Narratives of Shipwrecks of the Royal Navy; between 1793 and 1849 by William O. S. Gilly

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Lord Amherst was selected to undertake the mission, and Mr. Henry
Ellis was appointed secretary to the embassy.

The Alceste, a frigate of 46 guns, under the command of Captain,
afterwards Sir Murray Maxwell, was fitted up for the reception of the
ambassador and his suite.

On the 9th of February, 1816, the expedition sailed from Spithead,
and arrived in the China seas about the middle of July following. It
is not in our province to give any account of the proceedings of the
embassy, which have already been so ably described, and are well
known.

His excellency, having accomplished the object of his mission, took his
departure from China on the 9th of January, 1817, arrived at Manilla
on the 3rd of February, and finally sailed from thence in the Alceste,
on the 9th of the same month.

Captain Maxwell directed the ship's course to be steered towards the
Straits of Gaspar, in preference to those of Banca, as affording, at
that period of the monsoon, the most convenient and speedy egress from
the China seas; and though this passage is not so often taken as that
of Banca, the Gaspar Straits appeared by the plans and surveys laid
down in the Admiralty charts, as well as in those of the East India
Company, to be, not only wider, but to have a much greater depth of
water, and to offer fewer difficulties to navigation.

Early on the morning of the 18th of February, they made the Island of
Gaspar, and in a short time, Pulo Leat, or Middle Island, was descried
from the mast-head. The weather was remarkably fine and clear,--a mild
breeze blowing from the north-west, and the surface of the water
gently agitated by the current, which perpetually sets through the
straits, either to the south-east or south-west, according to the
monsoon.

The sea, which is usually so clear in these climates, had been greatly
discoloured that morning by a quantity of fish spawn, a circumstance
of not unfrequent occurrence in those seas; and the navigation being
thus rendered more dangerous, unusual precautions were taken for
ensuring the safety of the ship. A man was stationed at the
foretopmast head, and others at the fore-yardarms. Captain Maxwell,
with the master and other officers, was upon deck, 'steering, under
all these guarded circumstances,' (writes an eye-witness,) 'the
soundings corresponding so exactly with the charts, and following the
express line prescribed by all concurring directions, to clear every
danger,--and it was the last danger of this sort between us and
England,--when the ship, about half-past seven in the morning, struck
with a horrid crash on a reef of sunken rocks, and remained
immoveable.' 'What my feelings were,' says Captain Maxwell, 'at this
momentary transition from a state of perfect security to all the
horrors of a shipwreck, I will not venture to depict; but I must
acknowledge, it required whatever mental energy I possessed to control
them, and to enable me to give with coolness and firmness the
necessary orders preparatory to abandoning the ship,--which a very
short period of hard working at all the pumps showed the
impracticability of saving.'

The carpenter very soon reported the water above the tanks in the main
hold, and in a few minutes more, over the orlop deck.

The quarter boats had been instantly lowered to sound, and reported
deep water all round the reef, ten fathoms immediately under the
stern, and seventeen about a quarter of a cable further off,--so that
it was but too evident that the preservation of the crew depended
solely upon the vessel's remaining fast where she was.

The first care of Captain Maxwell was for the safety of Lord Amherst
and his suite; the boats were quickly hoisted out, and before
half-past eight, he had the melancholy satisfaction of seeing the
ambassador and all his attendants safely embarked in them.

For the better protection of the embassy, an officer was sent in the
barge, with a guard of marines, to conduct them to Pulo Leat, between
three and four miles distant, and from which it was hoped that plenty
of water and abundance of tropical fruits might be procured.

Meanwhile the officers and men exerted themselves most indefatigably
to save some of the provisions,--a task by no means easy of
accomplishment, as the holds and everything in them were submerged in
water. Towards the afternoon, the boats returned from the shore, and
the men reported that they had had great difficulty in landing his
excellency, from the mangrove trees growing out to a considerable
distance in the water; and it was not until they had pulled three or
four miles from the place where they first attempted to land that they
were enabled to reach terra firma. They also stated that neither food
nor water could be discovered on the island. Unpromising as
appearances were, there was no alternative but to seek shelter on the
inhospitable shore. Accordingly, every preparation was made, and by
eight o'clock P.M., the people were all landed, excepting one
division, who remained on board the wreck, with the captain, first
lieutenant, and some other officers.

About midnight, the wind had greatly increased, and the ship became so
uneasy from her heeling to windward, that fears were entertained for
the safety of those on board. To prevent her falling further over, the
topmasts were cut away, and as the wind became more moderate towards
daylight, the ship remained stationary, and all apprehensions were
removed. The boats did not return to the wreck till between six and
seven o'clock in the morning, and they brought no better tidings as to
the capabilities of the island to furnish food and other necessaries
for the subsistence of so many human beings.

