MusicSmiles.com
The Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan

Francis Drake's Story! :-

Chapter XIII: The French Connection!!

One cold January day Captain Walt received an urgent request to report to the Port of London as soon as possible. On arrival we were told that the impregnable English port of Calais had been invaded by French forces, and ships were needed to rescue soldiers and civilians and bring them home to safety in England. When we returned to the ship Liz, Mama and Papa were waiting to join us. We explained that this was a dangerous mission and they would be better not being involved. Liz was having none of this and insisted that she and Mama, and Papa were able and wanting to make a positive contribution. To make the point she sat on the bollard that was holding the ship's forward mooring rope, so that we couldn't easily move from our anchorage. Mama supported her, and Papa also stood his ground, by straddling the ship's hawser..

Walt agreed to take them on board but with serious misgivings. "Too dangerous", he kept muttering. We embarked on our first trip to Calais, not knowing quite what we would see when we arrived. Mama and Liz set to work and organised the ship's galley to provide food for the refugees when we reached Calais. The ship's present cargo was vegetables for sale in London; and some of these were immediately appropriated to make hot soup. Then they tackled the hold which was converted to a sick bay. They boiled cloths for dressings, and Mama had brought some of her special herbs for dressing wounds. All was now prepared for the anticipated emergencies.

When we arrived outside Calais we encountered a complete shambles. The declared impregnable fortress was in imminent danger of being breached. It was no longer a safe haven for Englishmen. There was smoke rising from the town, and every few seconds a fresh cannon round would crash into another building. Troupes of French cavalry were riding roughshod over men, women and children outside the town walls, killing indiscriminately. Queen Mary's husband's forces had been despatched to defend the port but they had been routed, and Prince Philip had fled to an adjoining country for safety. The din of battle was deafening. The wounded were lining up in heartrending columns on the quayside in atrocious conditions. As soon as the ship docked, Liz and Mama selected the worst casualties and tended them in their 'hospital'. The ladies, Papa and Sam took bread and hot soup onto the quayside and distributed it among the starving refugees. We did our best under cannon fire to take off as many as we could, as quickly as possible and transport them to England, with a promise to return for more. Within the first few days we must have completed a dozen or more trips across the Channel and back, non-stop, fully laden, with breaks only for sleeping on deck as we worked. Together we fed the starving, tended the wounded, comforted the frightened and bereaved, and, along with other vessels on the same mission, ferried our charges safely back to London.

On our umpteenth trip Adam requested leave in the Port of Calais to go into the town and try to find his sister Rachel and her family. Permission granted, he and Francis set off into the dangers of a town under siege and infiltration by the enemy. Adam was armed with his bow and a sword, Francis with his sling and knife. They had only been gone an hour when a wounded lady with a little boy in the quayside crowds enquired after him at the ship. She explained that she was Adam's sister Rachel and the boy was her son, Jacob. It was obviously too late to stop Adam. So she was helped aboard and Mama and Liz tended her wounds, and comforted them both in anticipation of his eventual return.

Meanwhile in Calais Adam and Francis gained access through the guards and carefully wound their way to the district where Adam's family were known to live. They had been advised that the town itself with its fortresses and system of guarded canals was virtually impregnable. But it was sensible to be aware of incoming artillery shells, and occasional cavalry attacks near the walls. They arrived at his sister's house to find it blown to pieces, and most of the nearby properties demolished or vacated. It was at this point they heard a child crying in one of the ruined buildings. They picked their way across and discovered a little girl sobbing over the body of a young woman. They explained to her that friends had come to rescue her and take her to a ship. But she could not (would not) leave her dead mother.

Just then there was a flurry of activity, and they discovered a troop of French military had breached the defences across one of the inner canals. They were obviously combing the district with murderous intentions. Francis cautioned the girl and implored her to remain quiet. Adam posted himself near the entrance, bow and arrow poised. He asked Francis to check if there was a rear exit. Francis discovered there was a series of narrow alleyways at the rear and with care they might escape that way. However, at that moment the French spotted them and attacked. Adam felled one with an arrow, Francis bowled another over with his sling. A third continued the attack, calling for assistance. Adam killed him instantly with his sword. By now the alarm had been raised and more French soldiers were charging towards them.

