The Memoirs of Admiral Lord Beresford
through the rebated joints of the gun-ports, and as long as a gale
lasted the mess-decks were no better than cesspools. It is a curious
fact that in spite of all these things, the spirits of both officers
and men rose whenever it came on to blow; and the harder it blew, the
more cheery everyone became. The men sang most under stress of
weather; just as they will to-day under the same conditions or while
coaling ship. After a gale of wind, the whole ship's company turned-to
to clean the ship.
In those days the men used to dress in cloth trousers and tunic with
buttons. The men used to embroider their collars and their fronts with
most elaborate and beautiful designs. They had two hats, a black hat
and a white hat, which they made themselves. The black hats were made
of straw covered with duck and painted. Many a man has lost his life
aloft in trying to save his heavy black hat from being blown away.
{20}
The fashion of wearing hair on the face was to cultivate luxuriant
whiskers, and to "leave a gangway," which meant shaving upper lip, chin
and neck. Later, Mr. Childers introduced a new order: a man might
shave clean, or cultivate all growth, or leave a gangway as before, but
he might not wear a moustache only. The order, which applied to
officers and men (except the Royal Marines) is still in force.
Steam was never used except under dire necessity, or when entering
harbour, or when exercising steam tactics as a Fleet. The order to
raise steam cast a gloom over the entire ship. The chief engineer
laboured under considerable difficulties. He was constantly summoned
on deck to be forcibly condemned for "making too much smoke."
We were very particular about our gunnery in the _Marlborough_;
although at the same time gunnery was regarded as quite a secondary
art. It was considered that anyone could fire a gun, and that the
whole credit of successful gunnery depended upon the seamanship of the
sailors who brought the ship into the requisite position. The greater
number of the guns in the _Marlborough_ were the same as those used in
the time of Nelson, with their wooden trucks, handspikes, sponges,
rammers, worms and all gear complete. The _Marlborough_ was fitted
with a cupola for heating round-shot, which were carried red-hot to the
gun in an iron bucket. I know of no other ship which was thus equipped.
The gunnery lieutenant of the _Marlborough_, Charles Inglis, was gifted
with so great and splendid a voice, that, when he gave his orders from
the middle deck, they were heard at every gun in the ship. We used to
practise firing at a cliff in Malta Harbour, at a range of a hundred
yards or so. I used to be sent on shore to collect the round-shot and
bring them on board for future use. I remember that when, in the
course of a lecture delivered to my men on board the _Bulwark_ more
than forty years afterwards, I related the incident, I could see by
their faces that my audience did not believe me; though I showed to
them the shot-holes in the face of the cliff, which remain to this day.
{21} On gunnery days, all fires were extinguished, in case a spark
should ignite the loose powder spilt by the boys who brought the
cartridges to the guns, making a trail to the magazines. At "night
quarters," we were turned out of our hammocks, which were lashed up.
The mess-tables were triced up overhead. The lower-deck ports being
closed, there was no room to wield the wooden rammer; so that the
charges for the muzzle-loading guns were rammed home with rope rammers.
Before the order to fire was given, the ports were triced up. Upon one
occasion, so anxious was a bluejacket to be first in loading and
firing, that he cherished a charge hidden in his hammock since the last
night quarters, a period of nearly three months, and, firing before the
port was triced up, blew it into the next ship.
In those days, the master was responsible for the navigation of the
ship. He was an old, wily, experienced seaman, who had entered the
Service as master's mate. (When I was midshipman in the _Defence_, the
master's assistant was Richard W. Middleton, afterwards Captain
Middleton, chief organiser of the Conservative Central Office.) The
master laid the course and kept the reckoning. As steam replaced
sails, the office of master was transferred to the navigating officer,
a lieutenant who specialised in navigation. The transformation was
effected by the Order in Council of 26th June, 1867.
The sail-drill in the _Marlborough_ was a miracle of smartness and
speed. The spirit of emulation in the Fleet was furious. The fact
that a certain number of men used to be killed, seemed to quicken the
rivalry. Poor Inman, a midshipman in the _Marlborough_, a great friend
of mine, his foot slipping as he was running down from aloft, lost his
life. His death was a great shock to me.
The men would run aloft so quickly that their bare feet were nearly
indistinguishable. Topmasts and lower yard were sent down and sent up
at a pace which to-day is inconceivable.
I once saw the captain of the maintop hurl himself bodily down from the
cap upon a hand in the top who was slow in {22} obeying orders. That
reckless topman was Martin Schultz, a magnificent seaman, who was
entered by the captain direct from the Norwegian merchant service, in
which he had been a mate.
Mr. George Lewis, an old topmate of mine, who was one of the smartest
seamen on board H.M.S. _Marlborough_, has kindly sent to me the
following interesting details with regard to the times of sail-drill
and the risks incidental to the evolutions.
Time allowed Time in
by Admiral. _Marlborough_.
Min. Sec. Min. Sec.
