Ben Burton: Born and Bred at Sea Read online

  CHAPTER THREE.

  Time passed by, as it does in youth as well as in old age. The ship'scompany were looking forward to being relieved, for the frigate hadalready been the best part of five years on the station. I was learningto knot and splice, and could already perform a hornpipe, if not withmuch grace, at all events with an exhibition of considerable elasticpower, and greatly to the admiration of Toby Kiddle, Pat Brady, and myother friends, as well as my father and mother and Mrs King. Theywould get round applauding me greatly, as I sprang up and down, shuffledround and round and snapped my fingers, kicking out my legs in everydirection. Sometimes the officers would come forward to have a look atme, and on several occasions I was invited aft to exhibit before theCaptain.

  Several changes had taken place on board, one of the lieutenants havinginvalided home, while another had died, their places being filled byothers whom I shall shortly have to describe. The brig we had capturedwas ultimately brought into the service, and she was about to becommissioned. She was fitting out at Macao, and it was understood thatMr Schank would take the command of her. He had long been expectingpromotion, though frequently disappointed, and he now made sure that heshould obtain it. He might also hope, in so fine a vessel, to make afair amount of prize-money. He required it much, for he had an oldmother and several maiden sisters at home to support, besides two orthree younger brothers to educate and send out in the world. This wasgenerally known among his brother officers, and, although the cut of hisuniforms was somewhat antiquated, and his best coat was tolerablythreadbare, even the most thoughtless never ventured to quiz him. Everysixpence he could save went to the cottage in Lincolnshire. There hisfather had been the incumbent of a living of under a hundred and fiftypounds a year, on which he had to bring up his family and pay certaincollege debts, which had hung like a millstone round his neck all hislife. I mention these things now, although, of course, I did not hearthem till many years afterwards. Mr Schank was still doing duty onboard the frigate expecting to be superseded, that he might commencerefitting the brig. It had just become dark. She was lying somedistance inside of us. Happily for themselves several of the crew incharge had come on board the frigate. Suddenly a tremendous explosionwas heard. Bright flames burst forth from the spot where the brig lay,and a huge pyramid of fire was seen to rush upward towards the sky,where it burst into a thousand fragments, which, scattering far andwide, came hissing back into the mirror-like ocean, reflecting, ere theyreached it, a thousand bright lights on its tranquil bosom.

  "What is that about?" exclaimed Captain Cobb, coming on deck.

  "The brig has blown up, sir," was the answer.

  "And so then are all my hopes!" exclaimed Mr Schank, who had followedhim on deck. "Lower the boats though, and we will try and pick up anypoor fellows who may have escaped."

  Mr Schank leaped into the first boat which reached the water, and inhis eagerness to save his fellow-creatures instantly forgot his ownbitter disappointment. Three men only were picked up alive, floating onfragments of the wreck. It sank almost directly the boats got up to thespot. What had caused the catastrophe no one could tell, but the brigcertainly must have had a larger amount of gunpowder on board her thanwas supposed. Mr Schank therefore, as before, continued to act as ourFirst-Lieutenant. Once or twice we returned to the Hoogley to refit,and on one occasion we were sent round to Madras and Bombay on specialservice. We were running down the Coromandel coast; the wind fell, andwe lay, rolling our lower yardarms under in a long heavy swell, whichcame moving onwards in giant undulations towards the coast. We had toget rolling tackles set up, for sometimes it seemed as if the frigatewould shake the very masts out of her. The Captain was on deckwhistling away as was his wont. I do not know whether he expected hiswhistling to produce a breeze, but certainly I observed that he neverfailed to whistle when there was a calm.

  He was thus employed when Mr Schank, who had previously been on deckfor some hours, and had gone below to rest, once more made hisappearance. He cast a look round, and pointed out a dark spot in thehorizon. The order was immediately given to furl sails and striketopgallant masts. The royal-masts had previously been sent down. Itwas a time when a careless hold was likely to cause the stoutest seamana leap into eternity. Scarcely was the ship made snug when down camethe blast upon her. The sky grew of a leaden hue, and the long swellwas broken up into a thousand tossing seas, foaming and leaping, andcrossing each other in a way trying even to a frigate, and fearfullydangerous to any smaller craft. We, having been prepared in good time,ran on before the wind, having, however, as it shifted, which it didsuddenly several points at a time, to change our course. The gale was aviolent one, and did, I believe, send more than one ill-found ship tothe bottom, but it was fortunately short in its duration, and bydaylight had greatly decreased. Pat Brady, who had as sharp a pair ofeyes as anyone on board, being on the look-out, discovered an objectfloating far away on the lee-bow. Whether it was a rock or a vessel onher beam-ends it was difficult to say. The ship was, however, kept awaytowards it, and the master being consulted, declared that no rock was tobe found thereabouts. As we approached nearer, there was no doubt thatthe object seen was a vessel, and probably capsized in the latehurricane. The sea was still running very high, and washing over thegreater portion of it, almost hiding it from view. Still the after partwas higher out of the water than the rest, and it was possible that somehuman beings might still be clinging to it. As we approached, thefrigate was brought on a wind, and hove to, but lowering a boat wasstill an operation of danger. All glasses were turned towards thewreck.

