Part 6 (1/2)

This conversation brought us to the Consul's residence. ”Walk in,” said he, ”and rest yourself.” After having conversed on the unprofitable service and risk of boating, he asked me if my purse wanted replenis.h.i.+ng.

I answered in the affirmative. He gave me what I required, for which I gave him an order on my agent at Kingston. Before we parted, he invited me to ride out and spend the evening, which I accepted. At three in the afternoon we were on horseback. ”Sailors,” remarked he to me, ”are not generally considered Nimrods. They ride too fast and sit too much over the horse's shoulders; but probably,” continued he, ”you British sailors ride much better than the Americans, for they certainly do not make much figure on horseback.” ”I frankly acknowledge,” said I, ”that I am no horseman, for the last time I was mounted was with a party of landsmen who had asked me to dine at Rock Fort, but I blush to relate that when we had reached the Parade at Kingston, my horse took fright at the black soldiers who were exercising. I, finding I could not manage him, gave him the bridle, when he ran into the ranks, knocked down one of the sergeants, and would have knocked my brains out against the upper part of the stable door, if fortunately a man had not been there, who threw up both his arms, which stopped him from entering.”

”How did you proceed afterwards?” inquired he; ”Did you lose your dinner?”

”No,” said I, laughing, ”that would have been very hard on the rest of the party, whose mouths were anxious to devour the fish ordered at the tavern.

I procured a more quiet horse, and we proceeded at a parson's trot, and did ample honour to our feast, for we were very hungry on our arrival.” In our ride I found the country in this part of Cuba highly cultivated. Large patches of sugar-canes, cocoa, orange and lime groves met my eye in every direction, and in some places near lagoons or pieces of water rice was cultivated. I also observed some plantations of tobacco. Three and four times a week I rode out with the Consul, and found him and our excursions very agreeable. He informed me he had been several times in England, and was much pleased with his visits. ”I found,” said he, ”the men prompt and regular in business, as well as hospitable; but,” added he, ”the greater part of your women have the minds of angels, and make the best wives in the world. In saying this I only allude to the society I moved in-the merchants of the higher cla.s.ses. I much regret,” continued he, ”that the better sort of my countrymen have not the polish of yours. As long as they give up all their time to dollar-making they cannot be anything more than what they are.”

One morning at an early hour I was called to attend the Governor. On my seeing him, he appeared agitated; he had a kind of despatch in his hand.

”I am sorry to say,” said he, ”I have bad news for you. I have received accounts from the coast that another of your boats has been taken. The officer and three men have been shot, and five taken prisoners. I have reprimanded my people severely for firing on them, as they were much superior to yours in numbers. The officer who commanded our party a.s.sures me he could not prevent it, as the natives near where your boat landed had been plundered of most part of their live stock, and several of their pigs were found shot near their huts.” By the description given I knew it to be the master, who had before brought off pigs which he had shot. I told him then he would, I feared, try once too often, at which he only laughed. I made as many lame excuses for the conduct of those who ought to have known better, as I thought prudent, and a.s.sured the Governor that the officer must have exceeded his orders, as I was convinced the captain would be very much grieved to hear that he had lost his life and the lives of others on so worthless an occasion.

”No,” said he, ”by what I can learn, his purpose was to procure water; had he quietly restricted himself to that employment he would not have been interrupted.” Here the interview ended; I withdrew, and went with my mind disquieted to the tavern, where I met some of the Yankee captains, who would have drawn me into a conversation on what had happened, but I was determined to be silent, and retired to prose in my chamber.

On the second day after this sad event I received an invitation for myself and Mr. S., the mid who was with me, to a ball given by the Governor.

