Richard Testrake - (Sea Command 2) (16 page)

Mullins and Hennings left the building together. Captain Hennings decided they must proceed forthwith to his club, Crocklands on St. James Street, where they could discuss the mission at their leisure. They had missed the dinner hour, but Hennings was able to get them a plate of cold roast venison to go with their port.

He informed Mullins he had to get something said before he had too much to drink. “I have been ashore for two years now, and the war is going by. Chances for a good command are becoming slimmer by the day. I will be your commanding officer for much of this coming mission, so what I need to say must be said now.”

“I can read between the lines as well as the next man. I know very well you are the one Secretary Nepean is depending on to accomplish this salvage project. You will be the one going in harm’s way, while I remain offshore raining fire on the poor souls ashore who might dare to snipe at you.”

“I suspect you are the man that I owe for my getting this command, probably the last one available to one in my own circumstances. I have been ashore just too long to be in line for a plum command like this one. Understand sir, while you are in that harbor, you need not ask me a second time to supply any assistance, I am able to provide. I tell you, I am deeply grateful sir!”

Mullins tried to explain the secretary had made the decision, but Hennings sniffed and retorted, “I know what I know. As your superior, I will have the last word. Now then, let us get into the planning.”

It was difficult to be specific concerning the details since Mullins had not seen his gun brigs and besides they had no charts to examine. So Mullins merely repeated what he and Nepean had discussed and they decided to meet again after both men had examined their commands.

Both men were deep in their cups when the mounted Marine messenger from the Admiralty found them. He dug out packets of orders from his dispatch case and presented them with a flourish. The messenger was amazed he had been able to find the men so soon. It was only by chance he learned Captain Hennings often frequented Crockland’s and decided to look there first. He had no idea that Captain Mullins would be here also. “Two birds with one stone gentlemen.” quipped the messenger.

After glancing through the orders, both men took their departure. Hennings would take command of his ship presently moored in the ‘Pool’, while Mullins’ brigs were both at the Nore anchorage at the mouth of the Thames, awaiting their sailing orders.

He learned each of these vessels had a lieutenant in command. While the force was at sea, Captain Mullins would be a passenger in one of the brigs, and Captain Hennings would command the entire fleet. Once the brigs entered the African harbor though, Mullins would assume command of the salvage fleet.

Before any of this happened though, he must first reach his command. With responsibility for Valkyrie removed from his shoulders, he was free to concentrate on his new command.

Dropping by the town house to pick up his sea chest, he penned a message to Mister Granger, the sailing master still aboard Valkyrie, informing him he had another command now and would not likely be returning.

He was able to find the lieutenant commanding a cutter which was about to make her way down the Thames. Mister Garrison promised to deliver him to his new command. Of course, the anchorage at the Nore was usually crowded, but with two gun brigs to look for, the chances of finding one were doubled.

Unlike many other ship commanders, Garrison refused to take on a pilot to assist them down the Thames. He reported on an earlier passage, his pilot had run his cutter on a mud bank to avoid colliding with a group of fishing boats blocking the channel. He assured Mullins he had learned his lesson. This time, as the commander of a King’s ship, he would run down any civilian small craft that ventured to block his passage. Mullins was dubious of the wisdom of that plan, but he was not the captain of this craft, only a passenger, so he had no responsibility.

There was one tight place where they met a big 38-gun frigate on her way upstream. Even the brave Mister Garrison was unwilling to argue the right-of-way with that irascible frigate captain, so he edged his cutter into shallow water. They did touch bottom, but a cable from the windlass carried to a sturdy tree on the shore, pulled them off.

Upon reaching the anchorage, Garrison spotted spotted the brigs, sitting like ducks in a pond, near several East India Company ships. Garrison wished to signal them that he had their commander aboard, but Mullins told him he was a mere passenger, and should be announced as such.

He was pulled over to the nearest, Ferret, by the cutter’s boat. Lieutenant Wilkins, the brig’s commander welcomed him aboard, introducing him to his officers. A junior lieutenant served as first officer and a master’s mate was acting as master. Wilkins graciously turned over his own quarters to his guest. Later, both men were invited aboard the Ferret’s consort, HMS Shrike. There, its commander, Lieutenant Andrews had them for dinner. Andrew’s quarters were much too small for so many guests, so the wardroom was pressed into service for the occasion.

