The Delfe Treasure

20. From Trial to Reality

At Sea - Thursday, 6th August 1733

Elizabeth was sailed hard through the night, first to the southeast with the wind on her starboard quarter to the coast of France. Then at the beginning of the middle watch, she was worn around to sail north-by-northwest with the wind broad on her port bow.

The light of the sunrise through the stern windows awakened Aldrick, and he quietly dressed and ascended to the quarterdeck to greet Wilson, who had the morning watch. "All goes well?"

"Aye, Sir. We extinguished the navigation lamps not five minutes past. North Foreland light tower became visible from on deck at twilight, but her fire had not shown in the dark, even from aloft." 

"I will write another letter demanding it be put back to how it had been. The fire had always shown well until they improved it with the wind and rain guards." Aldrick shook his head; then he examined the chart. "Continue as close to the wind as keeps us above ten knots." 

"Aye, Sir. Tight to the wind, not below ten knots."

Five bells rang as Aldrick walked aft to sit on the taffrail seat, breathing the warm salt air deeply and sighing it out. After a long silence, he asked the hand with the logline, "What speed?"

"Been close to ten and a half the entire watch, Sir."

"Thank you. Are you pleased to be at sea again?"

"Looking forward to the clear water down there and the bright-coloured fishes. And the lobsters, them's delicious. When are we sailing?"

"If all goes well with the remainder of the trials, we begin taking on cargo Friday, then provisioning Monday and sailing on Tuesday's ebb."

London - Tuesday, 11th August 1733

A moderate breeze blew from the south on the second Tuesday in August when St Paul's bells pealed ten o'clock. A few minutes later, eight men on the sweeps of Elizabeth's starboard longboat pulled her from Saviour Dock and out into the Pool below London Bridge. Once she had been centred and pointed downriver in the high-water slack, Aldrick ordered the longboat lifted aboard and secured for sea. 

As soon as he saw it attached to the davit falls, he said to the Master, "Hoist the jibs, staysails and mizzen and sheet all to port. Best speed all along."

"Aye, Sir. Jibs, staysails and mizzen to port. Best speed."

Aldrick watched as the ship slowly gained way, and when satisfied she had steerage, he asked the helmsman, "Do you see the wharf on the right bank beyond the bend?"

The helmsman raised his arm and pointed. "That one, Sir?"

After sighting along the seaman's arm, Aldrick said, "Yes. Steer on its far edge." 

"Aye, Sir. Steer on far edge of wharf."

In this manner, Aldrick conned Elizabeth down the sinuous course of the Thames, the fore-and-aft sails being adjusted by the Master at each course change to pull her along through the increasing ebb. By the time eight bells of the forenoon watch sounded, they were fifteen miles downriver, making seven knots through the water and another two with the current.

When the watch changed, Aldrick gave control to Wilson, coaching him as he conned Elizabeth around the series of bends. Then once they had passed Tilbury, he was satisfied and walked aft to join Elizabeth and Judith at the taffrail. "Next stop is the Bahamas."

"But with stops in Bordeaux, Oporto and Funchal to take on wine, and then in Kingston to discharge our cargo."

"We have no time now for those."

Elizabeth looked askance. "And why not?"

"From what we learned last night when —"

"When you and Mister Franklin were out carousing," She interrupted with a frown.

"When we were out visiting the public houses along the embankment in search of information."

"And drink. You came aboard rather besotted."

"Difficult to get others to drink and spill information without drinking ourselves."

Elizabeth pursed her lips. "And what did you learn?"

"The night before he sailed, John Roberts had been boasting of having a plot sketch of a safe anchorage with the latitude and longitude marked."

"So?"

"He had been in Newgate at the same time as Jack Bolton. It is too much to hope this was not the source."

"So he has Bolton's anchorage." She shrugged. "How would he relate that to anything to do with the wrecks?"

"Grandfather has often reminded us that the mutineers would have been able to draw a fair map of the islets from their observations. They all spent two weeks there recovering from the wrecks and repairing the boats to make their way back to Jamaica. This is why he had believed Joseph's boasts over the years of knowing where the ships lie."

Elizabeth nodded. "And his son's constant tale of knowing where three treasure ships lay wrecked. That would have caught Bolton's ear as they shared time in prison. How long will it take us to reach the Bahamas?"

"It depends upon the weather, but the most beneficial route is about four thousand eight hundred miles. If we can maintain ten knots all the way, it is four hundred and eighty hours, which is twenty days — three weeks."

She bobbed her head. "And if we maintain eight knots, twenty-five days. Roberts sailed in mid-March, fully five months ago. He is already there. And now likely gone with the treasure."

"He may be. But from stories I am told, he has no nautical experience nor any knowledge of navigation. He sought those with it, but the talk is that none with any depth had joined him." Aldrick pointed toward Wilson. "Once we are clear of the last river bend, we will go below, and I will show you the ocean chart."

"You do not trust him on his own?"

"I do, but he does not yet fully trust himself. He has asked me to remain here until we are out into the less-constricted waters of the approaches." 

Judith nodded. "He told me he has watched it often, but this is only the second time he has done it." She stroked her chin. "He has also told me that the entire ship's company is learning, each person aboard being taught by those who have superior knowledge or experience." 

Aldrick smiled. "And it has been this way since my great-grandfather, Bartholomew, and each generation since has shared their wisdom with those coming up. He believed that experience is by far the best teacher, and from the top down, our primary role is to allow all who are able and willing to experience increasing responsibility."

"And what of Robert's crew?" Elizabeth asked.

He shrugged. "What experience and knowledge there is, will likely be in conflict, and if there is any wisdom among them, they will learn through trial. Else, there will be chaos."

"Will they be able to find their way to the Bahamas?"

"The Italian, Cristoforo Colombo, found them in 1492 by accident when searching for the Orient, so it is possible. The natural winds and currents direct ships there."

"So Roberts has surely by now found the islets." 

"It will take two months and more to recover the treasure from the wrecks. It is mostly twenty and more feet beneath the surface."

"That still leaves him with time to get there, find the wrecks, load the treasure and sail away." 

"Our hope is that their crew did not unite. That they are in conflict. That the few with knowledge are not heeded. The logical route is to sail west-southwest directly toward the islands. But the fastest is to begin by sailing south-southwest, down the coast of Africa. The straight route is three thousand eight hundred miles, and the indirect one is a thousand miles longer, but far faster and safer." 

Elizabeth tilted her head. "How so?"

"I will show you on the charts when we go below."