He Then Decided To Take Shelter
In Ramsgate, Where He Remained Until The 7th, When He Sailed To Spithead
And Thence To Portsmouth.
Here four more guns were placed on board and
some oak planking, which caused the brig to lie deeper
In the water, so
that Grant writes "there were then only 2 feet 9 inches clear abreast the
gangway." He believed, however, that the consumption of coal and
provisions would soon bring her to a proper degree of buoyancy.
During her stay at Portsmouth the Lady Nelson lost two men, one through
illness, the other by desertion. On March 15th, when she was quite ready
for sea, Captain Schanck and Mr. Bayley* (* W. Bayley, formerly
astronomer on board the Adventure.) paid her a visit. Orders had been
given for her to leave port in company with H.M.S. Anson, Captain Durham,
who (as the Powers were at war) was to convoy a fleet of East Indiamen,
then on point of sailing, and with whom was H.M.S. Porpoise, bound to New
South Wales. The wind being fair, on the night of March 16th, 1800, the
signal for sailing was given by the Commodore. While all hands were
busily engaged getting up the kedge, the carpenter made his escape in the
darkness. Anxious to avoid further delay, and somewhat consoled by the
thought that the vessel was new and that he had already tested and found
out her good qualities, Lieutenant Grant decided to put up with the loss
of the man's services.
At 6 P.M. on the 18th the ship finally bade adieu to England. At first
she was scarcely able to keep pace with the big ships which bore her
company, and very soon the Commodore despatched an officer to her
commander to suggest that he should go into Falmouth and await there the
departure of the West India Fleet. But, as the final decision was left
with Lieutenant Grant, he preferred to go on, believing that he could
keep pace with the convoy. During the afternoon of the 19th a namesake of
his, Captain James Grant of the Brunswick, East Indiaman, hailed him and
informed him that he had orders to take the Lady Nelson in tow. The
commander of the brig did not at all relish this news, but dreading
further detention as he was in the track of the enemy, he took the
proffered hawser on board. The brig towed well as long as the sea was
smooth, and at first no discomfort was felt. Then a continued spell of
bad weather ensued, and a driving rain, which found its way under the
covering boards and along the gunwale of the ship, caused great
unpleasantness. Worse was to follow, for it began to blow very hard, and
the Brunswick set off at high speed, dragging the little brig mercilessly
through the heavy seas which almost enveloped her. The sight evoked much
amusement among the passengers on board the big Indiaman, who frequently
visited the stern galley to watch the waves wash completely over the Lady
Nelson.
On the 23rd of March an unusually heavy sea strained the brig to such a
degree that Grant ordered the hawser to be let go, and bade the Brunswick
farewell. It was imagined by those on board the larger vessel that the
Lady Nelson, deeming it impossible to proceed, had turned back to
Portsmouth. Grant, however, had determined to continue his voyage alone.
He lost sight of the fleet during the night, and next day, in latitude 43
degrees 55 minutes north and longitude 14 degrees 17 minutes west, the
weather being fine and clear, he ordered the saturated bedding to be
brought up from below and placed on deck to dry. This practice was
continued throughout the voyage, and to it, and to the care taken to
prevent the men sleeping in wet clothes, Grant attributed the healthy
state of the crew on reaching Sydney. When the sea moderated it was also
possible to stop the leaks on deck.
On the 25th a strange sail was sighted, and from the masthead a large
fleet was soon afterwards made out bearing north-north-east. One ship
detached itself from the rest and gave chase to the Lady Nelson, gaining
fast upon her. She was perceived to be an English frigate. At 6 P.M. she
fired a shot which compelled Lieutenant Grant to shorten sail and to show
his colours. As a second shot was fired it was clear that the frigate
still mistook him for one of the enemy, so he wore and stood towards her,
when she proved to be H.M.S. Hussar, acting as convoy to the West India
Fleet. Her commander informed Grant that he had mistaken the Lady Nelson
for a Spaniard, and expressed his regret for having given so much
trouble, and after the usual compliments they parted. Grant adds that he
did not learn the name of the courteous commander,* (* It was Viscount
Garlies.) but again at daylight the Lady Nelson came on part of his
convoy, which, not knowing who she was, crowded sail to get out of her
way, "with," says Grant, "one exception, this being the - - , which, much
to his credit, hove to and fired a shot almost plump on board of us.
Another vessel, the Hope of Liverpool, I could hardly keep clear of, for
the more I attempted to avoid him the more he attempted to get near me,
so much so that we were near running on board each other." The Hope's
captain asked Grant very peremptorily who he was and where he came from,
to which Grant replied by hoisting his colours and pendant; but even this
did not satisfy the irate merchant skipper, who appeared to have had very
decided intentions of running down the Lady Nelson. Eventually, however,
he rejoined the convoy, which stood to the westward under close-reefed
top-sails.
On the 1st of April the Lady Nelson fell in with another heavy gale which
raged till the 3rd, and finding that his ship was drifting south of
Madeira, Grant shaped a course for Las Palmas.
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