Stockwin's Maritime Miscellany by Julian Stockwin Read Free Book Online

twenty-fifth of a pound of ship’s biscuit, three times a day. This was supplemented on occasion with half an ounce of pork in the evening, and a few spoonfuls of rum or wine. As the voyage progressed the rations were shortened to an issue twice a day. Occasionally they caught a booby, a small sea bird, and divided it between them, giving the blood to the weakest.
    Not one man was lost on the voyage after leaving Tofoa. On 14 June they reached Timor and their epic journey of 47 days was over.
    The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich acquired three relics from this heroic boat voyage – the bullet Bligh used to measure the rations , a horn beaker for drinking water and the coconut shell from which he ate his rations and on which Bligh had carved his name and the following words: ‘The cup I eat my miserable allowance out.’
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    UNDER THE WEATHER – being indisposed. DERIVATION : one of the most uncomfortable lookout positions in a sailing ship was at the bow on the windward or weather side. When the elements got rough the poor unfortunate stationed there was continuously soaked with cold, biting sea spray, and when he finally came off watch he looked a sorry sight.
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P ATENT BRIDGE FOR BOARDING FIRST-RATES
    During the Battle of St Vincent in 1797 Horatio Nelson captured two enemy ships in a manner that was unique in the history of the Royal Navy.
    Although his ship HMS Captain was badly damaged, Nelson was determined to fight to the end. Two Spanish ships San Nicolas and San Josef lay off afoul of each other nearby. Nelson initially ordered Captain put alongside San Nicolas and prepared to lead the boarding party himself. It was extremely unusual for a flag-officer to take such an action, but Nelson was no ordinary commander.
    Captain’s cathead became entangled with the stern gallery of San Nicolas , in effect making a bridge to the ship. Nelson led his men out along the cathead and into the Spanish captain’s cabin. Under fire from the Spanish officers the boarders stormed on to the quarterdeck. There, Nelson received the swords of the Spanish officers in surrender.
    After securing his rear, he then led his boarding party in another furious assault into the main chains and up the sides of San Josef . Leaping over the bulwark and down to the quarterdeck he rapidly took possession of the second ship.
    Then, in a scene immortalised by painters, the Spanish officers came forward in strict order of seniority to hand their swords to Nelson. As he accepted them he passed them to seaman William Fearney, who, Nelson later recorded, ‘put them with the greatest sang-froid under his arm’.
T HE EXECUTION OF AN ADMIRAL
    In April 1756 Admiral John Byng sailed from England with ten ships of the line tasked with assisting in the defence of Fort St Philip in Minorca against the French. After fighting an indecisive four-day action Byng decided that his force was insufficient either to renew the attack or to relieve the fort and he sailed to Gibraltar, in effect leaving Minorca to the enemy. This aroused a storm of protest.
    On his return to England Byng was confined in Greenwich while the government considered its options. An angry populace wanted answers and there were burnings of Byng effigies. For six months a debate raged, and finally a court martial was convened. Under the Articles of War he could face the death penalty.
    The court martial was held in Portsmouth on 28 December 1756 and Byng was charged with failing to do his utmost to save Minorca. On 27 January he was found guilty and, despite the fact that two vice-admirals refused to sign the warrant, he was condemned to death. Clemency lay in the hands of the king, but George II considered Byng a coward, as did popular opinion.
    At noon on 14 March 1757 a great crowd gathered on the ramparts of the town and along the shore. Byng spent the morning calmly surveying the onlookers through a telescope from his flagship Monarch . ‘I fear many of them will be