Ralph Rutherford, a Nautical Romance. By the author of the Petrel

Front matter

VOL. I. A NAI'TICAL ROMANCE BY THE AUTHOR OF "THE PETREL," &c, &c. " Safe am I arrived in haven, a weather-beaten but experienced shipman, enabled to indicate the hidden rocks and quicksands of this life's perturbed shores. Often have I struck, often been wrecked, but never foundered. Possible, though little probable, are future storms." MEMOIRS OF BARON FREDERIC TRE-NCK IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: COLBURN AND CO, PUBLISHERS, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1851. LONDON : Printed by Schulze aud Co., 13, Poland Street.

Chapter I

The wars which so unhappdy raged almost without intermission from 1793 to 1814, fed with peculiar violence upon the European colonies in the West Indies. The bright Caribbean Sea, studded as it is with rich and lovely islands, became throughout its whole length and breadth one vast theatre for desul tory and destructive combats, the objects, and still more frequently the results of which were too often lamentably trivial, in compari- VOL. I. B son with the blood shed in them, and the misery inflicted by them. But such contests, independently of mere worldly temptations, offered a wide field for the display of individual skid and gallantry, and they were of course eagerly sought. Amongst the smader expeditions or raids of the time, few proved more fertde in opportunities of acquiring personal distinction than did an unsuccessful attack upon , with an inadequate force, in 18 — , where, after having stormed Fort , the British seamen and marines, particularly those stationed in the advanced batteries, maintained an unequal conflict with the superior forces of a brave and resolute enemy for more than twenty successive days, led on by two distinguished young naval officers and a gadant officer of Marines, ad three subsequently designated as fire-eaters — a distinction then wed-known, and highly appreciated, for it was beyond the desecrating hand of favour.

During this sanguinary struggle, so obstinately maintained day after day, and especiaUy in that desperate crisis of the affair when an overwhelming body of the enemy rushed down with fierce shouts upon the select few who were undauntedly covering the rear of our shattered httle force, and protecting their re-embarkation, Ralph Rutherford, who had recently arrived from England to join the flag-ship as a midshipman, repeatedly elicited the cheers of his gallant comrades, and the marked approbation of his chivalrous leader, by a display of calm, judicious courage, ever skdfudy adapted to the exigency of the moment, amidst a continuaUy increasing compli cation of difficulties and dangers. " Rutherford," said the officer who had been Ralph's immediate commandant upon this occasion, when the remains of the party had been once more assembled, " to earn distinction amongst such men as those who now surround us is no chdd's play ; I shad report my view of your conduct to the Ad miral."

B Ralph Rutherford's heart beat proudly, for he saw with especial gratification that his most eager competitors for distinction acqui esced cordiaUy in this pubhc address to him from one whose approbation upon such a subject was in itself a high honour : he was a man of few words and chivalrous deeds. Speak, Ralph coidd not ; but the flushed cheek and flashing eye gave a more animated response than that which his faltering tongue refused to utter. And that young commandant, whose ap probation was so precious, not long since at an advanced age, and with exalted rank, closed a brdliant career of noble daring and boundless generosity by a course of piety, humility, and charity rarely equalled. His pure and lofty patriotism had never been sudied by one selfish thought. During many dark and dreary years, unblessed by domestic solace, he endured from his ghastly and in curable wounds, and without a murmur, sufferings and infirmities which it was painful to contemplate.

But this truly Christian hero knew where to seek for support in affliction; and to his latest breath his thoughts were more occupied with the sufferings of others than with his own. Such a digression, induced by accidental aUusion to scenes in which this lamented friend bore a conspicuous part, may serve to direct the attention of the nobler-minded of our youthful aspirants to the edifying example of a glorious naval Use, closed by a death far more glorious. The number of casualties in these and many more important expeditions, with the fevers incidental to the climate, which were greatly aggravated, and often rendered fatal, by the fatigues and privations inseparable from such services, that were often per formed in most unhealthy localities, and were too often aided by reckless individual imprudence, led to a constant demand upon the mother country for officers of the junior grades, who were continuaUy arriving in the West Indies to grasp at such tempting, but often delusive, prospects of promotion.

