Chapter XVII (2)

The breeze now began to freshen, and the atmosphere had all the appearance of the commencement of a Borea, or N.E. gale; consequently no time was lost in despatching as many of the prizes as we could to Lissa. The salt craft were scuttled and sunk; the remaining vessels we took in tow.

The gale increased during the night, and caused us great uneasiness for the safety of the eleven prizes sent away, two of which we fell in with the next morning; one being dismasted, the crew had quitted her, and we took her in tow. We were by them informed that one under the command of the Honourable H. J. Rous, midshipman, had upset; but the cargo (oil) being of a buoyant nature, the vessel floated on her broadside, which enabled another, her consort, under the Honourable William Waldegrave, a promising young officer, to pick him and her crew up, with the exception of one man (I think Oliver Cooke), whom they could not by any means get hold of at the moment.

Soon after we fell in with Mr. Rous, who gave us the bearing of the wreck, and the apparent distance. We, of course, immediately cast adrift our tow, and after many hours of tacking, wearing, and diligent search, in various directions, with every telescope in the ship in requisition, in the earnest and anxious expectation of discovering the unfortunate poor fellow, were, at noon, about to relinquish all hope, when our second lieutenant (Hood) imagined he had discovered a something astern of us, which proved to be the wreck, and very soon we perceived the object of our anxiety on it.

We instantly wore round, and in a moment, although the sea was running very high, and it was a dangerous service, I had a boat’s crew of volunteers, and picked him up.

He had managed to secure himself with a piece of rope to one of the timber heads on the upper gunwale, from which, owing to extreme weakness and languor, he had great difficulty to extricate himself. The judicious means resorted to by our skilful surgeon (William Lodge Kidd), together with the attention bestowed on him by all on board, restored the patient in a short time to, at least, a sense of his ameliorated situation.

He informed us that, at daylight, he had perceived the ship advancing towards the wreck, and was overjoyed, being confident that we must have observed him; but, when he saw us about to depart, he thought his heart would instantly break. Considering the size of a large frigate, and the wreck of a comparatively small vessel, occasionally covered with the sea, it is easy to account for the difference in our optics.

All of our prizes arrived in safety except two, which I grieve to say were never heard of. They were commanded by very promising young men, Dobson and Mason. Mr. Few, of whom I have had occasion already to make honourable mention, commanded one of the captured vessels, which was without any ground tackling, and finding that she was drifting rapidly before the gale on the enemy’s coast, he adopted the ingenious contrivance of slinging a twelve-pound gun and letting it go as an anchor, and by this means the vessel rode out the gale and was saved from destruction. Another midshipman, Mr. Richardson, by getting his cables out abaft, and letting go his anchors from the stern, though in very deep water, contrived to retard the drifting of his vessel until the gale abated, and thus did he save his prize. This youth had but just commenced his naval career.

It was at this period that a truly dreadful accident occurred on board of the _Bacchante_, and which plunged all our officers and crew into the profoundest melancholy. On anchoring, a light vessel was brought alongside of us, in order that we might load her with some of the oil-casks that we had saved out of the sinking prizes. A remarkably fine youth, the son of Viscount Anson, had just quitted my side, and had descended into the vessel, to see the process employed in loading her. He had not been two minutes on board, and was apparently at play with another youth about his own age, a Mr. William Barnard, when one of our main-deck guns, by some inexplicable cause, went off, and killed him on the spot, without hurting his companion or any other person whatever. The ball, however, was very nearly killing Captain Duff Markland, of the admiral’s ship, the _Milford_, for it whizzed close by his head as he was looking out of the quarter-gallery window.

How this fatal gun had so unhappily gone off was inscrutable. The lanyards and leaden apron over the lock and touch-hole were secured in the best and usual manner. No fire or means of ignition were near it; and as to any vibration or concussion of the decks, caused by our removing the casks, if such existed, it must have been very slight, and equally effective in the adjacent guns. Be the cause what it may, we had to consign to its last long resting-place the mutilated body of a young officer, suddenly cut off in all the promise of youth, at a moment of sportive innocence, and amidst the affections of all around him. Our brave captain was deeply affected, for poor young Anson had been entrusted by his parents to his special care and superintendence.

