“If she goes about, sir,” said I, “she must get among the sands, and we shall be sure of her.”
“Sir,” replied he, “when I ask your advice, you will be pleased to give it. I command this vessel.”
I touched my hat, and turned the hands up about ship, convinced that the captain wished to avoid the action, as the only chance of escape for the brig was her keeping her wind in the tack she was on.
“’Bout ship—’bout ship!” cried the men. “What the hell are we going about for?” inquired they of one another, as they came up the ladder.
“Silence there, fore and aft!” cried I. “Captain Hawkins, I do not think we can get her round, unless we wear—the wind is very light.”
“Then wear ship, Mr Simple.”
There are times when grumbling and discontent among the seamen is so participated by the officer, although they do not show it, that the expressions made use of are passed unheeded. Such was the case at present. The officers looked at each other, and said nothing; but the men were unguarded in their expressions. The brig wore gradually round; and when the men were bracing up the yards, sharp on the other tack, instead of the “Hurrah!” and “Down with the mark,” they fell back with a groan.
“Brace up those yards in silence there,” said I to the men, which was all I could say.
The ropes were coiled down, and we piped to dinner. The captain, who continued on deck, could not fail to hear the discontented expressions which occasionally were made use of on the lower deck. He made no observation, but occasionally looked over the side, to see whether the brig went through the water. This she did slowly for about ten minutes, when it fell a perfect calm—so that, to use a common phrase, he gained little by his motion. About half-past one, a slight breeze from the opposite quarter sprung up—we turned round to it—it increased—the fog blew away, and, in a quarter of an hour, the chase was again visible, now upon our lee beam. The men gave three cheers.
“Silence there, fore and aft,” cried the captain angrily. “Mr Simple, is this the way that the ship’s company have been disciplined under their late commander, to halloo and bawl whenever they think proper?”