Part 8 (1/2)
Fortunately I was spared the ordeal of attending the trial, but I heard that the gallows or transportation to the West Indies accounted for the whole of the rascally crew, against whom the barbaric crime of wrecking, as well as smuggling, was proved right up to the hilt.
It was late in December, in clear, frosty weather, that we started on our homeward journey, proceeding by easy stages through Wimborne, Ringwood, and the New Forest to Southampton, and on the last day of December of the year 1663 I arrived at Portsmouth again, after an absence of over three years.
CHAPTER XIV.
--I Set Out to Fight the Dutch.
I must now pa.s.s over a s.p.a.ce of a year, there being but little of interest to record. All this time it must not be imagined that I had given up the quest for my father's murderer; indeed, as I grew older, my thoughts of bringing the villain to justice waxed hotter instead of waning. My uncle, Sir George Lee, and Lawyer Whitehead had each prosecuted vigorous enquiries, but all attempts to run the felon to earth had proved fruitless.
The loss of the mysterious metal box also caused me considerable misgivings, and the vague hints thrown out by my uncle at sundry times did much to increase my uneasiness on that score.
Meanwhile it seemed as if the earth had opened and swallowed both Increase Joyce and the box (for in my mind the two were inseparably a.s.sociated), though I had a presentiment that I should obtain satisfaction in the end.
But to resume my story. Twelve months sped swiftly by ere my physical condition became as good as before my malady, and with the lengthening days of January I entertained great hopes of going again to sea.
Rumours of a rupture with the States of Holland were in the air, and, taking the aggressive action of the Dutchmen in mercantile matters into consideration, the prospect of a war was hailed with delight.
One day early in February I went to call on my benefactor, Sir Thomas Middleton, in the hope that he would get me appointed to a s.h.i.+p.
He received me kindly, but held out little hope of my desire being fulfilled.
”Would that I could, Aubrey,” he remarked sorrowfully. ”My whole time is spent in writing to Master Samuel Pepys praying for money to pay the arrears of both seamen and workmen. G.o.d knows, the poor wretches are hard put; but the money that should go for the defence of the realm finds its way into the hands of His Majesty's favourites. There is a new s.h.i.+p to be launched this month, but there is not a man belonging to her except the officers, whose work is to look about them. Never did we require cordage and hemp more than we do now. Fifteen s.h.i.+ps now in port are making demands for rope, and what we have in store signifies nothing. The blockmakers and joiners have gone away, refusing to work any longer without money; the sawyers threaten to do the same. I am even now going the rounds of the yard, so if you will bear me company you can see for yourself to what straits we are put.”
So saying, the commissioner led the way to the dockyard, past the ropehouse to the building slips, where a tall vessel lay ready for launching, yet hardly a workman was to be seen. Instead, a mob of women and children followed Sir Thomas at a distance, reviling and cursing the king, the commissioner, and the navy in general by reason of the non-payment of their husbands' and fathers' wages.
”Faith, 'tis hard on them,” remarked Sir Thomas; ”but for foulness of tongue they out-vie the daughters of Billingsgate. Now, we'll make for yonder workshop, for there will be found the only reliable men working in the dockyard.”
But alas for the commissioner's hopes! On entering the shop he found that, instead of being diligently employed, the men were listening to a heated discourse from a malcontent from another part of the dockyard. This last straw raised Sir Thomas's ire. Seizing a stout cudgel from one of the men, he struck out right and left at the astonished party till bruised and cut pates became the order of the day. Then, having thoroughly cowed the malcontents by taking more pains in the use of the stick than in any business for the last twelve months (as he afterwards expressed it), he sent for the guard and clapped three of the ringleaders in the stocks.
”You see, Aubrey,” he exclaimed on our return to his house, ”how I am put upon. Though I would gladly serve His Majesty in great and small matters, yet how can I when the lack of money hangeth like a millstone round my neck? As for you, the moment I can get you a vessel I'll do my utmost, but, as things are, I can hold out but little hope.”
I thanked him and withdrew, feeling sick at heart at the prospect of a life of idleness when I might be serving the king at sea.
Towards the end of February news came that war had been proclaimed against the Dutch, and the beating of drums and the firing of cannons welcomed the announcement. What s.h.i.+ps there were in the harbour weighed and sailed for the Downs, to join the fleet that lay there under the command of the Duke of York. Disconsolately I watched their departure, regretting the fact that I was unable to take a part in the coming struggle.
As time wore on, news of sanguinary naval engagements reached us, while occasionally a Dutch vessel would be brought into the harbour, her ensign hoisted beneath the cross of St. George, and her crew battened down in the hold.
The captives were invariably taken to Porchester Castle, a building of immense strength that lay on the sh.o.r.es of Portsmouth harbour, some four miles away by water.
Spring came and went, yet to my great mortification I was not sent to join a s.h.i.+p, though in the interval I engaged in a private venture--a few gentlemen of Hamps.h.i.+re having fitted out a small vessel to prey upon Dutch merchantmen. But the task was not to my liking; little renown was to be gained, and after three weeks I was glad to return home.
One evening in June I went down to the Sally Port, as was my wont, to look towards Spithead, in the hope of seeing part of our victorious fleet return. The guard had been doubled since the declaration of hostilities, and every vessel and boat that made for the harbour was vigorously searched.
