visit to a jamaican plantation—condition of the slaves—a growl against the house of commons and the admiralty—author attempting to cut out a spanish zebec, is taken prisoner—his pleasant experiences while in captivity—at last released.
soon after we arrived i was invited to spend a few days in the mountains. we were mounted on mules, and started from kingston at four o’clock in the morning. some part of the road was very narrow and wound round the mountain we were going to. at one of the angles, or turns, the purser, who was one of the party, had got his mule too near the precipice, and in a few seconds was rolling down the declivity, the mule first and he afterwards. fortunately for both animals, there were several dwarf cotton-trees about half-way down, which brought them up with a severe round turn. the planter, who, i presumed, had seen exploits of this kind before, lost no time in procuring from the nearest estate some negroes with cords, and in a few minutes they were extricated from their perilous situation. the purser was much cut about the head, and both his arms severely contused. the poor animal had one of his legs broken, and it was a charity to shoot him on the spot.
photograph of forest scenery in jamaica.
forest scenery, jamaica. [p. n. edwards, photo.
as we were not far from the estate we were going to, the black men, who manifested much willingness and humanity, procured a hammock, which they suspended to a pole, and carried with much ease my poor unfortunate messmate, who, notwithstanding his bruises, kept joking on his misadventure. another hour brought us to a delightful pavilion-built house surrounded by verandahs. it was like a paradise; the grounds were highly cultivated and produced sugar-canes, coffee, cotton and pimento. the air was quite embalmed, and the prospect from the house was enchanting. i could see the ships at port royal, which appeared like small dark dots. the estate belonged to a young lady, a minor, residing in london, and it was managed by her uncle. the number of slaves it contained was three hundred. they appeared to me, the four days i remained among them, as one happy family. i visited, with the surgeon of the estate, several of the cabins or huts; each had a piece of ground to grow plantains, yams, sweet potatoes, cocoas, etc. some grew a few melons, nearly all had fowls, and several had two or three pigs. the whole of sunday and the saturday afternoon were their own, on which days they repaired to spanish town or kingston markets to sell their vegetables, fruit and poultry. the pigs, the doctor informed me, were generally bought at the market price by the overseers. “this estate,” resumed the doctor, “is very well conducted, and during the five years i have been here we have only lost three slaves, and [pg 141]two of those were aged. i need not say that the manager is a man of humanity—you know him as a gentleman. the whip is seldom used, and only for theft, which scarcely ever occurs. and i do not think that, were they free to-morrow, they would leave mr. w., who is an englishman.”
on the second morning of my residence here i rose at four o’clock, and the view from a kind of field called the park was most remarkable and picturesque in the extreme. below me in all the valleys was a dense fog, resembling a white woolly-looking cloud, stretched out like an immense lake. the lower mountains appeared like so many islands. at first i stared in astonishment at so novel a sight, and it reminded me of the picture of the deluge, when all the lower world was under water.
at breakfast i mentioned to mr. w. the extraordinary scene i had witnessed. “to you,” said he, “it may appear strange, but for at least four months in the year we have those settling clouds or fogs. they first form on the higher mountains, and then descend into the valleys. about seven o’clock, as the sun gains force, they disperse. but,” added he, “they are very necessary to the young plantations, which they moisten profusely.”
the purser was now sufficiently recovered to join us in our rambles of an evening, in one of which we came near a large tamarind-tree, where a number of humming-birds were flying around. “i would not hurt any of those little creatures for a trifle,” said mr. w. “were i to do it in the [pg 142]presence of any of the negroes, they would immediately conclude i was wicked. they consider them sacred, and, although they might fetch a good price, i have never known one to be sold.”
on the fifth morning the mules were ordered at an early hour, and we bid adieu to our kind and hospitable friend, who promised to spend a day with us on board on our return from our cruise. we arrived at kingston at eleven o’clock without accident, and were on board by dinner-time. on the following sunday we put to sea, and a week afterwards were on our old cruising grounds in the mona passage and off porto rico.
