“Your Lordships will observe that in the above arrangements the smuggling companies are always the least sufferers in case of failure, the profits of the parties employed by them being neither so sure nor so great as has been imagined. The men employed by the companies to sail with vessels are not very numerous, with the exception of the Bere men, who work at the bottom of West Bay in smaller vessels. I have seldom boarded a smuggler in ballast on any part of the coast herein laid down (excepting the Isle of Wight) without finding that most, if not all the crew, were composed of Portland or Weymouth men. We usually found one stranger on board, and whenever we could ascertain what part of the coast he came from we had no doubt that the cargo either had been, or was about to be run in that direction, this man being put on board on account of his perfect acquaintance with the proper landing place for the tub boat.

  “I now proceed to state the measures at present resorted to by the revenue cruisers, employed in the prevention of the contraband trade. The vessel is more at anchor than at sea, and when under weigh is seldom out of sight of the English coast. Her boats are left on shore where the vessel may be; sometimes a boat is left for weeks and months at a station many miles distant from the cruising ground of the vessel. As an instance, the Greyhound was never out of Portland Roads, unless for a few hours, and very often got under weigh with three or four hands on board — not with an intention of cruising, but that it might appear on the log that she had conformed to the letter of her printed instructions.

  “As an instance of the latter, the Lion, stationed at Guernsey, had always a detached boat at “Weymouth; the Dove and Scourge always left one at Bere. Your Lordships will be sensible that under this system the expense of the vessels might as well be saved, as the Revenue cruising vessels became in fact little more than an extra Preventive service.

  “By watching the smugglers on market days and ascertaining where the farmers reside with whom they hold conference, by boarding the vessels when they sail, and observing the wind, weather, and age of the moon, it is true that the officers of the revenue vessels calculate to great nicety the period and the direction of the vessels’ return with their cargoes. But should they interrupt them, the smugglers have generally time, before the boats can board, to sink their cargo, which is all strung together upon a hawser with heavy sinking stones to one end. When these stones are thrown over the side, the whole cargo runs out with such rapidity that it requires less than two minutes to sink a cargo of three or four hundred tubs. Indeed, the practice of sinking has become general on this part of the coast; the smuggler prefers doing it, whether interrupted or not, as he finds it more safe to raise his cargo in small quantities the ensuing night, and it renders him independent of the beach parties, who would otherwise often be collected without being employed, in the event of the vessel, by being chased off, or other unforeseen circumstances, not arriving at the time appointed.

  “Your Lordships will observe that throughout the whole transaction the smugglers have a manifest advantage over the parties employed against them. They have the advantage of being under sail in their vessels, and, running away from the boats a few miles, sinking their cargo in another direction; they are not kept on the alert for any length of time, being employed for only a few hours; whereas the men in the King’s boats have probably been up several nights, and are harassed with cold and fatigue. The smugglers have also the advantage of silence on their side, and the warning of the noise made by the oars of the parties employed against them; and, from their knowledge of the different sinking grounds and marks on the coast, they seldom or ever miss finding their cargo at the first throw of their creepers.

  “I have entered into the above details in explanation of the grounds of my confident opinion, that not one tub out of ten, if so many, falls into the hands of those employed against the smugglers. The great number of tubs which have been seized by the means at present resorted to may therefore be rather considered as evidence of the enormous extent to which the smuggling is carried, than of any effectual check having been put to its continuance.

  “If the printed instructions to the Revenue cruisers, which state, ‘ that unless forced by stress of weather, they are not to be at anchor for more than twenty-four hours,’ were rigidly complied with, smuggling would have received a greater check than it has hitherto done. That these orders have not been enforced, appears to have arisen from the erroneous idea, entertained by all parties, that the more tubs are seized the greater is the check to the contraband trade. The Admiralty have, in an indirect manner, sanctioned the non-compliance, by holding out prospects of promotion to those officers who make the most seizures. The commanders-in-chief on the stations, being also misled, have not enforced this order, from the idea that the vessels were more effectually serving their country by the system in practice; and the officer commanding the Revenue cruiser has naturally preferred a system by which, living on shore with his family, his comforts were promoted, his emoluments increased, and his hopes of promotion encouraged.