A raft had been constructed during the previous day, upon which the
small quantity of provisions they had been able to collect, together
with some of the baggage of the embassy, and clothes and bedding of
the officers and men, had been transported to the shore.

In the course of the forenoon, Captain Maxwell thought it right to
confer with Lord Amherst as to his further movements; he accordingly
quitted the wreck, and went on shore. He left the vessel in charge of
Mr. Hick, the first lieutenant, with orders that every effort should
be made to get at the provisions and the water, and that a boat should
remain by the wreck for the safety of the men in case of any
emergency. Captain Maxwell reached the shore about half-past eleven
A.M., and we may imagine the bitterness of his distress on finding the
ambassador, surrounded by his suite, and the officers and men of the
Alceste, in the midst of a pestilential saltwater marsh.

The scene is well described by Mr. McLeod. 'The spot in which our
party were situated was sufficiently romantic, but seemed, at the same
time, the abode of ruin and of havoc. Few of its inhabitants (and
among the rest the ambassador) had now more than a shirt or a pair of
trousers on. The wreck of books, or, as it was not unaptly termed, 'a
literary manure,' was spread about in all directions; whilst
parliamentary robes, court dresses, and mandarin habits, intermixed
with check shirts and tarry jackets, were hung around in wild
confusion on every tree.'

The situation in which Captain Maxwell was placed was, indeed, a most
trying one, and such he felt it to be, for, from the lowest seaman to
the ambassador himself, every one looked to him for relief and
direction in his perilous position. Captain Maxwell was fully
competent to meet the emergency; and, said he, 'I had the consolation
left me, to feel with confidence that all would follow my advice, and
abide by my decision, whatever it might be.'

His first care was for the safety of Lord Amherst; and in a short
conference with his excellency and Mr. Ellis, the second commissioner,
it was arranged that the embassy should proceed to Batavia in the
barge and cutter, with a guard of marines to defend the boats from any
attack of the pirates. Mr. Ellis promised that if they arrived safely
at Batavia, he would himself return, in the first vessel that should
put off, to the assistance of those who remained on the island.

A small quantity of provisions, 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 forty-seven
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.

Captain Maxwell's first order was to direct a party to dig in search
of water. The men had begun to suffer greatly from thirst, as for the
last two days they had had scarcely a pint of water each--one small
cask only having been saved from the ship. The next step was to remove
their encampment to higher ground, where they could breathe a purer
air, and be in greater safety in case of attack.

In a short time the island presented a scene of bustle and activity
strangely at variance with the dreary solitude it had exhibited two
days before; and the once silent woods resounded with the voices of
men, and the strokes of the axe and the hammer. One party was employed
in cutting a path to the summit of the hill, another in removing
thither their small stock of provisions. A few men were on board the
wreck, endeavouring to save every article that might prove of general
use.

About midnight, the men who had been employed for so many hours on a
most fatiguing and harassing duty, and exposed to the burning rays of
a vertical sun, began to suffer most painfully from increased thirst,
and it was at that moment when they were almost bereft of hope that
they experienced one of the many merciful interpositions of Providence
by which the Almighty displays His tender care for His creatures: a
plentiful shower of rain fell, which the people caught by spreading
out their table cloths and clothes; and then, by wringing them, a
degree of moisture was imparted to their parched lips, and their
hearts were revived, and prepared to hear the joyful news, which was
communicated by the diggers soon after midnight, that they had found
water in the well, and a small bottle of this most dearly prized
treasure was handed to the captain. So great was the excitement of the
people on receiving the announcement, that it became necessary to
plant sentries, in order to prevent their rushing to the well and
impeding the work of the diggers.

On the morning of the 20th, the captain called all hands together, and
pointed out to them the critical nature of their position, and the
absolute necessity of their uniting as one man to overcome the
difficulties by which they were surrounded. He reminded them that they
were still amenable to the regulations of naval discipline, and
assured them that discipline would be enforced with even greater
rigour, if necessary, than on board ship; and that in serving out the
provisions the strictest impartiality should be observed, and all
should share alike until the arrival of assistance from Lord Amherst.

During this day, the well afforded a pint of water to each man; the
water is said to have tasted like milk and water, and when a little
rum was added to it, the men persuaded themselves it resembled
milk-punch, and it became a favourite beverage with them.

The people were employed during the 20th much in the same manner as on
the previous day, but very few things could be obtained from the ship,
every article of value being under water.