Both officers had received only the sketchiest information about their mission, so Mullins spent the next hour going over all he knew. He emphasized he would be merely a passenger until actually entering the harbor on the North African coast. Early on, when they discussed the destruction of the wreck, Captain Andrews called in the gunner’s mate who was Shrike’s acting gunner.

Gunner’s Mate Hastings was skeptical of the plan for submerging casks of powder in the hull of the wreck and exploding it. “Sir, I don’t know how you’d ever keep water from getting in to the charge or soaking the quick match.”

Mullins told him of the plan to use a length of lead pipe to shield the match from seawater. Hastings nodded and replied, “Sure enough, that might work gentlemen. The problem though, we do not have such pipe on the brig. We might have to send up to London for it.”

The Leviathan had not yet come down the Thames, so there might possibly be time to send a boat upriver to secure the necessary pipe, but it would surely lead to a delay. Nevertheless, some action was necessary, so Mullins directed the effort be made.

It was then the brig’s armorer came to the quarterdeck, touching his cap to the first officer. After some words, the armorer came to Mullins, accompanied by Mister Andrews. The armorer had an idea. He proposed several of the ship’s muskets be dismounted and their barrels brazed together end-to-end, until they had a hollow tube long enough for the task.

Mullins immediately ordered a trial be done. An attempt would be made to connect two musket barrels together. The armorer set up his forge on the foredeck and a seaman pumping on the bellows soon had the coal blazing.

Two musket barrels were placed side by side in the glowing coals until the temperature was judged correct, then the armorer spread flux on the ends and his assistant joined the barrels end-to-end. With the assistant pumping vigorously on the bellows, the armorer placed the end of a long strip of brass in the flux at the proposed joint and waited for it to melt. Melt it did, and soon the liquid brass spread into the joint. More brass was added until the joint seemed well sealed.

The barrels were held motionless until the fire had cooled, then a little water was dashed on the musket barrels to solidify the brazen joint. More water was poured on the metal to enable it to be held and the joint was examined closely. When no flaws were found, one end of the tube was plugged and then filled with water. No signs of leakage were found.

By order of Captain Mullins, Seaman Drayer, the armorer, was awarded an extra tot of grog that evening. Gunner’s Mate Hastings was questioned about how he might set the explosive charges.

After having the details of the sinking explained to him, Hastings answered. “Sir, we know the deck is waist deep. I guess we would have to reckon the charges would be two or three fathoms under water, depending on what is under the hatches. All kinds of material could have gathered there when the brig settled.”

“I would put weight in each powder cask to make it stay in position, a few shot might do. I would seal each cask and coat it with tar. Wrap the thing with sailcloth and seal that with more tar. Sink several casks down into the hold, and secure them so they touch each other. On the last cask, we will leave its bung open, while the rest of the cask is sealed as best as we can. We will run quick match through the pipe we made and shove the end of the pipe into the bung hole. The other end of the quick match will have a length of slow match bent on to it. I’ll fill the joint with hot pitch and have the sailmaker sew the canvas over it, sealing that as well. We can lower the whole thing, with the cask maybe resting in a net cradle, down onto the other casks and fire the slow match. Then we will wait.”

Sacrificing a half-dozen muskets, Mullins had a few pipes made up of varying lengths, hoping one might be suitable for the occasion.

When this operation was completed, HMS Leviathan was seen making its way out of the Thames, to rendezvous with the pair of gun brigs.

The trio remained at anchor for several days while stores were checked and the charts examined. With everything in order, the little fleet set sail.

It was a long voyage into the Mediterranean. Mullins travelled in Shrike, occupying Captain Andrews’s quarters. Normally, the little fleet would have stopped at Gibraltar to re-supply and gain access to the latest news. In light of the possibility that the Moors might be attempting to salvage the contents of the sunken brig, they continued without delay, and found themselves offshore of their destination.

Near their destination, they met with a Khamsin dust storm coming off the African coast. The gale struck suddenly, engulfing the ships with suffocating dust and nearly taking Shrike aback. Hands from both watches remained on deck struggling to take in canvas. The mains’l blew out with a loud report before it could be taken in.

