Chapter 20: Cleaning Ship

January, 1813

The brig Darlington had been specifically built for transporting passengers and mail. She was under government contract to connect Plymouth and Gibraltar, and her passenger quarters were purpose-built and more than adequate. Thomas had his own cabin whilst Mirabel and Florence shared the adjoining one. Other passengers included an Army major, two Navy lieutenants on their way to new appointments, and the wife of a Gibraltar ship chandler returning from visiting relatives in England.

After settling into his quarters, Thomas watched the anchor-up manoeuvre on deck, thinking about the last days. Mirabel had been quite busy fitting Florence out for the journey. Being rated as a lady companion, Florence needed proper dresses and other accessories. Fortunately, the shops of Plymouth offered a wide variety of such items, but this did not result in quick purchases but rather in prolonged deliberations. Thomas wisely kept out of these activities.

The dinner at Rear Admiral O’Bannon’s house had proved to be a rather pleasant affair. Their daughter Mary was a delightful person to be sure and very open minded. From the beginning, she focussed her attention on Mirabel, and whilst she was polite and even witty in the few exchanges she had with Thomas, she showed no signs of being after him. This must have caused distress for Mrs. O’Bannon, but her husband accepted it with a shrug. When Thomas and Mirabel left at a few minutes after midnight, Mirabel had found a new friend and Thomas a new supporter within the flag officer ranks.

The good accord with Captain Hotham would prove even more important in future years when that officer would rise to the Board of the Admiralty, but that was something neither Thomas nor Hotham could know.

For the time being, Thomas was very happy about the acceptance Mirabel had found, but also for the prospect of having the delightful Florence with them. It must be admitted that he had expectations of getting re-acquainted with her in a more intimate way, but that would have to wait until they reached Gibraltar and found lodgings.

Right now, Darlington was up-anchor and her crew hoisted the topsails to get her under way. She was a fast ship, had to be with her brig rigging and sleek forms. She had been built with speed as foremost goal, both to make quick crossings and to be able to outrun privateers. Her crew, safe from press gangs due to being on government contract, comprised seasoned sailors who handled their tasks most competently, even to Thomas’s eyes. Her master, Mr. Shillingsworth, was also part owner of the ship, a man in his middling fifties who exuded dignity and competence. Thomas had no qualms entrusting their safety to him.

Once out in the channel, the winter weather made for rough conditions. Short squalls and frequent rain showers soon made Thomas relinquish his post and go below decks where he found Mirabel and Florence in the after cabin and being the object of interest and desire of three young officers. Upon his entry – he was the most senior officer on board – the two lieutenants withdrew a little, but the major, Mr. Edwin Renfrew (of the Canterbury Renfrews, as he kept pointing out), was not as easily daunted and entertained Mirabel with tales of his daring exploits. Seeing no signs of distress from Mirabel, Thomas shrugged it off and rather began a light conversation with Florence.

Fortunately, in Thomas’s opinion, the Darlington soon dipped her bow deeply in the the first larger roller, causing Mr. Renfrew to rise abruptly and run for the deck, putting smiles of the faces of the three Navy officers.

“Let us hope that he chooses the lee side, Sir,” Lt. Davies remarked.

Major Renfrew was not seen again for the remainder of the day, as the small ship plowed westwards through the wintry sea. Darlington had to beat against the fresh westerly wind, going about every two hours and gaining little on her westward course. This had to be expected however, and Thomas accepted it with a fatalism born from eight years at sea. Mirabel and Florence also coped well, spending their time reading during daylight, and talking in low voices after darkness fell.

After four days of rather fruitless beating against the wind, fate relented and the wind veered to North, giving Darlington a full wind. With the waves now coming from her starboard quarter, her movements were less violent, and Mr. Renfrew made appearances again during the meals. Yet, his bluster was completely gone, and he still looked far from well.

The wind held for them as they crossed the Bay of Biscayne and headed for Cape St. Vincent. Portugal and large parts of Spain were now under control of Britain and her allies, removing the threat from Spanish privateers or naval ships.

Mr. Shillingsworth kept well clear of the Portuguese coast whilst sailing his ship south past Braga, Porto and Lisbon, for the Portuguese coast in winter is well known for the violent Atlantic rollers that break near the shoreline.

When it was time to change to an eastern course, the weather had become warmer and the wintry winds of the Atlantic abated, making for a peaceful final approach to Gibraltar through the The Strait.

When Darlington cast anchor, Thomas took a boat to the quay to make his enquiries. Three ships of Pellew’s Mediterranean Squadron were anchored in the roads, the 74-gun Centaur, the 32-gun frigate Unicorn, and his very own Dido. That was indeed unexpected. He could see that Dido and Unicorn were both undergoing repairs, and he ordered the boat to head for his small frigate.

