[Period of Service: Reign of George III., Strength : 46 guns, 218 men, 900 tons.]

In the preceding chapters we have sketched the careers of some of the most famous ship's of the British navy, and recorded many of those deeds of brilliant courage and resolute intrepidity which have won for the British sailor so exalted a character. Before closing our little volume, and bidding farewell to those kind readers who have followed thus far our simple narratives, we propose also to show him under circumstances of peculiar peril and privation, as we have shown him in the flush of victory and the glow of success, and to tell, as concisely as possible, the spirit-stirring Story of the Wreck of the Alceste. We shall preface it, however, with a few details of her earlier adventures.

The Alceste was a fine 46-gun frigate, commissioned in 1806 by Captain Murray Maxwell, an officer who had previously distinguished himself by his skill, discretion, and courage.

268

ACTION WITH GUN-BOATS.

On the 4th of April 1808, she lay at anchor about three miles from Cadiz, in company with the 28-gun frigate Mercury, and 18-gun brig Grasshopper. A large convoy, protected by about twenty gun-boats, and a numerous train of flying artillery, which moved along the beach, was observed creeping along the coast from the northward. Captain Maxwell immediately determined to cut them off, and the squadron weighing stood in shore. The Alceste and Mercury flung their fire upon the gun-boats, while the Grasshopper from her light draught of water got nearer in, and engaged the batteries. She soon drove the Spanish from their guns, and so ably directed was all her movements, that Captain Maxwell, in his account of the action, says- "It was a general cry in both ships, �Only look how nobly the brig behaves!'"

The boats of the Alceste and Mercury, under their respective lieutenants, now pushed off, and made a gallant dash upon the convoy, bringing off, from under the very guns of the enemy, whose forces by this time had been considerably augmented, seven loaded "tartans." Two of the gun-boats, meanwhile, were destroyed by the cannonades of the English frigates, and several driven on shore; and this spirited and successful affair was thus happily concluded with the loss of only one man mortally and two severely wounded.

The Alceste was next employed as a cruiser upon the coast of Italy; and in 1811 we find her in the "stormy Adriatic," in company with the frigates Active and Unite.

On the 28th of November, at early dawn, while lying in Port St. George, in the Island of Lissa, the appearance of three suspicious sail in the south was telegraphed. Captain Maxwell immediately concluded they were French ; unmoored ; and began warping out of harbour against a strong head wind ; and such were the strenuous exertions of both officers and men that by the evening all three frigates were at sea, and crowding on

269

CAPTURE OF THE "POMONE,"

every stitch of canvas they could carry in pursuit of the enemy. They came up with them about eleven o'clock the next morning, and discovered them to be the 40-gun frigates Pauline and Pomone, and the frigate-built storeship Persanne, of 26 guns, on their way to join the French squadron at Trieste. The French, finding themselves discovered, hung out all their sails, and endeavoured to escape, but the Alceste soon gained upon the Pomone, and the Unite overhauled the Persanne.

The Alceste got engaged with the Pomone about a quarter past one, but, giving and receiving a broadside, pushed ahead to fight the Pauline, the Commodore's ship. At this moment a shot from the Pomone carried away her maintopmast, and as it fell over her side, cheers from both the French frigates of "Vive l'Empreur" were lustily raised. " They thought the day their own, says Captain Maxwell, "not aware of what a second I had in my gallant friend Captain Gordon, who pushed the Active up under every sail."

The Active brought the Pomone to close action about two, and soon afterwards the French commodore engaged the Alceste. But seeing that his companion stood no chance against the Active, he suddenly set all sail, and stood to the westward. The Alceste now bore up, and directed her fire at the Pomone, which, - her main and mizen masts coming down by the board, hoisted a union-jack as a signal of surrender. The Pauline escaped, owing to the disabled condition of the British frigates; but the Persanne struck her colours to the Unite.

According to naval etiquette Captain Maxwell, as senior officer, was entitled to the sword of the captain of the Pomone, but with the generosity of a noble spirit, no sooner did he receive it than he presented it to Captain Gordon, considering the Pomone to be fairly the prize of the Active.