On Friday, the 21st, the party stationed on board the wreck observed a
number of proahs full of Malays, apparently well armed, coming towards
them. Being without a single weapon of defence, they could only jump
into their boats without loss of time, and push for the land. The
pirates followed closely in pursuit but retreated when they saw two
boats put out from the shore to the assistance of their comrades. The
Malays then returned to the ship and took possession of her. In an
instant all was activity and excitement in the little camp.

'Under all the depressing circumstances attending shipwreck,' writes
Mr. McLeod, 'of hunger, thirst, and fatigue, and menaced by a ruthless
foe, it was glorious to see the British spirit stanch and unsubdued.
The order was given 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, dirks, 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.

'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
breast-work was constructed, which afforded us some cover, and must
naturally impede the progress of any enemy unsupplied with artillery.'

The Malays had taken possession of some rocks, at no great distance
from where the crew of the Alceste were encamped, and here they
deposited the plunder they had taken from the wreck. It now became
necessary for Captain Maxwell to prepare against an attack. With a
very small stock of provisions, which, even if husbanded with the
greatest care, could last only a few days, he had to contend, with a
handful of men, many of them unarmed, against a host of savages,
perhaps the most merciless and inhuman that are to be found in any
part of the world.

In the evening a general muster was called, and a rude and motley
group presented itself to the eye of the commander. But rough as was
the exterior, he well knew that there was that within which would bid
defiance to danger and outrage so long as life should last.

So stanch and resolute was the spirit diffused through all the little
band, that Mr. McLeod says,--'Even the boys had managed to make fast
table-forks 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, and every precaution
adopted to secure the slender garrison from being taken by surprise.
The boats were hauled closer up to the landing-place, and put under
the charge of an officer and guard.

On Saturday morning, the 22nd, every effort was made to induce the
Malays to come to an amicable conference, but without success. Mr.
Hay, the second lieutenant, was, therefore, ordered to proceed to the
ship, with the barge, cutter, and gig, (armed in the best manner
possible under the circumstances,) and to gain possession of her by
fair means or by force. No sooner did the pirates see the boats put
out towards the wreck, than they left the vessel, though not before
they had set fire to her, thus performing an act which was of great
service to the crew of the Alceste; for by burning her upperworks and
decks, everything buoyant could float up from below and be more easily
laid hold of. The ship continued to burn during the night, and the
flames, as they darted from her sides, shed a ruddy glare upon the
wild scenery around, and breaking through the shade of the thick and
lofty trees rested upon a landscape worthy of the pencil of Salvator
Rosa.

Upon the summit of a hill, and under the spreading branches of the
majestic trees, was a rude encampment, formed by the erection of a few
wigwams; whilst here and there, collected together in groups and
reclining in different attitudes, were parties of men armed with pikes
or cutlasses, in their ragged, unwashed, and unshorn appearance,
resembling rather a gang of banditti, than the crew of a British ship
of war.

It was with the most painful feelings that both officers and men
witnessed the gradual destruction of the gallant ship, which had been
their home for so many months.

No one but a sailor can understand the devotion with which a brother
sailor regards his ship, and we cannot better describe it than in the
words of Captain Basil Hall:--

'We do truly make the ship our home, and we have no other thoughts of
professional duty or of happiness, but what are connected with the
vessel in which we swim; we take a pride in her very looks, as we
might in those of a daughter; and bring up her crew to honourable
deeds, as we should wish to instruct our sons. The rate of sailing of
each ship in a fleet is a subject of never-ending discussion amongst
all classes of officers, midshipmen, and crews, every one of whom
considers his own individual honour involved in all the ship does or
is capable of doing.

'This is true almost universally, but it is most striking, no doubt,
in our first ship, which like our first love, is supposed to drink up
from our opening feelings the richest drops of sentiment, never to be
outdone, or even equalled by future attachments.

'I owe, indeed, much good companionship, and many sincere obligations
to other vessels; yet I am sure that if I live to be Lord High
Admiral, the old Leander must still be nearest and dearest to my
nautical heart. I remember every corner about her, every beam, every
cabin, every gun.'

The same feeling, no doubt, existed in the breast of every man and
boy who now stood watching, with painful interest, the fate of the old
ship; all had been too actively employed from the time the vessel
first struck to think of anything save of providing means for their
own preservation; but now, in the dead hour of night, thrown upon a
strange shore, and surrounded by enemies, the thought, perhaps, that
they might never again see their native land or their beloved kindred,
might steal over their hearts, and fill them with sad forebodings. By
degrees the fire became less and less vivid; for an instant, at times,
a brighter flame illuminated the sky, throwing up a shower of golden
sparks--then all was darkness,--a darkness which was felt by all; for
it told that nought remained of their old home, save a smouldering
hull,--that thus was severed, perhaps, the last link between them and
England.