Adam, Francis and the girl slid out of the back and along the alley towards the Port. They could hear the clamour behind them as the French pursued. Adam fought a splendid rearguard action, killing three more of the enemy as they ran. Another two he killed as they were about to cut off their retreat. By the time they reached the quay the alarm of the French breakthrough had percolated through to the ships, which had immediately cast off their moorings and moved as quickly as sails allowed, out into the bay. Adam, Francis and the rescued girl hurled themselves towards their vessel just as it was moving away from the quay. They got the little girl on board, Francis leaped on board himself, and Adam checked his stride to face the enemy with primed longbow.

At that moment a scuffle was heard at the end of the quay. A group of French fusiliers were spotted mounting their firearms on to tripods in readiness to fire. Adam realised that the ship needed a few more minutes to clear the quay so he positioned himself to delay the soldiers. He double-checked his arrows over his  shoulder and realised with concern that he only had three left in his quiver. Every arrow had to count. He carefully took aim and loosed the first. It felled the leading soldier and disrupted the others from their task of mounting and loading their weapons. The second also hit its mark and a second Frenchman fell. He was shaping to loose his final arrow when a volley of shots rang out from the end of the quay. Adam dropped as though pole-axed.  He had been hit by missiles from the French guns. He fell into the widening strip of water between ship and landing stage, but with alacrity the ship's crew managed to pull him inboard. Sam leaped on to the quay and rescued Adam's abandoned longbow. The ship's sails billowed and they were under way towards the bay before the French could take further advantage.

Adam was barely conscious. Liz cradled him gently in her arms, propped up against the gunwale, whilst Mama attended to his wounds with considerable gentleness and expertise. They were cleaned and dressed and the blood staunched. Papa then bent over him and told him about his sister Rachel and nephew Jacob being safe; and brought them for him to see. He was obviously comforted and relieved. They described the circumstances of their escape; and Francis explained our venture into the war-damaged town, the discovery of their ruined home, and the neighbour's little girl and her dead mother. Adam's sister knew the mother well; she was her best friend, a Jewish woman converted to Christianity - for her survival. And Rachel was mortified at the news of her death. She pledged to Adam to adopt the little girl, Rebecca, and bring her up as her own. Mama and Liz promised to help with this responsibility. Of Rachel's and her friend's men-folk nothing was seen or heard. It was feared they must have been killed defending the town.

At this moment Adam smiled gently at us all. He wheezed, then coughed up frothing-blood, and gave a long sigh as if to say: 'thank you; sorry to leave you now. I wish I could do more'. He then slumped sideways, collapsed in Liz's arms, and died from his wounds. Mama explained that a ball from the French firearms had probably severed an artery and punctured his lung, giving him no chance of survival. We were numbed. This was a terrible shock to us all, particularly Sam. Rachel asked if she could be allowed to recite a special family Jewish prayer over him, and Captain Walt  agreed. She prepared some small candles and placed a talisman in Adam's hand before reciting her prayer. Sam then lovingly placed the longbow in Adam's hands. Papa added a special prayer for a fallen comrade. Then everyone aboard knelt in silent homage to a great companion and friend. First Mate Adam, English Yeoman extraordinary, was buried at sea with full honours. Behind him he left a massive sense of loss and sadness, and memories that were going to affect and inspire the family and crew for the rest of their lives.

For several more weeks we attempted to operate trips across the Channel to rescue Calais survivors, with little success. The starving columns of refugees on the distant quayside dwindled with each successive trip. We had done all we could to assist but were relentlessly beaten off by blockading French warships. Calais, the invincible Calais, the last of the English European possessions, had fallen to the French and this would have dramatic political consequences for the English Queen Mary and her Parliament. In fact Felix reckons he heard that during her final days (amid rife speculation about Princess Elizabeth becoming her successor) Queen Mary Tudor declared: "When I am dead and opened, you shall find 'Calais' lying in my heart." ¹

Click the vessel's for'ard ratlines to continue with:

Francis Drake's Story! :-

Chapter XIV: North Sea Business!

Footnote 1.    Quote from Holinshed's Chronicles. Vol 4 (1808). Return to story.

( Click number to view statistics > > >). Scribe thanks all our  223,547 MusicSmiles visitors up to beginning of September, 2010. 

You may find our special effects work best with Microsoft Internet Explorer