Onward she goes, over ripple and spray,
Over the waters — away — and away.
It was in the evening when, according to the custom of the hulk, the names of all those who were destined to depart were called aloud on each deck by the boatswain, and they were directed to prepare for the “Bay ship” on the morrow. Our hero was doubly rejoiced at hearing his own name among the rest, for since the torturing disgraceful punishment he had received, the Leviathan had become perfectly hateful to him, and he spent the whole of the night in rumination as to his probable fortune in Australia.
The next day the convicts were duly washed, shaved, cropped, and supplied with two suits each of new slop clothing. They were all ironed too afresh, having each a new pair of double irons put on, and were then paraded before the surgeon superintendent of the vessel in which they were to sail. This officer rejected a few of those who appeared sickly, and others were called in their room. Shortly afterwards the whole body was transferred to a large lighter, which conveyed them out to Spithead, where the good ship fraught with their destinies lay like a mighty sea-bird asleep on the bosom of the open roadstead. On being placed on board, the prisoners were mustered down below, between the decks, into their proper sleeping-places, where each found a numbered bed and blanket. They were then left to pass the night as they listed.
The ship Magnet, which was to convey our adventurer and his companions to the Antipodes, was of about 500 tons burden. The chief part of the maindeck was appropriated to the use of the convicts, of whom there were 150 originally embarked. The deck had been subdivided by a strong bulkhead into two apartments, the smaller by far of which was destined to the reception of the boy convicts, of whom there were about thirty. The hatchways were secured with upright elm stanchions in a stout framing, the whole rendered impervious to any attempt at cutting them by having innumerable broadheaded nails driven home as close together as possible into every portion of the stanchions and frame that was exposed to view. In one of these hatchways were the doors leading to the men’s and the boys’ prisons. These openings were purposely made so small that only one person at a time could pass through them, and a military sentry was posted day and night in the hatchway to prevent any mutiny or other irregularity.
The military guard consisted of two commissioned and six non-commissioned officers, with about forty private soldiers, some of whom wore married and accompanied by their wives and families. While at Spithead, the prisoners were only allowed to come on deck in divisions, three-fourths remaining below while the others enjoyed the fresh air, six soldiers being posted at different parts of the ship. When they sailed, however, the convicts were allowed the liberty of the deck, the whole body except the sick being obliged to leave the prison every fine day by sunrise, and taking their meals on the deck, returning to their berths only at sunset, when they were mustered down by an officer.
Order was maintained among them, and a due regard to cleanliness enforced, by a boatswain and six mates, selected by the surgeon superintendent from the convicts, of whom he had the exclusive care. Their food consisted of the ration which was commonly known in the transport service by the name of “six upon four”, it being four men-of-war sailors’ allowance among six of the prisoners. When the voyage advanced, a small portion of wine or lime-juice was issued on alternate days. There was, in fact, no lack of anything felt on board save water, which was necessarily carefully husbanded, and the want of which was chiefly endured by those who devoured their salt provisions too greedily.
The day after the arrival of the draft, a boatswain, two cooks and other petty officers were chosen from among them, and the men distributed into messes or parties of eight in each, who were to receive their stated allowance of food and water together. It being known that nearly a fortnight would elapse before they sailed for their destination, many of the convicts busied themselves by writing to their friends or relatives to bid them farewell or to request a parting visit. As for Rashleigh, he had resolved not to let any person know his fate, and as his name was an assumed one, he conceived none of his connexions were aware of his degradation.
Bumboats with all manner of supplies attended the Magnet at her moorings daily; and as the time for their departure drew nigh, the deck frequently presented an animating and lively appearance, sorrowfully diversified at times by groups of weeping females or children assembled round some parent or brother who was about to be severed from them, most probably for ever.
Ralph had little to do with either leave-taking or bargaining. His slender store of money was soon expended in purchasing a little tea and sugar, with a few other trifling comforts, for his long voyage; and it was with no very poignant feelings of regret that he saw the anchor weighed and the sails loosed which were to waft him away from the land of his birth.
