The Dutch (25 page)

In the brief battle, six of Jon's men had been killed and five wounded. Thirty dead corsairs littered the stern section of the main deck. A few of the injured Muslims, who survived the failed attack, were hacked to death by the enraged Jachtschip's survivors. Those dead Moors were thrown into the sea in clear view of the great ship on the horizon. Jon had killed two moors with his own sword and was infuriated over his causalities. He was overcome with rage, screaming the Jachtschip was now hunting bigger game. Jon ordered a course directly toward the large ship and roared at Gustoff to get his men back to their cannons. He ordered the cannons reloaded with ten pound balls. Gustoff went from one starboard cannon to the next, removing the wooden blocks and re-adjusting its aim. He planned to patiently await a friendly roll of the sea, allowing his next broadside to hit around the waterline, hopefully sending the giant ship to the bottom of the sea with one volley.

The Muslim Admiral had watched the ongoing events. He was a brave but prudent commander. He knew his giant but fragile craft would have little chance to survive an encounter with this demon Christian ship from Hell. He had watched in disbelief when two of his best galliots, manned by competent captains and brave crews were destroyed. His lookouts confirmed that he could expect no help from his fleet. The Admiral knew if anything happen to the Pasha's daughter, he was, at best, a dead man. He quickly ordered his flag lowered and launched his own captain in a small boat toward the approaching ship. The captain who spoke fluent Spanish was told to request a parley.

On the Jachtschip, someone yelled “They are lowering their flag.”

“Gustoff, prepare to fire!” Jon commanded.

The ship's master objected, “Wait captain, that is an extraordinary ship, certainly not a warship, it seems to be surrendering.” An angry Jon ignored his master.

He yelled, “Gustoff, on my command!”

It was at this point the Dutch diplomat intervened. He heard the Moroccan captain yelling in Spanish, don't fire, this is a wedding ship, the Almighty Ones daughter is aboard the ship. The diplomat was a man who never meddled in shipboard decisions, but this time, he placed his hand on Jon's shoulder and whispered in his ear. “Young Lord, do you really want to kill a bride?” Reluctantly, Jon gave a signal to begin slowing his ship. All heard the elegantly dressed Moroccan captain in the little boat begging for a parley. He kept promising a huge reward for sparing the Pasha's daughter. Jon scanned the giant vessel for gun ports or hidden cannons but saw none. Keeping the crew at their battle stations, he begrudgingly allowed the diplomat and the ship's master to begin negotiations. The two ships drifted next to each other while Jon kept his crew alert, for he knew the Moors could be treacherous adversaries. In Venice, he heard about the Siege of Famagusta on Cyprus, where the Ottomans offered generous terms of surrender to the last unconquered Venetian fortress only to have the commanding general, Marcantonio Bragadin, flayed alive after he handed over the city. There was no treachery that day, only diplomacy by the shrewd diplomat looking to benefit trade, and a Moroccan Admiral looking to avoid a worse fate than Bragadin for failing to protect his Pasha's daughter from harm. The Jachtschip received five chests of gold, silver and precious stones, part of the girl's dowry. The Beylerbey Uluj Ali would have to be content with a live and chaste bride and a somewhat depleted dowry when the ship reached Algiers. The contents of the treasure chests would be divided among the officers and crew of
Abraham's Youngest Son;
making even the lowest seamen on board financially independent, if they completed the voyage safely and reached the Netherlands alive.

But the greatest riches were not within those chests. The Moroccan admiral also offered the right of safe passage for Dutch ships through the Strait of Gibraltar as part of the ransom. By sparing the life and honor of the Moorish Princess, the Dutch became the first Christian nation to re-establish relations with the Moroccans, giving their country a toehold on the Barbary Coast. This agreement with the Moors, and the treaty with Venice, would give the Dutch traders an enormous advantage over other European maritime nations and accelerate the re-establishment of profitable Mediterranean trade. It would be seen as a dream come true to the maritime communities in Holland and Zeeland.

