Dead Reckoning (5 page)

“Good morning, Mr President,” said Delancey, “good morning, gentlemen. I come in response to your letter of March 14th, marked ‘urgent' and ‘secret.' In what way, sir, can I be of service to the Honourable Company?”

“Good morning, Captain Delancey.” replied Mr Thornton. “We are most grateful to you for coming here so promptly. You know Captain Woodfall, I think? Good. Well, we are met here in secret session—close the door, please, Mr Baring, and tell Mr Hartley that we are not to be disturbed—we are met to discuss an urgent and most disturbing communication we have just received from the Governor of Prince of Wales Island. It came by the country ship
Sarah,
probably the last vessel of the season. The Governor has good reason to believe that the French at Mauritius or the Isle of France have recently been reinforced by an 80-gun ship, the
Tourville
under Captain Roux, together with a new-built and powerful frigate, the
Romaine
of 44 guns. From the same reliable source he has learnt that the
Tourville
has been sent out with the express purpose of intercepting the China Fleet. This report must be based on rumour but the Governor points out that it would be folly to send an 80-gun ship on any ordinary cruise of commerce destruction. We must, I think, accept the fact that this danger exists. On this assumption we must decide what to do. One suggestion already made is that the China Fleet should avoid the usual trade route, keep clear of the Straits of Malacca or Sunda, and head for one of the other straits: Bali, perhaps, or Lombok. Mr Inglis reminds me, however, that this was suggested the year before last when we were faced with a similar threat, and a majority of the commanders
were against it because of the navigational hazards. He suggests that they would be of the same opinion still, and I incline to agree with him. What do you feel about this, Captain Woodfall?”

“I agree, sir, with Mr Inglis. I should be strongly against taking so valuable a fleet into more or less uncharted waters. The other commanders would, I think, support me in preferring to sail, as planned, for the Straits of Malacca.”

“Should we adhere to that plan we must assume that we shall have the
Tourville
to reckon with. Had the
Leonidas
been here, as expected, we should have little cause for concern. In place of the
Leonidas,
however, we have only the
Laura—
a fine ship in every way, let me hasten to add, but still only a frigate. Her being here is fortunate, nevertheless, in giving us the advice of Captain Delancey, a very distinguished officer. Pray give us the benefit of your experience, Captain. Are you of the same opinion as Captain Woodfall?”

“Yes, sir. I agree that the fleet should go through the Straits of Malacca and the more so in that a more formidable escort may be provided at Penang. It would be as well, however, if we can suggest to the French that our convoy has a stronger escort than we can actually provide.”

“How are we to do that?”

“Well, sir, the French may not know that the
Leonidas
was damaged in Saldhana Bay. For all they can tell, she might be entering the river now.”

“Won't they know of her arrival in England?”

“Not of necessity. Nor can they be certain that no other ship-of-the-line has taken her place.”

“Forgive me, Captain.” said Mr Baring at this point, “but I must ask whether a 64-gun ship, whether real or fictitious, would be thought a match for the
Tourville?
”

“No, sir,” replied Delancey, “but an action with a 64-gun ship, whatever the result, would leave the
Tourville
in no state to pursue the convoy.”

“But what if the
Tourville
were accompanied by a frigate of the larger class?”

“The Indiamen could, between them, beat off a frigate. In my opinion, sir, the presence of the
Leonidas
would be enough to discourage the French. After the recent battle off Cadiz I should suppose that the French morale is low.”

“So you think we should try to suggest that the China Fleet is well escorted?”

“That is what I advise. What do you think, Captain Wood-fall?”

“I agree, but I wonder how you propose to set about it?”

“The first step is to start a rumour. The second step is to disguise one of the Indiamen as a 64-gun ship. The third step is to disguise the
Laura
as an Indiaman.”

“But surely,” protested Mr Thornton, “to disguise the
Laura
is to weaken the convoy's appearance again?”

“True, sir. But the Frenchman who meets with the fire of one Indiaman, the
Laura,
will not be eager to engage the others.”

“I see,” said Mr Thornton. “If we agree to this plan, Captain Woodfall, which of your ships shall we transform into a man-of-war?”

