Having finished this Digression, I shall begin where I left off. Upon her Desertion, she set out on Foot for Portsmouth, and about a Mile out of Carlisle, exchanges her regimental Clothes for worse, with some People employed in cutting down Pease. But Courage and Love, like impetuous Torrents, rage the more they are opposed; for Hannah whose Breast was actuated with both these Principles, had no sooner arrived at Portsmouth, than she found her Expectations disapointed: However, whether Despair or the Hopes of again meeting that unfaithful Man, who had made her the Mother of a helpless Infant, actuated her Breast and gave her Passions a preternatural Spring. So it was, that she courageously inlisted herself in Captain Graham’s Company in Colonel Fraser’s Regiment, and soon after there was a Draught made, to go abroad in Admiral Boscawen’s Fleet, and she chanced to be one of the Number draughted, and went immediately on board the Swallow Sloop, Captain Rosier, Commander; and when on board was observed to be handy in washing, as well as in dressing Victuals, for the Mess she first belonged to, and being thus remarkable, she was sollicited by Richard Wyegate, Lieutenant of Marines, to become one of their Mess, which she readily agreed to, as believing the Officers Mess, was better than the common Mens, and she acted in the Station of their Boy, and by her modest Deportment soon became a Favourite, drest their Victuals, washed and mended their Linnen. She was stationed (in Case of an Engagement) on the Quarter-Deck, and to fight at small Arms, and made one of the After-Guard; she was obliged to keep watch four Hours on and four off, Day and Night, being often obliged to go aloft, and altho’ unexperienced with these Kind of Hardships, soon became expert in the Business.
On their first setting sail, they enjoyed as fine Weather, and as fair Winds as could possibly be wished for, to convey a Ship safely and expeditiously from one Harbour to another. But no sooner were they arrived in the Bay of Biscay than the Scene was altered; their favourable Weather converted into a dismal Hurricane, and their smooth placed Ocean, changed into Billows, which threaten’d them with immediate Death, by this Moment raising them to the Clouds, and in the next plunging them, as it were, to the Centre of the Earth. The Danger may be easily estimated, from the Circumstance, for the Swallow was as strong and well built a Vessel, as any belonging to his Majesty’s Navy of her Burden: yet such was the Stress of Weather, that she sprung her Main-mast, and lost not only the Gib-Boom, but also two Top-masts. After they had for several Days been beat about in this imminent Danger, they with great Difficulty arrived in the Port of Lisbon, which was great Joy to them, after having suffered so much in the Bay of Biscay, where every Moment they had been in danger of being swallowed up in the vast Abyss. In this Port, which to them was like a safe Asylum, or Sanctuary, to a Man pursued by a hungry and enraged Lyon, they continued three Weeks; because the Vessel was so damaged, that the Number of Hands employed in refitting her could not do it sooner.
Here they found the Vigilant Man of War, which was likewise much damaged in the Storm in the Bay of Biscay, being one of the Fleet that sail’d from Portsmouth with them.
While she was ashore at Lisbon, with her Master, she was quartered at one Mrs. Poore’s a Punch-House and Tavern; but says nothing material happened there, during the three Weeks.
As it often happens for the wise and noble Purposes of Heaven, that one Misfortune succeeds another, as close as the Waves on the Sea-shore; so the Swallow set sail in Company with the Vigilant Man of War, in Order to join the Admiral’s Squadron; and the next Night after their Departure, another violent Storm happened, in which the Swallow not only lost sight of the Vigilant, but also sprung her Main-mast, lost most of her Rigging, and was so much damaged in her Hold, that all the Sailors and Marines were obliged to take their several Turns at the Pump, which is by far a harder Piece of Labour, than those who have never tried it are apt to imagine. Such a Series of Calamities succeeding each other so fast, and so unexpectedly, were, in all Appearance, sufficient to daunt the strongest Resolution, and cool the Courage of the bravest young Sailor that ever trod the Deck of a Ship. But some Minds are cast, if I may so speak, in so happy a Mould, that Danger and Difficulties instead of depressing, raise them above themselves, enlarge their Views, and animate them to stem the Tide of Adversity, which they rarely fail to surmount by Steadiness and Perseverance. To this favourite Class of Mortals our Heroine belonged, since on this Occasion she not only willingly took her Turn at the Pump of a sinking Vessel, but also performed the several Offices of a common Sailor, and in both Qualities behaved with such Judgment and Intrepidity, that, next under God, she was looked upon by the Ship’s Company as a Kind of Deliverer, and an Instrument of their Preservation. The Swallow after this Disaster made the best of her Way to Gibraltar, were as soon as they arrived, she went on Shore, and attended Lieutenant Richard Wigate, Lieutenant of the Marines, who was very ill, and lodged at Mrs. Davis’s on the Hill.
The Ship refitted here with the utmost Expedition, and sailed for the Madiera Islands, where she took in such Wines, and other Provisions, as was thought necessary for the intended Voyage. As Providence is always Kind to Distress, she here met with the Sheerness Privateer of Bristol, whose Commander generously supplied her with a sufficient Number of Hands, and from thence, they sailed to the Cape of Good Hope, and in their Voyage, were put upon Short, and some time after upon Half Allowance.
During their Passage, their Allowance was shortened, as I just beforementioned, and that which they had, was salt and bad, and besides there was so great a Scarcity of Water on board, that they were allowed only a Pint a Day for some Time; all which, must have been great Hardships to her.
When they arrived at the Cape, they there met with the Admiral in the Namur, which was great Joy to them; and our Heroine being disappointed hitherto of meeting her faithless Husband, and now seeing the Fleet all in Company, was in hopes of acquiring some Glory as a Soldier, knowing the Reason of this Fleet’s being fitted out was to annoy the Enemies of her Country, which soon happened according to her Wishes, as the Fleet soon sailed from this Port for Morusus, on which Place they began their first Attack; and though unexperienced in the Use of Arms, except in learning her Exercise, she behaved with an uncommon Bravery, and exerted herself in her Country’s Cause.
This Attack did not hold long; our brave Admiral finding this impracticable, and unwilling to lose his Ships and Men, for whom he had great Regard, left that Place, and sailed for Fort St. David’s, where they arrived in a little Time, and the Marines being put on Shore joined the English Army, and encamped, and in about three Weeks marched and encamped before Elacapong, and laid Siege to it, with an Intent to storm the Place. This fresh Adventure inspired her with fresh Hopes of shewing her undaunted Courage, which she did to the Admiration of her Officers; but on the tenth Day of the Siege, a Shell from the English took the Magazine of the Enemy, and blew it up, which occasioned them to surrender at Discretion.
I cannot help reflecting a little upon the Hardships, Fatigues and Dangers she incountered from the Time she left Lisbon in Europe, till her Arrival before Pondicherry in Asia, so many Vicissitudes, as were sufficient to damp the Spirits of an Alexander or a Cæsar, Storms, Hurricanes and pinching Want, were her Concomitants, pumping an almost wrecked Vessel, was her most constant (tho’ laborious) Employment; seventeen Weeks short Allowance from the Maderas to the Cape of Good Hope, was all she had to subsist upon; Attacks upon fortified Towns, some of which were impregnable, where Bomb-Shells and Cannons were incessantly displaying Death wherever they fell; at other Times, moving, marching, and encamping; I say such Reflections and gloomy Prospects, prove the Cause of many such Hardships and Difficulties even in the most robust of the Masculine Gender, how much more in one of the tender Sex, who are afraid of Shaddows, and shudders at the Pressage of a Dream.