The Sufferings and Escape of Capt. Chas. H. Brown From an Awful Imprisonment by Chilian Convicts

by captain of the bark Florida Charles H. Brown

There were several of my crew in whom I could not put confidence, they being too frequently seen holding confidential conversations with Cambiaso’s followers; so that after some deliberation, I determined not to entrust our plans to any of the men, lest those whose fidelity we doubted should hear of them, and betray us to Cambiaso; but in the course of the morning I spoke to those whom I could trust, and asked them separately if they would stand by me in trouble, and obey my orders. They all answered that they were ready; and one of them, with an oath, added, “Till death, captain!” Captain Avalos we managed to speak to during the morning, and found him as ready as we were.

The day wore on anxiously enough for us, for we felt that the struggle that was approaching was a matter of life and death with us; one false step, and we were lost; one careless or treacherous word breathed by those whom we were compelled to trust, and we were at the mercy of those villains, whom no sense of humanity could restrain. The weather was fine, and the wind favorable; and, between eight and nine o’clock in the evening, we passed Cape Possession, leaving it to the north-west. I was on deck with the larboard watch, when Mr. Dunn told me that he had secured the assistance of twelve besides myself. These were some of the soldiers under captain Avalos; some prisoners who had come down with us, and who had proved themselves so friendly during our confinement at Sandy Bay; and one or two of Cambiaso’s own followers, who had expressed dissatisfaction at his tyranny, and to whom Mr. Dunn had held out the prospect of pardon, if we should succeed in our undertaking. Among them was my former guard, Preito, to whom I was indebted for the hymn book, which proved so great a source of consolation. We laid our plans most cautiously. Captain Avalos and his soldiers were to secure the officers in the cabin, while Mr. Dunn and myself were to guard the deck. To the corporal who had defended himself so bravely at the time the Florida was seized, and who refused to deliver up his gun except to my order, I gave the attack on Cambiaso himself; for during our whole imprisonment, he had manifested such a detestation of him that I really believed he would have eaten him up alive, if he could have got at him.

During the evening, Cambiaso and his officers sat around the table in the after cabin, engaged in their usual occupation of gambling; and every glance which I cast in upon them showed me their dark, fierce countenances, while the sound of their oaths and laughter struck my ear. Without, all was still and peaceful; the barque gliding swiftly through the water, with a free wind and a pleasant breeze. I watched the strange looking southern stars which looked down upon us from their quiet skies, with a strange impatience at their peaceful calmness.

By eleven, the gamblers began to rise from the table, and one by one retired to their state-rooms; and when the sound of eight bells proclaimed midnight, all was still and quiet around us. I sent the larboard watch below, telling them only that they must be prepared to come on deck if they heard me call. The starboard watch then came up, but I did not inform them of my plans then. The signal was to be three bells, or as a landsman would say, the striking of half-past one in the morning. The forward hatch was closed, and the guarding of the after hatch was to be given to Mr. Dunn and myself. Two bells told us that one o’clock had arrived, and all were at their posts,—captain Avalos and his men ready at the cabin door. Not a sound was to be heard save the ticking of the watch in the cabin, and the rustling of the water as it broke round the bows of the vessel. Both sounds struck on my ear with painful acuteness. At last, three bells rung out, and the rush was made in the cabin;—at the same moment I shouted, “All hands tumble up!” and in a moment my crew was around me. Mr. Dunn and myself were at the after hatch, and as the noise of the struggle reached the men between decks, we shouted that we were armed, and had the vessel, and that the first one who appeared at the gangway should be shot down.

The struggle in the cabin went on. Avalos had stationed his men so that each state-room door was broken in at the same moment, and some of the occupants were secured before they were well awake. Cambiaso struggled hard, but was at last overcome and bound with cords, for irons we had none. During the fifteen minutes that the struggle below lasted, we were in suspense on deck, not daring to leave our posts, but knowing that all depended on captain Avalos’s success. At last he appeared, with a shout; all were secured without the loss of a life—not even a drop of blood spilled. Then rose three times three cheers for our victory, which rung through the vessel, and announced our success to the prisoners below.

But our work was not over. Captain Avalos and his men collected all the pistols, cutlasses, guns, and so forth, which could be found, and carried them into the cabin, loading the muskets and pistols, while I called my men aft, and asked them if they would stand by me in defending the vessel and taking her into port. They promised with most eager anxiety; and Mr. Dunn and captain Avalos coming forward, added to their enthusiasm by pledging their lives to sustain me in holding the vessel, and putting themselves entirely under my orders.

I then hove the main-top-sail to the mast till our course was decided, and called a council as to our best course. Some of the party proposed returning to Sandy Bay, where we could defend ourselves in the barracks; others to push on for the coast of Brazil and make the first port there; but I told them we had not water enough to go very far, and suggested that we should make for the nearest watering place, the river Gallegos, lying in lat. 51° 39´ S.—lon. 69° W., on the east coast of Patagonia; there take in a fresh supply of water, and shape our course round Cape Horn for Valparaiso. To return to Sandy Bay seemed to me to put ourselves directly into the hands of the pirates who were behind us, and who could easily overpower us, and release their leaders and companions. If we attempted to reach the coast of Brazil, it seemed to me impossible that we should be able to hold the vessel during so long a voyage, as we had no irons to secure our prisoners, and no men to spare to guard them; whereas, the telling them that we were taking them to Valparaiso would probably satisfy all but the ringleaders.

My plan was adopted; and as we had a fair wind, I squared the yards and started at once for the river.

The whole forenoon of the 15th was spent in preparing irons for Cambiaso, Garcia, and others confined in the state-rooms. When they were finished, the corporal and some others entered Cambiaso’s state-room to put them on his hands and feet. He lay on his bed, bound hand and foot with cords, and as we entered and commenced putting on the irons, he said, “Are you going to shoot me? Let me have fifteen minutes to prepare.” They gave him no answer; but after securing him they left the state-room, and placed his enemy the corporal, with another soldier, well armed, at his door, with orders to shoot him at once if any disturbance should break out amongst the prisoners. We took care that he should hear our order, which captain Avalos repeated aloud in Spanish.

Cambiaso showed more cowardice than I expected in his fear of death; but even before us he seemed to keep his courage up by a sort of bravado.