1812     JAVA AND CONSTITUTION     127

on board her 46 guns, or her stores for the voyage, or for the new ships building ; but there was a difficulty in providing her with a crew. Officers, and a few petty-officers, were soon obtained. The ship's 50 marines also came on board ; and, although 18 of the number were raw recruits, they were upon the whole a good set of men. Then came about 60 Irishmen who had never smelt salt water, except in crossing from their own shores to England. As a fine addition to a crew that, in less than a month after the ship sailed, might have to fight an American frigate similar to that which had taken the Guerrière, a draught of 50 disaffected wretches came on board from the 18-gun ship-sloop Coquette, lying at Spithead. Pressgangs and the prison-ships furnished others not much better. As to boys, the established number, 23, was easily filled up ; and, at length, 292, out of a complement of 300, men and boys were got together.

Feeling as every brave officer must feel, Captain Lambert remonstrated about the inefficiency of his ship's company but he was told that a voyage to the East Indies and back would make a good crew. It was in vain to urge the matter further ; and, as some slight amendment to the Java's crew, eight seamen were allowed to volunteer from the Rodney 74. Thus, out of a complement of 300 men and boys, the whole number of petty-officers and men, exclusively of those of the former that walked the quarterdeck, who had never been present in an action, amounted to fewer than 50. Here was a ship's company ! As several officers and men were to come on board as passengers, some hopes were entertained that these might compensate for the worthlessness of the crew ; but of the 86 supernumeraries, a very large proportion turned out to be marine-society boys.

Manned in this way, with a total of 397 persons of every description, the Java, on the 12th of November, set sail from Spithead, having in charge two outward-bound Indiamen. On the 12th of December the Java captured the American ship William, and placed on board a master's mate and 19 men, (the latter of some experience, undoubtedly, or they would have been of no use there,) with orders to keep company. On the 4th, being rather short of water, and being unable, without much difficulty, to get at what remained in the hold, on account of some articles of stores that lay over the casks, Captain Lambert determined to put into St.-Salvador. With this object in view, the Java altered her course; but the two Bombay ships, not wishing to go so far out of their way, parted company, and proceeded alone on their voyage.

Hitherto, owing to the necessity, in a newly fitted ship, of setting up the rigging, to the length of time, that a crew so inexperienced as the Java's would expend in the operation, to the number of other extra duties required on board a fighting ship so loaded and lumbered as the Java, and, particularly, to a succession of gales of wind since the day of departure, the men had

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