The Shipping Forecast

Plymouth, Part 2, the first

HMS Diana - 1803

Two Bells in the afternoon watch, 40 miles south of the Lizard

"Sail ho!"

"Where away?"

"One point off the port bow, tops'ls on the rise." came the response from the lookout, high up in the foremast.

"Away you go, Mr Scalmy, take my glass."

"Aye aye, sir!" piped Scalmy, his voice shrill with eager excitement as the young midshipman ran forward to the windward shrouds, then up, up with an ease and unbound energy that only a thirteen year old, lean and whip-like from two months living off salt beef and ships biscuits for the last two months could do. The captain, master and a few of the watch aft watched him go up the Diana's tall main mast, his form becoming smaller and smaller as he climbed, until at last he reached the spindly top mast, up which Scalmy shimmied, right to the truck, whereupon he clamped himself in place and swung the captain's precious telescope up to his eye. A couple of the observers below formed a silent 'o' with their mouth at this unnecessary showing off, and one actually said it out loud, receiving disapproving stares and a frown from the captain, whose attention remained aloft.

"A ship, sir! I think I can make out two rows of gunports," came the faint cry from aloft. "Course a little to the south of our own... And I believe she's striking topmasts, sir!"

"Good." Captain Dunt considered for a moment, then said to his first lieutenant, "Stay on this course for another hour. That'll take us to windward, assuming they don't spook and take flight before then of course. If we really must, we can strike our own topmasts once we are settled in the chase. I expect we will be in for a dirty night, so let the idlers go below now. Mr Garrett, come below with the chart, I want to have a look at it in the cabin. Call me if anything changes Mr Daniel."

Daniel took his place on the windward side as his captain went below with the master, and those officers still on deck heaved a collective sigh of relief. For weeks they had been navigating a tricky course with their firebrand captain's moods; by turns complaisant and urbane, then, seemingly without warning, ferocious and 'damning their eyes'. At last, with a chase in sight after months and months of desperate slow progress without sight of anything bigger than a rotten scow since Java, their captain had something other than the officers and crews faults - perceived or otherwise - to occupy his attention. Daniel was almost certain he'd seen a smile on his captain's face as it disappeared down the ladder into the waist of the ship with the grim-faced Garrett following.

When Scalmy reached the deck he ran back to the quarterdeck and handed the captain's telescope to Daniel, who in turn sent him with it to the cabin to secure it safely for when next the captain wished to view the horizon more closely. "And while you're down there, find out where your partner in crime is and recall him to his duty with my compliments."

Safe return of the telescope complete; nary a hint of displeasure from Captain Dunt as he hung the glass carefully upon its mount and made a dutiful inspection of the barometer in case he was asked questions later (mercury falling dramatically - very dirty weather for sure), then went to find his fellow midshipman.

"Come on, you mumping villain, you're on watch. Get your fat arse on deck!"

The pale, sweaty youth lying prostrate in the hammock, two months junior to Scalmy, turned a bleary eye towards him. "Leave me alone."

Scalmy adopted an official stance and intoned in his best officer's voice, "Lieutenant Daniel's compliments, and he requires your presence on deck, tout suite." Scalmy relaxed from his straight-backed stance and jabbed his colleague in the ribs. "Oh, come on, you'll be in so much trouble! You can't still be seasick after all this time, can you?"

Unwrapping himself from his blanket and swinging his legs out of the hammock, the young man stood, swaying uneasily to the frigate's frisky motion. "God's my life," he whispered.