the men that helpt to bring the ship to London;
but they denied to give me any. There was, besides
246 The Aiitobiography of a Man-o '-War's Bell.
the merchant's wine, two pipes of the master's,
(that was in all 117 pipes), eight tuns of shumack
and cork, which paid the King in duties <^%oco.
Then I asked the merchants again for money to pay
the men (who belonged to men-of-war), which they
again refused to pay."
The brave seaman who had saved all the cargo
could not induce the " freighters " to return to him
an equal quantity of wine to that which the priva-
teersman had carried away, and as he had served
out to his prisoners all of his own that remained,
the poor man was a loser of all his venture, while,
the Frenchman having taken only one pipe of the
merchants' wine, they had escaped almost all loss.
To his remonstrances the only reply he could get
was, " Tush ! all the reason is, your's is carried
away, and mine is left ; and if mine had been carried
away, and your*s left, I could not have helped it."
Thus he would have lost everything, for he says, " I
have more adventure money to pay than my wages
will come to."
In this strait, he met a gentleman, who took up
his case, and, " entred an action in the High Court of
Admiralty for j J i,ooo upon ship and cargo, and by
the assistance of an honourable person, I brought it
to a trial, and overthrew the owners and fraighters
The Autobiography of a Man-o '-War's Bell. 247
for half the ship and cargo ; but they appealM to
the High Court of Chancery, and, having nothing of
truth, disgraced me ; withall they informed the Lords
Commissioners that I took a bag of money out of
the ship belonging to the owners, which the master
told me he delivered to the lieutenant of the privateer.
But I having no proof against the same, this did
me a great unkindness. Yet I overthrew them there
for the moiety of the ship and cargo, and had a
decree for the same, which decree is enrolled, and so
is become a precedent in that court, which will be
an advantage to anyone that shall hereafter retake
their ship from the enemy: if they sue them in
Chancery or the High Court of Admiralty for
salvage, they will be allowed as much as if it were
taken by a privateer."
But though the unfortunate seaman consoled
himself with the reflection that his Chancery suits
were productive of public good, in that they created
precedents guiding the courts in awarding salvage to
gallant fellows like himself, he had nothing more
substantial to show for all the dangers and hardships
he had undergone. He tells how the implacable
freighters pursued him with a false charge that he
had run into and sunk a ship moored in the Thames,
while beating up the river. He was arrested on the
248 The Autobiography of a Man-o'-War's Bell.
. , .
1 9th June, and though he managed to find bail, con-
trary to their expectations, was obliged to remain on
shore till Michaelmas term following. He gained
the case by the evidence of five witnesses ; but he
pathetically adds " And so I ended my law and the
greatest part of my money together/'
However, he gained the support of a powerful
Court noble; and the Marquis of Carmarthen re-
commending his case to the Queen, " Her Majesty
was pleased, as a token of her extraordinary favour,
to order me a gold medal and chain, and recom-
mended me to the Right Honourable the Lords of
the Admiralty for preferment in the Fleet, which I
am now attending the Honourable Board for."
In concluding his book, he says : " Thus I have
endeavoured to give an impartial account of the whole
matter of fact, from first to last, ascribing all my
success therein to the Omnipotent Power of the
great God, who was with me, and protected me
throughout the whole action, and made me capable
of performing this piece of service for my King and
country, in whose defence I am still willing to serve,
and shall as long as I remain to be R. L."
With all his readiness to cut throats, our hero
professed great piety, and had ever the name of his
Maker on his lips, displaying the spirit of the
The Autobiography of a Man-o' -War's Bell. 249
Israelites in their dealings with the Philistines,
whom they smote hip and thigh. This constant
recourse to prayer, and " reading two or three
chapters of the Bible " to the boy, before imbruing
his hands in the blood of his enemies, rather detracts
than otherwise from our favourable estimate of the
gallant seaman. It was with some misgiving we
laid before the reader the somewhat revolting details
of the manner in which he slaughtered his enemies,
with the same breath exulting over the ghastly
wounds he inflicted with the " crow," and praising
God, who "strengthened his right arm." However,
if he prayed at all times as earnestly as during the
dreadful moments when he was contending single-
handed with so many foes, he would have made a
fervent member of the " Church Militant. Such a
minister would have compared the " marlin speek "
which delivered his enemies into his hand to the
" sword of the Lord and of Gideon."
