Journey on HMS

Journey on HMS

The little raft danced on the waves like a dandelion seed on the wind. It was picked up and tossed down and hurled sideways through the water. Five pairs of hands clung on to the splintered beams. Five pair of eyes were clenched shut against the lashing water. Five yells sounded over the noise of the storm as the raft crested a wave and plunged into nothingness, then the voices were abruptly cut off as the water closed over them.

And when the raft finally scraped onto a sandy beach, five utterly bedraggled figures staggered ashore.

“Get her out of the water!” One of the people yelled. His coat was dark with water and so ripped it was impossible to tell its original shape or colour, but the epaulettes gave his rank as captain. He grabbed the back of the raft. The other four joined him and together they heaved the battered wooden raft up, above the high tide mark and out of reach of the waves.

The captain’s name was James Webb. Heedless of the raging storm that whipped the sand around, he crouched down by the raft and ran his hand over the splintered wood. It was only a few feet across, but still recognisably a piece of the bow of the HMS Adventure. The rest of his beloved ship was probably at the bottom of the ocean now, along with most of his crew. He got up and wiped his hands clean of the sand. “Any injuries?”

“No, sir,” said Oscar Williams, the midshipman. He sucked his finger. “Except a splinter. But it’s fine.”

The captain said, "Excellent." “We survived the storm. Look, it’s dying down.”

The rain stopped immediately, the storm clouds dispersed, and the sun emerged. They all looked around to take in their surroundings.

Lieutenant Daisy Woods said, pointing to the sloping beach on either side, "Probably a small island." Looking out to sea, Lieutenant Commander Harry Jones said, "Surrounded by a lagoon." He turned around and regarded the dense jungle that came almost down to the beach. They could just make out the steep sides of a mountain that had a cloud-covered summit above it. “It’s probably volcanic.”

“Excellent,” said the captain. “Commander Burton, any ideas as to the identity of this island?”

Commander Emma Burton crouched down and began drawing in the wet sand with a finger. “We were three days out from Tahiti, heading west with a fresh breeze behind us. The storm blew us north for a day, then we were on the raft for several hours. At a guess, I’d say we were here.” She poked a sand patch, indicating that it was north of Tahiti and northeast of Fiji. “No known islands in that area, captain. We might be the first to arrive. Captain James Webb’s eyes glittered. “An uncharted island!”

A ragged cheer went up.

“What are your orders, captain?” said Midshipman Williams.

“Our raft won’t get us back to Tahiti, or on to Fiji,” said Captain Webb. "Maybe the navy will send a ship to find us. If not, we must construct a larger raft with a sail and attempt self-rescue. We need to find shelter, food, and building materials! Let's go and see this island! Commander Burton sprang to her feet and saluted. "Yes, sir!" They stepped off the beach and into the jungle, and immediately found themselves in a dense, humid world of green. The sound of the waves disappeared behind them and the air was full of the sounds of shrieking birds and rustling leaves.

Should we break up in order to cover more ground? Lieutenant Woods said. She was in front, using a stick to break through the tangled vines. “Stay together,” said Captain Webb. “We don’t know how big this island is, and what dangers are lurking in the interior.”

The ground rose in front of them and soon they were clambering up twisted ladders of tree roots. In places they sank up to their knees into gloopy mud.

“Captain!” Lieutenant Commander Jones had stopped. He held out a handful of mud, from which came the unmistakable glint of gold. “It’s a doubloon!”

"Where did you get that from?" said Captain Webb.

“It was just there!”

With her stick, Lieutenant Woods poked the ground. “I don’t think there are any others.”

Lieutenant Commander Jones put the muddy coin into his pocket with a smug grin.

“Evidently we’re not the first to reach this island after all,” said Captain Webb. “Let’s keep going. Also, be on the lookout for any indications of people. “Aye, sir!”

The trees began to thin and the ground became firm once more after half an hour of struggling through mud and vegetation. At last they emerged from the jungle. Ahead stretched a slope of cracked rock, steep as a cliff. The mountain's apex was still covered in a worn cloud band. Lieutenant Commander Jones, who was looking at the horizon with a hand raised above his eyes, said, "No other islands in sight, captain." Commander Burton stated, "And there's no sign of a stream either." "We will soon require fresh water," “Let’s climb to the top,” said Captain Webb. “There may be something on the other side of the island!”

