Hostile Shores

“Diomede and the other two-deckers I wish to stand off-and-on, under way,” Popham told him. “Though we’ve seen no sign that the Dutch have their own warships at the Cape, there is always the odd chance. In like wise, we have not seen any French warships lurking in the vicinity, either, but there’s always a risk of their turning up at the worst time.

“A pity, do they not,” Popham went on in a whimsical ma

He shrugged off that hopeful fantasy, tossed them all a boyish smile, and continued. “Diomede and the sixty-four-gu

“If the wind is up and there’s a heavy surf ru

“But, should Dutch artillery appear upon the hills behind the landing beach,” Commodore Popham countered, “you will consider yourself free to close to gun-range and engage with what fire you are able to deliver. Can’t let the Army do it all by themselves, what?”

“Of course, sir,” Do

Lewrie thought that Popham’s response to Do

“Once all the troops are landed, though,” Popham went on with a grin on his face, “we ca

“Well, sir,” General Sir David Baird said, after a long pause and a tug at one earlobe, “that is a generous gesture, though hardly a necessary one, Sir Home. I fear your Marines and sailors would feel wasted guarding the beach, and the supply train.”

“Does the Navy do the guarding, Sir David, that spares your men from doing so,” Popham told him. “We determined earlier that the foe might possess more cavalry than infantry, given the vast size of the Cape Colony. Do the Dutch think to emulate the exploits of mounted partisan militias, like the Americans during their Revolution, or the irregular tactics of Red Indians, well! Your cavalry might be best-employed harassing them!”

Lewrie relished the sound of that, and was quick to volunteer.

“God yes!” he piped up. “I can land fourty Marines and an equal number of sailors under arms without diminishing Reliant’s ability to fight, or provide fire! Put me down for it! After all,” he added in jest, “I know the country, and all the poisonous snakes, scorpions, centipedes, spiders, and bugs!”

“By name, sir … personally?” Captain Byng of the Belliqueux said with a snicker. “All of them?”

“Once we take Cape Town, I also know all the good taverns and eateries,” Lewrie quickly rejoined in equal humour. “That’s surely worth something. And all the scorpions answer to Jan van der Merwe!”

“A moot point, for the nonce, gentlemen,” Popham told them, after he and the rest had had a good laugh. “But, once the bulk of the army and their supplies are ashore, we shall see about forming a Naval Brigade. First things first, hey? It may be that Sir David overwhelms the Dutch so quickly that our services might not be necessary, and we may go ashore at our leisure, after. Then, Captain Lewrie may give us a nature tour, ha ha! That may be as much as we may expect to contribute, more’s the pity.”

I don’t believe a word of it! Lewrie scoffed to himself; He’s nigh-droolin’ t’take an active part! If he can’t have a victory at sea as grand as Nelson at Trafalgar, I’d lay guineas that he’s cravin’ his name featured prominently in the papers back home! Didn’t he already say the Navy’d give the nation a new Nelson … and that he’s the best candidate for that … in so many words?

Lewrie accepted a fresh refill of wine and took a slow sip or two, looking round at the other officers in Diadem’s great-cabins with an eye for other candidates to inherit the title of National Hero. It was circumstances that caused that, being at the right place at the right time, and being lucky enough, stubborn enough, or talented enough to succeed, to win. He found it nigh-impossible for a man to arrange success, and acclaim. All Navy officers were aspiring, for promotion, command, and for honour and glory, though it usually was the rare one in an hundred who gained such fame.

Lewrie had had his short stint at being well-known and even famous … or infamous, depending on how you looked at stealing those dozen slaves to man his ship at Jamaica, becoming the darling of the Abolitionists and Wilberforce and his crowd, then being acquitted at his trial for it. Stout and prosperous London businessmen still gave him the evil eye, the ones who saw nothing wrong with the slave trade and the wealth that came from it!

Aye, and look where all that’s got me! he scoffed; But … it might be nice t’be mentioned in despatches, now and again. Hmm. Me, the new Nelson? Oh, bosh!

*   *   *

The conference ended about half an hour later, after the last niggling details had been threshed out, and Lewrie went back to the upper deck, and the sunshine, waiting his turn to depart in order of seniority, the junior-most first, and the senior-most last, into their boats. While chatting with the others, he became even more convinced that there would be a Naval Brigade formed, whether it was needed or not … with Popham at its head, most likely!

He determined that as soon as he was back aboard his ship, he’d see to his personal weapons, oil them and clean them, and fit fresh flints in the dog’s jaws of their locks. He’d take his pair of double-barrelled Manton pistols, and his pair of single-barrelled pocket pistols, too, the ones made by Henry Nock. Of course, he’d take his Ferguson breech-loading rifled musket, which could shoot accurately almost three times as far as any Tower musket, and fetching along the longer fusilier musket wouldn’t go amiss, either. And, for hunting game, the Girandoni air-rifle, which was almost silent.

Game! Fresh game meat, roasted over a campfire on a spit. His mouth began to water at the thought, and if Popham didn’t send a Naval Brigade ashore, then By God he’d find a way to land with the Army, and Devil take the hind-most!

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“A pretty day for it, I must say, sir,” Mr. Caldwell the Sailing Master commented as Lewrie paced the quarterdeck near him, in passing.

“Pretty, aye, but a windy one,” Lewrie responded after a long squint aloft to the stiffly fluttering commissioning pendant and the thrumming and clattering of ru

The fleet had come to anchor just West of Robben Island on the night of the 4th. Yesterday, on the 5th, the demonstration towards Green Island had been made. Now this morning, the 6th of January, was the day selected by Commodore Popham to land the army.

At the moment, that prospect didn’t look all that promising to Lewrie, for though the skies were clear blue and the high-piled clouds were as white as fleece, there were strong winds from offshore, which had stirred up a heavy surf, combining to make a landing very risky.