Remarkable as was the feat performed by this
Englishman, it was not unique, for in the " Adver-
tisement/' or what we should call the preface, to his
book, he mentions that a man and boy of another
ship, " called the ' Trial/ of 50 tuns," fell upon the
the prize-crew of five Frenchmen, "and overcame
them, and brought their ship into Falmouth, for
250 The Autobiography of a Man-o'-War's Bell.
which the master was immediately made commander
of the 'Mary' galley*; and I, that had used the sea
thirteen years, did but desire the command of a
fire-ship/'
No wonder, with these examples before them,
our seamen held their neighbours across the Channel
in contempt, and considered themselves individually
equal to three Frenchmen !
* Galley, a sort of gunboat, propelled by oars;
CHAPTER X.
THE captain of the mast told a yarn which time has
not effaced from my memory. Hastings was one of
those smart, handsome fellows, of whom during my
service afloat I have come across not a few, and went
by the name of the " lady-killer." He was not
only exceedingly good-looking, but was well-man-
nered and well-spoken, and indeed whatever his birth
may have been, was, in appearance at least, one of
Nature's gentlemen. The rules of the service, which
require men to be scrupulously clean in person and
attire, were so far from being irksome to him, that
" blow high or blow low/' Phil Hastings always
looked fresh and clean, and was pointed out to the
slovens by the officers as an example for their imita-
tion. No matter whether it was the middle watch
at night, or a sudden turn-out during his watch
below to reef topsails in a heavy breeze, his fine,
dark, curly hair was always clustering in smooth
ringlets about his frank, handsome face, while his
252 The Autobiography of a Mau-o'- War's Bell.
_ _ 1
well-knit, graceful figure looked well in any rig.
Like many salts of the old Benbow school, he wore
earrings, which had been given him so the story
went by the daughter of an admiral whose life he
once saved when she fell overboard from the quarter-
gallery of her father's flag-ship. It was also said,
and I believe with truth, that the young lady fell
desperately in love with him, upon perceiving which
the admiral removed him to another ship. They had
been thrown together a great deal, for Hastings,
being rated coxswain of the admiral's barge, used to
attend upon them when they went ashore, and carried
articles for the admiral or his daughter, or conveyed
messages to the captain from the admiral's residence
on shore. The attachment, of course, ended un-
happily, as far as the young girl was concerned, and
the gallant old admiral made a great mistake when
he concluded he could cure his daughter, whom he
loved tenderly, of her unhappy attachment by banish-
ing its object. This course had the contrary effect,
and in her case "absence made the heart grow
fonder." She pined, fell into a state of melancholy,
and died within six months. There was always a
romantic story current in the fleet that at her earnest
request, Hastings was permitted to pay her a last
visit as she lay dying, and that the scene was most
The Autobiography of a Man-o'-War's Bell. 253
distressing. He never alluded to it, or any of the
circumstances attending the love affair, and by his
reticence showed himself a true gentleman, for the
admiral never did anything for him after his
daughter's death. These circumstances occurred
a short time before the "Melpomene" was com-
missioned, and Hastings, who for a long time was
grave and abstracted in his demeanour, only gradually
recovered his habitual gaiety of manner. Towards
the latter part of the commission, he had, however,
quite regained his spirits, and was now one of the
wildest, most rollicking fellows on board.
Talking about Phil Hastings' earrings reminds
me of a good story about Sir Samuel Hood, which
is mentioned by Captain Basil Hall, in his " Frag-
ments of Voyages and Travels." Sir Samuel Hood
was a stern disciplinarian, and hated everything that
appeared to him foreign or effeminate, but he was
loved and respected by every man in the fleet as a
true and gallant seaman. The two brothers, Lords
Hood and Bridport, were worthy of each other, and
the noble service whose annals they enriched by their
brilliant achievements.
" I remember," said Captain Hall, " once wit-
nessing on the beach of Madras, an amusing scene
between Sir Samuel Hood, then Commander-in-
254 The Autobiography of a Man-o' -War's Bell.
chief in India, and the newly-promoted boatswain of
a sloop-of-war belonging to the squadron. The
admiral, who was one of the bravest, and kindest
and truest-hearted seamen that ever trod a ship's
deck, was a sworn foe to all trickery in dress-work.
