Part 29 (1/2)

On reaching Carlisle Bay, we found the fleet under Sir Samuel Hood moored in order of battle. It was evident from this that the admiral expected an attack from the French fleet, and we afterwards learned that he had gained information that it had sailed from Martinique in great force for the purpose of attacking the island. In an hour afterwards Sinnet brought in the brig in safety, when he had to deliver her up to the prize agents.

It was a fine sight to me, for I had never seen so many line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps together, with their broadsides pointed in the same direction, sufficient, it seemed, to blow the whole navy of France into the air.

Captain Macnamara, immediately on bringing up, sent Mr Harvey with the despatches to the admiral, and directed him to ask for instructions as to our future course.

We waited hour after hour in expectation of the French fleet.

”We shall have a good stand-up fight for it,” observed Sinnet to me. ”I only wish that I had kept command of the brig, and I would have blazed away at the Frenchmen with my pop-guns.”

The night pa.s.sed away. Early the next morning a sail was seen in the offing, standing towards the bay. We all supposed her to be one of the advance frigates of the French, sent ahead to ascertain our strength; but as the light increased she was seen to be a corvette, though at the same time she had a French appearance. She came steering directly for the admiral, and hove-to inside him.

”Why, I do believe it's the craft we took soon after we left Jamaica, and Nettles.h.i.+p and you were sent away in charge of,” exclaimed Sinnet, who had been watching her.

I had also been examining her minutely, and had come to the same conclusion.

Directly she had furled sails, a boat went off from her to the admiral, and remained alongside for some time. We were thus left in doubt as to whether we were right. At length the boat, which had returned to the corvette, came pulling towards us.

Sinnet was watching her through a telescope.

”Why, I say, Paddy, I'm nearly certain I see old Nettles.h.i.+p in the stern-sheets, and Tom Pim alongside him,” he said.

”Then there can be no doubt that the corvette is the _Soleil_; but Nettles.h.i.+p hoped to get his promotion, and if so, he has been made one of her lieutenants,” I remarked.

”He hasn't got on a lieutenant's uniform, at all events,” said Sinnet, looking through the telescope.

In a short time the boat was alongside, and our doubts were solved, by seeing Tom Pim and Nettles.h.i.+p come on deck. They went aft at once, and reported themselves to Captain Macnamara. As soon as they were dismissed they joined us. They both gave a start of surprise at seeing me.

Tom grasped my hand and said, ”Well, I am glad, Paddy, to find you safe aboard. We fully believed that the brig was lost in the hurricane, and never expected to set eyes on you again.”

Nettles.h.i.+p also greeted me warmly, though he looked somewhat down in the mouth. The cause of this soon came out.

”Why, Nettles.h.i.+p,” I said, ”I thought you would have been made long before this.”

”It's my ill-luck that I'm not, Paddy,” he answered. ”I thought so too.

I got highly complimented for bringing the prize into Port Royal, and I was then told to rejoin my s.h.i.+p as soon as possible; while the _Soleil_ was commissioned, and a commander and two lieutenants, who had just come out from England with strong recommendations from the Admiralty, were appointed to her.”

”Well, cheer up, old fellow; we are very glad to have you still with us,” said Sinnet.

Tom afterwards told me that Nettles.h.i.+p got blamed by the admiral at Jamaica for sending me aboard the brig with so few hands, and for allowing the prisoners to remain on board, as he shrewdly suspected what had really happened, that if we had managed to escape the hurricane, they had risen on us and taken possession of the vessel.

The _Soleil_ had brought intelligence which she had gained from the crew of a prize she had captured a few days before, that the Count de Gra.s.se had borne away for Saint Christopher's, where he had landed a force under the Marquis de Boullie, which it was feared would overpower General Fraser. The news soon ran through the fleet that, instead of waiting to be attacked, we were forthwith to sail in search of the French, to attack them. In a short time, at a signal thrown out from the flag-s.h.i.+p, the fleet, consisting of twenty-two sail of the line and several frigates, got under way, and stood out from Carlisle Bay. We first proceeded to Antigua, where we obtained fresh provisions, and took on board the 28th regiment of foot and two companies of the 13th, under the command of General Prescott; and on the evening of the same day we sailed for Saint John's Roads, and stood under easy sail for Ba.s.se Terre, two of our frigates going ahead to give timely notice of what the French were about. We and the _Nymph_ frigate were on one flank, and two others on the opposite side. We were fully expecting that we should have warm work in the morning. Few of the officers turned in. When a large fleet is sailing together, it is necessary to keep a very bright look-out. We could dimly see the other s.h.i.+ps, with their lights burning, as we glided over the water.

Presently Nettles.h.i.+p, near whom I was standing, remarked--

”There are two of them closer together than they should be;” and the next instant he exclaimed, ”They're foul of each other! I feared that it would be the case.”

Signals of distress were now thrown out from both the s.h.i.+ps. We on this closed with them; and Captain Macnamara ordered the boats to be lowered, to ascertain what had happened, and to render a.s.sistance. I went in one of them with our second lieutenant. The first we boarded proved to be the _Nymph_. She had been run into by the _Alfred_. She was dreadfully knocked about, being almost cut in two. We heard aboard her that the _Alfred_ herself had also been severely damaged. A boat was at once sent to report what had happened to the admiral, and as soon as daylight dawned he threw out signals to the whole fleet to lay to while the injuries the _Alfred_ had received were being repaired. The _Nymph_ herself was too severely damaged to proceed, and was ordered at once to return to Antigua.

While we were lying to, a sail was seen in the distance, when the admiral ordered by signal the _Liffy_ to chase. Before long we came up with her. She proved to be a large French cutter, laden with sh.e.l.ls and ordnance stores for the besieging army.

Nearly the whole day was spent in repairing the damages the _Alfred_ had received, and on our approaching Ba.s.se Terre, to our bitter disappointment, we found that the Count de Gra.s.se had put to sea. The next night was spent in doubt as to what had become of him, but in the morning the French fleet, consisting of about twenty-nine sail of the line, was perceived about three leagues to leeward, formed in order of battle. Sir Samuel Hood immediately ordered the British fleet to bear down as if to attack him. This had the effect of driving him still farther to leeward, when, to our surprise, the admiral threw out another signal, directing the fleet to stand for Ba.s.se Terre.

In the evening we entered Frigate Bay, and anch.o.r.ed in line of battle.