Some of the new-comers, like Rutherford, had been sent from head-quarters at home to receive the recompense of services already rendered ; but of course the greater number came recommended by powerful interest. Some few of them were fortunate youths, blessed with noble birth or high connections, and these appeared to consider rapid promotion as their birthright ; but they w*ere quite as prompt to face danger or privation, as their less-favoured or plebeian companions, — which in a great de gree extracted the sting from the openly avowed partiality in promotion — an abuse, moreover, too perfectly established and of too long standing to excite much comment or observation. This last sharp affair at had been of course canvassed in the squadron ; and Ralph's share in it proved a very favourable introduction to his new associates, the mid shipmen of the flag-ship, who were about twenty in number, most of them between seventeen and twenty years of age, though some few who had entered the service late, were much older.

All those who had served six years were candidates for promotion ; the prospect of vacancies, therefore, and the probable disposal of them, was frequently the subject of earnest debate in the berth ; but there had lately arisen a question, which for the moment excited a stdl more Uvely in terest. It had been proposed to purchase a hand some outfit, and to adopt a comparatively sumptuous style of living, in imitation of a mditary mess, with all the dignity of Lafitte and Champagne. " Midshipmen," argued the leading advo cate for this new order of things (an unedu cated and unpohshed youth, who had made much prize money), " are officers and gentle men ; but it is only by Uving as such, that we can maintain our consequence, and the credit of the ship." This proposal, which had often been mooted, though never before so distinctly proposed to the assembled mess, although by no means unanimously approved, was vehemently applauded by a considerable number, and coldly acquiesced in by a majority of those present.

Some who could afford it, reaUy wished it, whdst many with out permanent means for meeting such an expense, acquiesced because they had prize money enough to support it for the present, and trusted to chance for the future. Amongst those w*ho were most averse to the arrangement, no one would incur the risk of being thought poor or mean, though some ventured to oppose it upon other grounds. Two or three of the most able and influ ential men took no part in the debate, but looked ominously grave, to the great discom posure of its zealous advocates. " Rutherford," said Lord George Carleton, a fine manly youth, " do give us your opinion. I should like to see such a table kept, as I coidd ask my shore friends to, as at a regimental mess, though I would not wish to inconvenience others. What say you to it?"

Urged upon aU sides for his opinion, Ralph at length said : " I do not think that an expensive mess would confer credit upon us, or upon our ship, were it possible to maintain it, which is not the case. Many of us who find a difficulty in supporting the expense of a mess, consistent with our pay, and adapted to the rules and regulations of the service, must either withdraw from it, or involve ourselves in pecuniary difficulties ; in other words, in ruin and degradation. Many a man's prospects would thus be destroyed, and many a widowed mother's heart broken." He spoke with deep feehng, for his own in estimable mother was present to his thoughts. " And for what ? To attempt a feeble parody of that, which we have neither spaee nor means to imitate successfuUy, were it desi- B rable to do so, which it certainly is not.

The attempt would prove ruinous to our selves, and so injurious to the pubhc service, that if we should be weak enough to per sist, authority must sooner or later suppress it. I would suggest the general use of moderate priced wines, to the entire exclusion of spirits, which should never be permitted to enter a midshipman's berth upon any pretext ; and in such a change as that, the authorities could, and no doubt would, materiaUy assist us." Ralph's opinion was almost unanimously adopted ; for plain good sense, simply and manfully asserted, always carries weight. Many who would have acquiesced in the extravagance proposed contrary to their own interests and wishes, from false shame, be came bold and decided opponents to it under such a leader. "WeU," said Lord George, addressing Ralph with great good-humour, " I may at least claim the merit of being convinced that you are right ; and as you won't permit us to play the fool, and waste our loose cash here, come ashore with us at Port Royal to-night, that we may show you a specimen of West Indian fun and gaiety."

Ralph laughed : he could not but like the frank, gay youth who had so inge nuously and good-humouredly given way to his pleading, and who was indeed a most attractive person. " Come," resumed Carleton, " you have done good enough to quiet your conscience for one day, and may venture to dissipate a little now ; we have a jovial dinner at Suzy Atkins's, with one of your late leaders in the chair, supported by a set of real good feUows. Old Tom will be there, and he is in himself a host ; for what between laughing at him, and with him, the fun he produces is inexhaustible ; and then the dignity baU afterwards — 'twdl do your heart good to see it." Ralph shook his head good-humouredly. " I can assure you," resumed Carleton, " we wiU show you what wdl astonish one so fresh from the old country.

