CHAPTER NINE.
THE CORSAIR BEATEN OFF.
After the failure of her attempt to board us, the corsair hauled aft hersheets and shot ahead of the _Good Hope_. We believing that sheintended to rake us, quickly got headsail on the ship, and by squaringaway the afteryards, and brailing up the mizen, put her before the wind,all the time blazing away as fast as we could with our guns. Instead,however, of passing either astern or ahead of us, which having all hercanvas set, she might easily have done, the corsair kept on a wind, andpresently, when beyond the range of our guns, going about she stood awayto the south-west. We had beaten off our big assailant, and we mightpossibly in a longer contest have compelled her to strike or sent her tothe bottom, but we were in no condition to follow her. All hands beingrequired to repair damages, some time passed before we could questionthe stranger who had taken refuge on board us. As he looked sick andcareworn, Lancelot had directed that he should be conducted to thecabin, where, the ship having at length been put somewhat to rights, Iwas able to join him. Finding that having been properly looked afterand supplied with food he had much recovered, I inquired who he was andfrom whence he came.
"My name is Joseph Aylett; I am an Englishman and a sea officer," heanswered. "I was captured many a long month ago, on board a vessel by aship from Tunis, not far from where we now are. The night was dark, thesea smooth, a light breeze only filling our sails. Not a thought ofdanger entered our heads. A bad look-out must have been kept, for,without warning, suddenly a large ship ran us alongside before we couldfly to our arms or fire a gun, and a whole host of Moors came swarmingdown on our decks. Resistance was useless, though had we been preparedwe might have fought the enemy as you did and beaten her off. We wereprisoners to the corsairs, and doomed, as we supposed, to a life-longslavery. If the lot of us men was hard, that of our female passengerswas harder still. We had two poor young ladies with a waiting woman andtheir father, who had been taken on board against their will andcompelled to accompany us out to these distant seas. Every respect hadbeen shown to them by the captain and officers, of whom I was one, andwe had promised to send them home by the first ship we should fall inwith returning to England.
"As no blood had been shed we were better treated by the Moors than wehad expected, the passengers even were allowed to remain in their cabinswithout molestation, and I was thankful to find that the young ladiesdid not make their appearance. Still I trembled to think to whatindignities they might be exposed when carried on shore, and perhapsseparated from each other and their father. Most of our crew werequickly removed to the corsair, their places being supplied by theMoors, but I and a few others were left on board to assist in workingthe ship. A calm coming on prevented us from reaching Tunis for acouple of days. During the time, I turned in my mind the possibility ofassisting the young ladies, and at length a plan occurred to me, byadopting which their position might be rendered less perilous than wouldotherwise be the case.
"We had had two young boys in the ship, son and nephew of the captain.The one had died from sickness, the other had fallen overboard and beendrowned. Their clothes had been left in a chest, and when no one waslooking, I possessed myself of the articles and carried them to theircabin. My object was quickly explained, and they at once expressedtheir willingness to follow my advice.
"Their father saw its wisdom, and leaving them to don the garments I hadbrought, I hastened away that I might not be perceived. Then tellingthe other officer left with me what I had done, we at once agreed as tothe way we should behave to the seeming lads. We were, should we havean opportunity, to inform our captain, who was on board the corsair, ofwhat we had done, and to treat them as if they were his son and nephew."
The feelings with which I listened to the officer's narrative can betterbe supposed than expressed. "Tell me, Mr Aylett, who were those youngladies of whom you speak?" I asked, in an agitated voice.
"Their father was, I understand, a Roundhead, Kerridge by name, butotherwise a well-disposed, amiable gentleman whom I was glad to serve."
"Kerridge!" I exclaimed, not regarding his remark. "Tell me, sir, thename of the vessel on board which you were."
"The _Hector_," he replied.
All doubt vanished from my mind as to whom those unfortunate personswere.
"Go on, sir, I pray you," I said. "Tell me what happened next."
"The following morning, while we were some way off Tunis, the oldgentleman accompanied by the two young ladies appeared on deck, but itwould have required a keen eye to have discovered that they were notwhat they seemed. I forthwith went up to one of them and sang out, `Layhold of this rope and do as I do; now haul away.' The other joined us,and by the way the Moors looked at them, I felt satisfied that theirdisguise was not discovered.
"I then spoke to the old woman who attended on them, advising her toconceal their female attire.
"`I have taken good care of that, sir,' she answered. `I've thrown somethrough a port and packed the rest in my chest; it won't be my fault ifthey are found out.'
