With Porter in the Essex

Phil and I were no longer excited by such information. Both of us felt elated; but we had thus far captured everything which had been sighted, and when a sail was reported, we of the gun-deck at once reckoned her as a prize. Had we failed to take two or three craft during our cruise, then we would have been in suspense until the chase was ended; but so good had been our fortune that the worst grumblers among the crew began to find fault because the Britishers fell into our hands like over-ripe apples.

Our little fleet was in a bunch, hardly more than a quarter of a mile separating each craft, when the word was given that more ships had come up to be captured; and on this day we had an opportunity of learning how well the squadron could manœuvre.

Captain Porter signalled that he would give chase to the ship in the middle of the line, which was farthest down to leeward, while the Greenwich and the Georgiana endeavored to cut off one of the others.

This race was different from others which had fallen to our lot, inasmuch as we were eager to know what was going on astern as well as ahead; and every man jack of us off duty gathered on the forecastle-deck, confident that all three of the strangers would be taken, but curious as to how it might be done.

We of the frigate overhauled our portion of the chase rapidly; but the stranger was so far to leeward that we were forced to run a long distance from our consorts, and when the Essex was a couple of leagues off, those who were watching astern could see that one of the strangers which we had left for the Georgiana and the Greenwich to look after, had tacked, and was evidently manœuvring to cut the Georgiana out.

Now had matters become interesting for a verity. Short-handed as our consorts were, there was a good chance that one would be captured while we were running to leeward, and I literally held my breath in suspense, expecting each moment to see the tiny wisp of red and white which we knew to be the stars and stripes, hauled down in response to the stranger's threats.

If any proof had been needed that Yankees were not inclined to surrender without a fight, we had it then, when we saw the Greenwich heave to, take a portion of the crew from the Georgiana, and bear boldly down on the enemy.

What a cheer went up from our men when this had been done! I was proud of my countrymen then, and could have hugged every old shellback on board the Greenwich with a good zest, had it been possible to get at them.

"I'll answer for it that our comrades hold those two Britishers in check until we can get back," Master Hackett said in a tone of satisfaction, and again we cheered until those on the ship we were overhauling so rapidly must have heard and wondered why we were making such a fuss about the capture of a whaler.

Well, we bore down on the chase hand over hand, and when we were so near that a shot might have been pitched into any part of her, the ship hove to without the slightest show of resistance.

Captain Porter hailed as the British colors were hauled down, and then we learned that this last prize was the English whaler Charlton, two hundred and seventy-four tons, with ten guns and twenty-one men.

Her officers were transferred to the Essex, a prize crew was thrown on board in a twinkling, and the frigate hauled her wind to take care of the others.

Captain Porter was so eager for information that he questioned the captain of the Charlton on the quarter-deck, and many of the gun-deck inquisitives heard the whole story.

By this means our commander learned that the largest of the ships we now counted on taking was the Seringapatam, three hundred and fifty-seven tons, carrying fourteen guns and forty men. It was this craft which had been manœuvring to cut out the Georgiana, and unless we had been near at hand to lend assistance the job might have been done.

The other Britisher was the New Zealander, of two hundred and fifty-nine tons, eight guns, and twenty-three men.

The Seringapatam had been built for a cruiser, so our prisoners said, and was the most dangerous ship, so far as the American trade was concerned, of any craft west of Cape Horn.

There was not one of us who did not feel the most intense desire to capture this craft, and particularly to do so before she could work any serious damage to our consorts.

We could see that the Greenwich had already gone into action with the Britisher, and we cheered ourselves hoarse by way of encouragement to the brave fellows who had tackled a craft heavier than themselves, although there was not the slightest chance they would hear our cries.

Our ship, meaning the Greenwich, was manœuvred beautifully; she poured in three broadsides before the enemy could get into position to fire one, and we were yet more than a league distant when the Britisher showed that she had had enough. As her colors came down we cheered and shouted like wild men, some of the old shellbacks dancing around the deck like apes who have suddenly gone mad; but before many minutes passed we saw that we had begun our rejoicings a trifle too early.

After giving token of surrender the captain of the Seringapatam evidently thought he yet had an opportunity to escape, for he slipped off to windward before a prize crew could be thrown on board.

We gazed in breathless suspense as the Greenwich, never stopping to pick up the crew in the two boats which had been lowered to take possession of the prize, crept up on the enemy's quarter and poured in such a fire as was most surprising, considering the number of men which were left on board.

The Britisher soon came to understand that we Yankees were too much for him, even though he outclassed us both as to metal and men, for he wore around and came down to us as meekly as any lamb.

Captain Porter lost no time in throwing a prize crew on board, after transshipping the officers, and away we went for the New Zealander, who was doing her feeble best to crawl out of the way; but succeeding very badly.

