Frigate Commander (21 page)

Moore continued to be pleased with the
Melampus
, despite the fact that her copper was in poor condition, but he was still faced with problems with his officers. As already noted, he had applied to the Admiralty to have Lieutenant Martin, the First Lieutenant of the
Syren
, transferred, but they were being difficult about it. The existing First Lieutenant of the
Melampus
appeared to be good at keeping the frigate in order, but Moore was not happy about the way he managed the crew, and he was also aware of shortcomings among other officers. The First Lieutenant in particular had

... a want of discretion, and ignorance of mankind that I think must lead him to disgust the seamen for nothing. I am much mistaken if, without severity, he does not make himself odious to them. This is extremely disagreeable to me, I wish the Officers to be as much loved by the Seamen as I always am myself; if it is otherwise things never go on well. The Crew of the
Melampus
are really excellent and are capable of any thing if properly managed. I find also that there is very little real zeal for the public service, it is only a minutiae, an attendance to trifles or matters of small importance. There is a constant desire to be in Port, many of the Officers being family men with their wives at Portsmouth; all this will require a sharper look out on my part to prevent the service suffering for their convenience.

The issue was one that he would have to deal with by and by, but in the meantime he knew it was the commanding officer’s lot to make the best of the isolated position of command;

The People here seem well disposed. And I dare say we shall agree well enough; as to a companion, it is what I do not look for, it is so rare. A Captain’s well off if he has those with him who are tolerably able and willing to do their duty, and who are not Blackguards.

Strachan’s squadron was still off Brest in the second week of September, and Moore stopped and boarded a number of vessels running along the shore, at one point coming under fire from a battery at Le Havre. The shots plummeting about the ship served as a salutary reminder:

I expect to get a licking some day from the Batteries here, as if we should happen to be becalmed with the Flood tide setting in we should be obliged to anchor, and if under the fire of one of these Batteries at the time, the matter might be very serious. If I am left to myself I shall certainly never get into such a situation, unless the object will justify the risk.

Sidney Smith’s tactics still rankled.

As there were still frigates and corvettes in the basin at Le Havre, Moore was ordered to sail there and keep the
Melampus
off that port until the spring tides had passed. Lingering in this fashion was a tedious business, hated by all frigate captains who found themselves so employed. Moore was no exception:

The business of Blockade is a service exceedingly tiresome ... I shall be very glad now to see a Peace, I am tired of the War, which is ruinous to the Country, at the same time that we have no service of honour or profit. What I fear is not an Invasion of the Enemy, but internal commotions at home, in consequence of the weight of taxes and the Intrigues of the Seditious.

As the highest tide approached, the
Melampus
was joined by Strachan in the
Diamond
. The two frigates cleared for action and sailed in close to Le Havre road in case any of the French men-of-war tried to break out. The hours passed slowly and monotonously, and after standing the crew down at 1am, Moore retired to the lonely privacy of his cabin. There would be no action on this occasion.

At the end of the month, Moore took the
Melampus
westwards to Cherbourg, where she fell in with the
Minerva
. From her, Moore received new Admiralty orders instructing all cruisers to stop and seize all Spanish vessels they encountered. Moore fumed that such orders were useless on his current station – where there were no Spanish ships to be found;

If we are kept on this cursed station the war with Spain is not at all likely to benefit us, and I see no prospect of getting off it . . .

The best that he was able to do for the present was stop small French coasters, most of which were in ballast or carrying relatively valueless cargoes of oysters from Cancale. In frustration, he dismissed them all. There seemed to be no French men-of-war at sea, and Moore was convinced that the blockade was resulting in a decline of the French navy. It was widely known that the French navy had been purged of its aristocratic officer corps, but he believed that this had little to do with the navy’s decline, for these officers bore less of the responsibility for seamanship. Ironically, real seamanship in the pre-revolutionary navy had been the responsibility of auxiliary officers who previously had never had the opportunity of promotion. Once the aristocrats had been removed, these more practical seaman officers had been promoted. Thus, for a short time, the French navy had been impressive and

... therefore, in that respect I believe their Navy became more effective.

But

... they certainly do not defend their ships so well now as they did at the first – witness the engagements with the
Nymphe
and
Cleopatre
, the
Iris
with a ship of nearly equal force
⁵¹
and the
Boston
with
L’Ambuscade
.

Since then, the French navy had suffered a series of
‘severe drubbings’
which had the effect of thoroughly demoralizing her seamen.

Despite Moore’s lamentations about the lack of Spanish vessels on the station, on 5 October the squadron stopped a Spanish merchantman that knew nothing of the state of war that existed between England and Spain. She was taken as a very welcome prize and sent back to Portsmouth. Laden with a cargo of various goods, Moore noted delightedly that if she was condemned
‘... she will be a pretty good Prize even for the four ships’.
⁵²
Four days later, the October gales began. Moore was obliged to run under just a foresail and two storm stay sails, several other sails having been blown to pieces by the fierce winds. At about 8pm that night they saw signal rockets launched from the
Diamond
but were unable to see any other signal. If the rockets were distress signals there was little the
Melampus
could do, so intent was her crew on keeping their own ship and themselves safe. When Moore was at last able to retire to his cabin he noted briefly in his journal,

This has been the hardest gale since last March, the ship complains a good deal ... I do not know if it is good policy to keep a squadron constantly off Havre and Cherbourg, but if it is I would be glad if any other ships than the
Diamond
and
Melampus
had it in charge.

