Marmaduke Merry: A Tale of Naval Adventures in Bygone DaysKingston, William Henry Giles
General
Marmaduke Merry: A Tale of Naval Adventures in Bygone Days
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Midshipmen -- Fiction; Sea stories
"You're all the better for that trip, youngster," said the old mate,
with a grin, as I returned to the berth. "Now, just take a lump of this
fat bacon, and a bit of biscuit,--and here, as a treat, you shall have a
nip of old Jamaica, and you'll be all to rights in ten minutes, and
never be sea-sick again as long as you live."
I remonstrated, but out came the colt, and with an argument so cogent I
was fain to adopt my messmate's remedy. It was a terrible trial. At
first, I could scarcely bring my teeth to meet; but Perigal flourished
his weapon, and my jaws went faster and faster, till I was not sorry to
finish the whole of the biscuit and bacon placed before me, and could
have taken twice as much if I could have got it. Perigal was right.
From that day to this I have never suffered from sea-sickness.
Toby Bluff had undergone a similar ordeal, and when I was well enough to
go and look for him, I found him scraping away at a beef bone, from
which he had just removed the last particle of meat.
The summer gale was soon over, and once more we stood in for the land to
look after the Frenchmen. As we drew in, I saw the captain and officers
eagerly scanning the coast with their glasses, and it was soon known
that a ship had been discovered at anchor by herself in a bay almost
abreast of where we then were. She was protected, however, by the guns
of some strongish batteries.
"We must have her out, though," observed Captain Collyer; and forthwith
the proposal was made to our consorts by signal.
Neither of the captains was the sort of man to decline engaging in the
undertaking. Off we went, under every stitch of canvas we could carry,
to look for the admiral, who, with a fleet sufficient to render a good
account of the enemy, should they venture out of harbour, was cruising
in the neighbourhood.
Admiral Cornwallis highly approved of the proposal. "Go and do it," was
his laconic reply. He was more addicted to acts than words. He sent a
lieutenant, in whom he placed great confidence, to take command, and a
boat and boat's crew from the flagship to lead. This was not quite as
complimentary a proceeding as the three captains would have liked; but
they were all too zealous and too anxious to get the work done to stand
on ceremony. Away back we sailed, till we once more made out the
entrance to the bay, which was called Camaret Bay.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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