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The Ximenes Cannon: from Plunder to Prize Of

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The Ximenes Cannon: from Plunder to Prize Of LIFE&WELLBEING HISTORY The profuse decoration on the Ximenes Canon's barrel and its carriage includes the shield-of-arms of the Order of St John and of Grand Master Francisco Ximenez de Texado (1773-1775). PHOTO: COPYRIGHT OF THE HMS Seahorse capturing La Sensible, by Thomas Buttersworth Sr. PHOTO: COURTESY OF PENOBSCOT MARINE MUSEUM, BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ROYAL ARMOURIES. SEARSPORT, MAINE, US. Chapter Hall, Museum of the Order of St John. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MUSEUM OF THE ORDER OF ST JOHN, LONDON. Spotting sail on the horizon, the Seahorse gave chase. One account claims that the two ships were 70 kilometers apart at this point. Perceiving that he had been noticed, Bourde at first attempted to The Ximenes Cannon: from head back to Malta, which may have been his undoing as he later changed his mind and altered course, in the process losing valuable time and allowing the slower ship to close the gap so that, after a tenacious 12-hour pursuit, the British ship caught up with the French frigate. A close action ensued: when within pistol-shot, plunder to prize of war Seahorse opened with a fierce broadside which killed all but five of the Frenchmen on deck. Some cannon balls pierced the hull and went right some of the silver articles through; others ricocheted around inside the The ornate cannon and its carriage can taken by the French stricken hull. In both cases, deadly splinters ripped were melted into ingots today be seen in Royal Armouries Museum at Fort Nelson, Portsmouth, UK across the decks, maiming the hapless crew. and placed into 30 large (object XIX.79). PHOTOS: COPYRIGHT OF The Maltese sailors were ordered to replace the CHRISTOPHER trunks. Half of these THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE .fallen Frenchmen at the guns; however, terrified, GRECH were despatched aboard ROYAL ARMOURIES. they refused despite desperate threats from their L'Orient, the French flag- commanding officers. Unsurprisingly, the Maltese ship, the remaining 15 loaded onto the preferred surrendering to the British rather than 36-gun frigate La Sensible. In addition to prolonging the carnage wrought around them. the silver were items looted from the .Both Bourde and Baraguay d'Hilliers attempted On July 12, 1798, Admiral John Jervis, first Earl Palace Armoury in Valletta, including a to lead by example and stood their ground. The for­ of St Vincent (1735-1823) and Commander-in­ highly ornate cannon and some much­ mer suffered several wounds. The general, receiving Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, issued the prized standards of the Order of St John a blow to the chest from a sizeable splinter, was following order to the relevant officers of His which had hung above the cannon. These knocked over, a lieutenant falling dead by his Majesty's Ordnance at Gibraltar from his flag­ . eight silk banners included those of the side. The Parisianjournals later claimed, in ship HMS Ville de Paris, riding at anchor off the Maltese Regiment, the Grand Master's a flurry of hero worship, that General port of Cadiz: "Gentlemen, having taken the Bodyguard and the flag of Grand Master Fer­ Baraguay d'Hilliers' clothes were shot full of French national frigate La Sensible into His dinand Hompesch. holes like a sieve. Majesty's Service, I desire you will survey and Undaunted, Captain Bourde gave orders value the Ordnance, Ordnance Stores & C., to board the British frigate at the very with all possible dispatch, and leave them in "No money was found moment that the British were attempting to do the charge of the gunner." same. After just eight minutes of fierce fighting During the Napoleonic Wars, ordnance (in on board La Sensible. Laden with this plunder, La Sensible sailed from Foote had been sent to reinforce Nelson's and on seeing so many of his countrymen killed or the form of cannon and ammunition) cap­ Malta on June 20, under the command of Cap­ squadron and was scouring the Mediterran~an wounded, the French captain surrendered. tured from the enemy was generally sur­ Was there ever any tain Guillaume-Franc;ois-Joseph Bourde, headed - thus far unable to find the admiral. It was at The accompanying image painted by James veyed, valued and registered at the conven­ for Toulon. La Sensible was first launched in 1786, this time that he encountered La Sensible. Buttersworth Sr, shows the Seahorse in the fore- ience of the Ordnance Department. In this silver on board? If there and Captain Bourde had been in command of the Foote's frigate, although possessing superior I ground as its sailors climb the rigging in readi­ case there is no doubt of the urgency