The vessel passed near the Isle of Wight, and standing out into mid channel, they continued their course until evening, when all were ordered below. The sleeping-berths between decks were framed of deal boards, supported by stanchions and quartering of the same kind of timber, and subdivided into compartments in which six men slept in a space of about as many feet. These bed-places were framed in rows along each side of the ship, and a double row was also formed in the centre, between which and the sides and hatchways, narrow passages were left.
This being their first night at sea, the broken waves of the channel tossed them about considerably, and the wind being aft, the vessel rolled much more than was agreeable to such raw sailors. A scene of great confusion was therefore the result, some swearing, some casting up their accounts, a very, very few indeed praying, and many lying without daring to stir. Rashleigh was not much affected by the motion, and when the tumult had a little subsided, he went to sleep; though, as he lay athwart the vessel, his rest was much disturbed by the rolling. Towards midnight he awoke and made the discovery that his feet were elevated about a yard higher than his head, an order of things which, as he had not been accustomed to it, he forthwith proceeded to alter. But scarce had he done so when he found himself subject to the same inconvenience in his fresh position, so that he was fain to replace his head against the ship’s side, as he had at first lain down, being fearful, while he lay the other way, that some roll more violent than the rest might suddenly dislodge him and cast him headlong into the opposite sleeping-berths: a mode of visiting his shipmates which he could very well dispense with.
He could not sleep more, however, in any position, so he sat up at last, leaning against the ship’s side and ever and anon wondering what it was that continually struck the bows of the vessel — as it seemed to him — with such tremendous fury, little thinking it was the waves, every time her head went down to meet them.
At length he heard a dreadful crash above, followed by the hurtling fall of timbers on the deck. At the same moment a tremendous sea broke over the bulwarks of the vessel and swept with fury down into the main hatchway, in which the sentry was posted. The violence of the rushing water drove the poor soldier with great force against the barricade, and a perfect deluge poured into the prison.
Dire was now the clamour. A hundred sleepers were aroused at once, to find themselves and their bedding immersed in water which every fresh roll of the vessel dashed from side to side, as it had no outlet. Most of them, in a state of mortal terror, deemed the ship was sinking, and a wild outcry of lamentation pealed from many tongues.
Very soon a few of the boldest rushed at the little gateway, hoping to force it and gain the deck, that they might not, as one of their number expressed it, “be drowned like rats, shut up in a cage”; but the wicket bade defiance to all their ill-directed strength. Meanwhile the tones of the sentry might sometimes be heard above the din of voices or the rush of the mighty waters, pouring forth a jeremiad in terms like the following: “Wirrah, it’s murdered, and kilt, losht, destroyed and drownded I am! Swate mother o’ Jasus! And my firelock gone. Shure, if I escape this turn, I’ll be hanged tomorrow for losing my arrums. Och, Wirrah! Wirrah!” And in the darkness the poor fellow would grope for his lost musket, when suddenly a roll of the ship would throw him forcibly against one of the sides, until, a lighted lantern being brought, his dilemma was observed and another sentry placed on his post.
The prisoners, however, were compelled to pass the night in the best manner they could, only being assured that there was no danger, the noise and confusion on deck having arisen from one of the yards giving way. They set to work and bailed the water into the privies as well as they could, and by morning everything was once more quiet below.
Nothing of moment now passed for some time. The good ship still gallantly breasted the billows on her watery way, and at last they neared the Equinoctial, where the ceremony of shaving, on crossing the line, was productive of much fun, about fifty of the prisoners undergoing that operation for the merriment of the others, who, with the captain, officers and passengers, were all equally amused thereby.
Some time prior to this event Ralph Rashleigh had been selected by the surgeon to act as his clerk, a circumstance which, while it procured him many comforts, also probably prevented his having any hand in a scheme that was now set on foot among the prisoners for seizing the vessel, which was shortly after their crossing the line brought to maturity, and but very narrowly defeated.
The boys’ prison was separated only by a bulkhead on either side from the portion occupied by the military and the older prisoners, with relation to which it occupied the centre. Some of these adroit young thieves had contrived to loosen a board in the bulkhead between their own and the soldiers’ apartment. Through this aperture one of the smallest among them used ............