O I hae scarce to lay me on,
If kingly fields were ance my ain;
Wi' the moor-cock on the mountain-bree,
But hardship na'er can daunton me.
Scottish Song.
There was an air of cool deliberation about Lord Harry Dermond, which
satisfied me I should have to pass through a trying ordeal; and I prepared
myself for the occasion. Nothing was said until all three of us were in
the after-cabin, when Clements and his visiter took seats on the sofa, and
a motion was made to me to occupy a chair. Then Lord Harry Dermond
commenced the discourse, in a manner more serious than I could
have wished.
"Mr. Wallingford," he said, "there is little need of preliminaries between
you and me. I recollected your ship, when the Black Prince and Speedy were
in the act of closing with the Frenchmen, three months since; and I need
scarcely say that the manner in which she got back to the place where I
then saw her, requires an explanation at your hands."
"It shall be given to you, my lord. Believing you had no right to send in
the Dawn, and knowing that a detention of any length would prove my ruin,
I regained possession of my own by the best means that offered."
"This is at least frank, sir. You mean to be understood that you rose on
my people in the night, murdered them, and that you subsequently lost your
vessel from a want of force to take care of her."
"This is partly true, and partly a mistake. I certainly should not have
lost my ship had I been as strong-handed in the gale in which she was
destroyed, as she was the day she left home: and she would have been as
strong-handed in that gale, had we never fallen in with the Speedy."
"Which is an indirect manner of saying that the wreck was owing to us?"
"I shall very directly say, that I think it was; though by indirect
means."
"Well, sir, on that point it is not probable we shall ever agree. You
cannot suppose that the servants of the king of Great Britain will submit
to your American mode of construing public law; but will easily understand
that we leave such matters to our own admiralty judges. It is a matter of
more moment to me, just now, to ascertain what has become of the officers
and men that were put in charge of your ship. I saw the vessel, some time
after I put Mr. Sennit and his party on board you, in your possession,
(that we ascertained by means of our glasses;) and you now admit that you
retook your vessel from these men. What has become of the prize-crew?"
I briefly related the manner in which we had regained the possession of
the Dawn. The two English officers listened attentively, and I could
discern a smile of incredulity on the countenance of Clements; while the
captain of the Speedy seemed far from satisfied--though he was not so much
disposed to let his real opinion be known.
"This is a very well-concocted and well-told tale, my lord," said the
first, with a sneer; "but I doubt whether it find many believers in the
British service."
"The British service, sir," I coldly retorted, "is, like all others,
liable to reverses and accidents."
"Not exactly of this nature, Mr. Wallingford, you will yourself admit, on
reflection. But I beg pardon, my lord: this is your affair--not mine; and
I have been indiscreet in speaking."
Lord Harry Dermond looked as if he concurred in this sentiment. He had the
pride of official rank, and that of private rank, to the usual degree; and
did not exactly like the notion that one so much his inferior in both
should take an affair so peculiarly his own out of his hands. He made a
cold acknowledging bow, therefore, in reply, and paused a moment, like a
man who reflected, ere he continued the discourse.
"You must be aware, Mr, Wallingford, it is my duty to inquire closely into
this matter," he at length resumed. "I am just out of port, where my ship
has been lying to refit, several weeks, and it is not probable that either
of my officers would be in England without reporting himself, had he
reached home."
"It is quite probable, my lord, that neither has reached home. I saw them
picked up, with my own eyes, and by what appeared to me to be an
outward-bound West Indiaman. In that case, they have, most probably, all
been carried to one of the West India islands."
Here Clements handed Lord Harry Desmond a paper with something written on
it, in pencil, which the latter read. After running his eyes over it, the
captain nodded his head, and the lieutenant quitted the cabin. While he
was absent, my companion, in a polite manner, gave me the particulars of
the combat I had witnessed, going so far as to direct my attention to a
paper he had brought on board, to show to Captain Rowley, and which
contained the English official account of the whole affair. On glancing at
it, I saw that the presence of the Dawn, on that occasion, was mentioned
in ihe report; the name of the ship being given, with an allusion that was
not very clear to the general reader, but which was plain enough to me. It
was not long, however, before Clements returned, and, without much
ceremony, he informed me that the gun-room mess waited my appearance to
sit down to dinner. On this hint, I rose and took my leave, though I had
time to see Marble enter the cabin, and Neb standing by the scuttle-butt,
under the charge of the sentinel, ere I dipped my head under hatches.
