Great Britain -- History, Naval -- 19th century -- Fiction; Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815 -- Fiction
The carnage had been dreadful, and the bulwarks of the vessel had been
shattered to pieces. The scene was almost as had as the Stella's decks
before she was blown up by the negro captain. Several of the guns were
dismounted and two of them had burst. I had only time to go round the
gun-deck, and then I ordered two hands into the boat, that I might make
my report to Captain Delmar.
I asked the third lieutenant to allow me to take on board the young
officer, who still remained lifeless on the carronade slide, and, as it
was proper for me to bring back with me the commanding officer, he
consented. We lowered him with a rope into the boat, and then I
returned on board of the Calliope, and went up to the captain to make my
report, and present him with the sword of the officer commanding the
prize.
Just as I was commencing my story, Mr Culpepper came up without his
wig, and in a state of great disorder, with a piece of dirty paper in
his hand. He trembled very much from the effects of his alarm, but made
a very profound bow, and said to Captain Delmar--
"Here is the state of killed and wounded, Captain Delmar, as far as I
have been able to collect them. I could not possibly get them
ascertained before, although I have been an hour or two employed--ever
since Mr Keene came down."
The captain, who did not like the interruption, replied very haughtily,
"Mr Culpepper, it's the duty of the surgeon to send in the report of
killed and wounded. You had better go down below, get your dress in a
little better order. Now, Mr Keene."
Old Culpepper slunk away as I proceeded to give the information, and the
captain now asked the carpenter if the pinnace was sufficiently
repaired.
"In a few minutes, sir," was the reply.
"Mr Hippesley, you must, then, send forty hands on board the prize to
repair her damages, as far as we can. Mr Weymss must remain on board."
In the meantime the young officer had been taken down below to the
surgeon, who had now some leisure to attend to him. He was soon
restored, and the surgeon expressed his opinion that it would be
possible to save his arm. I went down to see him, and I gave him my
hammock to sleep in for the present, and as soon as he was comfortably
arranged under the half-deck I returned to the quarter-deck, and made
myself as useful as I could, for we had plenty to do on board of our own
frigate, knotting and splicing, having only made temporary repairs.
It was now dawn of day, and very soon afterwards broad daylight. The
men were ordered aft with the buckets, and the decks, which were smeared
and black with powder and the blood of the wounded, were washed down.
That we were all very tired I hardly need say, but it was not yet time
for repose; the magazines had been secured and the fires lighted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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