Tne eye of the veteran officer was directed earnestly
towards the yeast of waves, which, in immense
double rows of surf, fringe and guard the whole of
that flat coast. He was watching the progress of a
mussullah boat, alternately lost in the foam, and
raised in very uncertain balance across the swell,
which though just on the break, brought her swiftly
towards the shore. He felt more anxious than usual
about the fate of this particular boat, from having
ordered on board the person alluded to, with whom
he wished to have some conversation previous to their
parting company. This boatswain was a young man,
who had been for some years a follower of the admiral
in different ships, and to whom he had just given a
warrant. The poor fellow, unexpectedly promoted
from before the mast to the rank of an officer, was
rigged up in his newly-bought, but marvellously
ill-cut uniform, shining like a dollar, and making its
wearer, who for the first time in his life put on a
long coat, feel not a little awkward.
"As soon as the boat was partly driven up the
The Aiitobiography of a Man-o' -War's Bell. 255
beach by the surf, and partly dragged beyond the
dash of the breakers by the crowd on shore, this
happiest of warrant officers leaped out on the sand ;
and seeing the admiral standing on the crest of the
natural glacis which lined the shore, he took off his
hat, smoothed down the hair on his forehead, sailor
fashion, and stood uncovered, in spite of the roasting
sun naming in the zenith.
" The admiral, of course, made a motion with
his hand for the boatswain to put his hat on ; but
the other, not perceiving the motion, stood stock
still.
" ' I say, put on your hat/ called the commander-
in-chief, in a tone which made the newly-created
warrant officer start. In his agitation he shook a
bunch of well-trimmed ringlets a little on one side,
and betrayed to the flashing eyes of the admiral a
pair of small, round, silver earrings, the parting gift,
doubtless, of some favoured and favouring Poll or
Bess of dear, old, blackguard Point Beach, the very
ninth heaven of all light-hearted sailors.
" Be this as it may, the admiral, first stepping on
one side, and then holding his head forward, as if to
re-establish the doubting evidence of his horrified
senses, and forcibly keeping down the astonished
seaman's hat with his hand, roared out
256 The Autobiography of a Man-o'-War's Bell.
" ' Who the devil are you ?/
" ' John Marline, sir/ replied the bewildered boat-
wain, beginning to suspect the scrape he had got
himself into.
" ' Oh ! ' cried the flag-officer, with a scornful
laugh ? ' oh ! I beg your pardon ; I took you for a
Portuguese/
" ' No/ instinctively faltered out the other, seeing
the admiral expected some reply.
" f No. Then if you are not a foreigner, why do
you hoist false colours? What business has an
English sailor with these machines in his ears ?'
" ' I don't know, sir,' said Poor Marline ; ' I put
them in only this morning when I rigged myself in
my new togs, to answer the signal on shore/
" ' Then,' said Sir Samuel, softened by the con-
trite look of his old shipmate, and having got rid of
the greater portion of his bile by the first explosion,,
' you will now proceed to unrig yourself of this top
hamper as fast as you can ; pitch them into the surf,
if you like, but never, as you respect the warrant in
your pocket, let me see you in that disguise again/ }:
Well, to my story.
Hastings told the following veracious narrative of
the capture of some pirates, in which he was engaged
a few years before.
The A utobiography of a Man-o '- War 's Bell. 257
" His Majesty's sloop ' Zebra/ on board of
which I was an A. B., happened in May, 17 , to
visit Port Antonio in Prince's Island, on the west
coast of Africa, a place seldom resorted to by
British men-of-war, and Captain Howson learnt
from a merchant residing there, that in the local
paper of Salem, a port on the American seaboard,
there had appeared an account of the seizure and
plunder at sea, by a piratical schooner, of a brig
named the ' Briton/ hailing from that port. Some
particulars of the transaction were given, and also a
tolerably minute description of the schooner, which
agreed with that of a Spanish vessel named the
' Castille/ which had sailed from Port Antonio only
a few days before for Africa, On our arrival these
particulars were communicated to Captain Howson,
wh6 hearing that the ' Castille ' was supposed to be
lying in the river Nazareth, immediately proceeded in
search of her.
