memoir of fleeming jenkin- 第3部分

Thus　it　befel　that　Charles　Jenkin；　coming　too　late　for　the　epic　of　

the　French　wars；　played　a　small　part　in　the　dreary　and　disgraceful　

afterpiece　of　St。　Helena。　　Life　on　the　guard…ship　was　onerous　and　

irksome。　　The　anchor　was　never　lifted；　sail　never　made；　the　great　

guns　were　silent；　none　was　allowed　on　shore　except　on　duty；　all　day　

the　movements　of　the　imperial　captive　were　signalled　to　and　fro；　

all　night　the　boats　rowed　guard　around　the　accessible　portions　of　

the　coast。　　This　prolonged　stagnation　and　petty　watchfulness　in　

what　Napoleon　himself　called　that　'unchristian'　climate；　told　

cruelly　on　the　health　of　the　ship's　company。　　In　eighteen　months；　

according　to　O'Meara；　the　CONQUEROR　had　lost　one　hundred　and　ten　

men　and　invalided　home　one　hundred　and　seven；　being　more　than　a　

third　of　her　complement。　　It　does　not　seem　that　our　young　

midshipman　so　much　as　once　set　eyes　on　Bonaparte；　and　yet　in　other　

ways　Jenkin　was　more　fortunate　than　some　of　his　comrades。　　He　drew　

in　water…colour；　not　so　badly　as　his　father；　yet　ill　enough；　and　

this　art　was　so　rare　aboard　the　CONQUEROR　that　even　his　humble　

proficiency　marked　him　out　and　procured　him　some　alleviations。　　

Admiral　Plampin　had　succeeded　Napoleon　at　the　Briars；　and　here　he　

had　young　Jenkin　staying　with　him　to　make　sketches　of　the　historic　

house。　　One　of　these　is　before　me　as　I　write；　and　gives　a　strange　

notion　of　the　arts　in　our　old　English　Navy。　　Yet　it　was　again　as　an　

artist　that　the　lad　was　taken　for　a　run　to　Rio；　and　apparently　for　

a　second　outing　in　a　ten…gun　brig。　　These；　and　a　cruise　of　six　

weeks　to　windward　of　the　island　undertaken　by　the　CONQUEROR　herself　

in　quest　of　health；　were　the　only　breaks　in　three　years　of　

murderous　inaction；　and　at　the　end　of　that　period　Jenkin　was　

invalided　home；　having　'lost　his　health　entirely。'



As　he　left　the　deck　of　the　guard…ship　the　historic　part　of　his　

career　came　to　an　end。　　For　forty…two　years　he　continued　to　serve　

his　country　obscurely　on　the　seas；　sometimes　thanked　for　

inconspicuous　and　honourable　services；　but　denied　any　opportunity　

of　serious　distinction。　　He　was　first　two　years　in　the　LARNE；　

Captain　Tait；　hunting　pirates　and　keeping　a　watch　on　the　Turkish　

and　Greek　squadrons　in　the　Archipelago。　　Captain　Tait　was　a　

favourite　with　Sir　Thomas　Maitland；　High　Commissioner　of　the　Ionian　

Islands　…　King　Tom　as　he　was　called　…　who　frequently　took　passage　

in　the　LARNE。　　King　Tom　knew　every　inch　of　the　Mediterranean；　and　

was　a　terror　to　the　officers　of　the　watch。　　He　would　come　on　deck　

at　night；　and　with　his　broad　Scotch　accent；　'Well；　sir；'　he　would　

say；　'what　depth　of　water　have　ye？　　Well　now；　sound；　and　ye'll　just　

find　so　or　so　many　fathoms；'　as　the　case　might　be；　and　the　

obnoxious　passenger　was　generally　right。　　On　one　occasion；　as　the　

ship　was　going　into　Corfu；　Sir　Thomas　came　up　the　hatchway　and　cast　

his　eyes　towards　the　gallows。　　'Bangham'　…　Charles　Jenkin　heard　him　

say　to　his　aide…de…camp；　Lord　Bangham　…　'where　the　devil　is　that　

other　chap？　　I　left　four　fellows　hanging　there；　now　I　can　only　see　

three。　　Mind　there　is　another　there　to…morrow。'　　And　sure　enough　

there　was　another　Greek　dangling　the　next　day。　　'Captain　Hamilton；　

of　the　CAMBRIAN；　kept　the　Greeks　in　order　afloat；'　writes　my　

author；　'and　King　Tom　ashore。'



