Captain Cock was convinced from what he had observed on the French ship that however suitable she might be for capturing Packets, she was by no means a match for any English frigate of her own size and class, and he begged to be allowed to remain on deck to witness the action. This was not permitted. He and his brave crew were conducted down into the hold, where they remained listening with exultation to the roar of cannon and the din of musketry. For a long time they had no means of discovering which way fortune was inclining, until Captain Cock, wearied of pacing up and down, threw himself back against the mizzen-mast, and felt it tremble. He listened attentively, and a moment later he heard the crash of its fall. He sprang up and placed his ear to the mainmast. In a very short time that also began “to beat, tremble, and shake,” and ere long a second crash announced its fall. With what impatient eagerness the prisoners heard these evidences of their countrymen’s success may be imagined. They could scarcely believe that “La Clorinde” was not captured, and every moment they hoped to be released. But to their intense disappointment the noise of battle died away, and no tidings reached them.
At last Captain Cock was summoned on deck. He found the ship had suffered terribly in the action, though her English antagonist could claim little advantage over her in this respect, being likewise dismasted, and lying a mile or two away. Night had fallen. The “Eurotas” appeared in a blaze of light. Lanterns were hung all over her; blue lights were being burnt, and from time to time a rocket shot up into the sky. The French captain consulted Captain Cock as to the meaning of this illumination. Were the lanterns signals of distress? Did Captain Cock think the “Eurotas” was sinking, and, if so, could they offer any assistance? Captain Cock had formed a shrewd guess as to why Captain Phillimore wanted all this light, but he was discreet enough to hold his tongue, and professed an entire inability to divine what was going on. In the morning the mystery was cleared up; for the dawn revealed to the astonished Frenchmen their crippled foe of the previous evening coming up in the handsomest style at the rate of seven knots under jury masts, which her crew had worked throughout the night in rigging up, while another English cruiser, the “Dryad,” attracted by the rockets, was standing down, and would evidently come into action before the “Eurotas,” which during the night had drifted to a considerable distance. “La Clorinde,” in her shattered state could make only two knots, and was incapable of defending herself adequately against a perfectly fresh antagonist. Captain Phillimore had thus the mortification of seeing the work which he had begun taken out of his hands, and all the great exertions of the night rendered fruitless.
Captain Cock, who by this fortunate turn of affairs regained his liberty, did not live to fight more battles for the Post-Office. Worn out by hardships, he died a few months later. Shortly before his death he received from the Prince Regent of Portugal, who understood better than his own government how to acknowledge faithful and devoted public service, a gold medal of honour and the military Order of the Sword; but Whitehall had no distinctions for officers of the Packet Service.
The circumstances of the action next to be narrated are very singular.
On the 12th March the “Duke of Marlborough,” under the command of Captain John Bull in person, was off Cape Finisterre on her passage to Lisbon. At one o’clock in the afternoon a strange brig was seen from the masthead, laying-to with her head to the eastward. At three o’clock this vessel hoisted her mainsail and bore down on the “Marlborough,” which accordingly altered her course and made all sail to avoid an encounter. At the same time Captain Bull made the private signal, and kept it flying. The signal was not answered; and without further delay the crew of the “Marlborough” were called to quarters, the boarding nettings were got up, and stuffed with spare sails, hammocks, and mattresses; the topsail-sheets were stoppered; and a spare topsail yard was slung across the stern for a boarding boom. At four o’clock the brig hoisted a blue ensign, yawed, and fired two guns to leeward, and shortly afterwards hauled down the blue ensign, and hoisted another which Captain Bull and his officers believed to be American, but which they could not distinguish clearly. These details have an important bearing on the event.
To face p. [274].
PRIMROSE—MARLBOROUGH: COMMENCEMENT.
Thereupon, since an action appeared to be inevitable, the “Marlborough’s” private signal was hauled down, and her colours hoisted. It was then growing dark, and Captain Bull made the private night signal, consisting of two blue lights, one on each quarter. This signal also remained unanswered; and as he was in the act of making it. Captain Bull plainly saw in the gathering darkness a match put to a gun on the forecastle of the approaching vessel, which was then full in view right astern of the Packet.
By this time the round shot from the brig were going over the “Marlborough.” Captain Bull cut away his boat so as to free the stern guns, and fired each of them twice. He then hoisted a lantern at the mizzenpeak, and waited for the enemy to come up. The strange vessel soon came up abreast of the Packet and poured in her starboard broadside with round and grape-shot at half pistol shot distance. The “Duke of Marlborough” was not slow in replying; and the action was continued hotly for an hour and a quarter, when the enemy bore down and attempted to board the “Duke of Marlborough” on the starboard quarter. On coming up, however, his bow struck the boarding boom, which Captain Bull’s forethought had provided, and compelled him to sheer off. The Falmouth men improved this advantage by firing their two brass guns and several muskets right into their enemy; and, as the two vessels were almost grazing each other at the time, they doubtless did, as they supposed, great execution.