Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers - J. H. Hubback (novels for students txt) 📗

of the fleet. These armed boats had already reduced the small garrison of Savona. It is recorded in the Peterel log that a “polacre laden with artillery and ammunition for the army of General Baron d’Ott” came from that port. The Peterel was detailed by Lord Keith to cruise in shore as near as possible to Genoa, and Captain Austen received the thanks of this Admiral for his energetic performance of that duty. One night the vessel was under fire from the lighthouse forts, and received several shots. A feature of the blockade was the plan of “rowing guard” each night, in order to prevent access to the harbour after dark. The Peterel’s pinnace was frequently on this duty in turn with the other boats of the fleet, and took part in cutting out the Prima galley after midnight on the 21st of May. This galley was intended to take part in an attempt on the smaller vessels of the British fleet, but was attacked by the boats’ crews at the Mole when just ready to come out. She was boarded in the most gallant manner, in spite of a large force of fighting men on board, and of a heavy fire from the harbour forts. The capture was greatly helped by the conduct of the 300 galley slaves, who rowed out so fast that they almost outstripped the boats that were towing her. These slaves were allowed on deck when the prize was out of gunshot range from the harbour, and great were their manifestations of joy at their release. The sequel of the incident was tragic. Lord Keith sent most of them back to Genoa with the other French prisoners, no doubt with the idea of forcing their support on the half-starved garrison. The galley slaves were shot as traitors in the market-place.

During the preliminary conference with General d’Ott and Lord Keith, preceding the French surrender at Genoa, it is said that some contempt for Austria was expressed by Massena, who went on as follows: “Milord, si jamais la France et l’Angleterre s’entendre, elles gouverneraient la monde.” This almost foreshadows the “entente cordiale” of 1904.

On June 4 the French army capitulated. Genoa town was handed over to the Austrians under General Melas, and the port was occupied by Lord Keith in his flagship Minotaur.

But already the First Consul had descended into Italy, had taken possession of Milan, and was in full march to defeat Baron d’Ott at Montebello. On the 14th Marengo was fought, and the tide of fortune turned. Genoa, Savona, and all the fortresses of Piedmont were made over to the French. Massena came back on June 24, and Lord Keith had just time to move out of the harbour and to resume his blockade. The victorious First Consul was again in full possession of Northern Italy.

Before the end of May the Peterel was already on her way southward, and the log records the transport of thirty-two men to H.M.S. Guillaume Tell (recently captured) off Syracuse, then another call at Malta (St. Paul’s Bay) where the blockaders were busy with the later stages of the reduction of Valetta. The destination of the Peterel was the coast of Egypt, where Sir Sydney Smith was locally in command. Alexandria and other harbours were still held by the French, now quite cut off from outside support. A Turkish fleet of twelve ships was at anchor off Alexandria, and the blockade was supposed to be maintained by them, but in actual practice the burden devolved upon the three British vessels, Tigre, Transfer, and Peterel. They appear to have joined forces at Jaffa, and to have cruised off the Egyptian coast, with an occasional visit to Cyprus, for some months. They were all this time without news from England.

The allied fleets of France and Spain were by no means inactive, and, though they did not accomplish much in the Mediterranean, there was always a serious risk for a single vessel, and despatch-boats were particularly unsafe carrying, as they did, intelligence that might be useful to the enemy. At this time the Spanish ports in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar were strongly held, and it was a great object with the British Government to relieve this pressure, which seriously threatened their communications with the whole of the Mediterranean. Algeciras was specially dangerous, and we find constant attacks upon the enemy there, in which Charles Austen as Lieutenant of the Endymion had a considerable part, under Sir Thomas Williams and his successor Captain Philip Durham. His service was varied by the capture of several privateers, among others of La Furie. The Endymion afterwards convoyed ten Indiamen home from St. Helena, for which service Captain Durham received the thanks of the East India Company. On the occasion of the capture of the Scipio, Lieutenant Charles Austen specially distinguished himself. The encounter took place in a violent gale, but, in spite of wind and weather, he put off in a boat with only four men, and boarded the vessel, which had just surrendered. The Scipio was a fine craft of 18 guns, manned by 140 men.

Charles was particularly lucky at this time in his shares of prize-money. Jane tells us in one of her letters to Cassandra how generously he spent it.

“Charles has received ��30 for his share of the privateer, and expects ��10 more; but of what avail is it to take prizes if he lays out the produce in presents for his sisters? He has been buying gold chains and topaz crosses for us. He must be well scolded. I shall write again by this post to thank and reproach him. We shall be unbearably fine.”

It is a good instance of the way in which Jane Austen “worked up” her incidents that the brother’s present of a cross and a gold chain should form the groundwork on which is built up the story of Fanny’s flutterings of heart over her adornments for the ball at Mansfield.

“The ‘how she should be dressed’ was a point of painful solicitude; and the almost solitary ornament in her possession, a very pretty amber cross which William had brought her from Sicily, was the greatest distress of all, for she had nothing but a bit of riband to fasten it to; and though she had worn it in that manner once, would it be allowable at such a time, in the midst of all the rich ornaments which she supposed all the other young ladies would appear in? And yet not to wear it! William had wanted to buy her a gold chain too, but the purchase had been beyond his means, and therefore not to wear the cross might be mortifying to him. These were anxious considerations; enough to sober her spirits even under the prospect of a ball given principally for her gratitfication.”

Then follows Miss Crawford’s gift of a necklace to wear with the cross, with all its alarming associations with Henry Crawford; then Edmund’s gift of a chain; her resolve to wear Miss Crawford’s gift to please him; and lastly the delightful discovery that the necklace was too large for the purpose. Edmund’s chain, “therefore, must be worn; and having, with delightful feelings, joined the chain and the cross, those memorials of the two most beloved of her heart; those dearest tokens so formed for each other by everything real and imaginary, and put them round her neck, and seen and felt how full of William and Edmund they were, she was able, without an effort, to resolve on wearing Miss Crawford’s necklace too. She acknowledged it to be right. Miss Crawford had a claim; and when it was no longer to encroach on, to interfere with the stronger claims, the truer kindness of another, she could do her justice even with pleasure to herself. The necklace really looked very well ; and Fanny left her room at last, comfortably satisfied with herself and all about her.”