From　1823　onward；　the　chief　scene　of　Charles　Jenkin's　activities　

was　in　the　West　Indies；　where　he　was　engaged　off　and　on　till　1844；　

now　as　a　subaltern；　now　in　a　vessel　of　his　own；　hunting　out　

pirates；　'then　very　notorious'　in　the　Leeward　Islands；　cruising　

after　slavers；　or　carrying　dollars　and　provisions　for　the　

Government。　　While　yet　a　midshipman；　he　accompanied　Mr。　Cockburn　to　

Caraccas　and　had　a　sight　of　Bolivar。　　In　the　brigantine　GRIFFON；　

which　he　commanded　in　his　last　years　in　the　West　Indies；　he　carried　

aid　to　Guadeloupe　after　the　earthquake；　and　twice　earned　the　thanks　

of　Government：　　once　for　an　expedition　to　Nicaragua　to　extort；　

under　threat　of　a　blockade；　proper　apologies　and　a　sum　of　money　due　

to　certain　British　merchants；　and　once　during　an　insurrection　in　

San　Domingo；　for　the　rescue　of　certain　others　from　a　perilous　

imprisonment　and　the　recovery　of　a　'chest　of　money'　of　which　they　

had　been　robbed。　　Once；　on　the　other　hand；　he　earned　his　share　of　

public　censure。　　This　was　in　1837；　when　he　commanded　the　ROMNEY　

lying　in　the　inner　harbour　of　Havannah。　　The　ROMNEY　was　in　no　

proper　sense　a　man…of…war；　she　was　a　slave…hulk；　the　bonded　

warehouse　of　the　Mixed　Slave　Commission；　where　negroes；　captured　

out　of　slavers　under　Spanish　colours；　were　detained　provisionally；　

till　the　Commission　should　decide　upon　their　case　and　either　set　

them　free　or　bind　them　to　apprenticeship。　　To　this　ship；　already　an　

eye…sore　to　the　authorities；　a　Cuban　slave　made　his　escape。　　The　

position　was　invidious；　on　one　side　were　the　tradition　of　the　

British　flag　and　the　state　of　public　sentiment　at　home；　on　the　

other；　the　certainty　that　if　the　slave　were　kept；　the　ROMNEY　would　

be　ordered　at　once　out　of　the　harbour；　and　the　object　of　the　Mixed　

Commission　compromised。　　Without　consultation　with　any　other　

officer；　Captain　Jenkin　（then　lieutenant）　returned　the　man　to　shore　

and　took　the　Captain…General's　receipt。　　Lord　Palmerston　approved　

his　course；　but　the　zealots　of　the　anti…slave　trade　movement　（never　

to　be　named　without　respect）　were　much　dissatisfied；　and　thirty…

nine　years　later；　the　matter　was　again　canvassed　in　Parliament；　and　

Lord　Palmerston　and　Captain　Jenkin　defended　by　Admiral　Erskine　in　a　

letter　to　the　TIMES　（March　13；　1876）。



In　1845；　while　still　lieutenant；　Charles　Jenkin　acted　as　Admiral　

Pigot's　flag　captain　in　the　Cove　of　Cork；　where　there　were　some　

thirty　pennants；　and　about　the　same　time；　closed　his　career　by　an　

act　of　personal　bravery。　　He　had　proceeded　with　his　boats　to　the　

help　of　a　merchant　vessel；　whose　cargo　of　combustibles　had　taken　

fire　and　was　smouldering　under　hatches；　his　sailors　were　in　the　

hold；　where　the　fumes　were　already　heavy；　and　Jenkin　was　on　deck　

directing　operations；　when　he　found　his　orders　were　no　longer　

answered　from　below：　　he　jumped　down　without　hesitation　and　slung　

up　several　insensible　men　with　his　own　hand。　　For　this　act；　he　

received　a　letter　from　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　expressing　a　