  “In proceeding to consider the means of more effectually preventing smuggling than by those at present in use, I must beg to refer your Lordships to a letter written by me to Admiral Whitshed, when I paid off H.M.S. Rosario, in which I represented the necessity of employing two vessels of a certain description in West Bay; and expressed an opinion that unless such a measure was resorted to there would never be any effectual check to the smuggling in that direction.

  “The situation of Cherbourg is so advantageous from its proximity to the English coast, as to make it the interest of smugglers to load at that port, as the only one from which they can start in the evening and land their cargo on the opposite side before the break of day. This consideration gives weight to the remark previously made, that every cargo run on the line of coast laid down is shipped at Cherbourg, which port may therefore be considered as the centre from which they all start, and the line of coast which I have described as the circumference.

  “I before stated my opinion that the men employed with smuggling vessels are not very numerous, and the fact of their receiving no remuneration when the cargo is thrown over in deep water; it appears to me, therefore, that by following up a system by which the smugglers would be forced to resort to this expedient or be taken, would be the most effectual discouragement to them that could be practised.

  “The officers of the Revenue cruisers are aware of this, but at the same time are aware that by so doing they would have neither prize money nor the chance of promotion. One officer only, Mr. Pettit, of the Adder tender, has followed up this system; and the smugglers acknowledge that he has done more mischief to them than all the other Revenue cruisers combined.

  “By forming a cordon round Cherbourg, which, as I observed, is the centre from which all the vessels start, his Majesty’s cruisers would have a better chance of falling in with them, than when dispersed over a coast of one hundred miles circumference; and having the advantage of superior sailing, would oblige them to throw their cargoes overboard to enable them to make their escape. The cruisers would also have a better chance, by a vigilant look-out upon the vessel when chased, of making a total seizure, by seeing her heave her cargo, whereas, when close in shore, if the vessel and cargo be taken, the men generally escape in the tub boat. However sensible the Revenue officers may be of the truth of these observations, your Lordships will feel that they can hardly be expected to act upon them, so long as their comfort and emoluments and chance of promotion are augmented and realised by pursuing the opposite system.

  “It will therefore remain for your Lordships’ consideration (if you shall be of opinion that what is respectfully submitted in this letter is worthy of your attention), whether it may not be expedient to substitute some other claims to promotion than those at present acknowledged, and to enforce with strictness the execution of a duty which the comfort and emolument of the officers will naturally impel them to neglect.

  “Without trespassing further upon your Lordships’ valuable time, I beg to subscribe myself,

  “My Lords,

  “Your Lordships’ most obedient “Humble servant,

  “FREDERICK MARRYAT.”

  CHAPTER VI.

  Appointed to the Lame — Joins the expedition against Rangoon — Attack upon stockades — Dalla — Capture of five Burmese war-boats.

  GAZETTE details are proverbially dry, but they are trustworthy, and for that reason such matter as relates exclusively to Captain Marryat’s public career has been gleaned from their resources. At the same time it is to be deeply regretted, that with the exception of a single letter written to his brother Samuel during the progress of the Burmese war, no private communications of his relative to that struggle, which took its rise in the aggression of the Burmese on the possessions of the East India Company, and in which he so greatly distinguished himself, should have been preserved.

  Captain Marryat was appointed to the command of the Larne in the early part of 1823, — when he was only thirty-one years of age, and accompanied by his wife, he sailed from Spithead on the 3rd of July following.

  “March 29th. Hoisted the pennant on board H.M.S. Lame.

  “June 23rd. Went out of harbour and anchored at Spithead.

  “July 3rd. Sailed from Spithead.

  “ —— 10th. Anchored at Carrick Roads, Falmouth. Gig upset with captain.”

