Every Man Will Do His Duty (19 page)

Shortly after, on a Sunday morning [19 August
1798], Mad Dickey ment to give us some amusement. At 8 o’clock he made the signal to go to breckfast, at 9 o’clock to go to prayers, and a little before noon, the signal was made to go to dinner. About one o’clock he hoisted a flag for action and our signal to lead the van, and we went ahead.

There was 2 frigates, our schooner, and a bum ship, but the other frigate did not come in, as he thought it was not proper to have his men killed and of no service. However we obey’d the signal and the commedore followed us, the bum laid off, and along the beach, from the town to the large battery, laid 47 gunboats in a range, between us and the fort, and raked them every broadside, and what shot went over the gunboats would go into the fort. The frigate could not come in so far as we ware, and finding our heavey mettal so warm, that they nearly neglected the frigate to fire at us till the water apeared like hail around us with grape and canister, one thirty two pound shot struck the muzel of one of our 24 pounders and disabled the gun and kiled and wounded five men, and the capt[ain] wounded in the thy.

We engage’d two hours and fifteen minutes when Mad Dickey made a signal to put about and stand out, and as soon as we ceased firing, the French quit likewise, though we ware still under their guns. I beleive they liked our room better than our company, though we never fired a shot into the town, as we new there ware none but wimen and children. The men of the town and the seamen ware all in the batiries and gunboats. The frigate received no damage excepting hur riging, the bum ship laying at so great a distance that she received no damage, though she could heave hur shells into the fort.

As soon as we ware from under the enemies guns, the com[modore] sent his docktor on board to assist in dressing the wounded. Our masts being wounded, we had to fish them. The next day we ware ordered to Spithead for repair. We ariving [21 August 1798], run into harbour and our schooner went into dock and the capt[ain] and wounded went to the hospittle.
²

In about a month we are ready for see with new masts, and Capt[ain] Bond came on b[oar]d from the hospittle. We sailed again [18 September1798] for Haver de Grass and remained on that station for two months. During this time we had some French men going backwards and forwards as spies, and we would land them in the night and when they wanted to return they would make a few small fiers according to the signals they would agree on and then send a boat for them when they had the information they required and then send them to England, but the French having some information, a cutter that was with us landing one of them in the night, and the French laying wait took the boats crew as well as the spy, but the spy they hung on the first tree, but the crew and officer ware made prisoners of.

During this station, in the winter was very severe, we came a cross a decked boat which pretended to be a fishing boat, as we did not mislist [molest] them, but overhalling hur we found both men and arms and brought hur with us to Spithead. Laying there awhile and being ready for sea, we receiv’d orders to take a convoy to Porto Port in Portangal [Portugal] and afterwards to remain on that station till further orders from Cape Finister, to the lattitude of Lisbon.

After getting the convoy safe into Porto Port we cruised for one month, chased and spoke a great number of vessels, but all proving to be neutral vessels or English. At length on the 1st day of May, early in the morning, I kept the capt[ain’s] watch. The capt[ain] came on deck, and we fell into discourse. I inform’d him it was surprising to me that we should cruise on that coast so long without falling in with privateers or vessels taken by them. When cruising in the
Blanch
Frigate we fell in with a great many, but always being off the land so far in the frigate, they would fetch into the small harbours before we could come up with them. While discoursing, the man at mast head cried out, “Sail ho.”

The capt[ain] made answer, “Where abouts?”

“Right to windward.” Turn’d the hands up and made sail as close as she would lay In a short time we ware a longside the brig off of Mount Vigo on the point of the see shore and the entrance of the River Commencia [Miño], which devides Spain and Portangal [Portugal]. She proved to be an English brig [
Black Eyed Susan
] taken by a French privateer.

While putting men on b[oar]d we saw a schooner [
L’Egyptienne
] coming down upon us with all sail set [1 May 1799]. We being riged like a Dutch galyot, deceived them. This was the privateer that took the brig, but when she got so near as to purceive our guns, she hall’d hur wind, but it was of no use, for we could lay closer to the wind than any vessel I ever saw. She then up hellem and clap’d hur before the wind. We ware then alongside in 15 minutes. They stood to there quarters till we gave them 3 or 4 of our 24 pounders. They all run below, leaving the French capt[ain] to hall the colours down.