”Ah, Master Wentworth,” remarked the captain of the guard, who dwelt not far from us in St. Thomas's Street, and whose acquaintance I had made some time back, ”our town hath other enemies to fight besides the Hollanders!”
”Oh!” I e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, in a manner that implied that I wanted to be further enlightened.
”Yes, 'tis true. The Dutchmen we can fight man to man in a straightforward manner, but our latest foe is not to be conquered by strength of arms--'tis the plague!”
”The plague?”
”Yea. From Southampton comes news that the plague is in that town, and eight houses are shut up. Sir Thomas Middleton hath given orders that the s.h.i.+pwrights who dwell there are not to be allowed to go home, and those already living there are not to be readmitted to the dockyard. Furthermore, the poor there will not suffer the rich to leave, neither doth our governor permit s.h.i.+ps from Southampton to land their cargoes here.”
Here was grave news. I hurried homewards and communicated the captain's information to my uncle. He shook his head sorrowfully.
”The plague is rampant in London. In Chichester eleven persons have died. At Newport there have been two cases, yet in this town we are free, though in dire straits. Still, Aubrey, let not a word escape to alarm your aunt. I must see that we lay in a goodly store of brimstone.”
Throughout the long sultry summer we were mercifully preserved from the contagion; then, as autumn came, and still the plague did not appear amongst us, people began to think that with the approach of the cold weather all danger was past.
But this was not the case. Winter drew on, and with it the cold was intense, a sharp frost lasting for over six weeks.
Towards the end of December the Ess.e.x, man-of-war, came into port, and hardly had she moored alongside the jetty when the report spread about that she was infected with the dread disease. Immediately there was a panic amongst the workmen, and, throwing down their tools, they betook themselves off, vowing that neither the king nor the king's enemies would make them resume work till the Ess.e.x had gone.
Finding threats and entreaties useless, the commissioner ordered the Ess.e.x to moor in the centre of the harbour. This was done, but rumour had it that at midnight the bodies of eight men, victims of the plague, were taken ash.o.r.e and buried secretly in the Pest House fields.
Two days afterwards it was known that three more of her crew had died, and were buried on the foresh.o.r.e at Gosport; while, to disinfect the s.h.i.+p, great quant.i.ties of brimstone were burnt, but to no purpose.
Then, strange to relate, the plague broke out in Gosport town, whither some three hundred men pa.s.s over every day to work in the dockyard, so it was not surprising to learn that at length the dreaded scourge had appeared in our own town.
With fierce violence it spread. Many houses were shut up, their doors marked by a cross with the words ”G.o.d have mercy upon us” written underneath. At first pa.s.sers-by would cross in fear and trembling to the other side of the street whenever this mournful sign met their eyes, but as the number of cases increased people became hardened to the danger.
Many put the cause of the disease, rightly enough, to the filthy habits of the poorer people, and hearing that salt water was a preventive, scores of the inhabitants repaired daily to the seash.o.r.e, plunging into the bitterly cold waves in the hope of staving off the malady.
Day and night large fires were lighted in the streets, while, to add to the misery, the silent watches of the night were broken by the hoa.r.s.e shout of the watchmen, who, ringing their bells, cried out in solemn tones: ”Bring out your dead.”
All the time the war with the Dutch was waged unceasingly, till it was reported that the French, apprehensive of our supremacy at sea, joined forces with the States of Holland and declared war against us.
Early in April, to my great joy, Sir Thomas Middleton informed me that I was to join the Prince Royal, a s.h.i.+p of 100 guns, then lying at Chatham with the rest of the fleet under the command of the Duke of Albemarle and Prince Rupert.
”As the pestilence rages in London town,” said he, ”it is not meet that a man should risk an inglorious death when he would serve His Majesty better by dying for his country while fighting the Dutch. Therefore, instead of going by coach to London, and thence to Chatham by river, we are sending a shallop to Dover, whence you can travel through the county of Kent to Chatham. Several officers and men are making the pa.s.sage, to bring up the crew of the Prince Royal to full strength, for she has had some hard knocks, and promotion is sure to be rapid should she again meet with the Dutch.”
I thanked the commissioner heartily and withdrew. Having bade farewell to my friends, and gathered together my few personal belongings, I retired for the night, as the shallop was to sail at six the next morning.
On going aboard I found that not less than four officers and thirty men were packed in this little craft. To my surprise and delight Greville Drake was amongst the former, he having been promoted to lieutenant. There were also several of the old Gannets, and to me it seemed as if the glorious doings in the stout old craft would be worthily followed by the crew of the Prince Royal.
The shallop was but fifty feet over all, unarmed save for the muskets and swords carried by the men, and relied on her speed only for safety in case of attack.
With a fair wind the little craft tore eastwards, pa.s.sing through the Looe before nine o'clock. Then the wind fell lighter as the sun rose higher, and midday found us forging slowly along off Littlehampton, on the Suss.e.x coast.
Four hours later we had Brighthelmstone on our larboard bow, the master of the shallop keeping close insh.o.r.e for fear of being attacked by a French or Dutch man-of-war. Finding, however, that there was more wind offsh.o.r.e, he altered the helm and stood more to the south-east.
At sunset a thick mist came on, which caused our careful and anxious master to lose his bearings. Most of us remained on deck, though the weather was exceedingly cold. As darkness set in our position became still more uncertain, and even the oldest seamen began to look alarmed.