OUR NAVAL CHIEFS OF OTHER DAYS.

BY A TAR OF THE OLD SCHOOL.

So they are all

All honourable men.

SHIPMATES, did you get a full allowance of ducks and drakes last time, or shall I serve out a few more to satisfy your longing appetites for the marvellous? Oh, those glorious yarns! I could work at the winch in spinning them for ever—that is, taking my watch below, piping to grub and grog, and bottling off sleep included, with now and then a cruise amongst the dear darlings, who are the real sweeteners of the cup of human existence-God bless 'em! It is true my old messmate Bill quotes a passage from some sublime poet or other, who, speaking of the amiable creatures, says,

Oh, woman! fair or brown, or lean or fat,

In face an angel, but in heart a cat.

I am not exactly sure that I have given the correct reading of the passage; but, shipmates, one thing is certain, and that is, you will agree with me, that the man who could write such a libel on the fair sex, ought to be rigged in cobweb small-clothes, and seated upon marlinspikes, point uppermost, that would teach him how to commit a villainous error again. As for Bill, he is something like me, and loves them all a little, whether white, black, brown, or copper-colour. But, avast there! I must get once more to my yarn-spinning; and so here goes for another spell at the fine old iron-bound blades of former times, when the last of the Henries and good Queen Bess ruled the realm, and our naval supremacy began to assume a decided character, which it has ever since maintained.

To be sure there was an ugly lapsis when the Dutch sailed up to Gillingham, and burned the Royal Charles, and other ships; but this was owing to the disaffection of the seamen, and the profligacy of the monarch, the latter appropriating the money that should have paid the former to encourage the debauchery and licentiousness of a depraved

court.

spare

I shall come to that by-and-bye, my boys, and rely upon it I will not the whip; but at present I must go back to an earlier date, when the Pope of Rome divided the world between the Spaniards and the Portuguese; but Britannia grasped her trident, and set the mandate of the triple crown at utter defiance, so that the saucy flag of England flashed triumphant in every port in every quarter of the globe. And now for a bit of logic. When Blake undauntedly attacked and destroyed the Spanish fleet in their own harbour, the Spanish Admiral, in excuse for his defeat, expressed a conviction that he had not been beaten by men, but by devils. Of course, shipmates, it follows, as a natural consequence, that as the Pope gave the Spaniards their territorial dominion in right of the privilege he claimed to loose and bind on earth, so he ought to have exercised his spiritual influence to have preserved it for them. But the bold daring of British sailors banged the

Spaniards, and took possession of their property. The Admiral declares they were "devils;" and, though no doubt a sound Catholic, it is plain that he admits the devil beat the Pope; so that matter is proved by their own showing, and what is the use of a Pope who strikes his colours to old Nick?

But Drake was the boy, and what do you think of his mode of sharing prize-money? It is related, that when at the island which bears his name, in the South Seas, he shared out the gold coin that had been captured, to his crew, by measuring it in a bowl-sixteen bowls of gold to a man, which it must be owned, was bowling the Spaniards out with a vengeance. Besides this, they had on board, 240 tons of plate, and an immense treasure in jewels. Oh, he was a clever collector of curiosities was Drake, and cotemporary with him was Sir John Hawkins, the son of an old sea captain, who brought him up in the fear of God and a broomstick. Capt. Hawkins, senior, lived in the time of Henry VIII., and was the first Englishman who traded to the Brazils. The son, under the instruction of his father, became an experienced practical seaman, and when very young, made several voyages on his own account, to Spain, Portugal, and the Canaries; but his name has been handed down to posterity, branded with odium, on account of its being alleged that he was the first amongst his countrymen engaged in that horrible and nefarious traffic-the Slave Trade. That Hawkins did carry on this species of commerce, does not admit of a moment's doubt, for Camden in his history says,-" Blackmore slaves were now commonly bought in Africa by the Spaniards, and from their example by the English, and sold again to America-how honestly I know not." So that it is probable that Hawkins was not actually the first slave-dealer from England, though he might be the first who acted under regal authority in the traffic, for it is an undisputed fact, that "ships royal" were engaged in the Slave Trade, under commission from the Virgin Queen, who shared the profits of the inhuman merchandize with her Commanders; and in the historical accounts of these kidnappers given by themselves, it is really astonishing and disgusting to find passages of Scripture quoted in favour of its being carried on, and appeals made to the Almighty, as if the Deity was satisfied with their deeds. Thus, in one place we may read from Hawkins' statement, that whilst becalmed in the middle passage, they suffered great privations through the want of food and water. "This," he says, "pinched us all, and, that which was worst, put us in such fear, that many never thought to have reached the (West) Indies without great death of negroes and of themselves; but the Almighty God, which never suffereth his elect to perish, sent us the ordinary breeze."

