CHAPTER 2
He was making good practice, well into a bawdy little tune of an earlier century: 'Watkins' Ale.' He sat on the aftermost taffrail flag-lockers, feet atop the edge of the coach-top built into the quarterdeck to give his great-cabins light and air. The skylights were open to air out those cabins, and his cox'n Andrews was supervising a working- party in repainting and touching up the ravages of two years' active commission.
Damme, but I've got rather good at this, he exulted, fingering a sprightly elaboration onto the basic melody, like grace-notes on a bagpipe.
A flageolet, some might call it, were they speaking classical. But really it was a tin whistle. He had no lip for a proper flute, fife or recorder, such as his wife Caroline played so well. To most of his ship's people- his Irishmen, Welsh, his Lowland Scots and the West Country folk-it was called the lowly penny-whistle.
But it felt like a penny-whistle day to Alan Lewrie, Commander, Royal Navy, and captain of HMS
Caroline had bought the first one in the Bahamas, back in '86, as a Christmas gift. That one he'd lost in '93, when his mortar-boat went down in Toulon Harbour during the siege. And good riddance to bad rubbish had been most people's opinion, for he'd been horrid at it. This new one Caroline had waiting for him when
The last year or so, the isolation enforced upon a captain-a
And if Mister Edward Buchanon, the Sailing Master, was right, Lewrie mused as he played-
'Oh, here's one, sir!' Mr. Hyde chuckled, once they were done with the curious old maid, done in at last and seduced by draughts of 'Watkins' Ale.' 'A little slower, perhaps, but… 'Barbara Allen'?'
Mr. Hyde had bought himself a guitar the last time he'd gone ashore at Genoa and was getting decent at it; he had even dared to sit in with
'Aye, let's give that 'un a go,' Lewrie said, chuckling. 'Bit of an odd choice to include, though. The book is called
'We could make a reel of it, sir.' Hyde grinned. 'And I do know the words.'
'Right, then.'
A
Except for the few hands and warrants in the harbour-watch and anchor-watch, most were free for once to 'caulk or yarn' however they wished; to nap and catch up on lost sleep, gab and tell tall tales under the awnings spread below the course-yards. Carve wood or salt beef so old it could be made into snuffboxes, rings or combs! Or, simply whittle, chew tobacco, smoke a pipe or two on the upper decks, write letters home, or dictate letters to those who could write; read letters over again, or have them read to them by the literate. Some amused themselves playing with a pet bird, a cat or a puppy.
The crew was free of what now seemed like a pointless, and disheartening, blockade of the Genoese Republic, free of escorting merchant convoys cross the Ligurian Sea, or patrolling for raiding French privateers or warships. HMS
Her yards were crossed and squared to geometric precision, her braces, halliards and lift-lines as taut as bowstrings, all her running rigging showpiece-perfect. Her boats were alongside, soaking seawater into planking too long kept dry on the boat-tier beams which spanned the waist. They nuzzled at both larboard and starboard entry- ports like contented piglets, lifted to thump softly like hungry barrows now and again by the slight wind and wavelets of San Fiorenzo Bay.
Belying her 'Bristol-Fashion' perfection, though, were laundry and loose-hung sails. Fresh water for washing clothing was a luxury rarely allowed; the ration was a gallon per man per day, and most of that went into the steep-tubs to boil rations. In port, they could use as much fresh water as they liked, for a water-hoy came alongside almost every morning to replenish Jester's ready-use casks on the weather deck. So, during a 'Make And Mend' day, sailors scrubbed the irritating, thread-grating salt from their clothing and hung it up to dry, so it wouldn't sandpaper their hides or wear out, for a time.
So, too, the suits of sails. Salt crystals, mildew, damp-rot or dry-rot could ruin her sails: the set she wore, or the set stored below as replacements,
Three days
'No, let's start over,' Lewrie insisted after one verse. 'It don't sound right that fast, Mister Hyde. Let's do the proper measure.'
He tilted his head back, eyes closed; he knew 'Barbara Allen' well enough by ear, anyway. His head was bare of his gold-laced cocked hat, his medium brown hair was bleached at the sides almost a taffy-blond by cruel sun, his neck-stock was cast aside and his shirt opened to mid-waist, and his sleeves were rolled up above his elbows. The sun was nowhere near the torrid murderer of a high-summer day, when Corsica stewed under her infamous 'Lion Sun,' felling ships' companies and regiments down by dozens.
There was just enough warmth to make it blessedly pleasant, and just enough of a light breeze from the Sou'east, up from Egypt or Cyrenaica, to hint at the heat to come as spring blossomed anew.
An idle day of rest. He smiled round the mouthpiece of his tin whistle. A day to celebrate, too: mail from home, fresh livestock in the manger, and a rare Corsican yearling bullock already slaughtered, with a large joint saved out for his own supper. Fresh salad greens as well, and loaf-bread, for a change. Only local cheeses, but succulent and