Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History

Book

Open Original Text

hip said, as the two fleets were (in
forty minutes from the first sight) within hail of each other, that
they were English men of war; and some of our people even began to
name some of the ships. By this time both fleets began to mingle, and
our admiral ordered his flag to be hoisted. At that instant the other
fleet, which were French, hoisted their ensigns, and gave us a
broadside as they passed by. Nothing could create greater surprise and
confusion among us than this: the wind was high, the sea rough, and we
had our lower and middle deck guns housed in, so that not a single gun
on board was ready to be fired at any of the French ships. However,
the Royal William and the Somerset being our sternmost ships, became a
little prepared, and each gave the French ships a broadside as they
passed by. I afterwards heard this was a French squadron, commanded by
Mons. Conflans; and certainly had the Frenchmen known our condition,
and had a mind to fight us, they might have done us great mischief.
But we were not long before we were prepared for an engagement.
Immediately many things were tossed overboard; the ships were made
ready for fighting as soon as possible; and about ten at night we had
bent a new main sail, the old one being split. Being now in readiness
for fighting, we wore ship, and stood after the French fleet, who
were one or two ships in number more than we. However we gave them
chase, and continued pursuing them all night; and at daylight we saw
six of them, all large ships of the line, and an English East
Indiaman, a prize they had taken. We chased them all day till between
three and four o'clock in the evening, when we came up with, and
passed within a musquet shot of, one seventy-four gun ship, and the
Indiaman also, who now hoisted her colours, but immediately hauled
them down again. On this we made a signal for the other ships to take
possession of her; and, supposing the man of war would likewise
strike, we cheered, but she did not; though if we had fired into her,
from being so near, we must have taken her. To my utter surprise the
Somerset, who was the next ship astern of the Namur, made way
likewise; and, thinking they were sure of this French ship, they
cheered in the same manner, but still continued to follow us. The
French Commodore was about a gun-shot ahead of all, running from us
with all speed; and about four o'clock he carried his foretopmast
overboard. This caused another loud cheer with us; and a little after
the topmast came close by us; but, to our great surprise, instead of
coming up with her, we found she went as fast as ever, if not faster.
The sea grew now much smoother; and the wind lulling, the seventy-four
gun ship we had passed came again by us in the very same direction,
and so near, that we heard her people talk as she went by; yet not a
shot was fired on either side; and about five or six o'clock, just as
it grew dark, she joined her commodore. We chased all night; but the
next day they were out of sight, so that we saw no more of them; and
we only had the old Indiaman (called Carnarvon I think) for our
trouble. After this we stood in for the channel, and soon made the
land; and, about the close of the year 1758-9, we got safe to St.
Helen's. Here the Namur ran aground; and also another large ship
astern of us; but, by starting our water, and tossing many things
overboard to lighten her, we got the ships off without any damage. We
stayed for a short time at Spithead, and then went into Portsmouth
harbour to refit; from whence the admiral went to London; and my
master and I soon followed, with a press-gang, as we wanted some hands
to complete our complement.

CHAP. IV.

 _The author is baptized--Narrowly escapes drowning--Goes on
 an expedition to the Mediterranean--Incidents he met with
 there--Is witness to an engagement between some English and
 French ships--A particular account of the celebrated
 engagement between Admiral Boscawen and Mons. Le Clue, off
 Cape Logas, in August 1759--Dreadful explosion of a French
 ship--The author sails for England--His master appointed to
 the command of a fire-ship--Meets a negro boy, from whom he
 experiences much benevolence--Prepares for an expedition
 against Belle-Isle--A remarkable story of a disaster which
 befel his ship--Arrives at Belle-Isle--Operations of the
 landing and siege--The author's danger and distress, with
 his manner of extricating himself--- Surrender of
 Belle-Isle--Transactions afterwards on the coast of
 France--Remarkable instance of kidnapping--The author
 returns to England--Hears a talk of peace, and expects his
 freedom--His ship sails for Deptford to be paid off, and
 when he arrives there he is suddenly seized by his master
 and carried forcibly on board a West India ship and sold._

It was now between two and three years since I first came to England,
a great part of which I had spent at sea; so that I became inured to
that service, and began to consider myself as happily situated; for my
master treated me always extremely well; and my attachment and
gratitude to him were very great. From the various scenes I had beheld
on shipboard, I soon grew a stranger to terror of every kind, and was,
in that respect at least, almost an Englishman. I have often reflected
with surprise that I never felt half the alarm at any of the numerous
dangers I have been in, that I was filled with at the first sight of
the Europeans, and at every act of theirs, even the most trifling,
when I first came among them, and for some time afterwards. That fear,
however, which was the effect of my ignorance, wore away as I began to
know them. I could now speak English tolerably well, and I perfectly
understood every thing that was said. I now not only felt myself
quite easy with these new countrymen, but relished their society and
manners. I no longer looked upon them as spirits, but as men superior
to us; and therefore I had the stronger desire to resemble them; to
imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manners; I therefore embraced
every occasion of improvement; and every new thing that I observed I
treasured up in my memory. I had long wished to be able to read and
write; and for this purpose I took every opportunity to gain
instruction, but had made as yet very little progress. However, when I
went to London with my master, I had soon an opportunity of improving
myself, which I gladly embraced. Shortly after my arrival, he sent me
to wait upon the Miss Guerins, who had treated me with much kindness
when I was there before; and they sent me to school.

While I was attending these ladies their servants told me I could not
go to Heaven unless I was baptized. This made me very uneasy; for I
had now some faint idea of a future state: accordingly I communicated
my anxiety to the eldest Miss Guerin, with whom I was become a
favourite, and pressed her to have me baptized; when to my great joy
she told me I should. She had formerly asked my master to let me be
baptized, but he had refused; how

Previous Next