In this brilliant affair the Alceste, out of a crew of only 218 men and boys; had 7 killed and 13 wounded. The

270

EMBASSY TO CHINA

Active lost 8 killed, and 27 wounded. Captain Gordon lost his leg, a 36-pound shot striking him on the knee-joint, "carrying all off as if it had been done with a knife, and leaving the leg hanging by the tendons."

Captain Maxwell was shortly afterwards removed to the Daedalus, 38-gun frigate, ordered on a cruise in the Indian seas, but had the misfortune to be wrecked, upon a reef of rocks, off the island of Ceylon. Fortunately all the crew were saved. (July 2nd, 1813.)

Towards the close of the year 1815, the English Government determined to send an embassy to the court of Pekin, with the view of inducing the Chinese government to remove some of the restrictions which impeded commercial enterprise and pressed heavily upon European traders. This delicate and important mission was intrusted to Lord Amherst; and the 46-gun frigate, the Alceste, was commissioned by Captain Murray Maxwell for the reception of the ambassador and his suite.

The Alceste sailed from Spithead on the 9th of February 1816, and arrived in the Chinese seas in the July following. Lord Amherst duly carried out the objects of his embassy, and having satisfactorily concluded his negotiations with the court of Pekin, left China on his return to England on the 9th of January 1817. The Alceste arrived at Manilla an the 3rd of February, and finally sailed for home on the 9th.

At that time of the year the passage through the Straits of Gaspar is considered preferable to that of the Straits of Banca, from its greater width and depth of water. Thither, therefore, Captain Maxwell directed the Alceste; and on the morning of the 18th of February she made Gaspar Island, and soon afterwards came in sight of Pulo Leat, or Middle Island. A gentle wind was blowing from the north-west; the sea was smooth and tranquil; but as the waters were much discoloured by a quantity of fish-spawn, great care was used in steering the frigate to prevent her running on any

271

WRECK OF THE "ALCESTE:"

hidden rock. Captain Maxwell, the master, and his officers were all on deck, and there seemed no cause for apprehension, as the soundings corresponded exactly with the charts, when the ship, about half-past seven, struck with a terrible crash on a sunken reef, and remained immoveable !

All hands were set to work at the pumps; but it soon became evident that no exertions could keep the water under, and in a very few minutes it rose above the orlop deck. The boats were therefore hoisted out, and Captain Maxwell attended to the safety of Lord Amherst and his suite, who, with a guard of marines for their protection, were despatched as quickly as possible to the Island of Pulo Leat, then distant between three and four miles. There it was hoped a supply of fresh water and tropical fruits might be procured.

Meanwhile, Captain Maxwell and his men were strenuously exerting themselves to obtain from the submerged hold a supply of provisions; but experienced no slight difficulty in the attempt from the force and depth of the water. The boats returned from Pulo Leat in the afternoon, but their report was a gloomy one; there were no signs of food or water on the island, and the approach to the shore was much impeded by the mangrove trees, which grew out to a considerable distance. No other resource, however, presented itself, and by eight o'clock that evening, all the crew were landed but one division, who, with the captain, first lieutenant, and some other officers, remained that night on board the wreck. And a perilous and stormy night it proved! Happily the ship remained stationary on the reef, and the wind moderating towards morning, no catastrophe occurred. About six o'clock, the boats returned, and Captain Maxwell pushed off to Pulo Leat to consult with Lord Amherst upon his future movements. Mr. Hick the first-lieutenant, remained in charge of the wreck, and a boat was stationed there to receive him and his men if any danger arose.

272

THE ISLAND OF PULO LEAT.

Captain Maxwell arrived at the island near noon, and found the ambassador, his suite, and the officers and crew of the Alceste in a position of considerable discomfort. They had landed on a most noxious salt water marsh, whence the tropic sun drew up a cloud of pestilential vapour. Few of the party - not even the ambassador himself - had on other attire than a shirt and a pair of trousers, while all around, and on the neighbouring trees, fluttered a curiously heterogeneous assemblage of mandarin robes, gay Chinese shawls, court dresses, tarry shirts, canvas trousers, and check shirts!