  When this gig was capsized it contained, beside Captain Marryat, a middy and an old bumboat woman. The woman could swim like a fish, but the boy could not, and as Captain Marryat, upon rising to the surface of the water and preparing to strike out for the ship, found himself most needlessly clutched and borne up by this lady, he shook her off impatiently, saying:

  “Go to the boy, go to the boy — he can’t swim!”

  “Go to the hoy!” she echoed above the winds and waves. “What! hold up a midshipman when I can save the life of a captain! Not I indeed!” And no entreaties could prevail on her to relinquish her impending honours. Who eventually did the “dirty work” on this occasion is not recorded, but it is certain that no one was drowned.

  From Falmouth Captain Marryat sailed under sealed orders, for Madras, touching at Madeira, Bombay, Cochin, and Point de Galle. On his arrival at his destination, finding that the Lame was ordered to Burmah, he left his wife at Madras, and proceeded to join the remainder of the expedition at Rangoon.

  “The division of troops under the command of Brigadier Michael McCreagh, C.B., another under that of Brigadier-General William Macbean was ordered to be embarked at Calcutta for the purpose of attacking the Burmese, the command of which forces united was entrusted to Sir Archibald Campbell, K.C.B. Owing to calms and light winds, the Bengal division did not reach the place of rendezvous before the end of April, and the Madras division not until the 2nd of May, and several ships were absent. Sir A. Campbell had determined that the force should assemble at Port Cornwallis; but this was prevented by the scarcity of fresh water. “This difficulty,” says he, “was very speedily removed by Captain Marryat, of H.M.S. Larne, whose indefatigable exertions in collecting and appropriating the scanty supply which the land springs afforded, and distributing a proportion from such vessels as were well supplied to those most in need, enabled him on the following day to report the fleet ready to proceed to sea.”

  The fleet reached Rangoon on the 10th of May, and on the 31st of the same month, owing to Commodore Grant, of H.M.S. Liffey, having gone in ill health to Pulo Penang, Captain Marryat succeeded to the chief command of the naval force at Rangoon. The following description of the taking of the town is from Wilson’s ‘Narrative of the Burmese War.’

  * * * * *

  “The expedition arrived off the mouth of the Rangoon river on the 9th , and stood into the river on the morning of the 10th of May, when the fleet came to anchor within the bar; on the following morning, the vessels proceeded with the flood to Rangoon, the Liffey and the Lame leading, and the Sophie bringing up the rear; no opposition was made to the advance of the fleet, nor did any force make its appearance, although a few shots were occasionally fired from either bank. * * *

  “After a short pause a fire was opened on the fleet, but was very soon silenced by the guns of the frigate. In the meantime, three detachments were landed from the transports, of H.M. 38th regiment, under Major Evans, above the town, and H.M. 41st, under Colonel Macbean, below it, whilst Major Sale, with the light infantry of the 13th, was directed to attack the river gate, and carry the main battery. These measures were successful. The Burmas fled from the advance of the troops, and in less than twenty minutes the town was in undisputed possession of the British.”

  * * * * *

  We must now have again recourse to Captain Marryat’s log.

  “1824. May 10th. Anchored within Rangoon Bar; released Powerful, cutter, which had been taken by the Burmese.

  “ — 11th. Made sail, leading up to Rangoon. Ran ashore on a sandbank; kedged off with the rising, and ran up to Rangoon. “ — 13th. A sunken vessel, cut down by the Burmese, came athwart Pioneer’s hawser. John Adams, boy, wounded, and leg amputated. Sent boats round on service. Stockade stormed up the river.

  “May 26th. Boats on service.

  “ — 28th. William Beel, seaman, killed.

  “ — 29th. On service in steam-boat.

  “ —— 30th. Captain and party returned.

  “ — 31st. Towing the Liffey down the river, on shore.

  “June 2nd. Returned in steamboat, with a fever.

  “ — 3rd. Attack of Kemmendine stockade — Peter Knox killed.

