Part 37 (2/2)
In a short time the Arab rowed alongside the flag-s.h.i.+p.
”Och! Ally ma boo hook.u.m foldimaronky bang,” said the Arab, looking up.
”Well, now,” exclaimed a surprised Irish tar on board to those near him, ”it's often. I've heard that the Arabs had the brogue of Owld Ireland, though the lingo don't square exactly.”
”Ah then, brother, that's 'cause ye don't onderstand it. Sure ye might heave us a rope,” replied the Arab with a grin.
A roar of laughter greeted this speech, and in another minute Ted Flaggan stood bowing modestly on the quarter-deck of the flag-s.h.i.+p.
While the Admiral was closeted with this unexpected visitor--whose name and deeds, owing to some strange oversight, have been omitted from history,--a light breeze sprang up, which enabled the fleet to stand into the bay and lay-to about a mile from the town.
Meanwhile, Ted Flaggan, having given the Admiral all the information he possessed as to the condition of the city and its defences, was sent forward to take part in the expected fight, or go below out of harm's way, as suited him best. He immediately attached himself, as a supernumerary, to one of the upper-deck guns, and, while giving his amused comrades graphic accounts of life in the pirate city, obtained from them in return a full account of the fleet, and the intentions of the Admiral, as far as these were known. He found his comrades very intelligent, and full of enthusiasm about their leader, whom one of the tars styled ”one of the wery best Admirals that England ever owned arter Lord Nelson!”
Their admiration was well deserved.
We have already said that the Admiral had commissioned his fleet and got it into excellent working condition in what was deemed a miraculously short s.p.a.ce of time. This, however, was accomplished by no miraculous means, but by the simple force of indomitable energy, rightly and perseveringly applied.
Knowing that the time was short, and that a fleet newly manned could not work well without a great deal of training, he made up for the shortness of time by not allowing a single moment of it to be lost, frittered away, or misapplied. Besides giving the men the usual and proper training while in port preparing to sail, he made several arrangements whereby he continued the training most effectively on the voyage out.
Of course it was carried on daily. On Tuesdays and Fridays the s.h.i.+ps were cleared for action, and six broadsides were fired, but this was only what may be styled parade practice. Feeling that actual work could only be done well by men of actual experience, he had a twelve-pounder gun placed on the after part of the _Queen Charlotte's_ quarter-deck, and hung a small target, with a very small bull's-eye, at the end of the fore-topmast studding-sail boom, at which all the captains of guns practised every day, so that they acquired not only the habit of laying and working their guns according to rule, but also the art of laying them to good purpose, and many of them became crack shots before they came within sight of the enemy.
The crews were thus kept active and elated; in good health, and filled with respect for the wisdom and knowledge of those in command, as well as with confidence in their own capacity to obey orders with prompt.i.tude, unity of action, and vigorous effect.
Half the battles of life, moral as well as physical, are gained by such confidence, founded on experience,--the other half are lost for want of it!
The fleet comprised five line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps, two of which were three-deckers; three heavy and two smaller frigates, besides small craft. At Gibraltar they fell in with a Dutch squadron, consisting of five small frigates and a corvette, under Vice-Admiral the Baron Van de Capellen, who asked and obtained leave to co-operate.
There were the _Queen Charlotte_--110 guns--the flag-s.h.i.+p of Admiral Lord Exmouth, G.C.B., under Captain James Brisbane, C.B.; _Impregnable_, 98--under Rear-Admiral Milne, who was second in command, and Captain Edward Brace, C.B.; _Superb_, 74--Captain Charles Elkins; _Minden_, 74-- Captain William Paterson; _Albion_, 74--Captain John Coode. Of frigates, there were the _Leander_, 50 guns; _Severn_, 40; _Glasgow_, 40; _Granicus_, 36; and _Hebrus_, 36. These, with five gun-brigs and four bomb-vessels, named respectively, and not inappropriately, _Beelzebub_, _Fury_, _Hecla_, and _Infernal_, const.i.tuted the British fleet.
The Dutch Admiral hoisted his flag in the _Melampus_ frigate of 44 guns.
The _Frederica_, of same size, was commanded by Captain Van der Straten. The other four vessels were smaller. There were, besides, a flotilla of fifty-five small craft, including mortar and gun-boats, rocket flats, yawls, etcetera.
Opposed to this, which the reader will bear in remembrance was deemed a small fleet, there were on the walls and batteries of Algiers about 500 guns of all sizes and sorts, behind which were inexhaustible supplies of ammunition, and many thousands of as thorough-going rascals as ever defied the strength and tried the patience of the civilised world!
Being thoroughly acquainted with the position and strength of the batteries of the city, Lord Exmouth had arranged the plan of attack, and a.s.signed to each s.h.i.+p and boat its particular station some days before arriving. The addition of the Dutch fleet modified but did not materially alter that plan. Each individual, therefore, from Lord Exmouth to the smallest powder-monkey, was as well primed for action as were the guns of the fleet when the flag of truce returned.
It had been met outside the mole about eleven AM by the captain of the port, and an answer was promised in two hours.
But these pirates had never been celebrated for keeping their word. One o'clock pa.s.sed, but no answer was forthcoming. Patient and long-suffering as usual--and as he always is--the British Lion delayed a full hour.
”Ah, boys, if we wait till we git a peaceful answer from them villains, we'll wait till doomsday, so we will,” said Ted Flaggan to the men of the gun to which he had attached himself.
Ted had thrown off his burnous and washed himself by this time, and now, clad in a borrowed pair of ducks and striped s.h.i.+rt, he stood by the gun commenting pleasantly on his experiences of Algerine life, and pointing out the various buildings and objects of interest in the city to his mates.
”That big white house there,” said he, ”right fornint ye, with the round top an' the staple all to wan side--that's wan o' the chief mosques.
It's somewhere about two hunderd year ould, more or less, an' was built by a slave--a poor feller of a Genoese--an', would you belave it, they kilt him for the shape he gave it! Ah, they're a bad lot intirely!
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