Part 14 (1/2)
Another change! The human element disappears. Birds and flowers, with swarms of brilliant b.u.t.terflies flitting amongst them, and alighting on their gorgeous petals, the light all the time ever-changing and varying in color. These in their turn disappear, and a grand paG.o.da suddenly drops, as from the skies, out of the burning ma.s.s, its different storys all distinctly marked by parti-colored lamps, whilst little rockets are continually going off at all its windows. What, not finished yet? No; exit paG.o.da, enter a royal crown, dominating the Prince of Wales'
feathers, with the initials ”A V” and ”G” underneath. Bear in mind all these changes emanated from the _same_ ball, which was but one of scores such, and all different. Each ball generally wound up in one tremendous report, and a rocket, which shot far into the night, and whose sparks, scintillating for awhile in s.p.a.ce, rivalled in brilliancy the tints of the stars.
This was but the first part of the entertainment; a far prettier was yet to come. Starting from the various Chinese guilds, and uniting in front of the governor's house, a grand procession, over a mile long, commenced the perambulation of the streets of the city. Each man bore on his shoulders exaggerated representations of all the domestic and food animals used in the Chinese menage, princ.i.p.ally fish, fowls, and pigs, constructed of bamboo framework covered with tinted gauze, and illumined from within by colored candles. Illuminated shops, trophies, interiors, representations in character from the sacred books, the figures being real and resplendent in the most beautiful silks, were amongst the most important objects in the ceremonial. Bands of music--save the mark!--filled up the intervals. Towards the end of the procession came two dragons--a gold one and a silver one--of such a length that each required somewhere about thirty pairs of bearers. They were divided into sections, to every one of which a pair of men was attached, illumined from within, and covered with a rich scaled brocade, in which the bearers themselves were also enveloped, their legs and feet appearing from underneath like the legs of a huge centipede.
Whilst on the subject of dragons I may just mention a curious ceremony I witnessed, during the earlier part of the day, in connection with one of these--the gold one--in the present ceremonial. The occasion was the instillation of life into the legendary monster. He was conducted by his bearers to the largest temple in the city, where a yellow-robed bonze was in waiting to receive him. On the huge head being brought to the door the farce commenced. Taking a live c.o.c.k in his hand, the priest p.r.i.c.ked its comb in three several places, and with the blood proceeded to mix some vermilion paint, in a small china vessel. With this pigment he now described three cabalistic signs on a piece of yellow paper, which he stuck on the monster's forehead, at the same time touching with his brush the eyes, the cavernous jaws, and horrible fangs of the animal. This completes the business, and the dragon proceeds on its sinuous way amidst the howling and contortions of a superst.i.tious and excited mob.
It is not to be supposed that the flying squadron could be permitted to leave for England without the usual challenges for boating contests being thrown out. We, of course, came in for the lion's share of their attacks. A match was pulled, in which our green galley came in the victor; then a second, in which the ”Bacchante's” cutter beat our crack boat. This unexpected defeat set our men on their metal, in fact raised a bit of a storm in the lower deck, so that dollars were freely tendered towards a high stake to pull them again. But the ”Bacchante” wanted not our two hundred dollars. ”They had beat us,” they said, ”and to their entire satisfaction; what more could they desire?” The ”Tourmaline's”
men appeared highly delighted at our defeat. On a black board, fixed up in their fore-rigging, they had written, ”'Iron Duke' no can do 'Bacchante.'” This was met by a counter taunt from us, ”'Iron Duke' can do 'Bacchante'--200 dollars.” I am inclined to the belief that had the ”Dukes” and ”Tourmalines” met on sh.o.r.e that night there would have been work for the doctors.
CHAPTER XV.
Heave, heave, heave! around the capstan, Up with the anchor with a will; For the ”Duke,” you may rely, Will be home by next July, If you'll only put old _Tom Lee_ to the wheel.
THE SECOND CRUISE OF THE CHINA SQUADRON.--PRINc.i.p.aLLY CONCERNING A VISIT TO THE LOO-CHOO ISLES AND COREA.-- WELCOME NEWS FROM HOME.--CONCLUSION.
Before starting for the north, suppose we just glance at a few of the leading events which transpired at the beginning of the year. The flying squadron has sailed after having awaited the return of the ”Inconstant”
from docking at Nagasaki.
The arrival of the yacht ”Wanderer” must also be noted; for Mr. Lambert, her princely owner, gave a magnificent cup worth 200 dollars as a prize to be sailed for by the boats of the men-of-war in harbour. It was borne off by the French admiral's barge.
In stripping our yards serious defects were discovered in the fore and main, necessitating the replacing of the latter by a new one, and the splicing of the former. Whilst awaiting these repairs the admiral hurried us off, stripped as we were, up the Canton river to a bleak open spot above the Bogue forts. The scenery of the river is flat and uninviting, but eminently characteristic. Almost every hill has its paG.o.da at the top, every bank that peculiar fis.h.i.+ng apparatus--a lever net, and the river is swarming with great lumbering junks, not a few of which, if rumour speak correctly, engaged in piracy.