When we passed within half a mile of the Greenwich our crew lined the yards and gave her the heartiest of salutes, while Captain Porter winked at the performance when he should have reprimanded us severely for daring to do so without permission or orders.

The New Zealander was taken without opposition, and again we found ourselves with more prizes and prisoners than could conveniently be managed.

Before nightfall Captain Porter learned that the commander of the Seringapatam had taken one prize illegally, he having no letter of marque; and since this was neither more nor less than piracy, the venturesome Britisher was put in irons to be sent home for trial.

Next morning the Charlton's guns, ammunition, small arms, and spare sails were taken out; all the prisoners were put on board, and she was allowed to make sail for Rio de Janeiro, every man jack being under parole to go to that port and none other.

Hardly had she filled away on her course than we set to work putting the Seringapatam into shape for our own use. The guns of the New Zealander were mounted in her, which brought up the number to twenty-two, but we could leave on board no more than a sufficient crew to work her.

Then orders were given that the oil which we had taken, and which was stored on the Essex, the Greenwich, and the Georgiana, should be put on board the latter ship, and she sent home.

Loading a ship in mid ocean with such heavy articles as casks of oil, is a slow and laborious task, as we soon learned. It was necessary to sling each hogshead into a boat, pull to the craft which was being loaded, and there hoist it inboard, working disadvantageously all the while because of the heavy swell.

It was not until the 24th day of July that the Georgiana was ready for the voyage to the United States, and then the captain of the Seringapatam had been sent on board as a prisoner to be closely guarded; but no crew selected to take charge of her.

On this evening our men, greasy and stained with their work of handling oil, were called amidships while Captain Porter stood on the break of the quarter.

All hands knew that we were now to learn who would sail in the Georgiana, and each man looked at his neighbor to know how he felt about going home while the most dangerous portion of the work yet remained to be done, which would be when the British men-of-war came around the Horn to wind up our career.

The captain began by reminding us that our term of service had nearly expired, and that a certain number must be sent home to work the Georgiana.

"I will give you all the same show," he said; "and if too many volunteer to make up the crew, we will take those whose time of enlistment is nearest at an end. You are to think it over this evening; try to settle the matter among yourselves; but if that can't be done, I will take a hand at it to-morrow morning."

With this we were dismissed, and once all hands were on the gun-deck, with the exception of those who remained above on watch, a most tremendous jawing was begun. Every man tried to speak at the same time, and the uproar was so great that no single word could be distinguished. I could not make out whether the men were excited lest they should not be able to go, or if there was a desire to remain.

Phil and I went into a corner by ourselves, where we could hear each other speak, and there I asked him what he thought about volunteering for the Georgiana.

"I count on staying here, if Captain Porter don't drive me out," he said emphatically, thus showing that his decision had been made before we came below. "You know, Ezra, that I don't amount to much when it comes to a show of bravery; but I'm not such a coward as to turn now, when the greatest danger is yet to be met."

I flung my arms around the dear fellow and kissed him on both cheeks. He had spoken that which was in my own heart, although I could not have put it in such proper words; and then it was decided between us that we would remain by the Essex so long as should be permitted us.

By the time we two had settled the question, Master Hackett had succeeded in quieting the wranglers sufficiently to make himself heard, and the old man proved to be quite a dandy at handling a meeting.

"Hold your jaw, you lubbers!" he shouted with such a volume of sound that he must have been heard distinctly by those on the quarter-deck. "The captain wants to know how many of us is achin' to get home before the Britishers send half a dozen frigates down here to blow us out of the water, an' he'll never get the information unless you settle down into peaceable sailormen. There's no use waggin' your chins over this thing; every man has a right to do what pleases him best, an' now he's got a fair chance. What I say is this: Let them as want to go aboard the Georgiana toddle to the port side, and them who count on holdin' by the old hooker, step over to starboard."

The men looked around curiously for an instant, and then every one of them moved to starboard, Phil and I among the rest.

There was a broad grin on Master Hackett's face when he cried with a semblance of anger: —

"This 'ere won't do at all. Some of us are bound to go, seein's how we can't let that cargo of oil run to waste. Of course I'll hold to the frigate; but them as have got wives an' children ashore ought 'er get over to port, an' we'll feel no shame for 'em, knowin' as we do that a crew must be made up for the Georgiana."

"It's none of your business how many wives or children we've got, Hiram Hackett!" one of the throng shouted. "It's as much our right as yours to stick to the frigate, an' we count on doin' it. Why not send the boys? They can do the work of sailormen aboard the Georgiana! Then you'll have two towards a crew."

"Come here, you skulkers!" Master Hackett roared, looking at Phil and me, and there was nothing for it but to step out from among the crew.

