John Maxwell

“ Dissatisfaction among such spreads apace, if a leader is but given; and Maxwell was such a one. His hatred for John Paul knew no bounds, and, having once tasted of his displeasure, he lay awake o' nights scheming to ruin him. And this was the plot: when the Azores should be in the wake, Captain Paul was to be murdered as he paced his quarterdeck in the morning, the two mates clapt into irons, and so brought to submission. And Maxwell, who had no more notion of navigation than a carpenter should, was to take the John to God knows where,—the Guinea coast, most probably. ”

“ Such, indeed, was the fiery and untameable spirit of the man, that neither the threats nor entreaties of the King himself could make him lay aside his vindictive purpose; although Johnstone, the object of his resentment, had not only reconciled himself to the court, but even obtained the wardenry of the Middle Marches, in room of Sir John Carmichael, murdered by the Armstrongs. Lord Maxwell was therefore prohibited to approach the Border counties; and having, in contempt of that mandate, excited new disturbances, he was confined in the castle of Edinburgh. ”

“ John Lord Maxwell was at this time the most powerful man in the south-west province of Scotland. He possessed Caerlaverock Castle and many fair estates. The next man in the district was the chief of the clan Johnston, usually called Johnston of that Ilk, or the Laird of Johnston. The jealousy in which these great lords of the land usually stood of each other chanced at this time to be inflamed into hostilities, and Maxwell took such an attitude towards the profligate government of the Earl of Arran, as to cause himself to be denounced as a rebel. ”

“ But before this event Maxwell had become prominent among the men who rallied round Mary queen of Scots, although during the earlier part of his public life he had been associated with the religious reformers and had been imprisoned by the regent, Mary of Lorraine. He was, moreover—at least until 1563—very friendly with John Knox, who calls him “a man zealous and stout in God’s cause.” ”

“ MAXWELL, the name of a Scottish family, members of which have held the titles of earl of Morton, earl of Nithsdale, Lord Maxwell, and Lord Herries. The name is taken probably from Maccuswell, or Maxwell, near Kelso, whither the family migrated from England about 1100. Sir Herbert Maxwell won great fame by defending his castle of Carlaverock against Edward I. in 1300; another Sir Herbert was made a lord of the Scottish parliament before 1445; and his great-grandson John, 3rd Lord Maxwell, was killed at Flodden in 1513. ”

“ Maxwell subsequently entered on a Barcelona packet, and in a voyage of the latter ship from Tobago to Antigua died of a fever. Out of this was built up a calumny to the effect that Maxwell had been so badly punished by Paul that he died from his injuries. When Paul was in the Russian service years afterward the slander was enhanced by the statement that Maxwell was his nephew. There was nothing whatever in the charge.
After his retirement from the command of the John he engaged in local trading with the Isle of Man. ”

“ There always the Lord Maxwell fell, having received many wounds.” Drumlanrig, Closeburn, and other of the Nithsdale lairds of Maxwell’s faction, barely escaped with their lives.
Sir James Johnstone soon made his peace with the king, whose warden had been slain while acting under royal authority. The heir 35of the slain warden, John, the ninth Lord Maxwell, is said to have been only eight years old at the time of his father’s death. [14] If this was so, he became very early of age for all purposes of offence. The two clans kept up a bloody and destructive private war. ”

“ If they don't they are so apt to do each other an injustice. Maxwell is as simple as a child; the worst of it is, he takes a delight in placing himself at a disadvantage when he is talking to you, saying the wrong thing, you know, but never meaning the least harm by it—oh, no. He leaves you to find it out—so boyish, isn't it? He is inconsistent; it is a serious fault, but it is a serious misfortune, too, when one can't help it. It is a shame to blame us for our imperfections ”

“ The morning was fine, the wind fresh and favourable, and the Alceste moving rapidly through the water; every appearance promised a rapid passage into the Java sea, for which Captain Maxwell, who had been on deck the whole of the preceding night, was steering the course laid down in the most approved charts, and recommended by the sailing directions in his possession, when the ship struck against a sunken rock, three miles distant from Pulo Leat, or Middle Island, and having grated over it for a few seconds, took a slight heel to starboard, and became immoveable. ”