The Admiral also agreed to re-supply the Jachtschip with fresh food and water for their journey. As the last of these stores were transferred, sails from the Admiral's returning fleet was spotted on the horizon. It was the Islamic admiral himself, an honorable man, who suggested they make haste as his captains would be difficult to control when they learned the fate of the two galliots. It was much later, after the last Dutch body was gently placed in the sea, that the survivors on
Abraham's Youngest Son
quietly celebrated their deliverance and good fortune. Two days later the ship discovered it had an unusual stowaway. A young black boy, about twelve, wearing the traditional ankle iron of a slave, was found hiding in the powder magazine. He spoke an African dialect that no one comprehended and had made his escape while the Moors were transferring food stores. A few crew members thought him a saboteur, for he was found hiding in the powder magazine. They wanted him thrown into the ocean. Gustoff interceded and the young stowaway was allowed to remain on board. The choice of his hiding place and the support Gustoff gave the boy made the crew think Gustoff knew more than he admitted. It seems someone had taught the boy two Dutch words, “No Islam,” and Gustoff knew the boy's name was Kahili.

Jon was noticeably subdued after the battle; he treasured the lives of his fallen crew member. He still felt he should have sent the gigantic ship to the bottom of the sea. Even Gustoff's best effort failed to lift his depression. Since entering the choppy Atlantic waters, his usual mild and pleasant disposition deteriorated as the rougher Atlantic Ocean created new problems for the overtaxed rudder. The situation forced Jon to sail closer and closer to the dangerous coast. Too often, steering problems and strong winds drove them within sight of the Portuguese, Spanish, and finally French coastlines. Jon felt fate was inviting a confrontation with enemy privateers or warships. Oddly, none appeared, in fact, there was a total lack of enemy shipping that seemed miraculous. The lookouts failed to spot even a single grain ship from Holland or Zeeland that, despite the war, had been granted safe passage to Portugal to exchange grain for salt. Something unusual was hindering the trade for those Dutch ships had perpetually sailed these waters in times of both peace and war. In fact, the only ships they saw were fishing vessels. Their luck held until they neared the final turn into the English Channel. Just off the coast of France, near Breast, three privateers attempted to angle out from the coast to intercept them. The wind conditions favored the privateers but Jon out-maneuvered all three potential adversaries. Soon they would discover the reason no cargo or warships were encountered along the coastlines. All the missing ships were part of a mighty Spanish fleet supplying the enemy's final assault on Antwerp, the largest city in the Netherlands. When they sailed passed the empty French Port of Calais, they discovered part of that enormous fleet returning to France. It would be the last obstacle to their safe return.

The Spanish Admiral in charge of that fleet was fixated on his cargo vessels maintaining a tight formation. He had only four escort galleons; too few for the task of shepherding thirty cargo vessels through the perilous waters of the English Channel. This was particularly true now that England had entered the war. The English had real warships, much more formidable than the converted merchant ships the Dutch sailed against them. With those ships, the Dutch Sea Beggar fleet proved to be a fierce adversary. To make matters worse, the fools who requested the supplies delivered to the Port of Ostend had forgotten that empty cargo ships required ballast for the return journey. The lack of ballast was making this trip a nightmare. Many of the now empty merchant vessels bobbed uncontrollably in the choppy seas. Too many of the ships were captained by officers recently arrived from the calmer waters of the Mediterranean. It was all part of a massive naval buildup by King Philip to eventually invade England. Some captains had not yet learned to deal with the challenges of sailing in the more turbulent Atlantic Ocean. Others were just fools who couldn't follow the simple instructions required to maintain order in a convoy.

That morning, the Admiral watched helplessly as two Dutch privateers captured the trailing two ships of his convoy because their captains had failed to keep pace with the formation. These isolated attacks by Sea Beggars were a nuisance when compared to the new English naval threat. Queen Elizabeth had landed a small army in Holland and English pirates like Drake and Morgan were leading whole squadrons that menaced Spanish shipping. These pirates had begun to blazingly attack French and Spanish home ports. The sighting of a single sail on the horizon was less upsetting for that morning's incident had taught his convoy the need for a very tight formation, and all ships were adhering to his rules.

With contrary winds restricting the Jachtschip's progress and both helmsmen engaged in fanatic repair upon the rudder, Jon knew
Abraham's Youngest Son
was more vulnerable than at any time during the journey.