About eight o'clock in the evening Mr. B., the American Consul, called for us, and we repaired to the Government House, a large, square building in a s.p.a.cious yard. We entered an ante-room, where the guard were stationed, and afterwards a lofty kind of hall, the walls of which were whitewashed, and at the farthest end was an orchestra raised on a platform. About eighty well-dressed people were a.s.sembled, the greater part of whom were females; some of them were very pretty, and made my heart go pit-a-pat. I saluted the Governor, who shook hands with me, and introduced me to a lady, who, as he was a bachelor, presided for him, and whose fine auburn hair was so long that she had it fastened with a graceful bow to her side, otherwise it would have trailed on the ground. She was a native of Guadeloupe, and married to a relation of the Governor's. The ball was opened by four sets of minuets, which were danced with much grace. I figured off in one, but I fear, not gracefully. Country dances then began, which were kept up for about two hours. Waltzes were then the order of the ball, which continued until nearly daylight. I was heartily glad to reach my room, and did not breakfast until a late hour. I was spending my time very pleasantly, but not profitably. I was a prisoner, and that was sufficient to embitter a mind naturally active. I began to get tired of doing nothing, and longed to be free. I was shortly afterwards invited to two more b.a.l.l.s, but as they were much the same as the one I have described, it is not worth while speaking of them, except that I lost my heart to three young females, who, alas! were perfectly ignorant of the fact.

On the day of the American Independence, Mr. B. invited me to his dinner-party, where I met the Lord knows who. A number of toasts were given replete with freedom and Republicanism, and guns were fired, and we were all very merry, until a person near me, in hip-hip-hipping, hipped a b.u.mper of wine in his next neighbour's face. This disturbed the harmony for some minutes, when, on the friendly interference of the Consul, the offended and the offender shook hands, and all went on prosperously until midnight, at which hour we took leave of our kind host, some with their eyes twinkling and others seeing double. A few mornings afterwards the Governor asked me to breakfast at six o'clock. I found him taking his coffee on the terrace of the house, where he had one of Dollond's large telescopes, the view from which was magnificent and rich; but before I had been half an hour with him I found my eyes suffering from the great glare of light owing to the terrace being white. This he remarked. ”We will descend,” said he, ”and if you are fond of horses and mules, you shall see my stud.” On the landing-place of the stairs we met a servant. ”Go,” said he to him, ”and tell the grooms to bring all the mules into the yard. In the meanwhile you and I will enter this room,” pointing to a door on the right. ”This,” said he, ”is my retreat, and where I take my nap after dinner.” I remarked it contained no bed, but a Spanish silk-gra.s.s hammock hung low from the ceiling, over which was a mosquito net and a light punkah within it. ”Here,” said he, ”I lose sight of the world and all its absurdities for at least two hours every day by going quietly to rest, and as it is the custom of the country, there is little fear of my being disturbed.” The head groom came to announce that the mules were in the yard. ”Come,” said he, ”let us go and look at them; they are considered fine animals.” We were soon in their company, and I beheld eight beautiful cream-coloured mules of considerable height. ”These are my state mules, and are seldom used. I have eight others for common work. Horses,”

continued he, ”are seldom in request, but I have three, which you shall see in the stable.” They were large-boned, with ugly heads and short necks. ”You do not admire them,” said he; ”they are not very handsome.

They came from the Island of Curacoa, and perhaps are rather of Dutch build. I use them for the family carriage.” After expressing my gratification which the sight of the beautiful mules had excited, and thanking him for his condescension, I took my leave. A week after this visit I was again sent for. ”I have now good news for you,” said the kind-hearted Governor. ”Your s.h.i.+p is close in to the Moro, and has sent in a flag of truce to request me to release you, and you are free from this moment, and,” added he, ”I will send every English prisoner with you, if you will say that an equal number of Spaniards shall be returned on your arrival at Jamaica.” This I did not hesitate to promise, as I was certain the commander-in-chief would do it on a proper representation. I took leave of this excellent man and the Consul with the warmest feelings of respect and grat.i.tude.

CHAPTER XII.

FIGHTING EPISODES.

Returns to his s.h.i.+p-Capture of a French schooner-An episode with two American sloops of war-Return to Port Royal-Attacked a second time by yellow fever-Seize and burn a Spanish gunboat-Return to Port Royal-Wetting a mids.h.i.+pman's commission-Ordered home with a convoy-Pathetic farewells with mulatto washerwomen.

On going on board a boat provided for the purpose, I found with much joy the five men who had been taken when the unfortunate master lost his life, my own boat's crew, and seven other seamen. This addition was cheering.

