Across to America: A Tim Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 9) (4 page)

Lord Forsythe, who had been below during much of the punishment, approached and reported, “Sir, Doctor Baynes says he is most sorry for his actions and wished to express his apologies. He assures me he had no idea of his role in the ship and thought he was just to tend to me. Doctor Baynes told me there will be no further instances of disobedience.”

In due course, Doctor Baynes approached Captain Phillips on the quarterdeck and expressed his apologies personally. On his part, Phillips assured the doctor that he himself had over-reacted and offered his own. Fortunately the log had not yet been brought up to date, so the matter could be forgotten. The doctor explained he had not been thoroughly briefed concerning his duties.

His London practice had become very tiring for him and a friend employed at the Foreign Office informed him of this position. He understood he would be the personal physician of an important envoy to South America, and had fancied the voyage as something of a vacation. He had heard something of a Navy Warrant but that had little meaning to him and escaped his memory.

Back on Harley Street, he had been something of an important person and he assumed this would be the situation here. When he began receiving orders from all and sundry, he was sure he was being practiced upon.

Days later, the convoy had now gone as far south as it needed and was now to sail due west to the Windward Islands. HMS Andromeda would be leaving the convoy to continue on its course to its destination a little farther south.

The envoy had long since left his sickness behind and now joined the captain on the quarterdeck. Another deck chair had been constructed, and now the pair sat for hours discussing various topics. Lord Forsythe was well-travelled, with an extensive education and was able to expound upon many a subject Phillips had barely heard of. To Phillips intense relief, the subject of his wife’s deliverance from her captivity never came up.

One of the subjects that did, involved the envoy’s mission. Forsythe explained, “Last year a wealthy young man by the name of Bolivar, from the Spanish Province of Venezuela on the South American mainland, appeared in London and began discussing an agenda to anyone who would listen to him.”

“At the Foreign Office he announced his participation in a struggle for the independence of the Spanish regions of the South American continent. He had been sent to Britain by the junta in control of the area around Caracas. His mission was to obtain recognition, arms and hopefully funding. HM government did not wish to make commitments at this stage of the game, so nothing was promised. After due consideration, Government has decided to remain strictly neutral for the time being.”

“For now, the alliance with the Spanish Regency government against Napoleon is the most important item on our agenda. Later; who can tell?”

The Foreign Office had been given passports by Señor Bolivar, the Venezuelan rebel junta’s representative in London. Since these were not issued by the representative of the Regency council in Spain recognized by HM government as the legitimist Spanish authority, there was doubt the regional juntas in the Spanish Americas would honor these passports. Other passports had been received from the representative in London of the Regency junta now controlling Spanish government functions on the Peninsula. It was not known if the Spanish authorities in the New World would honor these either.

Forsythe had passports from each source, but it was impossible to know in advance how they might be greeted. Using the wrong passport might well have unfortunate consequences.

Phillips deemed it necessary to reduce the usage of water. Passing through the Horse Latitudes, the trades had become uncertain, and the ship had been becalmed for hours or days at a time. The bottom tier of the big water tuns had been corrupted by the infiltration of bilge water and the water was barely drinkable.

A Marine guard was placed on the scuttle butt on deck from which the crew was accustomed to quench their thirst in the tropical heat. A small dipper had been procured from the ship’s cook and crewmen were only permitted to have one dipper of water per watch.

The lack of water became more of an issue as days went by. When everyone’s patience had almost expired, a cat’s paw of breeze was seen ruffling the water’s calm surface near the ship. The yards were hurriedly braced around, and soon Andromeda was moving. This did not last long, but soon she had another breeze, then another. Soon, the ship was sailing again. There were plenty of locations where water could be obtained, but Phillips decided to continue on toward their destination in view of the security concerns.

HMS Andromeda now was making the best of her way toward Caracas. Phillips had been advised by the Admiralty the Spanish were very sensitive about foreign ships, especially warships, in their waters. When their noon sights proclaimed they were indeed south of eighteen degrees of north latitude, Phillips called Forsythe, as well as the first officer to him on the quarterdeck and produced his sealed orders.

He asked both to examine the mildew spotted document and assure themselves the seal was still intact, after which he opened the orders and read through them rapidly. When finished, he passed them to first Lieutenant Gould and then to Forsythe. The gist of the orders were simply to determine as soon as possible after entering Spanish colonial waters, whether the area around Caracas was still in  the hands of the rebels. If so, and the rebel junta was still agreeable, Lord Forsythe would disembark, while Andromeda would take on water and necessary stores.

It was ordered that no military assistance of any type should be offered to the rebels. Phillips was permitted to embark certain rebel officials if so doing would not endanger the ship or crew.

Should Spanish government forces control the area however, Captain Phillips was to attempt to determine whether another destination was appropriate. In the absence of such a port, Andromeda should sail for the nearest British port. In the interests of secrecy, it was ordered the ship not make port, whether British, Spanish or Rebel, until it was determined whether or not the outcome would be favorable. It was desirable the Spanish governmental forces in the area not discover their presence.

Both land and the sails of a large ship were sighted one morning as the sun came over the horizon. As usual when at sea, HMS Andromeda had gone to action stations just for this eventuality. The ship was hull down in the distance, but was on a course that would intersect their own. Some mountain tops were visible in the distance, which Harding said did not appear on his old chart.

Mister Gould wondered whether they should attempt to avoid the stranger, in view of the secrecy instruction of their orders. Phillips decided the newcomer had probably sighted their own ship and he did not wish to appear furtive. As the pair closed during the morning, the ensign was hoisted as was the commission pennant.