Midshipman Williams groaned. His face was very red and sweat was dripping from his brow. “Do we have to climb up all the way?”

“That’s an order, midshipman!”

"Yes, sir." “Come on, Oscar,” said Lieutenant Woods. After giving Midshipman Williams a pat on the shoulder, she sprinted ahead and scurried nimbly from rock to rock. By the time she reached the summit, the clouds that hung around it were nearly gone. There was only a thin fog left. It softened the sharp edges of the rocks and decreased visibility to a few hundred yards. She sat down and let her legs dangle. Midshipman Williams was last up, clutching a stitch in his side.

“Curse this fog,” muttered Lieutenant Commander Burton. “We still can’t see the other side of the island.”

“Maybe it isn’t an island,” said Lieutenant Woods.

“It could be a very long, very narrow peninsula,” said Lieutenant Commander Jones.

“Part of a huge continent,” said Midshipman Williams.

“That has been discovered by the Spanish and kept secret by them,” said Captain Webb. “So no one else will come and take their gold!”

They stared at each other in awe. Very slowly, the fog lifted as the sun burnt through the clouds.

It was an island.

It was shaped like a cone, and they were standing at its highest point. A thin strip of sandy beach ran around the entire island. The lagoon's water was a brilliant blue, and beyond the reef were the deeper waves of the Pacific. "What is it?" Lieutenant Commander Jones asked, pointing at a dark shape that was bobbing on the water.

“It’s a ship!” said Commander Burton.

“The navy found us!” said Midshipman Williams. “We’re saved! Hooray!”

Captain Webb shook his head. He looked grim. “That’s not a navy ship. I’d recognise that black sail and that rigging anywhere. That’s the Grim Unicorn.”

“Oh no!” Commander Burton clapped a hand to her mouth.

“What?” said Midshipman Williams.

“It’s a pirate ship,” said Commander Burton. "It belongs to Brownbeard, the most terrifying pirate who has ever sailed the seven seas!" “We fought him half a dozen times,” Lieutenant Commander Jones explained in a whisper. “But he always got away.”

He took the muddy doubloon out of his pocket, and added, “I bet this is part of his treasure! He must be hiding out on this island! “Oh,” said Midshipman Williams. “But we’ll never be able to build a good raft if there are pirates. They will notice us and - “Hush, I have an idea,” said Captain Webb. “We’re going to steal the Grim Unicorn, from right underneath Brownbeard’s nose!”

He crouched down and the other four followed suit, looking on with interest as the captain began to move around rocks to make a battle plan.

“The Grim Unicorn is out here in the lagoon. It has around twenty crew members. Here, a rowing boat will carry the majority of them to shore. They might make a fire or head into the jungle to search for food or water. One or two might remain by the boat. That means we can easily get our hands on that rowing boat. After that, we row to the Grim Unicorn, defeat the remaining pirates, and take control of the ship! Commander Burton frowned. “Captain, there are so many things that can go wrong with this plan… We don’t know that they’ll come ashore!”

Captain Webb waved away her concerns. And indeed, when they looked out towards the Grim Unicorn again, they saw a little rowing boat detach itself from the ship and head towards the beach. The captain shifted a few of his rocks around.

“We hide here,” he said, pointing, “in the jungle, where we can overlook the beach. Then, we'll watch them for a while to see what they do, and if necessary, we'll change the plan. Everybody ready?”

“Aye, sir!” said in unison four voices. Going down was easier than going up. The jungle was not so dense and the mud not so deep on this side of the island. Midshipman Williams still managed to get his foot stuck in a snarl of vines, and it took the combined efforts of Commander Burton and Lieutenant Commander Jones to pull him free.

As they approached the edge of the jungle, Captain Webb motioned for them to stop.

"I'm able to hear voices!" he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. He pushed aside a few branches. They are, there! “I count seventeen, captain,” said Commander Burton. “And they don’t look like they’re heading into the jungle anytime soon.”

Captain Webb turned to Lieutenant Woods. “You’re the fastest runner. We need you to cause a diversion.”

“Aye, sir!”

