To the Walls of Derne by Chipp Reid

Author:Chipp Reid
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781612518145
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Published: 2017-08-12T04:00:00+00:00

William Eaton knew Hamet needed money. The problem was there were few sources of cash, and one of them was about to weigh anchor. Master Commandant Isaac Hull, commander of the Argus, was done waiting for Eaton and Hamet. He had no idea Hamet had replied to Eaton or that Eaton had sent Leitensdorfer south, nor did he have any idea of Eaton’s arrangement to meet Hamet at Rosetta. All he knew was the Argus had been in Egyptian waters for nearly two months with nothing to show for it. On January 5 Hull told Eaton, “I am unhappy that appearances are so much against our getting information from the Bashaw, as we have been here so long, and not able to gain the least intelligence from him I fear that something stands in the way, that we are not acquainted with, and I expect we will find that to be the case.”7

The upshot of the lack of intelligence, Hull said, was time had run out for Eaton. “It is time to determine on something, for it is impossible for us to remain here long, and have a sufficiency of provisions to carry us down,” Hull told Eaton. “You well know if they were to be purchased here, we have not the means.” Maybe Hull should take the Argus back to Syracuse while Eaton remained in Cairo and report to Barron that Eaton was in contact with Hamet. He could also give the commodore a briefing on “what your prospects of success are, etc. which will enable him to furnish you with everything proper for the expedition, and give us such assistance as he may think necessary.”8

There was another problem. The Argus, Hull explained, was out of money, and he could provide nothing to help. Hull had to draw on British commercial agent Samuel Briggs for a thousand dollars just to feed his crew. He advised Eaton to hold off engaging any of the mercenaries Richard Farquhar was trying to recruit in Alexandria until they resolved the question of money. “I think it will be well not to do it at present, but to have them and as many more as can be found, in such a situation, that they can be collected in a short time, without making any further promise than to employ them, if you should leave this by land, as they will be only lumber on board of a ship.”9

There was very little Eaton could do, Hull said. He could stay in Cairo and search for Hamet, in which case the Argus would “leave this as soon as possible, as it will certainly be improper for me to remain here while you make the experiment.” Alternatively, he could return to Alexandria and reboard the Argus, in which case “we shall both be on the spot to act as we might think best.” Either way, Hull wanted Eaton to make a decision. Otherwise, he was set to return to Syracuse.10

Eaton well understood Hull’s frustration. He too could not understand why there was so little information about Hamet.

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