By a NAVYMAN.
(From a book of William Huntingdon’s works: the year 1811. This account sent to William Huntingdon.—Editor.)
I was born of poor, but hardworking parents in the town of Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire; my father died when I was very young, and my mother strove hard for a living for us. When I was about seven or eight years old I was put to what we call in the country a Free School, to read and write, and was there till I was about thirteen; we used to be kept close to church, and at particular times, after the service was over, we used to stand up on forms, or stools, to be asked our catechism by the parson. I only relate this to make room for a dream I had at this time: as Elihu says to Job, “For God speaketh once, yea twice, but man perceiveth it not: in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbering upon the bed.” I dreamt that God came and took one from here, and another from there, and I trembled very much with fear lest He should not take me; but at last He came, took me by the hand, and put me amongst the rest of His choice. I have thought on that dream in a state of nature many times, though I had no knowledge of God’s choice, or His electing love.
When I was about thirteen years of age I was put apprentice to a wheelwright; but being of a roving mind, and not used very well, I ran away, and came up to London, where I worked at several employments, such as sawing, gardening, footman, brewer’s servant, and, at last, went to sea; and, as God shall bring it to my remembrance, I will tell a little of my sea voyage, for now begin my troubles.
At the beginning of the American War of Independence I entered on board H.M.S. “Carysfort,” a frigate commanded by Captain Fanshaw; we sailed from Chatham to Quebec where, having stayed some time, we sailed for New York, and, arriving there at the time our fleet were about to besiege the town, the admiral sent our ship, with two more, to pass the town up the river to land troops: in passing, we had to receive the constant fire of five or six forts, during which I was under great fear in my mind, not having seen anything of the kind before, though I harboured such a thought as this, that if I was killed in battle I should go to Heaven: but vain was that thought; but here the Lord saved me from the stroke while others fell. Our captain being a very severe man, having flogged six men for a trifling fault, I thought I would run away first opportunity, and accordingly did, with two others, a few months after New York was taken: but with great difficulty we reached the town, being upwards of thirty miles up the country when we set off. However, we arrived safe, and went aboard merchant vessels. The ship I went on board was bound for London; there I altered my name to Hodges, that being my mother’s maiden name, for fear of being discovered, as the men-of-war searched all the merchant ships that went out for deserters. I got safe from hence and was bound for London; but in a heavy gale of wind we sprung a leak and were obliged to make the best of our way to the West Indies, toiling night and day at the pumps to keep the ship above water. We at last reached St. John’s, in Antigua.
Now begin my troubles. Our captain would not fulfil his promise of paying us our wages; in consequence I, among some others, left him; but it being a very dead time of the year, the shipping were not come out, so we were obliged to enter on board a man-o-war again; but I went with great reluctance, some time after the others: nor would I have gone then, could I have got anything else to do. At last, through necessity, I went on board H.M.S. “Portland,” under Admiral Young. We sailed on a cruise, and put into Prince Rupert’s Bay, in the island of Dominica, to get wood and water for the cruise. I and two more agreed to run away the day before the ship sailed and contrived to get our things on shore, ready to start. On the day appointed we ascended each one a tree till night. John Moor and Tom Jones, my two companions, had been to the town of Roseau, on this island, which was the resort of merchant vessels; and, as we were bound for that place, we had about forty miles to travel by land. By this time I began to be very much hardened in sin, and the Lord knows, was He to leave us to ourselves we should soon run to destruction.
