An Adventure with the Press-Gang.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 70, 4 October 1884, Page 4

An Adventure with the PressGang.

How goes the press ? was, as usual, our first and most anxious inquiry when the pilot-boat c«me alongside to the westward of Lundy Island. The brief but emphatic reply was, "As hot as blazes." Knowing therefore what we had to expect, the second rar.to and I, and one or two others, applied to the captain to set us ashore at Ilfracombe, but he would not listen to us. A doublereefed topsail breeze was blowing from the westward, and a vigorous flood-tide was setting up channel, enabling us to pass over the ground at about fifteen knots an hour. As soon as the ship was brought up, I • stepped in the main rigging to lend a Hand to furl the topsail, but had not reached the top, when 1 heard the cabin-boy calling out in an Irish whisper, "Bobstay, down, down, the press-boat is alongside." I was or. deck in a twinkling, and was springing to the after scuttle, when I found myself violently seized by the arm. I trembled. It was the samo boy that had called me down. '•They aro already in the mizen chains," said he; "to the fore-scuttle, or you are a gone man." Down the fore peak I went as rapid as lightning, and down jumped three of the gang after me, with little less velocity. "Oh, my tight little fellow," said.one of them, thrusting his cutlass down a crevice over my head ; "I see you ; out you must come, or here goes an inch or two of cold steel into your bread-bag." I knew that I was beyond his reach, and took care to let him have all the talk to himself. They rummaged about all over the hold, thrusting their cutlasses down every chink they could perceive, but no one cculd they find give a single squeak. In about half an hour I heard the well-known voice of the cabin-boy calling me on deck. On reaching the deck, I found that the gang had carried off three of our hands, and had expressed their determination to renew the search next day. Of course my grand object was to get ashore without delay. The moment we anchored the captain had gone off to Bristol to announce his arrival to the owners ; and as the mate and I were not on good terms, he rofused to allow me the use of the ship's boat. None of the watermen whose boats were hailed would come alongside, because if they had been found assisting the crew of merchant vessels to escape the press, they would themselves have been subjected to its grasp. About midnight, however, one waterman came alongside, with whom the love ©f money overcame the fear of danger, and he agreed to pull the second mate, boatswain, and myself ashore for half a guinea each. I had brought from the West Indies a small venture in sugar, a cask of which, about a hundredweight, I took into the boat with me to clear present expenses. Shortly after we had shoved off, we found ourselves chased by a long boat, which the , waterman knew by the sound of the oars to be the guard boat. How we did pull ! but it seemed in vain ; we found it would be impossible to reach the landing place, so we pulled for the nearest point of land. The moment the boat touched the ground, I took the cask of sugar on my shoulder and expecting solid ground under the boat bows, jumped ashore. Instead of solid ground, I found myself above my knees in mud. The guard boat was within hundred yards of the shore, and what was to be done ? All that a man has will he give for his liberty, so away went the cask of sugar. Thus lightened, I soon scrambled to the shore, when the three of us scampered off as fast as our feet could carry us. We never stopped to breathe or look round us till we reached the town of Peel, where, by a blazing fire and over a dish of beefsteaks, and few tankards of brown stout, we soon forgot our dangers and our fears. Our restdence here, as far as liberty was concerned, was pretty nearly on a par with prison residence. The second mate and I lodged together, and during daylight we nover durst show our faces, except, perhaps, between four and six in the morning, when we sometimes took a ramble in a neighbouring burying-ground to read epitaphs ; and this, from the love of the English to poetical ones, equivalent to the loan of a volume of poetry. And had it not been for the kindly intentions of our landlord's two handsome daughters, to whose eyebrows we indited stanzas, I know not how we would have got the game killed. Snug as we thought ourselves, the pressgang had by some means or other been put on the scent, and one day very nearly pounced on us. So cautious had they been in their visit that their approach was not perceived until they were actually in the kitchen. Fortunately we were at this time in an upper room, and one of the daughters flew upstairs to warn us of our danger and point out a place of safety. This place was above the ceiling, and the only access to it was through a hole in the wall a little way up the vent. It was excellently adapted to our purpose, and the entrance to it was speedily pointed out by our pretty little guardian angel. Up the vent we sprang like a brace of chimney-sweeps, and had scarcely reached our place of concealment when the gang rushed upstairs, burst open the door, and oegan to rummage every corner of the room. The bed was turned out, and the presses all minutely examined, and even the vent itself underwent a scrutiny, but no seaman was found. •'Tell us, young lady, whereabouts you have stowed away them fellows, for we know they are in the house ?" " What fellows ?" said the dear little girl. "Why, those fellows that came ashore from one of the West Indianmen the other day ; we know they are here, and we are determined to have them." "You have certainly been misinformed," said she. " You are welcome to search the house, but be assured you will find no such men here." " Come, come, my little fair one, that is all in my eye and Betty Martin. Here they are, that is certain, and we are determined to make our quarters good till we find them out," and away they went to search the other apartments of the house. Meanwhile, our charming little protectress, alarmed at the threatened siege, and fearing that we would be starved into a surrender, took the opportunity, while the gang were rummaging the parlour and some other bedrooms, to supply our garrison with provisions. A basket with boiled ham, a couple of capons, a household loaf of ample dimensions, half a dozen of brown stout, the family bottle of excellent stingo, and a can of water were expeditiously handed up the vent. This supply quite set our minds at ease, as we knew it would enable us to stand a week's close siege. Our patience, however, was not put to this trial, for the gang, after a two hours vigilant search, abandoned their pursuit in despair and departed. My blue jacket and fringed dimity trousers, my check shirt and scarlet vest, were at once discarded, and their places supplied by articles of a more landward appearance. I knew that it would be impossible to travel the country in a seaman's dress, so I determined to try my fortune as a beau. Thus equipped, I immediately took coaoh for London, and after travelling all night, I, on awaking from a short nap, found myself rattling over the stones at Hyde Park Corner. The coach stopped at Piccadilly, and I alighted, I, without

waiting to breakfast, wended my way on, and soon found myself in the vicinity of the Tower. As I was crossing Tower Hill, I found myself tapped on the shoulder, and, on looking round, was accosted by a man in seaman's dress in the words, " What ship ?" I assumed an air of gravity and surprise, and 1 told him I apprehended he was under some mistake, as my business did not lie among shipping, The fellow gave a whistle, the sound of which still vibrates in my ears, and in a moment I was surrounded by half a dozen ruffians, whom I immediately found out to be the press-gang. They ushered me into the presence of the lieutenant of the gang, who asked me several questions as to my name, country, profession, and what business had led me to Tower Hill. I did not acknowledge having been at sea; but my hands were examined, found hard with work, and discoloured with tar. This cirI cumstance condemned me, and I was re manded for further examination. In a short time I was reconducted into tho presence of the lieutenant, who told me I might as well make a frank confession of my circumstances. I therefore told him that I had been a voyage to the West Indies, and had come home carpenter of a ship. His eye brightened at this intelligence. " I am glad of this, my lad. We are very much in want of carpenters; step along with these lads, and they will give you a passage aboard." The same fellows who had first seized me, t led me along the way we came, handed me into a pinnace lying at Tower Wharf, and before midday I was safely handed on board the Enterprise. What befel me on my arrival on board the Enterprise, what reception I met with, ' and what mirth I excited, as I was lowered down into the press-room, with my breeches and swallow-tail coat — what measures I exerted to regain my liberty, and what success attended these measures — the space at my disposal prevents me from setting forthv