One of the helmsmen had some ribs cracked by the spinning wheel, and Mullins, in the absence of anyone else, assisted the remaining helmsman. The fleet was obliged to stand offshore until the gale blew itself out. The ships lost sight of each other when the Khamsin struck, and the brigs were unable to keep station with each other or with Leviathan.

When it was finally over, Ferret was out of sight, but the liner’s tops were seen in the distance. The pair joined then remained hove-to for the better part of a day until the other brig’s tops’ls came in sight. With the weather now settled, Mullins decided to take one of the brigs into the harbor to see what might have been done since the sinking.

Shrike eased her way into the harbor, a leadsman at the chains swinging his lead. The location of the wreck was easily seen, because of the cluster of native craft clustered about it. Almost everything above water was gone, already carried away by the natives. As they watched, native swimmers were diving in the water, presumably searching for valuables.

As they approached, the natives in the boats seemed annoyed by their presence. Several of them produced curved blades, which they brandished at the interlopers. The brig was armed with a pair of eighteen-pounder carronades in the bows, with twelve-pounders on each beam. Mullins ordered Captain Andrews to have the guns manned and prepared to fire if necessary.

When several boats began to approach Shrike, Andrews ordered one of the forward carronades laid on a shore target, pointing out a mud-brick building that seemed to be on the verge of collapse. The boats continued their approach, their occupants, many of them armed, seemingly intent on boarding the brig. Ordering his other guns to load with grape, Wilkins ordered the carronade loaded with ball to fire at the shore target. When the heavy ball impacted, the whole front of the edifice collapsed in a cloud of dust.

This display caused the boatmen to abandon their approach and instead, to return to shore. A flag hoist summoned Ferret who began her own entrance into the harbor. Mullins boarded Shrike’s launch and was taken to the site of the wreck. She was clearly visible in the water, her upper deck merely a few feet under the surface. The launch was able to move right over the foredeck. The natives had removed a hatch cover and Mullins could look into the dark opening.

Off to the port side of the brig’s deck as she lay there, two of the submerged carronades were clearly visible. Apparently, the natives had no tackle yet that would hoist one of those big guns from the wreck.

Having seen enough for now, he went back to Shrike. The crews on both brigs spent the rest of the day breaking out the equipment that might be needed for the salvage. The guns would be removed first. Shrike would pull the guns off the sunken wreck, while Ferret would remain on watch for any unseemly activity by the natives.

When ready to begin operations, seamen from Shrike dropped from their boat onto the wreck’s submerged deck, laughing like children as they splashed in the water. Bosun’s mates oversaw the securing of lines on each gun, which were connected to tackle from Shrike’s main yardarm.

It was judged too difficult to separate the gun’s bolted-on slide from the gun itself, so gun and slide would be removed together. After disconnecting the gun’s breaching cables, men at Shrike’s windlass wound the individual gun and its slide from the submerged deck and into the air. Then, men on Shrike’s braces would swing the load over to the gun brig.

Some of the guns were difficult to get at, especially the ones on the port side. The wreck was not level on the bottom and the guns on the port side were deeper than those on the starboard. It was not possible to finish the job that day, but Mullins was satisfied, judging the work was continuing at a faster rate than he had a right to expect.

The next morning, the watch officer summoned Mullins from his breakfast and handed him his glass, and pointed to shore. The Moors ashore built a low, stone rampart overnight along the shore. Several embrasures were visible, with the muzzles of guns protruding. Captain Andrews immediately signaled Leviathan, informing Commodore Hennings of the problem. Salvage operations were suspended, and both brigs cleared for action. Apparently, the Moors had found some guns after all.

A pair of boats soon left the shore and came toward the brigs. These were fishing boats of good size, filled with men. An enormous turbaned man sat in the stern of one, while a slight, apparently Caucasian man sat on a nearby thwart.

Apparent slaves, chained to the boats, pulled the craft out to each gun brig. The Marines were paraded and the guns trained on the boats. The slight man spoke, in accented English, saying he was slave to Ibn bin Mohammed, who wondered why English ships were invading his waters.

There was no way to hide what they were doing, especially as one of the big carronades from the wreck was in the process of being raised. Mullins pointed to the gun and said he had been sent to recover all of the arms aboard the wreck of the Achilles.