"Our captors treated us with more civility than I had expected. I andthe men left were doing our best to navigate the ship, and the Moorsknew that we could not escape. No sooner, however, had we droppedanchor and furled sails in the harbour of Tunis, off the strong castleof Porto Ferino, than several boats came alongside, and we, as well asthe poor passengers being mustered on deck, had our arms lashed behindus, by which treatment we knew that we were looked upon as slaves. Wewere then carried on shore to the slave market, where we found the restof the crew of the _Hector_. I thought little of my own sufferingswhile reflecting on the sad fate to which Mr Kerridge and his youngcompanions were doomed. In a short time purchasers appeared, and thesale of the captives commenced. From the prices offered it was evidentthat the common men were looked upon as of greater value than theofficers, from its being supposed that they were capable of performingmore work.
"Most of the men had been disposed of, when an old Moor in magnificentcostume, and several attendants, entered the bazaar. The prices of themen who remained, consisting of the boatswain and his mate, the gunnerand three of his crew, all standing six feet high, with broad shoulders,had been considerably raised, but no bidders were forthcoming.
"I thought that the Moorish chief would have bought them, but on hearingthe price named he turned away and pointed to Mr Kerridge and the twoboys. Satisfied with the sum asked, he at once paid it down, and theywere transferred to the care of his black attendants. On seeing thisthe old woman rushed up to him, and by signs entreated that he wouldpurchase her, amid much laughter, and finding that a very triflingamount was placed on her, he paid it over. I was thankful to find thatthe whole four were thus purchased by one master, and was wondering whatwould become of me, when the old Moor, looking into his purse, seemed todiscover that he had sufficient for the purchase of another slave.After examining each of the officers, to my great satisfaction he fixedon me, for I had a fancy that he was likely to prove more kind-heartedthan most of his countrymen, and that I might be of use to the youngladies and their father.
"Apparently well pleased with his purchases, the old Moor left thebazaar followed by his attendants, who led us along. Outside we foundseveral camels, on which the whole party being mounted, we set off,following a road towards the interior. Although our chance of escapewould be greatly lessened by being at a distance from the coast, I wasthankful to get out of the town. At last we arrived at what looked likea large farm. It was the chief's residence, a number of smallerbuildings surrounding it, and at the back large gardens, shaded by finetrees, with ponds and fountains and flower beds. The whole was underthe care of a big black fellow, to whose charge Mr Kerridge and I werecommitted. We found that it was intended we should labour in thegarden, while the two seeming boys were destined to attend on the oldchief, and Margaret on his wives and children. Our lot was thus happierthan we could have expected, still there was the fear that the sex ofthe young ladies might be discovered
, though, with Margaret's help, wehoped that this might be avoided. Of course, from the first MrKerridge and I discussed the possibility of escaping, but, removed as wewere from the coast, that we should succeed appeared almost impossible.
"I was one day labouring as usual, when the old chief came into thegarden, accompanied by another person whom I recognised to be thecaptain of the ship which had captured us.
"He looked at me and inquired who I was. `He is the man who brought theprize into the harbour,' he observed. `I am in want of some good seamenfor my new ship, and I will buy him of you, so name your price.'
"I was in hopes that the old chief would refuse, for though I mightpossibly, by getting on board ship effect my escape, yet I was unwillingto leave Mr Kerridge and his daughters to their hard fate. I found,however, that the transfer had been made without the option of remainingbeing given me, so I was carried off by the captain, and in two daysgoing on board the vessel he spoke of, I was ordered, under pain ofhaving my brains blown out, to perform the duty of a lieutenant. As itwould have been madness to resist, I tried to appear reconciled to mylot, though I resolved on the first opportunity to make my escape. Itcame sooner than I had expected.
"I confess when I sprang from the side of the corsair that I scarcelyhoped to reach your deck alive."
I need not say into what a state of agitation Mr Aylett's account threwme. He repeated it again when Lancelot and Dick came below, and it waswith difficulty that we could attend to the duties of the ship, thinkingof the means to be taken for rescuing those for whom we had searched solong. Mr Aylett, however, gave us no hope of success. "It would beimpossible even to communicate with them," he observed; "the only chancewould be to send a message to their owner, and to offer a large sum fortheir ransom." How this message was to be sent was the question.Aylett pointed out that were he to go he should be immediately seized asa deserter and lose his life, while any other Englishman who might setfoot in the country would be carried off to slavery.
Unfortunately, much time must elapse before even the best-formed plancould be put into execution, for so battered was our ship that it wouldbe absolutely necessary to go into port and refit before we couldventure on the coast.
It would be difficult to describe our feelings at the delay, yet ourbetter judgment told us it must be endured. It was a satisfaction toknow that Audrey and Cicely and Mr Kerridge and poor Margaret werealive, and from Aylett's account not ill-treated; yet bondage in anyform is hard to bear, and we could not tell what change for the worse intheir circumstances might occur. Happily the weather remained calm, andenabled us to get up a fore-yard on which sail could be set, though wehad no spar for a topmast. The men worked with a will, for they fearedthat the Barbary corsair might return, and they had no wish to becomeslaves, which would be our lot should she succeed in capturing us.
