Hearts of Oak by Beryl Kingston

Author:Beryl Kingston [Kingston, Beryl]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Agora Books
Published: 2019-06-20T00:00:00+00:00

Nelson’s state room aboard the Victory was golden with light because all the wax candles had been lit. The Admiral was entertaining the two most important men in the island, Admiral Cochrane, who was an old friend and whose flagship the Northumberland was lying in Carlisle Bay, and Sir William Myers, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army at Barbados. The three men had dined well and now it was time for Cochrane and Sir William to report.

“Your arrival is timely, m’lord,” Sir William said, “for I received letters only last night from General Brereton at St Lucia and he sends the most specific news. He has seen the Spanish fleet. It passed Gros Islet on 28 May during the night, heading south.”

The news was disconcerting to Admiral Nelson. Before he left the Mediterranean, all his most reliable informants had assured him that the French were heading for their own island of Martinique. But this new information had to be taken seriously. Brererton was an old friend and a reliable one, what’s more, and if he said the French were heading south then there could well have been a change of plan. “How many sail?” he asked.

“Twenty-eight.”

It was a formidable force, but it could prove unwieldly. “A very pretty fiddle,” Nelson said, smiling at them, “although I don’t believe that either Gravina or Villeneuve will know how to play upon it. And heading south, you say.”

“Aye, sir. He supposed their destination to be either Barbados or Trinidad but as there is no sign of them hereabouts it seems more likely that they are headed for Trinidad and Tobago.”

That was Admiral Cochrane’s opinion of it too.

Nelson gave it thought, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

“I have two thousand troops at Carlisle Bay,” the general told him, “all primed and ready to embark.”

The decision was made. “We will take sail for Carlisle Bay tonight,” Nelson said, “and embark your troops tomorrow, General. Then, with God’s grace, we shall head south and find our quarry.”

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