Captain Maxwell's primary object was to insure Lord Amherst's safety; and he therefore determined, with his lordship's assent, to send the members of the embassy to Batavia in the barge and cutter, under escort of a party of marines, to protect the boats from the piratical Malays. It was arranged that on their arrival at Batavia, Mr. Ellis, the ambassador's secretary, should charter a vessel, and return to the island for the crew and officers of the Alceste.

"A small quantity of provisions,'' says Mr. Gilly, whose concise account we have closely followed," and nine gallons of water, was all that could be spared from their very scanty store; but at sunset every heart was exhilarated by hope and sympathetic courage, on seeing the ambassador strip, and wade off to the boats with as much cheerfulness as if he had stepped into them under a salute. At seven o'clock, the barge, under the charge of Lieutenant Hoppner, and the cutter, commanded by Mr. Mayne, the master, containing in all 47 persons, took their departure for Batavia, accompanied by the anxious thoughts and good wishes of their fellow-sufferers, who were left to encounter new dangers."

A party was now told off to dig for water. But a small supply had been obtained from the wreck, and each man, for the last two days, had been limited to a pint apiece. Another was set to, work to cut a path to the summit of the hill, where Captain Maxwell resolved

213

MALAY PIRATES.

to establish his encampment; and a third was employed to remove thither the scanty stock of provisions. these labourers under a tropic sun, half fed and half clothed, suffered severely from thirst. But about midnight descended a heavy shower, affording a delightful relief. The men caught it by spreading out their table-cloth and garments, and when these were thoroughly wetted, wrung their delicious contents into their parched mouths. Shortly afterwards, the well-diggers announced that they had found water; an announcement which was received with enthusiastic cheers. During the following day it supplied each person with a pint of water, and as it savoured something of a milky taste, the men added a little rum, and then declared that it formed most delectable milk-punch.

On Friday, the 21st, the party engaged in rescuing from the wreck what stores they could get at, descried a number of armed Malay proas, bearing down upon them. Unprovided with weapons they could only leap into their boats, and push oft with all speed to Pulo Leat. The pirates closely pursued them, until two boats put out to sea to the assistance of their comrades The Malays then returned to the wreck, and took posessession of it.

These circumstances instantly aroused the whole settlement to action. "The order was given," says Mr. M'Leod, "for every man to arm himself in the best manner he could, and it was obeyed with the utmost promptitude and alacrity. Rude pike-staves were formed by cutting down young trees; small swords, dicks, knives, chisels, and even large spike-nails sharpened, were firmly fixed to the ends of these poles, and those who could find nothing better hardened the end of the wood in the fire, and bringing it to a sharp point, formed a tolerable weapon. There were, perhaps, a dozen cutlasses; the marines had about thirty muskets and bayonets; but we could muster no more than seventy-five ball cartridges among the whole party.

274

PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE.

"We had fortunately preserved some loose powder, drawn from the upper deck guns after the ship had struck (for the magazines were under water in five minutes), and the marines, by hammering their buttons round, and by rolling up pieces of broken bottles in cartridges, did their best to supply themselves with a sort of shot that would have some effect at close quarters, and strict orders were given not to throw away a single discharge until sure of their aim.

"Mr. Cheffy, the carpenter, and his crew, under the direction of the captain, were busied in forming a sort of abattis by felling trees, and enclosing in a circular shape the ground we occupied; and by interweaving loose branches with the stakes driven in among these, a breastwork was constructed, which afforded us some cover, and must naturally impede the progress of any enemy unsupplied with artillery.

"Even the boys managed to make fast table-knives on the end of sticks for their defence. One of them, who had been severely bruised by the falling of the masts, and was slung in his hammock between two trees, had been observed carefully fixing, with two sticks and a rope-yarn, the blade of an old razor. On being asked what he meant to do with it, he replied, �You know I cannot stand, but if any of these fellows come within reach of my hammock, I'll mark them!"'

The officers and men were divided into companies; sentries were stationed at suitable points, and regularly relieved; the boats hauled up to the landing-place, and a guard appointed; and other defensive measures concerted and adopted.

