Part 13 (1/2)
August 7th.--And now we may be said to form a component part of the squadron; henceforth, the s.h.i.+ps are to follow our lead, for the St.
George's cross once more flutters from our fore-royal mast head.
Posiette is certainly a magnificent anchorage, capable of accommodating many fleets. All around richly clothed hills, admirably suited for grazing and agricultural purposes, shelter the great sheet of water from all winds. Nature, however, seems to hold undivided sway on those still, solemn hills, or those broad gla.s.sy plains; for not an animal nor house to betray the presence of the universal devastator can be seen, though I hear that only a short distance over the hills several thousands of Russian soldiers are under canvas, pending the conclusion of negociations with China, relative to Kashgar.
August 11th.--At noon the squadron, comprising the following s.h.i.+ps: ”Iron Duke,” ”Comus,” ”Encounter,” ”Curacoa,” ”Pegasus,” ”Albatross,”
”Zephyr,” and ”Vigilant,” were signalled to get under sail, except our s.h.i.+p, the ”Zephyr,” and the ”Vigilant.” Unfortunately for the accomplishment of this evolution, the wind, after holding out hopes that it would last all day, with the force of the morning fell light just as the s.h.i.+ps had tripped their anchors. The little ”Zephyr,” in this emergency, proved of invaluable service. She was here, there, and everywhere to the rescue of her great sisters, which could not be induced anyhow to come to the wind. We were over four hours clearing the harbour, and even then steam had to be got up for the purpose.
Next day we reached Vladivostock, anchoring in a semicircle in front of the town. Scarce had our anchor left the bows when another of our young lads, William McGill, was suddenly ushered into that unknown world that lies beyond. Whilst uncovering the mizen gaff, he lost his hold, fell, and was so shattered that he died ere he could be borne below. He lies in the Russian cemetery on sh.o.r.e, a wild, neglected, ”G.o.d's acre,”
without any pretensions to the sanct.i.ty usual to such places. Another of the ”Iron Duke's” crosses, of stout old English oak, also marks this spot.
I must now request the reader to take a leap with me--permissible enough to book writers, though scarcely possible to pedestrians. You are now in the straits of Tsugar, and near the scene of our former misadventure.
Before you are the s.h.i.+ps of the squadron drawn up in line for a race--no, not all, for the ”Mosquito” parted company during the night through stress of weather. The breeze is now blowing at force eight; or, as we should say, ”slas.h.i.+ng.” During the night we had met with a few casualties to our sails, but so slight were they that in the morning we were able to take our place among the coursers, as judge, referee, and starter. At this moment the admiral signals ”chase to windward.” What takes place now is a pretty sight. Clouds of snowy balloon-like canvas spring, as if by magic, to masts and yards, straining and bellying out with tremendous effort. The steel corvettes were able to carry all plain sail with impunity. Not so with the ”Encounter,” however, for she is obliged to take a reef in her topsails and to furl her royals, a proceeding which does not lessen her chance of coming in first in the slightest, for she is known to be such a good sailer, that a few yards of canvas, more or less, does not affect her much. Away they go, listing over under the strong pressure, and rising and falling in all the majesty of s.h.i.+ps of war. The ”Pegasus” now shoots ahead, bidding fair to overhaul the corvettes, but her ambition is speedily curbed by the springing of her main-topsail yard. Placed _hors de combat_, she drops astern to s.h.i.+ft her wounded spar. Many little accidents such as this, calling for prompt seamans.h.i.+p, occurred during the forenoon, and hence the value of such trials of speed.
For eight hours the squadron disported themselves in this manner, when the ”Encounter” was declared the winner by 400 yards. At the moment of shortening sail, our lame duck, the ”Mosquito,” hove in sight astern, in a sad plight, as is usual with lame ducks. She had lost her fore-topmast and jib-boom during the night, off O'Kosiri. She was at once signalled to repair to Hakodadi with all speed, to effect repairs.
By the time the race was finished we were broad off Hakodadi, on the opposite side of the strait, but as it was not intended to push on until next day, easy sail was kept on until daylight.
