C O NT E NT S

C H A P T E R I

ENTERI NG THE NAVY

C H A P T E R I I

“ T H E P RI NCESS ROYAL

C H A P T E R III

W R W ITH USS I A DEC ARED A R L .

C H A P T E R IV

T H E C RI MEA

C H AP T E R V

PUNI SH M ENTS I N TH E NAVY

C H A P T E R VI

RUSS I A COLLA PSES ’ viii A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

C H A P T E R VI I PAGE LEI SURE HOURS

C H AP T E R VIII

S OME DI STI NGUI SH E D S AI LORS

C H A P T E R I "

PLAY ON BOA RD ; AND SOM E DUTIES

C H A P T E R "

P I RATE - HUNTI NG ; AND A DI NNE R PA RTY

C H A P T E R " I

WAR W ITH CH I NA DECLARED

C H A P T E R " II

“ ” T H E RALE IGH WREC K ED

C H A P T E R " III

AT WAR I N C H I NA

C H A P T E R " IV

MORE P I RATE HUNTI NG

C H A P T E R " V

T H E IN D IAN MUTI N Y CONTENTS ix

C H A P T E R " VI

T H E NAVAL BRIGADE AT WO RK

C H A P T E R " VII

I NCI DENTS O F THE CAM PA I GN

C H A P T E R " VIII

A TOUCH - AND- G O E NGAGEMENT

C H A P T E R " I "

COM P LI MENTS TO TH E NAVAL B RIGADE

C H A P T E R " "

HOM E AGAI N

LI ST O F I LLU ST RAT I O NS

T h e au th or a s Mids hi m an in 1 8 6 a p 5 .

’ ’ Fro m a n o il p ai n ti n g Frontzrpzere

Na v a e 1 8 Fro T h e a u h o as a a C d . m t r l t, 5 3 a mi n i atu re Fa cing pag e 6

f 1 n s 1 8 H M S . P r n c ess o a o u I O . . i R y l , 9 g , 5 3

T h e s n a fl f or w ar an d F e e c h e er ig l ying , l t ing

“ H M S a e h o - u n s a r a e . . . R l ig , 5 g iling f ig t ,

re c ke d o f" Mac ao Ch n a the 1 th w ( i ), 4 Ap ril 1 8 5 7

T h e bat e o f F sh n sh o n the s n k tl at a , wi g i ing o f C o mm odore T h e H on ou rabl e H e n ry

’ K e e s a e I s t u n e 1 8 pp l g ll y, " 5 7

P r 2 1 - u n c orve e M S . e a H . . l , g tt

T h e auth o r at the p re s e n t day

C H A P T E R I

E N T E R I N G T H E N AV Y

R N 1 8 1 w as B O in April 4 , I about six months more than twelve years old when I j oined the M f Royal Navy . y ather was the seventh Earl o f o f Sandwich ; my mother, a daughter the of who Marquis Anglesea , commanded cavalry o f at Waterloo , and lost his leg by one the last fi f shots red on that event ul day . It is said that ’ when Lord Anglese a s thigh was struck he hap pened to be riding by the Side o f the Duke o f “ Wellington , and exclaimed , suddenly , O the Devil my leg is hit The Duke turned round “ " looked at him , and said , The deuce it is as f His leg w shortly a terwards amputated . As all the surgeon ’s knives had become blunt f rom ’ the long day s work , it took twenty minutes to

f I was o f f per orm the operation . the second our w as sons , and educated by a private tutor . For f some time be ore I was sent to sea , my f f ather had o ten expressed a wish that , hailing ’ 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS f f o ne of S rom a naval amily , his sons hould select f the Sea as his pro ession . Somehow or another , it devolved upon me to be the naval representa f f tive ; and , though my ather did not en orce S this idea, I took it into my head that I hould like it . My poor mother had misgivings . She not f loathed the sea , and could bring hersel to o ne believe that any else could endure its hardships . was She second to none , however, in her admira f tion o the Service . No doubt I thought it a fi ne thing to don a naval uniform and wear a sword at my side at f o f twelve and a hal . A position importance was

f - f O . n assured . sea li e I knew but little I had o several occasions , when staying at the Castle at Cowes (enjoying the hospitality o f my grand f f o ld ather , Lord Anglesea) , sailed in his amous P ea rl 1 0 cutter , the ( 3 tons) ; but beyond learning ,

- when beating about the Solent , what sea sickness

was . w o n was , my experience naught Ho ever , I th o f m 1 8 the 5 Dece ber 5 3 , I was gazetted a naval ’ cadet in the Queen s Navy . It was deemed advisable to send me to a school where boys were prepared f or examination before joining the Navy . When it is remembered that one ’s qualification consisted only in being able to f master simple dictation rom some English work , f ar o f and arithmetic as as the Rule Three , this

will seem incompatible with modern ideas . So it ENTERING T H E NAVY 3

w as f f , however and I ound mysel , some time in 1 8 o f October 5 3 , at the school Mr . Eastman , a retired naval instructor who kept a house o f about ’ P thirty boys in St . George s Square , ortsea . This f mansion I visited not long ago , and ound it a o f fi tavern the rst quality . If my memory serves me rightly , we did not

indulge in much study at that school . We used to walk ou t to Southsea Common in twos and if ff twos to play games , and , opportunity o ered , “ ” to have rows with what we called the cads , the youth o f the town a pastime which the usher

encouraged . a f It w s a very rough school . The ood was execrable ; many o f us were cooped up in the same room ; and I have a vivid remembrance o f the foot- pan which we were allowed to use only or once a week . On birthdays , other select f ew occasions , the chosen were regaled with very large junks o f bread sparsely besmeared with P M butter , and tea in the parlour , about . . o u r host and hostess being at that time well o f into their second glass toddy , and drowsy though attempting to amuse us with old sea

stories .

Sometimes we were taken to the Dockyard . I well remember being much interested in watching f fi a Russian rigate then in dock re tting , and wondering to myself why Russians looked s o ’ 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS diEere nt f o f own rom men my race , and why their ships carried such a curious scent This reminds f f t o me that O ten in a ter years , when returning my ship o n a dark night and not being exactly

o f sure her position , I have been guided by the peculiar smell which you notice in passing under f f — f— f the stern o a oreign man o war . The per ume of each navy is distinct ; and the position o f a f was ship , which I recollected rom the daytime , often the means o f putting me o n my right course ’ du ring a night s pull . I do not remember anything particularly worth ’ - recording du ring my s ix weeks stay at that school . o ne Only , on occasion , about midnight , we were all aroused by the noise caused by the smashing of

ou r - glass . Running out in night shirts into the

v f - street , we disco ered that all the ront plate glass f windows were broken . The master , in his ury , thought that open mutiny had broken o u t in o n school , and vowed vengeance every bone in

o u r bodies . It turned out that Mr . Eastman had been cramming some mates f o r their examination

towards Lieutenancies , and that , as they had all f signally ailed , they had expressed their displeasure

by breaking the windows . No clue was obtained at the time but I happened to hear all about the ff fi of a air when I j oined my rst ship . Three the

culprits were serving in that vessel , and told me

the story . ENTERING T H E NAVY 5

f Shortly a ter this , the time arrived when I was to present myself at the Royal Naval College to

pass my examination . Th e nervous and sleep less nights " Though I felt perfectly capable o f o f passing through the ordeal , the name the Royal f College overawed me . The thought o naval

dons sitting in conclave over my work , with the o f fi f possibility their nding it de ective , was as an

evil dream . When the day arrived , two short ffi hours su ced to get me through . My arithmetic f ud ment was aultless ; and , though I spelt j g with ’ ou t a a . , my papers were said to be very good u f ar éc la t In short , I had passed th s with . fi f Having quali ed in mind , I ound that the f next performance was to quali y in body . Forth with I was taken on board that glorious and Victor venerable ship , the y , to be medically fi inspected . It was my rst visit to this renowned ship ; and how well I remember the thoughts that ran through my mind as I approached her " There was the hull exactly as it had been o n the day o f Trafalgar " I could not help picturi ng to myself those noble sides being pierced through and through with shot while the vessel was leading the line gallantly into action past the broadsides of the enemy . o n Once board , I was accosted by a rough Irish — o f assistant surgeon , who , without a word warning “ of - or good morning , ejaculated , What is your 6 A MIDDY ’S RECOLLECTIONS name " How old are you " On my having meekly answered these questions to his apparent f ff o f satis action he said , in the gru est tones,

