Mir Pacifica

Published: 3 May 2021

Thomas awoke the next morning to the feeling of the ship rolling faster than when he first went to his bunk. The smell of fresh cafe as Fairley placed his morning drink on the small side table beside the bed, also helped.

The new movement of the ship told Thomas that they were under full sail and moving at what would be considered full speed, as the ship surged forward into another new day on the Mir Pacifica. The rising heat and humidity told Thomas it would be another hot day and he would need to dress suitably for the season.

It had been a while since he had had to dress warmly, as even the nights were humid and at first Thomas had trouble sleeping in the oppressive heat. Now that they had been in the tropical waters for more than a month, he was more acclimated to the vagaries of the new weather patterns.

With his morning cafe finished and dressed in light cotton trews and loose hanging shirt, Thomas left his cabin and made his way out on deck where he saw the white sails were full and the ship was running at its best speed. A call from behind Thomas told him where his friend Scully was and he turned and made his way to the short steps that led up to the quarterdeck to join his friend for a new day on their adventure.

“Morning Thomas, you slept well I presume?” Roger Scully asked as Thomas stepped up beside him.

“Yes thank you Roger, how long have we been underway?” Thomas replied.

“A good two hours now Thomas, we are making good time and our pirate has already paid his way so far.”

Thomas looked over at his friend with a questioning look on his face.

“How so Roger?”

“Well as the crew was setting sails, I had the man brought up from the brig to lay out what we would require from him and what his duties were to be. I was working on the charts as I told him what we expected of him when he stepped closer to the chart table, much to the concern of the two crewmen sent to get him; and began to talk as he traced his finger over the chart. It appears that had I stayed with the course I had set, by later this afternoon all three ships would have been reef bound and wrecked. It would appear there is a shallow reef not noted on these charts but has been long known by others for many years. I must admit Thomas, he has probably saved all three ships and in a timely manner at that.”

“So you believe his knowledge is sound then and he was not trying to lead you astray?”

“I thought about that but finally came to the conclusion that if he was trying to wreck our ships then he was going to be in the water with the rest of us if he did lead us onto the reef. We have all seen the huge sharks that abound in these waters and I don’t think he wants to be in the sea with us if we wreck on a reef. No Thomas, I think his advice to change course is sound and safe. Besides what have we too lose but our lives? Those have been put at risk more than once over the last few years.”

Roger was smiling as he made the last statement and Thomas was inclined to agree with his summation, their lives had certainly been put in jeopardy far more than once in the years they had known each other.

Thomas smiled back at Roger and then stepped to the side rail to watch the fast flowing sea slide past the ship as it strained on the wind. The sounds of the creaking halyards, the groan of the mighty masts under the full pressure of the fifteen knot breeze as the ship drove forward, had now become a familiar sound to Thomas.

Thomas sighed quietly as he realized that this long adventure was in fact healing his soul from the many horrors and losses caused by the six years of war on the peninsula. There was something healing and calming about the huge expanse of ocean and the sounds of the water rushing past the heavy wooden hull of the ship that touched a part of Thomas’s soul which he thought had been lost in those terrible and brutal times; it was as though something or someone was trying to give him peace at last.

Thomas looked over his shoulder to where Scully stood solidly behind the helmsman, calling out he asked, “When do you think we will make landfall Roger?”

Roger lifted his head from watching the compass mounted in a glass covered bell housing in front of the large wheel and said, “Well the detour around the reef will not add more than a day, so I think we should start to see the first of the land within the next 20 days or so. Why do you ask?”

“No special reason but for some reason I like the feel of being almost alone out here with only the wind and sea and a few good friends around me.”

“Yes I know what you mean Thomas; I have always felt very much the same, well except when the French decided I made a good target for their own amusement.”

As the two friends chatted amiably, suddenly from above, came the call of the lookout.

“Ahoy the deck; sails to starboard, three ships in all.”

Roger quickly looked up above and then called out.

“How do they sail?”

Thomas watched as the lookout raised his glass again for another look then turned to look down at the quarter deck.

“Line astern Sir, a bit far yet but I would hazard that the front ship is an eighteen gun sloop with the others being merchantmen.”

“Can you make their colours?”

“Not yet Sir, but they’s not English ships that’s for sure.”

“Good man, keep a watch and let me know as soon as you can make out their colours.”