Nevertheless, on 16 October, the
Melampus
was back on her station off Le Havre. That evening, Moore retired to his cabin to read. Suddenly at 9pm, Moore’s quiet moment was alarmingly disturbed:

While I was at my dinner the first lieutenant contrived to run the ship on board of a Danish sloop and did her some inconsiderable damage. This was entirely from ignorance in Seamanship of the 1st Lieutenant who is more deficient in this respect than I at first thought him.

Fortunately, the
Melampus
herself appears to have suffered no damage from this incident. But the apparent failure in the ship’s First Lieutenant on this occasion simply added, in Moore’s mind, to a growing list of his deficiencies. Several days later as the
Melampus
was patrolling along the coast, Moore suddenly gave orders to haul to the northward
,

... not liking the appearance of the weather. It was very lucky that we haul’d up in time as the wind shifted suddenly in a squall to the NW so that we were obliged to carry sail to clear Cape d’Antifer, it being at that time the first of the Flood tide. It is very dangerous to be caught off the road of Havre with a gale of wind at NW, more especially with a flood tide.

Again, Moore’s seamanship had avoided potential danger for both his ship and crew.

When the weather abated, Moore took the
Melampus
to St Marcouf where one of his Midshipmen and a number of seamen were waiting, having delivered a prize to Portsmouth. On boarding the Melampus, however, the Midshipman had to report that many of the seamen had deserted on their arrival in port,

... and went ashore to the Grog and the Girls, from whom with much trouble he got three of them. I punished the three this morning, which is the first exhibition of that kind that has been made since I took the command of the ship
⁵³
. I found it absolutely necessary to endeavour to curb the licentiousness of the Jacks who have tried my patience pretty well since I came among them. When we were in the Downs two of them got drunk when on shore on duty, left the boat and I suppose were crimpt as I saw no more of them. It is a sad thing that there is no way of managing Sailors without occasional examples of this kind being made. I hope I shall have very little of it to go through, as it is the most shocking art of my duty and hangs like a heavy summons on me when I see the necessity of forcing my nature to it.

The
Diamond
arrived off Le Havre a few days later, and as both frigates had only about a week’s provisions on board, Strachan decided that they should take a quick cruise near Ushant before making their way back to Spithead. Once in position off the Isle de Bas, they hoped to intercept French privateers with their prizes attempting to get back to Brest. However, all they encountered were small merchant vessels who repeatedly ran into port to escape or took shelter under powerful shore batteries.

After a week, they again encountered Warren’s squadron off Ushant, and the sight seems to have reminded Moore how dissatisfied he was with his existing station. He composed a letter ready to send to Spencer, the First Lord of the Admiralty,

... requesting as a particular favour that the
Melampus
may be ordered on some other station than that of St Marcouf where I am convinced there is nothing to be done; ... I hope I shall be removed but if not I give up all hopes of further success this war.

It was almost as though he felt his crew deserved a better station because just days before, he had remarked in his diary:

There is much of the true spirit of English sailors in the
Melampus
, I observe a marked difference in their making sail when they have an idea of a chase and on ordinary occasions: this morning when the hands were called to give chase . . . every sail was set in an instant. To make up for this noble ardour, they are intolerable drunkards, but I am sure they would fight. We have a great many Irish on board, I am very well pleased to have some from that soil as I think they bring a degree of gaiety and fun with them which enlivens and keeps up the spirits of the Johns. But I always wish the greater part to be English and Scotch.

Moore doubted that the
Melampus
would be removed to another station at this time, but he hoped that if the war continued,

. . . there may be another Western Squadron of frigates and that Strachan, who is high in reputation, may command it, in which case I think I am very likely to be with him, as I would try for it and I am pretty sure he would like it; we draw very well together and I believe he has a complete confidence in me. I think him one of the most executive fellows we have, and a very original character. None whom I know so well calculated for harassing an enemy with a squadron of frigates. He is active in mind and body, brave, in an eminent degree, zealous and ambitious of honour and well earned military fame.

Despite their shortage of provisions, on 5 November Strachan set off in pursuit of a strange sail, leaving orders for Moore to rendezvous with him back at St Marcouf. Slightly irritated at the position in which this left the
Melampus
and her crew, Moore set off back to the east. Five days later the
Diamond
still had not returned and Moore was aware that his crew were feeling aggrieved about their reduced rations. He privately simmered about Strachan who, although aware of their lack of provisions, had changed his plans suddenly at the sight of a potential prize. Moore entered a sour note in his journal:
‘. . . my friend the Chevalier is extremely whimsical, and changes his mind as often as a girl.’
He decided the time had come to ignore Strachan’s orders and sail for Spithead;

I have no idea of allowing the Ship’s Company to be pinched and abridged of their allowance and of their comforts, merely from the fickleness of any man, unless when the public service requires it.

Before the
Melampus
had completely abandoned her station, however, she fell in with the frigate
Minerva
commanded by Captain John Peyton, who was many years senior to Moore. Peyton was able to supply the
Melampus
with enough provisions and ordered Moore to take up station watching Le Havre, where he would find the sloop
Childers
. Moore doubted he could stay there long as, in spite of the additional provisions, the
Melampus
had only three tons of water on board,
‘. . . which is a very small quantity for a ship like us’.
On the following morning, before Moore could depart to carry out Peyton’s instructions, a French man-of-war was seen approaching from the east. Both frigates immediately tacked to give chase, but the
Melampus
was by far the better sailor and soon left the
Minerva
behind. The ship, which was running inshore of the two frigates, could now be identified as a French corvette carrying between sixteen and eighteen guns. As Moore closed with her, she attempted to cut close inshore, probably with a view to making Cherbourg,