vessel since 1796. Apart from the precious cargo fire power to Bourde's, mounting 40 guns of ness to board La Sensible. Buttersworth, enlisted The order given by Admiral Jervis, July 12, 1798. Author's collection. expressed by Admiral St Vincent. In fact, La was, might it have been the ship carried a varied selection of personnel: 18lb calibre as opposed to La Sensible's 36 guns in the Royal Navy in 1795; however, he was Sensible sailed under its new name of General Baraguey d'Hilliers, the 33-year-old offi­ of 121b, was encumbered with the supplies she invalided home from Menorca in 1800. HMS Sensible within two days of this order thrown overboard?" .. cer second in command to Napoleon (who was carried for Nelson: considerable money and , Before the tricolor was hauled down the French British ship. From his interviews with the cap­ The cannon and banners have seen their share being issued. quitting Malta for health reasons), his staff and stores, but most significantly a bulky new cap­ Imanaged to throw overboard the despatches and tured French officers, Foote learned that the of action. Taken as plunder by the French, they The admiral's concerns give us an idea of the The cannon, illustrated here, is truly some Maltese sailors_ There is little information stan for HMS Culloden, which was lashed down the flags taken at Malta. The despatches, wrapped French fleet had set sail for Egypt, and judging were then snatched as prizes of war by the turmoil then swirling around the Mediter­ impressive; both the barrel and its carriage about these sailors and I have not been able to to the main deck, preventing two of the ship's in packages weighed down by lead shot, sank that Nelson must be in pursuit of them he set British. Thus, they remain legitimately in the ranean as the struggle for power was unfolding: are embellished with a profusion of decora­ establish whether they were volunteers trying cannon from being fired. This additional load immediately, whereas the fabric banners floated course for that coast. Unfortunately, he arrived UK. Some of the banners have found their way the Order of St John, which held sway over tion. A second image shows the shield-of-arms their luck with the French or whether they were meant that Seahorse rode seven inches lower and were thankfully recovered. ahead of Nelson, and turning back to Syracuse back to the Order of St John, albeit the British Malta for over two-and-a-half centuries, was of the Order of St John and of Grand Master pressed unwillingly into service. in the water than usual, experiencing more It turns out that no money was found on board to take on supplies of fresh water, returned Order more properly named the Most Venerable being usurped by the French invaders, and the Francisco Ximenez de Texado (1773-1775). The Bourde's counterpart, Captain Edward drag and thus reducing her maximum speed. La Sensible. This fact begs a number of questions: to Egypt too late to participate in the Battle of Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, a British, eager to salvage 'what they could, cir­ barrel also featured a portrait bust sur­ James Foote, RN, had only taken command of The French ship, although eight years older was there ever any silver on board? If there was, the Nile. royal order of chivalry first constituted in 1888 cled hopefully for any scraps they could glean rounded by cherubs that most likely portrays HMS Seahorse a few months earlier; however, than its opposite number, could boast better might it have been thrown overboard in an effort The Grand Master's ornate cannon, together by royal charter from Queen Victoria. from the warring antagonists. The following the Grand Master himself. he was an experienced naval captain who had speed and seaworthiness. For one thing, the to lighten the ship and outrun the British pursuer? with Hompesch's flag, can be seen today in the The case for the return of the cannon to Malta, account of La Sensible's activities focuses on a If too ornate and delicate in itself to cause joined the Royal Navy Academy in 1779 and had ship's hull had been newly coppered and had We may never know the answers to these questions. Royal Armouries in the UK. Some of the other ban­ even if only temporarily, may only havejustifi­ microcosm of the broader conflict. much destruction, the inscription Scintilla subsequently seen a great deal of action. A near­ undergone a thorough repair just two months As was the case with most naval engagements ners are in the collection of the Museum of the cation on grounds of sentimentality; however, The story of Napoleon's plunder of Malta's Svfficit Vna Terreni Fvlmina Martis (a single contemporary account comments thus about previously, which meant that its metal hull during the Napoleonic Wars it was the superior Order of St John in London.
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