Chapter I: Preface

Perhaps some apology may be expected on behalf of a book about Jane Austen, having regard to the number which have already been put before the public in past years. My own membership of the family is my excuse for printing a book which contains little original matter, and which might be described as “a thing of shreds and patches,” if that phrase were not already over-worked. To me it seems improbable that others will take a wholly adverse view of what is so much inwoven with all the traditions of my life. When I recollect my childhood, spent chiefly in the house of my grandfather, Sir Francis, and all the interests which accompanied those early days, I find myself once more amongst those deep and tender distances. Surrounded by reminiscences of the opening years of the century, the Admiral always cherished the most affectionate remembrance of the sister who had so soon passed away, leaving those six precious volumes to be a store of household words among the family.

How often I call to mind some question or answer, expressed quite naturally in terms of the novels; sometimes even a conversation would be carried on entirely appropriate to the matter under discussion, but the actual phrases were “Aunt Jane’s.” So well, too, do I recollect the sad news of the death of Admiral Charles Austen, after the capture, under his command, of Martaban and Rangoon, and while he was leading his squadron to further successes, fifty-six years having elapsed since his first sea-fight.

My daughter and I have made free use of the _Letters of Jane Austen_, published in 1884, by the late Lord Brabourne, and wish to acknowledge with gratitude the kind permission to quote these letters, given to us by their present possessor. In a letter of 1813, she speaks of two nephews who “amuse themselves very comfortably in the evening by netting; they are each about a rabbit-net, and sit as deedily to it, side by side, as any two Uncle Franks could do.” In his octogenarian days Sir Francis was still much interested in this same occupation of netting, to protect his Morello cherries or currants. It was, in fact, only laid aside long after his grandsons had been taught to carry it on.

My most hearty thanks are also due to my cousins, who have helped to provide materials for our work; to Miss M. L. Austen for the loan of miniatures and silhouettes; to Miss Jane Austen for various letters and for illustrations; to Commander E. L. Austen for access to logs, and to official and other letters in large numbers; also to Miss Mary Austen for the picture of the _Peterel_ in action, and to Mrs. Herbert Austen, and Captain and Mrs. Willan for excellent portraits of the Admirals, and to all these, and other members of the family, for much encouragement in our enterprise.

JOHN H. HUBBACK.

_July 1905._

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. BROTHERS AND SISTERS 1

II. TWO MIDSHIPMEN 15

III. CHANGES AND CHANCES IN THE NAVY 28

IV. PROMOTIONS 41

V. THE “PETEREL” SLOOP 56

VI. THE PATROL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN 78

VII. AT HOME AND ABROAD 94

VIII. BLOCKADING BOULOGNE 111

IX. THE PURSUIT OF VILLENEUVE 130

X. “A MELANCHOLY SITUATION” 147

XI. ST. DOMINGO 164

XII. THE CAPE AND ST. HELENA 180

XIII. STARS AND STRIPES 196

XIV. CHINESE MANDARINS 212

XV. A LETTER FROM JANE 227

XVI. ANOTHER LETTER FROM JANE 243

XVII. THE END OF THE WAR 260

XVIII. TWO ADMIRALS 274

INDEX 287

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Vice-Admiral Sir Francis Austen, K.C.B. (_From a painting
in the possession of Mrs. Herbert Austen_) _Frontispiece_

The Reverend George Austen, Rector of Steventon (_From
a miniature in the possession of Miss M. L. Austen_) 8

Action between the English frigate _Unicorn_ and the French
frigate _La Tribune_, June 8, 1796 (_From a painting in
the possession of Captain Willan, R.N., and Mrs. Willan_).
_By kind permission of Miss Hill_ 22

Francis Austen as Lieutenant (_From a miniature_) 44

Sloop of War and Frigate (_From a pencil sketch by Captain
Herbert Austen, R.N._) 64

_Peterel_ in action with the French brig _La Ligurienne_ after
driving two others on the rocks near Marseilles, on
March 21, 1800 (_From a sketch by Captain Herbert
Austen, R.N., in the possession of Miss Mary Austen_) 84

Topaz Crosses given to Cassandra and Jane by Charles
Austen (_In the possession of Miss Jane Austen_) 92

The Way to Church from Portsdown Lodge (_From a
pencil sketch by Catherine A. Austen_) 108

Mrs. Austen (_From a silhouette in the possession of Miss
M. L. Austen_) 124

Order of Battle and of Sailing, signed Nelson and Bronté,
dated March 26, 1805 132

Order of Battle and of Sailing, signed Nelson and Bronté,
dated June 5, 1805 138

Captain Francis William Austen (_From a miniature of
1806, in the possession of Miss M. L. Austen. The Order
of the C.B. has been painted in at a later date, probably
when conferred in 1815_) 156

“Vice-Admiral Sir Francis Austen, K.C.B.’s writing-desk”
(_From a caricature sketch by his daughter Cassandra,
about 1840_) 174

Cassandra Austen (_From a silhouette in the possession of
Miss M. L. Austen_) 184

Portchester Castle. The French prisoners were interned
in the neighbouring buildings after the Battle of
Vimiera (_From a sketch by Captain Herbert Austen, R.N._) 200

Captain Charles Austen (_From a painting of 1809, in the
possession of Miss Jane Austen_) 210

Jane Austen, from a sketch by her sister Cassandra (_In
the possession of Miss Jane Austen_) 226

Mrs. Charles Austen, _née_ Fanny Palmer, daughter of the
Attorney-General of Bermuda (_From a painting in the
possession of Miss Jane Austen_) 252

Captain Charles Austen, C.B. (_From a painting in the
possession of Captain Willan, R.N., and Mrs. Willan_) 266

Jane Austen’s work-box, with her last piece of work (_In
the possession of Miss Jane Austen_) 270

Memorandum, dated May 12, 1838, signed by Charles
Austen on taking command of the _Bellerophon_ 274

Rear-Admiral Charles Austen, C.B. (_From a miniature
painted at Malta in 1846, in the possession of Miss Jane
Austen_) 278

Sir Francis Austen, G.C.B., Admiral of the Fleet, at the
age of ninety 284

JANE AUSTEN’S SAILOR BROTHERS