"The account of the capture of the c Briton,' as
stated in the Salem paper, was briefly as follows : At
daylight on the 2oth September previous, the watch
on deck discovered about a mile off, and standing
across the brig's bo\v, a low-lying, rakish-looking
schooner. At first she appeared to be standing from
the ' Briton ' on her weather quarter, but she soon
17
258 The Autobiography of a Man-o'-War's Bell.
tacked, and was observed to be in chase of her. The
ciptain of the latter resolved to make all sail away
from the unwelcome stranger, which was accord-
ingly done, but without avail, as it was soon found
that the schooner gained fast on them, and was
already within gunshot. Another interval passed,
when the signal of a round shot that nearly struck
the mainmast, warned them of the futility of at-
tempting to escape. The brig accordingly threw her
maintopsail aback, and awaited the approach of her
pursuer.
" ' Where are you from ? ' hailed a voice from
the schooner's forecastle, as she ranged up to within
pistol-shot of the brig's stern.
" ' From Salem/ w r as the captain's reply, while
he and his crew anticipated no gentle treatment from
the ill-looking fellows in red caps crowded about the
speaker, who had a foreign accent.
" ' Where are you bound to ? and what is your
cargo ? ' These questions were concluded with the
order, ' Bring your boat on board,' on which the
schooner sheered off, and took up a commanding
position on the brig's weather beam. The captain at
first demurred, excusing himself on the ground that the
boat was leaky, but a second and more peremptory
summons caused him to overcome his scruples, and
The A utobiography of a Man -o '- War's Bell. 259
he proceeded on board with a crew of four men.
The captain steered for the gangway, but on his
approach was ordered to the forechains ; and no
sooner had he reached them than five ruffianly
fellows, armed with long Spanish knives, sprang into
her, and ordered him to steer for the brig.
" On reaching the ' Briton/ the pirates, drawing
their knives, ordered the captain to deliver up any
money he had on board, on pain of instant death.
Seeing that a refusal would result fatally for him,
the captain directed the mate to bring up all the
money from the cabin. The pirates finding that the
work was not progressing as fast as they wished,
used threats towards the captain, and at length all
the boxes, containing some twenty thousand dollars,
were gradually brought up on deck, and immediately
transferred to a boat from the schooner, whither it
was taken. The pirates now began to rob the mate
and crew of the brig, whom they threatened with
death unless more booty was given up to them.
Fearful of a sail heaving in sight, they hurried about
ransacking every place, and smashing open boxes
and lockers in the search for more money or articles
ot value. Finding themselves disappointed, the
pirates took possession of coils of rope, leather,
and almost everything they could lay their hands
260 The Autobiography of a Man-o'-War's Bell.
on ; having thrust the mate into the cabin with the
captain, they went on board the schooner to consult
on further measures. Soon they returned, with
hatchets in their hands, and having closed the fore-
scuttle and after-hatchway, commenced hacking
every article in the most wantonly mischievous
manner conceivable. The compasses were broken,
the rigging, tiller-ropes, braces, and running and
standing gear cut to pieces ; spars, and other neces-
sary things were thrown overboard, and to complete
their atrocious designs, they set fire to a quantity of
tarred rope yam in the caboose. Then taking the
brig's colours and scuttling her only boat, they
proceeded to their ship; hoisting the launch, she
made sail and left her victims to their fate.
" Fortunately, in their hurry, a ship having hove
in sight, they had neglected to secure the cabin sky-
light, and the mate creeping through was just in
time to prevent the fire spreading, and causing the
destruction of the brig and all on board. By his
exertions and those of the crew, whom he speedily
released, the flames were extinguished, and they
managed to bring the ' Briton' in safety into Salem.
" While the schooner was at Prince's Island, after
visiting the African coast, a vessel came from Salem
with the news of the outrage committed on the brig,
The Autobiography of a Man-o' 1 - War's Bell. 261
and suspicion which was immediately directed to her
was increased by the lavish manner in which the
crew were spending their dollars. However, she put
to sea, and no one knew whither she had gone.
"Soon after her departure the ' Zebra' acci-
dentally arrived, and Captain Howson, hearing of
the outrage committed on the brig ' Briton/ made
inquiries about the schooner. He learned that a
vessel answering the description of the pirate had
sailed from Havana on the 2Oth of August. No one
knew there anything of her purpose and intended
course, for she had evaded the last visit of the
Spanish authorities, although she bore their flag.
It was known she had a crew of thirty-one men,
and carried a cargo of goods for the African coast.
