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

disappointed,’ he said; ‘they may hear where they are, but they cannot all see.’ Dressed in light clothes he walked firmly to the quarterdeck, where a cushion rested on a pile of sawdust. Kneeling there, and refusing a friend’s offer to tie a bandage over his eyes he said, ‘I am obliged to you, sir; I thank God I can do it myself.’ In an act of cold-blooded courage, he dropped a handkerchief himself as a signal to the party of marines to fire.
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Incentive Scheme
    Byng was the only British admiral ever to suffer this fate. The French writer Voltaire took delight in including it in his satirical tale Candide , published in 1759. The hero, visiting Portsmouth, sees a man being executed on board a ship and, on asking why, is told that in England it is thought a good idea to execute an admiral from time to time – ‘ pour encourager les autres ’ .
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    The epitaph on Byng’s tombstone read: ‘To the perpetual disgrace of public Justice… The Honourable John Byng, Admiral of the Blue, fell a martyr to political persecution… at a time when courage and loyalty were insufficient guarantees of the honour and lives of naval officers.’

P ICKLE’S POSTMAN NEARLY PIPPED AT THE POST
    It took over two weeks for the Admiralty to receive the news of Britain’s great victory at the Battle of Trafalgar – and the tragic death of Horatio Nelson on board HMS Victory .
    Admiral Collingwood, who took over as commander-in-chief, wrote his dispatches on the morning of the day after the battle, but owing to a storm and the immediate needs of the fleet it was four days before he was able to send them.
    On 26 October 1805 Collingwood summoned Lieutenant John Lapenotiere, in command of the schooner Pickle , the fastest vessel then at his disposal, and ordered him to sail to Plymouth with the dispatches and with all haste proceed to the Admiralty. If there were difficulties he was to make the first port he could and then go on to London.
    Being the bearer of official news of victory was a much-coveted role, as there would inevitably be promotion and financial reward. But in carrying out his duties, Lapenotiere was nearly frustrated by the actions of another naval officer.
    En route back to England HM sloop Nautilus was sighted and Lapenotiere told her commander John Sykes the momentous news. Sykes immediately sailed for Lisbon to inform the British consul, then unknown to Lapenotiere he headed directly for London. An unofficial race for glory had begun!
    On 4 November Lapenotiere was forced by weather conditions to land at the Cornish port of Falmouth. He hired a chaise for the first stage of his overland dash, improvising a broomstick for a flagpole on which he flew a Union Jack above a tattered tricolore . Not long after, Sykes landed at Plymouth, further along the coast, and he too hired a carriage.
    Lapenotiere’s journey of 425 km took 21 changes of horses and carriages and his expenses amounted to £46 19 s . 1 d . – nearly half of his annual salary.
    Finally the coach clattered into the Admiralty courtyard at 1 a.m. in the morning of 6 November, 36 hours after Lapenotiere had left Falmouth. It was a neck and neck ‘race’ to the very end as Lapenotiere entered the vestibule of the Admiralty less than one hour before Sykes. Most of the officials had long since retired for the night but William Marsden, secretary to the Navy Board, was on his way to his private apartments having just finished work in the board room. Lapenotiere handed over the dispatches with the simple words, ‘Sir, we have gained a great victory. But we have lost Lord Nelson.’
    Lapenotiere was later presented to King George, who bade him accept a token and presented him with the closest thing to hand, a silver cruet.
    Pickle ’s captain became inextricably linked with the death of Nelson for ever, while Sykes is now nothing more than a historical footnote.

George III .
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    SLUSH FUND – in the political sphere, a special account for