We had got a river to cross, and on the bridge over which we must pass, as we could go no other way, there had been a sentinel set from the ship to intercept deserters; yet, as night came on, we descended from the trees, and drew towards the bridge, with each of us with a stout stick in our hands, having agreed to stand true to each other, and to rush upon the sentinel and knock him down, saying that he could only kill one of us suppose he fired; but as the Lord would have it, he was not there, and we got over unmolested. We travelled till the next morning, when, descrying a few little houses in a valley, we went to them to get some refreshment, which we did, and paid for it, though we could not understand the people who were French. We agreed to stop till the heat of the day was over, which we did; and about four o’clock beginning to set forward on our journey again, five or six of them came out from other houses and stopped us, and made us understand they suspected we were deserters from a man-o-war, and they would take us up, well knowing they would get forty shillings for each of us; but we set to with our bludgeons, and cleared them off for some time; however, they alarmed the place, and we were each of us surrounded in a ring. How the other two fared I know not, but as they told me afterwards. By this time there was a great number of blacks come down to assist them, and beginning to throw stones: at length one struck me on the forehead and knocked me down; they then ran upon me, tied my hands behind me, and beat me cruelly, like men threshing corn. I can just remember when they had left me, I suppose, to serve my companions in like manner, that a woman came to me with a stone, seemingly as much as she could lift, and threw it on me, so that I remember no more at that time. When I began to revive a little (I suppose it to be about one or two o’clock in the morning) I heard somebody groaning, and found myself tied with cords; I began to think what was the matter. My companions, finding me move, asked me if I was alive? I told them yes, but could not stand: and it was so dark we could not see each other, but they had carried us down on the beach by the sea-side, for the surf to wash us away, supposing us to be dead: my companions told me that they had been tied also, but a little child that was at the house had just come down and cut them loose. O! the tender mercy and loving kindness of the Lord our God! As to the child coming to cut them loose, I could never make out from that day to this for the child they spoke of was not, to appearance, above five years old, and I believe we were nearly a mile from the houses; but the Lord knows best how it was, for they were loosed and got me loose after a great deal of trouble, they being so weak. We crawled on our hands and knees to get as far from that place as we could, for fear that they should come and throw us quite in. It was a long time before we could get on our feet, and when we did, we could not stoop even to wash the blood off each other for fear of falling. They had taken all that we had from us, even our shoes and hats, leaving us nothing but shirt and trousers. In this distressed state we begged, but none relieved us, for they could not understand us, nor we them; but through God’s protecting hand, we got to Rosseau in that condition, but thought nothing about God at that time, though in such distress, for our hearts were hardened. Now there was a rendezvous opened there for privateers, an open house for all sailors, and a jae advance to go out for two months; so, having no clothes, we wanted money, accordingly we entered and went on board, and I believe that was a hell upon the sea, for they were like devils, without any order, and would not mind cuffing you down with their swords if they were angry—captain and men all alike. We had been out a month or five weeks and taken one prize. I was then seized with the bloody-flux and very ill I was, having no hopes of recovery; but soon after we put into Montserrat to sell our prize, and the captain, knowing I was ill, desired me to go on shore with him to a doctor, which I did; but, as he stopped at one place and another, I went by myself, and having found a doctor, asked him to bleed me: he asked what was the matter with me? I told him it was no matter, if he would bleed me I would pay him for it: it came into my mind to be blooded, so he bled me. I then told him what was the matter with me; he replied that was the worst thing I could have done; but he would let me have some stuff which would settle the matter (he meant kill or cure), which I agreed to take, for in those places they don’t care much about a man’s life. I got the stuff, gave him all the money I had, and went on board, and took some of it, which operated in so violent a manner that my shipmate was obliged to hold me, and in a few hours put me in bed; though I had not slept for some nights before, I now fell into a dose. They that were sitting under my hammock drinking grog felt something drop on them, which, on looking at they found to be blood, which proceeded from my arm that, through violent straining, now bled afresh through bed and all, with the loss of which I was just gone; but, from that time I recovered. This is the second time the Lord, in His infinite mercy, saved me from death, not cutting me off in my sins: and, now for the third time.