Strip , sir . Having decency , I quietly asked , in “ of the humblest tones , Do you wish me , sir, to f u ofi " s ir — p ll my trousers as well Yes , , every I w as thing , was the answer . This was a trial . ’ f miserable about my braces buttons , a raid he would see that two were lacking (one in front and one behind) ; which might tell against my t H o find claim o respectability . w curious is it to oneself remembering such details through life " f o f — Having denuded mysel everything , which was very trying , particularly in a draughty cabin in December — I was put through various e xer f cises ; and , a ter being minutely examined as to f wind , sight , hearing , and other gi ts , I was told to dress and take away with me a f ormal certificate f o . health I hated that man , and was glad to get back to school in order to prepare to leave f or o n f home the ollowing day . f Within a week rom this time , I received my fi ffi rst o cial document . It ran

Y o u H M. are hereby directed to repair on board . ship

P rincess R o a l at S an d y , now laying pithead, report your

n 1 S P rincess R o a l self o December the 5 th . hould the y S m not be laying at pithead on the date entioned , you A m ’ f D will inquire at the d iral s o fice at the ockyard , and H you will be informed where . M. Ship may be .

T H E A U T H O R A S A N A V A L C A D E T l 8 5 3

A MIDDY ’S RECOLLECTIONS

f f f or mind , the greater the gain in a ter li e ; not when the mother is present , there comes the of in echo sweet counsel ringing in the heart , act — spiring the wish to as she would desire she , the help and guidance in all trouble . C H A P T E R II

T H E P R I N C E S S R O YA L

O I N E P rinces s R o a l I " D the y , commanded by my P f uncle , Lord Clarence aget , and ound that beautiful 9 1 - gun line- Of - battle ship lying at Spit f f or . head , preparing sea The amily butler was deputed to s ee me safely o n board and report o n of his return . He had been long a servant my f ather— I believe he had been his valet at Cam bridge — and many were the hours he had spent with my brothers and myself ferreting and hunting with terriers ; and w e were all much attached to him . It was blowing a fresh gale when we took ou r W f P herry rom the Hard at ortsmouth , and the double- f are flag was flying on the offi cial tower ; o u r but go we must , though boatman seemed to suggest that we should have a bad time o f it o u t s o f or side ; and it turned out , , besides being on drenched to the skin a cold December day , the o t l butler and I , when we g alongside the nob e ’ I O A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

s ea- fi ship , were sick . My rst Obeisance to the Quarter - Deck — (I had been warned to be very — fi particular about this) must have lacked nish . M not y troubles were over with that ceremony . I had hardly finished saluting the offi cer o f the watch when a blue—jacket fell f rom ou t o f the main rigging on to a quarter- deck gun within a yard of

me . He was killed instantly , and the sight was f very pain ul .

This was a sad beginning . My next step was to g o below and endeavour to look pleasant on being introduced to my mess f mates . Many were the eyes I elt glaring at me ’ o f to see what the new cadet was made . Didn t this poor boy wish himself elsewhere " Once in f find my hammock that night , I was thank ul to f mysel in seclusion . For several nights I was on the look- out f or the cutting - down process that must be practised o n “ ” me . I had not long to wait . Cutting down , ou f I may explain , means that when y are ast asleep o n e or your hammock , either at end the other, is If let down by the run . it were let down by the T o head , your neck might be broken . be suddenly aroused from sleep by finding yourself balancing by the head o n a hard deck is not an enviable if position . It was ordained only the boy was f obnoxious ; but the alternative , as I ound to my chagrin , is not pleasant . Luckily , a marine sentry

’ 1 2 A MIDDY S RE COLLECTIONS

’ room mess , I went into my marine s mess and ’ got some ship s biscuits , which , with pickled i I off erk n s . g , supped We certainly were shock

in l f ed . g y in those days Growing youths , much s ea f imbued with air , used to are very badly ; bu t when it is considered how little was paid o f n in the shape mess mo ey it is no wonder . On joining you f ound I O as an entrance f e e ; and one the mess subscription was shilling a day , with your rations thrown in . The rations were the ’ same as those allowed to the ship s company : a o f f or o f pound very bad salt junk (bee ) , pork Lot as salt as Mrs . , execrable tea , sugar, and f o f or biscuit that was generally ull weevils , or well overrun with rats , (in the hot climates) a f or c hoice retreat the detestable cockroach . In o ne ship — I think it was the Na nicin frigate o r cockroaches swarmed . Sugar any other sweet w as matter their attraction ; and at night , when o n o f they were the move , I have seen strings the creatures an inch and a half long making a route over you in your hammock . Some ships were overrun with them . Rats also were a dreadful nuisance : they invariably nested among the biscuit bags . We mids used to lie awake and watch them coming up at night f rom the o n hold to the cockpit deck ; and , well armed - so on with shoes , hair brushes , and , we persecuted them . THE P RINCESS ROYAL 1 3

ff Spithead , at the time I joined my ship , a orded

—o f - of an interesting spectacle . Men war all classes were gradually collecting , and the dockyards were very busy ; but w e were short o f men— s o mu ch so that all available coastguard - men were ou r requisitioned to complete crews , which in those days were f or the most part collected f rom the streets . The w ar with Russia which (keen - sighted diplo m atists o u r warned Government) must come , and that soon , necessitated active preparations . The newly-joined men were being trained in great- gun

o n . drill , and target practice was always going w as o f 00 My ship a battleship about 3 4 tons , u of and said to be q ite the prettiest her class . We were af terwards styled the P reccy R oy a l which so much pleased the middies that we all bought eye o n glasses , and wore them , when not duty , by way

- o f swagger . We carried 3 2 pounders o n the

o- o n main and the upper deck , and 5 pounders the

o ne lower deck , throwing hollow shot with solid — f f — 6 8 pounder on the orecastle . Our ull steam speed under f avourable conditions was nine knots but this speed under steam was o f rare occurrence as eight knots w usual . We had a complement

of 8 5 0 men and offi cers . ’ In the gun - room (or m ids hipm en s ) mess we - f numbered about twenty our , all told . I grieve to s ay that we had a f ew very bad specimens of the ’ 1 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

ffi f British o cer : bad both pro essionally and socially . Though discipline was generally very strict o n o n deck and duty , irregularities went on below

that were winked at , and in later days would not f have been tolerated . There was a remnant o the of of bad style earlier days, without any the higher of old ffi qualities the naval o cer to temper it . One heard now and then of notorious characters that seemed always just to escape retribution ; though long bef ore the end of the war three o f my mess if n ot o u t mates , more , were hoisted by court

or . was martial otherwise Bullying also common . On one occasion I was s o much irritated by a lout of an Irish assistant- surgeon that I lost my poor little

temper and gave him the lie . Being overheard by o ne o f the senior mates , I was immediately kicked out o f the gun- room and ordered to mess o n my

chest f or three days . The punishment was carried fi o f ou t to the fu ll . The most endish case bullying it ever was my lot to endure was perpetrated by one Berkley . I glory now in presenting his name o ne f to the British people . He was o the senior w as f mates . It his wont to regale himsel with o f f port wine and walnuts an a ternoon . On o ne occasion (possibly it may have been oftener) f or — he sent me , and he lashed me to a ring bolt in ’ s a the ship s side , ordering me to y, Down , proud

