Part 8 (1/2)
Several French 36-gun frigates captured by the English were found to be considerably larger. One, the _Dana_, was of 941 tons; and three French 32-gun frigates averaged about 700 tons, though armed like the _Southampton_.
About 1779 five frigates of 38 guns, and averaging 946 tons, were launched. They were the _Minerva_, built at Woolwich, the _Arethusa, Latona, Phaeton_, and _Thetis_. They were first armed with 28 18-pounders on the main-deck and 10 6-pounders, 8 18-pound carronades and 14 swivels on the quarter-deck and forecastle, and with a complement of 270 men. Shortly afterwards the complement was increased to 280 men, 9-pounders were placed on board instead of the sixes, the swivels were omitted, and carronades subst.i.tuted.
About the same time frigates of 880 tons, to carry 36 guns, 18 and 9-pounders, were built.
Formerly, as has been seen, a number of small vessels were cla.s.sed as frigates. About the year 1775 they were placed in a different rate, and those carrying 20 guns had now the name of 20-gun post-s.h.i.+ps given to them, signifying that they were commanded by post-captains. Afterwards vessels still called frigates, carrying 24 guns, were also ranked as post-s.h.i.+ps. The French called vessels of this size corvettes, from the Italian word corvettore, to leap or bound, from which we have derived the word curvet. The French afterwards applied the name to s.h.i.+ps of 24 guns. In order to mount all these guns on a single tier, it was necessary to increase the dimensions of the s.h.i.+p, and thus she could carry heavier metal than those s.h.i.+ps mounting their guns on a quarter-deck and forecastle. The English, following their example, afterwards called all s.h.i.+ps carrying 24, 22, and 20 guns post-s.h.i.+ps, and those carrying 18, 16, and 14, or any less number, s.h.i.+p-sloops, to which the general term of corvette was afterwards applied. The English did not apply the term corvette to brigs, but designated such two-masted vessels as brigs-of-war, though they are sometimes spoken of as brig-sloops.
It will thus be understood that a s.h.i.+p that mounts 24 guns at least on a single-deck, and other guns on a quarter-deck and forecastle, is properly called a frigate. When, however, the waist is decked over and has raised bulwarks with ports in them filled with guns, the vessel becomes a two-decked s.h.i.+p.
It is necessary to explain the term ”flush.” In sea language it means level, a flush-deck is consequently a level deck extending fore and aft.
Such are all the decks of a man-of-war, except of the upper ones. Many merchantmen are also built in the same way, but others rise abruptly a foot, or two or three feet, towards the stern, the higher part of the deck becoming the quarter-deck. s.h.i.+ps thus built are spoken of as deep-waisted, because the centre part is deeper or lower than the after-part. The bulwarks in the same way sink in proportion at the break of the quarter-deck. Up to the present day many of the largest s.h.i.+ps-of-war are flush-decked, as are all brigs-of-war and many corvettes, but a frigate, which must have a quarter-deck and forecastle, cannot properly be said to be flush-decked, although, in fact, the gratings or gangway at the waist give her the appearance of being so to the unsophisticated eye.
Our knowledge of the state of the navy during the reigns of Charles the Second and his brother is derived chiefly from Mr Samuel Pepys, who was clerk of the Acts, through the interest of his relative the Earl of Sandwich, and was ultimately clerk of the treasurer to the commissioners of the affairs of Tangier, and surveyor-general of the victualling department. He spared no pains to check the rapacity of contractors by whom the naval stores were then supplied; he studied order and economy in the dockyards, advocated the promotion of old-established officers in the navy, and resisted to the utmost the infamous system of selling places, then most unblus.h.i.+ngly practised. During the Dutch war the care of the navy in a great measure rested upon him alone, and by his zeal and industry he gained the esteem of the Duke of York, with whom, as Lord High Admiral, he was in constant intercourse. Thus from his diary we can gain a pretty accurate knowledge of the customs of the times in the naval service, and the way the affairs of the navy were managed.
In an entry of the 4th of June, 1661, he describes a dinner, where the discourse was on the subject of young n.o.blemen and gentlemen who thought of going to sea, the naval service being considered as n.o.ble as that of the land. Lord Crewe remarked that ”in Queen Elizabeth's time one young n.o.bleman would wait with a trencher at the back of another till he come of age himself;” and he mentioned the Earl of Kent, who was waiting on Lord Bedford at table when a letter came to that lord announcing that the earldom had fallen to his servant the young lord; at which he rose from table and made him sit down in his place, taking a lower for himself.
It was undoubtedly in this way that many lads of family went to sea to serve as cabin-boys to captains of distinction, and at the same time to learn seamans.h.i.+p and navigation.
He gives an amusing account of the sale of two s.h.i.+ps at an auction by an inch of candle. The auctioneer put them up when the candle was first lighted, and bidding went on till it was burnt down. He describes ”how they do invite one another, and at last how they all do cry, and we have much to do to tell who did cry last. The s.h.i.+ps were the _Indian_, sold for 1300 pounds, and the _Half-Moone_, sold for 830 pounds.” Of course, the s.h.i.+ps were knocked down to the person who made the last bidding before the candle was burnt out.
It is no wonder that naval affairs went wrong in those days, when money was wanting to pay both officers and seamen, and to supply stores and provisions; indeed, what should have been devoted to the purpose was fearfully misappropriated. On the 14th of August, 1661, he says: ”This morning Sir W. Batten and Sir W. Penn and I waited upon the Duke of York in his chamber, to give him an account of the condition of the navy for lack of money, and how our own very bills are offered upon the exchange to be sold at 20 in the 100 loss. He is much troubled at it, and will speak to the king and council of it this morning.”