Before we left this place, one of my companions, Tom Jones, ran away, and I never saw him afterwards; so that I and John Moor were the only two deserters from H.M.S. “Portland” that returned to Rosseau at the expiration of our cruise. Having got the better of my illness, and the merchant ships being ready to sail for various parts of England, John and I were not settled in our minds which to choose, for they all wanted men, and having stayed on shore a few days, I went on board a ship which I intended to come home in, and going the next morning to seek for my companion at his lodgings, they told me a man-o-war had come into the bay the day before, and they feared he was pressed: at the same time in came the press-gang and took hold of me and several more. I begged hard to get from them, but in vain; I strove to run from them, but they knocked me down, and took me on board the frigate. As soon as I got on board, to my great surprise an officer, who belonged to H.M.S. “Portland” when I left her, saluted me with a “How do you do, Mr. S. T——?” informing the captain that I ran away from the “Portland” a few months ago. I thought I should have dropped at the salutation, but could not deny it. The orders were, ‘put him in irons along with John Moor,’ which was a greater surprise. When I got alone I could not help weeping; thought I, hard is my lot! I had strange views of God, though my mind went after Him only when in trouble, had had no hope that He would deliver me, and my conclusion was this, I have brought all on myself, and suffer I must. The next day we sailed, when John Moor and I were sent for on the quarter-deck to the captain, who said it would be some months before they went to Antigua, where the ship was from which we deserted; and asked whether we would do our duty on deck, or be kept in irons till we went there? We made choice of the former, and I, being young and somewhat expert, got in favour with the captain. He sent for me and asked if I would sail with him? I answered, Yes, if he would save me from being flogged when I came to the ship from which I deserted, for I was as sure of it as I was born. He told me he would do what he could, but I was persuaded he could not get me off; nevertheless, he would often cheer me up, and bid me not to fear; but I was sure of it, in my own mind, if ever I went there.
In our passage to Barbadoes we took a prize, brought her in with us, sold her, and shared the money. We lay in the midst of merchant ships bound for England, and I began to contrive how to escape the flogging, knowing we were going to Antigua from here. Thought I, I will get a gallon of rum, and make the sentinels drunk in the night when all are gone to bed, and make a rope fast to an empty arm-chest that lay there, let it go to the ship’s stern, then get down the stern into it; drift down to the merchantmen, and so away. The thought had no sooner struck my mind than I began to provide. At night I put it in force, and all things seemed to bid fair; but, just as I completed the affair, the wind began to blow, it rained very heavy, and such a sea arose that I was afraid to venture, so cut the rope, and let the chest go by itself. I tried the same scheme next night, but without effect, and I believe the next day we sailed for Antigua. Then I began to fear, having no God to trust in, and believing I should die under it. I wished that God would forgive my sins, and take me out of my misery: this was only for fear of the scourge. At length we arrived in English Harbour, Antigua, where H.M.S. “Portland” lay. Then my fears began to come on, and I was quite cast down. To explain my feelings is impossible.
A boat was sent to fetch us, when, after a few compliments from the captain, we were ordered to be put in irons, and, a day or two after, ordered to prepare for a court-martial, which shortly took place, when we were sentenced to receive one hundred and fifty lashes each. When I had heard my sentence, I asked them to grant me a favour; upon being asked what that was, I replied, to hang me. On which I was ordered to be put with both legs in irons, and a sentinel placed over me with a drawn cutlass, and that I should drink nothing but water till I was punished. The day arrived: John Moor, my old companion, was taken ill, and sent to the hospital for recovery, when he was to receive his punishment. My shipmates had provided a dose for me sufficient to kill a horse; it was rum and gunpowder mixed together, which they tell you is to deaden the flesh, but I felt it sharp enough. I drank some of it, and then received one hundred lashes, at the end of which I died away, being cut so bad that they all, even the doctor, thought I was dead. When I came to I was naked, in a large tub of warm water, and they bathing me. Here the Lord wonderfully spared me to praise His holy name, for when I am brought to look back to see what my God had saved me from, it melts my heart in love to Him, for I little thought, when I blasphemed His name, that He had respect unto me in the Covenant, but bless His holy name, who hath brought me to loathe myself in my own sight for my iniquities.
It would be tedious to tell of all the battles I have been in. I have seen many fall, yea, close to me, in several engagements, but the Lord never suffered for one shot even to wound me, though I was in it from the beginning of the American War to the end, which, I believe, was near ten years. Oh! the faithfulness of God to His chosen! I have often thought, if I had suffered these things for Christ’s sake, as the apostle Paul did, I should have somewhat to glory in before the Lord, that I was counted worthy to suffer for Him, but these words strike me: “Hast thou not procured all these things to thyself?” Yes, Lord; with shame I own it.
(To be continued.)