Command

'I'm not sure if you're aware that the Maltese, sir . . . They're reputed to be the Pope's staunchest sons.'

'Popish?' When promoted lieutenant, Kydd had sworn to abjure Stuart claims to the throne and the Catholic religion. 'If I don't see 'em at it, I'll never know,' he answered briskly. He hailed the master. 'Mr Bonnici. How many hands could ye scrape together—prime hands, mark you?'

'Perhaps one, possible two . . . t'ousand.'

Kydd grinned. 'Then I'll take thirty at once, d' ye hear? When can you get 'em aboard?'

'When ye needs them, sir. But . . .'

'Yes?'

'Sir, these men have not th' experience with the Navy I have. Sir, do not expec' them to . . . to spik English.'

A watch-on-deck who could not understand orders? Having to mime everything to be done? But nothing was going to stop him now: if they were intelligent, the common usages of the sea would draw them together. 'Then they'll have t' learn. Any who can't stand a watch on account o' not understanding orders in one month goes back ashore directly, an' we find someone who can.'

He rounded on the first lieutenant. 'So! Mr Dacres, why are we not yet at th' ordnance wharf?'

Beautiful! Kydd admired the deadly black six-pounders on their neat little carriages ranging down the deck edge—eight to a side, and two smaller, demurely crouched in his great cabin as chase guns. And all unused, originally from the arsenal of the knights of Malta. Gun parties were bringing the cannon to the right state of gleaming with canvas, brickdust and the assiduous application of a sovereign mixture of blacking, Mr Duckitt's own recipe.

'Mr Purchet!' The boatswain looked aft warily. 'I'll see sails bent on th' fore—we'll start with the fore course, testing th' gear as we go.' The pace was quickening: Kydd wanted to see sail aloft, even if it was not in earnest. While still at anchor the fore yard would be braced round side on to the light morning breeze and the sail loosed. All the gear—buntlines and slablines, halliards and braces—could thus be proved without hazard.

And the men also. The two-masted brig would be handier in stays than any ship-rigged vessel and their resources of men were far greater than any merchant brig. But when fighting for their lives in action there could be no idle hands.

Evening light stealing in brought activity to a close, and Kydd felt he had some measure of his men. Purchet was too free with his rope's end and Laffin had followed his example with relish. He could not check the boatswain in front of the men but he would see him privately.

He was fortunate in his topmen—they seemed at home on Teazer's yards and handled sail well; there was a pleasing rivalry developing between fore- and mainmast, which also implied an undeclared interest in the officers—Dacres at the main and Bowden at the fore. Kydd noted that Dacres went below for a speaking trumpet while Bowden urged on his men in a manly bawl.

The Maltese had come as promised, diverting to a degree for Teazer's company. Bare-footed, each with a colourful sash and a long floppy cap from within which they found tobacco, papers and personal oddments, they were small but of a wiry build and had darting dark eyes.

Bonnici stood at Kydd's side as he inspected them. Their origins were the mercantile marine of Malta, now with their livelihood reduced to nothing. 'They may not wear a sash, Mr Bonnici, an' they vittle with our men,' Kydd ordered.

He turned to Dacres. 'Would you be s' good as to see me in my cabin with y'r workings, Mr Dacres? I mean to try Teazer at sea very soon.' Before they could, the ship's company would have to be detailed off to cover all the chief manoeuvres: unmooring ship, reefing sail, putting about—it was a complex job but essential if there were to be skilled hands in the right place to get it done. This was a task for a ship's first lieutenant; in Teazer, her only other officer.

Kydd saw that Dacres had made a fair start. Each man would have a place in either the larboard or starboard watch, which was further subdivided into the first and second part. With the men assigned to their part-of-ship it was possible to specify, for instance, that in the manoeuvre of setting sail it would be the main topmen of the first part of the starboard watch assisted by topmen of the second of larboard that would perform this particular action.

Every man had an entry in the muster book that specified his rate and entitlements and there was a mess number that told at which of the snug tables of six friends he could be found at mealtimes. A hammock mark was the man's indication where his hammock should be slung and all was keyed together in a careful and consistent structure.

But it was only that—a structure: the quality and balance of the men comprising it would determine its success. Kydd inspected the paper lists: unknown names, numbers, duties. Would it hang together?

'Mr Peck will assist ye in drawing up y'r watch an' station bill. We leave the quarter bill for later.' The fighting stations in it would be relatively straightforward to bring to organisation.

'May I know when we shall have your orders, sir?'

Dacres was entitled to ask for written Captain's Orders, but they would have to wait. 'Later. How are th' people settling in?'

'In fine—fractious. They seem to have no idea of the difficulties we are under at this time, sir, and will persist in coming to me with their petty vexations. Daniel Hawkins had the effrontery to claim allowance against local victuals used in place of the scale of salted provisions, the rogue.'

A seaman's horizons were necessarily limited: if he saw that the safe, secure round of his daily routines was in disarray it was fundamentally unsettling. Sea routine would see to that, but Kydd knew that here an unwritten bargain was at risk: that of an officer's duty to provide for his men in return for their loyalty. Again, the comfort of settled routine at sea would take care of this. Hawkins was trying an old trick; there would be many more such.

Dacres was keeping his distance from the men, not understanding them, distrustful. Kydd did not let this dampen his spirits. 'But on th' whole a splendid day,' he said to his first lieutenant. 'Do ye care to join me f'r dinner, sir?'

It was the first time Kydd had entertained; his great cabin was not yet to his satisfaction because he had had no time ashore and diminishing means to pay for the necessary adornments that would give it individuality. As a result it now possessed a Spartan plainness.