An attempt was made, on the 22nd, to enter into a peaceable arrangement with the Malays, and at first they seemed to respond to the overtures of the English. This favourable disposition did not last. Mr. Hay, the second-lieutenant, was, therefore, ordered to proceed to the ship with three of the boats, and drive off the pirates by force. When they saw the boats approach the Alceste

275

AN AMUSING INCIDENT,

they quickly abandoned it; but not before they had set fire to the wreck. This act, however, proved of advantage to the English, for the upper works and decks burning down to the water's edge, everything buoyant floated up, and was easily laid hold of.

During the night an incident occurred which may amuse the reader, though it startled its hero. "A sentry surprised by the approach of a very suspicious looking personage, who was making towards him, levelled his musket and fired. In an instant the whole camp was alive with excitement, supposing that they were attacked by the savages, when, behold, the enemy turned out to be a large baboon, one of a race that abounded in the island. These creatures became very troublesome ; they were most audacious thieves, and even carried away several ducks which had been saved from the wreck ; till at last the poor birds were so frightened that they left their little enclosure and voluntarily sought for safety and protection amongst the people."

From Sunday morning, the 23rd, till Wednesday, the 26th, the men were engaged in rescuing what stores and provisions they could from the hull of the wreck; and it was with no ordinary pleasure they secured between fifty and sixty boarding-pikes, and eighteen muskets, all of which would be serviceable against their piratical foes. But as provisions began to fail, and no succours had yet arrived from Batavia, Captain Maxwell ordered the launch to be repaired, and a raft to be constructed that his people might quit the island before reduced to the extremities of famine.

The Malays now began to make preparations for an intended attack. They occupied a small islet, about two miles distant, and every day brought them reinforcements. On Sunday, the 2nd of March, their demonstrations were so formidable that Captain Maxwell kept all his men under arms, and believing that an attack would be made during the night, he addressed them in a spirited harangue. "I do not wish to deceive you,"

276

RELIEF AT HAND.

he said, "as to the means of resistance in our power. When we were first thrown together on shore we were almost defenceless. Seventy-five ball-cartridges only could be mustered ; we have now sixteen hundred. They cannot, I believe, send up more than five hundred men, but, with two hundred such as now stand around me, I do not fear a thousand - nay, fifteen hundred of them! I have the fullest confidence that we shall beat them. The pikemen standing firm, we can give them such a volley of musketry as they will be little prepared for, and when we find they are thrown into confusion, we'll sally out among them, chase them into the water, and ten to one but we secure their vessels. Let every man, therefore, be on the alert with his arms in his hands; and should these barbarians this night attempt our hill, I trust we shall convince them that they are dealing with Britons!" To this hearty address the crew of the Alceste replied with three enthusiastic cheers.

The night, however, passed in tranquillity; and the morning showed the pirates assembled to the number of six hundred. In this perilous position the men of the Alceste displayed all the best qualities of British seamen, and preserved as rigid a discipline as if they were on board ship. They were soon rewarded for their heroic patience. In the afternoon, an officer who had ascended one of the tallest trees, thought he descried a sail at a great distance. Closer examination proved that he was in the right, and before the day closed the brig Ternate, which Lord Amherst had despatched to their relief, approached near enough to communicate with the shore. The Malays immediately took to flight, but not without a farewell volley from the Alceste's people.

On Friday, the 7th of March, they were all embarked on board the Ternate, and on the 9th, they arrived at Batavia, where they were most kindly welcomed by Lord Amherst, and their comfort sedulously studied. They were afterwards sent home to England. Captain

277

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

Maxwell, on the route, touched at St. Helena, and was favoured by the Emperor Napoleon with an interview. The Emperor. reminded him of the capture of the Pomone, and said, - "Vous étiez très méchant. Eh bien ! Your government must not blame you for the loss of the Alceste, for did you not capture one of my frigates ?"

Amongst the many narratives which testify to the calm cool courage and patient endurance of the British sailor, there is not one, we think, which more vividly illustrates those qualities than that of the Shipwreck of the Alceste. And with no other record could we more fitly close a volume devoted to the celebration of his daring, enterprise, and heroism.

From these pages may our youthful readers gather not only amusement, but instruction; and learn to imitate while they reverence those manly virtues which a Blake and a Nelson, a Collingwood and a Howe displayed! And, above all, may they take to their hearts the great lesson of Duty ; in whatever position and under whatever circumstances; remembering the noble lines of the poet,

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