There was no more time to think about all that. "Stand by for anchoring, Mr Southwick, " he snapped, and the Master hurried to the fo'c'sle.
Ramage picked up the speaking trumpet, gave an order to the quartermaster and began shouting the sequence of orders for trimming the Jocasta’s yards round and bringing her to the position for anchoring.
The ship was a hundred yards from the Invincible when it started: a stentorian "Hip, hip" followed by five hundred voices bellowing "Hurrah! "
Birds wheeled up in alarm as the cheer echoed off the hills on either side of the anchorage and a few moments later came a second cheer, and then a third. What on earth does one do? Ramage could only recall the yards being manned to cheer a departing commander-in-chief, who usually stood on the quarterdeck saluting.
He glanced astern to see that the Calypso was through the entrance under topsails only and already bearing up to anchor south of the Invincible. He looked forward again to make sure the cable was ranged on deck. The anchor was clear, the topmen waiting. Aitken was beside the binnacle and calling out the bearing of the flagship. Ramage lifted the speaking trumpet to his lips. Every man in English Harbour was watching, from the Admiral to the most heavy-footed soldier in the island's garrison; this was not the time to make a mistake in what the seamanship books referred to as "Bringing the ship to anchor".
Fifteen minutes later, with her topsails furled and riding to a single anchor, the Jocasta looked like any other frigate in English Harbour. The boatswain was being rowed round in one of her boats, giving signals to ensure the yards were square. A second boat had been hoisted out and Jackson was inspecting its crew, making sure their queues were neatly tied and that their shirts and trousers were clean.
Ramage came up on deck with his best uniform, his sword slung, a canvas pouch of papers under his arm. The anchor buoy had hardly hit the water before the flagship had hoisted another signal for the Jocasta, ordering her commanding officer to come on board. They had sharp eyes on the flagship, spotting that he was not in the Calypso.
The Admiral's cabin was cool, and the Admiral watched impatiently as Ramage paused to unlace the canvas pouch and take out several papers.
"Edwards, " he said, "tell that steward to step lively with those rum punches. Are you sure you don't want a dash of rum in your lime juice?" he asked Ramage anxiously. "No? Well, you know best."
Clearly the Admiral regarded the drinking of lime juice without rum as a dangerous practice, liable to bring on any one of the dozen or so foul diseases which took their toll of men serving in the West Indies.
"Carry on with your report, " he said impatiently. "The papers can wait. Now, what made you send that Spanish brig - what was her name, the Santa Barbara! - back into Santa Cruz with the prisoners? She'd have been a useful ship. I can always use a fast brig."
"There were more than two hundred prisoners, sir. I had to send some of the Calypso's men over to the Jocasta."
"Fifty men could have brought the Jocasta back. That would have left you with nearly two hundred men in the Calypso. More than enough to guard two hundred prisoners."
Ramage had guessed he would have to face that question, and he had spent much of the time on the passage north from the rendezvous off Bonaire - where he found that Wagstaffe had not even heard of a caldereta, let alone experienced one -trying to think of a satisfactory answer. He had concluded that it was easier to tell the truth, which was not the same as giving a satisfactory answer, because the Admiral would also be thinking of his own share in the prize money the brig would have fetched.
"I needed more men in the Jocasta, sir, so I gave Wagstaffe fifty men and put him in command of the Calypso."
"Wagstaffe? Why not your First Lieutenant, that Scots fellow, Aitken?"
"I needed him on board the Jocasta, sir. You see -"
"No I don't. It seems to me you were very unwise in freeing two hundred prisoners. Trained seamen - just the sort of men the Spanish always need. And that brig - she's the best ship they have on the Main. You gave them the ship back and five times the number of men needed to sail her."
Edwards said quietly: "Did you sail back direct from Santa Cruz?"
"No, sir." Ramage was grateful for the interruption. "You see, sir, " he told the Admiral, fighting to keep the exasperation from showing in his voice, "you want me to give you my report in the exact sequence that things happened -"
"Yes, of course, it's the only way to make a report. Can't very well begin at the end, eh?"
"After you sent the Santa Barbara back into port, " Edwards said, "you decided you wanted four fifths of your men in the Jocasta, instead of splitting them evenly between the two frigates. Why?"
"I read through the papers on board the Jocasta and found she was due to meet a merchant ship in La Guaira and escort her to Havana, where a convoy for Spain was forming, " Ramage said hurriedly, hoping to complete the explanation before he was interrupted again, but he was unlucky.
"You understand Spanish?" the Admiral asked.
"Yes, sir. And I knew the Jocasta could reach La Guaira before anyone could warn the Captain-General of the province that the frigate had been recaptured."
"Why go to La Guaira?" the Admiral demanded.
"To cut out the merchant ship, sir; she -"
"What? Do you mean to say you thought of risking losing the Jocasta again for the sake of some damned merchant ship? Why, she'd be laden with hides and dyewood and coffee; not worth a thousand pounds in prize money. Well, thank goodness you didn't go! "
"But I did, sir."
"You didn't get the ship, though! "
"No, sir, she wasn't there."
"There you are, " the Admiral said crossly. "Just taking a needless risk. Your orders were to cut out the Jocasta and bring her back here. There was no mention of cruising along the coast of the Main. Bring the Jocasta back here; that was the important thing. Their Lordships will be pleased; you'll get all the credit, I'll see to that."
Ramage sensed that Edwards was watching him closely and sympathizing with him for the way the Admiral interrupted and jumped to conclusions after insisting Ramage told his story in a precise sequence.
"What happened at La Guaira, Ramage?" Captain Edwards asked.
Ramage described the caldereta, minimizing the risk to the Jocasta, and told how he had sailed into the empty anchorage under the Spanish flag, been boarded by the Mayor, commander of the garrison and Port Captain, and learned from them that the merchant ship had drifted out to sea after parting her anchor cables in the caldereta.
"When I think of the Jocasta lying hove-to under the guns of that fort, " Admiral Davis said wrathfully, "I feel like bringing you to trial. Risking the Jocasta just to ask dam' silly questions about a merchant ship. I'm not saying, " he added "that I don't want my captains to harass the enemy, but I did expect you to appreciate the Admiralty's interest in the Jocasta, she's not just another frigate."
At that moment the steward came in with a tray of drinks and hurriedly handed them round. The moment he had left the cabin Edwards said: "I get the impression that you had a particular interest in this merchant ship, Ramage."
"There were two phrases in the Captain-General's orders, ” Ramage explained. "One referred to 'a particular cargo’ and the other referred to it as 'valuable'. The Viceroy was involved, so I thought it must be important."
"Bah! " the Admiral exclaimed. "He or his friends had an investment in it. Safeguarding his own purse. Anyway you finally decided to obey my orders and bring the Jocasta back, and I'm thankful for that."
"Well, " Ramage said cautiously, "not immediately, sir. I –“