spirit up , good spirit , and make me a good boy . I had to suit the action to the word by moving THE PRINCESS ROYAL 1 5

the hand and arm down and up the body . I had f to repeat the ormula a hundred times , while he jotted down my penances with a pencil o n his f slate . I have always considered mysel lucky that ’ f f I did not cross that man s path in a ter li e . In my last experience with this creature , I got the f P rinces s R a l off o . o better him The y was paying , and the ship ’s company and offi cers were hulked in f l one o the o d ships in Portsmouth harbour . I f think all our middies , except mysel and two others , f were away . A signal was made rom the flagship f or a midshipman to copy orders ; and , though I was o n just going home Admiralty leave , having packed my portmanteau and proceeded to change f f or into mu ti , Berkley sent me to obey the f or f summons this signal , he knowing per ectly well n that I was just about to g o o shore . My answer to the message was that I would come up imm edi

f f or ately , but that , as I had changed my uni orm f fi ve mu ti , I requested minutes within which to don proper dress . In less than that time I had carried o u t my view o f the matter by hailing a Wherry under the stern port , popping my portmanteau

f or into the boat , and telling the boatman to pull f his li e to the Hard , keeping his boat well in a line f o . with the stern the hulk Luckily , the tide was f f in my avour ; but , to my horror , when nigh hal

- way to the Hard , I discovered the jolly boat l f pul ing a ter me like the very devil . Give way , ’ 1 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS you beggar " Double fare " Only land me at the ” Hard before this inf ernal boat c an overtake us "

We just did it . The portmanteau was whipped ’ up on the boatman s shoulders , and thrown into a

fly that , luckily , saw the little game going on ; and — M r. off we galloped to the station . I did him — as ro Berkley that w all I wanted . He was p f f f moted , and had le t be ore I returned rom leave ; and from that day to this we have never crossed ’ each other s path . One o f the amusements with which the seniors entertained themselves was slitting the end o f your f nose open with a penkni e . The idea was that you could not properly be a Royal , bearing the o f ff u o f name your ship , without a slight e sion ’ o f blood . The end one s nose was well squeezed , and thus there was little pain . A ceremony some ’ thing after the style o f blooding o ne over one s

first f ox was gone through . Every Offi cer was limited in regard to his wine bill you could not exceed a certain monthly sum . was 1 A middy allowed about 5 s . ; the seniors , o f o f more ; but , as many them were thirsty habit , some means had to be f ound to procure more f wine or spirits a ter the bill was stopped , which f usually occurred about the middle o the month . o n o ne There were several methods . As occasion ff f or f o f I had to su er severely the aults others , I will tell a story . THE PRINCESS ROYAL 1 7 The youngsters had to draw lots as to who should go and represent to a Naval Instructor fresh f rom one o f the Universities that it was the birthday o f o ne - l some in the gun room , that his wine bil was o f stopped , and that he had no means procuring if V any liquor Mr . erdant Green were not able to

f . oblige by lending some . The lot ell upon me f I f e lt I was running resh risks ; but go I must . f f I soon ound my man , and orthwith told my f story and made my request . Instead o my being o r answered as I expected , by a Yes by a No my green f riend went straight to the Commander s cabin , tapped at his door, and in my hearing asked o r whether this were permissible , in contravention t o naval discipline and custom . The Commander settled the matter by ordering me to the mast—head o n the spot and stopping my leave f or s ix weeks . One would have thought the original delinquent would have pitied me on my return from the cross—trees ; but I was told that I must have

acted in a clumsy manner , and that I was a use of less cub . The worst an escapade such as this is that it gets you into the bad books o f the Com ffi manding O cer . f P rinces s R o a l Soon a ter I had joined the y , my uncle made me his and gave me charge o f 1 2 - f his oared cutter , a boat which he pre erred to

- 6 . o n the usual oared galley It was , I think , the first occasion o f my taking charge of this boat 2 ’ 1 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS that I was sent into Portsmouth Harbour to f etch off t o my captain and bring him Spithead . On K ’ my way to the ing s Stairs , while passing the ” P - oint , a locality (beset with public houses) where the immortal Nelson lef t the English shore f or the last time , the coxswain suddenly accosted me . My ” “ sister , he said , keeps a pub close by , and it is quite the right thing that you should treat the boat ’ s f crew to a glass o grog all round . Feeling that of I had plenty spare time , and that it would be f mean to re use this very strong request , I gave to f ro permission beach the boat , and orthwith p du ce d the last o f my pocket- money (a ten - shilling bit) , in order that the crew might be regaled . o ne n ot They returned man short . I could wait f o r to search him , and I thought it just possible that his Lordship might not discover o ne oar minus s o o n o f I arranged that , whichever side the boat the captain took his seat , my vacant thwart o n w e should be the other . All went well until were nigh ou r ship though I must own to many moments o f anxiety during the long pull off to Spit of head . Alas He noticed the absence a man as o n the men tossed their oars in . I could have died O f o n the spot . course , we were all paraded the

- quarter deck . The coxswain made some plausible excuse ; but I myself was threatened with im mediate expulsion and watch - and - watch f or a f ortnight — f our hours o n duty and f our hours

’ 2 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS have exceeded the happiness o f the fleet at that time . There was great rivalry in those days

(and even long before) among some of the ships . o f Sail drill was the principal cause it . The ships ’ companies became so intensely jealous if o ne o r more ships had completed an evolution in less time , that when general leave to go ashore was granted strict orders were given that leave should n ot be granted to those respective ships f or f o f f fi at the same time , ear a ree ght between their men . I well recollect serious rows when T o they did meet one another . my idea , nothing could have been finer than the display o f c om e titive f o f p eeling . Some the ships used to have all sorts o f dodges (as we called them) to enable time v to be sa ed during drill , and when I was Flag Lieutenant o n the station I was ordered to watch s e e if f minutely , to all was air play . The paddle wheel sloops and frigates were comfortable vessels one Terriole 2 1 ( in particular , the , carrying — Gor on guns and heavy ones they were) . The g and the B a s ilis k rendered good service during 1 the war . These were smaller , and carried 4 or O f D ke o 1 6 . u guns , I think the liners , the f l Wel in t on . g , the flagship , bore the palm She 1 1 was f carried 3 guns , and a beauti ul sailer as ’ S t ea n D rc o f 1 0 1 . A well as steamer The . 7 , Ac . re guns , was a lovely ship The , commanded K ou r by Harry eppel , was always what we termed THE PRINCESS ROYAL 2 1 chummy ship : the P rinces s R oya l was generally next her in the line .

