Old Jack Part 33

"In the world," replied Newman, carelessly. "'Tis a large book, and its leaves are never closed."

"I am afraid that you will think me impertinent if I continue to ask questions," said the stranger; "but I shall be glad to know to what s.h.i.+p you belong?"

Newman told him.

"Ah, I know your captain--an honest man. I am under great obligations to him. Are many of his crew able to amuse themselves as you two appear to be doing?"

"Some have lately taken to drawing and singing, and a few who could not read when the voyage began are now apt scholars," answered Newman, carelessly. "We have occasionally a good deal of spare time on board a whaler, though we often have to work hard enough."

A little further conversation pa.s.sed. "I must not longer detain you from your task," said the gentleman. "I hope that we shall meet again."

He bowed to Newman, and nodded good-naturedly to me. He saw that I was but a common sailor, at the same time that he evidently discerned the educated gentleman in my friend. When I speak of Newman as a gentleman, it must be understood that he was not particularly polished or refined in his manners or habits, though more so far than were those with whom he a.s.sociated forward. His manners were too blunt and independent to be called polished, and he could rough it as well as any of us, eating the same coa.r.s.e food and wearing the same rough clothes as we did, without inconvenience.

When the gentleman had gone, Newman and I discussed who he could be.

"Rather an inquisitive old fellow, I suspect," said Newman. "He is a Dutchman, I judge, by the way he p.r.o.nounced both German and French, though he spoke them well."

"How are you so well able to distinguish the difference in p.r.o.nunciation?" I asked.

"I was educated in Germany," he answered. "I learned a good many things there besides what my tutors intended to teach me. You must not suppose that I could have picked up the various bits of information I possess in any English place of education. As it is, we beat most other nations in whatever we set our hands to; but if English lads had the same style of instruction given in most of the countries in Europe, modified to suit our characters, we should beat them all hollow, wherever we encountered them abroad."

It must be remembered that this conversation took place many years ago, and that very considerable improvements have since taken place in the style of education afforded to boys in many of our schools in England.

We thought very little at the time of our encounter with the Dutch gentleman, though, as it proved, it had a very great influence on Newman's fate.

When we got on board, we found that the s.h.i.+p was likely to remain some time longer in the Roads, and that we might have a chance of seeing something more of the country. As Malays, or natives, are employed in those hot climates to do the hard work on board s.h.i.+p, as Kroomen are on the coast of Africa--such as wooding and watering--we had more leisure time than we should otherwise have enjoyed. That evening a number of us, among whom was Tom Knowles, were sitting on the forecastle spinning yarns, when he told us what I did not know before--that he had served aboard a man-of-war at the taking of Java.

"You must know, mates," he began, taking out his quid and stowing it away in his waistcoat-pocket, "I belonged to a whaler which was lost out here, when those of her crew who escaped were picked up by an Indiaman and carried to Madras. I with others was there pressed on board the _Caroline_ frigate. I didn't much like it at first; but when I had shaken myself, and looked about me, and heard that the captain was a fine sort of a fellow, I thought it was just as well to do my duty like a man, and to make myself happy. Captain Cole, that was his name, wasn't a chap to let the gra.s.s grow under the s.h.i.+p's bottom. Directly after I joined, we were ordered off to Amboyna, in company with the _Piemontaise_, Captain Foote; the 18-gun brig _Barracouta_; and transport _Mandarin_, with a hundred European soldiers. We heard that when the captain went to take his leave of the admiral--Drury was his name--he asked leave just to knock up some of the Dutch settlements on the way.

"'Well,' says the admiral, 'there's no harm just frightening them a little, and you may be able to surprise a port or two; but don't go and get into mischief, now, and hurt yourselves. There are several impregnable places, such as Banda, for instance, which it would be out of the question for you to attack. Vast heaps of wealth are stored up there, so the Dutch will take precious good care that you don't get into the place.'

"'We'll see about that,' thought the captain to himself, winking with the eye which was turned away from the admiral. 'Of course, sir, we'll do nothing rash,' says he. 'It isn't the way of English sailors. We are always steady, sure sort of fellows.'

"'That's right,' says the admiral; and away went the captain, having made up his mind to a thing or two.

"We reached Palo-Penang on the 30th May, in the year 1810. There the captain persuaded the governor to let him have about twenty artillery-men and a lot of scaling-ladders; and having learned something more about the chief place in Banda, called Banda-Neira, he kept to the resolution he had all along in his mind, to try and get possession of it. In spite of the south-east monsoon, away we sailed, therefore, for the Java Sea. As it would not have done to let the Dutchmen in other places guess what we were about to do, he determined to take the s.h.i.+p through the pa.s.sage between the big island of Borneo and Malwalli. It was a touch-and-go matter to get through, for in every direction there were coral-reefs, which would pretty soon have brought us up if we had run on them; but we had look-outs at the jib-boom-end and the topsail-yard-arms, and as the water was clear, and the weather fine, we escaped all danger.