There was some conversation between the interpreter and his master, then the interpreter announced, “This wreck belongs to the bey. He will be most angry if you continue your efforts without his permission. All work must stop until it is determined how much you must pay.”

Mullins felt his choler rising as he digested this statement. Speaking slowly to ensure no mistake in translation, he recounted how the brig Achilles had come into this harbor on a peaceful mission to trade. While engaging in such discussions, men from boats treacherously swarmed the brig and took her crew captive, only freeing them after a vast ransom was paid. No further treasure would be expended. He would take what he came for, peacefully, if possible. If not, he would use what force was required.

The boat, during the discussion, had drifted up against Shrike and the big slave master took hold of the brig’s manropes and hoisted himself onboard. Shrike visibly listed under his massive weight as he pulled himself aboard, followed by his interpreter.

The Moor began an impassioned speech, working himself into a frenzy. At its apex, he pulled a curved sword from his sash and began waving it threateningly at Captain Mullins.

Without a second thought, Corporal of Marines Hawkins, standing behind his captain, raised his musket and smashed the iron-shod butt into the Moor’s head, dropping him like a pole-axed bullock.

The interpreter stood there aghast, terrified at the possible implications. After thanking the corporal for his intervention, Mullins asked the interpreter for his status in these proceedings. He repeated he was slave to Ibn bin Mohammed, who would be very angry for the assault on his vassal.

When asked how he had become a slave, the interpreter informed him he had been a passenger on a French merchant ship that had been captured by Moorish rovers two decades before. Since he spoke English as well as French, Greek and the local dialect, he eventually became the interpreter for the recent rulers of this area.

When asked if he might like to be freed, the interpreter was at first fearful, explaining that bin Mohammed would have him flayed alive if he were to come into his hands again.”

After some thought, he agreed to accept the freedom offered and introduced himself as Marcel Dupret of Marseilles, although he had not seen France in twenty years.

Mullins had him call down into the boat, asking the crew how many might wish to come over to the British brig. A Moor left in charge would have nothing to do with the idea and refused vociferously. The chained oarsmen kept their silence, but some of them nodded furtively in agreement.

With seamen at the rails, holding twelve-pound shot over the side, offering to drop them into the boat, the craft remained quiet while the armorer and some Marines dropped into the craft. The armorer struck off the chains and the freed slaves climbed aboard. When all of the original volunteers had boarded, the remainder decided they too would like their freedom. At length, even the overseer, changed his mind. M. Dupret explaining he was fearful of what might happen to him if he would return without his master and most of the boat crew.

The slave-master was sent below to be seen to by the surgeon’s mate and the overseer was placed under guard. The hands remained at the guns until it could be seen what the reaction from shore might be. Because of the cumbersome nature of the signal system, Mullins penned a narrative of the proceeding thus far and sent it by launch out to Leviathan, asking her captain to provide covering fire if that was needed.

When the surgeon’s mate reported the slave-master was in no danger from his head injury, Mullins decided to return him to shore, since he would be an infernal nuisance on the ship. Questioning M. Dupret, he found the former slave to be able to write in Arabic, although he did not think his former master could read it.

Deciding it would be bin Mohammed’s problem to get a note read to him, he ordered Dupret to explain the defection of his boat crew and interpreter. He further explained his intention to recover what valuables aboard Achilles he might be able to and advised no interference with their activities. When the note was written and sealed, it was pinned to the bound slave-master’s robe and the man was lowered into the boat on a carry-board.

Taken in tow by the returning launch, it was taken close ashore, followed by the second boat filled with Moors, which had remained aloof from the previous proceedings. When the launch began attracting musketry fire, the boat with its passenger was cast adrift and the launch returned to Shrike. It was well into the afternoon watch when an answer was received.

A ragged volley erupted from the shore battery, with balls splashing around the pair of brigs, one impacting the port quarter of Ferret. Both brigs immediately returned fire, with Leviathan joining in moments later. The shore battery was pummeled by a rain of large balls, which soon knocked down their stone parapets and reduced the stone to rubble.

Each warship fired in turn, to enable each to adjust its own fire. They kept it up until no further sign of life appeared around that battery then ceased fire. Shrike went back to work while Ferret maintained her vigil.

The bombardment had caused havoc on shore and the battery had apparently ceased to exist.