Captain Canot; Or, Twenty Years of an African Slaver
alongside us with their noisy and clamorous crews.
Just at this very moment a friendly hand passed through my arm, and a
gentle tone invited me to a quarter-deck promenade. It was our
captain!
There was, of course, no possibility of declining the proffered
civility, for during the whole of my detention on board, the commander
had treated me with the most assiduous politeness.
"_Mon cher Canot_," said he, as soon as we got aft,--"you seem to take
considerable interest in these visitors of ours, and I wish from the
bottom of my heart that you could join the sport; _but, unfortunately
for you, these gentlemen will not effect their purpose_!"
As I did not entirely comprehend,--though I rather guessed,--his
precise meaning, I made an evasive answer; and, arm in arm I was led
from the deck to the cabin. When we were perfectly alone, he pointed
to a seat, and frankly declared that I had been betrayed by a Judas to
his sergeant of marines! I was taken perfectly aback, as I imagined
myself almost free, yet the loss of liberty did not paralyze me as
much as the perfidy of my men. Like a stupid booby, I stood gazing
with a fixed stare at the captain, when the cabin door burst open, and
with a shout of joyous merriment the hunters rushed in to greet their
comrade.
My dress that morning was a very elaborate _neglige_. I had purposely
omitted coat, braces, stockings and shoes, so that my privateer
costume of trowsers and shirt was not calculated for the reception of
strangers. It was natural, therefore, that the first sally of my
friendly liberators should be directed against my toilette; I parried
it, however, as adroitly as my temper would allow, by reproaching them
with their "unseasonable visit, before I could complete the _bath_
which they saw I was prepared for!"
The hint was understood; but the captain thought proper to tell the
entire tale. No man, he said, would have been happier than he, had I
escaped before the treachery. My friends were entreated not to risk
further attempts, which might subject me to severe restraints; and my
base comrades were forthwith summoned to the cabin, where, in presence
of the merchants, they were forced to disgorge the three thousand
francs and the chronometer.
"But this," said Captain Z----, "is not to be the end of the
comedy,--_en avant, messieurs_!" as he led the way to the mess-room,
where a sumptuous _dejeuner_ was spread for officers and huntsmen, and
over its fragrant fumes my disappointment was, for a while, forgotten.
CHAPTER XLIV.
For fifteen days more the angry captive bit his thumbs on the taffrail
of the guard-ship, and gazed either at vacancy or the waters of the
Senegal. At the end of that period, a gunboat transferred our convict
party to the frigate Flora, whose first lieutenant, to whom I had been
privately recommended, separated me immediately from my men. The
scoundrels were kept close prisoners during the whole voyage to
France, while my lot was made as light as possible, under the severe
sentence awarded at San Luis.
The passage was short. At Brest, they landed me privately, while my
men and officers were paraded through the streets at mid-day, under a
file of _gens d'armes_. I am especially grateful to the commander of
this frigate, who alleviated my sufferings by his generous demeanor in
every respect, and whose representations to the government of France
caused my sentence to be subsequently modified to simple imprisonment.
I have so many pleasant recollections of this voyage as a convict in
the Flora, that I am loth to recount the following anecdote; yet I
hardly think it ought to be omitted, for it is characteristic in a
double aspect. It exhibits at once the chivalric courtesy and the
coarse boorishness of some classes in the naval service of France, at
the period I am describing.
On board our frigate there were two Sisters of Charity, who were
returning to their parent convent in France, after five years of
colonial self-sacrifice in the pestilential marshes of Africa. These
noble women lodged in a large state-room, built expressly for their
use and comfort on the lower battery-deck, and, according to the
ship's rule, were entitled to mess with the lieutenants in their
wardroom. It so happened, that among the officers, there was one of
those vulgar dolts, whose happiness consists in making others as
uncomfortable as possible, both by bullying manners and lewd
conversation. He seemed to delight in losing no opportunity to offend
the ladies while at table, by ridiculing their calling and piety; yet,
not content with these insults, which the nuns received with silent
contempt, he grew so bold on one occasion, in the midst of dinner, as
to burst forth with a song so gross, that it would have disgraced the
orgies of a _cabaret_. The Sisters instantly arose, and, next morning,
refused their meals in the wardroom, soliciting the steward to supply
them a sailor's ration in their cabin, where they might be free from
dishonor.
But the charitable women were soon missed from mess, and when the
steward's report brought the dangerous idea of a court-martial before
the terrified imagination of the vulgarians, a prompt resolve was made
to implore pardon for the indecent officer, before the frigate's
captain could learn the outrage. It is needless to add that the
surgeon--who was appointed ambassador--easily obtained the mercy of
these charitable women, and that, henceforth, our lieutenants'
wardroom was a model of social propriety.
THE PRISON OF BREST.
I was not very curious in studying the architecture of the strong
stone lock-up, to which they conducted me in the stern and ugly old
rendezvous of Brest. I was sick as soon as I beheld it from our deck.
