league--the Dawn being just then half a
league from the two Frenchmen, and rather more distant from the English.
Had an action then commenced, we might have been a mile out of the line of
fire. Curious to know the result, I stood on a short distance farther, and
backed my top-sail, to await the issue. I was influenced to take this
course, from an expectation that either party, after a conflict with an
equal, would be less disposed to molest a neutral, and that I might
possibly obtain assistance from the conqueror--few cruisers being found at
that day, without having foreigners on board, that they would be willing
to give to a vessel in distress. As for the account I meant to give to the
party to whom I intended to apply, it would depend on circumstances. If
the French remained on the spot, I could relate the affair with the
prize-crew of the Speedy; if the English, that of the Polisson. In neither
case would an untruth be told, though certain collateral facts might be,
and probably would have been, suppressed.
The Frenchmen began to haul down their light sails, just as we hove-to.
This was done in a lubberly and irregular manner, as if little concert or
order prevailed on board them. Marble prowled out his remarks, deeming the
whole proceeding a bad omen for the _tri-color._ It is certain that the
French marine, in 1803, was not a service to boast of. The English used to
say, that they seldom got a French ship without working for her; and this
was probably true, as the nation is warlike, and little disposed to submit
without an effort. Still, France, at that day, could hardly be said to be
maritime; and the revolutions and changes she had undergone were not
likely to favour the creation of a good corps of naval officers. Brave men
were far more plenty than skilful seamen; and then came the gabbling
propensity, one of the worst of all human failings, to assist in producing
a disorderly ship.
It was a pretty sight to see those four ships strip for the fight;
although the French canvass did not come down exactly according to rule.
The English, however, were in no hurry; the two tri-color men being under
their three top-sails, spankers, and jibs, with the top-gallant-sails
clewed up, before John Bull reduced even a royal. The latter, it will be
remembered, were to leeward, and had to close with their adversaries. In
doing this, they made one stretch so far in our direction, in the hope of
tacking in their enemies wakes, that I saw they would probably speak us. I
confess this was more than I had bargained for; but it was now too late to
run, which would probably have led to our seizure I determined, therefore,
to await the result with dignity.
Just as the English ships were coming within musket-shot of the Dawn, the
French,--then distant about a mile and a half to the eastward, and half a
mile south of us,--wore ship, and came round with their heads to the
westward--or, in our direction. As this was coming nearer, instead of
moving from them, the Englishmen began to start their tacks and sheets, in
order to be ready. Their six royals were all flying at the same instant,
as were their flying-jibs; at the next, the canvass was rolled up, and out
of sight. Then, the yards, themselves, came down, and all the light sails
about the ships vanished as a bird shuts its wings. After this the courses
were hauled up snug, but the sails were not handed. By this time, the
leading ship of these two frigates was within a cable's-length of us, just
luffing up sufficiently to give our weather-quarter the necessary berth.
"By George, Miles," Marble said, as he stood at my side, watching the
movements of the stranger, "that second frigate is the Speedy! I know her
by the billet, and the distance of her bridle-port from her head. You
never saw such a space for anchors, before! Then, you may see she is a
six-and-thirty, with white hammock-cloths. Who ever saw that twice,
at sea?"
Marble was right! There came the Speedy, sure enough; and doubtless the
eyes of Lord Harry Dermond and his officers would be on us, in a very few
more minutes--the distance between the two frigates being less than two
cable's-lengths. In the mean time, I had to attend to the headmost vessel.
"Can you tell me anything of the two ships to the southward of us?"
demanded the stranger, through his trumpet, without any preamble.
"Nothing but what you see, sir. I _suppose_ them to be French; and _see_
that they are coming after you,"
"_After_ us!" exclaimed the English captain, in a voice loud enough, and
now near enough, to be heard without the aid of the trumpet. "_After_ us,
indeed! Ready about--helms a-lee--main-top-sail haul, there! Hawl,
of all--"
These orders came out at brief intervals, and in a voice of
thunder--producing prompt obedience. The consequence was, that this ship
tacked directly on our weather-beam, and so near us that one might have
thrown a biscuit aboard her. But she went round beautifully, scarce losing
her way at all; and away she started again, looking her enemies directly
in the face.
