1809 Ben Brown On the Beach by William Bertram

Author:William Bertram
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical 1800s, plymouth yarns, sea adventure fiction, smuggling fiction
Publisher: William Bertram

Sunday 21st day of May 1809

I awoke to someone banging on my bedroom door, then Donovan’s dulcet voice filtered through the wooden door. I don’t know who said the Irish had a melodic voice but they were wrong. “Are ye awake Laddie, we sail soon!” I just laid there silently, my eyes still closed. More banging and cajoling followed.

“I’m awake! I’m awake, damn you!” I cried angrily, opening my eyes for the first time. I found it was still dark. “What time is it?” I called.

Mary replied, “Half past Five, breakfast is ready.”

“Wake me in an hour,” I cried snuggling down into my pillow, only to have the banging start again.

There was some muffled talking outside, then Mary cried, “I’m coming in with your towel and hot water.”

“Belay a second,” I called covering myself with the blankets.

I was still not fully awake half an hour later as we stood on the Watch House quay watching the seagulls, some bobbing on the sea, some in the boats scavenging. Slowly our group was getting larger as more and more men appeared. I was smelling newly baked bread, it was making me hungry. I looked around, no Skipper as yet. Soon we had quite a crowd. Double Bill sailed up and I found out where the smell of the newly baked bread was coming from. He was carrying three baskets full of loaves, I imagined that he must have picked them up from Mister Jacks the baker on his way here. He spoke to me in his melodic Welsh accent, “I need to get the galley stove going, if you lot want feeding today.”

I looked around before replying “I suppose we had better start getting these men to the ship.” I muttered looking around for Donovan. “First-Mate, First-Mate” I shouted having just seen him near the Watch House wall with Polly.

“Coming!” He replied kissing Polly before making his way over.

“Can you get a boat crew together and start to get these men on board,” I asked whilst walking to meet him. “Oh and can you make sure that Mister William’s the cook is on the first run will you?”

“Dat I can m’darlin!” He replied stopping to look at the men present. Belcher and Stonedeaf suddenly sailed up on my quarter and between them, the First-Mate picked out a boat crew and sent them down to retrieve the Whaleboat. Then he started to count the remaining men, separating them into two groups, one large and one small.

Turning towards Belcher he shouted, “Take dees men over ter de cutter, an' den send it back for de rest. If yer can take any more in dat boat, call up 'ill yer?”

“I presume we are going on the second boat Midshipman?” Asked a voice from behind me. I turned around to look at the group of bewildered warrant officers.

You had better join the first group Slushy,” I remarked to the Cook. He nodded and pushed past me, one of his baskets full of loaves brushed against my arm, leaving a patch of flour in its wake.

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