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Being surprised by a mermaid-like
apparition while sitting on the ship’s head – here are the responses from some of the crew
of His Majesty’s frigate, 'Perpetual'.
A dull thud vibrated
from the forward strakes and jolted everyone’s senses.
‘What was that?’ Captain Quintrell called, haring up the companion
from the gun deck. It was the sound made when a 4lb shot hits the hull, but
there had been no calls and he had heard no cannon fire.
‘Don’t know,’ Mr Parry replied. ‘It was from the bow.’
Hurrying for’ard the pair scanned the water expecting to
see another ship or submerged rocks, but there was neither. The six fathoms of
water beneath the keel were crystal clear revealing a smooth sandy bottom
beneath the keel. Bare feet padded along the deck, as sailors ran around the ship peering
from the rails to port and starboard, but nothing could be seen.
‘Mast head, ahoy. Do you see any ships or boats?’
The lookout turned a full 360 degrees. ‘No, Capt’n.’
‘On your feet, Smithers,’ Mr Tully bellowed after almost tripping
over the legs of the sailor sitting on the deck. ‘Get out of the way!’
‘You there!’ Mr Parry called to another sailor who had
leapt off the head in such a hurry his breeches were still wrinkled around his
ankles. ‘For goodness sake, man, attend to your dress. The captain is talking
to you.’
The captain continued. ‘From where you were perched you
must have seen something.’
Prescott hitched up his breeches but didn’t answer. His face
was drained and his hands were shaking.
‘What is wrong with him?’ Oliver asked his lieutenant.
Smithers answered. ‘Stupid dawcock said he saw a mermaid. I
told him he was as barmy as Bungs. Then he changed his mind and said it wasn’t
a mermaid, it was an angel.’
‘Mind your tongue!’ Mr Parry reminded.
Oliver raised his eyebrows and exchanged a puzzled look
with his first lieutenant.
But Smithers hadn’t finished. ‘The oaf said he heard it knocking
like it wanted to come aboard, and when he leaned over to see what it was and it
rose up from the water and tried to bite him. If you ask me, I think it was trying
to kiss him.’
The men standing nearby smirked, but Prescott’s expression
did not change.
‘Thank you, Smithers,’ Mr Tully said sarcastically. ‘We
don’t need any of your stupid remarks.’
The captain turned back to the sailor. ‘Enough of this cock-and-bull
rubbish, Prescott, what exactly was it you saw?’
‘It’s just what Smithers told you, Capt’n. And it scared
the livin’ daylights out of me.’
‘Just as well he was sitting on the head!’
‘Smithers! Get below this instant!’
Mumbling and dragging his feet, the old topman left the
deck.
The captain continued. ‘And what did this mermaid do after it popped up out of the
water?’
‘It sank back down and I didn’t wait around to see if it
would come up again.’
Oliver turned to the other members of the fo’c’sle division
who were standing within earshot. ‘Did anyone else see this apparition?’
Murmurs about mermaids and sea monsters ran round the
foredeck, but no one had seen anything, although several admitted to hearing the
sound of knocking.
‘Sounded like the carpenter in the hold with a wooden
mallet,’ one said.
‘It was no bloody apparition,’ Prescott claimed. ‘I tell
you it was real and I don’t ever want to see it again.’
The answer to what Prescott’s apparition is will be revealed when the book is published.
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