8. Batavia and Norfolk Island
Our visit to the East Indies was brief with barely sufficient time to reprovision the ship. We were anchored offshore is sweltering conditions and small boats were used by the local traders to bring our provisions to "Agincourt'. For short periods, groups would be allowed ashore, but given the tense nature of our relations with our colonial competitors, the Dutch, few were permitted to visit the town.
McAlister and Finch went into town but left Jim and I with the others on shore saying that we should await their return or take one of the local boats back to the ship if we tired of waiting. We joined Ned and a group of about twenty men who were delighting in the refreshing water. We frolicked without a care in the world and eventually strolled down the beach while the burning sun dried our bodies.
Once we were out of sight of the main group, Jim started getting amorous with Ned and I and before long we were naked lying in longish grass and engaging in the predictable antic of young men who had only each other for company. For my part, the excitement and freedom of the moment got the better of me and as Ned applied his mouth to Jim's excited organ, I rose to the occasion and plowed into Ned's posterior with gusto. With the eagerness of youth I threw caution to the wind and immersed myself in our self indugence.
As I neared that peak of ecstasy, let out a shrill cry as two large feet entered my vision. Everything froze as we gave a collective gulp of air and looked up into the face of a tall blond man, bronzed by the sun and with muscles like the ropes on our ship. In his hand he held a pistol which was pointed at our small group. As I made a move to dislodge my shrinking member from Ned's arse, the pistol moved towards my face as if to warn me not to move.
The silence was deafening as the blond walked around us with the pistol trained on us at all times.
Finally, the silence was broken by the sound of other feet approaching and we were soon the centre of attention of a group of four men who commenced speaking in their native tongue which none of we three could understand. Laughing and pointing at us, there ensued an animated discussion which appeared to conclude with some form of consensus.
For perhaps five minutes, Ned had been poised next to Jim's organ while I had been imbedded in Ned's backside. My knees finally gave way from being immobilised for so long sand I simply had to shift to ease the pain and as I did so removed myself from Ned's posterior.
"Making room for us are you boy?" asked the blond with the pistol and laughed uproariously.
At that very moment "Agincourt's" gun sounded signaling that everyone on shore was to return to the ship immediately and we three had to make our apologies to our now enticing hosts and made our way to the beach. I was somewhat upset because I had not had an opportunity to satisfy my lust and I was in a heightened state of frustration as I boarded the cutter which took us to "Agincourt"
My frustration was quickly dissipated by the strenuous work we were immediately assigned getting the final provisions on board and stowed. It was apparent that all hands were required so that Captain Neatby might achieve his objective of putting to sea as quickly as possible.
As a late afternoon storm broke over our heads, we finally hoisted the sails and headed south east for the final leg of our main journey to Norfolk Island.
Discipline on board became more intense as we edged our way towards our destination for the convicts new that they were shortly to be thrust into a brutal and hellish environment of the notorious convict settlement.
The journey took us through some of the most treacherous coral reefs in the world as the legendary Captain James Cook had found to his cost. Many an hour was spent on the bow or up a mast keeping a keen eye out for any sign that the ocean floor might be rising towards us. During the week it took us to cross through the reef, our task was of such importance that when all hands were summoned to witness punishment, we were exempted. During that period a number of serious fights broke out below decks and the convicts involved were dealt with severely. From my perch I witnessed the agony of several men who had their backs slashed to ribbons by the cat o' nine tails but being so distant, the cries and the cracking of the whip barely reached my ears and the scene looked somewhat "unreal" - as if I were a spectator at some obscene play.
During these days, McAlister was in a heightened state of tension as he fought to keep the convicts under control and it was perhaps inevitable that that frustration and tension should exhibit itself in his treatment of me. Jim, Ned and I all suffered as a result of this tension since we were the only outlets available to the marines on which to release their stress. McAlister seemed to pick the slightest reason for disciplining me and for almost two weeks his lovemaking was proceeded by a thrashing - sometimes severe and on other occasions as a painful means of foreplay. During that time, my backside was continually swollen from the repeated beatings and by nether hole was always aching from the savage assaults made upon it. Even members of the crew began to make fun of the manner in which Jim, Ned and I walked and they went out of their way to give our tender posteriors a slap to heighten our discomfort.
On one such occasion I made the mistake of retaliating at one of my tormentors. I swung a fist blindly at my assailant and a brief scuffle ensued but was quickly broken up. Held by a couple of sailors, I saw the blond locks of Mr McAlister approaching and I knew instantly that he was in a terrible rage. Grabbing my wrist, he literally threw me towards his cabin and pushed me through the small throng of onlookers into his cabin. He threw me onto the floor where I lay shaking with both fury and fear. He paced around the small cabin as if trying to assuage his anger. Finally, he yelled at me to "stay where you are" and left the cabin, banging to door behind him.
I waited and waited but nothing happened. There was no sign of McAlister. After hours of pondering my fate, with the sun setting, Ned entered and came over to where I was lying.
"Come Chris," he said as he gently helped me to my feet and led me to my fate.