  “ — 11th . Boats on service.

  “ — 12th. George Paine, captain’s coxswain, died of cholera.

  — 13th. General attack of cholera and fever — John Adams died.

  “ — 17th. James Gurney, M., died; John Brown died.

  “ — 20th. Joseph Evrington died.

  “ — 22nd. William Stanley died.

  “June 23rd. William Ray died.

  “ — 29th. Sent a party to the row boats, under Lieut. Fraser.

  “ — 30th. Fire shafts came down.

  “July 1st. Wm. Fredk. Brown, mid., died — Fire shafts sent down.

  “ — 3rd. Burnt Balia.

  “ — 6th. Fitted out and manned Satellite as a battery vessel.

  “ — 10th. Arrived H.M.S. Alligator, Capt. Alexander.

  “ — 13th. Sailed H.M.S. Alligator, having supplied me with twelve men.

  “ — 15th. William Brown died — Lieut.

  Dobson and men removed from the Alligator on board the Satellite.

  “ — 17th. Went down to Elephant Point to recruit the ship’s company.

  “ — 21st. Sent boats to forage.

  “ — 24th. Sent to a village — Took possession without loss, bringing off corn for the army.

  Sir A. Campbell, in an official despatch dated “Headquarters, Rangoon, July 11th, 1823,—” in speaking of an attack upon the enemy’s stockade, thus expresses himself:

  “I therefore resolved to try the effect of shelling, and consulted Captain Marryat upon the employment of such armed vessels as he might select to breach in the event of our mortar practice not succeeding. The shells were thrown at too great distance to produce the desired effect, and the swampy state of the country would not admit of any advance. The armed vessels now took their stations according to a disposition made by Captain Marryat, and opened a fire which soon silenced that of fourteen pieces of artillery, swivels and musketry from the stockades, and in one hour the preconcerted signal of “Breach practicable” was displayed at the main-mast head.”

  Further down he adds:

  “To the officers and men of the breaching vessels every praise is due; and I much regret that severe indisposition prevented Captain Marryat from being present to witness the result of his arrangements.” And in a letter from the Governor-General in Council to Sir A. Campbell, the former writes that “he unites with” him “in regretting that the severe indisposition of Captain Marryat, the senior naval, officer, prevented his witnessing the successful result of his judicious arrangements on the occasion alluded to. You will be pleased to assure Captain Marryat that his Lordship in Council entertains the highest sense of his valuable services, and will not fail to bring them under the notice of his Excellency Commodore Grant.”

  This must have been a return of that fever by which Captain Marryat had been attacked in June, and which, combined with cholera, was the cause of so many deaths on board. “Constantly exposed to the vicissitudes of a tropical climate, and exhausted by the necessity of unintermitted exertion, it need not be a matter of surprise that sickness began to thin the ranks and impair the energies of the invaders. No rank was exempt from the operation of these causes, and many officers, amongst whom were the senior naval officer, Captain Marryat, the political commissioner, Major Canning, and the commander-in-chief himself, were attacked with fever during the month of June.”

  * * * * *

  A week after the date of Sir A. Campbell’s dispatch the Lame “dropped down as far as Dalla Creek, whence she returned, fever much decreased on board. July 27th.” On the 4th of August Sir A. Campbell, having been informed that the Governor of Syriam had assembled a force on the banks of the river, proceeded with six hundred men in gunboats, under the command of Brigadier-General Smelt and Lieutenant Dobson, to dislodge the enemy, who were employed in raising a large field-work, intended to command the river and protect the surrounding country. The troops having disembarked, marched on, until stopped by a deep, impassable nullah, the bridge over which had been destroyed, but, to quote Sir A. Campbell’s letter on the subject, “this difficulty was soon removed, and a very tolerable bridge constructed by Captain Marryat and part of the officers and men of H.M.S. Larne;” and again, “From Captain Marryat and the officers of His Majesty’s navy I ever received the most prompt and cordial co-operation.”