The Corvette (38 page)

‘And Waller?' asked Sawyers, raising an eyebrow in admiration.

Drinkwater smiled grimly. ‘Ellerby may take the burden of treachery dead. Waller can expiate his greed if not his treason by serving the King along with the rest of the whale-men. It is better for
them to dance at the end of the bosun's starter rather than a noose. Besides, as Lord St Vincent was at pains to point out to me, loss of whale-men means loss of prime seamen. It seems a pity to deprive His Majesty of seamen to provide employment for the hangman.'

Sawyers laughed. ‘I do not think that it is expiation, Friend. It seems to be
immolation
.'

Drinkwater lingered a while after the Quaker had departed, giving him time to return to
Faithful
, then he reached for his hat and went on deck to give the order to weigh anchor.

Drinkwater stared astern. Gulls dipped in
Melusine
's wake and beside him the jury rudder creaked. As if veiling itself the coast of Greenland was disappearing in a low fog. Already Cape Jervis had vanished.

Far to the west, above the fog bank, disembodied by distance and elevation, the
nunataks
of the permanent ice-cap gleamed faintly, remote and undefiled by man.

Drinkwater turned from his contemplation and began to pace the deck. He thought of Meetuck who had disappeared for several days, terrified of the guns that rumbled and thundered over his head. He had reappeared at last, driven into the open by hunger and finally landed a hero among his own people. He remembered the thirty odd Melusines that would not return, Bourne among them. And the survivors; Mr Midshipman Frey, Gorton, Hill, Mount and James Quilhampton. And little Billie Cue about whose future he must write to Elizabeth.

He looked astern once more and thought of Singleton, ministering to the sick veterans of an atheist government who were corrupting the eskimos. Singleton would die attempting to alleviate their agonies and save their souls whilst proclaiming the existence of a God of universal love.

There was no sense in it. And yet what was it Singleton had said?

‘Mr Frey!'

‘Sir?'

‘Be so kind as to fetch me a Bible.'

‘A Bible, sir?'

‘Yes, Mr Frey. A Bible.'

Frey returned and handed Drinkwater a small, leatherbound Bible. Drinkwater opened it at St John's Gospel, Chapter Fifteen, verse thirteen. He read:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends
.

Then he remembered Singleton's muttered quotation as they had
stared at the French veterans: ‘
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
.'

‘It's all a question of philosophy, Mr Frey,' he said suddenly, looking up from the Bible and handing it back to the midshipman.

‘Is it, sir?' said the astonished Frey.

‘And the way you look at life.'

‘Square the yards, Mr Hill, and set t'gallants.'

Drinkwater watched the departing whalers beat up into the Humber, carried west by the inrush of the flood tide. He had at least the satisfaction of having obeyed his orders, collecting the other ships, the
Earl Percy, Provident, Truelove
and the rest, at the Shetland rendezvous. He had now completed their escort to the estuary of the River Humber and most of them were taking advantage of the favourable tide to carry them up the river against the prevailing wind. Only
Nimrod, Conqueror
and
Faithful
remained at anchor in Hawke Road while Sawyers shipped his prize crews on board to sail the remaining few miles to the mouth of the River Hull.

Amidships Drinkwater watched Mr Comely's rattan flick the backsides of reluctant whalemen into
Melusine
's rigging. Their rueful glances astern at their former ships tugged at Drinkwater's conscience. It had been a savage and cruel decision to press the crews of the
Nimrod
and
Conqueror
, but at least his action would appear to have the sanction of common practice and no-one would now hang for the treachery of Jemmett Ellerby. The irony of his situation did not escape him. A few months earlier he had given his word that no-one would be pressed from his convoy by a marauding cruiser captain intent on recruiting for the Royal Navy here off the Spurn. Now he had done the very thing he deplored. He did not think that waterfront gossip in Hull would examine his motives deeply enough to appreciate the rough justification of his action. But it was not local opinion that he was worried about.

He had collected all his scattered parties now, after the weary voyage home from Greenland. Aboard
Melusine
the watches had been reduced to the drudgery of regular pumping and Drinkwater himself had slept little, his senses tuned to the creaks and groans of the jury steering gear, every moment expecting it to fly to pieces under the strain. But it had held as far as Shetland where they had again
overhauled it as the rest of the whalers prepared to sail south, and it would hold, God-willing, until they reached the Nore.

They passed
Faithful
as they stood out of the anchorage. She was already getting under way and Drinkwater raised his hat in farewell to Sawyers on his poop. The Quaker stood to make a small fortune from the voyage now that the ‘salvage' of
Nimrod
and
Conqueror
could be added to his tally of profits on baleen, whale oil and furs. Drinkwater wished him well. He had given an undertaking to drop a few judicious words to any of the Hull ship-owners who sought to press the Government for reparation for the excessive zeal of a certain Captain Drinkwater in pressing their crews. Drinkwater was aware of the benefit of a precedent in the matter.

But there were other matters to worry Drinkwater. Sawyer's reassurances now seemed less certain as
Melusine
stood out to sea again. It was true Drinkwater had spent nearly two days in composing his confidential despatch to the Secretary of the Admiralty. In addition he had sent Mr Quilhampton to Hull on board the
Earl Percy
to catch the first London mail, a Mr Quilhampton who had been carefully briefed in case he was required to answer any question by any of their Lordships. Drinkwater doubted there would be trouble about the pressing of the whalemen. The Admiralty were not fussy about where they acquired their seamen. But what of Waller? Supposing Drinkwater's decision was misinterpreted? What of his leaving to their fate those pitiful French ‘
invalides
'? The Admiralty had not seen their condition. To the authorities they might appear more dangerous than Drinkwater knew them to be. As for Singleton, what had appeared on his part of an act of tragic courage, might now seem oddly fatuous. Drinkwater had carried a letter from Singleton to the secretary of his missionary society and had himself also written, but God alone knew what would become of the man.

