The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African
thank God) I recovered without the operation. After being there
several weeks, and just as I had recovered, the small-pox broke out on
me, so that I was again confined; and I thought myself now
particularly unfortunate. However I soon recovered again; and by this
time my master having been promoted to be first lieutenant of the
Preston man of war of fifty guns, then new at Deptford, Dick and I
were sent on board her, and soon after we went to Holland to bring
over the late Duke of ---- to England.--While I was in this ship an
incident happened, which, though trifling, I beg leave to relate, as I
could not help taking particular notice of it, and considering it then
as a judgment of God. One morning a young man was looking up to the
fore-top, and in a wicked tone, common on shipboard, d----d his eyes
about something. Just at the moment some small particles of dirt fell
into his left eye, and by the evening it was very much inflamed. The
next day it grew worse; and within six or seven days he lost it. From
this ship my master was appointed a lieutenant on board the Royal
George. When he was going he wished me to stay on board the Preston,
to learn the French horn; but the ship being ordered for Turkey I
could not think of leaving my master, to whom I was very warmly
attached; and I told him if he left me behind it would break my heart.
This prevailed on him to take me with him; but he left Dick on board
the Preston, whom I embraced at parting for the last time. The Royal
George was the largest ship I had ever seen; so that when I came on
board of her I was surprised at the number of people, men, women, and
children, of every denomination; and the largeness of the guns, many
of them also of brass, which I had never seen before. Here were also
shops or stalls of every kind of goods, and people crying their
different commodities about the ship as in a town. To me it appeared a
little world, into which I was again cast without a friend, for I had
no longer my dear companion Dick. We did not stay long here. My master
was not many weeks on board before he got an appointment to be sixth
lieutenant of the Namur, which was then at Spithead, fitting up for
Vice-admiral Boscawen, who was going with a large fleet on an
expedition against Louisburgh. The crew of the Royal George were
turned over to her, and the flag of that gallant admiral was hoisted
on board, the blue at the maintop-gallant mast head. There was a very
great fleet of men of war of every description assembled together for
this expedition, and I was in hopes soon to have an opportunity of
being gratified with a sea-fight. All things being now in readiness,
this mighty fleet (for there was also Admiral Cornish's fleet in
company, destined for the East Indies) at last weighed anchor, and
sailed. The two fleets continued in company for several days, and then
parted; Admiral Cornish, in the Lenox, having first saluted our
admiral in the Namur, which he returned. We then steered for America;
but, by contrary winds, we were driven to Teneriffe, where I was
struck with its noted peak. Its prodigious height, and its form,
resembling a sugar-loaf, filled me with wonder. We remained in sight
of this island some days, and then proceeded for America, which we
soon made, and got into a very commodious harbour called St. George,
in Halifax, where we had fish in great plenty, and all other fresh
provisions. We were here joined by different men of war and transport
ships with soldiers; after which, our fleet being increased to a
prodigious number of ships of all kinds, we sailed for Cape Breton in
Nova Scotia. We had the good and gallant General Wolfe on board our
ship, whose affability made him highly esteemed and beloved by all the
men. He often honoured me, as well as other boys, with marks of his
notice; and saved me once a flogging for fighting with a young
gentleman. We arrived at Cape Breton in the summer of 1758: and here
the soldiers were to be landed, in order to make an attack upon
Louisbourgh. My master had some part in superintending the landing;
and here I was in a small measure gratified in seeing an encounter
between our men and the enemy. The French were posted on the shore to
receive us, and disputed our landing for a long time; but at last they
were driven from their trenches, and a complete landing was effected.
Our troops pursued them as far as the town of Louisbourgh. In this
action many were killed on both sides. One thing remarkable I saw this
day:--A lieutenant of the Princess Amelia, who, as well as my master,
superintended the landing, was giving the word of command, and while
his mouth was open a musquet ball went through it, and passed out at
his cheek. I had that day in my hand the scalp of an indian king, who
was killed in the engagement: the scalp had been taken off by an
Highlander. I saw this king's ornaments too, which were very curious,
and made of feathers.
Our land forces laid siege to the town of Louisbourgh, while the
French men of war were blocked up in the harbour by the fleet, the
batteries at the same time playing upon them from the land. This they
did with such effect, that one day I saw some of the ships set on fire
by the shells from the batteries, and I believe two or three of them
were quite burnt. At another time, about fifty boats belonging to the
English men of war, commanded by Captain George Balfour of the Ætna
fire-ship, and another junior captain, Laforey, attacked and boarded
the only two remaining French men of war in the harbour. They also set
fire to a seventy-gun ship, but a sixty-four, called the Bienfaisant,
they brought off. During my stay here I had often an opportunity of
being near Captain Balfour, who was pleased to notice me, and liked me
so much that he often asked my master to let him have me, but he would
not part with me; and no consideration could have induced me to leave
him. At last Louisbourgh was taken, and the English men of war came
into the harbour before it, to my very great joy; for I had now more
liberty of indulging myself, and I went often on shore. When the ships
were in the harbour we had the most beautiful procession on the water
I ever saw. All the admirals and captains of the men of war, full
dressed, and in their barges, well ornamented with pendants, came
alongside of the Namur. The vice-admiral then went on shore in his
barge, followed by the other officers in order of seniority, to take
possession, as I suppose, of the town and fort. Some time after this
the French governor and his lady, and other persons of note, came on
board our ship to dine. On this occasion our ships were dressed with
colours of all kinds, from the topgallant-mast head to the deck; and
this, with the firing of guns, formed a most grand and magnificent
spectacle.
