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| Histories of Port Royale; Being the Journal of J. Norrington | |
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| Topic Started: 13 Dec 2007, 10:23 PM (399 Views) | |
| James Norrington | 13 Dec 2007, 10:23 PM Post #1 |
Norrington, James Norrington
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(ooc--Repost from before the wipe.) 24 February 1751 It seems that just when one believes it is not possible for things to ever become more crowded, it assuredly does. It was an experience at first to have the arrival of an Army regiment, there was some concern as to whether or not the men would tolerate their land-dwelling military equivalents, but even with two regiments, Kirke's 2nd of Foot, and some men of the 29th of Foot, I am pleased that there have been no major incidents of note, nor any matters of such serious value that they had to be brought to my attention. I have always felt that it was better not to involve oneself in every single detail, I have nothing but admiration for those who can accomplish such a feat, however, there is much to do, and I can not spend every moment double-checking or looking over my officers' work. They are capable men, and it should be an insult to them were I to bother myself with such trivialities. But every man has his own command style. The Falcon is nearly done with her repairs, they had to be rather extensive, and I must be honest and admit my concern over this. I have had word sent to Admiral Lord Heyworth, as well as the Admiralty on our recent...losses and defeats, and so many of these so close after my recent promotion to Commodore, will no doubt reflect poorly upon Heyworth--who has championed me for promotions and posting for many years now, and it would also reflect poorly upon my esteemed mentor and friend, Weatherby Swann. Which does bring me to another predicament facing me now--what many may be terming a 'challenge' to my authority and the Royal Navy's jurisdiction in Port Royale. I speak of the Honourable East India Company, which as of late seems to have been granted exclusive (or such are on their way to gaining) trading rights here. There has been some...friction between the men of the Company, and officers, as well as the soldiers under my command. Were it not for Beckett's...shall I call it...rank and attitude, perhaps the men might have been more accepting, or at least Major, former Major Collins might have been, I'm afraid that the men would have acted out regardless. Dressing your marines in a merchant navy up as soldiers...does not sit well with them. Perhaps that is an issue that I shall bring up next when I address His Lordship? While I can well see the reasons for wanting one's men to look like military...it would certainly act as a deterrent, I fear it will only inflame tempers more. Especially given everything else going on now as well. I can't help but feel that I'm now caught up in events that are well beyond my comprehension and level of skill to deal with. Robert knew politics, he was always better, I was the young boy who enjoyed mathematics, and trigonometry, and would have happily spent hours with charts and problems...but now I wish that I might have some of his skill and ease with it. I feel like I am ascending the rigging of a ship--but with it swaying in the harshest gale--with it already frayed and ready to snap. I must carefully test each holding before I place my weight upon it, but I may already be too far up, so that when it does come all down...there will be naught that can be done to avoiding falling with it. I hope that my dire predictions are simply the product of paranoia, and that I read far too much into it...but there are so many things I no longer know, and can no longer count on, that without those solid foundations, any conclusion I can come to...is suspect, and casts assumptions I have already made into doubt. What exactly is the purpose of the Lord Chancellor's presence here in Port Royale? How loyal is the Brigadier to him, and if I should find myself on the wrong side of him, will I be on the wrong side of Kirke? Beckett is out for power for the Company, but where will he be content to end? He and the Governor are old political enemies, or so I gather, what effects shall come of my alliance with His Lordship? How am I to know that the Marines will be as well off without Collins? There are simply too many questions, and too many that I have no answer for. |
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| James Norrington | 29 Dec 2007, 12:56 AM Post #2 |
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Norrington, James Norrington