The dinner lasted near an hour, and Lord Harry Dermond civilly waited all
that time, before he again summoned me to the cabin. I was surprised to
find Marble in the outer-cabin, Neb near the door, in waiting, and the two
officers with pen, ink, and paper before them, where they had been left
by me.
"Mr. Wallingford," Lord Harry commenced, "I hold it to be no more than
fair to let you know that your mate's account of the manner in which the
Speedy's people got out of the Dawn, and your own, do not agree in a
single particular. Here is his statement, taken down by myself from his
own words; if you are disposed to hear it, I will read you what he says."
"I do not well see how Mr. Marble can contradict me and tell the truth, my
lord--but it were better I should hear his statement."
"'I was first-mate of the Dawn, of New York, Miles Wallingford master and
owner. Captured and ordered in by Speedy, as known. Three days after
parting company with the frigate, with Mr. Sennit as prize-master,
Captain Wallingford and I commenced reasoning with that gentleman on the
impropriety of sending in a neutral and breaking up a promising voyage,
which so overcame the said Lieutenant Sennit, in his mind, that he
consented to take the ship's yawl with a suitable stock of provisions and
water, and give us up the ship. Accordingly, the boat was lowered,
properly stowed, the most tender anxiety manifested for the party that was
to go in her, when the English took their leave with tears in their eyes,
and hearty good wishes for our safe arrival at Hamburg.'"
"Am I to understand you seriously, Lord Harry Dermond, that my mate has
actually given you this account of the affair, for fact?"
"Most seriously, sir. I believe he even offered to swear to it, though I
dispensed with that ceremony. Here is the statement of the black. Perhaps
you would wish to hear that also?"
"Anything, my lord, it is your pleasure to communicate."
"Nebuchadnezzar Clawbonny says, 'he belonged to the Dawn--was left in her,
when captured by Speedy, and was in her when wrecked. Captain Wallingford
ordered Mr. Sennit to quit his ship, or he would make him; and Mr. Sennit
obeyed Master Miles, of course,' But I will read no more of this, as a
slave's statement can hardly be relied on. Perhaps we ought not to have
received it, Mr. Clements?"
"Your pardon, my lord; it is our duty to protect his Majesty's subjects,
in the best mode we can."
"That may be true, sir; but certain great principles ought never to be
overlooked, even when doing our duty. You perceive, Mr. Wallingford, that
your companions contradict your own account of this affair; and the most
unpleasant suspicions are awakened. I should never justify myself to my
superiors, were I to neglect putting you under arrest, and carrying you
all in for trial."
"If my companions have been so ill-judging as to make the statements you
say, I can only regret it. I have told you the truth; and I can add no
more. As for the future, I do not suppose any representation of mine will
induce you to change your decision."
"You carry it off well, sir; and I hope you will maintain the same
appearance of innocence to the end. The lives of the king's subjects are
not to be taken with impunity, nevertheless."
"Nor is the property of an American citizen, I trust, my lord. _Had_ I
used force to regain my ship, and _had_ I thrown the prize-crew into the
sea, I conceive I would have been doing no more than was my duty."
"This is well, sir; and I hope, for your sake, that an English jury will
view the affair in the same light. At present, prepare to go on board the
Speedy--for you must not be separated from the important testimony we can
find in that ship. As for the citizens you mention, they are bound to
submit to the decision of the admiralty courts, and not to take the law
into their own hands."
"We shall see, my lord. When this case reaches my own country, we shall
probably hear more of it."
