The Baltic Prize

Chapter 19

Victory

From below the broad sweep of stern windows, a hubbub of voices rose, some in angry shouts, unseemly in a man-o’-war, let alone a flagship.

Saumarez winced and laid down his quill with a sigh. ‘Flags, do go and find out what all that fuss is about, there’s a good fellow.’

The lieutenant was back in a short while. ‘Sir, it’s a deputation.’

The admiral’s head jerked up. ‘What! A mutiny, d’ you say?’

‘Not as who would think it, sir. These are a parcel of ship’s masters, desiring they should lay before you a pressing matter and the officer-of-the-watch will not do.’

Saumarez frowned. ‘If they think to-’

‘I fancy it’s to do with their detention in Gothenburg when they had hopes of an early start to the season.’

‘An insolence, of course, but I quite see their anxiety. Desire the flag-captain to attend and I’ll see a dozen of the more presentable.’

‘Aye aye, sir.’

Awed by their surroundings, but clearly determined, they were shown seats around the same dark mahogany table that had seen councils-of-war since Keppel and the old French royalist wars. Weather-beaten, obstinate and in plain sea rig they were nevertheless the men who by that same stubbornness were defying the elements, the malice of the enemy and economic adversities to carry Britain through these dire times.

‘Gentlemen. What is it that you wish to discuss with me?’ opened Saumarez.

‘When are we going to up hook an’ into the Baltic? I’ve a freighting as is costing me guineas a day and-’

The younger man was cut short by one older, more mature.

‘Cap’n Purley, Pride of Lothian. Admiral, we heard o’ your troubles with the gen’ral as won’t land his soldiers. Now, we sailed from England t’ be assured of your protection and interest as we enters the Baltic and now we find you can’t stay by us. It’s bad luck as sees a whole fleet o’ the King’s navy brought to a stand by the army as won’t give ’em leave to sail. But our-’

‘Captain, this is no business of yours! There is an expedition afoot that bids fair to relieve you and your kind from concern that the Swedes will turn against us. Allow that I’m aware of your eagerness to be started but this delay is unavoidable, I regret.’

‘I wonder if y’ does, sir,’ Purley said meaningfully. ‘There’s them among us has cargo spoilin’ in the hold, others hold short-call bills as will see ’em embarrassed should they not discharge main quick, and all has crew tuckin’ away victuals an’ the ship idle. We can’t keep like this’n for much longer. Sir.’

‘You’re asking me to send my fleet into the Baltic immediately. Mr Purley, this I cannot do while I must remain available to guard the army as it lands.’

‘Then we has no choice, Admiral.’

‘Pray be clearer, Mr Purley.’

‘I means that we has to go in, whether you likes it or no. The neutrals are at sea, they’re stealing our market, and we can’t wait. We sails now just as we did in the older times.’

Saumarez looked pained. ‘Captain, please be reasonable. I ask you to consider the situation. Things are changed, and for the worse with the Russians now at war against us. None of us knows what it’s like in there. You may be set upon by enemy forces of unknown enormity lying in wait for you, there may be-’

‘As will be our risk!’

‘The risk, sir, is to your owner, who will not look kindly on your spurning a guaranteed protection for the sake of a little more time.’

It sank in, but another voice intervened, hard and confident: ‘Hold there, Admiral. There’s one thing you’ve laid in your lee as you can’t get by.’

‘And who the devil are you, sir?’

‘Abraham Scoresby, supercargo in Success of Bristol.’ A man of years, with a face of hewn granite.

‘What’s your meaning, sir?’

‘Your orders, as well we knows, for that’s why we’re here.’

‘Your point?’

‘Just this. The top one of all – that y’ hoists your flag over all these battlers for the purpose of securin’ the Baltic for England’s trade. We’re the trade – secure it for us!’

Saumarez held his temper and began reasonably, ‘Mr Scoresby, as I’ve mentioned before, my hands are tied. I cannot divide my fleet and-’

‘Then this is t’ tell you that we’re sailin’ on the tide. Into your Baltic. If we gets nobbled then ye’ve failed your orders. And our yardarm’s clear as we’ve begged f’r protecting an’ you’ve seen fit not to listen to us.’

‘You’re determined on this course.’

‘We are, Admiral.’

Saumarez and his flag-captain exchanged glances.

Scoresby waited patiently.

‘Very well. If you are bent on this foolish action …’

‘We are.’

‘Then this is what I’ll do. The sail-of-the-line will remain together as my battle-fleet. All unrated vessels – cutters, sloops, gun-brigs and the like – these will be turned over to trade protection. That is all I can do.’

‘A squiddy cutter to think to preserve a bunch o’ ships with cargo worth twenty times y’r own flagship?’

‘It’s all I can do. I’m sorry.’

Scoresby looked at the others in scornful disbelief but one by one they rose and left the cabin, the last in an undignified scramble for the upper deck.

Saumarez, tight-faced, got out of his chair. ‘They don’t know it, but their griefs are mine. Be damned to that strutting redcoat Moore!’

Before evening had fallen, by ones and twos the first of England’s Baltic trade fleet put to sea, course south – to Elsinore and the Sound.