As instructed, the cox’n replied with “Dido!” when hailed from the deck, and then Thomas rushed up the Jacob’s ladder. The sight of Mr. Muir wearing captain’s epaulettes on his uniform already gave Thomas a warning which was confirmed by Muir.

“Welcome aboard, Sir!”

“Thank you, Captain Muir,” Thomas answered quickly. “May I conclude that you are captain in Dido now?”

“Yes, Sir. Sir Edward appointed me after we sank a French blockade runner, a small frigate, we and Unicorn. Captain Mallard of Unicorn was fatally wounded, Sir. I have orders from Sir Edward for you, Sir.”

“My felicitations, Captain. I always knew you’d succeed one day.”

“Thank you, Sir. I owe a lot to your support. Umh, those orders, you’re to take over Unicorn, Sir. Knowing that your cabin furniture is from your father, I had it transferred to your new ship already. She’s under repairs, just like us, Sir.”

“Losses?” Thomas asked in a low voice.

“Seven, Sir. Corbyn was one of them. We had twelve wounded, but they’re all getting better already. Unicorn lost eleven with twenty wounded.”

Thomas made a face. Corbyn had been a good man.

“Well, I had better get over to Unicorn to read myself in. Have you my orders, Captain?”

“Yes, Sir. In the cabin, Sir.”

Thomas followed his former 1st lieutenant aft, looking over his former ship with a bit of melancholy. In the after cabin, Muir produced a sealed envelope and offered a pen knife. Thomas opened the letter carefully and found the expected words.

Thomas nodded. He was getting a fifth rate frigate already, a nice compliment on Pellew’s part, but also an increase in his pay, not that he was depending on that. He looked at Muir.

“I have also papers with me for you, detailing the prize monies you can expect. Mr. Portnoy wasted little time, and the monies were invested in the Funds and are drawing interest until your return to England.”

Muir smiled openly. “Can you tell me how much, Sir?”

“The wardroom will share in £11,800,” Thomas answered.

Muir whistled. “That’s a small fortune, Sir. It has been a rewarding and educating experience to serve under your command.”

Thomas smiled. “Well, Dido is yours now, Captain. Again, my felicitations. Perhaps we can have one more dinner? I should hate to leave my former officers without a proper farewell.”

Muir smiled. “We’ll not be finished with repairs for another week or two, Sir. There should be plenty of time for a dinner.”

“Very well, I shall leave you now. I shall send you a billet soon.”

“Yes, Sir. Thank you.”

When Thomas was back in the rented boat, he nevertheless had it head for the quay. He needed to make arrangements for Mirabel and Florence, and it better be sooner than later. There was no telling how much time remained for him here in Gibraltar.

He found the house of Angela Benning without problems, and once he announced himself to her majordomo, it took only a few minutes for her to receive him. She completely surprised and flustered by giving him a motherly hug.

“You poor young man! What a great tragedy! Are you and you cousin well?”

“We managed to get things settled, but we are not over the whole thing yet. There were problems to settle with my estate, and then my cousin met with bigotry by some people.”

“Did you receive my answered letter?”

“No. I came prepared to rent lodgings for my cousin and her companion, not knowing if you still lived here.”

“Tsk, tsk! But of course your cousin will be welcome! She has a companion?”

“Yes. Miss Florence Soubeyran came along as her companion. She is of the same age as my cousin, and a good friend.”

“How delightful to have two young ladies as guests! It gets boring here, seeing the same faces every day. Let us face it, it is a very small colony. Any fresh faces will be very welcome. I have already prepared the rooms where Mrs. Duncan lodged. You must be in a hurry too, seeing that your ship is at anchor in the roads.”

“Oh, but I was relieved of Dido’s command,” Thomas answered.

“I know. You are getting a fifth rate frigate, the Unicorn. With Elias commanding the Northumberland, you are both advancing quite rapidly. He sends you his sympathies for your losses, but also his felicitations on your success. You must be a rich man by now.”

Thomas answered with a measured nod. “It is not money that I am lacking, true.”

“But family. I understand. My dear Thomas, you can always count on me as an aunt of sorts. Now, enough of this. When will I meet your lovely cousin?”

“I shall bring them ashore presently, now that I know that you are willing to offer them your hospitality. I shall of course leave them with sufficient means to cover their needs. They will need one or two maids I fancy and I must contribute to their costs of living here.”