While getting the prisoners on board we saw a Dutch galyott [
Wohlfort
] to windward, and understanding by the Dutchmen that they ware taken by the privateer, we sent the schooner in chase and took hur. I went on b[oar]d the brig with 5 men and we took them all into Porto Port.

In a few days we put to see again and run off Vigo where the French and Spanish privateers generally made there randevoes. Sometimes we would come to an anchor in side of one of the islands in sight of the privateers laying and looking at us and water our vessel and wash our clothes and dry them. There lay at one time a French 24 gun ship and 14 small privateers. We got underway and run in within gun shot and they would not come out to atackt us.

One day we observed a schooner coming a long shore towards the battery, abrest of the town, and we run hur a shore, and got our boat out and got hur off, but finding nothing in hur excepting ballast as we supposed, we tared hur decks and set hur on fire in several places. The boat had not reached the schooner before she blew up, having a number of barrals of powder under the ballast for the fort that we are then laying within gun shot of.

We saw a nother small privateer laying inside of the fort, a front of the town. We maned our boats and sent them on board. The fort opened upon us, and we on them, but our 24 being much heavyer than there mettle, and what went over the fort tore the town down, therefore they stoped firing at us. We then ceased firing but brought the privateer out and took hur with us into Porto Port.

There was such a number of privateers on the coast that we ware falling in with some almost every day. In one day we took a leven priveteers and retaken vessels. In that number was three Portegee Brazeal ships, and a Spanish privateer of 16 guns came down to sea what we ware, and we took hur, but having no men to put on board of hur, we had to let hur go. We had then but 17 men on board with the marines. We runing down amongst the fleet, she made sail again and went off, we having at the same time 132 prisoners on board, but they had no way to come on deck, excepting by one scuttle and only one could come up at a time, and a brass 4 pounder pointing down the scuttle loaded with musket balls, and a sentry with match pistols and cutlash, every man being armed with pistols below or aloft.

At length Capt[ain] Bond agreed with the French capt[ai]ns to make a carteel of one of the vessels that was in ballast to take them into Vigo on conditions to purmit hur to return to Portoport, which they did with honour. In getting our prises into Lisbon, the master, being in one of the Brazel ships, got inside the Burlins and was lost, but the men were saved.

Coming out again we took a lugger [
L’Esperance
] of 8 guns, 4 swivels, and a long brass 9 pounder off of Vigo [22 December 1798]. I was sent on board to take hur into Porto Port, but while with the
Netley,
a fleet hove in sight to the sotherd. We stood for them, but a heavy frigate stood out from among them and gave us chace. I prepared my large lugs to keep hur before the wind upon one mast so that hur sails would not all be of any use to hur, but the
Netley
being to windward, the frigate luffed up for hur and the frigate being a French bilt ship made us jubus [dubious], but Capt[ain] Bond kept his wind till they gave him a gun, and the
Netley
returned the salute, then hoisting his colours, bore down upon him and ran under his quarter. She proved to be the
Manerva
which had been taken from the French.

I made sail and stood in for Porto, where this convoy was bound to. The frigate spoke me and inform’d me I must take charge of the convoy, which was a bout 40 sail. I inform’d him I had but 5 men onboard. He told me if acasion required to take a seaman out of each ship. Likewise he gave the pilot orders not to take me in till the convoy was all safe over the bar, and then the frigate left us.

The
Netley
was then gone on a cruise. The winds being unfavourable, we lay off and on, day after day. In about a week we saw a lugger standing in for the convoy from the sotherd. I aplyed to the capt[ain] of the convoy for men to go and engage the luger, but there was not a man that would turn out. Therefore I stood out of the convoy and maid sail for the luger, but when they saw me, they up hallom afore the wind. Then I hall’d to the wind for the convoy. In about 10 days they all got in except our selves.