After gaining all the information he could regarding
her, Captain Howson followed her, as we have said,
to her suspected hiding-place, the river Nazareth.
" On the 4th of June, the ' Zebra ' arrived off the
mouth of this river, and immediately her three boats,
manned and armed with forty men, of whom I was
one, under the immediate command of the captain,
proceeded in quest of the pirates. After pulling all
niffht, the boats got sight of the object of their
pursuit lying at anchor, and in order to effect her
capture they kept in shore, and only displayed their
262 Ttie Autobiography of a Man-o'- War's Bell.
colours when close to her. Immediately they were
seen by the pirates in the schooner, the latter took to
their boats, and hurried ashore, with the exception of
one man, who was seen to follow soon after in a
canoe. Captain Howson made straight for the
boats, but they were too far ahead of him, and he
soon altered his course for the schooner. Smoke
was seen issuing from her, and en our fellows
getting on board, she was found to be on fire near
the magazine, in which, below the cabin floor, were
sixteen casks of powder. A train had been laid from
the caboose which in a few minutes would have
communicated with the magazine, when the schooner
and all on board would have been blown up. This,
then, was what the last individual, who quitted the
vessel in the canoe, was busy about, but he had his
trouble for nothing, for our captain anticipated the
nature of the warm reception kindly intended for
him.
" By our exertions the fire was extinguished ;
search was then made for her papers, but without
success, nor could any valuable property be dis-
covered. A few private letters were, however, found
with the signature of the captain, Pedro Gibert, and
addressed to the boatswain and carpenter of the
f Castille/ so that we knew that this was the same
The Autobiography of a Man-o'- War's Bell. 263
schooner that had sailed from Havana and Prince's
Island. There was one important document found
on board, and that was a letter of instructions (with-
out signature) for Pedro Gibert. These instructions
were most craftily worded, and, without referring
specifically to the nature of the cargo she was to
bring over from the African coast, it was made
manifest she was engaged in the African slave trade,
and the captain had further a general licence to r>ick
up any ' unconsidered trifles/ such as peaceful
traders on the high seas, on which he might cast
an envious eye. A Quantity of foreign national
flags were found on board, ,to be employed, doubt-
less, to disguise herself, and avoid the right of
search, which might carry with it unpleasant con-
sequences. Captain Howson determined to get
possession of Pedro Gibert and his crew, and was
successful in securing five of the crew who had
joined her at Prince's Island, but whom he decided
to retain as prisoners. The ' Castille ' was then re-
moved to the mouth of the river, where the ' Zebra '
had been left.
" Captain Howson used every endeavour to in-
duce the native chief of the district to deliver over
to him the commander and crew of the pirate, but in
vain. At length he proceeded in the 'Castille' up
264 The Autobiography of a Man-o'- War's Bell.
the river, and, anchoring off the chiefs town, pro-
ceeded on shore, and explained to him that, unless
his demands were complied with, he would destroy
the place. The native potentate still continuing ob-
durate, Captain Howson opened fire; but almost
after the first shot a serious accident occurred,
putting an end for a time to further operations.
A spark from a 1 2-pounder gun ignited some loose
powder lying on the deck, and communicating with
the magazine, the after part of the ' Castille ' was
blown to pieces. Two officers and three men were
killed, and the captain was blown overboard, but
happily without being much injured. I was in one
of the boats at the time, and so escaped. The
' Castille ' went down soon after, and the expedition
having returned to the ' Zebra/ she proceeded on the
2oth of June to the Gaboon, in quest of the second
mate of the pirate, from whom the captain wished to
get some information. On arriving there, he was
again foiled, for it was found that this man had left
for Havana. We then sailed for Port Antonio, in
Prince's Island, where we accidentally learned that
two Spaniards who had quitted the ' Castille } when
she was there, were at Whidah. Our indefatigable
captain, with the determination to succeed so charac-
teristic of him and the service to which he belonged,
The Autobiography of a Man-o'-War's Bell. 265
proceeded first to Cape Coast Castle to pick up a
prize crew of our men, and to meet a brig-of-war he
hoped to find there. He was, however, disappointed
in both his expectations, and set sail for Whidah,
after leaving on shore an officer and one of the five
prisoners of the ' Castille's ' crew, in order that they
might recognize any of their late shipmates should
they turn up. Arrived at Whidah, the captain