Thunder On the Sea: A Tim Phillips novel (War at Sea Book 11) (12 page)

With an adequate supply of water on board, the brig resumed a southerly course off the coast. The master’s mate was still busy in the hold jamming pieces of firewood between the barrels. He was attempting to wedge those barrels into a single, immovable mass, which could not come loose to damage the ship in even the worst storm.

While this important task was being taken care of, Captain Phillips stood on deck. It was just short of dusk when the lookout spotted the sail ahead. This appeared to be a slow, fat merchant vessel on the same course as themselves. He fully expected the ship to be gone by morning, but for some reason, there it was, right in front of them, perfectly visible as the morning sun rose.

She was ship rigged, sure enough, but carried a many patched and worn suit of sails. The ship displayed no flag and refused to answer when challenged. Phillips ordered a gun fired ahead of the ship’s bows. The stranger immediately turned ahead of them and touched off her own guns. It appeared she was armed with a half dozen six pounders on each beam  and was not at all shy of using them. The balls mostly went high, into the rigging, but a few struck the hull.

What that captain was thinking of, Phillips had no idea, but he was not going to tolerate his actions for long. Not intending to let this fool to pound him with those six-pounder long guns, Phillips closed right in before unleashing the carronades. He ordered the guns to shoot high, to avoid causing un-necessary casualties among the slaves likely chained below, but even so, a few guns did shoot low. Most of their shot went high though and the slaver’s masts and spars suffered significant damage.

The carronades were now ordered to reload with grape and bar shot. At the close range they were firing from, this ammunition almost stripped the rigging from the enemy. The foe, now helpless under the brig’s guns, lay to, unable to maneuver. Another broadside cleared the enemy quarterdeck and much of the people on her waist.

She still continued firing individual guns until the last of these had been destroyed by accurate fire. With only a few men alive on her weather deck, someone on the ship waved a white shirt and the fight was over.

This time, in  addition to the Marines, Phillips sent over all the armed seamen he could spare, informing them to beware of any treachery. In due course, Mister Burns sent back Devons with a report of the situation.

From what he was able to learn, there had been a mutiny aboard the ship, with the captain dropped overboard the previous week. The mutineers had decided they could increase their own division of the profits if they did not have to share with the captain, owners and investors. After the deed was done, the crew knew they would all be subject to the noose if apprehended, so had decided to fight this little brig. Somehow, the mutineers had gained the impression Mastiff was a slaver like themselves and might report their transgressions to the owners.

A blind man could have accurately determined the ship’s cargo. She stank to high heaven of human excrement. Apparently, her slaves had already been aboard for a few weeks and obviously little attempt had been made to clean the vessel.

Mister Davis had members of his armed boarding party accompany him on a brief inspection. When he returned, he was holding a rag over his face and look very pale, indeed. The first mate of the slaver, who had organized the mutiny, had been brought over too, but he was already bound in his own chains and remained in the boat.

Phillips was very reluctant to visit the slave ship, but felt it was his duty. If he was to send ship’s crew to the slaver, it must be apparent that he was willing to visit the obnoxious ship himself.

The stench on board was so horrible, he actually found it hard to breathe. He found there were 40 crewmen aboard, with over 200 Africans. The slaves were all manacled to each other in such a manner they were hardly able to move. When Phillips ordered the slaves to be brought up on deck in relays, there was a problem. Some slaves had already died but were still chained to their neighbors.

Deciding the first task needing to be done was cleaning the ship, he brought the mutineer’s leader back over to the slaver. The captain ordered Sergeant Henderson to parade the slaver’s crew before him. There, on the quarterdeck, he gave them the bad news. They would have the duty and responsibility of cleaning up all the foul matter below deck. These people had been accustomed to enforcing their orders to the slaves, by wielding long, wicked whips. The Marines supervising this workforce were issued these same whips to encourage faster and better work, by the old slaver crew.

It was found to be more efficient, if they emptied out a hold and brought the people up on deck. The old slaver crew was then put to work cleaning the foul interior. Phillips would have liked to strike off the irons from the African captives, but decided that would be too dangerous. Many of the captives did not understand they were to be freed and were perfectly willing to fight any white man to the death.

They did discover a way to communicate with some of the slaves. Mister Fellowes already knew a few words of several African languages. By spending time with prisoners that seem to be relatively nonviolent, he slowly increased his vocabulary. One day he came before his Captain and reported, “Sir, one of the slaves down below was once clerk to the factor of the barracoon. He seems to have done something to offend that factor and was put into the slave pens. The factor was a Frenchman and this clerk supposedly speaks French. I myself do not speak that language and do not know anyone on the ship that does.”

