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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
This might be true, and from that hour the thought would
occasionally recur to my mind. As I looked forward to passing at least several more years at sea, I secretly determined to
ascertain the fact for myself, should occasion ever offer. In the
mean time, the Crisis had reached a part of the ocean where,
in those days, it was incumbent on those who had the charge
of a ship to keep a vigilant look-out for enemies. It seems we
were not fated to run the gauntlet of these pirates entirely unharmed.
Early on the following morning, I was awoke by Talcott’s
giving me a hearty shake of the shoulder.
“Turn out at once, Captain Wallingford,” cried my mate,
“the rascals are closing around us like crows about a carcase.
As bad luck will have it, we have neither room nor breeze, to
spare. Everything looks like a busy morning for us, sir.”
In just three minutes from that moment, I was on deck,
where all hands were soon collected, the men tumbling up,
with their jackets in their hands. Major Merton was already on
the poop, surveying the scene with a glass of his own; while the
two mates were clearing away the guns, and getting the ship in
a state to make a suitable defence. To me, the situation was altogether novel. I had been six times in the presence of enemies
before, and twice as commander; but never under circumstances that called so imperiously for seamanship and good
conduct. The ocean seemed covered with enemies, Major Merton declaring that he could count no less than twenty-eight
proas, all full of men, and some of them armed with artillery.
These chaps were ahead, astern, to windward, and to leeward;
and, what was worse, they had just wind enough to suit their
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
purposes, there being about a five-knot breeze. It was evident
that the craft acted in concert, and that they were desperately
bent on our capture, having closed around us in this manner
in the night. Nevertheless, we were a warm ship for a merchantman; and not a man in the Crisis betrayed any feeling
that indicated any other desire than a wish to resist to the last.
As for Neb, the fellow was in a broad grin, the whole time; he
considered the affair as a bit of fun. Yet this negro was afraid
to visit certain places about the farm in the dark, and could
not have been induced to cross a church-yard alone, under a
bright sun, I feel well persuaded. He was the oddest mixture of
superstitious dread and lion-hearted courage, I ever met with
in my life.
It was still early, when the proas were near enough to commence serious operations. This they did, by a nearly simultaneous discharge of about a dozen guns, principally sixes, that
they carried mounted in their bows. The shot came whistling
in among our spars and rigging, literally from every direction,
and three struck, though they were not of a size to do any serious injury. Our people were at quarters, having managed to
man both batteries, though it left scarcely any one to look after
the braces and rigging, and none but the officers with smallarms.
Mr. Merton must have felt that he and his daughter’s liberty, if not their lives, were in the keeping of a very youthful
commander; still, his military habits of subordination were so
strong, he did not venture even a suggestion. I had my own
plan, and was just of an age to think it derogatory to my rank,
to ask advice of any one. The proas were strongest ahead and
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
on both bows, where they were collecting to the number of
near twenty, evidently with the intention of boarding, should
an opportunity offer; while, astern, and on our quarter, they
were much fewer, and far more scattered. The reason of all this
was apparent by our course, the pirates naturally supposing
we should continue to stand on.
Orders were given to haul up the mainsail and to man the
spanker-brails. The men were taken from the starboard battery, exclusively, to perform this work. When all was ready,
the helm was put up, and the ship was brought as short round
on her heel, as possible, hauling up, on an easy bowline, on
the other tack. In coming round, we delivered all our larboard
guns among the crowd of enemies, well crammed with grape;
and the distance being just right for scattering, this broadside
was not without effect. As soon as braced up, on the other tack,
we opened starboard and larboard, on such of the chaps as
came within range; clearing our way as we went. The headmost
proas all came round in chase; but, being from half a mile to
a mile astern, we had time to open a way out of the circle, and
to drive all the proas who were now ahead of us, to take refuge
among the crowd of their fellows. The manoeuvre was handsomely executed; and, in twenty minutes we ceased firing, having all our enemies to the westward of us, and in one group:
this was an immense advantage, as it enabled us to fight with
a single broadside, prevented our being raked, and rendered
our own fire more destructive, by exposing to it a more concentrated, and, at the same time, a larger object. I ought to have
said before, that the wind was at the southward.