Cross topgallant and royal yards 1 0 0 30
Down topgallant yards with royal
yards across 2 0 1 13
Up topgallant mast, cross upper
yards and loose sails 2 30 1 27
Shift topgallant masts from royal
yards across 7 0 5 40
Up topgallant mast and make all
plain sail 4 0 2 40
Up topgallant mast and make all
possible sail 6 0 3 0
Shift topsails from plainsail 6 0 4 50
In all boom boats from away aloft 7 0 6 0
Out all boom boats 7 0 5 40
Away lifeboat's crew 0 30 0 20
What Mr. Lewis means by "admiral's time," let him explain in his own
words. "When our admiral" (Sir William Martin) "was captain of the
_Prince Regent_, which was considered the smartest ship in the Navy, he
brought all her times of all her drills to the grand old _Marlborough_
along with him; and you know, my lord, that he allowed us six months to
get our good old ship in trim before we drilled along with the Fleet;
but we started to drill along with the Fleet after three months, and
were able to beat them all."
"Now, my lord," continues Mr. Lewis, "I come to one of the smartest
bits of our drill. When we were sailing in the Bay of Naples under all
possible sail, our captain wanted to let the world see what a smart
ship he had and what a smart lot of men was under him. From the order
'Shift topsails and courses make all possible sail again'"--which
really means that the masts were stripped of sails and again {23} all
sails were hoisted--"Admiral's time 13 minutes, our time 9 minutes 30
seconds. All went without a hitch, within 400 yards of our anchorage."
Mr. Lewis proceeds to recount a very daring act of his own. "We were
sending down upper yards and topgallant mast one evening, and it was my
duty to make fast the lizard. But I could only make fast one hitch, so
I slid down the mast rope and it turned me right over, but I managed to
catch the lizard and hold on to it, and so saved the mast from falling
on the hundred men that were in the gangway. No doubt if it had fallen
on them it would have killed a good many...."
What happened was that Lewis, in the tearing speed of the evolution,
not having time properly to secure the head of the mast as it was
coming down, held the fastening in place while clinging to the mast
rope and so came hurtling down with the mast. He adds that he "felt
very proud"--and well he might--when the captain "told the admiral on
Sunday that I was the smartest man aloft that he had ever seen during
his time in the Service." He had an even narrower escape. "I was at
the yard-arm when we had just crossed" (hoisted into place). "I was
pulling down the royal sheet and someone had let it go on deck, and I
fell backwards off the yard head-foremost. I had my arm through the
strop of the jewel block, and it held me, and dropped me in the topmast
rigging, and some of my topmates caught me."
Mr. Lewis himself was one of the smartest and quickest men aloft I have
ever seen during the whole of my career. The men of other ships used
to watch him going aloft. "My best time," he writes--and I can confirm
his statement "from ''way aloft' to the topgallant yard-arm was 13
seconds, which was never beaten." It was equalled, however, by Ninepin
Jones on the foretopgallant yard. The topgallant and royal yard men
started from the maintop, inside of the topmast rigging, at the order
'"way aloft." The height to be run from the top, inside of the topmast
rigging, {24} to the topgallant yard-arm was 64 feet. From the deck to
the maintop was 67 feet. At one time, the upper-yard men used to start
from the deck at the word "away aloft"; but the strain of going aloft
so high and at so great a speed injured their hearts and lungs, so that
they ascended first to the top, and there awaited the order "away
aloft."
The orders were therefore altered. They were: first, "midshipmen
aloft," when the midshipmen went aloft to the tops; second, "upper-yard
men aloft," when the upper-yard men went aloft to the tops, and one
midshipman went from the top to the masthead.
At the evening or morning evolution of sending down or up topgallant
masts and topgallant and royal yards, only the upper-yard men received
the order, "upper-yard men in the tops." The next order was "away
aloft," the upper-yard men going to the masthead.
At general drill, requiring lower- and topsail-yard men aloft, as well
as upper-yard men, the orders were: first, "midshipmen aloft"; then
"upper-yard men in the tops"; then, "away aloft," when the lower- and
topsail-yard men went aloft to the topsail and lower yards, and the
upper-yard men went aloft to the masthead.
These arrangements applied of course only to drill. In the event of a
squall or an emergency, the men went straight from deck to the
topgallant and royal yards.
Mr. Lewis's performance was a marvel. Writing to me fifty years
afterwards, he says:--"I think, my lord, it would take me a little
longer than 13 seconds now to get to the maintopgallant yard-arm and
run in again without holding on to anything, which I have done many
hundreds of times."
The men would constantly run thus along the yards--upon which the
jackstay is secured, to which again the sail is bent, so that the
footing is uneven--while the ship was rolling. Sometimes they would
fall, catching the yard, and so save themselves.
{25}
The foretopgallant-yard man, Jones, was as smart as Lewis, though he
never beat Lewis's record time. These two men were always six to ten
ratlines ahead of the other yard men, smart men as these were. One day
Jones lost a toe aloft. It was cut clean off by the fid of the
foretopgallant mast. But Jones continued his work as though nothing