Then came the great event of the day . The f Fa ir Queen arrived rom Osborne in the y , to w f revie the Fleet be ore it weighed anchor . The very f act o f Her Majesty announcing her inte n tion to bid us Good - bye caused intense excitement ho w through the Fleet , and I recollect well highly o f s this mark honour w a appreciated . We were all Fa ir anchored in three lines , and the lovely little y threaded her way through the ships as we manned f ins e c yards and cheered to the echo . A ter this p tion the Queen summoned all her Admirals and o n Fa ir Captains in command board the y , and f m personally took leave o the all . I was lucky o f enough to be present , as I had charge my ’ o n Captain s cutter ; and Her Majesty , being told of that one her godsons was present , immediately f c an ordered me to be sent or. It be imagined that it was a most nervous moment f o r a boy o f my age— scarcely thirteen — when I was hailed to go Fa ir s ee alongside the y , as the Queen wished to off me . I remember well my coxswain pulling a piece o f fl annel I had round my neck (as I was ff f su ering rom a severe sore throat , and the weather was very cold) bef ore I left my boat to step over f ’ f the side o the Queen s yacht . A ter the Admirals m and Captains had ade their last Obeisance , my c a turn came . Standing p in hand , I made my bow ’ 2 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

“ H ow do ou do and Her Majesty said to me , y ,

n " ou Mr . Mo tagu I have not seen y since you were f quite a little boy ; and then asked a ter my mother , who had no t many years previously been o ne of ’ - in- the Queen s ladies waiting . I then had the honour of shaking hands with His Royal Highness P of who n f or the rince Wales , was sta ding near , fi P the rst time , and with the rincess Royal and P o f the rincess Alice , all whom said some kind f f words . I elt very proud indeed , a ter having got over my nervousness and many were the interroga n : as tions when I returned o board . Yes this w all a great honour and s o impressed was I at the time that nothing o f this great reception has no r escaped my memory , the scene as I witnessed P it at the time . His Royal Highness the rince w as o n n ot Consort also , I think , board ; but I did f f have the honour o seeing him . Shortly a ter this f the Fleet weighed . Her Majesty placed hersel o f f at the head the Fleet , and orthwith led us s e a Fa ir f out to . When the y le t us a parting o n Fa ir signal was flown board the y , the whole ’ Fleet cheering Her Majesty s departure . It was o ne o f the grandest scenes imaginable : God be praised f or having spared o u r gracious Sovereign to be reigning over her loving subjects still . In a man- of - war we are all constantly reminded o f o u r Sovereign and the honour due to her station . ’ At eight o clock , when the colours are hoisted , the ’ T H E ‘ PRINCESS ROYAL 2 3

o u r ffi band plays National Anthem , and all o cers and men salute the colours as they are hoisted to the Peak The Quarter- Deck is always saluted when officer o r man comes o n to it : simply because it ’ - is the Queen s Quarter Deck , and is honoured as such . At every mess , when the wine is passed o u r fi o ur round , rst duty is to recollect Sovereign and raise our glasses to “ The Queen (God bless All these matters tend to keep us in perpetual recollection o f ou r Queen and the duties we owe to Her Majesty ; and it is indeed a fine i sent ment . P rinces s R o a l The y called in at the Downs , and embarked an offi cer and ou r last letters were o u r sent o n Shore . On way across the North Sea f O r fi the Fleet was scattered in a og . u rst rendez vous was Wingo Sound and by degrees the ships fi rejoined , and we made that place our rst anchorage . The ice f arther north had not broken up : s o there w as of a good deal delay and cruising about . The Fleet generally was sailing under very easy

- f canvas (double ree ed topsails) , as the wind was f pretty strong , and we used to wear in succession a ter ’ f n ne f a ew hours sail o o tack . Day a ter day this went o n and the only interest I took in it was in watching the ships while the evolution of wearing was going on : turning through the curve o f a f hal circle , endeavouring to keep their proper O f o f distances apart . course , some the ships ’ 2 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

carried more sail than others, as there was a ff material di erence in their respective speeds . It was monotonous work , and , the weather being o f still cold and occasionally pretty rough , many u s suff ered a good deal f rom se a - sickness and ennui . The paddle steamers used to ply across t o or f or f f Copenhagen , other port , resh ood ; but I d o not think the blue - jackets got mu ch of f - this are , and I know the gun room mess did not . Indeed , we had a very wearisome f u ortnight d ring breezy weather, jogging about off G s ka d under easy sail ot Sands . All was one old in quite the naval style , and gave me an “ l ” insight into the good o d days . A great deal of salt pork and salt junk , with a moderate allow o f ou r f ance water, was are and all were desirous on o f pushing . fi nd f I mysel writing about this time , evidently very homesick

People tell me I shall like the Service better as I get an d on, but one gives up home all its joys for coming to sea, or otherwise for honour ; one can do without t honour but not withou home, besides, why should I not get honour at home as well as at sea "

I quote this because it is curious to s ee how a ’ f or f boy s mind wavers shortly a terwards , having seen a f ew shots fired at Hango at some Russian f orts , I wrote home ’ T H E ‘ PRINCESS ROYAL 2 5

I like the Service better every day . I begin to

u ta . nders nd things , and they interest me

Kio e We rode out a heavy gale in g Bay , while o f some the ships , dragging their anchors , were two steaming ahead , with topmasts struck and anchors down . C H A P T E R III

W A R WI T H R U S S I A D E C L A R E D

O N 1 o f l the 4 th April , ying in this same bay , we suddenly s aw a mass of bunting flying o n board D u ke o Well in ton S the f g . The ignal , indeed , gave “ us great joy . It annou nced that War was ” f ffi declared with Russia . I shall never orget O cers

o n - and men all rushing deck helter skelter . The

- ff blue j ackets were up the rigging in a ji y , and f cheer a ter cheer echoed through the Fleet . I believe the actual date o f the Declaration was the 1 o f M 5 th arch , just three weeks previously I shall not attempt to describe what are now - o f — well known matters history , the events during the summer of 1 8 5 4 — nor shall I speak o f the do o f nothing policy , which (with the exceptions the o f storming and taking Bomarsund , the destruction of f o f grain stores in the Gul Bothnia , occasional f or f fi scrimmages orti ed posts , and the hemming in of the Russian Fleet at Kronstadt) kept us

. f inactive Our chie , though a gallant man , did

WAR WITH RUSSIA DECLARED 2 7

n ot seem to be gi fted with much enterprise (possibly he was hampered by orders from home) but I do know that we all longed f or some

active service , and wished that the Russian ships would come o u t from under their batteries and

give us a f air chance . We used to see them loosing their sails at their anchorage , and many were the surmises as to whether they intended to “ sheet ” home o r only let them f all off the yards to dry .

They were , I think , nearly all sailing ships ; though they had paddle- wheel steamers that occa s io n ally would make a dash o u t at some yacht o u t s ee f u n that had come to the , and had f got in t o o close to the batteries . I ancy we must have f elt as Nelson felt when blockading — f or . Toulon , longing his enemies to come out f But , a ter all , why should an enemy be expected to give battle with hopeless odds against him p P erhaps , on the other hand , the Russians wondered f why we did not attack their orts . The explana

tion is that the channels were narrow, and what they called in those days “ infernal machines ” were supposed to have been laid down in those f channels to obstruct the passage o o u r ships . There were some pretty sights to be seen during ’ that summer s campaign . The two that struck my juvenile eyes most were the sailing o f o u r huge Fleet through the Great Belt and the first ’ 2 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

f meeting with the French Fleet . In the ormer o n e o f case , imagine long row nearly twenty line o f - f f ew battle ships , several rigates , and a sloops , f tearing through the Belt , with a strong air wind (there is a very clever picture o f this scene drawn f of by Brierly, a amous marine artist those days) , the D uke of Welling ton leading under close- reefed o f topsails , and some the slower sailers carrying a press of canvas t o enable them to keep their ho e stations . It was amusing w w middies used to o u r compare notes as to respective sailing qualities , w e and argue , till nearly came to blows , over details as to how one ship could spare another an f o r to - or extra ree in a topsail a p gallant sail , the f o . lee clew a mainsail , as the case might be And what a lovely sight a line - of —battle ship