“Aye Sir.”

The lookout turned back to watching the far distant ships as Roger turned back to the main deck where a number of the crew were holly stoning the decks.

“Master gunner, call all hands to make ready the guns, do not run them out yet but stay prepared.”

With the sound of bare feet running on the main deck, Roger turned to the on duty Midshipman.

“Make a signal to the other ships, prepare all guns but do not run them out until ordered.”

“Aye Sir.

Roger turned back to Thomas.

“Well looks like a quiet time might be over if things turn nasty.”

“That’s a pity; I was just getting to like the quiet. Any idea whom they may be?”

“Not yet but if they are Dutchies then they may decide to fight. Although one eighteen gun sloop against three well armed frigates would suggest they may decide to just change course and run for it. If they do run then we will leave them alone. If not, well then our gunners need the practice after sitting around for so long!”

The smile on Roger’s face told Thomas he himself would not be adverse to a little interlude with the smell of gun powder in the air. Thomas smiled back at his friend and then said, “Well I think I will go and get ready just in case they wish to make fun of us.”

With that said, Thomas turned and began to make his way back to his cabin to arm himself, just in case. On reaching his cabin he was not really surprised to see that Fairley had already laid out his personal arms and was standing to the side in case he was needed. It did not go unnoticed by Thomas that Fairley was already fully armed and he smiled at his close friend. If there was one person on this earth he would want to watch his back it was the unflappable Fairley; nothing seemed to cause Fairley any concern and he was nearly always two steps ahead of everyone.

Thomas armed himself with his pistols and the sturdy cutlass that Roger had advised him to use on a ship. It was shorter than a normal sword and somewhat heavier but in the confines of a ships decks it was the ideal weapon at close quarters.

Once fully armed, Thomas reached for his trusty double barrelled rifle and with Fairley close behind returned to the deck where he saw that Roger had also spent the time to arm himself as had most of the crew.

The three frigates stayed their course and did not turn towards those approaching over the horizon; it was up to them if they wanted to make contact or turn away on another bearing and avoid a confrontation.

The three frigates stayed on their course in their V formation but Scully kept a close eye on the new comers just in case as he had noticed they had not turned away or deviated from their present course. It was as though Scully had a premonition as there came an urgent call from the lookout.

“Ahoy the deck; three more ships about a two mile behind the others, all look to be eighteen gunners Sir.”

Scully looked upwards with a frown on his face, had the first three ships been set up to trap any unwary pirate that may think they would be easy pickings? Somehow Scully thought it was a possibility but he himself had no real interest in them unless they were to take them to task without reason.

“Can you make their colours yet?”

“Aye Sir, the two merchantmen are turning to port and show them to be Dutchies Sir, but the sloop is still heading towards us at full sail Sir.”

“Good work, keep a close eye on them.”

“Aye Sir”

Roger turned to Thomas.

“Thomas, do you get the feeling something is not right with this set up?”

“Yes I am thinking we may have some trouble coming our way, but for now there is only the one ship close enough and he would not stand a chance against all three of us so why is he still sailing on course to intercept us?”

“That’s my thoughts also; there is something more going on here than what we are seeing.”

Roger lifted his own more powerful glass to his eye and looked at the oncoming sloop; suddenly he gave a huff of annoyance. Thomas asked him why.

“He’s dropped his topsils and slowing, I presume it is to wait for the other three to catch up.”

“Is that a danger for us, four against three could mean trouble surely?”

“Not really, we outgun them easily so they would still be at a disadvantage.”

Seconds later Roger wondered if he had called the wrath of the gods down on them as the lookout called down to the deck again, and it was not good news.

“Ahoy the deck; sails on the port beam, three masted she be Captain.”

Roger looked into the tops and called back.

“Can you make her out?”

“Not clearly Sir but my guess is she be a frigate by her set.”

Roger looked over to Thomas with a grim smile on his face.

“Well that changes things Thomas; it appears we may be the ham in a sandwich.”

“How so?”

“Well if the port side ship is a frigate; and I have no reason to think otherwise, then we could be in big trouble and with the four on the starboard beam we are stuck in the middle. I’m going to have to come up with something to make them change their minds about trying us on.”

“Do you have any thoughts on it?”

