“We have to live on our ships for years at a time. They’re our homes when we can’t be in England.”
At a sharp rap at the cabin door, one of the Marine guards ushered in two more men in the uniform of officers.
Christopher stood and introduced his old friends. “Rachel, may I present Captain Arnaud Bellingham and his Marine Lieutenant Richard Bourne?” She nodded in acknowledgment. “Captain Bellingham and Lieutenant Bourne, I would like to present my fiancee, Miss Rachel Berry; her father, Vicar Jameson Berry; and one of Miss Berry’s students, Miss Tenneh.” Both men bowed low and found their places at the table.
The Vicar Berry cleared his throat. “I’ve met Captain Bellingham on a number of occasions.”
“But I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting your lovely daughter.” Arnaud gave Rachel a broad smile and winked at Christopher. Rachel could see they were old friends, and Christopher was probably in for some teasing about their abrupt engagement.
When the Marine guards at Christopher’s cabin door ushered in two more younger men in officers’ uniforms, he introduced them as his lieutenants. His First Lieutenant Jenkins was currently in charge of their prize ship, thePaz. Second Lieutenant Mathias was serving as Chris’s second in command on theThistle. Both bowed low in acknowledgment of the Vicar Berry, Rachel and Tenneh, but spent the rest of the evening sending curious looks toward Rachel and Tenneh. They finally stopped at a sharp glare from Christopher.
After pouring Madeira wine into their glasses, Drake served the first course, a spicy fish stew. It was savory and thick with peppers from the market.
When he served the second course, stuffed quail, Rachel could not resist asking, “Where do you cook this wonderful food?”
“We have a galley and huge stove where all of the ship’s food is prepared.”
“Do you cook for everyone aboard the ship?”
“Good heavens, no.” Drake chuckled. “We have a ship’s cook and his mate who do all the meal preparation for the different watches. There are close to a hundred men to feed on this ship. The officers have servants like me to prepare and serve their meals.”
The quail was followed by roast of beef, a cold soup and finally, a fruit tart.
After their glasses were filled again after the tart was served, Captain Bellingham proposed a toast to Christopher. “This man gives the service everything. He makes the rest of us look like small boys hiding beneath the bed during a thunderstorm.” He took a sip of his Madeira and turned toward Rachel and her father. “Are you familiar with where the Rio Pongas lies?”
Rachel nodded. “It’s the main river between Sierra Leone and River Gambia. I’ve heard there are hundreds of slaves kept there to be shipped to places around the world. I’ve seen accounts in books in my father’s library.”
Captain Bellingham continued. “Well, the estuary there is a labyrinth of secret creeks and streams, and dangerous sandbanks guard the seaward entrances.”
“When we called at the British trading post on Isle de Los to see if we could find news of movements on the coast, a merchant captain came aboard to complain his ship had been taken by pirates in the Rio Pongas. He named the ringleader, Thomas Curtis, who was well known to all of us and known to be involved in slave trade.
“He anchored his ship off the Rio Pongas entrance, because of the sandbars, and sent in a shore boat commanded by a midshipman with a letter demanding release of the merchant’s ship. The midshipman, Inman was ordered to deliver the letter only - nothing else.
“He came across the merchant’s ship anchored at a wide place in river, five miles below Boffa, Curtis’s village.
Instead of following orders, Inman tried to board the vessel and was ambushed by musket fire. He and several of his men were killed, others were wounded. When the ship drifted to the bank, his remaining crew were taken prisoner by Curtis.
“Chris heard shots from aboard theThistle,and when news reached him of the disaster, he dared not risk his brig crossing the bar, so he weighed anchor for Freetown to get help. When he sailed one hundred twenty miles south to Freetown, he found our Commodore at that time, Collier, away from station. He reported to the senior naval officer, Captain Leeke, who commanded the sloop,Myrmidon. Leeke took Chris to see the governor, who finally agreed to sanction an action against the slavers.
“In Freetown, Captain Leeke had theMyrmidon, Chris’sThistle, my sloop at the time,Morgiana, and the small brigSnapper.Although not a large force, they mounted a total of sixty-two guns among them. They were satisfied the ships would do the job. The governor offered three companies of the 2nd West India Regiment - one hundred fifty men and four officers, under the command of Captain James Chisholm.
“Captain Chisholm and his men embarked aboardMyrmidonandMorgianaon May tenth, just as Commodore Collier returned. After discussion, Collier approved the operation, and they sailed on the twelfth.
“Leeke placed all of his marines under Chisholm’s command, and the combined landing force was to enter the Rio Pongas in boats from the four ships.
“Chisholm’s orders from the governor were to recover the prisoners and to take Curtis into custody. We were to fire only when fired upon, no wanton plundering or burning of villages.
“In light winds and sailing against the run of the current, we arrived off Rio Pongas before dawn on the fifteenth. At first light, the ships came to anchor off the main entrance to the river, within sight of an unbroken line of breakers marking the bar. The depth on the bar was sixteen feet at high water. Leeke decided the bigger ships,Myrmidonand myMorgiana, must remain outside, whilstThistleandSnapperentered the river with the landing party aboard.
“The rest of the day was spent transferring men of the 2nd West India Regiment and the Marines, three hundred men in all, along with their boats, to the two brigs.
“Leeke transferred to theSnapperto take overall command of landings. The brigs moved closer to the bar, anchoring in three-and-a-half fathoms around seven thirty. The two ships were ready for an early start next morning, but were also in the groundswell and constantly rolling and tugging at their anchor cables. Troops, packed in like cattle on open decks, spent an uncomfortable night.”
“I’m sorry.” Rachel interrupted his animated tale. “But what are fathoms?”
“Each fathom indicated on a chart equals six feet of depth,” Captain Bellingham explained, before continuing.
“On the sixteenth, the wind was light and the sun climbed from behind low lying hills inland from the Rio Pongas while river mist slowly burned away.