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30 June 1751 I cannot say that I am a man who believes deeply in superstitions...but given recent events, even one of a rational nature cannot help but wonder whether or not there is truth in such old prohibitions and customs. At least...there is wisdom in not tempting the world into action against you. Having that sort of pride prepares one for nothing but a swifter downfall. I have the feeling that a few of us are destined for tragedy...or some sort of horrid and twisted comedy, but the end result is that neither one turns out pleasant. I thought that I'd reached bottom with Admiral Lord Heyworth when I had to inform him not only of the loss of the Interceptor, but of the damage done to the Falcon as well. The fact that I must undergo a court martial regarding my actions in the loss of the first is bad enough...but to now have further events such as the mutiny backing me to the wall? I shall be lucky if all they demand is my commission. I have so utterly failed the faith that Heyworth has placed in me, and he will not doubt be quick to pull his support from me. I cannot blame him for such...it does no good to have an officer in charge of a squadron who cannot keep track of his ships, and keep his men in line, let alone who is supposed to go out and eliminate piracy as well. If only the East India Company had not come, if only Collins had not resigned, if only...I could come up with a list of all the reasons why I failed, and yet as I do...I find in myself one of the failings that I despise the most. I only hope that when it comes time for the court martial I am able to keep this failing in check and not stand there, saying all that I can to avoid punishment. I won't. My mistakes, my punishment. More abysmal yet than simply being punished for this, is the infernal waste of life! Many amongst the mutineers were good enough men, and had not the mutiny occurred I would hardly have had nary an unkind word to say of any of them. It speaks to the sheer....calamity of such an event. We should not be fighting each other--we should be fighting the enemy! Instead we give exactly what the enemy needs of us, we present a squabbling, ill-tempered, pathetic defense, and hope that they take not any advantage of the situation. We were lucky this time...I was lucky. I was lucky that there were no other events occurring simultaneously to throw further disgrace and humiliation upon myself. But this wallowing in self pity is so low, and despicable. But I do not know what lies next for me. The Navy has been my life...to think of possibly not being in it...I am hardly capable of considering such a situation. I must end this entry sooner than I thought...apparently, His Lordship of the East India Company wishes to see me. I wonder what the purpose is for that... |
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| James Norrington | 21 May 2008, 11:27 PM Post #3 |
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Norrington, James Norrington
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4 July 1751 Goodness only knows what has become of all my correspondence and my journal in Port Royale, not to mention all my other property. They've probably been seized by the East India Company, honouable they are not. At least their chairman is not. I can only hope that I will see my property again, and have it restored to me upon the completion of my mission and my return to Port Royale. As doubtful as either of those are. I wasn't permitted to bring anything other than the clothes I'm now wearing, a sword (not mine), and a purse with a few coins. I fought to be able to wear my uniform (despite the dangers associated with wearing it here), insisting that if I were really on the run, the last thing I would do is return to my home, change and then flee. I'd flee first, in order to evade capture. Of course the Company's men would be unable to capture me, my own perhaps would...but my own men are hardly getting a run of the town anyway. Admiral Lord Heyworth has seen to that, as has His Lordship, Beckett. Between that and being unable to get my choice of clothing as well I can't help but think this whole affair shall end messily. And if it does, they are quite fortunate that the only one who shall pay the price of their lack of preparation or intelligence will be myself. I could have come up with a better plan, I being the best judge of what I would do in a given circumstance, not some men who hardly know me, nor seem to have much luck predicting even what the most predictable of pirates are capable of. Bite me, Ted & Terry! I was rather fortunate that I had the foresight to nick this parchment from Beckett (I'll return it later with writing upon it, so it is hardly stealing) since I shall be needing to record any information that I come across relating to my mission. Plus, it will be good to have written proof of my diligence, although somehow I double that he is about to allow the facts to change his mind. At least in a matter like this. The longer I stay here the more paranoid and cynical about this mission I'm becoming. An hour ago, I don't think that I would have allowed my mind to wander down that trail of thought, yet here it is now inked onto this page. So now that I am exiled to this wretched hive of scum and villainy, I should take a look around and see what is of interest here. |
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| James Norrington | 21 May 2008, 11:50 PM Post #4 |
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Norrington, James Norrington