On Chrismas Eve, coming on to blow from the N. West, I stood off the land. In the night, laying too under the mizen lug, I fell in with a schoner. Laying two, hailing hur, I found she was from Lisbon bound to Viana with codfish. They took us to be an enemy by our lug sails and a privateer, but when they found we ware English and belong’d to the
Netley,
or “trees kealus” as the Portegees call’d her, [knowing we ware guarding there coast from the privateers, they ware rejoiced, and the capt[ain] told me if I would lay two by him, he would pilot me into Viana in the morning if I would follow him, which I agreed to.

About three
A.M.,
blowing heavy, our mizen lug went overboard, mast and all. We got it on b[oar]d and lay two under a close reef mainsail, we being well to windward of the harbour. At daylight the schooner bore up and I followed him. We entered through the chanal and was in side the reef, standing a long shore with a leading wind, but before we reached the mouth of the harbour, the wind choped round to the N.W. and headed us, and the heavy surf roling over the reef, and not having room to ware, there
was no way to escape but to plump them on shore. The schooner [
L’Esperance
]run on the beach amediately and I up helem and run under hur lee, it blowing, raining, thundered, and lightened a most tremendious that day and all that night. The English Counsel, Mr. Allen, came with a gard of soldiers to protect the vessels from being plundered. We pitched tents with our sails and got the guns out and provisions that was not damaged and even the masts we got out of hur, but the schooner was totally lost and went to pieces before morning, and all hur cargo was drifted away and no more to be seen of hur.

When the Counsal had sold what was saved out of the luger it was allowed that there was not one hundred Lbs. lost by the lugger, and by the report of the Counsel to the capt[ain] I receiv’d great praise for my conduct when ariving in Porto Port from the Counsel and likewise from my commander when the
Netley
arived off the barr.

Mr. Allen, Vice Counsel, paid every attention both to me and my crew. He had a country seat on the subbords of the town, that we lived in and some more that had been taken in prises and caried into Vigo in Spain and was purmited to travel to Viana by land, and the Counsel put them under my command, being supperior with the rest of the prize masters.
³
While under the Counsels charge, I got aquainted with a genteel family within a few dores of us, and it was his wish that I would come and make his house and family as I would my own. They wished me to sleep in their house. At every evening, if I would not be there, I was sent for unless I was with the Counsel. I could not at that time understand any Portegees, excepting by our motions and behaviour, but I, upon that coast, had the privilage from Capt[ain] Bond to chuse one or two men that I was well assured I could depend on. Therefore I had one, and he understood the Portegee languige perfectly This gentleman was well a quainted with the Counsel, where we had been several times before in respect of my duty.

This gental[ma]n had two sons, but the eldest was a young officer in the army, about 17 years of age, and bold in his temper. His mother was a lovely woman and of the most kind and arable wimen I ever was in company with, even before hur husband, but he was one of the most kindest, free hearted men I ever met, for the most part of the Portegees dont purmit their wives and daughter to be amongst stranger, unless it is some particular friend that they may introduce you to their family But this I must say upon oath, though I was not aware of any mistrust or any temptation
whatever, but that lovely woman gave way to hur own inclinations and was determended to be folse to a true and loving husband, which I loved and respected while I ever new him. Even hur sun, that had no suspicion, if he and me walked out after night, she would give him the greates caution that I should not be hurt by the soldiers taking there rounds in the night, though I caried my side arms and pocket pistols as well as they did, but no sooner than he gave the contersigne they would walk off and leave us.
⁴

One day hur sun invited me and my linkister [interpreter] to ride out into the country upon an excurcion. We stop’d at a wine house and took a little refresment. In our return, about two miles from town, he took a small whissel out of his pocket and begin to blow it. I understood before that it was a signal. I begin to be a little doubtful of him, and seeing two men on horse back came riding out a wood towards us, I put myself in a posicion of defence and my comrod likewise. The young officer burst out a laughing and when these men came up he told my linkister they ware friends and I need not be under any apprihension while we ware together. In entering the town we stoped at a very genteel house and introduced me to a hansome young woman and told me that was to be his intended bride. They treated us to some good wine. We then returned home.