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
The Crisis now tacked, setting the courses and royals. The
ship lay up well, and the proas having collected around their
admiral, there was a prospect of her passing to windward of
everything. Six of the fellows, however, seemed determined to
prevent this, by hauling close on a wind, and attempting to
cross our bows, firing as they did so. The ship stood on, apparently as if to intercept them; when, finding ourselves near
enough, we kept away about three points, and swept directly
down in the very centre of the main body of the proas. As this
was done, the enemy, taken by surprise, cleared a way for us,
and we passed the whole of them, delivering grape and canister, as fast as we could deal it out. In the height of the affair,
and the thickest of the smoke, three or four of the proas were
seen quite near us, attempting to close; but I did not think it
necessary to call the people from the guns, which were worked
with great quickness, and did heavy execution. I fancy the pirates found it hotter than they liked, for they did not keep
on with us; though our lofty sails gave us an advantage, and
would have enabled us to leave them, had they pursued a different course. As it was, we were clear of them, in about five
minutes; and the smoke beginning to rise, we soon got a view
of what had been done in that brief space. In order to increase
our distance, however, we still kept away, running pretty fast
through the water.
By the confusion which prevailed among the pirates, the
rascals had been well peppered. One had actually sunk, and
five or six were round the spot, endeavouring to pick up the
crew. Three more had suffered in their spars, and the movements indicated that all had enough. As soon as satisfied of
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
this, I hauled the ship up to her course, and we continued to
leave the cluster of boats, which remained around the spot
where their consort had gone down. Those of the fellows to
windward, however, did not seem disposed to give it up, but
followed us for two hours, by which time the rest of their flotilla were hull down. Believing there was now plenty of room,
I tacked towards these persevering gentry, when they went
about like tops, and hauled off sharp on a wind. We tacked
once more to our course, and were followed no further.
The captain of a pepper ship afterwards told me, that our
assailants lost forty-seven men, mostly killed, or died of their
hurts, and that he had understood that the same officer commanded the Crisis that had commanded the “John,” in her affair, near the same spot. We had some rigging cut, a few of our
spars slightly injured, and two men hurt, one of whom happened to be Neb. The man most hurt died before we reached
the Cape, but more from the want of surgical assistance, than
from the original character of his wound. As for Neb, he went
to duty before we reached St. Helena. For my part, I was surprised one of the proas did not get down his throat, his grin
being wide enough, during the whole affair, to admit of the
passage of a two-decker.
We went into the island, as had been agreed, but no ship
offering and none being expected soon, it became necessary for
my passengers to continue on with us to New York. Emily had
behaved uncommonly well in the brush with the pirates, and
everybody was glad to keep her in the ship. The men swore she
brought good luck, forgetting that the poor girl must have met
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
with much ill-luck, in order to be in the situation in which she
was actually placed.
Nothing occurred on the passage from St. Helena to New
York, worthy of being specially recorded. It was rather long,
but I cannot say it was unpleasant. At length our reckoning
told us to look out for land. The Major and Emily were on deck,
all expectation, and ere long we heard the welcome cry. A hazy
cloud was just visible on our lee-bow. It grew more and more
dense and distinct, until it showed the hues and furrows of
a mountain-side. The low point of the Hook, and the higher
land beyond, then came in view. We glided past the light, doubled the Spit, and got into the upper bay, just an hour before
the sun of a beautiful day in June was setting. This was in the
year of our Lord 1802.
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CHAPTER XXI
“Drink! drink! to whom shall we drink?
To a friend or a mistress? – Come, let me think!
To those who are absent or those who are here?
To the dead that we loved, or the living still dear?
Alas! when I look I find none of the last!
The present is barren – let’s drink to the past.”
Paulding.
Though strictly a Manhattanese as a sailor, I shall not run
into rhapsody on the subject of the beauties of the inner or
outer bay of this prosperous place. No man but one besotted
with provincial conceit could ever think of comparing the harbour of New York with the Bay of Naples; nor do I know two
places, that have the same great elements of land and water
that are less alike. The harbour of New York is barely pretty;
not a particle more, if quite as much; while the Bay of Naples
is almost what its owners so fondly term it, “a little bit of heaven, fallen upon earth.” On the other hand, however, Naples,
as a haven, is not to be mentioned in the same breath with
the great American mart, which, as a port, has no competitor
within the circle of my knowledge, Constantinople alone excepted. I wish my semi-townsmen, the Manhattanese, could be
persuaded of these facts, as, when they do brag, as the wisest
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
of mortals sometimes will, they might brag of their strong, and
not of their weak points, as is now too often the case.
