Personal Narrative of Events, From 1799 to 1815 — John Shaqi
Personal Narrative of Events, From 1799 to 1815Lovell, William Stanhope
History
Personal Narrative of Events, From 1799 to 1815
Lovell, William Stanhope
Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Sea life
One man-of-war schooner, of 12 guns, called the _Renard_, and
half-a-dozen small French vessels, were the only captures made by
the fleet during the above period; these, with the exception of
the schooner, not being worth sending into port, were destroyed. A
lieutenant of the _Renown_, and myself, went to Malta in the _Renard_,
and shortly after rejoined our ship off Toulon, in the _Narcissus_
frigate.
One of the marine officers had a monkey on board, who used to amuse us
with his gambols; but was rather fond of biting, for which he received
occasionally a beating from us youngsters. This brought on a coolness
between his master and us, and led at last to open war.
A cabal was formed to get Jacko a licking from his own master, by
letting him loose from his chain in the marine officer’s cabin, that he
might do some mischief; and the time chosen was when his best clothes
were put out ready for him to dine with the captain.
We knew F. was invited that day, because we had seen the captain’s
steward ask him, and his own servant go into the marine officer’s berth
(he had one in the gun-room, on the lower-deck, where we messed), and
lay out his best coat, epaulet, white trousers, etc.; and after making
all other preparations necessary for the toilet, leave the cabin, lock
the door, put the key in his pocket, and go away.
Now was the time for action. A mid of the name of O., the leader of
all mischief, undertook to get into the cabin through the lower-deck
port, by going on deck, then into the mizen chains, and from thence by
a rope’s end made fast under his arms. We let him down through the port
on the lower-deck into the cabin, and he untied the monkey. This being
done, we returned into the gun-room, and peeped through the key-hole
and cracks to see Jacko’s manœuvres.
After jumping about and chattering to himself for some little time, he
commenced operations. Unfortunately for his owner, he found a bottle
of ink, which he let fall, and it broke in pieces, splashing the ink
on the deck. The monkey was now in his glory; he seized upon the new
red coat and epaulet, and began mopping up the wet, then chattering
to himself, jumping about and appearing to feel quite delighted with
his performance, particularly when he saw the marks of his hands and
feet, stained with black, upon the red uniform. Not contented with his
exploits on the coat, he lugged down the pair of smart inexpressibles,
that looked so temptingly white, hanging over the chair, and finished
the housemaid’s work by wiping up the remainder of the ink with them.
This feat having been done, we thought we had seen enough, and went
most innocently to give information to the lieutenant of Marines, and
his servant, that Jacko was loose in the cabin, and, we were afraid,
was after some mischief, for we heard something break, and by peeping
through the key-hole, saw he had his master’s coat on the deck, and
dragging it about.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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