Chapter 22

1807.

Sir James is called into active service.--Joins the Channel Fleet as second in command.--Shifts his Flag from the San Josef to the Prince of Wales.--His decisive conduct.--Anecdote of the Prince of Wales' Men.--Change of Ministry.--Sir James leaves the Channel Fleet, and returns to Guernsey.--Is offered the Command in the East Indies.--Letter on that occasion.

Early in the year 1807 Sir James was called into more active service. The enemy's fleet at Brest had again become formidable. Earl St. Vincent was appointed to command the Channel fleet, and immediately applied for Sir James to be second in command. To make him eligible for this, he was promoted to the rank of Vice-admiral; and on the 7th of January he received orders to hoist his flag, blue at the fore, on board the San Josef, of 112 guns. As the noble Earl was unable from ill health to keep the sea in the Hibernia, his flag-ship, the whole responsibility fell on Sir James.

The San Josef, one of the finest ships in the navy, had been taken in the battle of the 14th of February 1797; and, having since that period been almost constantly employed, was in need of a thorough repair. In February she became so leaky, that Sir James was obliged to shift his flag into the Prince of Wales, Captain Bedford, and send the San Josef into Plymouth to be repaired; and, it being ascertained that it would take more than a year before she could be ready, the officers and men were turned over to the Ville de Paris, which was ordered to fit for his flag.

Sir James's activity in blockading the enemy was unremitting. The fleet consisted of twenty-seven sail of the line, nine of which were three-deckers. It was his custom, every day that the weather permitted, to stand towards the Black Rocks in a line of battle, and off in a line of bearing, always communicating with the in-shore squadron.

On one occasion, while the weather had been thick for several days, the signal was made from the Hibernia for the enemy's fleet to leeward. The English fleet bore up in chase; and, although the Prince of Wales was the worst-sailing ship in the fleet, by carrying a great press of sail she became the headmost. The wind was from the west, and the fleet was standing in for Brest, the French coast being a lee shore. Captain Bedford, who was not so well acquainted with the coast as Sir James, represented the danger that the fleet was running into, as it was blowing hard at the time; when Sir James replied, "There is good anchorage in Douvarnenez Bay," and continued his course: but it was soon after discovered that the strangers were the Plantagenet and in-shore squadron, and the fleet was still able to weather Ushant.

Captain Bedford, who, like other promoters of a religious feeling on board ship, was liable to be imposed upon by hypocrites, had on board the Prince of Wales a set of individuals among the seamen, who, taking advantage of his desire to encourage piety among the crew, ingratiated themselves so far by their outward manifestations as to induce him to appropriate a convenient berth in the ship, where they might sing psalms and perform other devotional exercises unmolested. This place virtually served as a depot for the hypocrites, who had for a long time unsuspectedly committed divers acts of depredation. Just before the ship went into port, either to refit or replenish the water and provisions, the secretary's gold watch disappeared, as well as a considerable sum of money; and the complaint being made by him to the Admiral, the latter commanded the captain to call all hands on deck, and make a strict search for the stolen property.

The men being reported on deck by the officer who had charge of the lower decks, Captain Bedford said, "Where shall we begin to search?" to which the lieutenant replied, "My cabin, sir; then your's; and then the _religious berth_." This answer drew forth a rebuke for even _suspecting_ these "good Christians," as the captain emphatically called them. The examination was however persisted in: the officers went to the berth, the keys were demanded, and could not be found; but an iron crow-bar was effectually substituted; and the whole of the missing property, besides many other stolen articles, were discovered in the chests of these miscreants, to the surprise and mortification of the worthy Captain Bedford, who did not fail immediately to make his report to the Admiral then on the quarter-deck.

Before punishment of criminals takes place in a flag-ship, it is usual for the captain to carry the particulars to the Admiral. It was the practice of Sir James Saumarez to examine these reports minutely, and convince himself of the necessity of the punishment before giving it his sanction; which was always done with that painful reluctance so natural to his humane disposition. In this instance, however, his feelings of indignation were more than usually roused: he emphatically said, "Captain Bedford, I desire that you will immediately give each of these wretches such a punishment as will effectually put a stop to this unparalleled wickedness."

We need scarcely add that his orders were implicitly obeyed; and such was the indignation of the crew, that there was no necessity for urging the boatswain's mates to do their duty, while Sir James, who never could witness punishment without extreme pain, retired to his cabin. He did not fail, however, to point out to every one how much the offence of theft had been aggravated by being committed under the cloak of religion, for which no punishment within the limited power of the captain could be too severe.

A change of ministry having taken place, Lord Gardner was appointed to command the Channel fleet; and, as his lordship chose the Ville de Paris for his flag, Captain Conn and the other officers were turned over to the Hibernia: three of Lord St. Vincent's officers were superseded; and Sir James joined his new flag-ship at sea. During the summer, when the wind came from the westward, and blew strong, the fleet bore up for Torbay. On one of these occasions Sir James showed much decision. The captains and officers of the fleet had sent their chronometers on shore to be cleaned and regulated, not expecting that there would be much occasion for them: it happened, however, that the fleet was blown off the coast by a strong north-east wind, which lasted more than a week. During this the ships, by chasing and performing various evolutions, had lost the reckoning, which differed from the true position by the chronometer of the Hibernia, which happened to be the only one in the fleet. After the easterly wind, a heavy westerly gale came on; and before Ushant could be made, the weather became thick, and the signal was made to bear up for Torbay, and at the same time for the longitude.

Sir James had now to decide: if the reckoning was right, the course by chronometer would have wrecked the fleet in Bigberry Bay; and if the chronometer was right, the course by reckoning would have carried the fleet on the Bill of Portland. Under these circumstances Sir James carefully examined both, and at once decided on following the course by chronometer; and the fleet safely anchored in Torbay in the middle of the night.

Lord Gardner took a house near Brixham, and Sir James continued for some time to carry on the duty as usual; till at length Lord Gardner apprised Sir James that he had applied for his old friend, Sir John Duckworth, to be his second in command: on which Sir James wrote to be superseded; and in August, the same year, he struck his flag, to rehoist it on board the Inconstant at Guernsey. His old flag-ship was during the winter prepared for him, and in February 1808 he proceeded to Guernsey.

During this period, war with Russia broke out. Affairs in the north wore a serious aspect, and it was evident that the Baltic must soon become the seat of war.

Sir James received the following letter from Lord Mulgrave, offering him the command in the East Indies, which was the most lucrative station; but prize-money was always a secondary consideration with the Admiral. He declined accepting the offer, as will be seen by his answer.

Admiralty, January 23rd, 1808.

MY DEAR SIR,

Sir Edward Pellew having expressed a wish to be relieved from the command in the East Indies, I am desirous (before I think of another arrangement) to learn whether that station would be agreeable to you; in which case I should have great satisfaction in giving you that appointment.

I have the honour to be, with sincere regard and the highest esteem, Dear sir,

Your most obedient and faithful servant, MULGRAVE.

To Vice-admiral Sir James Saumarez, K.B. &c.

Guernsey, 30th January 1808.

MY DEAR LORD,

I am honoured with your lordship's private and confidential letter, and I cannot sufficiently express my grateful acknowledgements for the obliging manner in which your lordship has been pleased to propose to me the command in the East Indies, which I should be most happy to profit by, did the state of my health hold out any prospect of my fulfilling so important a trust with satisfaction to myself or to the benefit of my country. I am therefore, though reluctantly, compelled to decline this mark of your lordship's kindness.

I have the honour to be, &c. &c. James Saumarez.

To Earl Mulgrave.