A moderate breeze springing up from the southward, we were able to steera course for Cagliari in the island of Sardinia, one of the few friendlyports in the Mediterranean, where we could refit and obtain provisions.We reached it without encountering an enemy, and lost no time incommencing the necessary repairs. Still we were in as much doubt as atfirst as to what means we should take to rescue our friends.
One thing was certain, that force would not avail. Should we reach thecoast, our little ship would be blown out of the water by the Tunisiancorsairs; or, should our whole crew land, we should be out to piecesbefore we had advanced a mile into the country.
We talked of going on shore in disguise, but our ignorance of Arabicwould betray us. Our only hope of success would be to negotiate, butthe old Moor would probably demand a far higher ransom than we were ableto pay, and very likely should we sail into the harbour, even with aflag of truce, the Moors would seize our vessel and help themselves toeverything on board, while we should be carried off as slaves.
We had now been a long time without hearing from England, and wereignorant of the events taking place nearer home. Of one thing we feltcertain, that Admiral Blake was not idle. If work was to be done, hewas doing it.
The _Good Hope_ was nearly ready for sea, but still our plan ofproceeding was as unsettled as before, when a squadron of five shipswith the flag of the Commonwealth flying was seen coming in from thesouthward. As soon as they had anchored, Lancelot and I went on boardthe flag-ship, to pay our respects to Commodore Bodley, the commander ofthe squadron, and to ask his advice and obtain his assistance inrecovering our friends. We were invited into his cabin, where we foundseveral officers collected. They were unanimous in the opinion that theattempt to rescue Mr Kerridge and his companions would be madnesswithout a strong force at our backs, and urged us to abandon the idea ofgoing alone. The commander declared that nothing would give him so muchsatisfaction as to accompany us with his squadron, but without thepermission of Parliament he could not venture on the undertaking.Numerous and startling events had taken place since we sailed fromScilly. News of the latter had been brought by a large ship which hadjoined the squadron from England. Jersey, though gallantly defended bySir George Carteret, had been captured by a fleet under Admiral Blake.Commodore Young had fallen in with the Dutch fleet, the admiral of whichrefusing to lower his flag, the commodore had attacked it, and after asharp action had compelled the Dutchmen to strike.
"Those were brave deeds, but the fighting was mere child's play comparedto what took place afterwards," exclaimed Captain Harman, commanding the_Diamond_, the frigate which had just come out from England. "It wasthought after the lesson they had received that the Dutch would notagain flaunt their flag in British waters, but before long the DutchAdmiral, Van Tromp, made his appearance in the Downs with a fleet offorty-two men-of-war and frigates. At the time Admiral Blake wascruising in the _James_ off Eye, when the news reached him that VanTromp was off Dover. He at once made sail. Upon reaching the Straitshe saw the Dutch fleet standing out to sea. Suddenly, however, theytacked and stood towards him. He had but fifteen ships, but he had sentto Admiral Bourne to join him with a squadron of eight ships. Theywere, however, not yet in sight; still, our ships were larger, with moremen than were on board the Dutch, so that the disproportion of strengthwas not so great as might appear. Tromp, who led the van in the_Brederode_, fired into the _James_, when Admiral Blake instantlyordered his gunners to return the salute. The fight then becamegeneral. The _James_ bore the brunt of the action. Her masts wereknocked away, her hull riddled, and many officers and men were killed.
"Young Robert Blake, who--Vice-Admiral Penn being absent--took commandof the _Triumph_, greatly distinguished himself, succouring his uncleand contributing much to the success of the day.
"From four o'clock to nightfall the battle raged, when Admiral Bournearriving with his squadron turned the scale, and the Dutchmen took toflight, leaving two ships in our hands, while the rest were more or lessdisabled, with two hundred and fifty prisoners and many more killed.
"Admiral Blake thus remained master of the narrow seas, and in less thana month had captured forty rich prizes from the Dutch, which he sentinto the Thames. As the Government were well assured that the Dutchwould try to revenge themselves, great preparations were made forrenewing the contest, and in one month one hundred and five vesselscarrying three thousand nine hundred and sixty-one guns were placedunder Admiral Blake's command.
"As sufficient seamen were not to be found, two regiments of foot weresent on board the fleet.
"The admiral then sailed north to capture a large fleet of Dutch herringbusses, in order to obtain fish for his crews. No less than six hundredfell into his hands, but, unwilling to injure the families of the poormen depending upon them, he contented himself with taking only a smallportion from each buss, and forbidding them again to fish in Britishwaters. They were convoyed by twelve Dutch men-of-war, which heattacked, sinking three and capturing the other nine.