“Well there is really only one thing we can do but: by all the rules of engagement you should never split your forces. If we are lucky they may think the same so I’m going to split our forces and try to make it impossible for them to join together as a full fighting fleet.”

“That sounds risky.”

“Well not for the Diego and Marcello but for us it’s another matter.”

“How so?”

“I’m going to send both of them after the sloops, between them they should not have any trouble while we are going to push our luck and head for the frigate, if he stays to fight then it will be a close run thing, if not then we only have to stop him from joining his smaller friends so the Diego and Marcello can sort them out without interference from the frigate.”

“They must know we are not pirates, we have a flags showing them we are Portuguese.”

“Ahh damn.”

“Whats wrong Roger?”

Thomas turned to see Roger looking skyward.

“We are only running our company colours and they might not know what they are. Bosun run up the colours and quick about it.”

“Aye Sir.” Came the quick reply as the sound of running feet could be heard by both young men.

Roger next turned to the on duty Midshipman.

“Mister Williams make a signal to the Diego and Marcello. They are to turn to starboard and go after the four sloops, give them no quarter unless they change course and run for it.”

“Aye Sir”

“Helmsman, 90 degrees to port and bring the bearing on the Dutchy. Bosun call for all hands to make full sail and raise the battle colours. Master gunner, run out the guns and prepare the decks for action. Thomas can you call your riflemen up on deck? We may need them if it comes to close quarters.”

Within seconds the ship became a cacophony of running feet, the flapping of extra canvas sails being unfurled and set along with the heavy trundle of the two decks of guns being run out. Deep inside Thomas something clicked and he was almost instantly in fighting mode as all his instincts came on alert.

While it was an old feeling he had had many times before, this time it seemed even more concentrated after the long time of peaceful travel they had enjoyed so far. As Thomas’s men began to appear and line up at the centre of the main deck, Thomas nodded to Roger and took the steps down to join his many friends. They had always fought together and he was not going to change anything now.

Thomas now had the time to look around and glancing towards the starboard stern side he saw the other two ships now in full sail and doing what must have been close to thirteen knots towards the four smaller ships. Turning back and looking forward he could now plainly see the three masted larger frigate coming towards them bow on; it appeared the ship had no intentions of veering off and changing course even though he must now be able to see their countries colours flying atop the main last and their battle colours streaming from the stern post.

Thomas tried to estimate the closing speed of the two ships but was not familiar enough with the speed upon the sea but they were making good headway towards their opponent, if that’s what they wished. As yet Thomas was not fully aware of the abilities of his own ship and that these almost new French frigates had been build stronger and faster than most of the frigates afloat at that time; including the much vaunted Dutch.

Thomas was aware that the enemy sloops had the best of manoeuvrability but was unaware that the two onetime French frigates had a small edge on speed, had more and bigger guns and could take far more damage than the four smaller ships; as far as Thomas could discern there was little to worry about with their two friends, what was of more importance was what the much larger ship ahead of them was going to do.

From the quarter deck came the stentorian voice of Roger Scully as he bellowed out orders to get the best out of his ship and crew, the tension was starting to build as the ship ahead grew in size as he neared them and it was now that Thomas could see the closing speed was far more then he had first thought; he could now make out men on the decks of the approaching ship running around in preparation for a fight.

That the Dutch ship meant them harm was now blatantly obvious. It was as he stood staring at the ship looking closer that he heard Roger’s next set of orders.

“Master gunners, I am turning hard a-starboard and cutting across their bows, all port guns to fire as they bear, I want her bow shredded by the port guns, then I’m going about on a hard starboard bear-away and bring our starboard guns to bear on her forward quarter. Be ready all guns.”

Thomas tried as me might to understand what Roger had planned but his lack of ship board knowledge just did not allow him to see it all in his mind; all he could hope was that what Roger had planned would work if for no other reason than their own safety. Thomas did not relish the idea of all the guns lining the side of the Dutch ship being aimed in his direction.

From some distance away Thomas suddenly heard the rolling thunder of the guns of the Diego and Marcello; it seemed they had closed with the sloops and attacked. Now it was down to the Roger Scully to hold the Dutch frigate off from going to help his ship mates.

TBC

You are reading Book 3 of Thomas Markings incredible journey. Let Arthur know what you think of this latest chapter. Arthur at CastleRoland dot Net

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