"Now's our time to fill, Miles, and draw ahead. The Speedy will think
we've been spoken, and all's right. She must come here to tack into her
consort's wake, and a blind man could not avoid reading our name--she
would be so close. Man the lee-braces, and right the helm, Neb."
Fill we did; and what is more, we put our helm up so much, as to leave
quite a cable's-length between us and the Speedy, when that ship got far
enough ahead to tack, or at the point which we had just left. I believe we
were recognised! Indeed, it is not easy to imagine otherwise; as the
commonest glass would enable the dullest eyes to read our name, were other
means of recognition wanting. But a sailor knows a ship by too many signs
to be easily deceived.
The Speedy was in stays when we saw the proofs of our being known. Her
head-yards were not swung, but there she lay, like one who lingers,
uncertain whether to go or to remain. An officer was in her gangway,
examining us with a glass; and when the ship fell off so much as to bring
us out of the range of sight, he ran off and reappeared on the taffrail.
This was the junior lieutenant; I could plainly recognise him with my own
glass. Others soon joined him, and among them was Lord Harry Dermond,
himself. I fancied they even knew me, and that all their glasses were
levelled directly at my face. What a moment of intense uncertainty was
that! The ships were not a quarter of a mile apart, though the Dawn was
increasing that distance fast, and by paying broad off, the Speedy would
have me under her broadside. Where was her prize crew I Not in the Dawn,
or certainly Sennit would have communicated with his commander; and, if
not in the ship, they must be in the ocean! Or, were they prisoners below
and kept purposely out of sight? All these thoughts must have passed
through the minds of the English officers.
I thought we were lost, again, but Providence once more saved us. All this
time the leading English frigate and the two Frenchmen were fast
approaching each other. In a few minutes, they must engage, while the
Speedy was left further and further astern of her consort. At this
critical instant, one of the Frenchmen fired a gun of defiance. That
report seemed to arouse the Speedy as from a trance. Her head-yards came
furiously round, all the officers vanished from her taffrail, and down
went both fore and main-tacks, and to the mast-head rose all three of her
top-gallant-sails. Thus additionally impelled, the lively craft dashed
ahead, and was soon in her allotted berth, or half a cable's-length astern
of the Black Prince, as I afterwards heard was the name of the commanding
English ship, on this occasion. I may as well add here, that the French
Commodore's ship was named La Désirée, and _her_ consort Le Cerf. Mons.
Menneval was senior officer of the French, and Sir Hotham Ward of the
English. I never knew the name of the other French captain; or, if I did,
I have forgotten it.
My object had been, in bearing up, to get as far as possible from the
Speedy, in order that she might not recognise us, and especially that she
might not read the name on our stern. But this running off so much to
leeward, was not precisely the berth that one would wish to occupy, when a
sea-fight is going on directly to windward, and within half gun-shot. No
sooner was my Lord Harry Dermond in motion again, therefore, than we
hauled the Dawn up with her head to the westward, with a view to get as
soon as possible out of the probable range of the fire. It was true, the
combatants might vary their manoeuvres, so as to render all parts of the
periphery of a certain circle around them, anything but agreeable; but the
chances were greatly in favour of the battle's beginning, with one party
to windward of the other.
Our ship behaved well on this occasion, getting out of the way with
sufficient rapidity. While this was in the course of execution, I had an
opportunity to look after the corvette and the lugger. The last was still
leading, having managed, by means of short tacks, to work up considerably
to windward of the two French frigates. Here she had made a last tack to
the eastward, intending to run for the coast. The sloop-of-war was still
in her wake, and was following on her heels, at a rapid rate.