I knew that I was either to be publicly punished or taken to the Midshipmen's Mess but Ned led me onto the deck where the entire crew was assembled to witness my punishment.
There is something terribly frightening about walking to one's fate and my legs wobbled as I walked the relatively few paces until I was facing McAlister.
Without looking at me, McAlister announced: "For fighting, two dozen strokes of the cane. Proceed Bosun with a will."
"Aye" replied the Bosun whose assistants immediately grabbed me and stripped me of my trousers and tied me into position over a barrel.
During floggings, men under punishment are given a piece of thick leather to bite down on so that they do not bite through their lips or break their teeth as they grit their teeth as the whip does its vicious work. This time, presumably because of the swelling of my backside from the previous evening's encounter with McAlister's belt, I had a similar piece of leather stuck between my teeth, for which I was grateful. Suddenly there was an almighty crash as the cane struck the barrel just inches from my face. I jumped as best I could out of shock and looked to see that the end of the cane had split into any number of slivers although the centre remained solid. I knew that this was a deliberate ploy used to make the punishment more painful. Indeed, I had seen a cane used in this manner on a number of occasions and, remembering its effectiveness, I suddenly felt myself lose control of my bladder and a small trickle of urine ran down my leg. From shame, I began crying.
The cane then began its attack with solid and regular "swishes" through the air and the most fearsome "crack" as it found its target. With my backside already swollen, the effect was devastating and the pain so intense that I lost consciousness for brief moments during the torture. Each "crack" of the cane removed little pieces of my flesh as the thin slivers casually plucked the skin from my backside.
At each stroke of the cane, someone announced the number and by the time "eleven" was called someone called "Enough!" and, to my surprise and relief, my punishment was halted.
The crew was dismissed while I lay where I was tied and a bucket of salt water was thrown over my lacerated posterior. Although this brought fresh agony, I cared not the least what anyone might do to me at that point.
Eventually, I swung my head around and opened my eyes and in the last rays of the sun saw McAlister standing some distance from me looking at my naked and bleeding body as he instructed two sailors to cut me loose and to take me to the surgeon for treatment. From the sadness in his eyes, I knew that it had been McAlister who had halted my punishment.
That evening I spent in the Surgeon's cabin, unable to move but reported for duty the following morning with the Surgeon's assurance that moving around was the best path to recovery. Unsteadily I went on deck and stood throughout our lesson in the use of the _s_e_x_tant.
McAlister greeted me the following night with an unexpected gentleness and apologised for having to order my beating but explained that there could be no exceptions to the rules of discipline. This was especially so, he stated, as we approached Norfolk Island and the convicts neared their imprisonment there or their transfer to the more remote Port Arthur. I appreciated Robert's tenderness and the unexpected consideration and suspected that he had sated his lust with some other boy during my overnight convalescence. Since he clearly did not want to cause me further pain by engaging in lovemaking, I used my mouth to best advantage to give him some of the satisfaction that I was sure he required. I was rewarded by being taken into his arms and gently caressed throughout the night.
For the next two weeks we were enlightened about geography, of which I was quite knowledgeable , and the role of Norfolk Island as a place of confinement quite remote from the Queen's most distant colonies. The Governor of New South Wales, a colony somewhat larger than England, France and Spain combined, used Norfolk Island as a place in which to imprison the most hardened convicts and those who ended up on this tiny speck in the vast Southern Ocean would die there.
Most of our complement of convicts were destined to spend their days either at Norfolk or at the most southern of the colonies, Port Arthur and would die in the process of constructing the fortresses and prison extensions required to hold the ever increasing flow of miscreants from England.
When we finally arrived in the bay below the settlement, it seemed to me quite odd that such a beautiful and graceful place could house such rouges. In the bay, riding at anchor was the rather beautiful "Lady Franklin" which I knew was to transport Ned and some of the other convicts south to Port Arthur.
When we dropped anchor, Mr McAlister went ashore immediately to see the prison Governor and to arrange for the immediate disembarkation of our human cargo.
As we climbed the steep path to the settlement the gruesome nature of the place became apparent for our first sight was of a gallows from which hung the remains of a prisoner quite recently executed. Within the confines of a cluster of buildings there stood a triangle upon which the convicts were tied for floggings and stocks in which they were confined. The whole place seemed to reek of pain and suffering despite the beautiful surroundings of green fields and towering pine trees.
The Governor of the colony was jovial enough and welcomed us to his rather commodious quarters. Correspondence from England was delivered and arrangements made to transfer the convicts. All of the wretches on board "Agincourt" were to be brought ashore and fed and washed and then sorted into two groups - one which would remain and the other which would embark the following day on the "Lady Franklin" for the onward journey.
"Agincourt" was due to sail within a week for Sydney and her crew was thus afforded the luxury of shore leave although there was not much by way of entertainment available. Norfolk Island has no appreciable community and was devoid of the sort of hospitality normally sought by _s_e_x_-starved sailors.
A camp for the crew was established some distance from the convict barracks. McAlister, Finch, the ship's officer and some of the boys such as Jim and myself were housed in several of the buildings which the convicts had built. Although not commodious, we were afforded a degree of privacy and comfort.