we again sent two boats away on a speculative cruise with the second lieutenant, who a few hours after returned with a very handsome spanish schooner, about forty tons, in ballast. we now put all our wise heads together, whether to send her to jamaica or make a tender of her. as i was the first consulted, i voted for the last, “as were she to be sent to jamaica,” said i, “the expenses of her condemnation will most likely exceed what she may be sold for. in this case, we should not only lose our prize, but have to pay for capturing her.” “that is very true,” said the captain, “and i have experienced the fact, which i will relate in a few words:—
“i took a french ship from antwerp bound to caen, laden with salt. i took her into portsmouth. a few months afterwards i received a letter from my agent to inform me that the vessel and cargo [pg 143]had been sold; but in consequence of the duty paid to government on the salt, she had not covered the expenses of her trial by eight pounds, which my agents were obliged to pay for me to the proctors.”
“it is a hard case,” said we all. “after risking our lives and distressing the ships by sending officers and men away in captured vessels, we are sometimes informed, as a reward for the risk, anxiety and trouble, that instead of receiving we have to pay money.” this most certainly cries aloud for reform, and it appears monstrous that sailors find so little support either in the house of commons or at the admiralty. soldiers have many advocates in the former, but sailors few, and those few not worth having. the first secretary of the admiralty is generally a member of parliament, but he only concerns himself with the affairs of the admiralty; but ask him respecting the habits of sailors, he may tell it to the marines, for the captain of the main-top will never believe him. it is true the admiralty have now given orders for captains to make a quarterly return of all punishments inflicted on seamen. this i think quite right, as it must in a great measure strike down the hand of tyranny. nor do i find fault with the encouragement and respectability which has lately been given to the petty officers. i am only astonished it was not given years ago, but we are still in our infancy.
before i quit this subject, i am compelled in justice to ask both admiralty and lower house the reason [pg 144]why old and meritorious officers are so shamefully neglected. the commanders above the year 1814 may, i hope, expect promotion in heaven, as i fear they never will meet with it on earth. one would suppose the admiralty were ashamed of having such old officers, and wish to forget them altogether, or probably they think they are too well paid and deserve, after spending the best part of their lives in toil and service, nothing more. as for the old lieutenants, god help them!—they must contrive to hang on by the eyelids until they slip their cables in this, and make sail into another world. is the hand of interest so grasping that the lords of the admiralty cannot administer justice to old officers and promote four or six from the head of the list on a general promotion as well as those very young officers, who most likely were not in being when their seniors entered the service, nor have many of them seen a shot fired except in a preserve? it has been said that the patronage for the promotion of officers in the navy is entirely in the hands of the first lord, who is a civilian. if this be true, interest and not service must be his order of the day. he cannot know the merits or demerits of officers but from others. possessing this ignorance, it is but a natural conclusion, though no consolation, to those who suffer from it, that he should only promote those who are recommended to him, and this accounts for so many officers who entered the navy at the conclusion or since the termination of the war being made post-captains or [pg 145]commanders. we read that promotion comes neither from the east nor the west. in a recent instance it came from the north. it may be advisable for some old officers to make a trip to the coast of nova zembla, get frozen in for two or three years among the nova zemblians and yakee yaws, come home, present themselves to the admiralty, who would undoubtedly promote them, then they would have an audience and receive knighthood from a higher personage. this, as we all know, has occurred, and may occur again, more particularly so if they should be able to add to the important information the last persevering and gallant adventures brought to england. the french beg a thousand pardons when they have committed any little indiscretion; an englishman says simply, “i beg your pardon.” as such, gentle reader, i sincerely beg yours, for having led you such a tom coxe’s traverse.
entrance of santiago, cuba, from a drawing by the author.
entrance of st. iago, cuba.