I uttered this in a sufficiently magnificent manner; and, to own the
truth, I felt a little magnificently at the time. I was then young, not
three-and-twenty; and I thought of my country, her independence, her
justice, her disposition to do right, her determination to submit to no
wrongs, and her disregard of the expedient when principles were
concerned,--much as young people think of the immaculate qualities of
their own parents. According to the decisions of judges of this latter
class, there would not be a liar, a swindler, a cheat, or a mercenary
scoundrel living; but the earth would be filled with so many suffering
saints that are persecuted for their virtues. According to the notions of
most American citizens of my age, the very name they bore ought to be a
protection to them in any part of the world, under the penalty of
incurring the republic's just indignation. How far my anticipations were
realized, will be seen in the sequel;--and I beg the American reader, in
particular, to restrain his natural impatience, until he can learn the
facts in the regular order of the narrative. I can safely promise him,
that should he receive them in the proper spirit, with a desire to
ascertain truth only and not to uphold bloated and untenable theories, he
will be a wiser, and probably a more modest man, for the instruction that
is to be thus gleaned from the incidents it will be my painful office to
record. As for Lord Harry Dermond, the threatened indignation of the great
American nation gave him very little concern. He probably cared a vast
deal more for one frown from the admiral who commanded at Plymouth, than
for the virtuous resentment of the President and Congress of the United
States of America. I am writing of the close of the year 1803, it will be
remembered;--a remote period in the history of the great republic; though
I will not take it on myself to say things have materially altered, except
it be in the newspapers, in this particular interest. The order to prepare
to quit the Briton was repeated, and I was dismissed to the outer cabin,
where was Marble, while Mr. Clements attempted to shut the door that
separated us, though, from some cause or other, he did not exactly effect
his object. In consequence of this neglect, I overheard the
following dialogue:
"I hope, my lord," said Clements, "you will not think of taking away the
mate and the black. They are both first-rate men, and both well affected
to his Majesty's service. The negro was of great use aloft, during the
late action, while the mate fought at a gun, like a tiger, for the better
part of an hour. We are somewhat short of hands, and I have counted on
inducing both these men to enter. There is the prize-money for the
Frenchman under our lee, you know, my lord; and I have little doubt of
succeeding."
"I'm sorry duty compels me to take all three, Clements, but I'll bear what
you say in mind; perhaps we can get them to enter on board the Speedy. You
know it--"
Here Mr. Clements discovered that the door was not shut, and he closed it
tight, preventing my hearing any more. I now turned to Marble, whose
countenance betrayed the self-reproach he endured, at ascertaining the
injury he had done, by his ill-judged artifice. I made no reproaches,
however, but squeezed his hand in token of my forgiveness. The poor
fellow, I plainly saw, had great difficulty in forgiving himself; though
he said nothing at the moment.
The conference between Lord Harry Dermond and Mr. Clements, lasted half an
hour. At the end of that time, both appeared in the forward cabin, and I
saw by the countenance of the last, that he had failed in his object. As
for us, we were transferred, with the few articles we possessed, to the
Speedy, on board which ship our arrival made as much of a sensation as the
discipline of a man-of-war would permit. I was put in irons, the moment we
reached the quarter-deck, and placed under the charge of a sentinel near
the cabin-door. Some little attention was paid to my comfort, it is true,
and a canvass screen was fitted for me, behind which I ate and slept, with
some sort of retirement. My irons were of so large a sort, that I found
means to take them off, and to put them on, at pleasure. I was disposed to
think that the officers were aware of the fact, and that the things were
used as much for the sake of appearance as for anything else. Apart from
the confinement, and the injury done my affairs, I had no especial causes
of complaint, though this imprisonment lasted until the month of April
1804, or quite five months. During this time, the Speedy arrived as far
south as the line; then she hovered about the Canaries and the Azores, on
her way homeward, looking in vain for another Frenchman. I was permitted
to take exercise, twice a day, once in the gangway, and once on the
gun-deck, and my table was actually supplied from the cabin. On no head,
had I any other cause to complain, than the fact that my ship had been
wrongfully seized in the first place, and that I was now suffering
imprisonment for a crime--if crime indeed it would have been--that I
certainly had not been obliged to commit.