Now, when it is taken into consideration that an immense number of lives were cruelly sacrificed in this traffic, not only in the passage to the West Indies, but previous to shipping a cargo, by the encouragement that was given to petty chiefs to make war upon each other, and sell their captives as slaves, it was hardly fair to drag in the Creator as a partner in the concern. But the acts of the slave-dealers seem to have brought no discredit on the perpetrators, for Hawkins actually obtained great distinction as having rendered good service to his country, "by opening for it a new branch of trade;" and Her Majesty, "by way of increase and augmentation of honour," ordered "a coat of arms and

crest to be settled upon him and his posterity, by a patent thus worded: -'He bears sable on a point wavee, a lion passant gold, in chief three besants. Upon his helm a wreath argent and azure, a demi Moor, in his proper colour, bound and captive, with amulets on his arms and ears, or, mantelled gules double argent,'" which Campbell observes, "is a worthy symbol of the infamous traffic which he had opened to his country.

Drake, in his earlier years, was also engaged with Hawkins in the Slave Trade. In his second voyage as a slaver, the latter commanded the Jesus, a Queen's ship of 700 tons burthen, and several other smaller ones accompanied him, one of which was blown up through the carelessness of the gunner, but most of the people were saved. Sir John appointed himself to be the Admiral; and his instructions to the Commanders under him, are not a little curious, as blending good counsel, with as nefarious dealings as ever disgraced humanity. He says:

"The small ships to be always ahead and a-weather of the Jesus, and to speak twice a-day with the Jesus at least. If in the day the ensign be over the poop of the Jesus, or in the night two lights, then shall all the ships speak with her. If there be three lights aboard the Jesus, then doth she cast about. If the weather be extreme that the small ships cannot keep company with the Jesus, then all to keep company with the Solomon, and forthwith to repair to Teneriffe to the northward of the road of Sirroes. If any happen to any misfortune, then to show two lights, and to shoot off a piece of ordnance. If any loose company come in sight again, to make three yawes, and strike the mizen three times. Serve God daily; love one another; preserve your victuals; beware of fire, and keep good company."

Here we have the origin of signals, somewhere about five-and-twenty years before the defeat of the Spanish Armada; the manner, however, rested upon the will of the chief, rather than derived from any fixed code; but still it shows the progressive advance of improvement in the Royal Navy. Sir John Hawkins was greatly devoted to his profession; and he is supposed to have been among the first-if not actually the first-who used a fidded topmast, the mast from step to truck previous to that period being one entire stick. He brought up his son Richard from childhood to brave the perils of the deep; and though very young at the time of the Spanish invasion, yet he greatly distinguished himself as an efficient officer and a brave man, in attacking the enemy. Richard subsequently built a ship of his own, of nearly 400 tons burthen, with which he purposed making a voyage to Japan and the islands in the Chinese Seas, taking his course on his outward passage through the Straits of Magellan. He speaks of her as "pleasing to the eye, profitable for stowage, good of sail, and well-conditioned. The day of her launching being appointed, the Lady Hawkins, my mother-in-law, craved the naming of the ship, which was easily granted her; and she knowing what voyage was pretended to be undertaken, named her the Repen ance. What her thoughts were, was kept secret to herself; and although many times I expostulated with her to declare the reason for giving her that uncouth name, I could never have any other satisfaction than that, Repentance was the safest ship we could sail in to purchase the haven of heaven.' Well I knew she was no prophetess, though a

religious and most virtuous lady, and of a very good understanding. Yet too prophetical it fell out by God's secret judgments, and was sufficient for the present to cause me to desist from the enterprise, and to leave the ship to my father, who willingly took her, and paid the entire charge of the building and furnishing of her, which I had concerted or paid. And this I did, not for any superstition I have in names, or for that I think them able to further or hinder anything, for that all immediately dependeth upon the providence of Almighty God, and is disposed by Him alone. Yet advise I all persons ever (as near as they can), by all means, and on all occasions, to presage unto themselves all the good they can."