“my first capture by the spaniards,” from a drawing by the author.
to resume my narrative. we came to a conclusion that the schooner should be fitted up as our tender, and as we had all taken a fancy to her she should be called the fancy. we put on board her a twelve-pounder carronade and mounted four half-pound swivels on her gunwales. the second lieutenant, as he captured her, was to command her; he took with him one of the senior midshipmen and sixteen good seamen. after receiving his orders and provisions he parted company for the north side of cuba, and was desired to rendezvous every sunday afternoon off cape [pg 146]maize. this was tuesday. in the meanwhile we sent a boat into a small bay to the westward of the cape to fill some small casks with water from a fall we saw from the ship. three hours afterwards she returned, not only with water but also with three large pigs, which the master, who had direction of the boat, had shot. at last sunday arrived; we were off the cape, but no fancy. the weather had been very squally, and we thought it probable she might have got to leeward. the following morning we spoke an american brig from st. jago, who informed us that she had passed a spanish schooner laden with tobacco at anchor at the mouth of the river. we stood in, and discovered the ship with the glass. in the evening i volunteered to cut her out, and at dusk we started in a six-oared cutter. by eleven at night i was within the mouth of the river and under the moro castle and another large fort. our oars being muffled prevented any noise. we pulled round the entrance twice, but to no purpose, as the vessel had removed and we could not discover her. daylight was breaking as we cleared the shore, when we saw a vessel which appeared like our ship standing towards us, but were with reason alarmed at seeing three more. i immediately concluded they were enemy’s privateers. my fears were soon confirmed by their hoisting spanish colours, and the nearest began firing at us. i had eight men and a midshipman with me, and we all did our utmost to escape. unfortunately our ship was not in sight, and after a fatiguing and [pg 147]anxious pull for three hours and having two of the boat’s crew wounded, i was, in consequence of the nearest privateer being within pistol shot, obliged to surrender. we were taken possession of by the gros souris, a spanish zebec with a long eighteen-pounder and seventy-five men. the other vessels were a three-masted zebec with an english sloop which she had captured and a schooner. two hours afterwards we were all at anchor in the river, and the next day proceeded to st. jago, where i had, with the crew, the felicity of being put into the gaol. in the afternoon i received my parole, as also did the youngster who was with me. the american consul, mr. b., very handsomely sent a person to conduct me to the american hotel. this said tavern was kept by a boston widow, who was really a good sort of person. the table d’h?te was very tolerable, and i had the honour of being acquainted with some of the american skippers. some were very outré, coarse and vulgar, but two of them were agreeable and very civil. the morning after my arrival the governor sent for me. on being introduced he requested me to take a seat, a cup of coffee and a cigar. the two former i accepted, the latter i refused, at which he expressed some surprise, as he imagined all englishmen smoked. he then requested me to relate through an american interpreter the manner in which i had been made prisoner, if i had been treated well on board the privateer, or if any of my clothes had been taken. i answered him very promptly to the [pg 148]last question by informing him that i had nothing to lose, as i left the ship only in the clothes i stood in. after a pause he sent for his secretary, and desired him to write a note to the american consul, who in a short time after made his appearance. “here,” said he, “is a british officer who has been unfortunately taken by one of our vessels; as you speak his language, tell him from me that i am very sorry for his accident, and that i have requested you to let him have any money he may require, for which i will be responsible.”
i made suitable acknowledgment for so noble and disinterested an offer. i told him in my own language, for he understood it, and spoke it imperfectly, that it was out of my power to thank him sufficiently for his generosity to an enemy and a stranger. “the first, i am sure,” replied he, “you are no longer; the last you are, and call forth my sympathy and protection,” offering me his hand, which i took respectfully. “now,” continued he, “we understand each other, and i shall be happy to see you without ceremony whenever you like to come.” here he turned to the consul, and after some complimentary conversation, he said, “take this officer with you and treat him as a friend, for he has found one in me.”