On the 25th we again stood over to the Apulian coast, and vainly endeavoured to gain some intelligence of our lost shipmates and prizes. Our ultimate object was the blockade of Venice. We had heard, however, of the most tragical fate of the _Danaë_, French frigate, lying off Trieste.

A seaman who had been punished (and his miscreant nature affords a presumption that his punishment had been merited), had by some contrivance or other procured access to the magazine. Having everything in readiness, he waited only for the captain’s returning on board. This officer had been at the opera--from the refined and luxurious enjoyment and splendour of which he had returned to his rougher quarters, and could scarcely have got into his cot, when the diabolical assassin applied his match to the powder, and the noble vessel, with her full complement of (I doubt not) brave men, was in an instant blown to atoms; for only four of them were left to tell this wretched tale.

The _Flore_ frigate, that had so shamefully made her escape after she had struck to us, had been wrecked some time back off the coast of Venice; and all that remained of the fine squadron, of which Napoleon had formed such high expectations, was the _Carolina_. What could be a better compliment to our noble captain?

I was engaged to dine with him on the 29th of September, or Michaelmas Day, and off goose--an odd English dinner in such a part of the world. In the morning, it falling a dead calm, and our frigate being only twelve or fourteen miles off the fortified town of Viesta, it struck Captain Hoste that by a flag of truce I might learn whether our poor fellows in the two prizes had perished at sea or whether they had been driven on the enemy’s coast and made prisoners of war.

As it was not unusual for Napoleon’s officers to disrespect flags of truce, and to violate the security paid to them by civilised nations, I took the worst boat (an old gig), with four volunteers, and I supplied myself with a knapsack, and all other things that might enable me, were I captured, to indulge in my old habits of escaping from French clutches rather than be again taken to Bitche; where a recollection might be had of me that would be by no means consonant to my wishes.

After a long and tedious row we got near to the batteries, which were manned, and exhibited all the bustle of drums and bugles, and all other symptoms of excitement and of brave and noble daring, as if they had been approached by a first-rate ship-of-war, instead of by a small boat containing only four men under a flag of truce, which showed that they were unarmed.

As we approached the centre of the fort the soldiers crowded the ramparts, making the most violent demonstrations with their side-arms, brandishing their swords, and using the most abusive language towards us.

I pursued my object, pointing to my flag of truce, and to a packet of papers which I held in my hands; but a number of officers and soldiers rushed from the sally-port to the water’s edge, using the most disgusting language, swearing that they would cut us to pieces if we attempted to land.

I appealed to the officer upon the respect due to a flag of truce: and I anxiously inquired after the fate of my companions, but I was unhappily convinced that he knew nothing of them, for all the reply I got was a charge that, under the pretext of a flag of truce, I had approached solely with a view to discover the state of the garrison, and we deserved to be shot as spies. I had therefore only to rejoin my ship, where an ample portion of goose was reserved for me by my good chief.

We repaired off Venice, where, on the 14th of October, we discovered, in company with the _Achille_, that the enemy had three sail of the line more ready than willing, we imagined, to put to sea. With this intelligence we were despatched to our Admiral Freemantle, at Lissa, and again returned, after capturing two _trabaccolos_, laden with firewood, close in on the Istrian coast. There was a good deal of boat-fighting on this occasion, as they were covered by musketry from the shore; however, we had not sustained any loss; and we soon had a much better exploit.

As there could not have been for the Adriatic and its coasts a better pilot than Captain Hoste, in passing between the Brioni Islands and the main, a large quantity of ship timber was discovered by us lying on the beach, near the town of Fazano, on the Istrian shore, which he determined to seize and embark the first convenient opportunity, which soon presented itself.

On the 13th of November, after having been opposed by adverse winds and drifted by currents, we found the commodore, Captain Rowley, in the _Eagle_, with the _Achille_, Captain Hollis, in company. Captain Hoste gave the former the information, who immediately acquiesced in a proposal made by our gallant chief to bring the timber off. The commodore kindly declared, that as it had been discovered by him, the command of the forces necessary for the execution of that service should be given to his first-lieutenant (myself), and that he, the commodore, with the other line-of-battle ship, would be most happy to supply as many officers and men as might be deemed expedient for the purpose.