“I incline to propose the
Upton Castle.
That ship's commander, John Tarleton, was formerly a lieutenant in the Royal Navy.”

“Very suitable. Well, gentlemen, we have a plan to consider. Do we accept it? Mr Inglis?”

“I agree to accept Captain Delancey's proposal. I suggest, however, that the
Upton Castle
should borrow some extra men, perhaps from the country ships.”

“Mr Grant?”

“Agreed.”

“Mr Baring?”

“I concur, but this rumour needs to be precise and we need to agree on our story.”

“Very well.” replied Delancey. “The
Leonidas
of 64 guns, commanded by Captain Barnett, dropped anchor two days ago at the anchorage off Lintin Island, following a slow passage from the Cape via the Straits of Sunda. She is not coming up the river but will rendezvous with the China Fleet off Macao. If we each of us pass this information to two other persons—in strict confidence, of course—the rumour should reach the French without delay.”

“Well, sir,” said Mr Thornton, “we are all agreed. I leave you, Captain Woodfall, to make detailed plans with Captain Delancey, keeping me informed about the expense involved. I wish to thank you, Captain Delancey, for your able assistance. The meeting is adjourned.”

Woodfall accepted a seat in Delancey's launch and they went down the river together, leaving the
Earl Camden
's cutter to follow.

“What,” asked Woodfall, “is the essential point in disguising the
Upton Castle?
”

“The essence of the disguise is to give her a battery on the lower deck. She has the ports painted in black. We need to add the port-lids in red and the guns to project.”

“Very well. We can find planks ashore for the port-lids. I am not quite certain how to make counterfeit guns.”

“Saw up some old or broken spars into three-foot lengths, then fit them to the dummy ports and paint them black.”

“Yes, that would serve our purpose. If we do that, however,
in the main anchorage at Whampoa, we shall be seen and a second rumour will follow and contradict the first.”

“I know, I thought of that. Our best way will be to let the
Upton Castle
sail ahead of the rest, assume her disguise at sea, and come into the Lintin anchorage as the
Leonidas
(64) with her proper ensign flying. I'll lend Tarleton my carpenter's crew.”

Somewhere astern there was a volley of Chinese crackers accompanied by wails of grief.

“Is that your boat in trouble?” asked Delancey.

“It is my coxswain up to mischief,” replied Woodfall. “Each junk has devils clinging to her stern, and each foreign craft has even more devils. If you cut across someone's bow you add your devils to his. If you pass under her stern his devils are added to yours and you have to frighten them off with fire-crackers.”

“So what has your coxswain done?”

“He has collected the devils from a succession of Chinese craft and then transferred the lot to that junk he has just passed. They are furious!”

They passed between flat rice-fields where women were working under wide-brimmed hats. They saw a succession of willow-pattern pagodas and patient fishermen. The oars dipping steadily, they eventually came to the line of moored Indiamen in the Whampoa anchorage. There were fifteen of them and a dozen country ships, regularly spaced and all in very good order. As a possible prey to the French the fleet was plainly worth millions.

The
Upton Castle
sailed three days later with a full cargo, also with the
Laura
's marines, carpenter and sailmaker, with Mr Topley as signals officer, and twenty volunteers from the other ships. These supernumeraries boarded her after dark and her place in the line was taken by one of the larger country ships. On the following day Captain Woodfall, as Commodore, gave a dinner
party for the other commanders, with Delancey as guest of honour. After the cloth had been removed and while the decanters were in circulation, Delancey was invited to address the others on the subject of tactics.

“Commodore, gentlemen,” he began, “we have been told that a French man-of-war, the
Tourville
of 80 guns, may attempt to intercept the China Fleet with or without the help of a frigate or frigates. As escort we shall have the
Leonidas
of 64 guns, which will join us at Macao. We shall also have the
Laura,
but she will take her place among the Indiamen and will be the rear ship in the line of battle. The
Leonidas
will take up a windward position level with the
Earl Camden,
between her and the enemy—”

“Forgive the interruption,” said Captain Miller, “but how do you know where the
Leonidas
will be? Her captain may have other ideas and he—pardon me—may be senior to you.”