  "I cannot help thinking there may be somebody on board," exclaimed MrHarry Oliver, the mate I have spoken of. "If you will let me go, sir, Iwill board her," he added, turning to the Captain.

  "As you like, Oliver," said Captain Cobb. "You know the risk; you cantake a boat, but only volunteers must accompany you."

  Mr Oliver smiled. He knew well there would be no lack of them. PatBrady was the first to spring forward, and Bill King and my father bothvolunteered to go likewise. The crew was soon formed, and the boatsafely reached the water. Away she went. No small skill was requiredto keep her afloat. My mother and Mrs King were looking on, and I haveno doubt offering up prayers for the safety of their husbands. Atlength the boat got round to the lee side of the wreck. A cloth ofshawl of some sort was seen to be fluttering from under the weatherbulwarks.

  The boat drew nearer. "There is somebody there, to a certainty,"exclaimed Mr Oliver. "We may get up under her quarter, and an activeman may then leap on board."

  My father volunteered. The boat approached. Taking a line in his hand,he sprang on to the deck, half of which was under water. Supportinghimself by the stump of the after-mast, and then catching hold of aportion of the weather-rigging, he hauled himself to the upper part ofthe wreck, where, secured to a stanchion, was what looked like a bundleof rags, out of the midst of which appeared a brown face, while his ear,at the same time, amidst the roaring of the sea, caught the sound of aninfant's cry, to which, since I came into the world, his ears had beenpretty well accustomed. Although Mr Oliver and the men in the boatgave him notice at that instant that the wreck was sinking, that cry hadaroused all the father's feelings in his bosom. He sprang forward, and,as a seaman only could have done, cut away the lashings which secured adark female, in whose grasp he then discovered a fair young infant.Seizing the woman and child in his arms, as the bow of the vessel wasalready sinking, he gave one spring aft, and struggled out of the vortexof the sinking vessel.

  "Haul away!" he cried out, while he held the rope with one hand and kepthis charges afloat with the other. A strong man alone could have savedthem, and even a strong one, unless a truly brave fellow, would not havemade the attempt. In a few seconds they were lifted safely into theboat. The infant breathed freely, and seemed not to have got any harm,but the poor black woman suffered greatly, and this further immersionhad contributed still more to exhaust her. Yet she was perfec
tlyconscious of what had occurred. Her lips moved, and a smile lighted upher countenance when she saw the infant lifted carefully in my father'sarms. Unfortunately, there was no food in the boat, but just as MrOliver was stepping in, the surgeon had put a small brandy-flask in hispocket. This he produced, and attempted to pour a few drops down thethroat of the poor woman, but the instant she tasted it she spat itforth as if it was poison, and showed signs of the evident disgust shefelt at its being put into her mouth. All that those in the boat coulddo, therefore, was to make the best of their way back again to thefrigate. There was not a sign of another human being on the wreck. Asthere were no boats, it was possible that the crew might have attemptedto make their escape in them, but then surely they would not have leftthe woman and child behind. When the wreck went down, scarcely anythingfloated up by which any information could be gained as to what she was.From her appearance, Mr Oliver supposed that she was a snow, possiblybelonging to one of the neighbouring ports. The black woman, from herdress and appearance, was at once known to be a native nurse--a classnoted for their fidelity to those to whom they become attached. Notwithout great difficulty and danger, the boat at length reached thefrigate's side, when a cradle was sent down into which the nurse wasplaced, and hoisted on board, my father following with the infant. Irather think it created far more sensation than I did when I came onboard. In the first place, it made its appearance in a more publicmanner, and the Captain and officers crowded round to look at it and thepoor nurse.

  "Wonder whether it's a boy or a girl," said Toby Kiddle, who was amongstthe foremost crowding round. "If it's a boy the younker will make afine playmate for our Benjy. Let's have a squint at it, Dick. He won'tcut our little chap out, anyhow; but we'll let the Jollies have him inkeeping, and let them see what they can make on him. He'll help, at allevents, to keep peace and quiet between us and them."