The debts of the navy at that time amounted to near 374,000 pounds. He tells us that he was ”writing a little treatise to present to the duke, about our privileges in the seas, as to other nations striking their flags to us.” The English had long claimed the right to have this honour paid to their flag, though the people of other countries were naturally inclined to dispute it, and if not the cause was the pretext of our wars with the Dutch.
On the 25th of January he met Sir Richard Brown, and discussed with him Sir N. Crisp's project for ”making a great sluice in the king's lands about Deptford, to be a wet-dock to hold 200 sail of s.h.i.+ps. But the ground, it seems, was long since given by the king to Sir Richard.”
On the 14th of March the German Dr Knuffler ”came to discourse about his engine to blow up s.h.i.+ps. We doubted not the matter of fact, it being tried in Cromwell's time, but the safety of carrying them in s.h.i.+ps; but he do tell us that when he comes to tell the king his secret (for none but the kings successively and their heirs must know it), it will appear to be of no danger at all. We concluded nothing, but shall discourse with the Duke of York tomorrow about it.”
Chaplains were appointed in those days to s.h.i.+ps, though several instances are given which prove that they were not men likely to advance the interests of religion. After visiting the yard, he went on board the _Swallow_ in the dock, ”where our navy chaplain preached a sad sermon, full of nonsense and false Latin; but prayed for the Right Honourable the princ.i.p.all officers.”
Again, he speaks of many rogueries practised. Among others, on the 4th of June he went ”by water to Woolwich, and there saw an experiment made of Sir R. Ford's Holland's yarne (about which we have lately had so much stir, and I have much concerned myself for our ropemaker, Mr Hughes, who represented it so bad), and we found it to be very bad, and broke sooner than upon a fair trial, five threads of that against four of Riga yarne; and also that some of it had old stuffe that had been tarred, covered over with new hempe, which is such a cheat as hath not been heard of.”
The war with the Dutch had not yet commenced, but there was every probability of it soon breaking out, though the English fleet was at that time in a sadly unprepared state. On the 28th of June, 1662, he says: ”Great talk there is of a fear of a war with the Dutch, and we have orders to pitch upon 20 s.h.i.+ps to be forthwith set out; but I hope it is but a scarecrow to the world to let them see that we can be ready for them; though G.o.d knows, the king is not able to set out five s.h.i.+ps at this present without great difficulty, we neither having money, credit, nor stores.”
With regard to the stores, he says, on the 21st of July: ”To Woolwich to the rope-yard, and there looked over several sorts of hemp, and did fall upon my great survey of seeing the working and experiments of the strength and the charge in the dressing of every sort; and I do think have brought it to so great a certainty, as I have done the king some service in it, and do purpose to get it ready against the duke's coming to towne to present to him. I see it is impossible for the king to have things done as cheap as other men.”
On the 4th of September he remarks, notwithstanding all their shortcomings, that the fleet was in a far better condition than in the days of Queen Elizabeth. ”Sir William Compton I heard talk with great pleasure of the difference between the fleet now and in Queen Elizabeth's days; where, in 1588, she had but 36 sail great and small in the world, and ten rounds of powder was their allowance at that time against the Spaniards.”
He speaks of yachts as pleasure vessels, a name derived from the Dutch, one of which cla.s.s of vessels so-called had been presented by them to the late king. ”By water to Woolwich; in my way saw the yacht lately built by our virtuosos (my Lord Brunkard and others, with the help of Commissioner Pett also), set out from Greenwich with the little Dutch bezan to try for mastery; and before they got to Woolwich the Dutch beat them half-a-mile (and I hear this afternoon that, in coming home, it got above three miles), which all our people are glad of.”
On the 18th of February, 1663, he says that he finds ”the true charge of the navy” to be ”after the rate of 374,743 pounds a-year.”
On the 14th of April Sir George Carteret tells him that Parliament ”will call all things in question; and, above all, the expenses of the navy;”
”and into the truth of the report of people being forced to sell their bills at 15 per cent, losse in the navy.”
On the 23rd of May Sir George says that Parliament intend to report 200,000 pounds per annum as the ordinary charge of the navy.
The importance of having wet-docks in which s.h.i.+ps could be fitted out was well understood. He speaks of finding certain creeks at Portsmouth, and mentions Commissioner Pett's design to form a wet-dock in Saint Mary's creek, ”which can be done at no great charge, and yet no little one; he thinks, towards 10,000 pounds;” and that the place is likely to be a very fit one when the king has money to do it with.
He mentions a letter of Sir William Petty, ”wherein he says that his vessel, which he hath built upon two keels (a model whereof, built for the king, he shewed me), hath this month won a wager of 50 pounds, in sailing between Dublin and Holyhead, with the pacquett-boat, the best s.h.i.+p or vessel the king hath there; and he offers to lay with any vessel in the world. It is about 30 ton in burden, and carries 30 men, with good accommodation (as much more as any s.h.i.+p of her burden), and so any vessel of this figure shall carry more men, with better accommodation by half, than any other s.h.i.+p. This carries also ten guns of about five tons weight. In their coming back from Holyhead they started together, and this vessel came to Dublin by five at night, and the pacquett-boat not before eight the next morning; and when they come they did believe that this vessel had been drowned, or at least behind, not thinking she could have lived in that sea.” He concludes, ”I only affirm that the perfection of sailing lies in my principle, find it out who can.”