CHAPTER XV

THE CARLIST QUESTION

[Sidenote: 1835. Aug. 30.]

Ran into Quarantine Harbour, Malta; completed stores, provisions, etc.

[Sidenote: Sept. 1.]

Left Malta, and on the 12th came up with _Malabar_ and _Endymion_, standing out of the straits.

[Sidenote: Sept. 14.]

Joined company; with them came to in Cadiz Harbour. Found _Harlequin_, Lord Vernon’s beautiful yacht, built by Symonds.

The wife of our senior officer, Sir William Montague, had a house in Cadiz, where parties were given by this charming lady. She also got up picnics, and other amusements.

We visited Xeres, from whence our “sherry,” and saw barefooted natives, cigarette in mouth, treading out the juice of the grape. My interest was cut short by _Childers_ being ordered to Lisbon, under command of Sir William Gage. Before, however, reaching that distinguished officer I met _Endymion_, and was ordered back to the Mediterranean.

[Sidenote: Oct. 11.]

Came to inside the Mole at Gibraltar. From the Captain of the _Tribune_ received orders to visit Consuls and obtain information at the ports along the south coast of Spain.

[Sidenote: Oct. 14.]

Stood over to Algeciras for a clean bill of health, otherwise we should have been subject to seven days’ quarantine, although Malaga is in daily communication by land. The health officer, to show his knowledge of the English language, had our bill of health made for “Los Niños, Bergantine Inglese,” which answered our purpose as well.

[Sidenote: Oct. 16.]

Arrived at Malaga. A few words are necessary to explain the political situation.

The late King, Ferdinand VII., died in 1833, having married in 1829 Doña Christina of Naples. A Princess, Isabella, was born in 1830, when Ferdinand, by “pragmatic sanction,” abolished the Salic Law in Spain, and appointed the Infanta Isabella heir to the throne. This act was disputed by his brothers, Dons Carlos and Francisco.

On the death of Ferdinand, 1833, the small Isabella was proclaimed Queen, her mother Christina being appointed Queen-Regent. Don Carlos at once asserted his right to maintain the Salic Law, and was supported by some of the old nobility. The peasantry were led by the clergy, who followed Don Carlos.

Lord Palmerston was Prime Minister, and carried the quadruple alliance with him. His orders to the Admiral in the Mediterranean were explicit and to the point. Subjects of Queen Isabella requiring help could claim it from the English ships. This was denied to the followers of Don Carlos, who was carrying on war against the Christina party with some success in the northern provinces.

In the south, the so-called “Patriots” were endeavouring to revert to the Constitution of 1812, when the Salic Law had first been established, and by provisional Juntas superseded Doña Isabella’s authority.

The Government at Madrid was now in the hands of Queen Christina’s party.

[Sidenote: Malaga.]

The Governor of Malaga, as well as in other large towns, had been appointed by the Carlist Party. Until of late the Constitution of 1812 had been popular. In August last, the same day on which the insurrection at Barcelona broke out, a Junta was formed here. There were not more than seventy of the regular troops, who were quartered in a convent.

The National Guard, 15,000 strong, were well equipped, and supplied with arms and ammunition from the Government stores. The batteries mounted 27 guns, of which 15 were serviceable.

There were no Spanish vessels of war at Malaga; only an armed revenue squadron, consisting of two schooners of 12 guns each, with crews of sixty and seventy men, three lateen-rigged boats, 1 gun and two carronades, from thirty to fifty men, and other small craft which were occasionally troublesome to our Gibraltar smugglers.

With plenty to occupy our attention, and a kind Consul, who had a wife and four charming daughters, we were loth to leave.

The Junta was not of long duration. They had expressed their intention to disarm a portion of the urban militia, in order to equip a regiment formed of convicts. The urbans encamped themselves outside the town, and declared the Junta dissolved.

