In the meantime the “Astarte,” conned by the skipper in person, with old Martin, the master, at the wheel, was put dead away before the wind until she had run in to within some five hundred yards of the beach and had barely eight feet of water between her keel and the bottom. The helm was then put gently over to port, and she swept round in a long graceful curve, during which the whole of her canvas was very smartly hauled down and clewed up, finally coming up head to wind, and gradually losing way, she ranged alongside her antagonist—the distance having been most accurately measured by the skipper—and the grapplings were instantly thrown and secured.
The “Artemise” reserved her fire until we were fairly alongside, when she delivered her entire broadside, the tremendous concussion of which caused the two frigates to sway heavily away from each other until the strength of the grapplings and lashings was taxed to its fullest extent. The marines on her poop, at the same moment, opened upon us a heavy and galling musketry-fire; but by neither did we suffer much loss, for our main-deck ports were closed, the guns being run in, and the entire crew upon the upper-deck crouching behind the lofty bulwarks. The moment that the first volley of musketry had rung out, away went both parties of boarders, fore and aft, making a way for themselves somehow, in spite of the nettings, and driving the Frenchmen from both ends of the ship into her waist, where they were so huddled and crowded together that very few of them were able to use their weapons to any advantage. They fought well for the first two or three minutes; but when they found that the shore battery remained silent, they became confused and disheartened, as I easily gathered from their ejaculations and exclamations, and at length, after a really stubborn resistance of some ten minutes’ duration, they threw down their arms and surrendered.
The prisoners were at once sent below and the hatches clapped on over them, after which immediate steps were taken to remove the two ships from their somewhat perilous position, which was that of embayment upon a lee shore.
A strong prize crew was placed on board the “Artemise,” leaving only just sufficient hands on board the “Astarte” to work her sails, and then the latter set her canvas, cast off her fasts and grapplings, and canted to the southward. So close to the shore had the French frigate been moored, and so completely within the shelter of the bight, that there was very little room for manoeuvring, and the “Astarte,” short-handed as she was, narrowly escaped leaving bones to bleach on the rocky point. She managed, however, to scrape clear by the skin of her teeth, and once fairly outside and clear of danger she went about and hove-to on the starboard tack, to wait for her prize.
The “Artemise” had been placed in charge of Mr Flinn, who had selected me for his first and Smellie for his second lieutenant; Mr Woods acting as first on board the “Astarte.” Mr Vining, the third lieutenant, and Carter, were, it will be remembered, both absent in the prizes we had taken at the Roccas.
As soon as we saw that our own noble frigate was safe, Paddy—who never liked to lose anything—gave the order to pass the messenger and get the anchor, instead of cutting the cable. The ship was riding by her best bower, and I was rather doubtful whether we should manage the job. The men, however, walked her manfully up to her anchor, until the cable was straight up and down, when they left the capstan-bars and flew aloft to loose the canvas, being as fully aware as their officers of the critical position of the ship, and of her liability to drive ashore unless the work were smartly executed, they achieved their task in an incredibly short time, and by almost superhuman exertions on their part the sails were set almost as quickly as though we had been fully manned.
“Well done, lads!” shouted Paddy encouragingly. “Now man the capstan-bars once more, break the anchor out at once, and run it straight up to the bows! If you cannot get it smartly all your labour will be lost by the ship driving ashore. Play up, piper, and walk away cheerily, men!”
The piper struck up some lively air—I forget what,—the seamen threw their whole weight upon the long capstan-bars, the cable strained and surged, the capstan jerked slowly round, pawl by pawl, and at length, as a heavier swell than usual rolled into the bay, there was a sudden and violent jerk, the capstan yielded somewhat unexpectedly to the violent exertions of the men, rolling two or three of them over on their noses, away went the rest at a run, laughing heartily at their comrades’ discomfiture, and the great anchor drew reluctantly out of the ground.
I was on the topgallant forecastle all the time, superintending the operations there, and as soon as I saw the cable swinging with the heave of the ship, “Anchor’s aweigh, sir!” I sang out.
“Thank you, Mr Chester. Now put your helm hard-a-port, my man; over with it smartly. She has stern-way upon her and is driving in toward the shore. Now she pays off. Trim aft your lee headsheets, forward there. Man the lee forebraces. Now swing your fore-yard, board the fore and main-tacks, and haul aft the sheets. Any news of the anchor yet, Mr Chester?”