During the night that followed this sad scene, an incident occurred
which, though it occasioned considerable alarm at the time, became a
source of amusement afterwards.

A sentry, startled 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 the morning of Sunday, the 23rd, till Wednesday, the 26th, the
men were busied in saving whatever they could from the hull of the
Alceste, and they were fortunate enough to obtain several casks of
flour, a few cases of wine, and a cask of beer, besides between fifty
and sixty boarding-pikes, and eighteen muskets, all of which proved
most acceptable.

A second well had been sunk, which supplied clearer water, and in
great abundance, so that they possessed one of the chief necessaries
of life in plenty.

Everything now wore a more favourable aspect. The Malays had retired
behind a little island (called Palo Chalacca, or Misfortune's Isle),
about two miles distant; and although they were expected to return
speedily with a reinforcement, the crew of the Alceste were better
prepared for them. The gunner had been actively employed in forming
musket cartridges; and, by melting down some pewter basons and jugs,
with a small quantity of lead obtained from the wreck, balls had been
cast, in clay moulds, which not a little increased their confidence
and feeling of security.

Under the able command of Captain Maxwell, the greatest regularity and
order prevailed amongst the people. Every man appeared happy and
contented with his lot; for each man, from the highest to the lowest,
encouraged his neighbour by his own good conduct, whilst he in turn
received encouragement from the example of those above him. The
provisions were served out with the strictest impartiality. 'The mode
adopted by Captain Maxwell,' (writes Mr. M'Leod,) 'to make things go
as far as possible, was to chop up the allowance for the day into
small pieces, whether fowls, salt beef, pork, or flour, mixing the
whole hotch-potch, boiling them together, and serving out a measure to
each publicly and openly, and without any distinction. By these means
no nourishment was lost: it could be more equally divided than by any
other way; and although necessarily a scanty, it was by no means an
unsavoury mess.'

Early on Wednesday morning, Lieutenant Hay, who had charge of the
boats, observed two pirate proahs nearing the island, as if to
reconnoitre; he immediately made a dash at them, with the barge,
cutter, and gig. The barge closed with the Malays first, and a
desperate conflict ensued. There was only one musket in the boat,
which Mr. Hay used to some purpose, for he killed two of the savages
with his own hand. In the meantime, the other two boats had come up to
the assistance of their comrades. One more pirate was shot dead, and
another knocked down with the butt-end of a musket; yet the rest
continued to fight with savage ferocity, until, seeing that resistance
was fruitless, they jumped into the sea and drowned themselves,
choosing to perish rather than yield. During the engagement, an
officer who was on the beach, observed a canoe, which had been cut
away from one of the proahs, drifting not many yards from the spot
where he stood; and as he thought the prize worth securing, he entered
the water, and swam towards it. He had nearly attained his object,
when those who watched him from the shore perceived an enormous shark
hovering about. They were almost petrified with horror; anxious to
make their friend aware of his danger, yet not daring to call out to
warn him, lest a sudden perception of the perils of his situation, and
of the proximity of his formidable enemy, should unnerve him, and thus
deprive him of the slight chance of escape that remained. Breathless
and silent then they stood, and marked the movements of the shark with
trembling anxiety. He seemed to be so sure of his prey, that he was in
no haste to seize it, but swam leisurely about, crossing and
recrossing betwixt the doomed victim and the shore, as if gloating
himself, and sharpening his appetite by gazing on the anticipated
feast. The officer, too, seemed to be luxuriating in the refreshing
coolness of the water, calmly approaching the canoe, happily
unconscious of his danger; but the shark followed him closely: his
life depended upon a swimmer's stroke, or the whim of a moment. The
anxiety of the spectators became agony; but that moment was
decisive--the swimmer struck out once more--the canoe was gained, and
he was saved.

Then, and then only, did he become aware of the horrible fate that had
threatened him, and of the merciful interposition of Providence in his
behalf.

In the course of this day fourteen proahs and smaller boats were
observed standing towards the island, from the Banca side, and every
heart bounded with joy in the full anticipation that it was a party
sent by Lord Amherst from Batavia, to their relief. Their joy,
however, did not last long, for they soon found that the boats had
come only to gather a kind of sea-weed much esteemed by Chinese
epicures, who use it, as they do birds' nests, in their soup.

Consultations were held that night as to the policy of negotiating
with these people, so as to induce them, by promises of reward, to
convey part of the crew of the Alceste to Java--the four remaining
boats would then be sufficient for the transport of the rest.

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