As it happened, Captain Phillips did know someone on the ship who could speak the language. Mister Lewis, a 14-year-old midshipman had spent years being schooled by French tutors. While Lewis was not anxious for his peers to learn of this ability, the needs of the ship must come first.

When Lewis was closeted with the former clerk, he found he could understand the man perfectly, notwithstanding a little difficulty with the accent. Accordingly, Lewis began explaining to the former clerk just what was about to happen with them. The native clerk, was then able to explain to some of the other captives. After being taken to Freetown in Sierra Leone, the people would be taken to shore, given food and their freedom.

If they wished, and knew where to go, they could try to make it home. It was explained to the people, it would be extremely difficult to retrace their steps and return to their village. They, of course, could resettle in the colony of Sierra Leone and would receive further advice upon landing.

For now, the ship’s crew would do their utmost to get the people to shore. Those who remained calm would be treated correctly. Any violence or attempted violence would be addressed as the situation called for.

It took time for the announcement to be translated and passed down to the individuals in irons. Parties went below decks to make what explanations they could. Whenever a shackled individual expressed willingness to refrain from any violent action, he or she was released and was led by the compartment where their former guards were now confined.

There was much difficulty dealing with all the pent-up anguish from the freed people, and some were not able to remain passive. Although some care had been taken to fire high, still some of the slaves had been killed or injured. The brig and her prize were on a direct course toward Freetown, but continually suppressing outbreaks of hostility among the passengers took much effort from the crew. All, both crew and passengers, were happy to reach port. The mutineers, were perhaps, not quite so happy. They soon found they had an appointment to meet with the colony’s executioner.

There was a quick turn-around and HMS Mastiff resumed her voyage down the African coast. Before leaving, the French-speaking interpreter, accompanied with Mister Lewis, came before Captain Phillips. Standing behind them were a half-dozen tall, ebony-colored African natives. One had been designated as a sort of auxiliary guard to assist the ship’s crew to keep peace and held his half-pike by his side.

Mister Lewis addressed his captain. “Sir, Henri here tells me these men are all from a tribe very far away and they do not know how they will find their way back. They walked for months to reach the barracoon on the coast. Their tribe has been enemies with some of the other people of other tribes on the ship. They feel they will have to fight to stay alive if required to remain on shore.”

“Henri says they now feel safe on the ship and wish to join with the crew. He says they promise to fight very hard for you.”

That was a puzzler. His brief was to free captured natives, not enlist them in the Navy. It did suggest a remedy for a troubling problem. It had taken weeks from their patrol to return to Freetown to deliver their freed Africans. If he could have supplied the prize with a decent crew, he could have sent that back and continued the patrol. However, he had not felt he could afford to weaken the ship by sending back an adequate crew to man her and secure both the African captives and the captured slaver crew.

Here was a possibility though. The next small slaver he took, he could man with enough seamen to sail her, and use these volunteer native guards to maintain order. Accordingly, he summoned Mister Davis to enter these natives into the ships books. Davis was further required to determine if any future freed Africans might wish to enter into the Royal Navy.

HMS Mastiff continued on her patrol. She early on captured a small brig that had a varied cargo. Out of Boston and now bound from the Ivory Coast for New Orleans, she had a load of elephant tusks, as well as a quantity of tropical wood. Somewhere, she had taken twenty African captives on board and had them in irons on the orlop deck.

The Yankee skipper made a great commotion over being detained by a British warship, but Phillips reminded him that both Britain and the United States had outlawed the importation of slaves and that he was operating outside the law. The Yankee assured him that he did not normally traffic in slaves but he had been offered these at a good price and had not been able to refuse.

The American captain was told if he had restrained his greed, he could now be on his way home with a profitable cargo. As it was, his ship and cargo was now a prize and he and his crew were to face trial.

Mastiff’s volunteer African guard crew were sent aboard the prize and sent its captives up on deck, while her former crew were secured in irons in their place. There was the usual expressions of emotion and fear when the captives were assured they were now free. Several of them spoke no language known to anyone on board and could not be calmed.

The former captives who could understand what they were told, were assured they would soon be on land and free. Those unable to communicate with their rescuers had to remain in uncertainty.

The African guard unit set aboard the prize was rather impressive looking. Originally armed with half pikes, the Africans did not care for the short hafts of their weapons. Instead, these were removed and full-length hafts secured from the carpenter were fastened to the blade.

When the Africans boarded the prize, with their long spears, elaborate headdress, and bodies gleaming with oil rubbed into their skin, anyone observing them must be impressed with their appearance.

The former members of the crew of the slave ship, certainly were impressed. Some were actually gibbering in fear as they were put below.