Few bad rooms can compare with ours for a display of beauty, both of face and form ; and as for grace and elegance, if we cannot boast of the subhme realities, you wdl at least see the most enchanting caricatures of both that it is possible to imagine." " Your description of a dignity bad," said Ralph laughing, " is sketched with much unction, and is indeed more than sufficiently attractive ; but the mail wdl start to-morrow, and my letters wiU occupy me aU this evening ; I must therefore beg to be excused, having important business to write about." " I am sorry for it," replied Carleton ; " and the more so, because you would have been sure to meet many of your comrades in your late affair." Thus rattled the gay and thoughtless Car leton, who soon after started for the shore with a large and merry party.

He was the leader of a wdd and roUicking set ; not that he was more dissipated than the others — less so indeed than most of them — but whilst his title, and his comparatively profuse ex penditure, enhsted many of the meaner spirited of his messmates under his banner, his good-humour and buoyant spirits made him a general favourite with such of the better sort as w*ere decidedly social and fro- Ucsome. " There's nothing in that feUow Ruther ford after aU," squeaked a pale, delicate looking youth, as he stepped out upon the wharf, on a remarkably slender pair of legs ; " he has no taste for a joUy good row — not he." The speaker was ever wont to be con spicuous at the commencement, or rather at the provocation of a row, wherever he might be at its close. "And yet," added a coarse, stumpy, hard featured toady of the young Lord, " though this Mr. Rutherford gives himself such airs, and must be courted forsooth, none of us know who he is, nor where he comes from."

" That may be, Tomkins," remarked Carleton, " but we know what he is, and where he came from last, which is more to the purpose, I wish he could have come with us ; but it's his loss, for we shaU have a regular joUy party." " Yes," cried another, " if only to fetch up the lee way for that last stupid cruize, where we have been hard worked, and half starved, and did nothing after aU." " Shuldham," said Ralph, as he closed his letters about noon next day ; addressing a mild, inteUectual looking young man, who had participated in the festivities of the preceding night, and who now sat with his elbows on the mess-table, resting his throbbing temples upon his hands : " you can have no taste for pine-apple punch parties, and dignity bads ; why then should you, my good feUow, embark in such destructive foUies, merely in imitation of men with coarser minds and harder heads ?

If you ready are what I believe you to be, a single effort wdl extricate you from aU this." Shuldham raised his languid eyes ; his face was deadly pale, but his brow was burning. He offered his fevered hand to Ralph. " I am to have a cruize in the tender," resumed Ralph, " and wdl get you named to go with me ; a cruize wdl soon set you right — no head-aches at sea — you shad cut the dissipation of our friends here at Port Royal. We shaU be better employed in looking out for enemy's cruizers : and who knows what luck we may have ?" Shuldham was really as Ralph had divined — a sensible, weU-disposed lad, but he was rather apt to be led away ; and as he could not boast of even the rudiment of a beard, was probably apprehensive that his manhood would be questioned, unless he did as others did ■ — a foolish fear which has led thousands into vicious courses, who had no natural propensity to such ways, and only learnt to relish them by practice.

Shuldham accepted this offer with great alacrity ; he felt gratified by such a mark of attention from Rutherford, who gtfted with a clear head, a strong spirit of self reliance and self-wdl, and well-proved courage, with pleasing manners, free from every taint of arrogance or presumption, necessardy had acquired a considerable degree of influence over the better sort of the less powerful minds around him. And this proved an important era in young Shuldham's life, for he was at once res cued from evd example — so fatal to docile youth — and became attached to a friend whose good qualities he was perfectly able to appreciate, and to whom he ever after looked up as a guide. Two days after this conversation, Ruther ford and his young friend saded upon their cruise in the ' Pickle' tender, with one gun and twenty men.

