Chasing Ghosts by Nicola Pierce

Author:Nicola Pierce
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The O'Brien Press
Published: 2020-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

13

Saturday, 1st January 1848

Captain Crozier’s Journal

Lieutenant Gore died today. Just like the rest, he had been sick for some time and fought bravely to the end.

Our dead colleagues are scattered around us, encased in the icy folds of this petrified water.

It is a bleak and dreadful start to the New Year.

Sunday, 16th January 1848

My day of rest was interrupted by a pathetic scene. I was here reading when I heard the sound of shouting and cheering. I waited to see if anyone would inform me what was happening but then, when no one did, my curiosity got the better of me. I followed the sounds to the lower deck where, to my horror, I beheld a fist fight between Officer Irving and a stoker whose name I have no wish to learn. Their audience, resembling a handful of illmannered louts, were cheering them on.

So distracted was everyone that I stood there for a few moments until I was noticed. Lieutenant Little detached himself from the group. ‘Sir, I tried to stop them.’

Officer Irving had a bloody nose and his uniform was scuffed and even torn. An absolute disgrace. I was furious, shouting at him, ‘What is the meaning of this?’

Irving hung his head and I certainly had no intention of interviewing his opponent whose face was bloodied too. Lieutenant Little spoke. ‘The officer was slighted by this stoker, sir.’

To my surprise, the stoker whined, ‘He bumped into me, knocking me into the wall.’

Determined to bring the conversation to an end as quickly as possible, I nodded to Lieutenant Little to explain matters further. He obliged. ‘A collision, sir, after this man refused to stand aside to allow Officer Irving to pass.’

The stoker opened his filthy mouth to say something but I put a stop to him. ‘I will not have officers of Her Majesty’s Navy mistreated by inferiors. Is that understood? When you meet an officer in the passageway, you will stand aside.’

I stared at each man in turn until he nodded and muttered, ‘Yes, Captain.’

Addressing Lieutenant Little, I said, ‘Sir, you will give this man ten lashes for insubordination while Lieutenant Irving returns to his quarters to make himself presentable as befitting his position on my ship.’

Not wanting to hear another word from any of them, I returned here.

Two and a half years of living like this naturally results in frayed tempers. However, I rely on my officers to maintain a firm discipline or we are lost.

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