[7]M‘Diarmid’s version of this important passage of Clapperton’s life is, that after he had by compulsion become a sailor on board a man-of-war, he wrote to Mr. Scott, banker in Annan, describing his situation and soliciting his interest; that Mr. Scott applied to General Dirom, and that the General applied to Sir Home Popham, while his lady applied to her cousin Captain Briggs of the Clorinde, and by the aid of these combined and powerful applications in his behalf, Clapperton was raised to the rank of a midshipman. This is the first time we ever heard that the youth was an object of interest to so many honourable individuals; but when they claim the merit of having been the means of promoting him to the rank of midshipman in the navy, they claim more than their due; because it can be proved by the date of documents still in the possession of a near relation of the traveller, that he was a midshipman long before he was known to Captain Briggs of the Clorinde.
[8]Since the above account of this transaction was printed, we have been informed on unquestionable authority that Clapperton, though without his own knowledge, was in reality indebted to his uncle for the first step of his promotion in the navy. The matter had been agreed upon between Colonel Clapperton and Sir Thomas Livingstone. The situation in which he had discovered his nephew, not only in the condition of a common sailor, but under the disguise of an assumed name, was not fitted to lead to great familiarity between them when they first met. But after the nephew had become a midshipman, and had resumed his own name, the uncle took him to the shop of a Scotsman in Gibraltar, and fitted him out with every thing requisite for his new situation, and recommended him to the patronage of his friend Sir Thomas Livingstone.
[9]To this the letters of his cousin, Mrs. General Dirom, in Clapperton’s favour, might in some degree contribute.
[10]The following anecdote is transcribed from M‘Diarmid:—
“At this period, and before the Asia had weighed anchor, an incident occurred which illustrates very strikingly his characteristic coolness and intrepidity. One evening, the alarm was given that the ship was on fire; the drums immediately beat to quarters, and the firemen were piped away to the gun-room, where an immense quantity of luggage had been temporarily deposited, and from whence were issuing huge and increasing volumes of smoke. The after-magazine, containing some hundred barrels of gun-powder, was immediately beneath, and the appearance of the combustion had become so alarming, that every man awaited his fate in silence, under an impression that the ship would speedily be blown to atoms. At this awful moment, which will recal to every mind Campbell’s striking description,
“As they drifted o’er their path,
There was silence deep as death;
And the boldest held his breath
For a time”—
my informant, Mr. Archibald Blacklock, one of the assistant surgeons of the Asia, left the deck, and on passing through the cock-pit, observed a midshipman in the larboard birth, sitting at a table, and very quietly smoking a cigar. The sight surprised him, and on discovering that the smoker was his friend Clapperton, he could not help marvelling at his seeming apathy. The other, however, was quite cool, and stated, ‘that he was only a supernumerary; that no particular station had been assigned to him; and that if the ship blew up, as seemed very likely, it was of little consequence where he was.’ But the seat of the fire was fortunately discovered, and the flames subdued with admirable order and presence of mind, which are never more apparent than in ships of war during moments of danger; and on the first of February, the Asia and Superb weighed their anchors and stood out to sea.”—Sketches from Nature, p. 330.