When the approaching ship hoisted Spanish Royal Colors, Phillips signaled that he was in need of water. In European waters, the Spanish Junta had been furnished copies of the basic signal code used by the Royal Navy. He had no idea of whether this code had been made known on this side of the Atlantic. When the newcomer hoisted a meaningless assemblage of flag signals, he guessed not.

By now the approaching ship had been identified by Mister Harding as la Perla de España, of forty guns, or at least one of that class. As she approached within about two cables lengths, Perla hove to, and ran out her guns. Phillips ordered the same action, although with the disparity of force between the two ships, he knew an action would be suicidal on his part. However, he felt he must not quaver before this powerful opponent.

Through his glass, he thought he could see tendrils of smoke rising from burning match in the linstocks of the enemy. At length, an ornate launch was lowered from the Spanish frigate and a uniformed crew pulled it over to Andromeda.

The officer in her stern sheets appeared to be a teniente of the Spanish service, and Phillips ordered him piped aboard with the proper respect, Marine guard and bosun’s mates present. As the officer came through the entry port he looked quickly around at the guns run out with burning match smoldering in the tubs.

Phillips answered the officer’s salute and approached with Midshipman Benson by his side. Benson, he had learned, could get along in the Spanish language and would serve as translator if needed.

After each party greeted the other in his own language, it became apparent the translator would indeed be needed.  After a lengthy harangue by the Spaniard, Benson reported he thought the officer was giving them notice they must leave Spanish waters immediately.

Lord Forsythe was standing in the rear and Phillips asked him to produce the passport from the Spanish junta’s representative back in London. In an aside, he asked for him to be sure he had the proper one.

With some delay, Forsythe extricated the passport from his case and extended it to the officer. This person glanced at it quickly, tore it in half and threw the pieces to the wind. Another harangue followed.

The astonished mid explained the officer did not recognize this paper, it had no force here and Andromeda must immediately sail from Spanish waters.

Phillips asked the lad to explain the ship was low on water and offered to lead the officer below to examine their water stores. The teniente refused the explanation with vigorous shakes of his head.

Benson reported the officer was now going to leave, that the Perla would open fire as soon as he boarded unless this ship of heretics was standing out to sea by this time. Sending Benson below to inform the gunner, in his lair in the magazine, the ship might soon require plenty of powder cartridges, he had his officers take their places at the guns. Unhurriedly, Andromeda was stripped down to fighting sail and the ship brought to the wind on a course of ENE. This did not suit the Spaniards, since with a spout of smoke, a gun sounded angrily and a shot put up a splash just forward and short of the hull.

Not to be outdone, Phillips stood next to the forward twelve pounder and asked the gun captain, “Do you think you could pitch a shot a bit closer to her than she did to us, Higgins?”

“Aye Captain, close it is!” he muttered, sighting down the barrel. As the ship lifted on the swell, he pulled the firing lanyard just before the peak of the motion. The shot bellowed out, deafening those who had not covered their ears. The ship was now moving ahead, and for a moment Phillips thought the Spaniards might ignore them now, having made their point.

As he spotted the shot splashing just fathoms before the frigate’s cutwater, her whole side erupted in smoke and flame. In return, Phillips nodded to Lieutenant Gould who ordered the guns to open on the enemy.

Surprisingly, only one shot of the barrage hit Andromeda, this one smashing through the railing amidships and showering some people with splinters. A few of Andromeda’s answer splashed before the Spanish hull, but more struck. He could make out some ragged holes in the side, and the frigate’s fore staysail had come adrift.

Andromeda’s gun crews were in their well-rehearsed gun drill, loading the big guns like automatons. Her next broadside sounded a full minute before the Spanish answer. A ball from the Spaniard smashed through the hull and struck the base of the mizzen below deck. A carpenter’s mate rushed up from below with a report. The mast was not severely injured, having only a splintered notch from a twelve pound ball in the mast’s base.

The exchange kept up at a furious pace, the enemy taking half as long again to fire off a broadside as the Andromeda’s. Their accuracy was improving however, and shots were coming aboard.  Much of the damage was being done to their hull, not hindering the ship’s sailing qualities. In contrast, a few significant hits had damaged the Perla’s rigging. Her fore top mast was damaged and Phillips watched her topmen taking in canvas.

At that moment, a shot clipped the frigate’s main yard. The main course pulled the damaged yard free before that canvas could be secured and now the frigate’s captain had another matter to deal with.

Mister Gould wanted to turn back and try to bow rake the frigate before she could get herself back into order again.

Phillips gave the idea not a thought. His own ship had its share of damage now, and he could imagine the furor that would erupt back home if Andromeda was seriously damaged or lost. The enemy, while temporarily incapacitated, was still much larger and better armed, with a larger crew. She was by no means beaten. Had he a consort to assist, he would have continued the action. As it was, he considered it prudent to sail away and leave her alone. Long after sinking her sails below the horizon, some fishing boats were sighted off to port.

Mister Benson was called back to the quarterdeck again to try his communication skills. These fishermen spoke a patois that the lad had difficulty understanding, but one of the boats approached with a crewman that spoke a more universal type of Spanish. From this man, it was learned the revolution had probably failed. The spokesman thought Spanish forces were about to seize Caracas, although Puerto Cabello, to the west, might still be in rebel hands. Señor Bolivar had been in command there and perhaps still might be in control.

Mister Harding, the sailing master, was asked to produce his charts of the area. With little intelligence that could be relied upon, Phillips was dubious about continuing the mission, but Forsythe was in favor of continuing on to Puerto Cabello. Water was still a continuing concern. There were nearby islands, some of them originally Dutch, which had been taken by British forces. Water and other supplies could be taken on but there was the question of security.