In Jane’s letters there are constant mentions of him.
“December 27.—I must write to Charles next week. You may guess in what extravagant terms of praise Earle Harwood speaks of him. He is looked up to by everybody in all America.”
“January 10.—Charles’s rug will be finished to-day, and sent to-morrow to Frank, to be consigned by him to Mr. Turner’s care; and I am going to send ‘Marmion’ out with it—very generous in me, I think.” “Marmion” was then just published. She was a great admirer of Scott, and doubtless felt the parting from his latest work, even when making a present of it to Charles. In another of her letters she writes:
“Walter Scott has no business to write novels, especially good ones. It is not fair. He has fame and profits enough as a poet, and ought not to be taking the bread out of other people’s mouths. I do not mean to like ‘Waverley’ if I can help it, but I fear I must.”
We hear one more small piece of news concerning Charles in a letter of Jane’s dated January 24, 1809: “I had the happiness yesterday of a letter from Charles, but I shall say as little about it as possible, because I know that excruciating Henry will have a letter likewise, to make all my intelligence valueless. It was written at Bermuda on the 7th and 10th of December. All were well. He had taken a small prize in his late cruise—a French schooner laden with sugar; but bad weather parted them, and she had not yet been heard of. His cruise ended December 1st. My September letter was the latest he had received.”
We have the sequel to this incident in a letter from Charles to Cassandra, dated from Bermuda on December 24, in which he says:
“I wrote to Jane about a fortnight ago acquainting her with my arrival at this place and of my having captured a little Frenchman, which, I am truly sorry to add, has never reached this port, and, unless she has run to the West Indies, I have lost her—and, what is a real misfortune, the lives of twelve of my people, two of them mids. I confess I have but little hopes of ever hearing of her again. The weather has been so very severe since we captured her. I wish you a merry and happy Xmas, in which Fan joins me, as well as in bespeaking the love of her dear Grandmother and Aunts for our little Cassandra. The October and November mails have not yet reached us, so that I know nothing of you of late. I hope you have been more fortunate in hearing of me. I expect to sail on Tuesday with a small convoy for the island of St. Domingo, and, after seeing them in safety, open sealed orders, which I conclude will direct me to cruise as long as my provisions, &c., will allow, which is generally a couple of months. My companion, the Vesta, is to be with me again, which I like very much. I don’t know of any opportunity of sending this, but shall leave it to take its chance. Tom Fowler is very well, and is growing quite manly. I am interrupted, so conclude this by assuring you how truly I am
“Your affectionate friend
and attached brother,
“Charles Jno. Austen.”
Charles stayed only five months in the Swiftsure. In September 1810 he took command of the Cleopatra, and brought her home in the following April, after an absence of six and a half years.