The prize, Sarah Jones, sailed off to the north. Hopefully, her crew would be retrieved next time Mastiff made port. The warship continued her patrol to the south.

Making her way slowly down the African coast, the brig inspected every little bay or inlet she thought an oceangoing vessel might enter. Weeks later, as she was coming out of the Gulf of Guinea, her lookout reported ship's spars visible inside an inlet.

When questioned, Mr. Fellowes informed his captain, that while he had never actually visited this place, he suspected there might be a slave market of some sort there.

The ship remained on course, as if she had not noticed the stranger. Everyone with a glass had made their own observations and when the ship had passed by and went back out to sea, the officers began comparing notes.

It was Mr. Davis who approached Captain Phillips and told him there was something familiar about that ship’s masts. Her hull was obscured by jungle growth and she had no rigging aloft. Some thought her spars looked much like that of the former French frigate they had pursued earlier.

Captain Phillips called for a council of war in his quarters. He commented, while there was no proof this was their former chase, it was unlikely she was an innocent trader. Mr. Fellowes had already assured him there was little potential cargo in this area other than human slaves. If it was their old friend the Minerve class frigate,, it was likely the ship had completed her original voyage and had returned for another cargo.

Whether or not this was the same actual ship that had eluded them earlier, or even whether the ship had the same captain that had dropped living humans overboard, Phillips assured his men they would not make the same mistake twice. They would not pursue this ship openly, to avoid the same tragedy happening again.

Instead, the ship would remain at sea, far enough out where she could not be spotted by land-based telescopes. Her boats would be manned with all the armed people they could get in them, just leaving a small crew aboard the brig to take her back in case of misfortune.

The boats would proceed to the estuary in which the frigate lay. Assuming she had only a small crew to actually sail the ship, Phillips thought if they could take the ship by surprise, they might be able to get her out to sea before they were discovered.

It was still very early when the ship came to off the mouth of the estuary. The hands had already been told off and issued their weapons, so it was only a few minutes delay for them to pile into the boats.

There was some trouble finding the proper channel of the estuary. Their initial trial ended up at a mud flat. They had to retrace their course and try another route. This did lead to the ship, but the raiding party knew they could never take the ship out by way of that channel, it being too narrow and shallow.

Nevertheless, dawn was about to break, and there was no more time to explore more routes. As they approached the frigate, the first noticeable impression the men had of it, was the stench.

Although other slave ships they had captured had the same distinctive odor, this one was far and away the strongest. As they closed in, they could hear the chorus of groans and cries from the ship.

There seem to be no activity on the upper deck though and Phillips thought the ship's anchor watch might be asleep.

Accordingly, the attacking boats eased carefully toward the dark hull. The sun was now creeping up and although their target was moored under a canopy of tall trees growing from the nearby bank, there was enough light to see the ship they were seeking. It was indeed the former French Minerve class frigate they had pursued weeks before.

Now close to shore, they could see fires back in the jungle and could hear the sounds of a celebration. Drums were beating and men were shouting to the beat.

Phillips had his boat pull around to the side closest the shore. The frigate was moored fore and aft between two large trees on the bank, but there should be no trouble cutting the cable. He had three boats full of men with him. He delegated his own boat crew to remain in the boat and help tow the ship out into the channel to make it more difficult for reinforcements from shore to assist the frigate's crew remaining on board. He himself, would attempt to board the ship to direct activities there.

All others, including the armed passengers on his own boat were to swarm aboard and secure the price. At his word, men in the boats began sawing away at the mooring cables. Before they were finished, his own boat closed the ship and the bowman reached out with his boat hook and snagged the fore chains.

There were a few lubberly looking lines hanging down from the head. Apparently a work crew had been making some repair there and had not properly secured their gear.

It was only after the first men began to climb aboard that the ship's anchor watch wakened. There were only five of them, and for a few moments it was an even fight between the slavers man and the attackers. Momentarily though, more men swarmed aboard and soon that anchor watch was overwhelmed.

Now the people chained below began adding their cries and screams to the commotion. Phillips felt the ship’s head come around as the single boat began to pull. The ship was not prepared to sail. Her canvas was all in a sail locker below. With tumult erupting onshore and a few members of the ship’s crew aboard secured, Phillips ordered many of his men back into the boats to help pull. They got her out into the fairway, but then canoes were noticed loading with natives.

He had men searching in the sail locker for the appropriate canvas, while others are searching for charges for the guns on deck.

