Captain’s journal

Captain’s journal 17th January, 1674

Ilive! I live! Let joy be unconfined! Apologies for my exuberance, I fully expected the four walls of that jail cell to be the last room I ever opened my eyes to. Here I am now though, back in my comfortable berth on my beloved ship, quill in hand and ready to regale you with the tale of my daring escape.

There wasn’t a lot to it if I’m completely honest. There I was, whiling away the small hours in remembering some of my more entertaining adventures, when Kate appeared at my cell door, full of remorse.

‘Burt, please forgive me’.

‘Who? Oh yes, him. Me that is… bugger!’

And so, the carefullycrafted Burt Lancaster persona I had created to woo her was unravelled. I found myself unfolding the tale of my life to date, where I was born (East Teignmouth), how I came to the sea (press-ganged by Dutchmen) and all the curious happenstance that had brought me to this sorry pass. These were slightly embellished, of course, to bridge the large rum-soaked gaps in my recollections. Given my impeccable character and poise, I can only assume these gaps were filled with acts of incredible heroism and despite all available evidence I didn’t fall over, off or into anything. In kind, Kate gave me the tale of hers. Shunted from place to place, owned and without choice, her dalliance with ‘Burt’ was the only excitement in a life hemmed in by duty.

With my story complete, I saw in Kate’s eyes the spirit of adventure and knew I had a chance at freedom. Most citizens of the Empire and the civilised world as a whole, lead lives of quiet desperation, afeared to lose a situation never asked for nor chosen. Man is bound as surely by toil and ties as by lock and shackle, and in our gaze a wordless bargain was struck. We each held the key to the other’s freedom and we would see it done.

Before she departed, a plan was struck, the gaoler dined alone in the barracks late at night. Kate has the knowing to make dwale and wielding this herbal cosh prepared from belladonna she intended to win freedom for me and a place aboard my ship for her. Davy is not a fan of female crew, believing with some justification that a wench or two on a ship full of men, sometimes at sea for months on end, would cause far more trouble than they were worth if you could just get more men instead. Frankly, he’ll have to accept it since the alternatives are the short drop and the sudden stop or the breaking of my word.

The following night saw Kate’s return, flushed with excitement and clutching both the key, and a bundle of suspiciously feminine looking clothes. Swiftly unlocking the cell door, Kate explained she had brought me a frock and cap from the laundry to smuggle me out unnoticed as one of the many invisible servants that kept the Governor’s house in working order. Breathing the free air and massaging my wrists, I cast a critical eye over my disguise:

“Well the neckline’s a bit of a mess. It’s not really my colour Kate.” I looked up to see her cock an eyebrow in puzzlement.

“Ahem, merely a jest, very well done, well done indeed.” It was at this point that several far off, but distinctive bangs went off and, beaming with pride, I knew I hadn’t been abandoned. Knowing that my lads were keeping the Governor’s men busy gave me an option I thought had disappeared. I still needed the book from