During the five months I thus remained a prisoner on the gun-deck of the
Speedy, I never exchanged a syllable with either Marble or Neb. I saw them
both occasionally, employed on duty, like the crew, and we often exchanged
significant looks, but never any words. Occasionally I had a visit from an
officer; these gentlemen sitting down and conversing with me, on general
topics, evidently to relieve the tedium of my confinement, without making
any allusion to its cause. I cannot say that my health suffered, a
circumstance that was probably owing to the cleanliness of the ship, and
the admirable manner in which she was ventilated.
At length we went into port, carrying with us a French ship from one of
the islands to the eastward of the Cape, as a prize. The Speedy captured
this vessel, after a smart chase to the northward of the Azores, and
Marble and Neb having volunteered to do so, were sent on board her, as two
of the prize-crew. That day I got a visit from the purser, who was the
most attentive of all my acquaintances, and I took the liberty of asking
him if it were possible my two shipmates had entered into the
British service.
"Why not exactly that," he said, "though they seem to like us, and we
think both will ship rather than lose the prize-money they might get, for
their services in the Briton. Your old mate is a prime fellow, the master
tells me; but my lord fancying we might meet some French cruiser in the
chops of the channel, thought it better to send these two chaps in the
prize, lest they should take the studs and refuse to fight at the pinch.
They have done duty, they say, to keep themselves in good health; and we
humour them, to be frank with you, under the notion they may get to like
us so well, as not to wish to quit us."
This gave me an insight into the true state of the case, and I felt much
easier on the subject. That Marble ever intended to serve under the
British flag, I had not supposed for a moment; but I was not sure that
regret for the blunder he had already made, might not lead him into some
new mistake of equally serious import, under the impression that he was
correcting the evil. As for Neb, I knew he would never desert me; and I
had not, from the first, felt any other concern on his account, than an
apprehension his ignorance might be imposed on.
The day we anchored in Plymouth sound, was thick and drizzling, with a
fresh breeze at south-west. The ship came-to just at sunset, her prize
bringing up a short distance in-shore of her, as I could see from the
port, that formed a sort of window to my little canvass state-room. Just
as the ship was secured, Lord Harry Dermond passed into his cabin,
accompanied by his first-lieutenant, and I overheard him say to
the latter--
"By the way, Mr. Powlett, this prisoner must be removed to some other
place in the morning. Now we are so near the land, it is not quite safe to
trust him at a port."
I was still musing on the purport of this remark, when I heard the noise
of a boat coming alongside. Putting my head out of the port, I could just
see that the prize, master of the French ship had come on board, and that
Marble and Neb were two of the four men who pulled the oars. Marble saw
me, and gave a sign of recognition, though it was so dark as to render it
difficult to distinguish objects at a trifling distance. This sign I
returned in a significant manner. It was this answering signal from me,
that induced my mate not to quit the boat, and to keep Neb with him. The
other two men were so accustomed to do duty with the Americans, that they
did not scruple to run up the frigate's side, after their officer, eager
to get a gossip with their old mess-mates on the berth-deck. Almost at the
same instant the officer of the deck called out--
"Drop _la Manerve's_ boat astern, out of the way of the captain's gig,
which will be hauling up in a minute."
This was on the larboard side, it is true; but a smart sea slapping
against the starboard. Lord Harry was willing to dispense with ceremony,
in order to escape a wet jacket. I cannot tell the process of reasoning
that induced me to take the step I did; it was, however, principally owing
to the remark I had so lately heard, and which brought all the danger of
my position vividly to my mind. Whatever may have been the moving cause, I
acted as follows:
My irons were slipped, and I squeezed myself between the gun and the side
of the port, where I hung by my hands, against the ship's side. I might be
seen, or I might not, caring little for the result. I was not seen by any
but Marble and Neb, the former of whom caught me by the legs, as he passed
beneath, and whispering to me to lie down in the bottom of the boat, he
assisted me into the cutter. We actually rubbed against the captain's gig,
as it was hauling up to the gangway; but no one suspected what had just
taken place. This gig was the only one of the Speedy's boats that was in
the water, at that hour, it having just been lowered to carry the captain
ashore. In another minute we had dropped astern, Neb holding on by a
boat-hook to one of the rudder-chains. Here we lay, until the gig pulled
round, close to us, taking the direction toward the usual landing, with
the captain of the Speedy in her.