As soon as every thing here was settled Admiral Boscawen sailed with
part of the fleet for England, leaving some ships behind with
Rear-admirals Sir Charles Hardy and Durell. It was now winter; and one
evening, during our passage home, about dusk, when we were in the
channel, or near soundings, and were beginning to look for land, we
descried seven sail of large men of war, which stood off shore.
Several people on board of our ship said, as the two fleets were (in
forty minutes from the first sight) within hail of each other, that
they were English men of war; and some of our people even began to
name some of the ships. By this time both fleets began to mingle, and
our admiral ordered his flag to be hoisted. At that instant the other
fleet, which were French, hoisted their ensigns, and gave us a
broadside as they passed by. Nothing could create greater surprise and
confusion among us than this: the wind was high, the sea rough, and we
had our lower and middle deck guns housed in, so that not a single gun
on board was ready to be fired at any of the French ships. However,
the Royal William and the Somerset being our sternmost ships, became a
little prepared, and each gave the French ships a broadside as they
passed by. I afterwards heard this was a French squadron, commanded by
Mons. Conflans; and certainly had the Frenchmen known our condition,
and had a mind to fight us, they might have done us great mischief.
But we were not long before we were prepared for an engagement.
Immediately many things were tossed overboard; the ships were made
ready for fighting as soon as possible; and about ten at night we had
bent a new main sail, the old one being split. Being now in readiness
for fighting, we wore ship, and stood after the French fleet, who
were one or two ships in number more than we. However we gave them
chase, and continued pursuing them all night; and at daylight we saw
six of them, all large ships of the line, and an English East
Indiaman, a prize they had taken. We chased them all day till between
three and four o'clock in the evening, when we came up with, and
passed within a musquet shot of, one seventy-four gun ship, and the
Indiaman also, who now hoisted her colours, but immediately hauled
them down again. On this we made a signal for the other ships to take
possession of her; and, supposing the man of war would likewise
strike, we cheered, but she did not; though if we had fired into her,
from being so near, we must have taken her. To my utter surprise the
Somerset, who was the next ship astern of the Namur, made way
likewise; and, thinking they were sure of this French ship, they
cheered in the same manner, but still continued to follow us. The
French Commodore was about a gun-shot ahead of all, running from us
with all speed; and about four o'clock he carried his foretopmast
overboard. This caused another loud cheer with us; and a little after
the topmast came close by us; but, to our great surprise, instead of
coming up with her, we found she went as fast as ever, if not faster.
The sea grew now much smoother; and the wind lulling, the seventy-four
gun ship we had passed came again by us in the very same direction,
and so near, that we heard her people talk as she went by; yet not a
shot was fired on either side; and about five or six o'clock, just as
it grew dark, she joined her commodore. We chased all night; but the
next day they were out of sight, so that we saw no more of them; and
we only had the old Indiaman (called Carnarvon I think) for our
trouble. After this we stood in for the channel, and soon made the
land; and, about the close of the year 1758-9, we got safe to St.
Helen's. Here the Namur ran aground; and also another large ship
astern of us; but, by starting our water, and tossing many things
overboard to lighten her, we got the ships off without any damage. We
stayed for a short time at Spithead, and then went into Portsmouth
harbour to refit; from whence the admiral went to London; and my
master and I soon followed, with a press-gang, as we wanted some hands
to complete our complement.
CHAP. IV.
_The author is baptized--Narrowly escapes drowning--Goes on
an expedition to the Mediterranean--Incidents he met with
there--Is witness to an engagement between some English and
French ships--A particular account of the celebrated
engagement between Admiral Boscawen and Mons. Le Clue, off
Cape Logas, in August 1759--Dreadful explosion of a French
ship--The author sails for England--His master appointed to
the command of a fire-ship--Meets a negro boy, from whom he
experiences much benevolence--Prepares for an expedition
against Belle-Isle--A remarkable story of a disaster which
befel his ship--Arrives at Belle-Isle--Operations of the
landing and siege--The author's danger and distress, with
his manner of extricating himself--- Surrender of
Belle-Isle--Transactions afterwards on the coast of