The Bomb Vessel

There was a chorus of assent. 'Very well, any questions?'

'Aye sir.' It was Matchett, the boatswain.

'Yes?'

'Are we to stand in the line of bombs, sir, as I've heard?' Drinkwater shot a glance at Tumilty whose innocent eyes were studying the deckhead.

'I cannot tell you at present, Mr Matchett.' A murmur of disappointment ran through the little assembly. 'All I can say is that I represented our case to Lord Nelson himself not an hour since…'

There was a perceptible brightening of faces. 'That is all, gentlemen.'

'Sir! Beg pardon, sir.'

'Yes, what is it?' Drinkwater turned from the boatswain to Mr Quilhampton.

'For this surveying, sir, the tablet and board…'

'Yes?'

'Well, sir, I can hold a pencil in—my right hand but…' Quilhampton held up the hook that terminated his left arm.

'Damn it, I had clean forgot, accept my apologies, Mr Q…' Drinkwater tore his mind off the instructions he was giving to Matchett and rubbed his forehead.

'Why don't 'e see Mr Willerton, sir. Carpenter'd knock him up a timber claw to hold anything, sir.'

'See to it, Mr Q, obliged to you Mr Matchett, now to the matter of these buoys. I want as many nets as you can knock up, about a fathom square, use any old rope junk but the mesh must be small enough to stop a twenty-four pound ball from escaping. Fit the boat up with coils of ten fathoms of three inch rope, enough for as many nets as you make. Then I want some of those deal planks left over from fitting the magazines, you know, the ones that Willerton has been hiding since Chatham, and small stuff sufficient to square lash 'em into a cross. No, damn it we'll nail 'em. Then I want a dozen light spars, boat-hook shafts, spare cannon ramrods, that sort of thing, all fitted with wefts of bunting. Get the duty watch cracking on that lot at once.'

'How many balls to each net, sir?'

'Four'll be too heavy to manhandle over the gunwhale, better make it three.'

'Then we can make the nets a little smaller, sir.'

Drinkwater nodded, 'See to it then.' He turned aft and caught sight of the purser. 'Oh, Mr Jex!'

'Sir?'

'Mr Jex, Mr Tumilty has asked me that it be specially impressed upon you that your party of firemen be adequately trained in the use of pump and hoses. When we go into action their efforts are required throughout the period the mortars are in use.'

'When we go into action sir?' Jex queried uncertainly. 'But I thought that the matter was not yet..'

'I hope that we will soon know… ah, Mr Willerton are you able to help Mr Q? You have little time…'

Drinkwater did not see the pale face of Mr Jex staring with disbelief at his retreating figure.

Half an hour later Drinkwater reported to Brisbane aboard Cruizer.

'Now see here, Drinkwater, what we achieved last night in the way of buoying the channel was little enough.' Brisbane leant over the sheet of cartridge paper spread upon the table in Cruizer's cabin. On it the brig's master, William Fothergill, had pencilled in the outline of the islands of Saltholm and Amager. Upon the latter stood the city of Copenhagen. Also drawn in were the approximate limits of the shallow water.

'We are attempting to find out the five fathom line which will give us ample water for Nelson's squadron. Happily for us the tidal range hereabouts is negligible, although a strong southerly wind will reduce the water on the Middle Ground…'

'So I understand, sir.'

'Last night we sounded for the eastern limit of the Holland Deep, here, along the Saltholm shore and laid four buoys…'

'What are you using for buoys, sir?'

'Water casks weighted with three double-headed shot, why?'

'With respect, sir, though adequate, the casks may be difficult to see, particularly if the sea is covered with sea-smoke as has been the case the last three mornings. May I suggest planks or short spars lashed or nailed in a cross with a hole drilled for a light pole. Ropes stoppered at the ends of the plants and drawn together to a becket at the base of the pole will afford a securing for the mooring and assist the pole to remain upright. If the pole carries a weft or flag I believe you will find this method satisfactory…'

'Damn good idea, sir,' put in Fothergill, 'and if necessary a lantern may be hung from the pole.'

'Quite so.' The three men straightened up from the chart smiling.

'Very well, Mr Drinkwater, so be it. Now Mr Fothergill is about to ink in what we have done so far and then this chart will go across to Captain Riou aboard Amazon. From now on all surveying reports are to be returned to Amazon where this chart is to be completed. I understand they have a squad of middies and clerks making copies for all the ships as the information comes in.'

The meeting closed and Drinkwater urged his oarsmen to hurry back to Virago. Already his active mind was preparing itself for the coming hours. Away to the southward of them Amazon was anchored off Saltholm, together with the Lark and the other brig, Harpy, and the cutter Fox. Boats were out with leadsmen, their cold crews struggling through the floes of ice that reminded them all that further to the eastward the pack was breaking up and every day brought the combination of a Russian fleet closer. Even before they reached Virago, Cruizer was underway again with Lord Nelson on board to reconnoitre the enemy position.

It was late afternoon on the 31st before Drinkwater and his two boats pulled away from Virago's side. Astern of them each towed the materials for two buoys, dismantled and lashed together so as not to inhibit the efforts of the oarsmen. Each boat was heavily laden with nets of round shot in the bilges, small barricoes of water under the thwarts and each oarsman had his feet on a coil of rope and a cutlass. The oars were double-banked with two spare men huddled in the bow. All, officers and men alike, were muffled in sheepskins and woollen scarves, mittens and assorted headgear. All had had a double ration of spirits before leaving the ship and two kegs of neat rum were stowed under the stern sheets of each boat. Mr Jex had protested at the extravagance but had been quietly over-ruled by Drinkwater.

Quilhampton sat in the stern next to his commander. His new left hand had been hurriedly fashioned from a lump of oak and was able to hold both a tiller and a notebook.

'It's good enough for the present,' Quilhampton had said earlier, and added with a grin, 'and impervious to the cold.'

Drinkwater felt the pressure of the crude hand against his arm as Quilhampton swung the boat to avoid an ice floe. On his own hands he wore fur mitts over a pair of silk stockings. Experiment had shown he could manage a pencil by casting off the mittens on their lanyard, and using his fingers through the stockings.

They headed for Amazon, reaching the frigate an hour after sunset, and Drinkwater reported to Captain Edward Riou. Not many years older than Drinkwater himself, Riou had made his reputation ten years earlier when he had saved the Guardian after striking an iceberg in the Southern Ocean. His remarkable energy had not deserted him and he had given up command of a battleship to carry out his special duties in the frigate Amazon. He fixed his bright, intelligent eyes on Drinkwater as the latter explained his ideas for buoying the edges of the shoals.