Journal of Isle of Wight, 1792

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

260–263

text excerpt

On Saturday, July 7th, we hired another thirty-ton vessel, whose captain kept the “Bugle Inn,” Lower Ryde […] Seven sail of the line had, as I before mentioned, lain opposite to Ryde all the time we had been there, viz., the Duke, Brunswick, Bedford, Orion, Hannibal, Elfreda, and the Assistance […] [W]hen our vessel arrived at the fleet, the Lords of the Admiralty were arrived from Portsmouth, and just going to survey each ship, to see if everything was in proper order before they set sail. Lord Chatham, &c., were on board a ten-oared barge, the men in the neatest uniform of white jackets and trousers, and the band of music playing. Each ship was to be manned, as 'tis termed, as their Lordships enter it, and so entertaining a ceremony I never before saw. On a drum beating, 300 men fly up with such agility, it quite amazes any one not conversant in sea affairs, and in a few moments are standing at the yards and ropes in the most exact order, without any of those fears the lookers-on cannot help feeling for them. In this manner their Lordships went from ship to ship, beginning with the Duke, and when the survey of each was over, the drum beat, the music play’d, and they boarded the ten-oar’d barge, and the 300 sailors came down the ropes as quickly as they had ascended, and as the barge approached the next ship their crew as instantaneously mounted. We follow’d them to as many of the seven as we chose, but wishing to go on board the Duke before the above ceremony was concluded, as Lord Hood was to have a turtle-feast for the Lords of the Admiralty, we sail’d back to the Duke. Sir Hyde had been so obliging as to signify our intention to Captain Brown, who ordered their barge to come for us, and as we enter d the ship the music play’d, and we were received in the highest style of politeness […] Captain Brown took us all over the ship. […] Having seen everything, we took leave of Sir Hyde and the polite officers, and with their band playing were conveyed back to our vessel in their barge. 

excerpt from 'Journal of Isle of Wight, 1792' pp. 260–263 (382 words)

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