This former 40 gun frigate, was now armed with eight, eight pounder long guns, and a dozen swivels. She had a pair of 8-pounders up forward and a pair on the quarterdeck. More guns on each beam were trained outboard. Swivels were also mounted on strategic places on each beam. There was instant commotion as men were called away from other necessary tasks to locate ammunition for the guns, but finally, as canoes were closing on the ship, a couple of guns were readied.

The first gun emitted not the ear-splitting crash one might expect but instead a dull ‘whump’ and a cloud of brown powder smoke. The charge of grape barely made it to the first canoe. Phillips suspected some of the crewmen of the canoes might have sore heads tonight from the heavy grapeshot falling on them, but there were probably no fatalities. The second gun gained them a little respect though. It fired with the normal enthusiasm expected and the charge beat in the side of one craft and eliminated half its crew.

Swivels mounted on the rails began barking, adding their carnage to the total. Now, some canvas had been hoisted from the hatch and some headsails raised. Mister Davis was managing this task and soon the frigate was on her way out into the harbor away from the menace of the people on shore.

As they gained a little respite and matters became better organized on deck, a boat crew was sent out to locate the proper channel to escape to the sea. At length, the bosun reported with a glum look on his face. “Sir, it looks like all the channels are too shallow. They must have brought her in on a high tide and were just waiting for another high tide to take her out.”

“Have you any recommendations, Mister Ornsby?”

“Hard to say, sir. One channel is marked with blazes on some of the trees ashore, and might be the one they used to bring her in. There is barely depth enough for most of the length, but there is one spot of shallow water. The bottom there is pure mud and maybe we could pull her out with the capstan, but what would we use for hands? We don’t have near enough to draw out a ship this size.”

“Let’s try getting some of the Blacks up on deck. Maybe we can show them what we are up against. Maybe some of them will help us with the capstan.”

As a confused group were brought up on deck, still in their chains, the frigate sailed to the entrance of the selected channel. Ashore, the people there had begun to get themselves in order and some were firing muskets at the ship. It was long range and so far nobody had suffered any ill effects, but it was still early days yet.

The group just brought up were looking outboard in alarm at the musketry. One of the boats took an anchor cable ashore and fastened it to a stout tree. This cable must be defended by the two starboard eight-pounder guns up forward.

When all was secure ashore, the cable was nipped to the ship’s messenger cable. This was an endless loop running from the ship’s capstan forward to a large block. At the bosun’s word, men inserted the capstan bars into the capstan’s head. After ‘swifting’ the bars to keep them from coming out, the crew members available put their chests to the bars and began pushing.

It was then someone on shore got a gun working. It was only a small one, probably four pounds or so, but it was unpleasant to have the shot falling around them.

By now, some of the African brought up from below got the idea this new crop of evil whites might be trying to get them away from the others. Individually, these men began drifting over to the capstan and lending their brawn to the work. More hands were brought up from below and some of them also voluntarily bent to the task.

A number of the captives though, decided to avenge themselves on these people right in front of them. One individual, taking his chance, seized a crow bar from the nearby gun and began laying about with the heavy steel rod. As other Blacks joined in the fray, the ship came to a halt as the party at the capstan was called into the fight.

It was then that the ball from the gun ashore took one of the former captives right in the chest and nearly cut him in two. All but the most obstinate stopped their resistance.  Those who did not were taken up and dropped overboard. Although they would probably not drown, they would soon be back in the hands of their former masters. As the ship, freed from a few hundred pounds of human weight began to free itself, some of those floundering in the water were seen to beckon the ship to come back for them.

No time for that now. All hands back on the capstan, the ship began to leave a slight wake as she slipped through the water. All went well until she came to a slight bend in the estuary, when she slid silently into the mud at the bottom. Boats with armed crewmen had to go back to retrieve their cable, which luckily had not been taken by the people on shore.

More people were brought up on deck. Most of them were aware of what was happening and knew the approximate reason. Little resistance was made now as they heaved at the capstan. When it became obvious the ship was not going any farther, Phillips bade the water casks opened. Men on the capstan were told to rest, while others were put to work on the pumps. Soon, much of the water that was meant to sustain the crew and cargo across the middle passage was flowing out of the scuppers. After tons of the precious fluid had been pumped overboard, the men on the capstan were ordered back to work.

At first, they strained to no avail. With sweat pouring from the straining bodies, the ship remained immobile. It moved not a fraction of an inch. Then, one of the quarterdeck guns fired at the little four pounder that was becoming such a nuisance. At its recoil, everyone felt the ship slip forward a bit. Probably not more than six inches, but at least they had made a tiny gain.

Phillips ordered all four guns aft loaded with double charges. When ready, he had the men at the capstan take a good strain on the cable and ordered the guns to fire. This time, the ship lurched forward, travelling a good twenty feet before slowing to a halt.