The Major, Emily and myself, stood on the poop, regarding
the scene, as the ship glided onward, before a good south-east
breeze. I watched the countenances of my companions with
interest, for I had the nervousness of a tyro and a provincial,
on the subject of the opinions of the people of other lands, concerning everything that affected my own. I could see that the
Major was not particularly struck; and I was disappointed, then,
whatever may be my opinion now. Emily better answered my
hopes. Whether the charming girl really felt the vast contrast
between a view of the unbroken expanse of the ocean, and the
scene before her, or was disposed to please her host, she did
not hesitate to express delight. I let her understand how much
I was gratified; and thus our long, long voyage, and that, so far
as degrees of longitude were concerned, nearly embraced the
circuit of the earth, may be said to have terminated with the
kindest feelings.
The ship was off Bedlow’s, and the pilot had begun to shorten sail, when a schooner crossed our fore-foot, beating down.
I had been too much occupied with the general movement of
the bay, to notice one small craft; but, this vessel happening to
tack quite near us, I could not but turn my eyes in her direction. At that instant I heard a shout from Neb, who was furling one of the royals. It was one of those irrepressible “nigger
gollies” that often escaped from the fellow involuntarily.
“What do you mean by that uproar, on the mizen-royal
yard,” I called out angrily – for the style of my ship had now
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
become an object of concern with me. “Keep silence, sir, or I’ll
find a way to instruct you in the art.”
“Lord! – masser Mile – ” cried the negro, pointing eagerly
towards the schooner – “there go Pretty Poll.”
It was our old craft sure enough, and I hailed her, incontinently.
“Pretty Polly, ahoy!”
“Halloo!”
“Where are you bound, sir; and when did that schooner get
in from the Pacific?”
“We are bound to Martinique – The Poll got home from
the South Seas about six months since. This is her third voyage
to the West Indies, since.”
Here then was the certainty that the cargo sent home,
and the letter with it, were all safe. I must be expected, and
the owners would soon hear of my arrival. We were not kept
long in doubt; for, as the ship entered the Hudson, a boat approached, and in her were two of the principal members of our
firm. I had seen them, and that is all; but my own letters, and
the report of the officer who brought home the schooner, had
told them all about me. Could Nelson, after his victory of the
Nile, have walked into the King of England’s private cabinet
with the news of his own success, his reception would not have
been more flattering than that I now received. I was “Captain
Wallingforded” at every sentence; and commendations were
so intermixed with inquiries about the value of the cargo, that
I did not know which to answer first. I was invited to dine the
very next day by both the gentlemen in the same breath; and
when I raised some objections connected with the duty of the
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
ship, the invitations were extended from day to day, for a week.
So very welcome is he who brings us gold!
We went alongside of a North River wharf, and had everything secure, just as the sun was setting. The people were then
allowed to go ashore for the night. Not a soul of them asked for
a dollar; but the men walked up the wharf attended by a circle
of admiring landlords, that put them all above want. The sailor
who has three years’ pay under his lee, is a sort of Rothschild
on Jack’s Exchange. All the harpies about our lads knew that
the Crisis and her teas, &c. were hypothecated to meet their
own ten and twenty dollar advances.
I dressed myself hurriedly, and ordered Neb to imitate my
example. One of the owners had kindly volunteered to see Major Merton and Emily to a suitable residence, with an alacrity
that surprised me. But the influence of England, and Englishmen, in all America, was exceedingly great forty years since.
This was still more true in New York, than in the country generally; and a half-pay English Major was a species of nobleman
among the better sort of Manhattanese of that day. How many
of these quasi lords have I seen, whose patents of nobility were
merely the commissions of captains and lieutenants, signed by
the Majesty of England! In that day – it is nonsense to deny it –
the man who had served against the country, provided he was
a “British officer,” was a better man than he who had served
in our own ranks. This was true, however, only as regarded so-
ciety; the ballot-boxes, and the people, giving very different
indications of their sentiments on such subjects. Nor is this result, so far as New York was concerned, as surprising as, at first
sight, it may possibly appear. Viewed as a class, the gentry of
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