In two minutes the gig was out of sight, and Marble whispered to Neb to
let go his hold. This was promptly done, when the boat of the prize began
to drift from the ship, swept by a powerful tide, and impelled by a stiff
breeze. No one paid any heed to us, everybody's thoughts being occupied
with the shore and the arrival at such a moment. The time was fortunate in
another particular: Lord Harry Dermond was a vigilant and good officer:
but his first-lieutenant was what is called on board ship "a poor devil;"
a phrase that is sufficiently significant; and the moment a vigilant
captain's back is turned, there is a certain ease and neglect in a vessel
that has an indifferent first-lieutenant. Every one feels at liberty to do
more as he pleases, than has been his wont; and where there is a divided
responsibility of this nature, few perform more duty than they can help.
When "the cat is away, the mice come out to play."
At all events, our boat continued to drop astern unobserved, until the
ship itself became very faintly visible to us. I arose as soon as we were
fifty feet from the rudder, and I assumed the direction of affairs as soon
as on my feet. There were a mast and a lugg-sail in the boat, and we
stepped the former and set the last, as soon as far enough from the Speedy
to be certain we could not be seen. Putting the helm up, sufficiently to
bring the wind on the quarter, I then stood directly out to sea. All this
was accomplished in less than five minutes, by means of what the French
call a sudden inspiration!
To be sure, our situation was sufficiently awkward, now we had obtained
something that had the semblance of freedom. Neither of us had a single
shilling of money, or an article of clothing but those we wore. There was
not a mouthful of food of any sort in the boat, nor a drop of water. The
night was lowering, and intensely dark; and the wind was blowing fresher
than was at all desirable for a boat. Still we determined to persevere,
and we ran boldly off the land, trusting our common fate to Providence. I
hoped we might fall in with some American, bound in or out: should that
fail us, France might be reached, if we had good luck, in the course of
less than eight-and-forty hours.
Our situation afforded nothing to occupy the mind, but anxiety. We could
not see a hundred yards, possessed no compass or any other guide on our
way than the direction of the wind, and were totally without the means of
refreshment or shelter. Still, we managed to sleep, by turns, each having
entire confidence in the skill of both the others. In this manner we got
through the night, feeling no apprehensions of being pursued, the darkness
affording an effectual cover.
When the light returned, we discovered nothing in pursuit, though the
weather was too thick to admit of our seeing any great distance around the
boat. All the morning we continued running to the northward and eastward,
under our single lugg reefed, only keeping clear of the seas that chased
us, by dint of good management. As for eating or drinking, the first was
out of the question; though we began to make some little provision to
slake our thirst, by exposing our handkerchiefs to the drizzle, in order
to wring them when they should become saturated with water. The coolness
of the weather, however, and the mist, contributed to prevent our
suffering much, and I do not know that I felt any great desire for either
food or water, until towards the middle of the day. Then we began to
converse together, on the subject of dinner, in a jocular way, however,
rather than with any very great longings on the subject. While thus
employed, Neb suddenly exclaimed, "dere a sail!"