The peasantry entered the town this morning, demanded three prisoners, who they declared to be Carlists, took and shot them without opposition. The victims were, I believe, chiefs of banditti, but they had been pardoned from Madrid.

[Sidenote: Oct. 20.]

Anchored off Almeira. A Junta had been established here. The Governor and Commandant of the forces, and other heads of departments, had wisely made themselves scarce on the first news of the revolution. No blood had been shed. We went on, and arrived at Alicante on the 22nd.

There is a large English population here of well-to-do merchants, with a zealous, active Consul, Mr. Waring, whom we saluted. The prevailing feeling appeared to be more Carlist; the “vivas” for the Queen at the theatre were faint.

The ex-Carlist Captain-General, Valentine Ferraz, is the guest of the Governor, Don Diego. The gates of the town are closed at sunset.

The theatre is a small, neat building; between the acts revolutionary songs were sung, which gave one an opportunity of observing the political feeling of the natives.

[Sidenote: Oct. 27.]

Watered at Althea, close to the shore.

[Sidenote: Oct. 30.]

Came to off Valencia. _Tyne_ arriving same time.

While on the coast of Spain I was frequently in company with the _Tyne_, consequently under the orders of Lord Ingestre, and enjoyed the society of Lady Sarah and her young family.

The children had been in the habit of romping with their uncle, Lord James Beresford, and transferred to me the name of “Jimmie,” by which the late Lord Shrewsbury called me to the end of his life. Lady Sarah was second to none I had ever seen. (Only lately I sat between her grand- and great-grand-daughters at dinner, both ladies inheriting the beauty of their ancestress.)

In the neighbourhood of the town are marshes, with wild-fowl, where Ingestre and I had some good sport. Having been placed by the native keepers in a commodious punt, hidden by rushes,--in the stern of which sat Lady Sarah, with a good luncheon,--a fleet of sham ducks moored within our reach, our sporting guides disappeared. Shortly afterwards clouds of wild-fowl were on the wing, surveying the position of our retreat, with the quiet traitor ducks apparently at feed. Presently, down they dropped with a grand splash. Both our double-barrelled muzzle-loading guns, with copper cap-locks, were emptied three times before the fun was over. We bagged ten and a half couple.

It appears that, by some preconcerted means, August 5, the date on which disturbances broke out at Barcelona, was the same at Malaga, Alicante, and elsewhere. Groups of men assembled in the streets, declaring war against the Carlists, in consequence of excessive cruelties said to have been committed by them on the adherents of the Queen. The Captain-General, Ferraz, accompanied by a strong escort, endeavoured to quell this disturbance, but was unsuccessful, inasmuch as his troops refused to act against the people. He was accordingly deposed, and General the Comte Almadova appointed by the mob in his stead. Almadova, in obedience to the populace, had seven of the principal Carlists, then under the safeguard of the law, put to death, and the remainder transported to the Philippine Islands.

General Cabrera had put to death sixty partisans at Rubielo. This disaster arose from the circumstance of General Nogueras, who commanded the Queen’s troops, having ordered the Governor of Tortosa to seize Doña Cabrera, a lady seventy years of age, and put her to death, in retaliation for the deeds of her son. The Governor refused to obey so inhuman a command, upon which Nogueras appealed to Mina, Captain-General of Catalonia, who directed that the order should be carried out, and Doña Cabrera was shot in the public square of Tortosa. Mina was remonstrated with from Madrid, and Nogueras deprived of his command.

Cabrera, smarting at the murder of his mother, raised a following, and thus added another insurgent force to those already harassing the Government.

In the meantime Almadova’s influence waned. The people assembled round his palace, threatening his life. He went into hiding. Two days later a counter-revolution brought him back to favour. His first act was to arrest his enemies and transport them to the Philippines.

[Sidenote: Nov. 1.]