we made our bows and withdrew. in our walk to his house i could not forbear speaking of the great kindness the governor had evinced towards me. “i am not astonished at it,” said the consul; “i do not think since he has had the government [pg 149]of this place he has ever seen a lieutenant of your navy, and as he considers you an officer of rank, he is determined as an act of policy to make the most of you. his character is that of the high spanish, and i may add irish, school, for his grandfather was an irishman, and died ennobled and a general officer in their service. his name is o’b.”
this conversation brought us to the consul’s residence. “walk in,” said he, “and rest yourself.” after having conversed on the unprofitable service and risk of boating, he asked me if my purse wanted replenishing. i answered in the affirmative. he gave me what i required, for which i gave him an order on my agent at kingston. before we parted, he invited me to ride out and spend the evening, which i accepted. at three in the afternoon we were on horseback. “sailors,” remarked he to me, “are not generally considered nimrods. they ride too fast and sit too much over the horse’s shoulders; but probably,” continued he, “you british sailors ride much better than the americans, for they certainly do not make much figure on horseback.” “i frankly acknowledge,” said i, “that i am no horseman, for the last time i was mounted was with a party of landsmen who had asked me to dine at rock fort, but i blush to relate that when we had reached the parade at kingston, my horse took fright at the black soldiers who were exercising. i, finding i could not manage him, gave him the bridle, when he ran into the [pg 150]ranks, knocked down one of the sergeants, and would have knocked my brains out against the upper part of the stable door, if fortunately a man had not been there, who threw up both his arms, which stopped him from entering.”
“how did you proceed afterwards?” inquired he; “did you lose your dinner?” “no,” said i, laughing, “that would have been very hard on the rest of the party, whose mouths were anxious to devour the fish ordered at the tavern. i procured a more quiet horse, and we proceeded at a parson’s trot, and did ample honour to our feast, for we were very hungry on our arrival.” in our ride i found the country in this part of cuba highly cultivated. large patches of sugar-canes, cocoa, orange and lime groves met my eye in every direction, and in some places near lagoons or pieces of water rice was cultivated. i also observed some plantations of tobacco. three and four times a week i rode out with the consul, and found him and our excursions very agreeable. he informed me he had been several times in england, and was much pleased with his visits. “i found,” said he, “the men prompt and regular in business, as well as hospitable; but,” added he, “the greater part of your women have the minds of angels, and make the best wives in the world. in saying this i only allude to the society i moved in—the merchants of the higher classes. i much regret,” continued he, “that the better sort of my countrymen have not the polish of yours. as long as they give up all [pg 151]their time to dollar-making they cannot be anything more than what they are.”
one morning at an early hour i was called to attend the governor. on my seeing him, he appeared agitated; he had a kind of despatch in his hand.
“i am sorry to say,” said he, “i have bad news for you. i have received accounts from the coast that another of your boats has been taken. the officer and three men have been shot, and five taken prisoners. i have reprimanded my people severely for firing on them, as they were much superior to yours in numbers. the officer who commanded our party assures me he could not prevent it, as the natives near where your boat landed had been plundered of most part of their live stock, and several of their pigs were found shot near their huts.” by the description given i knew it to be the master, who had before brought off pigs which he had shot. i told him then he would, i feared, try once too often, at which he only laughed. i made as many lame excuses for the conduct of those who ought to have known better, as i thought prudent, and assured the governor that the officer must have exceeded his orders, as i was convinced the captain would be very much grieved to hear that he had lost his life and the lives of others on so worthless an occasion.