The lookout's warning, “Sails ahoy!” meant the situation was getting more dangerous by the minute. It grew worse when the lookout personally reported with gloomy confidence to the captain, “It looks like the whole Spanish navy is sailing directly for us.”

As Jon searched for a solution, he remembered a masquerade party in Venice. Maria had convinced Gustoff to attend the affair in the costume of a Spanish admiral. Many guests thought the costumed Gustoff was actually part of the Spanish diplomatic delegation.

Recalling the event, Jon ordered his seamen to hurriedly dress in white pants and shirts and mill about conspicuously on the main deck. His contingent of soldiers was adorned in their now nearly yellow uniform shirts, which were an off-white color when the trip began. Highlighted by their armor, they looked like yellow clad Spanish soldiers from a distance. Especially after most soldiers hid their light colored hair under their helmets. He hoped he had successfully disguised his crew as Italian sailors and a small detachment of Spanish soldiers. As part of the masquerade, he himself donned a bright red silk shirt and a large straw hat, gifts purchased for his uncle. It was the type of shirts and headgear favored by captains in the Mediterranean theater. Gustoff suggested the young black stowaway be placed conspicuously near Jon on the quarterdeck. To complete the charade, he had a gift from his father-in-law, a captured flag of Genoa, raised to the fore topmast. He ordered the gun ports to remain closed. In a move of sheer audacity, he lowered his three main sails, using what little steering remained, to place his ship between the shore and the oncoming Spanish fleet. He hoped the enemy surmised that no enemy ship would allow themselves so little room to maneuver.

As the Spanish Admiral's galleon closed the distance with the unidentified ship, the Admiral at first thought it might be English, but it was too small and no sane pirate captain would allow his ship to be boxed between his fleet and the shoreline. He knew newly arriving naval reinforcements came from calmer waters. Those ships liked to hug the shore in the rougher Atlantic. It seemed that was what the unidentified little ship was doing. As a precaution, he ordered the recognition flag raised and waited for a reply. Jon was unable to reply in kind, so did the next best thing. He ordered a second gift from the Venetian admiral, a Spanish flag, raised to the topmast. He ordered his soldiers and sailors to attention and had them salute the flag and the approaching flagship. The Spanish admiral knew the king was gathering naval forces throughout the Empire and reasoned this little ship must be a new arrival. He noted a black servant boy on the quarterdeck, a common sight among ships involved in the African trade. Not wanting to delay his arrival at Calais, he accepted the flag as a proper identification and sailed his fleet pass the Jachtschip. Jon knew he had won his gamble when members of the crew of the Spanish flagship returned his salutes. When all but three cargo vessels remained, he sprang into action. Two were lumbering Caravans, in some distress because of the lack of ballast. The last was a Boyer, probably built in the Netherlands. He had the sails raised and the starboard gun ports opened. When the helmsman confirmed steering, he decided to attack them. He ordered Gustoff to fire at the first of the three ships.

Gustoff had let loose with a broadside perfectly in tune with the choppy rolling sea, allowing the cannon balls to strike below the waterline. The Caravan, lacking ballast, actually moved a few feet further away when struck by the balls. The crew of
Abraham's Youngest Son
cheered the impact. Jon paid the ship no further attention for he knew it was severely damaged. As the wind began filling the Jachtschip sails, he yelled “Reload Gustoff! Reload.” and steered his Jachtschip to within a few yards of the next lumbering vessel. That captain was too surprised to even alter his ship's course. Gustoff fired another starboard broadside with the same devastating result, only more destructive. The Jachtschip was so close to this enemy ship that fragments of the balls actually set afire the clothes of the enemy's crew. Seeing all this, the last ship, the Boyer, had a captain wise enough to strike his colors. Jon placed a small boarding party on the Boyer's deck, allowing the French crew to escape in their launch. The Jachtschip lingered lazily near the prize when no galleon came about. Jon was confident that none of the warships could catch his ship or the boyar; he brazenly delayed his departure so food and wine could be transferred before both ships made for the open sea. There was no pursuit. The Jachtschip toasted the victory with a cask of brandy “requisitioned” from the Boyer's captain's cabin.