CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
EARLY EXPERIENCES.
My mother consents to my going to sea—Journey to Portsmouth—Join H.M.S. Blonde—Take General Prescott and suite on board—We sail—Supply West Indiamen with provisions and in return impress six seamen—Windbound at Falmouth—Again sail—Attacked by four French frigates, but escape and again make Falmouth—Finally sail for West Indies—Amusements in crossing the Equator.
CHAPTER II.
WEST INDIES.
Arrival in West Indies—Cruise among the French Islands—Bombardment and capture of St. Pierre, Dominique—Attack on Fort Bourbon—Capture of Forts—Surrender of General Rochambeau and the French garrison.
CHAPTER III.
RETURN TO ENGLAND.
Sail for England with despatches—A lunar rainbow—A two-tailed fish—Reach Falmouth after passage of fifteen days—To Plymouth to refit—All leave refused—Sailors’ frolics ashore—To sea again—Cruise off French coast and Channel Islands—Run aground off Guernsey—Return to Plymouth to repair damages—Rejoin fleet—French fleet escapes into Brest—Return to Plymouth to refit for foreign service—Transhipped to H.M.S. Hannibal—Description of the ship’s officers—Tricks played on the Irish chaplain.
CHAPTER IV.
OFF USHANT.
Join the Channel fleet off Ushant—Capture the French frigate Gentille, also a twenty-four-gun ship five days later—Fleet returns to Portsmouth—Prize-money—To sea again in charge of a convoy—Transport with two hundred Hessian troops on board founders off Cape Finisterre—Suddenly ordered to West Indies—Fight between a negro and a shark at Port Royal, Jamaica—Dignity balls—Collision with H.M.S. Sampson—Outbreak of yellow fever—Ordered to sea—Capture two French ships and two privateers.
CHAPTER V.
WEST INDIES AGAIN.
Owing to ravages of yellow fever go to Jamaica to obtain more seamen—Difficulties and humours of impressment—Author attacked by yellow fever—Proceed to Cape St. Nicholas mole—Great mortality among the officers.
CHAPTER VI.
TOUGH YARNS.
Tough yarns—The sea-serpent—The fair-wind sellers of Bremen—Mermen and mermaidens—Capture of Spanish schooner with mulatto laundresses on board—Boat attack on, and capture of the French privateer Salamandre—Outbreak of malignant scurvy—Novel method of treatment—French women dressed as men—A voyage of discovery.
CHAPTER VII.
CRUISING OFF PORTO RICO.
A ball on board—Fishing with a seine—Ordered to cruise off Porto Rico—News of the Battle of Camperdown—The boasts of Napoleon—Views on matrimony—A sailor’s courtship—Futile boat attack on a Spanish war vessel at St. Domingo—Author loses the hearing of his left ear from effect of a wound.
CHAPTER VIII.
MUTINY ON H.M.S. HERMIONE.
Tea with the boatswain’s wife—News of the mutiny at the Nore causes trouble among the sailors—Sent to cruise in consequence[pg IX]—A white squall and waterspout—Capture of a Spanish cruiser—Return to Port Royal—H.M.S. Hermione seized by mutineers and carried to Porto Bello—Recaptured by Captain Hamilton—An alarm caused by fireflies.
CHAPTER IX.
A MOCK COURT-MARTIAL.
Transhipped to H.M.S. Queen (98)—Sailors’ appreciation of books—The ship runs aground and sinks: with difficulty raised—A mock court-martial on the master—Author made lieutenant with a commission on a twenty-four-gun ship.
CHAPTER X.
MORE CRUISING.
Requested to act as first lieutenant, but refuses—Description of officers—A fruitless search for a Spanish treasure ship—Run on a coral reef, but float off again—A tropical thunderstorm—A futile attempt to cut out three schooners off Matanzas—Author becomes first lieutenant—Return to Port Royal—The incriminating papers of an American sloop found in a shark—Seize a French ship in ballast off St. Domingo.
CHAPTER XI.
A JAMAICA PLANTATION.
Visit to a Jamaica plantation—Condition of the slaves—A growl against the House of Commons and the Admiralty—Author attempting to cut out a Spanish zebec, is taken prisoner—His pleasant experiences while in captivity—At last released.
CHAPTER XII.
FIGHTING EPISODES.
Returns to his ship—Capture of a French schooner—An episode with two American sloops of war—Return to Port Royal—Attacked a second time by yellow fever—Seize and burn a Spanish gunboat—Return to Port Royal—Wetting a midshipman’s commission—Ordered home with a convoy—Pathetic farewells with mulatto washerwomen.
CHAPTER XIII.
HOME AGAIN.
Ordered to the Black River—Meet the magistrate there, and “bow to his bishop”—Sail with a convoy of thirty ships—Arrive at Deal—A cruise on horseback on a baker’s nag, which conscientiously goes the bread round—The author’s brother comes on board, but he fails to recognise him—Paid off at Deptford.
CHAPTER XIV.