“ The fine was paid, but the impression produced on the minds of the British people cannot be said to have been favourable to the doctrine of arbitration. It was felt that John Bull had been made to “knuckle down” to Brother Jonathan, and the amicable intentions of the British Commissioners at Washington of promoting cordial relations between the British and American peoples were frustrated almost as thoroughly as they might have been had the dispute been fought out in the ordinary way. ”

“ General Beckford laughed gaily. "Did you hear that, Ridsdale? That's the sort of thing we old chaps like—even if we aren't vain enough to think we deserve it. Leave that where it is, Yates."
Yates was about to remove the hand-bag and take it to his master's room.
"Very good, Sir John."
"And you can go to Euston now—no hurry. Take a bus."
"Yes, Sir John."
"Smoking permitted?" And the General bowed again to his wife. "Light your cigarette, Ridsdale. No, I mustn't have any coffee on top of whisky and soda." ”

“ Participation of privation, and equal distribution of comfort, had lightened the weight of suffering to all; and I found the universal sentiment to be an enthusiastic admiration of the temper, energy, and arrangements of Captain Maxwell. No man ever gained more in the estimation of his comrades by gallantry in action, than he had done by his conduct on this trying occasion: his look was confidence, and his orders were felt to be security.
“The next and part of the following day were employed in embarking the crew and remaining stores on board the Ternate. ”

“ Having now taken upon himself the command, and made every arrangement for cutting la Chevrette adrift and loosing her sails immediately upon boarding, Lieutenant Maxwell determined to lose no more time in making the attack, particularly as the wind was favorable for bringing her out of the bay. The sky being clear, the boats were soon seen by the enemy, who instantly hailed, and opened a heavy fire of grape and musketry both from the ship and batteries, by which several men were killed and many wounded before they got alongside. ”

“ The captain and officers are introduced in full uniform, and a number of the sailors on the rigging and masts. With all its extravagance, however, it has considerable merit; there is nothing slovenly about it, and there is enough of truth in it to shew that it was sketched on the spot.
A dispute has arisen between John the interpreter and the chiefs, who it seems had positively promised to get a horse for Captain Maxwell to ride; as they have not kept their word, John declares that he will have nothing to say to people who do not speak truth. ”

“ Subsequent to this event Captain Maxwell was actively employed on the coast of Italy, where he assisted at the destruction of several armed vessels and martello towers, as also in bringing off a large quantity of timber from a depot belonging to the enemy at Terracina. On the 22d May, 1810, a party from the Alceste landed near Frejus, stormed a battery of two 24-pounders, spiked the guns, broke the carriages, blew up the magazine, and threw the shot into the sea. ”

“ All parties were alike zealous to afford every assistance to those who had arrived, and to send relief to the larger body that had remained behind. The East India Company’s cruiser, Ternate, was luckily in the roads, and that vessel, together with the Princess Charlotte, were got ready for sea by the next morning, when they sailed for Pulo Leat. The sincere friendship I felt for Captain Maxwell, and my regard for the officers of the Alceste generally, had led me to promise, on leaving them, that I would return with the first succours ”

“ Captain Maxwell’s next appointment was, April 27, 1812, to the Favorite of 20 guns, in which ship he visited all the British settlements on the coast of Africa, destroyed several slave factories on the Rio Pongus, and captured four Portuguese ships, which he found employed in that cruel traffic. After the peace with France, in 1814, Captain Maxwell was appointed to the Barrosa of 42 guns ”

“ By this brilliant affair a position was secured, from whence a heavy fire could be directed against fort New Amsterdam; and a communication with the Commewyne river being opened, the means of forming a junction with Brigadier-General Maitland were established. The British at the same time obtained possession of the finest part of the colony, abounding with resources of every description. Captain Maxwell’s exertions upon this occasion were highly meritorious, and much of the success attending the enterprise may justly be attributed to his animating example. ”