“no,” said he, “by what i can learn, his purpose was to procure water; had he quietly restricted himself to that employment he would not have been [pg 152]interrupted.” here the interview ended; i withdrew, and went with my mind disquieted to the tavern, where i met some of the yankee captains, who would have drawn me into a conversation on what had happened, but i was determined to be silent, and retired to prose in my chamber.
on the second day after this sad event i received an invitation for myself and mr. s., the mid who was with me, to a ball given by the governor. about eight o’clock in the evening mr. b., the american consul, called for us, and we repaired to the government house, a large, square building in a spacious yard. we entered an ante-room, where the guard were stationed, and afterwards a lofty kind of hall, the walls of which were whitewashed, and at the farthest end was an orchestra raised on a platform. about eighty well-dressed people were assembled, the greater part of whom were females; some of them were very pretty, and made my heart go pit-a-pat. i saluted the governor, who shook hands with me, and introduced me to a lady, who, as he was a bachelor, presided for him, and whose fine auburn hair was so long that she had it fastened with a graceful bow to her side, otherwise it would have trailed on the ground. she was a native of guadeloupe, and married to a relation of the governor’s. the ball was opened by four sets of minuets, which were danced with much grace. i figured off in one, but i fear, not gracefully. country dances then began, which were kept up for about two hours. [pg 153]waltzes were then the order of the ball, which continued until nearly daylight. i was heartily glad to reach my room, and did not breakfast until a late hour. i was spending my time very pleasantly, but not profitably. i was a prisoner, and that was sufficient to embitter a mind naturally active. i began to get tired of doing nothing, and longed to be free. i was shortly afterwards invited to two more balls, but as they were much the same as the one i have described, it is not worth while speaking of them, except that i lost my heart to three young females, who, alas! were perfectly ignorant of the fact.
on the day of the american independence, mr. b. invited me to his dinner-party, where i met the lord knows who. a number of toasts were given replete with freedom and republicanism, and guns were fired, and we were all very merry, until a person near me, in hip-hip-hipping, hipped a bumper of wine in his next neighbour’s face. this disturbed the harmony for some minutes, when, on the friendly interference of the consul, the offended and the offender shook hands, and all went on prosperously until midnight, at which hour we took leave of our kind host, some with their eyes twinkling and others seeing double. a few mornings afterwards the governor asked me to breakfast at six o’clock. i found him taking his coffee on the terrace of the house, where he had one of dollond’s large telescopes, the view from which was magnificent and rich; but before i had been [pg 154]half an hour with him i found my eyes suffering from the great glare of light owing to the terrace being white. this he remarked. “we will descend,” said he, “and if you are fond of horses and mules, you shall see my stud.” on the landing-place of the stairs we met a servant. “go,” said he to him, “and tell the grooms to bring all the mules into the yard. in the meanwhile you and i will enter this room,” pointing to a door on the right. “this,” said he, “is my retreat, and where i take my nap after dinner.” i remarked it contained no bed, but a spanish silk-grass hammock hung low from the ceiling, over which was a mosquito net and a light punkah within it. “here,” said he, “i lose sight of the world and all its absurdities for at least two hours every day by going quietly to rest, and as it is the custom of the country, there is little fear of my being disturbed.” the head groom came to announce that the mules were in the yard. “come,” said he, “let us go and look at them; they are considered fine animals.” we were soon in their company, and i beheld eight beautiful cream-coloured mules of considerable height. “these are my state mules, and are seldom used. i have eight others for common work. horses,” continued he, “are seldom in request, but i have three, which you shall see in the stable.” they were large-boned, with ugly heads and short necks. “you do not admire them,” said he; “they are not very handsome. they came from [pg 155]the island of cura?oa, and perhaps are rather of dutch build. i use them for the family carriage.” after expressing my gratification which the sight of the beautiful mules had excited, and thanking him for his condescension, i took my leave. a week after this visit i was again sent for. “i have now good news for you,” said the kind-hearted governor. “your ship is close in to the moro, and has sent in a flag of truce to request me to release you, and you are free from this moment, and,” added he, “i will send every english prisoner with you, if you will say that an equal number of spaniards shall be returned on your arrival at jamaica.” this i did not hesitate to promise, as i was certain the commander-in-chief would do it on a proper representation. i took leave of this excellent man and the consul with the warmest feelings of respect and gratitude.