"Early in the morning, on the 8th of July, we made the Banda Islands, and by night were up with the place called Banda-Neira. As we stood in, the guns from the fort opened on us; but seeing they did us no harm, they soon left off throwing away their powder. That very evening there was a sudden change in the weather, and it came on to blow and rain very hard.

"'Too good a chance to be thrown away,' thought the captain. 'We shall never be able to take this place in common s.h.i.+p-shape fas.h.i.+on; but as the Mynheers won't be expecting us on such a bad night as this, and what's more, won't hear us coming, I'll just see if we can't get on sh.o.r.e in the boats and give them a surprise.'

"Now, anyone looking at Banda-Neira would have thought that it would be quite impossible to take it with the small force we had got with us; but, as I said, our captain wasn't a man to trouble his head about impossibilities.

"The place was two miles long and half a mile wide, and protected by no less than ten sea-batteries and two strong forts--one called Belgica, and the other Na.s.sau. They commanded each other, as they did the ten sea-batteries. The first alone mounted fifty-two heavy guns; and altogether there were no less than one hundred and thirty-eight guns in the place. Having run in within two cables' length of the sh.o.r.e, we dropped our anchors, and at 11 p.m. the boats under the command of Captain Cole shoved off with three hundred and ninety men, including officers. The place we were to pull for was the east point of Banda.

What a night it was--blowing and raining like fury and dark as pitch!

but that, in many respects, was all the better for us. Captains Cole and Kenah arrived first at the appointed spot in their gigs, and only by degrees did some of the other boats get up there--it was so difficult to find our way. The boat I was in, with several others, grounded on a coral-reef, not a hundred yards from a sea-battery, which we found mounted no less than ten long 18-pounders; and as they pointed directly on the reef, they could very soon have knocked us all to pieces.

Fortunately, the garrison slept so soundly, or the rain and wind made such a clatter, that they did not discover us. Overboard we all jumped, and soon had the boats afloat, and pulling on, we reached a snug little sandy cove, surrounded by trees or jungle. Here the captain mustered us, and found that he had only got about a hundred and forty seamen and marines, and forty red jackets, with Captain Kenah, five lieutenants, and some soldier officers. Among the lieutenants was one called Lieutenant Edmund Lyons, with whom I afterwards was at the taking of another place, of which I'll tell you presently. Well, as I was saying, it was pelting and blowing and as black as pitch; and though we had little more than half our force on sh.o.r.e, our captain did not like to give up the enterprise, so says he, 'My lads, I should just like to take possession of some of these forts, but we are a small number to do it, I own; yet, if I thought all would follow, I'd lead the way.'

"We didn't shout, but we told him that, to a man, we were ready to go wherever he thought fit to lead us.

"'Then,' said he, 'we'll just walk into the Dutchmen's castles before they've time to rub their eyes.'

"Captain Kenah, with a party of us armed with pikes, on this at once advanced to the rear of the nearest battery. Not a word was spoken, and the noise of the storm drowned the sound of our footsteps. We got close up to the fort--a sentry was marching up and down--a pike was into him before he could discharge his musket--and in an instant we were over the ramparts. We could see the Dutchmen, match in hand, at their guns on the sea side, and very much surprised were they to find us in their rear, knocking them down right and left, before they had time to fire a shot. They cried for quarter, and we had sixty of them prisoners in a few minutes. Leaving a few men to take charge of the battery, Captain Kenah was pus.h.i.+ng on to take possession of the next, when Captain Cole sent to say he had got hold of a guide, and was going to take Fort Belgica itself.

"Away we went along a narrow winding path, towards the castle. The Dutchmen's bugles were sounding in all directions, showing us that they were awake; but probably they didn't know where their enemies were to be found. We had got close up to the citadel before we were discovered; and then, though they began firing away pretty briskly, as they could not see us, and were, I guess, in a mortal fright, none of us were hit.