— was, under all plain sail and still more lovely , to

0 - f " o n e my mind , a handsome 5 gun rigate Yes O f sometimes longs to s e e such sights again . One the prettiest manoeuvres I ever heard of in my was old Aretlz us a 0 - time done by the , a 5 gun sail f f o ff ing rigate . She attacked a ort Odessa , in the fi fi Black Sea . Sailing in , she red rst one broadside ; fi s he in tacking , she red her bow guns then hove fi about , and red her other broadside wore round , do not and fired her stern guns . I know how many times this manoeuvre was repeated ; but it fi f was a ne display o handling . The second incident to which I have alluded WAR WITH RUSSIA DECLARED 2 9 was our meeting the French Fleet for the first time . They were under sail , and remained hove to , with their main topsail to the mast , as we , the English Fleet , steamed in one long line across their bows . We hoisted the French Tri colour at the main , and they, to return the compli ment , hoisted the English Ensign , while the bands played the National Anthem as we passed . It was f a beauti ul calm day , and the sight glorious . Yes w e o n here were , allies , bent the same cause near f at hand , and past days obliterated rom memory . When at anchor together the two Fleets formed a most imposing sight : f orests o f masts covering ’ o r the seas , and at eight o clock , when the colours were hoisted in the morning , the bands ’ of the Fleets playi ng each the other s National

Anthem . A ro os o f I s hall f fi p p bands never orget nding , While lying at anchor in the pleasant little land o f P a off locked harbour the ir eus , Athens , eight or o f ff ten vessels di erent nationalities . At eight ’ o clock in the morning , as the colours went up , all ’ ou r respective bands played one another s National

Anthem . The music was discordant . There was a great deal of etiquette as to which anthem fi was to be played rst . Ultimately it was arranged we n that should begin with the Helle ic air , and that the others should follow according to seniority of the ships present ; but soon the discord became ’ 3 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

of f- ah - pronounced . It took the best part hal hour

to complete the set . While the Fleet was cruising O ff Hango (a ’ f airly strong position o f the enemy s) several o f ou r

paddle steamers were sent in to reconnoitre , and f M soon became engaged with the orts . y Captain , P Lord Clarence aget , could not stand a distant view o f this engagement so he ordered his boat to be of manned , and we pulled in the direction the ships f o f engaged . We only had the satis action gazing at some highly- elevated shells that exploded f ar o u r o f f above heads , though some the ragments f ell into the water, unpleasantly near The m f e w engage ent ended in smoke , though a losses o n occurred board the paddle steamers ; and , to

o u r . not astonishment , the Fleet retired I could

e o f s e the object this mild display . f o . The attack Bomarsund , later , was a success The authorities had taken a considerable time to make up their mighty minds when to begin the n bombardment . There was an idea that we could ot

subdue the place without troops . Thus , we waited f or o f long the arrival French troops , which were brought up the Baltic on board some Obs o

- lete o ld 3 deckers in tow o f steamers . It took some l ow doing to lay Bomarsund . We landed blue f jackets and marines , and heavy ordinance rom the f e w o f Fleet , and threw up a batteries on the flank the largest fort and on a given day our smallest

’ 3 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

usual , many ships were present . I have seen as many as thirty or f orty boats waiting alongside e l in t on the D uke of W l g . f f o f P rinces s Soon a ter the all Bomarsund , the

R o a l y was sent to Revel , to join the sailing squadron off then lying at anchor , or cruising that port ; and f a ter this , in October , my uncle , knowing that there w as little chance o f my seeing any more active service (and as I was not in very good health) , took the opportunity o f transferring me to his old ’ f E ere s S t . Geor e riend Harry y ship , the g , a sail — ing 3 decker of 1 2 0 guns . The saili ng squadron had received orders to leave f or England so in October f our beauties

S t G or Ne tu n e 1 2 0 . e e the p ( guns) , the g the M ona rc/z and the P rince R eg ent (9 0) — made f or England and a very interesting and instructive sail we had down the North Sea . The second in S P Ma command on board my hip was addy y, a fine o f very seaman the old school , a man whose name was much respected in the Service . Every thing was done quite in the old style and thus I c an f airly claim the distinction o f having belonged to the old school— anyhow to the remains of it as all the ships o f this squadron were minus engines and boilers .

M ona rch f ar f The was away the astest ship , though in a breeze the P rince R eg ent held her O ff pretty close . the island o f Bornholm we were WAR WITH RUSSIA DECLARED 3 3

f G S t . eor e caught in a resh gale ; and , the g being o ld f it a very crank cra t , was deemed advisable to send o u r upper - deck carronades down into the f . o hold As we were short water and provisions , the extra weight o f these guns below counteracted

o u r o f - o f want ballast . A 3 decker in a gale wind

- f was rather a curious being . Under close ree ed topsails you could not lay her near enough the t f wind to enable her o meet the seas com ortably . The eff ect of the wind o n her huge sides was to

f : f drive her bodily and very ast to leeward in act , f you simply dri ted . It was pleasant to watch these ships speeding f r gaily on their course o England . We carried on M ona rc h when the weather permitted . The was

w o f generally in the van , sho ing us a high turn o r f speed . At sunset , soon a ter , we collected and sailed in two lines ; and , as was customary , took

f o r o f in a ree two the topsails , to make all snug f r o the night . When daylight broke every stitch was set again .

On arrival in England we anchored at Spithead . M f n y ather was soon o board to greet me . He f r asked permission o me to land with him . Being virtually invalided , I was allowed to pack up my “ traps and accompany him ashore . I can so well remember telling him that I had not had a f o r f real good wash weeks , and that be ore I was taken to my mother , who was then residing at ’ 3 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

Ryde , he must purchase me a clean shirt , as I was ashamed of appearing in a crumpled garment or washed in salt water , and not even ironed orthwith to starched . F we went a public bath , and s ix new shirts were bought from the nearest establishment to make me presentable to my o f n ot mother, as I could not bear the idea her seeing me at my best .

Thus ended my share in the Baltic Campaign . I was much disappointed at having seen s o little ffi active service . Both o cers and men shared K that f eeling . Sir Harry eppel and my Captain were always urging the Commander - in — Chief to do something The campaign seemed to have been conducted in a half - hearted manner ; but memorable signals were sent up . One in f particular caused eeling Sharpen your cutlasses , ”

o wn . lads . The day is our This was made

about sunset . Goodness knows what we were to

have a try at on the morrow . Al l we do know is that nothing came o f it ; and it looked rather f o u r f peculiar . I ancy that Chie was much o f hampered by the Government the day . Perhaps he thought it would be very hazardous to attack f fi K strongly orti ed positions , such as ronstadt and o f Sveaborg , with little chance doing much o f damage , or compelling the Russian Fleet to come o u r out . Thus all time was devoted to a strict f blockade a slow game at the best o times . C H A P T E R IV

T H E C R I M E A

O U R ships had some experience o f attacking f orts o n 1 o f 1 8 (in the Black Sea) the 7th October 5 4 . f We did not damage the orts . On the other hand , we received a good dose in return wooden walls f ff . and granite orts are di erent things Then , again , the combined Fleets must indeed have paralysed the f Russian Fleet , which was so much in erior . But it was a pity that when we sailed f o r the Baltic (and still more so when we got there) we were f f r led to think o mighty deeds in store o us .

o u r When medals were presented to us , with the o f f bit blue and yellow ribbon , many elt that they had not deserved them : and the trinkets were kept

in hiding . I remained in England until the f ollowing

re - January . Then , being quite established in P rinces s health , I received orders to rejoin the R o a l o ff y Sebastopol . It w as while I was at home o f that the news Balaclava and Inkerman arrived . ’ 3 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

Many o f ou r f riends and relations were laid low c an o n those battlefields . I well recall the wave o f mixed joy and sorrow that swept over England as the detailed acco u nts came slowly to hand . M G P O f y uncle , Lord eorge aget , at the head his regiment , the Fourth Light Dragoons , commanded f the second line in that atal and memorable charge , — where his regiment was well nigh destroyed . It of fi was to him , as he was riding the eld , that were addressed those words by the French Marshal , which have since passed into proverbial use ’ i ’ C est m ag n fiqu e mais cela n est pas la guerre . ’ of who One Lord George s troopers , (I think) f or was his servant , was made prisoner , and some f reason was taken before the Tzar o Russia . Observing the man standing six f oot two in his stockings , His Imperial Majesty inquired what regiment he had belonged to , and , being told that “ — i he was in a Light Cavalry reg ment , said , Well , if — you are a Light Cavalry man , what the devil are the heavies I took passage to the Crimea in a hired trans f P port , and we sailed rom lymouth early in January 1 f 8 . e w 5 5 We carried a troops , and a large o f f or quantity stores the army . Touching at G M w e ibraltar and alta , arrived at Constantinople f ’ a ter a three weeks passage . I shall never forget my first sight o f the entrance to the Golden Horn . Those who have seen it T H E CRIMEA 3 7 will bear me out when I s ay that o f its kind the