September 7th.--At daybreak a man-of-war, with the j.a.panese royal standard at the main--sky blue, with a white chrysanthemum in the centre--was observed making out of Hakodadi. Our larger s.h.i.+ps at once saluted, the smaller ones lowering their upper sails at the same time.
Subsequently we fell in with a j.a.panese squadron, all with royal flags displayed. They were in attendance on the mikado, who is now on a tour of his empire.
By the evening we had arrived and anch.o.r.ed in a double line, at right angles with the town.
We have, doubtless, all seen, heard, or read of the various devices adopted by the different peoples of the globe in the capture of the finny tribe, from our own familiar hook and line to the Chinaman's trained cormorant or the Chenook Indian's tame seal. These are all good in their way, only they involve a great loss of time and require no end of patience. But the method ill.u.s.trated to us the morning after our arrival, besides being a more certain is also less cruel than anything else in the shape of fis.h.i.+ng I have yet seen. Observing a vast quant.i.ty of fish disporting themselves near the s.h.i.+p, our experimental torpedo officer armed himself with a small torpedo, pulled himself into their midst, quietly dropped the missile overboard, and pulled away again. The beautiful unsuspecting creatures still played on, unconscious of the doom that awaited them. The effect on firing the torpedo was terrible: for a s.p.a.ce of 150 yards all around, the surface was like one ma.s.s of silver, from the closely-packed and upturned bellies of a species of pilchard. The slaughter was complete--not a fish moved after the awful stun it had received. Boats from the squadron were signalled to gather up the slain, which will perhaps convey a pretty fair idea of their number.
Of late the admiral's barge has been attracting much attention by her sailing qualities. She has been taken in hand by the same energetic officer previously alluded to, who has altered the service rig, and provided a new set of sails, more suited in every way to develop the boat's qualities. We had not long to wait for a challenge, for the ”Comus'” people, ever jealous in all such matters, offered to match their sailing pinnace against her. The challenge was accepted, and bets were concluded in the customary manner. The admiral, in particular, was especially pleased to think that, at last, he would have an opportunity of verifying his remarks about his boat; for he has reiterated again and again that, in his opinion, the boat wanted only proper handling to go.
Well, as you know the race came off, and as you may also remember the ”Comus'” boat was beat--in common phrase--”all to smash.”
September 15th.--Southward once again. It was intended to call in at Yamada on the way down, but by some unaccountable reason we overshot the mark and found ourselves in Kama-ichi instead. The mistake was, of course, speedily discovered; the squadron hove around and headed north for Yamada.
Next we put in to Sendai bay, a commodious anchorage, but very much exposed seaward from its broad and unprotected mouth. Great rollers and heavy swells come thundering in with nearly all winds.
Previous to leaving, the admiral conveyed his intention that certain s.h.i.+ps would prepare to take the others in tow. Acting on this the ”Curacoa” took us and the ”Mosquito;” the ”Comus,” the ”Albatross” and ”Zephyr;” and the ”Swift,” the ”Lily.” Thus we started, and under these conditions logged five knots, and all went merry until the sky began to frown, and displayed evident signs of bad temper. Half a gale blew, s.h.i.+ps still towing, but cutting a violent caper because their freedom of action was curtailed. With the night the wind increased to a full gale, and as the s.h.i.+ps were making the most frantic efforts to free themselves from the imprisoning hawsers, and likely to become bad friends over the job, signal was made to cast off. Now in her impatience the ”Mosquito”
was not content to wait until we gave her her freedom, but proceeded to wrest herself free by pulling one arm of our main bitts clean off to the deck. Annoying, was it not? But this is a quality generally conceded to mosquitoes I believe. The squadron now re-formed under reefed canvas, and though we could see scarcely 400 yards ahead, from the obscurity of the weather, we managed to reel off eight and a half knots, the ”Duke”
of course under steam.