On the way up we obtained a fine view of the Bogue forts. The old ruins still remain, mute witnesses of the completeness of our cannonade during the Chinese war. At a short distance from the old, a much stronger and more formidable structure is reared, which in the hands of Europeans would form an almost impa.s.sable barrier. In addition to the large fort, two small islands off in the river are also strongly fortified with eighteen-ton guns.
Ten days--such was the term of our banishment. Economically considered, I suppose it was all right; no doubt the fresh water of the river succeeded in removing the saline incrustations from our bottom. One of the home papers, more sensationally than truthfully, remarked that our s.h.i.+p's company were all such a disreputable, boosing set, and proved themselves so reckless and recalcitrant when on sh.o.r.e, that the admiral took this means of punis.h.i.+ng us. Now I call this a gross libel on the s.h.i.+p's company at large. To speak honestly, I don't believe the admiral did send us here for such a purpose, nor do I believe we are one whit worse than those who stigmatize our characters in so wholesale and careless a manner.
Next in order of events comes the admiral's inspection--searching, of course, as all his inspections are known to be. He has a curious knack of catching people on what, in lower-deck phrase, is styled the ”ground-hop,” and generally succeeds, by his rapid and pertinent questions, in putting people into such utter confusion of ideas that negatives and affirmatives are bundled out indiscriminately, if indeed the mouth can be induced to open itself at all, or to frame any speech.
However, in one department, at least, he got as good as he gave. Whilst visiting the magazine he suddenly gave the order, ”fire on the flat!”
The gunner's mate in charge of the magazine, whom we will call ”Topper,”
immediately closed the hatch and stood on guard over it. Turning around, the admiral said ”I want to go into the magazine;” but observing that ”Topper” still stood motionless, he again repeated the order. ”You can't, sir,” was the rejoinder, ”because there is fire in the flat.”
”Oh! very well,” replied the admiral, ”cease fire!” With great prompt.i.tude and despatch the hatch was removed, and the admiral prepared to descend, but was once more checked, and was informed that if he complied with the magazine regulations, and left his shoes and sword behind, he might do so. He fared no better down below, I believe, and left the magazine perfectly satisfied with the conduct of affairs in that region.
A few days before sailing, a suggestion made by Mr. Robinson, the officer whose kindnesses I have had occasion to note before, met with universal favor. For a very small sum each man, a telegram was sent to Mr. R----'s agent in London, in the following words--”When will 'Audacious' commission, and probably sail?” For three days nothing else was spoken of, and various were the speculations as to the answer. It came--”Early September.” Very short, but to the point, though to some rather ambiguous. To which did the answer refer, the _commissioning_, or the _sailing_? Reason implied the former, as, knowing it, the latter might be inferred. A subsequent telegram set the matter at rest.
April 19th.--After a more than ordinarily long stay at Hong Kong, to-day sees us clearing out of the harbour on our projected summer cruise. The following s.h.i.+ps besides ourselves comprised the squadron--”Curacoa,”
”Encounter,” ”Albatross,” ”Swift,” ”Daring,” and ”Foxhound,” with the ”Vigilant” and ”Zephyr,” which accompanied us out of the harbour. On parting company with the admiral we shaped course for Manilla, the admiral being specially careful to give Captain Tracey injunctions not to forget to bring him 2,000 cigars from that place. We were then sailing under sealed orders.
April 24th.--This morning, having sent the ”Swift” back to Hong Kong, the sealed orders were opened, and, to the surprise of everybody--to the captain's not less than to our own--we were not to go to Manilla at all!
This in the face of what the admiral said to the captain! Well, up helm, and away we go for Loo-Choo; it does not signify much where we go for the next six or eight months, I suppose.
April 25th.--_Caught our first shark._ Yes; one out of the many scores in the vicinity actually meditated an attack on our four-pound piece.
However he discovered, to his cost, that a barbed hook is no easy matter to digest. He was landed inboard in a trice, and handed over to the tender mercies of the forecastle hands. Now it was a most unfortunate thing for that shark that one of these same _tender_ hands had, that very morning, lost a ”hook pot” of fish off the range, through the kind services of some obliging s.h.i.+pmate. Hence revenge was the dominant feeling in that man's breast. Electing himself butcher-in-chief, sharko's spirit was soon gathered to his fathers.
A most devilish contrivance--torpedo, electric wire, and all complete--was invented by our torpedo officer for the accommodation of the next friendly shark. With this little affair safely stowed within his stomach, he would find his internal arrangements subject to sudden and unaccountable tension. Enough this to make the shark parliament pa.s.s a bill condemning all illicit grabbing.