She was at tached to the flag-ship, and manned from her. There had been a rumour that some of the more turbulent and Ul-disposed slaves on estates near to the coast opposite St. Domingo, had held occasional intercourse with the revolted negroes of that island, which in the anarchical state of its barba rous population had become an object of considerable anxiety to the Government. The ' Pickle ' had been sent to watch the more secluded parts of the seaboard to pre vent aU such intercourse. For two days she had been retarded by calms and variable winds, but on the third morning being abreast of a remote and thinly-peopled district, Ralph hauled his little craft close in with the land whdst it was yet dark, and when the day broke a smad light schooner, evidently no trader, was seen lying-to, about two mdes ahead of the ' Pickle,' whilst half-way between the stranger and the tender, rowing to wards the former was a long galley, which could only avail herself of a few of her oars, from having goods of some sort piled up most unskdfuUy in her mid ships, which, as far as could be judged by the aid of the telescopes, appeared to be plunder hastdy thrown together — an appearance sufficiently alarm ing.

" This looks like mischief," said Ruther ford ; " fire a shot over the boat." No notice having been taken of the first shot, a second was fired at her, and as it feU close under the boat's stern she brought to, or rather the rowers dropped their oars and concealed themselves ; but as the tender was becalmed she continued to fire, tdl the boat's crew alarmed, resumed their oars and rowed their boat awkwardly, slowly, and unwidingly alongside the ' Pickle.' The strange schooner meantime, which was out of gun-shot, had shown no colours ; but having retained the breeze, had made aU sail, and steering for St. Domingo, was rapidly increasing her distance from the ' Pickle,' as she stiU lay becalmed.

Chapter II

Mr. Carteret, of Mount Cenis, an emi nent planter in Jamaica, having occasion to visit a smad estate on the sea-coast, where he had budt what in India would be caUed a bungalow, which afforded tolerable accommo dation for his family when business, or a wish to enjoy the cool, fresh sea-breezes of the Retreat — for so was this pleasant cottage named — induced him to leave, for a time, his commodious famdy-mansion in the moun tains, had set out upon one of these not un frequent excursions, taking with him his daughters, Julia and Laura, seventeen and sixteen years of age. Mrs. Carteret, who was a taU, thin, stiff, impracticable person, indifferent to everybody and everything, but her own indulgences and caprices; occupied with her own adments, real or imaginary, and very indolent, had de clined to accompany the party, as she had fre quently done of late, pleading that the exer tion was too much for her delicate state of health ; — being one of those sickly-looking ladies who are always weU enough to do anything they may wish to do, but quite in capable of doing anything that does not suit their fancy, however important to their fami lies.

Indeed, as this good lady was rarely pleased with anything, and querulously exacted unremitting attention from everybody, neither Mr. Carteret nor his daughters enjoyed their excursion the less that she had refused to be one of the party ; and as they rarely stayed at the Retreat more than a few days, the attendance of their faithful old nurse Jemima was considered to be quite sufficient. The little party started long before sunrise on a fine morning, and in great glee. No where is a short journey accomplished with more ease and pleasure, than amongst their native hdls, by the wealthy and often highly educated landed proprietors of Jamaica, amongst whom strong family attachments, and frank, open-hearted good-wiU prevad, at least as much as amongst any class of people on earth, cherished and polished by a course of habitual hospitality which, al though it may arise in a great degree from causes that can exert no such influence in England, gives a peculiar charm to West Indian society, and exercises a beneficial in fluence in promoting a spirit of frankness and cordiality in the West Indian social cha racter, very dear to the memory of those who have had the good fortune to enjoy it.

Nowhere is there a more delicious variety of hiU and dale, mountain gorge, and rugged precipice, torrent and waterfad, than in the route taken by Mr. Carteret from Mount Cenis to the Retreat, winding round the more difficult ground. The most gorgeous shrubs, cultivated with so much cost and care in our conservatories and hothouses, with others yet unknown to our gardeners, stood forth here in their own soft climate in their true character, as stately forest-trees, clothed in a fantastic garb of creeping plants ; some of these hanging in light festoons, and glowing with blossoms or berries, inter mingled with and relieved by broad sheets of grey and glittering mosses, which flowed, as it were, from amidst the dark foliage ; whilst the larger creepers descended to the ground in twisted, cordage-like masses, large as cables.

