The song "Le 31 du mois d'Août" was a tribute to the French privateer Robert Surcouf, and most especially to a glorious feat of arms accomplished in 1800: the capture of the Kent by La Confiance.
During that period, in the seas and especially in the Indian Ocean, Robert Surcouf, an intrepid Saint-Malo privateer commissioned by France, used to carry out commerce raiding, relentlessly attacking the naval and merchant ships of the British Empire. Thus in August 1798, he cast off on board a 14-cannon armed brig, Clarisse. With its 105 sailors, he boarded and inspected two English brigs and two Portuguese brigs. He subsequently captured two English merchant ships, and finally, Auspicious, an English three-master with 20 cannons. Surcouf took over booty of over a million francs.
Chased to the Bengal bay by Sibylle, a 56-cannon English ship with several hundreds of men on board, he managed to escape, by throwing into the sea some of his cannons in order to lighten his ship. But this did not prevent him from completing his mission by capturing another English brig as well as a merchant boat which he took to Mauritius, which used to be called "Isle de France".
He subsequently became the master of a privateer ship, la Confiance, a 491 ton, 39 meter long vessel, armed with 18 cannons, served by a 150 man crew. In the month of March, he left again for the Indian Ocean to track down English vessels, his favourite pastime.
On October 7, 1800, not far from Calcutta, he found himself in front of a great English vessel, Kent, which upon seeing and recognizing him decided to dash towards him.
This 824 ton ship had 26 guns, approximately a 200 man crew having been backed up by two marine companies armed with muskets. Thus, the overall strength on board was 437 persons. From every indication, the battle promised to be quite unequal, to the extent that Captain Robert Rivington, the Kent master, decided to have his passengers climb to the poop, in order to witness live the sure demolition and sinking of the French vessel. General Saint-John and his wife were among the spectators.
But the battle took a completely different turn. Surcouf, a 27-year-old captain, initiated a series of extraordinary bold and skilful evasive actions. Dodging the ship of the line’s stern and taking advantage of the smallness of his vessel, he succeeded to avoid the Kent cannon broadside which passed at the level of the mast, went closer to the vessel, threw his grapnels on it, and was finally abreast with it.
Boarding!
In a crazy rash, the 150 French privateers climbed to attack the ship of the line and its 450 men. Despite their comparative small size, the Frenchmen, armed with pistols, pikes, axes, got into a hand-to-hand combat on the 400 square-meter Kent deck. They were so energetic that they gradually started overpowering their enemies. After three hours of bloody battle, Captain Rivington was killed. The English troop with a casualty of 40 dead and as many wounded, surrendered. Meanwhile on the side of the French, only fifteen men had been put out of action. Surcouf, after ensuring that the women were protected in the Kent’s apartments, authorized free looting for an hour. After which, he ordered his men to return to their duty posts, and they obeyed with all loyalty.
One can imagine the standing ovation Surcouf and his crew received as they return to land after their exceptional victory. From that time on, the Englishmen, while acknowledging the courage, bravery, and the humanism shown by their sworn enemy towards their prisoners, offered a 5 million francs reward to whosoever would capture Robert Surcouf, who was already becoming very costly for them.
But they never succeeded. Robert Surcouf continued for several years his privateer adventures. He died in 1827 as a rich, satisfied, and honoured man. He was buried at Saint-Malo, with a guard of honour of veteran seamen who had served under him.
Le trente et un du mois d´août
Nous vîmes venir sous l´vent vers nous,
Le trente et un du mois d´août
Nous vîmes venir sous l´vent vers nous,
Une frégate d´Angleterre
Qui fendait l´air et puis les eaux,
Voguant pour aller à Bordeaux
Le capitaine, un grand forban,
Fait appeler son lieutenant
Le capitaine, un grand forban,
Fait appeler son lieutenant :
"Lieutenant, te sens-tu capable,
Dis-moi, te sens-tu z´assez fort
Pour prendre l´Anglais à son bord?
Refrain
Buvons un coup, buvons-en deux
A la santé des amoureux,
Buvons un coup, buvons-en deux
A la santé des amoureux,
A la santé du roi de France
Et merde pour le roi d´Angleterre,
Qui nous a déclaré la guerre!
Le lieutenant fier z´et hardi
Lui répond : Capitaine, z´oui
Le lieutenant fier z´et hardi
Lui répond : Capitaine, z´oui
Faites branl´bas à l´équipage
Je vas z´hisser not´pavillon
Qui rest´ra haut, nous le jurons.
au Refrain
Le maître donne un coup d´sifflet
Pour faire monter les deux bordées
Le maître donne un coup d´sifflet
Pour faire monter les deux bordées
Tout est paré pour l´abordage
Hardis gabiers, fiers matelots
Braves canonniers, mousses, petiots.
au Refrain
Vire lof pour lof en bourlinguant,
Je l´abordions par son avant
Vire lof pour lof en bourlinguant,
Je l´abordions par son avant
A coup de haches d´abordage
De pique, de sabre, de mousquetons,
En trois cinq sec, je l´arrimions
au Refrain
Que dira-t-on du grand rafiot,
En Angleterre et à Bordeaux,
Que dira-t-on du grand rafiot,
En Angleterre et à Bordeaux,
Qu´a laissé prendre son équipage
Par un corsaire de six canons
Lui qu´en avait trente et si bons?