Five hours later we were shaking hands with some of our mess and s.h.i.+pmates, who appeared delighted to see us. The s.h.i.+p being close in with the sh.o.r.e, we soon reached her, and received a hearty welcome from all on board. I acquainted the captain with every circ.u.mstance respecting our capture, and with the great kindness and liberality of the Governor and American Consul, and that I had pledged my word of honour as an officer that an equal number of officers and men should be exchanged for us. ”For your satisfaction, and I hope for his,” replied the captain, ”a cartel is on her pa.s.sage with a superior Spanish officer and twenty men, for immediately our liberal-minded commander-in-chief, Lord H. Seymour, heard, by an American vessel, of our misfortunes, he ordered the cartel to be got ready, and desired me to proceed, before we had half refitted, to St. Jago to reclaim you, having written a handsome letter to acknowledge the humane manner in which the Governor treated the English prisoners”-which letter was given to the Spanish officer to present to him on his arrival. ”Now,”

continued the captain, ”have you heard anything of the _Fancy_? I am afraid she is lost, with all on board her. The morning after you went away,” resumed he, ”we saw a vessel in the offing much resembling her. I stood towards her, and found she was an American. The sea-breeze became so strong that I could not fetch sufficiently to windward, and that accounts for your not seeing us. I was truly unfortunate, and the cruise was disastrous beyond credibility. You a prisoner, with a mids.h.i.+pman and nine seamen, the master and three men killed, and five others taken, and the second lieutenant, a mids.h.i.+pman and sixteen of the best seamen most likely drowned-for I think beyond a doubt she has upset.” This conjecture was a few days after unhappily confirmed by a Bermudian sloop, which informed us that she had pa.s.sed a small vessel, as we described her, bottom up near the Island of Inagua. This intelligence threw a gloom over the whole of us. ”This is too tender a subject,” said I, ”to have any more tenders.”

”No,” replied the captain; ”all these unhappy circ.u.mstances combined are most deplorable. I do not think I will ever send the boats away again.”

”Not till the next time,” thinks I to myself. We repaired to one of our old cruising grounds, the Isle de Vache, and although our n.o.ble captain had some days before come to a kind of secondhand determination of not sending boats away from the s.h.i.+p, on a large schooner heaving in sight towards the evening, I volunteered with the purser, if he would allow us the two cutters, as the wind had died away, to go after her. He, after a brown study of about half an hour, granted our request. ”But,” said he, ”be cautious, and if you find her heavily armed, try to decoy her off sh.o.r.e, but by no means attempt boarding her. We have suffered too much already.” Having prepared the boats, away we started, and after a most fatiguing pull, came up with her as she was making for Jacmel. Fortunately for us, the land-breeze was blowing rather fresh, which obliged her to make several tacks, and we boarded her whilst in stays. The people on board appeared astonished to see so many armed men so suddenly on her deck, as she had in the obscure light taken us for fis.h.i.+ng canoes. She proved a French schooner, laden with bags of coffee. We soon rejoined the s.h.i.+p, quite elated with our prize, and sent her to Jamaica in charge of the purser. In the course of this cruise we fell in with two American sloops of war, which we chased, and as they did not shorten sail nor answer the private signal, we fired at the nearest; the shot pa.s.sed through her cut.w.a.ter. This event roused the minds and, I presume, the Yankee blood of both Jonathans, for they bore up, and we could hear their drums beating to quarters. We shortened sail, and they soon bowled alongside of us, with their sails spread like the tail of a turkey-c.o.c.k.

”You have fired into me,” said the nearest. ”Have I?” said our skipper, very coolly; ”I intended the shot to go ahead of you. You must blame your superior sailing for the accident. You fore-reached so rapidly that the shot had not time to go ahead of you.” ”I don't know anything about that,”

was the reply. ”We are American cruisers, and no one has a right, I guess, to fire into the United States men-of-war.” ”Then the United States men-of-war should have answered the private signal and hoisted their colours,” returned our captain, ”as we did ours.” Here they hailed each other, and soon afterwards hoisted their colours. Another boat adventure and the capture of a beautiful small schooner without any accident was the wind up of this cruise.