While Lieutenant Woods moved swiftly and quietly along the jungle's edge, the captain, commander, lieutenant commander, and midshipman huddled in the undergrowth. She pushed through the trees and emerged onto the beach after deciding she had gone far enough. She had not yet been noticed by the seventeen pirates, who were preparing a substantial bonfire. That would soon change, then. She yelled, "Oh no! ", wrapping her hands around her mouth. Pirates!”

There were seventeen headshots. “Whatever shall I do now?”

She was confronted by 17 pirates who turned around. “Perhaps if I run I can make it back to the fleet in time, and warn the admiral that the dread pirate Brownbeard is here!”

She turned and ran, whooping as she went. She was followed by seventeen pirates who pounded the sand in her direction. “Perfect!” said Captain Webb. He hurried down to the rowing boat with the other three. Together they pushed it into the shallows. While the others climbed in and inserted oars into oarlocks, Captain Webb remained standing and held the small boat afloat. “And the best part is, Brownbeard will be stranded on this deserted island,” said Captain Webb happily.

Daisy? Where is she? Williams, a midshipman, spoke up. There was no sign of anyone on the beach.

“Lieutenant Woods will be here soon,” said Captain Webb. “She probably went into the jungle to shake them off.”

“You don’t think anything has gone wrong?” said Commander Burton.

Just then, a group of pirates emerged from the jungle. They were shouting and jeering, and in their midst was a slim figure wearing the tattered remains of a navy coat.

I take it to be the fleet admiral. The largest pirate mocked bowing to the small group near the rowing boat. He had an eye patch and a big beard that covered most of his face. Captain Webb stepped back onto the sand. “Brownbeard! You won’t escape this time!”

Brownbeard let out a howl of laughter. “You forget I have a ship and a crew! You’ve got nothing, Captain Webb! Oh yes, I recognise you! Did you sink your HMS Adventure? What happened to her? The pirates doubled up with laughter. Lieutenant Woods pulled herself free from her captors, but before she had taken two steps, Brownbeard grabbed her by the arm.

“Not so fast!” He turned back to the captain. “I’ve already caught one of your remaining crew members. I’ll get the other three as well, and you! And then you’ll all walk the plank!”

In the rowing boat, midshipman Williams was hunched over. “What are we going to do?”

“We’re outnumbered!” said Commander Burton.

“I’ve got a plan,” said Captain Webb. “Lieutenant Commander Jones, did you say this island was volcanic?”

"Yes, sir. The composition of the soil and the type of rock indicate that -”

“Great! One of us needs to get back to the summit. You’d better do that, Lieutenant Commander Jones, since you know all about volcanoes.”

He didn’t have time to explain the rest of his plan.

At that moment, they heard a shout, and turned to see a woman in a summer dress coming up the beach towards them. Emma, are you there, please? Commander Burton moaned, "Oh no." “Who’s that?” said Midshipman Williams.

“My mum.”

The woman saw them and gave a friendly little wave. She came right down to the edge of the water, and looked from the group by the rowing boat to Lieutenant Woods and the pirates, and back again.

“Are you playing with your raft?” she said. “But what’s Daisy doing over there with all those sticks?”

“They’re pirates,” Lieutenant Woods called back. “I’ve been captured.”

“And we’ve got to rescue her,” said Commander Burton in a rush. “Please mum, we’re almost done.”

“It’s time for dinner, Emma,” said the woman.

“But mum…”

After that, you can come back and play. Oh hello Oscar, I didn’t see you there.”

Midshipman Williams gave a shy smile.

A stone was kicked by Captain Webb. “But we hadn’t even gotten to the good part yet. There would be a rock slide, then the monkeys, and then the volcano would erupt! And we were going to have quicksand!”

“That sounds very nice, James, but Emma is going to have dinner first. Perhaps you had all better come, I’m sure your parents will be out looking for you too, soon.”

“Oh all right.”

“Can I be captain next time?” asked Commander Burton.

“No,” said Captain Webb shortly. "Help me get this out of the water, come on!" Lieutenant Woods carefully disentangled herself from the pirates. Then she, Lieutenant Commander Jones, Midshipman Williams, Captain Webb and Commander Burton dragged the rowing boat onto the beach, where it turned into a little raft with the HMS Adventure scratched clumsily into one of the planks. And Daisy, Harry, Oscar, James and Emma headed home.

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