On the nearer trees, by the way-side, the wide-spreading branches bore an infinite variety of parasitical plants, often of singular, and even grotesque forms, but many of them beautiful. Myriads of bright and noisy birds fluttered and chattered amongst the thick, dark, yet many-shaded sea of leaves ; but it is vain to attempt to convey to our home-bred readers, the beauty of a scene which must be beheld to be fuUy appreciated. Such were the objects which courted their immediate attention as they rode gently on, winding their devious way amongst scattered rocks, and broken ground, garnished with aloe, prickly pear, and other tropical shrubs, of form and growth most strange to European eyes : whilst in the distance, more mighty specimens of tropical growth sprang up from every ravine, their surpassing magnitude es caping the observation of the careless passer by, because the purity of the atmosphere misled him as to the distances of objects.

" Julia," said Mr. Carteret, " observe that large tree, raising its solitary head from the rich hoUow at the foot of yon conspicuous precipice." " I see it," replied Julia, " but perceive nothing very remarkable in it : it's a large tree, but that's ad !" ' You must see a conspicuous white speck on the top of that tree ; and if you do, what in your wisdom do you suppose that white speck to be ?" " I suppose, my dear father," said the Uvely girl, laughing, " that it is the skeleton of a plump turkey, carried off by some viUanous buzzard from your stock-yard, to the great indignation of old Sambo, and devoured at leisure upon that inaccessible perch, the vile marauder rocking himself luxuriously in the cool mountain breeze whilst he enjoyed his repast." "Nay, Julia, my love, you are far from the mark.

That white speck is nothing less than the skeleton of an old blind horse, who having faUen over the precipice immediately above it, lodged on the topmost branches of that huge tree, where his weight, or his struggles, making no impression, he became the victim of birds of prey ; and you have mistaken the skeleton of a horse for that of a farm-yard fowl ; nor do I wonder at it, s deceptive is the effect of this pure moun tain atmosphere upon our powers of vision. VOL. I. C Julia, I wished to show you how difficult it is in these hills to judge of the size of distant objects, or of distances." Thus beguiling the length of their journey, which had graduaUy become oppressively warm, they at length hailed with dehght a view of the sea, with its cool refreshing breeze, equaUy acceptable to horse and rider ; and having arrived at the Retreat, with just such a sense of fatigue as served to enhance the comforts of rest and refreshment, our little party were soon enjoy ing from the broad latticed verandah, which occupied the whole front of the building, their fondly-cherished view of the dark blue ocean, gently rippled by the breeze, dotted here and there with the white sail of the returning fisherman, or the massive form of the deep-laden drogher, creeping along shore with her heavy cargo — their prospect only bounded by a hazy, indistinct, cloudy appearance, raised far above the natural horizon.

" May not that be a dim view of those St. Domingo mountains, concerning which we hear such dreadful tales?" said Laura, shuddering. " They certainly lie in that direction, Julia." " You are afraid of your own shadow, I believe," replied her sister ; " but St. Domingo is far enough from us." " I hope so, Julia, but Jemima was speak ing of it, just now : the dear old soul was in one of her superstitious moods, and declared she could not look in that direction without a shudder." " Oh ! yes," replied Julia, somewhat scorn fully, " Jemima has been out of spirits all day, for whdst we were enjoying the beautiful scenery around us, in our descent from the hiUs, the poor old creature could see nothing but evd omens. She heard too the scream of that rare bird, which their fetish men tell them always forbodes misfortune ; 'twas enough to alarm one to hear her ; but I have no faith in such nonsense." c And yet she was not quite so firm as she had professed to be, for Mr. Carteret soon after happening to join them, found her lean ing pensively upon the window-ledge with her large, dark, expressive eyes fixed almost apprehensively on the distant horizon.

" What ails thee, my darling ?" said the father, as he smoothed down her glossy ringlets. " I know not," she repUed ; " but does not St. Domingo lie upon yonder horizon, and not far off, and what sad tales of rapine and murder have reached us from that ill-fated shore ! Jemima was talking of it with alarm in one of her queer fits to-day, and though I laughed at her gloomy fancies, somehow they seem to have affected me also." Mr. Carteret smiled at Julia's momentary alarm, and momentary it was, for fre quent and fitful were her changes of mood, though the joyous one largely predominated, and she was soon once more aU life and animation. To the slaves on the estate the arrival of the family was ever more or less a jubilee, bringing them, through their young mis tresses, some advantage or indulgence.