We anch.o.r.ed at Port Royal once more. About a week after our arrival I was again attacked with the yellow fever and removed to my lodgings, where I was nursed with unremitting attention by a quadroon female, who did not leave my bedside day or night. She was a most tender and attentive nurse.

It was a month before I was sufficiently strong to go on board, and nearly another before I could resume my duty. I was so reduced that I was literally a walking skeleton, or, if my reader pleases, the shadow of a ghost, and, had a purser's candle been placed within me, I might have made a tolerably good subst.i.tute for the flag-s.h.i.+p's top light. We were, in consequence of several of the crew being seized with yellow fever, ordered by the recommendation of the surgeon to Bluefields for change of air, and I am happy to state that from this judicious arrangement we did not lose a man. During the three weeks we remained here we amused ourselves by fis.h.i.+ng. The water in eight fathoms was as pellucid as gla.s.s, and we could see the large conger eels twisting about between the stones at the bottom, as well as other fish, of which we caught several. I was regaining my strength rapidly, and was frequently invited to spend the day at several of the estates.

I enjoyed walking of an evening about an hour before sunset in the pimento groves, of which there were several, and when the land-breeze set in we were often regaled on board the s.h.i.+p by their balmy fragrance. Mr. S., at whose house I frequently dined, was particularly kind, and his hospitality will not easily be effaced from my recollection. He had an amiable daughter, and had my heart not been lost in six different places, I think I should have sent it to cruise in her snug little boudoir. The captain, as the people who were ill had nearly recovered, thought His Majesty's s.h.i.+p should no longer lie idle. We bade adieu to our kind friends, and once more made the water fly before us. Three days more brought us off the Havannah, where we joined the _Trent_ and _Alarm_ frigates. Nothing worth noticing occurred until the _Trent_, which was in chase of a vessel, ran on a coral reef off Matanzas. The wind was light and the sea smooth, and we soon got her afloat again. The vessel she had chased ran on a sand beach under the protection of a martello tower. Two boats armed were soon in motion from each s.h.i.+p, to get her off if possible. I had the direction of our boats. The enemy's gun-boat, for such she was, under Spanish colours, hoisted her ensign and the red flag of defiance, and kept up a smart fire on our boats. Fortunately we escaped, but those from the _Alarm_ had the lieutenant and three men wounded. Our boats were the first alongside of her, when I hauled down the red flag and her colours, and threw them into one of our boats, but the senior lieutenant claimed the former. This I refused, because as I was first on board and hauled it down I considered myself ent.i.tled to keep it. He said he should refer it to his captain, who was the chief officer. ”So be it,” I replied. On our boarding the enemy's vessel we found the crew had abandoned her, and were firing at us with muskets from the bushes. They had scuttled her, and she was full of water. We turned her guns on them, which soon dislodged them, and they scampered off as fast as their legs would carry them. More than half of our boat's crews had landed and were under my orders. We soon perceived about thirty horse soldiers in a full trot towards us. We formed in a body two deep, and when we were near enough gave them a sailor's salute with our muskets and three cheers. We knocked one off his horse, and set the others on a full gallop back from whence they came. They discharged their carbines at us, but they were too much alarmed to take good aim, and we escaped unharmed.