View is second to none in the world . It was a f beauti ul still morning , and as the sun rose and reflected its golden rays o n all the minaret towers f fi o . and the great edi ce St Sophia , one seemed f Kai u es in airyland . The q , the colouring , the of costumes , and the novelty this oriental scene

— all enchanted me . Bef ore leaving England I had been told to quit the transport at Constantinople , and to report ’ f o n Ca roa oc - of — mysel board the , the man war o u r appointed to Ambassador as his despatch vessel .

old Derrim an I was most kindly received by dear , f the Captain , who told me to present mysel up at f ff the Embassy , where Lord Strat ord de Redcli e wished me to stay until I could get a passage to rejoin my ship on the Black Sea .

That great man made a deep impression on me . fi ne fi Tall and upright , he was as a gure as ever stepped a man o f perfect f eatures and iron will a grand seigneur ; and the world knew it . He f kindly told me to make mysel at home , and to remain at the Embassy until he was ready to start ’ r f r s in the Ca oa oc o the Crimea . He wa going f of to the ront to hold an Investiture the Bath , o r and would probably sail in two three days . This gave me intense pleasure : I rejoiced at the prospect o f becoming acquainted with Constanti n ople Lady Stratf ord de Redcliff e and her ’ 3 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

charming daughters made things doubly pleasant . of That most lovely and engaging women , Lady P George aget , my cousin (aunt by marriage) ,

also was staying at the Embassy . Among the staff o f the Embassy were many men who made f f — R their marks in a ter li e Odo ussell , Allison , P —f o ne Count isani , and others, rom whom , and w as all , I received the kindest attention . It indeed

: s aw an interesting time I everything , and had a f sort o general l a s cia pa s s a re. I was soon called upon to assist in the corre s onden ce p department at the Embassy , and many

o ne were the despatches which I copied . Every was overwhelmed with business , and I was only too glad to render what assistance I could . His f o f Lordship was o ten at work most the night , receiving and dictating despatches ; his breakfast f hour varied rom nine to twelve , according to his hours o f rest The Embassy at Constantinople o f in those days was , I imagine , a position unique and supreme importance in diplomacy . The postal and the telegraphic services were in their S f ’ infancy . In copying Lord trat ord s despatches I was not long in discovering how frequently he o n own acted his initiative and responsibility , without reference to the powers that were at home . now No such independence would be tolerated , nor rec om would it be possible . It is one thing to mend your Views before the home authorities f or

’ 4 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

worth seeing . Everything was novel . English men were at that time held in high esteem by the cr Turk . Buono Johnnie was the y everywhere , and nothing could have exceeded the Turk ’ s rude as civilities . I w much amused at the way the f or kavasses cleared the road one . When yo u or were walking in the bazaars , in the streets , and which were crowded , men women were sent o n o f flying the approach your kavass , who generally wielded a big stick . And the swarms o f dogs— how curious it all seemed to my young imagination ’ Ca roa oc I The soon sailed , and n less than thirty- six hours we f ound ourselves steaming into

Balaclava harbour , which was almost landlocked . On passing the towering perpendicular cliff s I could not help picturing to myself the scene o f o f carnage the previous October , when so many f vessels , with their living reights , were lost

f f o n - during a right ul gale that iron bound coast . Bef ore we got in I caught a distant sight o f Sebastopol and the large allied Fleets at anchor O ff

. Kaz atch the coast My ship was lying in Bay . As there was no chance o f j oining her f or a f ew days , His Excellency asked me to accompany him f in his daily expeditions to the ront . We were a f goodly party . All the ladies rom the Embassy r accompanied us . We rode o drove to all the fi o f f battle elds and objects interest at the ront , T H E CRIMEA 4 1

ff lunching generally at some Headquarter Sta , R ’ and o n o ne occasion at Lord aglan s . The ’ f f a éoris battlefield o f Inkerman w as still ull o . I was astonished to see s o many boots lying about ’ — o ff and poor f ellows bones as well . I carried a Russian musket , besides other small articles . ’ At Lord Raglan s I came across Frank Bu rge sh — afterwards Lord Westmorland — looking as handsome and as f resh as he was when hunting

- with the Fitz William hounds . Subsequently we visited the ground o f the f s aw o f amous Balaclava charge , and some the o f f ew remains the shattered cavalry . The horses surviving were in a sorry plight . Their manes and tails were much reduced actually the horses ,

f o ne . rom sheer hunger , had been gnawing another Lord George Paget had scarcely any horses fit

r f f o duty the day a ter the charge . The Tenth

Hussars , with splendid horses , had just arrived f n rom India , and , musteri g strong , were much more numerous than the whole o f the Light

Brigade . o ne On occasion , while I was with Lord f o f Strat ord , there was a review French troops ; and I was much struck by their soldier

like bearing . f e w Within a days I rejoined my ship , then o ff lying Sebastopol , delighted with all I had seen , f ’ and with Lord Strat ord s kindness to me . Once ’ 4 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS o n old board again , I soon shook down among

- mess mates and friends . There had been many ffi f changes among the o cers ; but my best riend , ffi Dick Hare , was still there . The three bad o cers o u r had been weeded out . Consequently , mess was comf ortable In a letter to my mother I remarked that I f much pre erred the Black Sea to the Baltic , and

f - that I elt happier more reconciled to the Service . There was always the sure expectation o f seeing o f active service , and possibly being in the thick o f it . The duties assigned to me were to keep daily the

s ix- - morning and in the evening the to eight watch . n f o r This went o without a break eight months . I M A . soon became accustomed to getting up at 4 . , and in the fi ne summer months it was pleasant to paddle about the decks during the washing process . ’ f When the ship s company went to break ast , at three bells I could get three- quarters o f f - f o r an hour to mysel , alone in the gun room , ’ my c u p o f ship s cocoa and biscuit to be f ollowed by reading or writing letters , pondering over my f P letters rom home , and a glance at my rayer ’ Book , as to which I remembered my mother s last injunctions .

A M . " How much I relished my 5 . cocoa A hungry middy does enjoy it though it takes the ’ o ff f sharp edge the eight o clock break ast , which THE CRIMEA 4 3

consisted of (perhaps) a piece o f toughest beef steak— any part o f the a nimal being dignified by

that name . The poor animals , which had ploughed for Turkish soil many a long year , were slaughtered

f f t he the a ternoon be ore , between two guns , on f main deck . When we were not avoured with w as o f these mighty bullocks , it a case salt pork or junk (salt beef ) ; these were usually chopped up into square bits , and curried with a ghastly e f yellow powder . Sometimes w had boxes o grub (as it w as called) sent out f rom home ; the grub was much appreciated , and we usually shared it o u r M o f with chums . ostly it consisted jams , potted meats , and preserved milk ; but in those f days potted meats were in their in ancy , and

s o . nothing like good as now The condensed milk , was though to a certain extent welcomed , nasty stuff : some of the midshipmen pref erred spread ing it on their bread to putting it in their tea . During the daytime my duties were very various . We were supposed to go to the Naval Institute f o r two or three hours in the f orenoon ; but going was a rare occurrence There was much duty to be done away from the ship in boats f or f provisioning , coaling , landing stores the ront , besides attending constant Signals f rom the Flag