Sure enough a ship was meeting us, heading up on the larboard tack about
west-north-west, as she stretched in towards the English coast. I can see
that vessel, in my mind's eye, even at this distant day! She had two reefs
in her top-sails, with spanker, jib, and both courses set, like a craft
that carried convenient, rather than urgent canvass. Her line of sailing
would take her about two hundred yards to leeward of us, and my first
impulse was to luff. A second glance showed us she was an English frigate,
and we doused our lugg as soon as possible. Our hearts were in our mouths
for the next five minutes. My eye never turned from that frigate, as she
hove by us, now rising on the summit of a sea, now falling gracefully into
the trough, concealing everything but her spars from sight. Glad enough
were we, when she had got so far ahead as to bring us well on her
weather-quarter, though we did not dare set our sail again, until her
dark, glistening hull, with its line of frowning ports, was shut up in the
cloud of mist, leaving the spot on the ocean where she had last been
seen, as if she were not. That was one of those hair-breadth escapes that
often occur to men engaged in hazardous undertakings, without any direct
agency of their own.
Our next adventure was of a more pleasing character. A good-sized ship was
made astern, coming up channel before the wind, and carrying top-mast
studding-sails. She was an American! On this point we were all agreed, and
placing ourselves in her track, we ran off, on her course, knowing that
she must be going quite two feet to our one. In twenty minutes she passed
close to us, her officers and crew manifesting the greatest curiosity to
learn who and what we were. So dexterously did Marble manage the boat,
that we got a rope, and hauled alongside without lessening the ship's way,
though she nearly towed us under water in the attempt. The moment we
could, we leaped on deck, abandoning the boat to its fate.
We had not mistaken the character of the vessel. It was a ship from James'
river, loaded with tobacco, and bound to Amsterdam. Her master heard our
story, believed it, and felt for us. We only remained with him a week,
however, quitting his vessel off the coast of Holland, to go to Hamburg,
where I fancied my letters would have been sent, and whence I knew it
would be equally in our power to reach home. At Hamburg, I was fated to
meet with disappointment. There was not a line for me, and we found
ourselves without money in a strange place. I did not deem it prudent to
tell our story, but we agreed to ship together in some American, and work
our way home in the best manner we could. After looking about us a little,
necessity compelled us to enter in the first vessel that offered. This was
a Philadelphia ship, called the Schuylkill, on board which I shipped as
second-mate, while Marble and Neb took the berths of foremast Jacks. No
one questioned us as to the past, and we had decided among ourselves, to
do our duty and keep mum. We used our own names, and that was the extent
of our communication on the subject of our true characters.
I found it a little hard to descend so much on the ladder of life, but an
early and capital training enabled me to act Dicky over again, with some
credit; and, before the ship went to sea, our chief mate was discharged
for drunkenness, and I got a lift. Marble was put in my place, and from
that time, for the next five months, things went on smoothly enough; I say
five months, for, instead of sailing for home direct, the ship went to
Spain, within the Straits, for a cargo of barilla, which she took up to
London, where she got a freight for Philadelphia. We were all a little
uneasy, at finding that our story, with sundry perversions and
exaggerations, were in the English papers; but, by the time we reached
England, it was forgotten; having been crowded out by the occurrence of
new events of interest, at a moment when every week was teeming with
incidents that passed into history.
Nevertheless, I was glad when we left England, and I once more found
myself on the high seas, homeward bound. My wages had enabled me, as well
as Marble and Neb, to get new outfits, suited to our present stations, and
we sailed for Philadelphia with as good a stock of necessaries as usually
fall to the lot of men in our respective positions. These were all that
remained to me of a ship and cargo that were worth between eighty and
ninety thousand dollars!
The passage proved to be very long, but we reached the capes of the
Delaware at last. On the 7th September, 1804, or when I wanted a few weeks
of being three-and-twenty, I landed on the wharves of what was then the
largest town in America, a ruined and disappointed man. Still I kept up my
spirits, leaving my companions in ignorance of the extent of my
misfortunes. We remained a few days to discharge the cargo, when we were
all three paid off. Neb, who had passed on board the Schuylkill for a free
black, brought me his wages, and when we had thrown our joint stock into a
common bag, it was found to amount to the sum of one hundred and
thirty-two dollars. With this money, then, we prepared to turn our faces
north, Marble anxious to meet his mother and little Kitty, Neb desirous of
again seeing Chloe, and I to meet my principal creditor John Wallingford,
and to gain some tidings of Mr. Hardinge and Lucy.