"Act as spokesman, Phil," I whispered. "You can go ahead of me when it comes to jawing; but remember that they can't drive us off unless the captain gives the word, and I'm thinking that my cousin Stephen will stand up for our rights."

"Are you two infants ready to obey orders an' go aboard the Georgiana?" Master Hackett asked, looking as fierce as if he counted on eating us.

"No, sir!" Phil shouted at the full strength of his lungs. "We've got as much right to stay as you have, an' we won't volunteer!"

"Three cheers for the infants!" some one shouted, and the men yelled until their throats were like to split.

Then the crew crowded around Master Hackett, each man trying to make himself heard, and I understood that there was little chance of finding a crew for the Georgiana if every one was to do as he pleased.

By this time the noise was so great that Lieutenant McKnight was sent below to learn whether or no a riot was in progress, and, luckily, I succeeded in gaining speech with him before the men knew he was on the gun-deck.

"Surely you will stand our friend in this matter, Cousin Stephen," I said, clutching him by the coat-sleeve without regard to the proprieties; for it is looked upon as insubordination for a common sailor to lay hold of an officer.

"In what way, Ezra? Are so many eager to see home again that you fear there'll be no room for you?"

"It's just the other way, sir," Phil broke in. "Not a man will volunteer, and some of them have said that we two lads must go whether we like it or not."

"It isn't right to force us because we are lads!" I cried. "We've done our duty so far as we knew, and our age shouldn't give license for injustice!"

"See here, my lads, you're not looking at this matter in the proper light. We shall soon be turning and twisting to get out of a British frigate's way, and many of us will lose the number of his mess before the Essex doubles Cape Horn again. You can go now without being called a coward, and it's far better to get out of the scrape while affairs are flourishing as they are at present."

"Are you going in the Georgiana, Cousin Stephen?" I asked.

"What? Me? Never, unless the captain gives a positive order to that effect."

"If you are allowed to remain, why should we be forced to go?"

He turned from me quickly, and, without making any attempt to restore order, went on deck.

The men jawed and argued more violently than ever after my cousin disappeared, and very soon the master-at-arms came below with an order for every man jack of us to show himself abaft the mainmast.

We found the captain waiting for us as before; and although there was very good reason why he should read the riot act because of the uproar, I understood by the expression on his face that he was well pleased the men had not shown a willingness to leave the frigate.

When all hands had quieted down once more he made a little speech in which he thanked us for being so eager to stay by the Essex, and declared that he felt proud of every old barnacle there; but at the same time it was absolutely necessary a crew be sent on board the Georgiana.

"Those men who have families must go," he said finally, after declaring that it had become necessary for him to settle the matter, since the crew themselves could not. "A list shall be made out of such as have others depending upon them, and it will then be posted on the gun-deck. Abide by my decision as you ever have, and I will make it my solemn duty to let the people of the United States know that those who returned in the Georgiana did not do so of their own free will."

We were sent below once more, and Phil and I felt well content, for by the captain's ruling we could not be sent home in the oil-laden craft.

CHAPTER VII

AN ISLAND PORT

The Georgiana left us next morning, carrying a sorrowful-looking crew, as can well be imagined, for every man jack of them felt as if he might be accused of cowardice in leaving the Essex at a time when there was good reason to expect she would meet with a superior force.

I fail to understand yet why it had come into the minds of all that we would never double Cape Horn in the old frigate. No one put such a belief into words, and yet I knew full well it was looked upon as a fact, because of certain remarks let drop now and then when was being discussed the question of seeing the friends at home.

It had really come to be the belief of us all, although carefully kept in the background, that the time must come when we would meet with such a force of Britishers as could put an end to the "luck of the Essex."

And it is little wonder that our crew, even counting the boys, should have considered it as inevitable that the dear old frigate would come to an end of her cruising before many months had passed, for we knew full well the English people must soon demand that we who had done so much mischief be put out of the way of working yet further damage.

Consider well what had been done, and then it may be seen that the British navy would speedily come after us with a heavy force. Here is the situation as it was defined by a member of the United States Navy, he looking at the matter a few weeks after the Georgiana had sailed, and we were in an island port refitting and overhauling the fleet: —

"The situation of the Essex was sufficiently remarkable, at this moment, to merit a brief notice. She had been the first American to carry the pennant of a man-of-war round the Cape of Good Hope, and now she had been the first to bring it into the distant ocean. More than ten thousand miles from home, without colonies, stations, or even a friendly port to repair to, short of stores, without a consort, and otherwise in possession of none of the required means of subsistence and efficiency, she had boldly steered into this distant region, where she had found all that she required, through her own activity; and having swept the seas of her enemies, she had now retired to these little-frequented islands to refit, with the security of a ship at home. It is due to the officer who so promptly adopted and so successfully executed this plan, to add, that his enterprise, self-reliance, and skill indicated a man of bold and masculine courage; qualities that are indispensable in forming a naval captain.