Ship . This , together with gun drilling and other f ’ o . exercises , took up a great deal one s time ’ Occasionally I got a day s leave . Then I went ’ 4 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

f to the ront, and dined with some pal in the o f Brigade Guards or other regiment , shared his

f or tent a night , and had a peep at the trenches o f fi next day . We could see a good deal the ghting f rom the ship the sorties at night were lit up by f f bursting shells . By its lighted uze I o ten watched the trajectory o f the shell while circling

f u o n through the air , beauti lly timed to burst approaching the ground . s o Having to be up early every morning , I M w as P . generally in my hammock by . (some f f times earlier) , and o ten ell asleep while the

w as band playing on the main deck , hard by the ’ fli r u n o ce s smoking resort . Smoking was kept in f commonly strict those days . The hours o the ship company ’s meals were the only times allowed v f f during the daytime ; in the e enings , rom a ter e vening quarters until just bef ore the rounds were ffi gone , at and no o cer could smoke until he was eighteen . I became an inveterate smoker , and once was within an ace o f being turned out o f Excellent — P the , gunnery ship at ortsmouth (while f or undergoing my examination) , smoking with another fellow o n the extreme f ore part o f the main deck , a locality well known to the naval

ffi . f o cers The sentry smelt the umes , and reported f us . We had tried to get o u t o a scuttle ; but it was s u r considerably too small , and we had to f it render , eeling was all up , and that we should T H E CRIMEA 4 5

ff we have to su er next day . However , somehow o ff o f got with a deuce a wigging . On another occasion I infuriated my senior ffi o cer by smoking while on duty . I was serving

in the Mediterranean under that great disciplinarian , M M Sir William artin (nicknamed Pincher artin) . I was ffi o f o cer the guard , and had a long nasty pull round from the Grand Harbour at Valetta to ’ the quarantine harbour , to get the Admiral s de s at che s f P was p rom the . and O . steamer . It a blowy cold night so I allowed all my boat ’ s crew

to light their pipes . On arriving at Admiralty ’ House with the Commander - in - Chief s bag o f was despatches , I kept waiting in the hall while l f o d . the gentleman was at dinner A ter his meal ,

the Admiral descended the staircase , and , in his “ ffi o f usual curt way , said , You are the o cer the " o f " guard , I presume What sort a night is it “ I having answered his questions , he said , You “ " s ir have been smoking , sir Yes , I have . I have had a long pull — and a very wet o ne — round ” from the other harbour . This is very disgrace “ f u l s e e — , quoth he I will about this to morrow . f H owever I o . , heard no more it I always thought that the restriction as to smoking was carried much

f ar . too in the Navy When I commanded ships , I used to allow much more licence than the Queen ’s f Regulations authorised , and I never ound cause f to repent o the indulgence . Smoking was con

’ 4 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS s idered a great solace and help , and many a dull af ternoon was got through by my offi cers and men o f over their pipes . The custom the Service was to allow a sort o f half —holiday o n Thursday after

noon . The pipe went , Make and mend clothes . That was a curious definition of a half holiday but o n e on those occasions every was allowed to smoke , ’ ’ as a ies non and it w a with the ship s company . M P . . At 9 the youngsters , as a rule , were supposed to leave the gun — room ; the signal f or this arrangement was called “ Sticking a Fork in ” the Beam . I cannot remember ever seeing one w as so placed but that the adopted term . After a boy had passed his f our yearly exams he was

o f considered an oldster , and assumed a position f fi more importance . The chie bene t attached to his promotion was an extension o f limited wine

- and extra bill . At ten , in harbour , gun room

o u t - - lights were put . The master at arms (the ’ chief o f the ship s police) came round with his

s e e - lantern , and was supposed to the gun room f If o . cleared its inmates the seniors were singing ,

o n and there was some particular hilarity going , the master- at—arms might be requested to ask f or ’ f — u an extra hal ho r s lights . He would then go to ffi o f for M the o cer the watch permission . uch of ffi depended on the conscience the o cer . The gun - room offi cers always dined at noon at

s e a f - , and at two or hal past two in harbour but by THE CRIMEA 4 7

degrees these hours became later , though it depended a good deal on the view which the Captain took o f the arrangements . Dinner at noon and a wretched P M f tea at about 5 . . made a boy eel mortal hungry by 7 o r so the steward was generally in

f o r t o f f o r a requisition a po sardines or lobster .

This was considered an extra ; and , as you were 1 o f limited to 5 s . a month extras , one had to be f ’ very care ul , and to economise one s consumption . A certain amount o f gambling went o n over these f o r extras . We read each article ; which , being o f interpreted , means that , instead tossing up as to who f o r should be charged the supper , you selected the number o f a letter o f a specified line o n a page o r f two two right , three three le t (as the case might be) the nearest letter to A won the supper .

At Malta , sometimes , I have been away all day getting biscuit f rom the f actory and filling launch after launch with bags o f biscuits : so I used to lunch o ff newly- m ade bis cu it and raw carrots or en rout o n parsnips that were e board . I relished ’ the provender a middy s digestion is pretty tough . It was considered a great honour to be asked to ’ s e a If dine when at with the Captain . one s stock o f w clean hite shirts was exhausted , one generally pulled o u t all the worn shirts and selected the best f— to wear at his table . At hal past two in the after noon watch any middy o n duty told the ofli cer o f his watch that he was asked to dine with the Captain , ’ 4 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

and no power o n earth could prevent you f rom

leaving the deck . Occasionally the Ward Room ffi o ne o cers asked to dine , which was a more enjoy

able invitation , as you usually sat next to your pal o r ffi o f lieutenant o cer , who was in the habit lend o u o r f ing y his cabin , generally looked a ter your

interests . It was a great boon having a cabin to f o n f all back , and when atigued to be able to f rest on a com ortable bed . Otherwise there was o n nothing but a hard teak deck to lie , and a or f o f sextant box , (what we o ten used) a couple f r nautical almanacks o a pillow . o f o u r On many Sundays , while blockading o n Sebastopol , with everything quiet deck and fi f below , and perhaps not a shot being red rom the

- land batteries , I have gone down into the gun room o f ffi and seen rows middies , mates , and other o cers stretched o u t all over the deck f ast asleep— and in ’ f - o f o f the ore part the ship most the ship s company .

Sailors are adepts at sleeping in quiet moments . Small blame to them ; f or when at sea a constant

f o r watch and watch weeks and months is kept , and

there is little continuous rest . I always thought it hard lines that after keeping the middle watch — f f A M . o u t o rom midnight to 4 . you had to be your hammock by Of ten turning in wet and cold f off t o at our , you could not get sleep , particularly o f in bad weather , because the noise ; and just as you dozed o ff you heard the solemn grunt o f your T H E CRIMEA 4 9

’ - s ir : five hammock man , Turn out , it s bells

A M . . ) and the longer you kept him waiting , the f o ne shorter was his break ast hour . How could have wished him f arther— anywhere but bothering o ne And then his dirty hands pulling your sheets and

pillows about , so as to place them away properly o n in the hammock , and that it should appear deck in its proper shape to be s towed in the