Sailed in company with _Tyne_ for Tarragona, arriving there on the 6th. Found _Tribune_, from whom I got orders to return to Gibraltar to meet the mail. Like the latter places we had visited, things were quiet. The Junta had been dissolved, and the Queen’s Government become popular. Here the news of the outbreak at Barcelona had caused disturbances. A battalion of the National Guard marched from the town of Reuss to assist those at Tarragona, and was received with acclamations. The braves of Tarragona sacrificed to their fury the Lieutenant-Governor and the Town Major, who were thought to be Carlists; General Conti, Governor of Tarragona, absconded the day before the news of the Revolution was generally known.

Brigadier Lescanca, who had been appointed by the people to this chief command, endeavoured to save the lives of the Lieutenant-Governor and Town Major. During the night, when the people were exasperated, it was thought possible to save them by conveying them to one of the vessels in the harbour. However, before they got to the boat they were observed, and murdered on the pier. The Governor was stoned to death, and his fellow-victim shot. A Junta, similar to the others, was formed, and tranquillity restored.

[Sidenote: Nov. 16.]

We sailed. _Clio_, in co., 16, with my old Lieutenant, F. Scott, on board; we meet her again! Anchored at Gibraltar in time to catch the up and down mails. The Gibraltar merchants had prosperous times, as, since this Revolution, the men employed on the coastguard had been sent to join the army in the north. At the present time their storehouses are empty.

[Sidenote: Nov. 17.]

After supplying the Calpe Hunt with the bread-dust I had collected, we sailed.

[Sidenote: Nov. 18.]

Came to inside the mole at Malaga. The Juntas had been dissolved; the Queen’s Government apparently popular. An active subscription was going on to support the Queen’s army employed in the North. I met a man going about the street with “true and correct lists” for sale, in Spanish, of those who have not subscribed.

My _Childers_ touched a shoal off the end of the mole. We were not inconvenienced more than a few minutes, owing to the prompt assistance from the American corvette _John Adams_. At 9 A.M. saluted the Spanish flag with 21 guns, not having done so on my first visit, owing to there being no Government, except that appointed by the Junta in opposition to that of the Queen.

[Sidenote: Nov. 19.]

Being the birthday of the Queen of Spain, remained just long enough to fire a royal salute, with yards manned.

[Sidenote: Nov. 21.]

Sailed in commencement of a Levanti.

[Sidenote: Nov. 24.]

Visited Alicante; everything quiet. Subscriptions were being raised in support of the Queen’s army. In the North 3,000,000 reals had been subscribed, about £30,000.

A great many men were daily arriving from the country, being part of the 100,000 required. Valencia had to supply 10,000. Any person could be exempted on paying 200 dollars, or 100 dollars and a horse.

[Sidenote: Nov. 29.]

Moored inside the mole at Barcelona. An important person at Barcelona was Mr. James Annesley, lately attached to the German Embassy, and with the prospect of a peerage; he married Clementina, the handsome daughter of Baron von Brockhausen, and had a promising young family. They lived in a large house on a grand promenade called the Rambla. He was a good man of business, and entertained liberally. I frequently afterwards met the boys, grown into men.

[Sidenote: Dec. 1.]

_Clio_ arrived.

[Sidenote: Dec. 20.]

After partial refit and preparing to paint, the carpenter, much to my horror, discovered a spring in our foremast. Lost no time stripping ship, and through our active Consul obtained permission to place the brig under the dockyard sheers; got mast out preparatory to repairing damages.

[Sidenote: Dec. 26.]

The _Rodney_, 92, arrived, Captain Hyde Parker, one of the smartest and best officers in the service.

Although I could not report _Childers_ ready, it was a satisfaction to feel I was under a good and permanent Chief, however strict.

Through the Captain of _Tribune_ stating the length of time _Childers_ had been inside the mole, I had but a cool reception from my Chief, and was directed to report myself again, when ready for sea. The fact was that, although the hoops had been driven on hot over the scarfing, the sharp frosts at night caused them to burst.

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