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5 July 1751 I found a tavern and alcohol, another tavern, more alcohol, and then surprisingly...more taverns with alcohol. My God! It reminds me of when I first came to Port Royale. If anyone were ever to count how many people lived in the town then, I'm sure that one could do the math and come out with something roughly equal to one tavern for every ten people in the town. Of course...it seemed to be a great thing of amusement back then to drink a tavern dry, and then move on to the next one. Port Royale has come a long way since then, and much of it thanks to the Governor's ceaseless efforts to make it more civilised. I think somewhere between scouting out the tenth, or was it fifteenth tavern I realised that in order to get anyone to speak to me and tell me what I want to know, for listening alone is not enough to find that sort of information, that I'd have to drink with them. That's just bloody wonderful. I'm going to hate myself by the time that I get out of here. If I don't end up accidentally drinking myself to death first. And pirates have very little to no taste--did I mention that? You'd think that if they were taking in such rich hauls that they might find it somewhere amongst all valuables they stole that there might be one decent brandy. Somewhere. They probably wasted it, pouring it out when they discovered it wasn't rum. Or I wouldn't put it past them. |
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| James Norrington | 11 Jun 2008, 03:00 PM Post #5 |
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Norrington, James Norrington
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5 July 1751 (Later) I do believe that I have met one of the last people I would have expected to see today. I knew full well of his involvement in the whole Black Pearl affair, someone was not quite clever enough to avoid dropping his name, and knew that he was a pirate, but I cannot say that I was entirely expecting to meet him here in Tortuga. The island, while not strictly large, has numerous establishments to stay in, and I just managed to choose the same one as the former sailor in His Majesty's Navy. Actually, I very much doubt that Gibbs was the only sailor who had formerly worked for His Majesty, desertion does occur slightly more frequently than we should like to let on, but I must still admit my surprise at the situation. It turns out though, that it may well have been in my favour to have met him on this day. Buying him a couple of drinks was enough for him to answer some of the questions I had, and I was able to procure a meagre amount of information on the whereabouts of Shipwreck Cove--or rather whom might know of where it lies, and a bit more on the Pirate Lords. As it, so ironically must turn out, I should seek out none other than Sparrow for the information. I have to say, that it has become entirely too annoying that whenever something of importance in the Caribbean must come up, it necessitates that his name be paired with it. This still presents me with the problem of what happens when I speak with him. Oft men are very unforgiving about attempting to stretch their neck, and that will not exactly work in my favour when it comes to finding information, however, depending on when Sparrow has left Tortuga--if he is even here yet--then he may well have been privy to the rumour of my court martials, as well as the half-truth that I have fled them. I hope that it shall play out well, for if it doesn't I shudder to contemplate the situation that the Royal Navy is under in Port Royale, and how it shall be if certain staffing arrangements are made permanent. |
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| James Norrington | 30 Dec 2008, 06:47 PM Post #6 |
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Norrington, James Norrington
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6 July 1751 Well...perhaps it did not go so badly as I feared it would. I am now a member of Sparrow's crew, so I cannot say that it all worked out in everyone's favour. Or anyone's. It seems that Sparrow collects former Navymen like he collects lice and other vermin. And by that I mean quite, if not enthusiastically, with vigour. I was quite surprised to find that my former cabin boy was with Sparrow. I know, of course, of his previous associations. One could say it was part of the reason he left my employ, however I never would have expected that he would be in Sparrow's cadre again. If I had suspected...I would have insisted that the boy continue to work with the Royal Navy, and perhaps he would have been spared this mess. Given though that the boy has stated part of the reason for this is Lord Beckett, it may, maybe, have been unavoidable. I shall see what I can do for him when I return to Port Royale with the information that Beckett seeks. Perhaps there is some way that as part of the price for his information I may be able to spare him the hangman's noose, or gain him a pardon in my stead. If I had kept a better eye on the lad, then maybe he would not have been involved in the events which led him to Lord Beckett, and all this mess. Besides, he has many years ahead of him--he is young, and I am not so much. One...or two...three mistakes should not be held against him. I believe I am overdue in the bilges. Gibbs did mention something about them earlier, and I'm not exactly looking forward to...dealing with them. No, I don't suppose that he's getting any sort of sadistic glee from this, at all. |
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4:13 AM Jul 30