Those in front had the scaling-ladders, and, with their help, we managed to climb up the steep bank on which the castle stood; and in no time, it seemed, we were in possession of all the lower works. We were not in though yet; but we soon hauled up the scaling-ladders, and began to place them against the wall of the citadel, when we found out that they were too short--more's the shame to the fellows who made them! The enemy discovering this, began peppering away at us with musketry, and fired several round-shot into the bargain. Here was a sell! We began to think that we should have to be about-s.h.i.+p, when what should we see, but the gates open to let in the governor and some other officers who had been sleeping outside the walls. The opportunity was not to be lost. Led by our gallant captain, we made a dash at the gate. The colonel defended it bravely, but he and several of his men were killed in a minute, and on we rushed into the very centre of the fort. Never were fellows in such a mortal fright as were the Dutchmen. Daylight just then breaking, we saw them scrambling and leaping, like a flock of sheep, over the walls. However, some of the officers, and forty artillery-men, gave themselves up as prisoners.

"We now had the British Jack flying away on the flagstaff above our heads. Still, we were a very small band to hold the forts we had conquered, and we looked out with no little anxiety for the arrival of the rest of our force. What had become of the boats we could not tell; but as the sun rose, we saw the _Caroline_ and the other s.h.i.+ps standing in towards the town.

"The Dutchmen did not know our numbers, probably; so the captain, putting a bold face on the matter, sent a flag of truce to Fort Na.s.sau, to say that if the troops didn't behave themselves, and cease firing, he would fire into them with a vengeance, and into the city to boot. Now, from what we had done, the Dutchmen, having no doubt that he would keep his word, hauled down their flag; and before many hours were out, thinking discretion the best part of valour, their whole force, regulars and militia, to the number of one thousand and five hundred, laid down their arms on the glacis of Fort Na.s.sau. Thus you see what a few brave men, when well led, can do.

"Of our one hundred and eighty men, we lost very few. Our less fortunate s.h.i.+pmates in the boats, after knocking about all night, got alongside the transport _Mandarin_. Captain Foote was left as governor of the island with a garrison, while we went on to Amboyna. Our captain was a fine fellow. The s.h.i.+p's company afterwards presented him with a sword worth a hundred guineas, to show their love and estimation of his bravery. Several cups and swords were presented to him by the officers and soldiers. I can't tell you what loads of prize-money we got from that place, but I can tell you that it very soon found its way out of the pockets of most of us.

"Well, as I was saying, I afterwards joined the _Minden_ 74, to which s.h.i.+p Lieutenant Edmund Lyons belonged. We had been cruising with a squadron off this place, Batavia. Now there was at the north-eastern end of Java, not far from the Straits of Madura, a very strong fort or castle on Pauka Point, lately erected, called Fort Marrack. It was a considerable annoyance to all s.h.i.+ps pa.s.sing that way, and it was therefore deemed important to destroy it. However, as only between four and five hundred men could be spared for the enterprise, it was given up, as that number was looked upon as insufficient for the undertaking.

However, the _Minden_, having on board a number of Dutch prisoners, Lieutenant Lyons was directed to land them in the launch and cutter at Batavia. I was in the launch. After we had put the Mynheers on sh.o.r.e, we stood along the coast to the eastward, for the lieutenant was in no hurry to get back to the s.h.i.+p. He had got something in his head, do you see? He remembered what he had helped to do with Captain Cole; so says he to himself, 'I'll just see if we can't play the Dutchmen just such another trick with regard to this here Fort Marrack.' When he had got a thing into his head to do, which he thought could be done, it was no easy matter for anyone else to knock it out again, till he had tried whether he was right or wrong.

"Two days after landing the prisoners, we got up to the fort just at dark. The lieutenant had a look at it, just to arrange his plan; and we then ran under a point of land, where we lay snug out of sight till the darkest part of the night. At first the moon was up, and would have discovered us to the enemy. The fort mounted fifty-four heavy guns, and had a garrison of one hundred and eighty regulars; but what did we care for that! We waited eagerly for the moon to go down, and then we both pulled away with m.u.f.fled oars for the fort. There was a good deal of surf on the sh.o.r.e, but we hoped its noise, aided by the darkness, would prevent our approach being discovered. However, the Dutchmen had learned to be more awake than when we took Fort Belgica, and as we got close under the land, the sentinels let off their muskets to give the alarm. No time was to be lost. Lieutenant Lyons ordered us to run the boats through the surf right on to the sh.o.r.e, under the very muzzles of the guns in the lower tier. 'On, my lads!--on!' he exclaimed, leading us, sword in hand, right up over the embankment into the lower battery before the Dutchmen had time to look round them. We found the gunners as before, with their matches in their hands, and had to kill three of them to prevent their firing. Having knocked down every man we found, we did not stop to look around, but followed our gallant leader into the upper battery, which, in as little time as I have taken to describe, was in our possession. It was 'Hurrah, my boys!--at them!' and after a minute's cutting, and slas.h.i.+ng, and firing of pistols, and das.h.i.+ng them at each other's heads, the place was ours. That's the way we used to do things in the war, when once a plan had been determined on by our officers!