“ The researches of Captain Maxwell in this quarter enabled him to rectify an enormous geographical error respecting the peninsula of Corea, and reveal the existence of myriads of islands, forming an archipelago, a fact before unknown and unsuspected. It is to be remarked, that the Lion, of 64 guns, employed to convey Lord Macartney, the former Ambassador, was the only ship which had ever before penetrated into the gulph of Pe-tche-lee; but her commander, Sir Erasmus Gower, kept the coast of China aboard only, and neither touched at the Tartar nor Corean side. ”

“ The following morning, Captain Maxwell landed [11] ; and after consulting with Lord Amherst, it was determined that his Excellency, and the gentlemen of the embassy, should proceed without delay to Batavia in the barge, with a picked crew, commanded by the junior Lieutenant (Mr. Hoppner) : one of the cutters was also prepared to accompany them, for the purpose of assisting in case of attack or accident. The master of the Alceste was sent on board the latter to navigate the boats. ”

“ Not so idle as they seem, perhaps. Another question, more to the point. Maxwell states that he found three articles belonging to you in the Rye Street house—your watch, your gold-digger's knife, and your matchbox. ”

“ Luck wos agin me last night; looks as if it wos turning. Your deal. I've got six from the king! Good! And sixteen's twenty-two. And four queens, ninety-six."
It wos Maxwell as spoke from time to time, and we knew that things wos goin' on the way they'd been planned to. Later on, from wot we could make out, Louis got tired of piquet. 'E cussed the cards, and cussed 'is luck, and cussed the company 'e wos in; and then proposed to play cribbage, the best two games out of three, and go double or quits. Maxwell, arter objectin' to sech a 'eavy stake, give in, and they got out the cribbage board. ”

“ Supplies of provisions, liquors, and arms had, however, been obtained from it. The creek, where the boats of the ship were laid up, had been completely blockaded by the proas, sixty in number, carrying from 8 to 12 men each, until the appearance of the Ternate, when they had all hastened away [18] .
"Captain Maxwell had carried his intention into effect of establishing himself on the top of a hill near the landing-place. By cutting down trees and clearing the underwood, an open space had been obtained sufficient for the accommodation of the crew, and the reception of the stores and baggage. ”

“ We settled it atween us—that is, me and Maxwell and Morgan did—that when the night's work wos over we'd clear out o' Liverpool immediate, and make tracks separately for London, where we wos to meet at Maxwell's rooms.
And wot a night it wos! The snow wos comin' down enough to blind yer, and it wos as much as a man could do to stand agin the wind. ”

“ During the whole day, and till a late hour in the evening, the boats were constantly employed conveying articles from the wreck, and towing ashore a raft on which had been placed the baggage, stores, and a small supply of provisions, rescued with much labour and difficulty, under the superintendence of Captain Maxwell, whose exertions and self possession were most highly spoken of by all his fellow-sufferers. ”

“ This work he dedicated to Sir Murray Maxwell, “to whose ability in conducting the voyage, zeal in giving encouragement to every inquiry, sagacity in discovering the disposition of the natives, and address in gaining their confidence and good will,” he attributes “whatever may be found interesting” in his pages.
The first edition of Captain Hall’s publication, which gives a full account of the voyage to Corea and Loo-Choo, is divided into a Narrative, an Appendix, containing charts and various nautical and scientific notices, and a Vocabulary of the Loo-Choo language. ”

“ They also frequently set off large trains of gunpowder, endeavouring to blow up the quarterdeck, and throw their assailants into confusion. This obliged Lieutenant Maxwell to divide his men into two parties. One division to guard the hatchways and gangways, and return the enemy’s fire with their own arms and ammunition [2] ; the other to make sail; in order to clear the decks for which purpose, it was necessary for them to throw overboard two or three dozen Frenchmen, and several of their own gallant companions who had fallen in the conflict. ”