'Why, aboard an East Indiaman for the better
'All of which, sir, anchor here in James's Valley harbour, for the very good reason that the only other possible anchorage where any ship of worth or deep draught may come-to is Rupert's Valley, which is totally uninhabited… for the very good reason that there is not a drop of fresh water to be had, there, sir,' Capt. Graves belaboured. 'In
Capt. Graves (no kin to the influential Royal Navy Graveses) exhibited reasonably great patience, himself, and, for a tarry-handed and
'Then we could flog them blind, as an example to the others,' Capt. Philpott of HMS
'The island is thinly settled, Captain Graves,' Treghues said, with a thin-lipped aspersion. 'All they'd have to do is scamper into the hills, live off the land for a few weeks to wait us out,
'The island's thinly settled, sir,' Capt. Graves quickly said, 'for
'Then 'John Company,' or the garrison of the forts, gives them their floggings, and holds them in gaol 'til the next warship arrives, sir,' Capt. Philpott stuck in, again. 'Pity.'
Treghues snapped his head about to glare his displeasure at such a waggish comment, but found Philpott's phyz composed in a wide-eyed, benign expression which expression made Lewrie hide a grin with his fist to his mouth, and stifle a snort of amusement. Treghues swivelled about to bestow upon him an even sterner glare.
'You said something cogent, Captain Lewrie?' Treghues snapped. 'Is there a notion you wished to contribute, sir?'
'Erm… only that I am quite in agreement with Captain Graves, and Captain Philpott, Sir Tobias,' Lewrie declared. 'Though I've not called here before, it seems evident that there's nothing upon which a deserter might victual, outside this little one-street village, and no place where any such might even find shelter. No trees to cut down to make a crude lean-to, to get out of the incessant winds. There are no beaches from which to fish. With only four hundred or so soldiers in the garrison, not over a thousand residents all-told, unemployed tars would stick out like sore thumbs, and be taken up right-promptly.'
'A sailor
'Though, may I point out, Sir Tobias,' Capt. Philpott eagerly added to Lewrie's remarks, finding a willing ally, 'that sailors who were not allowed ashore in England before our departure, kept aboard at Recife, kept aboard here at Saint Helena, possibly denied liberty ashore at Cape Town, too, might be
'Oh, rot, sir!' Treghues sneered, all but rolling his eyes in scorn. 'Your average English tar is a drunken, ignorant, and irksome lout who'd sink into sloth, crime, and alcoholic stupors given the opportunity, Captain Philpott. Without continual watchfulness, without unending discipline to rein in their baser desires, they'd run riot in a twinkling! Oh, I'll grant you, there are
HMS
'But two whole days 'Out of Discipline' since departing England, Sir Tobias,' Capt. Graves cautiously pressed. ' 'Gainst currents, and winds to here as long a voyage as it took to fetch Recife, with perhaps better than a month more 'til we break passage at Cape Town, assuming we even do… liberty here at Saint Helena is the
That's why there were two ships of the line in the escort; once past Cape Town and Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, some of their trade would head for Bombay, some would bend their course for the Strait of Malacca, and China, with a two-decker 74 for escort. Treghues would choose which duty HMS
'Jack Ass Point, and the foreign factors' compound at Canton, sir,' Lewrie said, 'I
'I was not aware you took
'Wasn't merchant service, sir,' Lewrie responded with a smile. 'Some secret work for the Foreign Office aboard a false trader, armed and crewed by the Navy. Bombay, too, sir. Well, my experience was in Calcutta, up the Hooghly, but… there's nowhere for English tars to run among the Hindoos, either. Not for long, if they don't speak a word of the language, sir. Ports in India might not be walled off from the local population like Canton is, but they might as well be, for all the good they'd do potential deserters. And, as I recall it, every ship that put in was allowed shore liberty… liberal liberty, sir. If our hands'll be allowed liberty at Bombay and Canton, what's the harm in allowing liberty here, where they have
'For the very good reason, sir, that they will run
'On
'Sir!' Capt. Treghues barked, slamming a palm on his desk for punctuation. 'You exceed proper bounds, Captain Graves! Aye, there's very few public houses or taverns hereabouts, and
'Exactly what the publicans and tavern keepers look forward to, I'd expect, sir,' Capt. Philpott blandly suggested. 'How'd they make their livings, else? The garrison and the locals can't be much of a livelihood, sir.'
'And, there's Wigmore's Travelling Extravaganza, too,' Lewrie quickly seconded. 'They've a decent band, and do musicals, comedies, and dramas, in addition to their circus performances, sir. All quite innocent, no more harmful than letting discharged sailors free in Covent Garden or Drury Lane, sir. It'd go hard for our people, to know that they're performing for the garrison, but
'You're entirely right, Sir Tobias,' Capt. Graves was quick to exclaim, scooting forward to the edge of his chair in his eagerness to make his point, 'a taut hand and consistent discipline's the very thing to make an efficient ship, but it