As it was impossible to get the gun-boat afloat, we tarred her sails and set fire to her. We should have blown her up had not her powder been under water. She mounted a long eighteen-pounder on a traverse, and six long six-pounders on her quarter-deck. She was of great length and a formidable vessel, and we much regretted our not being able to get her afloat, as she would have answered for the Service. She had also four bra.s.s swivels mounted on her gunwales, which we took in the boats. After waiting until she had nearly burnt down to the water's edge, we returned to our s.h.i.+ps, taking with us the wounded Spanish dragoon. Soon after we were on our oars the martello tower began blazing away at us. It had hitherto been silent, but we supposed that when the run-away dragoons perceived we were withdrawing, they returned and mounted the tower to give us a parting salute. They might have spared themselves the trouble, as it had only one gun, and that badly served. We were on board our own s.h.i.+ps before they fired the fourth shot. ”Well,” said the captain, on my reaching the quarter-deck, ”you were not able to get the vessel off.” ”No,” I replied; ”she was scuttled, and sank before we boarded her.” ”Were her guns bra.s.s or iron?” ”Iron,” said I, ”and not worth bringing on board; there were four bra.s.s one-pound swivels, but those were taken by the lieutenant of the commodore's boat, and he ungenerously claimed the red flag I had hauled down, but I refused to give it up.” Whilst this conversation was going on, a boat from the _Alarm_ came alongside with a mids.h.i.+pman and a written order from the commodore for me to give up, no longer the flag of defiance but that of dispute. ”I think,” said the captain, ”you had better comply with the order.” On seeing my disinclination to do so, he said, ”It is not worth contending about.” ”I believe, sir,” I replied, ”you are right. It is of too childish a nature to contend about, although I cannot help considering it arbitrary, and I am surprised that a man like Captain D. could ever give such an unjust order.” ”There are many men of various minds,” said he. There the disagreeable conversation ended. The mid received the piece of red bunting, and I walked the deck as surly as a bear with the Caledonian rash. The captain, who was going to dine with Captain A., told me he would explain to him anything I wished respecting what had occurred. This I declined, but I mentioned the swivels, and told him that they were very handy to mount in the boats when going on service.

”I will ask him for two of them,” said he; ”by doing this I probably may get one. You know,” continued he, laughing, ”he is from the Land of Cakes and bannocks, where the device is 'To hold fast and not let go.'”

In the evening the captain returned on board, bringing in the boat one of the swivels. ”I have laid a point to windward of the Highlander,” said he to me; ”but I was obliged to make use of all my best logic, for he chose to be distressingly deaf on the subject of giving. But when I mentioned that I had a canister of real Scotch which was of no use to me, as I had left off taking snuff, his ears became instantly opened. 'You said something about two swivels, I think,' said he; 'I cannot spare you two, but I will give you one. Will you take it in your boat with you, or I will send it in our jolly boat, and as I am nearly out of snuff, you can spare me the canister you mentioned that you do not need.'” ”This puts me in mind,” said I, ”of an Irish pilot who asked the purser of a s.h.i.+p I formerly belonged to, to spare him an empty barrel to make his pig a hencoop, and he would give him a sack of praters for nothing at all, at all.” ”The case is nearly in point,” replied the captain; ”I am afraid I have not gained so much on his weather-beam as I first imagined.” The signal was now made to weigh, and we were soon under sail. Next morning we parted company with the frigates, swept the Bay of Mexico, ran through the Turks' Island pa.s.sage, and cruised between Capes Maize and Francois for three weeks; took a small French schooner with tobacco, and burnt a small sloop in ballast. Again our anchor found the bottom of Port Royal, and the crew their copper and jet-coloured ladies.

One afternoon, taking a gla.s.s of sangaree at the tavern, I was accosted by one of our late mids who had come on sh.o.r.e with some others to what he called wet his commission. ”Will you do me the favour to join us for a quarter of an hour. We have a room upstairs,” said he to me. I told him I would in about five minutes. On entering, I found a gallon bowl filled with strong punch, with his commission soaking in it, and eight jolly mids sitting at the table in full glee. They all rose as I approached, and one of them offered me a chair. ”Come, sir,” said the donor of the entertainment, offering me a b.u.mper from the contents of the bowl, ”tell me if it will suit your taste.” ”Not quite,” replied I, ”you have spoilt it by putting your commission into it instead of your pocket, and it smacks too much of ink and parchment.” ”I told you how it would be,” said he, addressing a sly, roguish-looking youngster, who had persuaded him to put it in. ”I vote that he shall drink it himself, and we will have another.” ”Not on any account,” said I, ”without you will allow me to pay for it.” ”That will never do,” cried all of them. Another of a smaller size was ordered, out of which I drank his success. I remained nearly half an hour, during which time the large bowl was drained to the last dregs in spite of its parchment flavour, and the parchment was, what the mids called, returned high and dry to the owner of it, with the writing on it nearly effaced. I remarked they ought certainly to have a patent for wetting commissions, and wished them a pleasant evening.