Very cold and bleak blew the ice-cold breath of Fusi this morning as we headed into the bay of Yedo. Contrary to all our expectations, instead of making our way at once to Yokohama we turned aside, and anch.o.r.ed at the naval a.r.s.enal of Yokusuka, on the opposite side of the bay, presumably for the purpose of making the s.h.i.+ps presentable to the argus-eyed naval critics in Yokohama.
On the 24th we slipped across in gallant style, and confessedly in first-rate order and trim. Even the ”Yanks” conceded this, with a rider, of course, to the effect that they ”guess'd” the ”Alert”--did'nt they mean the ”Palos,” I wonder--”would knock saucepans out of the whole bilin'.” On account of the great number of men-of-war already at anchor we had to take up stations as most convenient. As the flags.h.i.+p's anchor dropped, a signal from main, mizen, and yard-arms, drew the attention of the squadron. This great display of fluttering pennants and parti-colored squares conveys to the initiated the following sentence: ”cruise at an end; satisfactory to both officers and men.”
September 28th.--Before the dispersal of the s.h.i.+ps to their winter quarters, and as a pleasant finale to an unpleasant cruise a regatta, under the sole patronage of the admiral and officers, was to be held on this and the two succeeding days. The two first days were allotted to the pulling contests, the third day to the sailing boats. Of the pulling races it will, perhaps, suffice to say that they were contested in the usual close and l.u.s.ty manner.
The morn of the third day came in most auspiciously, so far as the wind was concerned; but by mid-day heavy rain clouds began to darken the weather horizon, and by their aspect, threatened to mar the pleasure of the proceedings. The race, however, had started long before this. More than ordinary excitement was felt concerning it, as the prize was to be a splendid silver cup, presented by the admiral, and which he hoped--which we too hoped, nay, confidently expected--would be won by his own boat. So beyond question it would had the breeze held. But it didn't, it fell to a flat calm, with not a breath to ripple the harbour's gla.s.sy surface. In some manner to wipe out their late defeat, and by a persistency really most laudable, the ”Comus'” men _rolled_ their pinnace all around the course, and ended by winning the cup. Some idea of the labour entailed on her crew may be formed from the time at which they were at it. At 10 a.m. the boats started, and it was not until 5 p.m. the race finished; the crews being all this time without a drop of water, and under a vertical sun.
October 9th.--We are now in Nagasaki and about to go in dry dock on the morrow.
If we had previously made up our minds to any enjoyment in j.a.pan's westernmost port we were doomed to disappointment, for we had not been an hour in the bay before alarming accounts reached us of the prevalence of a most virulent cholera on sh.o.r.e. Leave is of course out of the question--provoking, to say the least of it, in lovely Nagasaki. The captain at once issued a memo., couched in terms which ought to have appealed to each man's common sense, and containing the most accurate information with regard to the epidemic. In the face of all this, and notwithstanding the British consul's statistics, our men would not believe in the urgency of the case at all; and several, despite all that could be urged against it crossed over to the town.
The days in dock were not, however, allowed to pa.s.s altogether unpleasantly or devoid of interest, for the officers--no whit better off than we in the matter of leave--recognising the necessity of making an effort to divert ennui, and to set an example of cheerfulness under depressing circ.u.mstances, got up a series of athletic sports on the limited s.p.a.ce afforded by the dock. It will suffice to notice a few of the leading items in our highly amusing programme, for amusing it really was from beginning to end, exemplifying to the letter the committee's motto, ”fun, not dollars,” though dollars were not lacking.
The sports commenced at 1 p.m. on the 13th, with a closely contested flat race of 100 yards. A sack race which followed was, of course, rare fun, though not to some who took the most active part in it, for I am afraid one's nose coming in contact with hard gravel is anything but fun to the owner of such organ. The jockey race which came next must be noticed as exhibiting steeds in entirely a new light. In the present instance, they so far threw aside the nature of the equine race that, they selected for themselves jockeys from the arms of fearful j.a.panese mothers, who had come to see the fun. Clearly, as the referees decided, this cla.s.s of jockey did not come within the scope of the programme.