  From the delicate features of the child, the officers seemed to think,however, that Toby's hopes would be disappointed; and the small strangerbeing forthwith committed to the charge of my mother, she soon settledthe question by pronouncing her to be a remarkably fine healthy littlegirl, the child of Europeans, and from her dress, and the handsome coralring and gold chain round her neck, of people of some wealth andquality.

  The nurse was carried down into the surgeon's cabin, where Mrs Kingcame instantly to assist him in taking care of her. The poor creaturehad fainted almost immediately on being brought on deck; when, atlength, restoratives being applied, she opened her eyes, she gave a lookround expressive of grief and alarm, uttering several words in anunknown tongue.

  "It is the child she is asking for, sir," observed Mrs King. "Ofcourse, that would be the first thing in her mind."

  That Mrs King was right was proved when the child was brought to her.Several times she pressed it to her bosom, but she had no nourishment toafford it. Then, giving one convulsive gasp, before the surgeon couldpour the restorative he had ready into her mouth, she sank back andexpired. There was nothing about the woman to show who she was, orwhence she had come. Her dress, as I have said, was that of an ayah ornative nurse, such as all Europeans employ to take care of theirchildren. Conjecture was rife as to who the little stranger was. Whatthe Captain and officers thought about the matter I do not know.Forward, however, the general opinion ran in favour of her being ofexalted birth.

  "She is a little lady, no doubt about that," remarked Toby Kiddle, as hescrutinised her delicate features and the fineness of her clothing, andthe "Little Lady" she was ever afterwards called.

  But to whose charge she should fall was the next question. The Captainhad a wife ashore, but he seemed to think that she would not beparticularly well-pleased should he present her with an infant to lookafter. It would be something like reversing the order of things, and itmight be difficult to persuade her that he was entirely ignorant of thechild's parentage.

  "You had better have her, Gunning," he said to the First-Lieutenant ofMarines, "you have eight or nine already, have you not? And surelyanother can make no odds, and your wife will be delighted, I'm sure.Mrs Cobb would not mind standing godmother, I dare say, supposing thelittle damsel is not christened, and, to make sure, it will be just aswell to have that done when we get home. I suppose they can go toheaven without it, but it is a matter I am not very clear about, and itis as well to be on the right side, do you see."

  These remarks of the Captain enabled Mr Gunning to think over thematter. He had only joined us a few months, and he had some idea thaton his return he should find a further increase to his large family.Though he was a kind-hearted man, and really would have been glad tolook after the little stranger, yet he did not consider himselfjustified in undertaking further responsibilities, in addition to thosealready upon his shoulders. Still, who could take care of the littlegirl? The junior lieutenants were all young men, not at all fitted forthe office. The surgeon was not exactly the person to whom a femaleinfant could be committed. The master was a good seaman, but a somewhatrough hand, and he and his wife were known to live a cat-and-dog lifewhen he was ashore: whereby the service benefited, as he always tookcare, for the sake of peace, to keep afloat. Then there was the purser.Her life was not likely to prove a happy one should he assume herguardianship, for as his great and sole pleasure in life seemed to bethe laborious occupation of skinning flints, it was not likely that hewould afford her a liberal education or a liberal maintenance. He wastherefore put out of the question. The only persons, therefore, whoappeared at all eligible among the officers were the Captain, theFirst-Lieutenant, and the Lieutenant of Marines. Mr Schank, when thematter was suggested to him, thought a good deal about it. "Perhaps hisold mother would like to look after the little girl, he was sure shewould, and so would his sisters, and very fit people they were in manyrespects, barring the expense she would be to them."

  "What say you, Schank? Suppose I help you in that matter. I am in dutybound to do so, and so you will excuse my making the offer," said theCaptain, his more generous feelings excited, as he thought of theforlorn condition of the little creature.

  Lieutenant Schank thanked him, and promised if his mother would acceptthe charge not to decline his proposal. In the meantime the Little Ladywas consigned to my mother's charge. Next to me and my father, the kindwoman soon learned to love her more than anything on earth; in fact, shefelt for her as for a daughter. The little creature from the firstclung to her, and from the way she looked into her eyes, I reallybelieve thought she was her own mother. At first she would not letSusan King even touch her, and shrieked out with fear. Poor Susan'stender heart was somewhat grieved at this. Her outward appearance andhoarse voice was indeed calculated to frighten a discerning child.However, in time, the Little Lady became reconciled to her, though shestill always showed a strong preference to my mother.