A HOLIDAY ASHORE.
On shore—Tired of inactivity—Apply for a ship—Appointed to H.M.S. Minotaur (74)—Prisoners sent on board as part of crew—Go to Plymouth—Scarcity of seamen—Ruse to impress an Irish farm labourer—Ordered to join the Channel fleet off Ushant—Capture French thirty-six-gun ship—In danger off Ushant—Capture two small French ships and one Dutch one: Author sent to Plymouth in charge of the latter—Placed in quarantine.
CHAPTER XV.
A LINE-OF-BATTLE SHIP.
The ship arrives—Captain’s attempt to form a band—Sail again—Attacked by rheumatic fever and invalided ashore—Ordered to join H.M.S. Tonnant—Proceed to Mediterranean—At Oran: experiences ashore.
CHAPTER XVI.
BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR.
Join Lord Nelson’s squadron—Battle of Trafalgar—Author’s experiences—Occurrences during action—Severity of operations before the use of anæsthetics—The Tonnant’s casualty list—Proceed to Gibraltar—A truce with Spain during horse races on neutral ground there.
CHAPTER XVII.
OFF BREST.
Return under jury-masts to England—Arrive at Spithead—The admiral, the middy, and the dirk—Join H.M.S. Diamond as first lieutenant—Attached to Lord St. Vincent’s fleet off Brest—A change of captains—Weary waiting for an enemy who never came.
CHAPTER XVIII.
“ORDERED FOREIGN.”
Ordered on foreign service—Visit Madeira, Cape de Verde, and Goree—Experiences on shore—Sail for Cape Coast Castle—Difficulty of landing—The captain’s black lady—Author appointed captain of H.M.S. Favourite—Proceed to Accrah—Sacred alligators.
CHAPTER XIX.
WEST COAST ADVENTURES.
Cruise along West African coast—Dinner with the Danish consul at Cape Coast Castle—Ordered to Sierra Leone—A trip inland—We proceed to the Los Islands—A trip up the River Pongo—Quell disturbance on a slaver—A dinner with a native prince—His presents.
CHAPTER XX.
WITH SLAVE CONVOY.
Return to Sierra Leone—Dinner party aboard—Sail with convoy of five slave-ships—How the slaves were obtained—Arrive Barbadoes—Sail for Tobago and Trinidad—Visit Pitch Lake—To Jamaica—Cruising off Cuba—Futile attempt on two Spanish privateers—Capture small Spanish privateer—Return to Jamaica—Arrange exchange with captain of home-going ship—A challenge to Spanish corvette declined by the latter.
CHAPTER XXI.
HOME WITH MAHOGANY.
My new ship—Sail for Belize—Native and alligator—Sail for England with convoy of ships—Hear of peace being signed between England and Spain—Arrive in England—Paid off at Sheerness—Return home—Tired of country life—Apply for ship—Appointed to H.M.S. Apelles.
CHAPTER XXII.
OFF BOULOGNE.
Brig sloop sent to watch the French flotilla off Boulogne—Monotonous duty—Return to Sheerness to refit—Story of Billy Culmer—More cruising off Boulogne—Return to England.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE SAME WEARY ROUND.
Leave to return home for four days—Visit of the Duke of Clarence—Again off Boulogne—Down Channel with a convoy—Boulogne once more—Refit at Plymouth—Return Boulogne—Run aground on French coast—Part of crew escape in boats—Author and nineteen men remain on board.
CHAPTER XXIV.
TAKEN PRISONER.
Taken prisoner, and removed to Boulogne gaol—Asked to dinner by General Lemaroix—News of Perceval’s assassination—Parole refused—Marched to Montreuil-sur-Mer—On to Hesdin; being footsore, Author insists on having a carriage—Drives to Arras.
CHAPTER XXV.
AT CAMBRAY.
Meet an Englishman—At last put on parole—Dine with Lieutenant Horton—Proceed to Cambray—Relics of Archbishop Fénélon—Meet Captain Otter at Verdun—Prisoners’ amusements—Author and Captain Otter establish a school for midshipmen—Author moves into country quarters—Severe censorship of prisoner’s letters—Ordered to Blois—Purchase a cart and horses.
CHAPTER XXVI.
END OF CAPTIVITY.
Horses bolt, and cart upsets—Reach Blois after six days’ travelling—Miserable condition of French troops after return from Moscow—Ordered to Gueret on the Creuse—A miserable journey of five days—Poor accommodation—Allowed to move to country quarters at Masignon—An earthquake shock—News of Napoleon’s abdication—Start for Paris—Reach Fontainebleau in nine days—Proceed to Paris—Lodgings dear and scarce—State entrance of Louis XVIII. into Paris.
CHAPTER XXVII.
HONOURABLY ACQUITTED.
Obtain a passport after some difficulty from Prince Metternich—Start for England viâ Rouen and Havre—Sail to Spithead—Amused at Englishwomen’s queer dress—Return to family—Acquitted for loss of H.M.S. Apelles.
APPENDIX