Sea-Faring Fourth of July Tale

In view of the fact that Independence Day is approaching, I have a sea tale for you.  The original was written by sea captain Charles H Barnard, whose adventures are chronicled in Marooned: The Sufferings and Adventures of Captain Charles H. Barnard.  It is a highly readable, intelligent, and often comical story of his sealing voyage south during the War of 1812.  Upon reaching the Falkland Islands, he finds a shipwrecked group of English men and women.  Offering to save them, even though his native America is at war with their country, he nevertheless has his ship seized from him. Marooned with four other men, the English sail off with Captain Barnard’s ship.  He lives two years on the islands, and eventually makes his way to Peru, Juan Fernández Islands, the Galapagos, Hawaii, China, around Cape Horn, the island of St. Helena’s in the middle of the South Atlantic, then finally after four years, comes home to New York.

The book is a good survival adventure and seafaring romp through the early 1800’s, and spares us wordiness in order to get to the action.  One of the places his visits is Juan Fernández Islands, where Alexander Selkirk was himself marooned, upon whom the book Robinson Crusoe is based.  By the early 1800’s they are controlled by the Spanish, and much more frequented than when Mr. Selkirk was their inhabitant.  In fact the sealers are so populous there that the Spanish send boats to chase them off.

Here’s a selection about a Fourth of July celebration undertaken by some sealers there, and the Spanish efforts to arrest them:

At the time to which I allude, it was usual for eight or ten sealing vessels to have gangs on this island; and besides these, there were generally others, to the number of one hundred and fifty, who remained constantly on the island.  Some of these men had deserted, and others had been discharged from different sealing ships; the latter of whom were desperate characters: they would barter their seal skins for rum and other articles, deemed by them necessary to their comfort and enjoyment; which was effected with the officers of the different ships that occasionally stopped here. 

The Spanish Guarda Costas [Coast Guard] frequently cruised round the island, ran close in the different landings, sent their boasts ashore with armed crews, who had orders to make prisoners of all persons they found on the island, and burn every hut, skin, and implement used by the sealers.  So extremely sensitive were they to the most trifling occurrence relative to their possessions in this part of the world, that they would rather the island should be sunk in the ocean, than that it should afford even a temporary residence to any who were not subjects of his most puissant and Catholic majesty.

At the time period referred to, there were perhaps an hundred men, including lopers (or those who had left their ships), collected on the north-west plains to celebrate the Fourth of July, with great glee and ceremony, and the American flag proudly waved from an elevated staff over this part of his most Catholic majesty’s territory.  They had constructed thirteen large rope-yarn wads, containing a quantity of powder in the center, which on exploding, which is effected by means of a fuse or slow match, causes a report louder than a six pounder: there were arranged in order of firing.

The song, toast, and glass were following in rapid succession when twelve o’clock arrived; at that moment the match was applied to one of the wads, which exploded just as a Spanish Guarda Costa was coming round the head or boundary of the plain.  After the proper interval, another was fired.  The surprise and consternation of the Spanish captain was indescribable; here he saw American colors flying, a large body of men, one thousand at least, according to his estimation, assembled; and formidable battery mounted with a large number of heavy cannon.  Hi piously crossed himself, gravely believed it to be the work of the devil.  At this moment another report rent the air, for the Yankee tars determined not to suspend their sports until compelled by superior force.  Off went another wad. 

This was too much; for the fortitude of the Spanish hero failed him; if he remained a moment longer he should be sunk before he could repeat his credo, by this tremendous and destructive fire.  So he put up helm, stretched out all canvas, and gallantly ran for it; and when at the distance of a league, bravely rounded too, and returned the fire; and then proceeded direct to Valparaiso, where he arrived before he had entirely recovered the effects of his fright.

To the governor he repaired immediately, and gave a true and particular account of all he had actually seen and heard—the imminent dangers he had so heroically encountered and miraculously escaped from; for which his patron saint was loaded with praises, and his shrine most brilliantly illuminated.  The gallant captain was highly complimented for his courage and tactics in effecting his retreat from such a vast superiority of force.  All now was bustle, confusion, and military preparation at Valparaiso.  The best soldiers, and the most experienced and approved officers, were selected to go on this chivalrous expedition, of breaking up so formidable and threatening a settlement, and bring the daring castoffs in chains to the feet of the Viceroy.  The captain of the Guarda Costa accompanied the train, and began already to fancy himself a knight of the golden fleece, as a reward for preserving this part of the territories of his royal master.

In due time they arrived at the expected scene of action, and each officer swore to rival the martial exploits of Don Gonsalvo, the hero of Granada.  Detachments were landed to the eastward and westward of the plain, without being obstructed by any movements of the enemy.  The Spaniards threw out reconnoitering parties, and advanced with due military caution, and finally their advanced parties were thrown forward until they met in the center of the pain.  No battery, showering a storm of iron death, had opposed the; they saw no encampment filled with warriors, whose arms glittered in the sunbeams.  All they found, were a few miserable huts and wayworn mariners, for the lopers had effectually concealed themselves.  The Spaniards were confounded, and suspected some stratagem; they crossed themselves more frequently than usual.  They however made prisoners of the few sealers there, and a thousand inquiries were put to them concerning the large encampment, and the great battery with its heavy cannon.  Their answers were, that they knew of none, nor ever had heard of any.  “Diavalo,” exclaimed the infuriated captain, “did I not see the thousand men, the colors, the big cannon that you had liked to sink my ship with?”  They explained; this only added to his irritation, and the Spaniards concluded that he was deranged.  The troops were re-embarked, and sailed for Valparaiso, carrying their prisoners with them.  As for the captain of the Guarda Costa, he has not as yet been able to decide whether he was enchanted or not, and thus ended this ignus fatuus expedition.