“No offence taken, my dear Miller. I happen to know that Captain Barnett is junior to me. To proceed, then, the
Tourville
will be confronted by a worthy opponent. She will not, I think, come to very close range.”

“Why not?” asked Captain Wardle.

“From fear of being surrounded by Indiamen and so prevented from breaking off the action. Supposing, however, that one Indiaman should fall behind the rest, being plainly mishandled, the captain of the Tourville would be unable to resist the temptation. He would direct a frigate to cut her off.”

“What if he had no frigate?” asked Wardle.

“He might then try to cut her off himself.”

“With what result?” asked Miller.

“He would have such a reception that he would quit the field of battle. If
that,
he would say to himself, is the weakest of the Indiamen, undermanned, ill-treated, badly commanded, I would
rather avoid the rest of them. Make all sail for Mauritius!”

“Are these tactics sure to succeed?” asked the Commodore.

“No tactics are
sure
to succeed,” replied Delancey, “we can only do our best.”

A long discussion followed, with nuts arranged on the table in order of battle and the French mustard pot representing the enemy. All the probable manoeuvres were described with the appropriate signal for each. When the party finally broke up Captain Miller took Delancey aside and said quietly: “I rather suspect that the
Leonidas
may have some resemblance to the
Upton Castle.
”

“Keep that suspicion to yourself then. I want the right rumour to go ahead of us. People expecting to see a 64-gun ship will readily believe that what they see is what they expected to see.”

“You can rely on me, sir. I'll not share my doubts with anyone else.”

Delancey now decided to take the
Laura
down to Lintin Island and disguise her in private, away from the Whampoa waterfront. Before quitting the anchorage he paid a farewell visit to the President of the Select Committee, reporting on the progress of the work to be done.

“Have you put one of your lieutenants on board the
Upton Castle?
” asked the Tyepan.

“No, sir. I thought of it and then reflected that the chief mate, Mr Elton, might resent it. So I sent them a midshipman as signals officer.”

“With your carpenter's crew?”

“Yes, sir. With full instructions about manufacturing dummy cannon.”

“What you can't produce is dummy smoke.”

“No. But we bought some Chinese fireworks, which produce
a fair imitation of musketry. We think we can show a flash effect at lower-deck level.”

“You have a good man in Captain Tarleton.”

“Very true. Once a man-of-war's man always a man-of-war's man. He is spoiling for a fight!”

“Not, I hope, to the point of an ill-considered temerity?”

“He may err in that direction, sir, but I rather approve his belligerence. The deception will be complete if the escorting man-of-war is straining, as it were, at the leash.”

“I hope you are not underrating your opponent!”

“We shall see. But I shall be very surprised—not to say offended—and possibly killed—if the French really press home their attack. Put yourself in their place, sir. Their last action against us led to the destruction of their fleet and the capture of their Commander-in-Chief. They are not in the mood to hazard all on the throw of the dice!”

“Well, Captain, I wish you a good voyage and the best of luck.”

Off Lintin Island the
Laura
was repainted as an Indiaman. Delancey had expected Mather to recoil with horror from the desecration but he suddenly revealed a taste for theatricals. The frigate was to be not merely a merchantman but the least presentable ship in the fleet. Soon after the transformation had taken place the
Upton Castle
appeared in her new paintwork and drew from the
Laura
a round of applause. Tarleton had under his command as formidable a 64-gun ship as could be seen anywhere. Her lower-deck ports were open and fairly bristled with artillery. In earlier life Tarleton must have dreamt of commanding a ship-of-the-line and now he was almost making the dream come true. His commissioning pennant was hoisted, his white ensign flew at the mizen-peak, his marines were drawn up with bayonets
fixed, and his recognition number, correctly signalled, was accompanied by the firing of a lower-deck gun (in fact, a Chinese firework). He was plainly ready to fight the world and Delancey made the signal Psalm 35:8: “Let destruction come upon him unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.” Five minutes later the
Upton Castle
replied with the signal Jeremiah 20:11, which turned out to read: “But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one; therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed: for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.”