This is a remarkable specification of the feelings of those times, more especially the feelings of seamen, and though Richard Hawkins wishes it to be inferred that he repudiates all ideas of cherishing anything like superstition, yet it is evident that it not only wrought powerfully upon his mind, but also actuated him in his conduct. It must be admitted, however, that in the days of this gallant but unfortunate Commander religion was strongly tinctured with superstition; indeed, they were so blended and mixed together that devotees too frequently mistook the latter for the former. As an evidence that Richard carried out the principle still further, we find him advising, "in giving names to terrestrial works, (especially to ships,) not to give such as merely represent the celestial character; for few had he known or seen come to a good end, which had such attributes." To prove his position he instances the Revenge, (named so in a vindictive moment against the Spaniards,) as ever the unfortunatest ship" in Queen Elizabeth's service, "being ever loaden and full-fraught with ill success." He also mentions the Thunderbolt, of London, which had "first, her mast split by lightning secondly, her poop blown up, and, lastly, was burnt, with all her crew, in the river Garonne, at Bordeaux.”

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At all events, Richard was put out of conceit of Repentance, and she became the property of his father, Sir John, but, whilst lying at Deptford, completely rigged, and ready for sea, the ship attracted the notice of Queen Elizabeth, who was in her state-barge descending the river to her palace at Greenwich. She commanded the officer in charge of the boat to row round the Repentance, which was done, and Her Majesty (in nautical parlance) overhauled her from stem to stern, expressed herself mightily pleased with everything but the name, and declared that she would baptize the vessel anew herself, and thenceforth she should be called the Dainty. Under this designation she made several prosperous voyages, and Sir John afterwards resold her to his son, on whom the change of name had produced a change of feeling; but she was a most unfortunate ship to him, always in difficulty and trouble, and involving him in heavy expenses. At length, after many disasters, he got the Dainty round to Plymouth, and ready for sea. His friends advised him to desist, and send some one else in his stead; but a dread of being thought a coward made him persevere.

Previous, however, to his departure from Plymouth, his friends and the magistrates of the town were occupied two whole days in searching all places of ill-fame, taverns, and alehouses, to collect the people toge ther and get them aboard, "for," as he himself observes, "some would ever be taking their leave and never depart; some drank themselves so

drunk that except they were carried aboard they of themselves were not able to go one step; others, knowing the necessity of the time, feigned themselves sick; others to be indebted to their host, and forced me to ransom them; one his chest, another his sword, another his shirts, another his card and instruments, for sea; and others, to benefit themselves of the imprest given them, absented themselves, making a lewd living in deceiving all whose money they could lay hold of, which is a scandal too rife among our seamen, and an abuse in our commonwealth necessary to be reformed." Many of the crew afterwards boasted that they had received imprest money for other ships, and thus defrauded some of five pounds, others of ten pounds. However, at last he got to sea, but with a set of characters whose blasphemous language greatly distressed him, and he, being a man of a religious turn, devised a means to break them of swearing. The ship had been on fire, and this he attributed to the wickedness of the men. She was, however, almost miraculously saved from destruction, and, whilst returning God thanks for their deliverance, Richard proposed that a stout ferula, or palmer, should be made and given to the first who uttered an oath, who could only get rid of it by detecting another in the same offence, when the first was to give him a smart stroke on the palm of his hand, and transfer to him the instrument of punishment. At the time of evening and morning prayer -for there was more than one chaplain aboard-the culprit who held the ferula was to receive three strokes on his hand from the Captain or Master, and still to retain it till by the regulations he could pass it to another. This he states had the desired effect, and swearing and ferulas soon got out of use.

But misfortunes attended him in almost every part of his expedition, and after a dreadful conflict with a vastly superior Spanish force, in which the greater part of his men were killed, he was compelled to surrender.

He was knighted by Elizabeth, and both father and son were very eminent as gallant officers and thorough seamen, and, above all, objects of great terror to the Spaniards. Sir John was born in 1520, and died in 1595, off Porto Rico-it is said of a broken heart, through a contention he had with Sir Francis Drake; and, from the stern unbending pride of both, it is extremely probable that such was actually the case. But now we return again to our old acquaintance, Fitz Geoffrey the poet, who (as related in my last) immortalized Drake as one of the wonders of this world, and caused no small astonishment in another, through his alleged intimacy with Davy Jones. Fitz Geoffrey thus apostrophises Sir John Hawkins, after hearing of his death.