sense　of　his　gallantry；　and　pretty　soon　after　was　promoted　

Commander；　superseded；　and　could　never　again　obtain　employment。



In　1828　or　1829；　Charles　Jenkin　was　in　the　same　watch　with　another　

midshipman；　Robert　Colin　Campbell　Jackson；　who　introduced　him　to　

his　family　in　Jamaica。　　The　father；　the　Honourable　Robert　Jackson；　

Custos　Rotulorum　of　Kingston；　came　of　a　Yorkshire　family；　said　to　

be　originally　Scotch；　and　on　the　mother's　side；　counted　kinship　

with　some　of　the　Forbeses。　　The　mother　was　Susan　Campbell；　one　of　

the　Campbells　of　Auchenbreck。　　Her　father　Colin；　a　merchant　in　

Greenock；　is　said　to　have　been　the　heir　to　both　the　estate　and　the　

baronetcy；　he　claimed　neither；　which　casts　a　doubt　upon　the　fact；　

but　he　had　pride　enough　himself；　and　taught　enough　pride　to　his　

family；　for　any　station　or　descent　in　Christendom。　　He　had　four　

daughters。　　One　married　an　Edinburgh　writer；　as　I　have　it　on　a　

first　account　…　a　minister；　according　to　another　…　a　man　at　least　

of　reasonable　station；　but　not　good　enough　for　the　Campbells　of　

Auchenbreck；　and　the　erring　one　was　instantly　discarded。　　Another　

married　an　actor　of　the　name　of　Adcock；　whom　（as　I　receive　the　

tale）　she　had　seen　acting　in　a　barn；　but　the　phrase　should　perhaps　

be　regarded　rather　as　a　measure　of　the　family　annoyance；　than　a　

mirror　of　the　facts。　　The　marriage　was　not　in　itself　unhappy；　

Adcock　was　a　gentleman　by　birth　and　made　a　good　husband；　the　family　

reasonably　prospered；　and　one　of　the　daughters　married　no　less　a　

man　than　Clarkson　Stanfield。　　But　by　the　father；　and　the　two　

remaining　Miss　Campbells；　people　of　fierce　passions　and　a　truly　

Highland　pride；　the　derogation　was　bitterly　resented。　　For　long　the　

sisters　lived　estranged　then；　Mrs。　Jackson　and　Mrs。　Adcock　were　

reconciled　for　a　moment；　only　to　quarrel　the　more　fiercely；　the　

name　of　Mrs。　Adcock　was　proscribed；　nor　did　it　again　pass　her　

sister's　lips；　until　the　morning　when　she　announced：　　'Mary　Adcock　

is　dead；　I　saw　her　in　her　shroud　last　night。'　　Second　sight　was　

hereditary　in　the　house；　and　sure　enough；　as　I　have　it　reported；　on　

that　very　night　Mrs。　Adcock　had　passed　away。　　Thus；　of　the　four　

daughters；　two　had；　according　to　the　idiotic　notions　of　their　

friends；　disgraced　themselves　in　marriage；　the　others　supported　the　

honour　of　the　family　with　a　better　grace；　and　married　West　Indian　

magnates　of　whom；　I　believe；　the　world　has　never　heard　and　would　

not　care　to　hear：　　So　strange　a　thing　is　this　hereditary　pride。　　Of　

Mr。　Jackson；　beyond　the　fact　that　he　was　Fleeming's　grandfather；　I　

know　naught。　　His　wife；　as　I　have　said；　was　a　woman　of　fierce　

passions；　she　would　tie　her　house　slaves　to　the　bed　and　lash　them　

with　her　own　hand；　and　her　conduct　to　her　wild　and　down…going　sons；　

was　a　mixture　of　almost　insane　self…sacrifice　and　wholly　insane　

violence　of　temper。　　She　had　three　sons　and　one　daughter。　　Two　of　

the　sons　went　utterly　to　ruin；　and　reduced　their　mother　to　poverty。　　

The　third　went　to　India；　a　slim；　delicate　lad；　and　passed　so　wholly　

from　the　knowledge　of　his　relatives　that　he　was　thought　to　be　long　

dead。　　Years　later；　when　his　sister　was　living　in　Genoa；　a　red…

bearded　man　of　great　strength　and　stature；　tanned　by　years　in　

India；　and　his　hands　covered　with　barbaric　gems；　entered　the　room　

unannounced；　as　she　was　playing　the　piano；　lifted　her　from　her　

seat；　and　kissed　her。　　It　was　her　brother；　suddenly　returned　out　of　

a　past　that　was　never　very　clearly　understood；　with　the　rank　of　

general；　many　strange　gems；　many　cloudy　stories　of　adventur