Arrangements were accordingly made: light winds, together with the draft of water they required, prevented the line-of-battle ships getting near enough to the shore to cover the debarcation, but the _Bacchante_ was enabled to take her position sufficiently close to the town, with springs on her cables, and all boats were out and in readiness at an hour before daylight on the 14th.

The marines, with the seamen of the _Eagle_ and _Bacchante_ intended for the service, pulled off from the frigate for the shore at daybreak (those of the _Achille_, being at a great distance in the offing, not having arrived), with three hearty cheers, which were returned with great animation by our good captain and shipmates. My orders, as on former occasions, were discretionary, with a proviso that, in the first instance, it was indispensably necessary to take the town of Fazano.

In about twenty minutes we were all landed, and in a very few minutes more had possession of the town, and had the pleasure of seeing the British colours flying from the top of the church steeple without opposition, for the troops and militia had abandoned the place on our approach. All the advantageous positions were instantly occupied by our marines, under the command of Lieutenants Holmes and Haig; the enemy we observed on the adjacent heights, waiting, we supposed, for a reinforcement from the garrison of Pola, only eight miles distant, and where they had a formidable force, having in that place regular fortifications.

Immediately on our colours being displayed I searched out and found the _padré_, or chief clergyman, to whom I communicated our intention of taking off all the ship timber, as it was a Napoleon or government concern, adding, that we waged no war against the inhabitants, nor should they be in the slightest way molested; whatever provision or merchandise they had to dispose of, we should purchase at their own prices; the fishermen and boats I should put in requisition, to aid in the embarcation of the timber, after which they would be allowed to depart freely. All these particulars I requested the good _padré_ would have the kindness to communicate to his flock, who received joyfully the intelligence, and to work we went most willingly--none more so than the natives, who I believe, if they durst declare it, were more attached to us than to the usurper and his myrmidons.

The timber proved to be solid oak, and so ponderous that on launching it sunk like lead; therefore we were under the necessity of slinging or hanging every beam and piece of it to the boats’ sides, as rafting it off was out of the question.

By sunset the frigate was nearly full; the lower decks and booms were the only places where it could be conveniently placed, so as not to interrupt the working of the guns, and our signal was made for re-embarcing, which was complied with, with the most exact precision and in perfect order, without a casualty with the exception that one of our carpenter’s crew, named Remmings, was missing, whom we strongly suspected of having an intention to desert. The troops and militia entered the town at the moment of our embarcation. Early on the next morning, the 15th, we again landed and resumed our duties with the same facility, the enemy having retired from the town to the heights as on the preceding day; and by ten o’clock we had sent off all that the ship could possibly contain. Having destroyed the remainder, we returned to the frigate; just as I was informed that the enemy was advancing in great force, with a determination to drive us into the sea.

We were next despatched to Corfu, off which island Captain Hoste appeared on the 24th December, it blowing a hurricane at the time.

On 5th January 1813, when passing the Island of Fano, early in the afternoon, we discovered a flotilla of gun-vessels standing out to sea, evidently bound across to Otranto. The wind being fair for the Adriatic, we crowded all possible sail, as if making a passage up the Gulf without perceiving the enemy’s flotilla, which lowered their sails and hauled in under the high cliffs of the island. The moment we lost sight of them, we shortened sail, and stood over close-hauled on a wind, for Otranto, in the hope of cutting them off on the morning following. At midnight we were made happy by a number of letters from England, which the _Weazle_ had recently received.

On the 6th, at about half-past five, the officer of the watch sent a midshipman to inform me that it was a perfect calm, with light only sufficient to distinguish that we were at a short distance from five gunboats of the enemy, then exactly midway between Corfu and Otranto. Our _ruse de guerre_ had evidently so far proved successful. The _Weazle_ was not more than four miles from us, but in an opposite direction to the flotilla, now about six or seven miles distant. This service, as there was no wind, was necessarily to be executed by our boats, which were in readiness by six o’clock, and which I had the honour of commanding.

