⛵ ⛵ ⛵ ⛵. . . "Tour of the Gulf of Aden". . . (cont.)
[Last time...]
“Francois my friend…you know not the ways of war or of the outer world. You have lived here in Praslin in peace and relative prosperity. But times are changing. The outer world has come to us now…”
“Yes! – At your beckoning!” The Prince vented with an angry scowl, “You made the deal with the devil, not I! Why did you strike a treaty with the Jinn of Aden?! Why?!”
“Because Francois…he was coming to Seychelles sooner or later…” Radwan answered solemnly, his eyes falling to the floor in front of him.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[On the Silverton…a half mile off shore…]
The smoke from the lower level broadside had barely cleared when the Captain quickly walked the main deck, barking orders and directing his officers…
"Git 'at riggin' taught oan th' forward jibs! Gezz me aw th' sail clootie noo an' prepaur tae heave tae, tae th' portside! Ahh dornt want tae gie th' bastards onie mair ay a targit than we hav tae!" He shouted as he approached the forecastle deck, “Ready those nine poonders oan th' baw an' fire oan th' first flash ay light ye see oan shair!"
“Aye Keptin Sairrr!” A young seaman replied as he ran up the forward stairs.
The big ship creaked and groaned as Cockpit Mate- Midshipman's Mate Fisky spun the big wheel and slowly brought her bow about towards the shore. It was then that the first response was seen- bright flashes of orange and yellow light lit up the cliffs in three different locations east of the palace! The big eighteen pounders were belching fire and iron!
“Git oan those flashes! Fire! Fire!" The Captain roared as he gazed across the sea at the shoreline now silhouetted against the blast of cannon fire.
No sooner did the nine pounders fire their load than the hissing, buzzing sound of incoming rounds filled the air and the sea behind them exploded into spouts of frothing water!
“Haw! Haw! They're shootin' behin' us! Fisky! Foo portside rudder! Bring 'er aroond fur a starboard volley!"
“Aye Sairrr!”
The big ship now lurched to the west again and slowly brought her starboard gun rows to bear on the target. But with the flash of the two nine pounders from the bow, the enemy now had a more accurate idea of their position. More flashes from the shore meant incoming and this time they were not as lucky!
The roar of iron slicing through the air once again exploded the water about them and three waterspouts erupted just to their rear, but the fourth round found it’s mark and timber, rigging and men flew through the air as the ball ripped through the starboard stern railing! There was screaming and chaos in the rear of the ship, but the Captain never paused as he ordered a full broadside of the upper starboard gun row!
The sixteen pounders belched out their terrible vengeance against the coastal guns! A large explosion was seen very near the shore and the crew cheered as the obvious explosion of a powder stockpile went up!
Meanwhile, Commander Galligan and eight men ran the hoist down on the forward longboat. At the same time, Warrant Officer- Master Ickied and eight more men did the same on the rear boat. All eighteen were heavily armed, muskets and swords!
“Git doon th' ratline men an' man-up yer oars!" Galligan yelled as he jumped the rail.
Behind them, Ickied was already descending with his men and in two minutes time the two longboats were pulling hard to the west just as the Silverton released her second starboard broadside!
The sound was deafening and the night was black with the exception of the blasts of cannon mussels. At a hundred yards out from the ship, Galligan looked back one last time just as she took another hit from an eighteen pounder! Where the ball struck was impossible to say, but the yelling and screaming of young boys echoed across the waves.
“Gawd be wi' heem!" Galligan spoke under his breath as he finally turned away and held a steady rudder for the west.
On the rear boat Ickied yelled for more speed as Junior Petty Officer- Armourer's Mate Errislravenhill, Seaman- Gunsmith Andofzara, Seamen- Carpenter's Crew At-Elvis, Upu, Ehta, Addog and two Boys all pulled hard on their oars.
“Gettin' intae th' harbur is easy, its th' gettin' oot 'att is th' challenge!” Andofzara muttered to At-Elvis.
Suddenly, one of the boys, looking over Ickied’s shoulder watched with wide eyes as a small fire lit up the distant forecastle of the Silverton…
“Och Gawd! Sairrr, there's fire oan th' ship!" He yelled in a panicky voice.
“Stow yer thooghts loon an' pull! Pull!" Ickied commanded.
⛵ ⛵ ⛵ ⛵
🗝 Sassenach Vocabulary fur 'lain lovers':
afair (before), Ahh (I), aiblins (perhaps), 'att (that), aw (all), ay (of),
bark (news), barnie (fight), baur (bare), bevvy (drink), boss (empty), brine (ocean),
caller (fresh), cannie (careful), ceilidh (party), cheil (man), clootie (cloth), crease (ass)
dae (do), dunnae (do not), dug (dog),
enaw (enough),
gang (go), gart (made), gezz (gives), gin (gun), glaikit (stupid), gob (mouth), guttin (hungry)
heem (him), haur (here)
jeekit (jacket)
kent (knew), kinn (know)
law (low)
mah (my), mair (more), min' (mind), mingin (filthy), mirk (dark), moggie (cat),
nae (no),
onie (any), oot (out),
poke (bag), pure (really),
quine (lady),
radge (mad, dangerous),
Sassenach (Highland English), scran (food), shair (shore), spick (speak), strang (strong), stoaner (hard, tough), swatch (look)
thes (this), tois (two), toon (town),
ur (are, or),
wa' (why), wabbit (tired), waesucks (horror, pity, or sorrow), wee jimmy (young boy), whieest (quiet), wooldnae (wouldn't),
yak (eye)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Confused? Ascared? Seasick? Need a private chat with the Captain?" - joshua.slane@aol.com
References
Pictures from: www.freeimages.com, www.pexels.com, pixabay.com, steemit.com an’ www.google.com/maps. Data loosely interpretted froms: www.wikipedia.org an' sometimes finely crafted reit from th' author's extensiff personal experience an' such.