“Tsk, tsk! Elias and I may not be as rich as you, but we can feed two extra mouths without landing in the debt tower. The rooms were not used anyway, and I am not in the habit of running a boarding house. Unless they find that living with me is too stiffling for their tastes, I shall welcome them as my guests and companions.”

Thomas could see that she was being honest, and he backed off. Yet, he still had an arrow in his quiver.

“Then allow me at least to gift you this, as a sign of my friendship and gratitude, Aunt Angela!”

With that he produced a velvet-covered box and handed it to his surprised friend. With a suspicious look at him, she opened the box, but then a warm smile spread over her beautiful face when she regarded the necklace on the black velvet cushion.

“You shouldn’t have, my dear young man, but I have not the heart to reject this gift. It is simply too beautiful. Thank you! How you have managed to stay unmarried is a mystery to me.”

“Well, you were taken,” Thomas smiled back, happy that she liked the necklace.

“Enough! Bring those young ladies, you flatterer. I need the female support!”

Later that afternoon, Thomas assumed command of his new ship. He signalled for her to send the captain’s gig, and a mere minute later, the boat cast off and rushed to the quay. Thomas smiled. Muir must have warned the 1st lieutenant of Unicorn that his new captain had arrived.

Approaching his new ship, Thomas felt his pulse quicken. Although nominally a 32-gun frigate, Unicorn carried 26 eighteen-pounder guns on her main deck. Six six-pounder guns completed her rated ordnance, but this was not counting the six 32-pounder carronades on quarter deck and forecastle, which gave her broadside almost three times the weight of Dido’s. Pellew must really think well of him, he mused, to give him such a powerful ship. Or perhaps, he was running short of captains. Many of his brethren were tired of serving in the Navy by now, after almost 16 years of warfare, and retiring to their lands or serving in Parliament.

He collected himself when the cox’n hailed “Unicorn”. They were already at the cross chains, and the bow man hooked on. Then, Thomas climbed up the ladder with all the dignity he could muster.

The ship’s company was already assembled in divisions on deck, and a short look around showed Thomas that the ship was still under repairs. Here and there, splintered wood showed that she had been in battle. He focussed.

“Mr. Treleven?”

“Yes, Sir!” the 1st lieutenant replied stepping forward.

“May I assume that all hands are on deck?”

“Yes, Sir!”

Thomas pulled his orders from the breast pocket and cleared his throat.

“Orders given by Sir Edward Pellew, KCB, Vice Admiral of the Red Squadron and Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, to Captain Thomas Leander Grey Esq., Royal Navy: Sir, you are hereby requested and required...”

Thomas finished reading his orders without any mishap and looked at the officers and hands. The men were wearing their Navy-issued blouses and pants. Most of them were barefoot, some pants were patched, but the men looked back at him openly.

“You Unicorns can be proud of your ship. It is an honour for me to follow Captain Mallard in this command, and I shall give you and the ship my best. I demand and expect the same from every officer and man so that we may one day, after our victory over the Corsican tyrant, sail into Plymouth to pay off and collect our pay and prize monies. Let us repair the damages of the battle and get this fine ship back to where she belongs: cruising off the enemy coastline and catching their ships!”

Thomas ended his short speech and looked at Treleven.

“Thank you, Mr. Treleven. Dismiss the hands, if you please!”

The hands left the deck, crowding at the hatchways, and Thomas approached the officers. He did a double take when he regarded a young lieutenant.

“Lieutenant Pons! Good to meet you again!”

Pons had been the pudgy, almost useless midshipman in the old Wolverine and now he was – Thomas looked at his position – 3rd lieutenant in Unicorn.

“Yes, Sir! Thank you, Sir!” Pons replied. He could still lose some of his girth, and although his voice was a deep baritone now, he still projected insecurity.

Mr. Treleven then introduced the rest of the wardroom, 2nd lieutenant Hearn, Lt. Gerard of the Marines, Mr. Royce, the sailing master, the purser, aptly named Mr. Penniworth, and Dr. Fox, the ship’s surgeon and a true fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.

“Let us strive to get acquainted quickly, gentlemen. Mr. Pons knows me already, but that was a long time ago when we both shared the midshipmen’s berth in the old Wolverine. Perhaps a dinner in the next days will be adequate.”

Treleven looked around as if to check the opinions, as if a lieutenant would refuse an invitation from his captain! “We shall be more than happy to attend, Sir. We have of course heard of your exploits in Dido, and we are delighted to have you as our new captain.”

Thomas nodded with a polite smile.

“Thank you. Now, perhaps, Mr. Treleven can acquaint me with the state of the repairs and other matters?”

The other wardroom members quickly dispersed, looking after their responsibilities, whilst Treleven showed Thomas to the cabin.