"In the way of service to the public, perhaps the greatest performed by the Essex was protecting American ships in the Pacific, nearly all of which would probably have fallen into the hands of the enemy but for her appearance in that ocean. But the positive injury done the English commerce was far from trifling. The Essex had now captured about four thousand tons of its shipping, made near four hundred prisoners, and for the moment had literally destroyed its fisheries in this part of the world. In October, 1812, she had sailed from America alone, with six months' provisions and the usual stores in her; and in October, 1813, she was lying, in perfect security, at an island in the Pacific, with a respectable consort, surrounded by prizes, and in possession of all the means that were necessary to render a frigate of her class efficient. Throughout the whole of these movements we see a constant tendency to distress the enemy, and to maintain the character of the ship as an active, well-organized, and high-toned man-of-war."

All this was written concerning us after we had made that island port which I shall describe later; but before entering it we were to see some service, and experience our first disappointment in the way of capturing every sail we sighted.

It was on the 25th day of July when the Georgiana left us, only to be recaptured, as we afterward learned to our sorrow, before gaining an American port.

We remained hove to until the oil-laden prize was hull down on the horizon, and then, with the Essex leading, our little squadron, consisting of the frigate, the Greenwich, Seringapatam, and New Zealander, trailing along in fine style, cruised here and there in search of another Britisher.

On the morning of the third day thereafter, while we lay becalmed, a strange sail was sighted carrying with her a fine breeze.

As a matter of course she soon ran out of our range of vision, but Captain Porter was not the kind of a commander to give up the hope of catching an enemy, once having clapped his eyes on her; and at sunset, when the wind sprang up again, signals were set for every ship to crowd on sail in pursuit of the Britisher, although by this time she had many leagues the start.

The "luck of the Essex" was with us yet, for next morning at sunrise the lookouts at the masthead sighted the stranger standing across our bow on a bowline.

By this time the breeze fined down again, and the dullest among us knew that unless we could get the frigate through the water at a better pace, our hope of taking another prize that day was at an end.

Captain Porter had a scheme of his own, however, and at once set about executing it, to the surprise and admiration of all our old shellbacks, even though it cost us considerable labor.

A three-cornered frame was knocked together by the carpenters, covered with canvas, and weighted by four-pound shot on one side. This was rigged to run from the spritsail-yard to an outrigger aft. It was dropped into the water forward, and then half the crew, trailing on to a small hawser made fast to the triangle as boys tie the string of a kite, hauled it quickly astern.

This, acting as a paddle, sent us ahead in fine style, and as soon as the contrivance was well aft, it would be hoisted out of the water, run forward, and dropped again.

The labor required to work such a machine was very great; but we made light of it on seeing that we were forging ahead faster than the stranger could sail, and, with the perspiration running in great streams down our bodies, we pulled and hauled with a will until, having come within about four miles of the ship, we counted on making a prize.

By this time it could be seen that she was a British whaler, and an uncommonly fine craft. What was more, we began to understand that she, unlike many we had already overhauled, did not intend that we should capture her without paying the piper for our dancing.

Her boats were got out to tow, and we could not work the canvas-paddle fast enough to hold our own in the way of speed.

The remainder of our fleet were hull down astern, therefore it was useless to expect assistance from them, – a fact which caused Master Hackett to say despairingly: —

"I allow, lads, that we've come to an end of the 'luck' for the time bein'. That 'ere craft will muster more men accordin' to her size than we can."

"Gettin' afraid, eh?" some one shouted scornfully; whereat Master Hackett replied with considerable show of spirit: —

"Not a bit of it, you lubber; but men count in the kind of a breeze we're tryin' to work up, an' towin' that ship with boats is child's play compared with what it would be to drag the Essex through the water."

I believed our men would begin squabbling among themselves, because of their disappointment in being thus prevented from taking a prize; but one of the lieutenants quickly put an end to the words by bawling out an order which showed us that the Britisher might not find towing a very profitable job.

The word was passed to lower the gig and one of the whale-boats, and our men cheered lustily while this was being done, for they had a fairly good idea of what the captain was counting on doing.

Lieutenant McKnight, my cousin Stephen, was announced as commander of the small expedition, and he began calling off the names of those whom he counted on taking with him, after word had been passed that each man, as he was thus chosen, should arm himself with a musket and plenty of powder and bullets.

Master Hackett was the first selected, and then followed name after name so rapidly that I soon understood Phil and I would be left out of the business unless something was done quickly.

Without waiting to consult my comrade, I walked across the deck, coughing loudly, and passing within a few feet of where the lieutenant was standing.