The negro women hailed their arrival with joy, and the children with screams of delight — for negro joy is ever clamorous. The kind hearted girls always bestowed much notice on these chddren, and had their favourites amongst them. No sooner did Julia and Laura, therefore, make their appearance out of doors in the evening, attended by Jemima, than a wild and joyful shout broke forth from the expectant crowd, to announce the important event. The reader has doubtless seen the rush of barn-door fowls, when the farmer's wife enters their domain at the long-expected hour, holding with both hands her widely distended apron, teeming with bright barley ; such was the rush and the flutter of that whole laughing, chattering bevy of soot coloured picaninnies, true disciples of Momus ; their white teeth and eyeballs glittering amongst their shining black faces, whilst their huge, round, woolly heads, mounted guard so strangely over their protuberant bodies, which half concealed their slender, misshapen legs, stuck almost in the middle of a long, thin, uninstepped foot, imparting a most grotesque effect to the broad and merry grin, which literaUy distended the thick-lipped mouth from ear to ear.

But they were beauties in their mother's eyes, and the dark, but often comely matrons watched with delighted looks, each, as her own peculiar darling became the object of momentary notice to Julia or to Laura. The latter was more gentle and more discriminating than her sister, adapting herself more carefuUy to the habits and feelings of the negroes ; yet both were kind and famdiar with the children, and each had brought presents for her favourites. It would have surprised some of our worthy out-and-out emancipists, who cannot for a moment divest slavery of the fetter and the lash, to have seen with what evidently accustomed familiarity these dark pickaninnies sported around the fair girls, even clinging to them, and embracing their knees playfuUy, with uproarious laughter. That these things were so, is unquestionable, and that domestic slaves often led an easy life, indulged even, and pampered is equally so ; yet was it far otherwise with the great body of fieldslaves ; and slavery, modify it as you may, is stdl the horror of horrors, not less a curse to the oppressor than to the oppressed !

Mr. Carteret was a just and a kind master, prudent and vigilant ; stiU much went on at the Retreat which he knew not, and could not possibly have known. Night came rapidly as usual with sun down, and all was bright, and calm, and tranqud in an atmosphere laden with rich and spicy odours. Our little group, almost too indolent to talk, enjoyed the delicious coolness of the air in the broad verandah, sipping the grateful sherbet, icy and fragrant with the fresh lime and other Indian fruits and herbs, mingled with masterly skiU ; a light breeze had sprung up to ripple the broad waters murmuring at their feet ; the rays of the descending moon glittered amongst the transparent dew-drops which gemmed the slightly quivering foliage of the more feathery of the plants, whilst in the deeply-shaded spots, the fireflies sported in ever-fluttering myriads, alighting occa sionaUy here and there, and spreading far and near their brilliant though puny splendour.

It was indeed a scene of surpassing loveliness, in full harmony with the feeling of quiet, peaceful happiness which pervaded the hearts of our young girls, as they gazed upon the ever-varying picture ; for the tropical moon, more dazzling than a noon-day's winter sun in northern climes, slowly descending, in all its unshorn splen dour, beneath the unbroken horizon, lighted up the face of the waters gorgeously; and the deepening shadows on the landward side of the groves acquired additional gloom from the streaks and sprays of vivid light, which yet lingered amidst the topmost branches of the loftier trees, penciding their varied and fantastic outline on the dark blue sky. It is difficult to quit such soft and soothing scenes, such sweet and balmy air, even to seek that repose which, in so enervating a climate, nature demands after a day of unwonted exertion, however pleasurable ; but the faithful Jemima became importunate, and at length she spoke as she was somewhat wont to do, with the voice of authority, till her unwilling charges yielded to her persuasions, and retired languid and fatigued with the pleasures of the past day, fondly anticipating stiU greater happiness on the morrow. c Mr. Carteret still lingered in the verandah, enjoying his cigar ; his thoughts, hitherto almost exclusively occupied with his young companions, took, in their absence, a more serious turn.