Above: Meyvaci Ali and Captain Corbyn meet to discuss terms.
News from the Levant :
Captain the Rt. Hon. Jeremiah Islington Corbyn RN off Fetihye December 27th 1802.
To : Captain Jenkins of the Navy Board and their Lords of the Admiralty
My Lords,
Pursuant to my orders the frigate which I have the honour to command convoyed five sail of fleet transports as per margin* from Paphos in Cyprus to Lord Keith's squadron off Marmaris on the coast of Asia Minor. Unfortunately some unseasonable stormy weather drove us into the bay at Fetihye south west off Marmaris and as the wind remained easterly we were obliged to lie in the bay for over a week. During this time we were in contact with the shore both for supplies and for a certain amount of repair incurred by the unweatherly fleet transports in the storm. Upon these repairs being completed I and my purser visited the Kaimakam in Fethiye with a view to disbursing the funds for both the repairs and the supplies.
Captain the Rt. Hon. Jeremiah Islington Corbyn RN off Fetihye December 27th 1802.
To : Captain Jenkins of the Navy Board and their Lords of the Admiralty
My Lords,
Pursuant to my orders the frigate which I have the honour to command convoyed five sail of fleet transports as per margin* from Paphos in Cyprus to Lord Keith's squadron off Marmaris on the coast of Asia Minor. Unfortunately some unseasonable stormy weather drove us into the bay at Fetihye south west off Marmaris and as the wind remained easterly we were obliged to lie in the bay for over a week. During this time we were in contact with the shore both for supplies and for a certain amount of repair incurred by the unweatherly fleet transports in the storm. Upon these repairs being completed I and my purser visited the Kaimakam in Fethiye with a view to disbursing the funds for both the repairs and the supplies.
However, our interview with that avaricious worthy proved to be less pleasant than anticipated when, far from the seventy-five guineas we had originally agreed upon, he demanded a further three hundred and twenty-five guineas for as he put it 'damages to the town by visiting King George mariners as well as the outraging of the flower of Ottoman womanhood by the raucous and licentious matelots'. My purser indignantly pointed out that the damages to the local shops had been minimal and that the 'flower of Ottoman womanhood' had, in fact, been resident in the local maisons du passe and had even set out for the anchored vessels in crowded bumboats from the shore in order to eagerly ply their avocations.
Our expostulations were to no avail and, to my rejoinder that we would simply set sail without payment and report to the Fleet Victualling Officer who could resolve the issue with the representatives of the Sublime Porte, the Kaimakam insisted that any attempt to set sail would result in the mortar battery on Fethiye Point opening fire on the transports and 'no doubt utterly destroying them'.
Our expostulations were to no avail and, to my rejoinder that we would simply set sail without payment and report to the Fleet Victualling Officer who could resolve the issue with the representatives of the Sublime Porte, the Kaimakam insisted that any attempt to set sail would result in the mortar battery on Fethiye Point opening fire on the transports and 'no doubt utterly destroying them'.
Faced with this dilemma I resolved to land a force to neutralise the battery while the transports set sail for an inlet close by out of range of the mortar battery - the easterly storm continued unabated at this point. However my attempts to close with the battery were resisted by a force of Turkish regulars and Albanians and despite a fierce struggle in which several of my crew, including my valued First Lieutenant, fell dead and wounded the battery was able to inflict a crippling blow when the upper yards of the Venus were brought down. With the Venus thus dismasted and drifting helplessly towards a lee shore the other transports were obliged to heave to and render assistance.
Perceiving that the total loss of the Venus and her stores would come to many thousands of pounds I was obliged to call for a truce and, with as good a grace as I could manage, negotiate to pay the Kaimakam a compromise sum of three hundred guineas.
Perceiving that the total loss of the Venus and her stores would come to many thousands of pounds I was obliged to call for a truce and, with as good a grace as I could manage, negotiate to pay the Kaimakam a compromise sum of three hundred guineas.
You will observe that while I stressed the great loss that the Venus and her stores would have effected I did not refer to her crew which I must state are the most unseamanlike set of ill-conditioned lubbers ever to be wished upon the service and their ship the least well-maintained in the fleet and on my last visit was appalled to note the results of their antics and excesses on the rigging, the crossing and further unpleasant stains on the planking.
Even amongst the free-and-easy crews of transport vessels the antics of Lt. Hugger and his misbegotten band have caused much adverse comment. From the incontinent Lieutenant down to the cabin boy second class Roger Kipper throughout his crew including his odious first mate, the dreadful purser - who, apparently could not have be much worser - and the villainous cook, Freeman, they are a blot on the navy and indeed, mankind. I thank G_d that there are not two such ships in the navy as this would surely lead to the ruin of the Service. Their inept and ill-fated attempts to jury rig a mizzen-foretops'l after the explosion would have made a land-locked cat laugh.
Your obt. Servant.
Captain Rt. Hon. J.I. Corbyn RN
I much regret the following losses :
Killed -
Lt. Owen Johnston DD
AB J. Nastyface DD
Wounded -
AB A. Codpiece
AB S. Jack
AB O. H. Low
AB S. MacDuff
* Fleet Transports Aboukir, Jersey, Midwich, Palfrey and Venus
Even amongst the free-and-easy crews of transport vessels the antics of Lt. Hugger and his misbegotten band have caused much adverse comment. From the incontinent Lieutenant down to the cabin boy second class Roger Kipper throughout his crew including his odious first mate, the dreadful purser - who, apparently could not have be much worser - and the villainous cook, Freeman, they are a blot on the navy and indeed, mankind. I thank G_d that there are not two such ships in the navy as this would surely lead to the ruin of the Service. Their inept and ill-fated attempts to jury rig a mizzen-foretops'l after the explosion would have made a land-locked cat laugh.
Your obt. Servant.
Captain Rt. Hon. J.I. Corbyn RN
I much regret the following losses :
Killed -
Lt. Owen Johnston DD
AB J. Nastyface DD
Wounded -
AB A. Codpiece
AB S. Jack
AB O. H. Low
AB S. MacDuff
* Fleet Transports Aboukir, Jersey, Midwich, Palfrey and Venus
The adventures of Meyvaci Ali:
http://www.spodilicious.com/meyvaci-ali-and-the-british-invasion.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/meyvaci-ali-and-the-troublesome-dervish.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/meyvaci-ali-and-the-albanian-raiders.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/meyvaci-ali-and-the-caravan.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/meyvaci-ali-and-the-tax-collector.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/meyvaci-ali-and-the-customs-house.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/meyvaci-ali-and-the-revolting-martolos.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/meyvaci-ali-and-the-albanian-menace.html
