Life Aboard a British Privateer in the Time of Queen Anne: Being the Journal of Captain Woodes Rogers, Master MarinerRogers, Woodes
History
Life Aboard a British Privateer in the Time of Queen Anne: Being the Journal of Captain Woodes Rogers, Master Mariner
Rogers, Woodes
Privateering -- Early works to 1800; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
After parting company with three galleys and the "Prince Eugene," the
fleet, on the 5th of August, "finding they have overshot their port,
come to an anchor at noon off two rocks, called the Sovereigne's
Bollacks, near Kinsale; at 8 p.m. they weighed again with a small gale
at east, which increased and veered to northward." At this time Rogers
had a Kinsale pilot on board who, he says, "was like to have endanger'd
our ships by turning us into the next bay to the west of Cork, the
weather being dark and foggy." "Which," says Rogers, "provoked me to
chastise him for undertaking to act as pilot without understanding his
business better." On the 7th the "Duke" and "Dutchess" anchored in the
Cove of Cork, and remained there, more or less weather bound, until the
28th, the entries in Rogers' log varying little beyond telling us that
on the 11th, "it blow'd fresh and dirty weather:" while on the 12th,
"it blew fresh and dirty weather, on which day there clear'd and run
near forty of our fresh water sailors." In whose place "came off a boat
load of men from Cork, that appear'd to be brisk fellows but of several
nations; so I sent to stop the rest till we were ready, our ships being
pester'd." On the 28th the weather was fine enough to "Careen clean and
tallow the ships five streaks below the water line." Nothing marked the
smart privateersman and seaman of those days more than his constant
care in keeping the bottom of his ship perfectly clean. Indeed, Captain
Rogers never seemed happier than when he had one or other of the little
frigates held over for scraping and cleaning, in some quiet bay, so
nearly upon her beam ends, as to bring her keel almost out of water.
[Illustration: _Section of Eighteenth Century Frigate, showing space
occupied by hemp cables and other stores._]
When shipping the rest of his crew before sailing from Cork, we get a
taste of Rogers' foresight and policy. For he tells us, "we have now
above double the number of officers usual in privateers, besides a
large complement of men;" adding, "we took this method of doubling our
officers to prevent mutinies, which often happen in long voyages, and
that we might have a large provision for a succession of officers in
each ship in case of mortality."
It must, however, have been a sore trial to a tarpaulin seaman, like
Rogers, to have to note at the same time, "that in order to make room
for our men and provisions, we sent the sheet cable and some other
store cordage on shore, having on board three cables besides, and being
willing rather to spare that than anything else we had aboard."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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