"A portion of the busses he pursued to the Danish coast. While still inthose northern seas, several of his ships having been sent to theOrkneys to repair,
he received news that Tromp was on his way to attackhim, with a fleet greatly outnumbering his.
"The evening of the 5th of August was drawing on, when as the admiralwas cruising near Fair Isle, about midway between the Orkneys andShetlands, he caught sight of the Dutch Fleet. Instant preparations forbattle were made, but before a gun was fired, the admiral observing thata heavy gale was coming on, threw out a signal to his ships to preparefor it.
"Down came the tempest with fearful force. The seamen instead of havingto fight with mortal foes had now to contend with the raging tempest.The wind shifted to the north north-west, gaining every instantadditional force. The sea ran mountains high, filling the air withsheets of foam, through which one ship could scarcely distinguish theother as they were tossed and tumbled by the raging waves. The comingdarkness increased the horrors of the scene. Admiral Blake collectinghis ships in time, steered for the southward of Shetland, under theshelter of which he remained secure during the height of the tempest.No sooner had it abated than he pursued the sorely battered Dutchmen,capturing many before they escaped into port. The Dutch, after this,knowing that Admiral Blake was waiting for them, did not for some timeput again to sea. While he was cruising in the Channel, expecting theirappearance, news was brought him that the Spaniards were besiegingDunkirk, but that the French king had sent a fleet for its relief.Believing it was to the interests of England that it should fall, lestthe Dutch admiral should make it the basis of operations against thetowns on the opposite coast of England, he resolved to go and attack theFrench fleet.
"The admiral led the way in the _Resolution_, followed by the_Sovereign_, the largest of our ships, carrying eleven hundred men andeighty-eight guns. He first attacked the _Donadieu_, commanded by aKnight of Malta, and boarding her, pike in hand, took her in a fewminutes, while the _Sovereign_ with her terrible broadside sank one ofthe royal frigates and dismantled five others.
"So desperate was the onslaught, that in a few hours every French shiphad been sunk or captured, the prizes being carried into the Downs.Scarcely was this victory gained when the Dutch fleet, under Admirals DeWitt and De Ruiter, were sighted off the North Foreland. Admiral Blake,without waiting for the rest of his fleet, which were astern,immediately ordered each ship to engage as she came up, and leading theway attacked De Witt's line. Tremendous were the broadsides exchanged.As night came on the Dutch retreated, having suffered severely, themasts of many of the ships being shot away and vast numbers of men beingslain. The next morning the Dutch seemed disposed to renew the bloodywork of the previous day, but their courage failed as the Englishadmiral bore down, and putting up their helms, they ran for their nativecoast, followed by Blake until the shallowness of the water compelledhim to desist from pursuit. The Dutch, though thus signally defeated,would, it was thought, again attempt to regain their lost power on thereturn of spring, and information was received that their mostcelebrated admiral, Van Tromp, would take command of their fleet. Itwas not supposed, however, that it would be ready until the spring.
"No sooner had our ships been dispersed to their winter stations, thanTromp appeared with a fleet of more than a hundred sail off the GoodwinSands.
"Admiral Blake, who was still on board the _Triumph_, on hearing ofthis, collected all the ships he could get, and stood out of Dover toattack the Dutch. For the whole of that winter's day the two admiralswatched each other, each endeavouring to obtain the weather-gauge.
"A dark and tempestuous night then coming on separated the fleets ofboth ships. The following day the weather moderated. Still for somehours the _Triumph_ and Tromp's flag-ship the _Brederode_ keptmanoeuvring, until late in the afternoon the Dutchman made a suddenattempt to take the English admiral at a disadvantage. Blake, however,by suddenly luffing-up crossed the bow of the _Brederode_, followed bythe _Garland_, against which ship the _Brederode_ ran with a tremendouscrash, when both became hotly engaged. The _Bonaventura_, a trader ofonly thirty guns, gallantly came up to the rescue of the _Garland_.While thus fighting, Admiral Evertz attacked the latter ship, the wholefour being alongside each other, when after a desperate struggle, morethan half the crews of the two English ships being killed and wounded,they were boarded and carried by the Dutchmen. Meanwhile the _Triumph,Vanguard_, and _Victory_ were fighting desperately with twenty of theenemy's ships, frequently almost surrounded before many of the rest ofthe fleet had gone into action. The men stood bravely to their guns,although numbers were falling on their decks, and fought their way on,until the night coming down put an end to the battle.
"The following morning a thick fog prevented the enemy being seen, andwith his shattered fleet Admiral Blake thought it wise to retire up theThames to repair damages and collect his ships in readiness again toencounter the enemy. Such was the last action which was fought beforewe left England," continued the officer; "but I am ashamed to say thatTromp was seen vauntingly sailing up and down the Channel with a broomat his mast-head, as if he had swept the English from the sea."