As on former occasions, my gallant friend, Lieutenant Haig of the marines, always active and zealous in the service of his king and his country, accompanied me in the barge. Lieutenant Hood commanded the launch; Lieutenant Gosling, the second yawl; Mr. Edward Webb, master’s mate, the first yawl and two gigs, one of which was commanded by Mr. Hoste, midshipman.

The enemy, perceiving the preparations, separated, two of them taking the direction back towards Corfu; the remaining three, with sails furled, kept their course towards Otranto, sweeping with all their might, which division we pursued, Mr. Webb, with whom the _Weazle’s_ boats were directed to co-operate, chasing the former division.

After two good hours’ chase, we in the barge closed with the sternmost gunboat, the officer of which kept up an incessant and well-directed fire of round and grape, that splintered several of the oars; but not a man was wounded, and to this fire we could reply by cheers only, as otherwise we should have been obliged to lay in our oars, which, of course, would retard our progress in closing. Now nearly alongside, and about to cease rowing, we discharged our twelve-pound carronade with grape, which wounded two of his men; and, seeing that we were ready to lay him on board, he thought proper to haul down his colours.

The other boats coming up, I pushed on for the next ahead. To Mr. Hoste, whose gig kept the whole time close to the barge, I left charge of the prize. I perceived him take possession in good style with his little crew, send the prisoners below off the deck, and, with amazing celerity, he had her bow-gun, which traversed upon a pivot, to bear upon the chase, contributing greatly to her

London. Edward Arnold. 1902.]

surrender, though a fine breeze now sprang up, which enabled them to make sail--which, of course, we did also; as did the frigate when it reached her, though at a great distance to leeward.

The third gunboat was closing fast with the Neapolitan coast, but we gained upon her, and in little more than an hour we had the satisfaction of having captured the whole, without any loss whatever on our side.

Mr. Webb, in the first yawl, captured the sternmost of the two which he had been in chase of, before the _Weazle_ or her boats (notwithstanding they used every exertion) could co-operate. However, as they were rapidly advancing, he left his prize to be taken possession of by them, and, pushing forward, boarded and carried, in the most gallant manner, the other, ably supported by the Hon. H. J. Rous. All proved to be vessels of a superior description and very fast craft: their officers stated that they were bound to Otranto, for the purpose of picking up and fetching back to Corfu specie for the payment of the troops in that island.

Their guns were fitted on a pivot, which enabled them to traverse and fire in any direction, without altering the course; it was by this means that they were enabled to annoy our boats so much in approaching, as I have already stated. We found it necessary to bear up for Valona Bay, in order to put our prizes in a state to encounter bad weather, which, from all appearances, was then to be expected.

On the 8th we sailed with them for the Island of Zante; and the next day, when off Fano, we captured a convoy consisting of five vessels, laden with provisions, for Corfu. The weather again becoming boisterous, compelled us to return to our anchorage, and to destroy two of the gunboats; a third was missing, which we feared must have gone down. If I am not mistaken, it was the _Calypso_, under the command of Mr. Edward O. Pocock.

_13th January._--We were now again on our passage to Zante with the prizes captured on the 9th inst.: the weather becoming boisterous, buffeted them about very much, and on the 23rd it became still more inclement, which obliged us to take young Mr. Hoste and the crew out of one until the weather abated. Another, commanded by Mr. Few, which we had left perfectly secure and well in under the Island of Zante, we perceived early the next morning (24th), bearing down to us with the signal of distress at the mast-head. I obtained permission from Captain Hoste to proceed with a volunteer crew (as was usual on dangerous occasions) to her assistance. On coming within hail, I received the melancholy intelligence of the loss of this very promising young man, Mr. Few,[45] in the night. It happened that, in the act of wearing, the vessel’s fore-yard struck him, and tossed him completely overboard: the night was excessively dark, and a mountainous sea running; the crew had heard him call out, but could not see him or render any assistance. This severe loss cast a gloom over all hands. Another young gentleman was placed in command; and, having seen all our prizes safe into Zante (with the exception of the three which were missing), we resumed our station off Corfu.