The entrance to the harbor, through the long, narrow, rocky strait,
defended towards the sea by a frowning castle, and strongly fortified
towards the land, looked to me like passing through the throat of a
monster, who was to swallow me for ever. But I had little time for
observation or reflection on external objects,--my business was with
_interiors_: and when the polite midshipman with whom I landed bade
farewell, it was only to transfer me to the _concierge_ of a prison
within the royal arsenal. Here I was soon joined by the crew and
officers. For a while, I rejected their penitence; but a man who is
suddenly swept from the wild liberty of Africa, and doomed for ten
years to penitential seclusion, becomes wonderfully forgiving when
loneliness eats into his heart, and eternal silence makes the sound of
his own voice almost insupportable. One by one, therefore, was
restored at least to sociability; so that, when I embraced the
permission of our keeper to quit my cell, and move about the prison
bounds, I found myself surrounded by seventy or eighty marines and
seamen, who were undergoing the penalties of various crimes. The whole
establishment was under the _surveillance_ of a naval commissary,
subject to strict regulations. In due time, two spacious rooms were
assigned for my gang, while the jailer, who turned out to be an
amphibious scamp,--half sailor, half soldier,--assured us, "on the
honor of a _vieux militaire_," that his entire jurisdiction should be
our limits so long as we behaved with propriety.
Next day I descended to take exercise in a broad court-yard, over
whose lofty walls the fresh blue sky looked temptingly; and was
diligently chewing the cud of bitter fancies, when a stout elderly
man, in shabby uniform, came to a military halt before me, and,
abruptly saluting in regulation style, desired the favor of a word.
"_Pardon, mon brave!_" said the intruder, "but I should be charmed if
_Monsieur le capitaine_ will honor me by the information whether it
has been his lot to enjoy the accommodations of a French prison, prior
to the unlucky mischance which gives us the delight of his society!"
"No," said I, sulkily.
"_Encore_," continued the questioner, "will it be disagreeable, if I
improve this opportunity, by apprising Monsieur _le capitaine_, on
the part of our companions and comrades, of the regulations of this
royal institution?"
"By no means," returned I, somewhat softer.
"Then, _mon cher_, the sooner you are initiated into the mysteries of
the craft the better, and no one will go through the ceremony more
explicitly, briefly and satisfactorily, than myself--_le Caporal
Blon_. First of all, _mon brave_, and most indispensable, as your good
sense will teach you, it is necessary that every new comer is bound to
pay his footing among the '_government boarders_;' and as you,
Monsieur le capitaine, seem to be the honored _chef_ of this charming
little squadron, I will make bold to thank you for a _Louis d'or_, or
a _Napoleon_, to insure your welcome."
The request was no sooner out than complied with.
"_Bien!_" continued the corporal, "_c'est un bon enfant, parbleu!_
Now, I have but one more _mystere_ to impart, and that is a regulation
which no clever chap disregards. We are companions in misery; we sleep
beneath one roof; we eat out of one kettle;--in fact, _nous sommes
freres_, and the _secrets of brothers are sacred, within these walls,
from jailers and turnkeys_!"
As he said these words, he pursed up his mouth, bent his eyes
scrutinizingly into mine, and laying his finger on his lip, brought
his right hand once more, with a salute, to the oily remnant of a
military cap.
I was initiated. I gave the required pledge for my party, and, in
return, was assured that, in any enterprise undertaken for our
escape,--which seemed to be the great object and concern of every
body's prison-life,--we should be assisted and protected by our
fellow-sufferers.
Most of this day was passed in our rooms, and, at dark, after being
mustered and counted, we were locked up for the night. For some time
we moped and sulked, according to the fashion of all _new_ convicts,
but, at length, we sallied forth in a body to the court-yard,
determined to take the world as it went, and make the best of a bad
bargain.
I soon fell into a pleasant habit of chatting familiarly with old
Corporal Blon, who was grand chamberlain, or master of ceremonies, to
our penal household, and turned out to be a good fellow, though a
frequent offender against "_le coq de France_." Blon drew me to a seat
in the sunshine, which I enjoyed, after shivering in the cold
apartments of the prison; and, stepping off among the prisoners, began
to bring them up for introduction to Don Teodor, separately. First of
all, I had the honor of receiving Monsieur Laramie, a stout, stanch,
well-built marine, who professed to be _maitre d'armes_ of our "royal
boarding-house," and tendered his services in teaching me the use of
rapier and broadsword, at the rate of a _franc_ per week. Next came a
burly, beef-eating bully, half sailor, half lubber, who approached
with a swinging gait, and was presented as _frere_ Zouche, teacher of
single stick, who was also willing to make me skilful in my encounters
with footpads for a reasonable salary. Then followed a dancing-master,
a tailor, a violin-teacher, a shoemaker, a letter-writer, a barber, a
clothes-washer, and various other useful and reputable tradespeople or
professors, all of whom expressed anxiety to inform my mind, cultivate
my taste, expedite nay correspondence, delight my ear, and improve my
appearance, for weekly stipends.
I did not, at first, understand precisely the object of all their
ceremonious appeals to my purse, but I soon discovered from Corporal
Blon,--_who desired an early discount of his note_,--that I was looked
on as a sort of Don Magnifico from Africa, who had saved an immense
quantity of gold from ancient traffic, all of which I could command,
in spite of imprisonment.