McAlister and the other officers joined the Governor for dinner that evening and were in a pleasant mood when they rejoined us. Robert was particularly attentive to me that night and, because we could not sleep in the absence of the soothing motion of a seaborne vessel, we engaged in some of the most exquisite and inventive lovemaking of our relationship thusfar. Finally, exhausted from our exertions we fell asleep and woke the some hours later to be greeted by a brilliant vista of rolling hills, huge trees and the endless ocean. For me, it was quite a romantic morning.
As we strolled towards one of the buildings for a hearty breakfast, McAlister's mood changed quickly to one of concern as he ran down the hill towards something unseen. Without hesitation I followed and ploughed through the tall grass until I was near the shoreline. Finally I could see the reason for McAlister's sudden flight. Tied to a tree by their wrists were Jim and Mr Finch. The sight was ghastly. Both were limp, hanging there naked and unconscious. Their backs, backsides, and thighs showed the results of the most vicious beating and from their posterios could be seen the evidence of repeated sodomy.
"Chris," yelled McAlister, "go and get some men and assistance".
As McAlister started to untie the pair I dashed off up the steep hill until I reached the Governor's office. Breathless, I burst in without ceremony and gestured wildly trying to convey the urgency of the moment.
Within moments the soldiers and the Governor realised that something was amiss and a small part assembled and followed me as I ran as fast as I could back down the hill. By the time our company arrived, McAlister had united Jim and Mr Finch and had laid them on the grass. He was a little way from the two gathering the remnants of their clothing.
The Governor took command and had the two almost lifeless bodies taken to the infirmary. Each was gently covered with garments and then transported back up the hill.
The Governor waited until McAlister returned and then walked slowly back to the settlement. As we climbed the hill, it was agreed that there should be a thorough investigation and that the Governor would use his most trusted men for this purpose.
Later that morning, questioning of the men from "Agincourt" began but yielded no immediate results. We had to wait until Mr Finch was sufficiently recovered before any real progress could be made.
The resident surgeon was extremely courteous when McAlister and I visited the two victims. While Mr Finch was resting comfortably he was heavily sedated and could not speak. Jim, on the other hand, was awake but showing signs of a mild fever. I sat by him as Robert questioned him but the information was of little value.
Two days passed before Mr Finch was able to relate what had occurred. Caught in the passion of the evening, the two had decided to get away from the settlement and had started off towards the adjacent promontory. Having consumed a considerable amount of alcohol during the course of the evening, Mr Finch was not alert to any danger and he and Jim had been set upon not far from the furthermost barracks.
"Without warning they attacked and subdued us Robert," said Mr Finch, "and there was no chance to fight them off. There were perhaps seven or eight of them, maybe more, but I couldn't see a thing because they put a cover over my head so that I had no vision. They bundled us down the path to the bottom of the cliffs so that they would not be heard from the settlement. They kept talking about the 'soldier and his Nancy boy' and what they were going to do with us.
"We reached some even ground and they tore my garments from my body and I could hear them doing the same to young Jim. They put a gag in my mouth so that I could not cry for assistance, even though that would have been of little use and then strung me up by my wrists so that my feet barely touched the ground. There was nothing I could do and Jim was crying as he struggled to get free. And then I heard them starting to beat Jim. He cannot have been far from me for the sweat from his body hit mine. They took great delight in beating his privates and his chest and his cries were pitiful.
"They began on me, with sticks and belts and whips and God knows what. But I was used just to increase their lust for they took Jim violently and repeatedly while they stripped the skin off my backside and my back. I heard them as they sodomised him time and again and all the time the red blur of pain covered my eyes but my ears missed not a sound.
"My turn came soon enough for I felt a hairy body come to rest against my back and then a hardness against my backside. The brute meant to hurt me and took me as savagely as possible. I swear that I have never been so brutal with anyone, Robert. One would finish and be replaced by another and all the while they were assaulting Jim as well either with their instruments for pain or those which are meant for pleasure.
"From time to time they would stop to regain their strength and then resumed their assaults until, mercifully, Jim fell silent and then I lost consciousness." Exhausted from his narrative, Mr Finch slumped on his bed as Robert considered the information.
Further questions suggested that the sailors from the "Agincourt" were not responsible because Mr Finch recognised none of the voices, all of which were familiar to him from months at sea upon a small vessel. The convicts could not possibly have undertaken these ghastly deeds which meant that the assailants were, indeed, members of the garrison which controlled the settlement.
Satisfied that he had the answer that he had been seeking, Mr McAlister reported to the Governor that the most likely assailants were from his own command and that retribution was essential.
The "Lady Franklin" departed with all of us on board before the investigation was completed and we were not to find out the fate of Mr Finch and Jim's tormentors until we reached Sydney Town some five months later.
Six days after our arrival, we boarded the "Lady Franklin" with our cargo consisting of of all the boys from the "Agincourt" and 100 men, including some recalcitrants who were kept in chains throughout the voyage to the grimmest of all the great south land's convist settlements - Port Arthur.