‘She's clear of the Spit, sir.'

‘Very well, Mr Hill, a course for The Would, if you please.'

Drinkwater turned from contemplating the play of light upon the shipping anchored at the Nore. He had been thinking of the strange events of the voyage and the clanking of
Melusine
's pumps had reminded him of his old dream and the strange experience when he had been lost in the fog. He came out of his reverie when Mr Frey reported the approach of a boat from Sheerness. Instinctively Drinkwater knew it carried Quilhampton, returning from conveying Drinkwater's report to Whitehall. He sat down and settled a stern
self-control over the fluttering apprehension in his belly.

The expected knock came at the door. ‘Enter!'

Mr Quilhampton came in, producing a sealed packet from beneath his boat cloak.

‘Orders, sir,' he said with indecent cheerfulness. Drinkwater took the packet. To his horror his hand shook.

‘What sort of reception did you receive, Mr Q?' he asked, affecting indifference as he struggled with the wax seals.

‘They kept me kicking my heels all morning, sir. Then the First Lord sent for me, sir. Rum old devil, begging your pardon. He sat me down, as polite as ninepence, and asked a lot of questions about the action in Nagtoralik Bay, the force of the
Requin
, sir . . . I formed the impression he was judging the force opposed to us . . . then he got up, paced up and down and looked at the trees in the park and turned and dismissed me. Told me to wait in the hall. Kept me there two hours then a fellow called Templeton, one of the clerks, took me into the copy-room and handed me these,' he nodded at the papers which had suddenly fallen onto the table as Drinkwater succeeded in detaching the last seal.

‘It was rather odd, sir . . .'

‘What was?' Drinkwater looked up sharply.

‘This cove Templeton, sir. He said, well to the best of my recollection he said: “You've smoked the viper out, we knew about him in May when we intercepted papers en route to France, but you caught him red-handed”.' Quilhampton shrugged and went on. ‘Then he asked after Lieutenant Germaney and seemed rather upset that he'd gone over the standing part of the foresheet . . .'

But Drinkwater was no longer listening. He began to read, his eyes glancing superficially at first, seeking out the salient phrases that would spell ruin and disgrace.

The words danced before his eyes and he shuffled the papers, looking from one to another. Quilhampton watched, uncertain if he was dismissed or whether further intelligence would be required from him.

With the silent familiarity of the trusted servant Tregembo entered the cabin from the pantry. He held a filled decanter.

‘Cap'n's got some decent wine, at last, zur,' he said to Quilhampton conversationally. ‘Happen you've a thirst since coming from Lunnon, zur . . .'

Quilhampton looked from the Cornishman's badly scarred face to the preoccupied Drinkwater and made a negative gesture.

‘Give him a glass, Tregembo, and pour me one too . . .'

It was not unqualified approval. St Vincent considered Waller should have been handed over:

Bearing in mind the political repercussions upon the sea-faring community of Kingston-upon-Hull I reluctantly endorse your actions, acknowledging the extreme measures you were forced to adopt and certain that service in any of His Majesty's ships under your command will bring the man Waller to an acknowledgment of his true allegiance
 . . .

Drinkwater was aware of a veiled compliment. Perhaps Dungarth's hand was visible in that. But he was not sure, for the remainder of the letter was pure St Vincent:

It is not, and never has been, nor shall be, the business of the Royal Navy to make war upon sick men, and your anxieties upon that score should be allayed. The monstrous isolation which the Corsican tyrant has condemned loyal men to endure, only emphasises the nature of the wickedness against which we are opposed
 . . .

Drinkwater relaxed. He had been believed. He picked up the other papers somewhat absently, sipping the full glass Tregembo had set before him.

. . . 
I am commanded by Their Lordships to acquaint you of the fact that the condition of the sloop under your command being, for the present unfit for further service, you are directed to turn her over to the hands of the Dockyard Commissioner at Chatham and to transfer your ship's company entire into the frigate
Antigone
now fitting at that place
 . . .

‘Good Heavens, James. I am directed to turn the ship's company over to the
Antigone
! Our old prize from the Red Sea!'

‘ 'Tis a small world, sir. Does that mean
Melusine
is for a refit?'

Quilhampton's anxiety for his own future was implicit in the question. Drinkwater nodded. ‘I fear so, James.'

‘And yourself, sir . . .?'

‘Mmm?' Drinkwater picked up the final sheet and the colour left his face. ‘God bless my soul!'

‘What is it, sir?'

‘I am posted to command her. Directly into a thirty-six gun frigate, James!'

‘Posted, sir? Why my heartiest congratulations!'

Drinkwater looked at his commission as a Post-Captain. It was signed by St Vincent himself, a singular mark of the old man's favour.

‘About bloody time too, zur,' muttered Tregembo, refilling the glasses.

It is a fact that damage was inflicted upon the northern whale-fishery by French cruisers during the Napoleonic War. For details of the fishery itself, Scoresby Jnr has been my chief authority. There are significant differences between the hunting of the Greenland Right whale and the better known Sperm Whale fishery of the South Pacific. Chief among these was the practice of not reducing the blubber to oil as the comparative brevity of the voyage did not warrant it. Similarly I have used the noun ‘harpooner' in preference to the Americanism ‘harpooneer'. Although it was well-known that the whale breathed air, it was still extensively referred to as a ‘fish'. At this period the Right Whale was thought to have poor hearing but acute eye-sight. Although known to overset boats, Mysticetus was a comparatively docile animal, far less aggressive than the Sperm Whale.