"But we had still plenty of work to do, for when we went on and reached the highest part of the fort, we found a large body of Dutch troops drawn up to receive us. Nothing daunted by this, our gallant lieutenant, singing in Dutch, and French, and English, and all sorts of languages, that he had got four hundred men at his back, and would give no quarter if any opposition was offered, we fired a volley, and at them again we went, cutla.s.s, and pike, and bayonet in hand. Whether they had Dutch courage in them or not, I don't know, but certainly they did not like our appearance; and as we came up with them they turned tail, and off they went helter-skelter through a gateway in the rear of the fort.

After them we went, and sent the last man out with a hearty good kick, and shut the gate after him!

"No sooner had we got the fort to ourselves than the enemy began peppering away at us from a fort in the rear, and from a couple of gun-boats; and considering that we hadn't the four hundred men the lieutenant talked of, but only just the two boats' crews, we had enough to do to spike the guns, and to keep up a brisk fire in return. You may be sure, mates, we were as busy as ants doing all the mischief we could in a short time. We had a young mids.h.i.+pman with us, Mr Franks, not fifteen years old; and while the fire was at the hottest, in the middle of it he hoisted the British ensign on the flagstaff on the top of the fort.

"While we were busy spiking the gnus, and firing away right and left, we made out, through the darkness, what we took to be a large body of Dutch troops. There were plenty of light carriage guns in the fort; and when information was brought him, Lieutenant Lyons ordered us to slue round two of them, and bring them close up to the gate. When we had done so, he and Mr Langton loaded them up to the muzzles with grape and musket b.a.l.l.s. On came the enemy. He let them get close up to the gate, and then he and the mids.h.i.+pman fired slap in among them. It was much more than they expected, and lest they should get another dose, they put about in a great hurry, and off they went as fast as they could pelt, we hallooing and hurrahing after them. You may be sure we didn't follow them, or they would soon have found out the trick we had played them.

All the time no one had been killed, and only Mr Langton and three men slightly wounded; but from the number of troops brought against him, Mr Lyons saw that we could not hope to hold the fort; so while the Dutch troops were scampering off in one direction, we bolted over the ramparts in the other. When we got down to the beach, we were not a little taken aback by finding that the surf had driven the barge right up on the sh.o.r.e and bilged her; but, fortunately, the cutter was still afloat. So we all got into her as silently as mice, and shoved off, leaving the fort to take care of itself. We were much amused by seeing the Dutchmen outside firing away into it as hard as ever. When they discovered their mistake, I don't know; but whenever they did, they must have found all the guns spiked, and the British ensign flying triumphantly over their heads, to show them who had done all the mischief.

"We got safely back to the _Minden_ next day, none of us much the worse for the exploit. Soon after that, the whole of Java and its dependencies capitulated to Sir Robert Stopford and General Wetherall.

This was the only service I saw in the navy--for within a year of that time I got my discharge, and once more joined a whaler."

Old Tom's account of these two gallant exploits was received by all hands with great applause, for that is just the sort of work in which seamen delight, and I know that all of us wished we had been with him.

I need scarcely say that the Lieutenant Edmund Lyons of those days was afterwards the well-known Admiral Lord Lyons, who, from that commencement, won his way up to his well-deserved honours.

Two days after our encounter with the Dutch gentleman on sh.o.r.e, the captain sent for Newman into his cabin. He was some time away; and when he came forward, I saw that his countenance wore an unusually pleased expression.

"What has happened?" I asked.

"Why, the captain tells me that the stranger we met the other day is a Mr Von Kniper, some great man or other, with whom he has long been acquainted; and that he has sent to request the captain to bring me to dine with him. The captain is very good-natured about it, and says that he shall be very happy to take me. But it will be difficult to find a dress to go in. It will never do to appear in a round jacket. So, taking all things into consideration, I think that I shall decline the honour."

"That would be a pity," said I. "You don't know to what the visit may lead."

"To be stared at and patronised as the common sailor who can draw and talk German; and then to have the cold shoulder turned towards me the next day, or to be pa.s.sed unrecognised!" he answered, with no little bitterness. "I am more independent, and safer from annoyance, in the position I have chosen to occupy. I'll not go out of it."

I tried to reason him out of his resolution.

"It may be a turning-point in your fortune," I observed.

"There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune," he repeated. "You don't suppose that the flood will ever set in for me. The current has been too long running the other way for me ever to expect it to change. I am content to let it continue its old course, and swim merrily with it."

Had Newman been left to himself, I do not know that he would have altered his opinion; but soon after this the captain again sent to see him.