- hammock netting , well scrutinised by some very " strict offi cer o f the watch o r mate o f the deck Woe betide yo u if the hammock looked too f ull o f or o f bedding , in excess what his critical eye might notice " I have of ten seen an unfortunate sleepy o u t o f f mid roll his hammock , cover himsel with a o r f blanket a rug , and give himsel another hour of on o f or so rest by lying the top his chest , his o wn little home but not much comfort attached t o if f f it you were over our oot six in height . What I used to hate most — in hot weather especially— was that morning evolution o f cross ’ ing yards at eight o clock . Just washed and d o f ressed , perhaps in a clean pair duck trousers , f — up you had to go to the main or ore top , running fi up tarred rigging , or (just as bad) nding the f o f - f rigging ull coal dust and smoke . One o ten f came down positively black , hot , and uncom ort ’ f o r able , one s trousers ruined and there you were , o f perhaps the rest the day , as another wash was of f out the question . In a ter days wiser heads ’ 5 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

ffi f - f at any rate , o cers with more orethought le t o ff making yo u wear your ducks o n this particular f occasion , and the com ort and convenience was a ffi great boon to o cers and men . But somehow , in s ea my early days at , very little was studied as to f f or ffi convenience and com ort o cers and men . In much later days I was serving in a line- o f l battle ship belonging to the Channel F eet . We P wintered at ortland . It happened to be a very severe winter— s o much s o that at times ou r rigging f ’ and sails were rozen . Twice a week the ship s c o m pany had to wash their clothes , which generally took f f rom an hour to an hour and a hal . Consequently ,

w as o u t o f the routine put a little joint . Time had to be made up somehow . The usual hour to M t w as or A . . o turn out at 5 , wash decks but on washing mornings I have seen the men turned o u t at 7 bells in the middle watch on a freezing morning , to scrub hammocks and wash clothes , with nothing but a wretched lanthorn and a f arthing dip to s ee by ; and this was the only light f o r r ten o a dozen men to wash their clothes by . Af ter this the decks had to be washed in icy cold f m e n water , and at these wretched rozen consoled themselves with breakf ast o f cocoa and ’ — if ship s biscuit possibly with bread and butter , — the bum boat had come alongside ; but , as it

- generally blew a gale , Mr . Bum boat did not f or appear so early . I can vouch these remnants THE CRIMEA 5 1

o f barbarism : I was what was termed Mate o f to the Main Deck , and had be up to see the

business carried out . During May the combined fleets sailed on an K o f o f expedition to ertch , at the entrance the Sea f o ff Azov . We le t some ships to remain Sebas K topol ; but the bulk went to ertch , and shipped

o f P nce R o a l a goodly quantity troops . The ri s s y o n 0 th o f took board the 9 Regiment the line ,

besides detachments . o u r l We expected opposition to anding ; but , as light - draught vessels could easily command no Ro o s kie s and cover the landing , appeared to o u r oppose us . We soon had army ashore on a f K f sandy beach not many miles rom ertch itsel . o n o f Next day , while we were the line march ,

my uncle , Lord Clarence , happened to be in close

conversation with Sir Edmund Lyons , when the - in - f Commander Chie , suddenly observing me d “ near at han , called me up , and said , Here , " ” youngster : can yo u talk French On my “ “ G0 find answering Yes , he said , at once and the French General in Command (pointing me

ou t find the direction in which I should him) , and tell him that I wish the English Jack to be hoisted alongside the Tricolour as soon as that f ort is captured . Mind and say so very civilly and in ” O ff f your best French . I ran as ast as my legs o u t would carry me across the plain . Singling ’ 5 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS what appeared to me to be a body o f French Staff Officers fi , I asked the rst among them to point

o u t . me the General in Command Luckily , that o f Oflicers f potentate was among the bunch . I elt s h nervous and y ; but , mustering up courage , I

c a v m . stood , p in hand , deli ering y orders To my u horror , he seemed to dem r , and asked me a heap o f questions before he at last consented and desired me to inform the Admiral that his wishes ou t should be carried . I had been told to bring i back an answer ; but f or the life o f me I c ou ld n ot

fi n - - d the Commander in Chief f or a long time .

find . However , when I did him he seemed pleased “ s ee He said , I the Union Jack is up alongside " ’ the French flag . Well done , my boy What s who f " your name , and is your ather Tell your ” Commander I am much pleased with you . I did f eel proud . K There was no opposition at ertch , and that evening part of the troop bivouacked in the town and suburbs . Whether they resulted f rom the pent - u p lif e o f or f the soldiers and sailors , rom the mere long f o r do ing a spree , I not know ; but the looting and breaking into cellars , and the consequent w as trouble , were very discreditable . I supposed it o n f f ffi e o o w ar. the horrors Among other o cers , I was sent ashore next day to patrol the streets with a strong picket , and endeavour to keep

’ 5 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS s o f f then) , we ound the orts evacuated , and partly blown up . They were excessively strong , and stood o n a very commanding position on ff o u r high cli s . We should have had work cu t ou t to subdue them . How bloodthirsty the middies were " I suppose I was to o young t o o f of realise the horrors a naval action , and seeing o u r decks strewn with killed and wounded . I never could understand why the Russians blew up f and deserted the place . On landing , soon a ter anchoring , we could readily observe the strength f o f . o the place Some the works were blown up , and the guns were spiked or taken away— possibly o n buried . Leave to land was granted ; but no account were we to enter the f orts— for f ear o f slow matches and explosions . We fraternised with some very picturesque m o f Circassians . I longed to buy so e their accoutrements , which they seemed ready and " willing to sell ; but , alas I had no money with me . However , a happy thought struck me . I happened to be wearing a new pair o f duck that I trousers . Thinking might tempt them with the shiny brace buttons , I went round a corner and ff c u t off . was the trinkets The e ect magical , and enabled me to purchase some of the cartouche cases in which they carried their powder slung o r round their waists , sewn into their rough coats s a across their chests . They y that exchange is T H E CRIMEA 5 5

was . no robbery . The aphorism well illustrated Soon we were back again to o u r o ld anchorage o ff f w e Sebastopol , eeling that had had a wild to goose chase . Indeed , we were all beginning be weary of not having the chance of distinguishing ourselves f rom on board o u r respective ships .

was o f . Luckily , my uncle an enterprising nature He f ormed an idea that it would be a good thing f f to worry the orts by firing into them a ter dark . to l To do this , it was necessary have eading lights o n to the coast , so as guide the ships in at night and these he placed o n the sea - coast on the f o f extreme le t the French position .

- The Admiral lent him a paddle sloop , the

S it re ffi o ne p fi , commanded by an able o cer , Spratt and f or several nights I accompanied my uncle n while the operations were going o . Our only danger was that we might be discovered by the Russian guard- boats that were always prowling about outside the harbour mouth . Somehow , they f ’ never s aw us . A ter a week s work at placing f or the lights , everything was in readiness the night attack . The lights were very ingeniously ff o n ff placed , showing di erent colours di erent bearings ; and when on these bearings we knew our approximate distance f rom the f ort at the ’ harbour s mouth . On the night o f the 1 6th o f June the M ira nda f rigate , commanded by Captain Lyons , supported ’ 5 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

f by rocket boats , was sent in to attack the orts . f ot — Un ortunately , the enemy g his range owing

to the illumination caused by the rockets , which P lit up the whole scene . oor Lyons was killed ,

and there was considerable loss besides , and the

incident ended in being somewhat a f ailure . The intention of these night attacks was to worry the

enemy , and keep the sailors and gunners down at the f orts instead o f their assisting in the siege f batteries up at the ront . n o f 1 o f Next ight , that the 7th June , came ou r P ri s R l turn in the nces oya . My Captain o begged to be allowed to g in alone , so as not to attract the fire of the f orts by too great a display of fi o f O f ring , such as that the previous night . of ff o f course , this sort a air under cover darkness makes it a mere question o f luck whether we or should be sunk , or seriously mauled , escape

- f fire scot ree . The enemy could at random only . We were not blessed in those days with search : f lights in act , there was nothing to give the enemy a clue to our distance , and they could not : lay their guns with any certainty whilst , we fire being directed to in broadsides only , there would naturally be no continuous firing t o assist their gunners in laying the guns . f r o P . M . We cleared action at 9 that evening , hove in our cable , and awaited the signal to H o f " weigh . w wearisome each hal hour seemed T H E CRIMEA 5 7

We longed to have the business over . We waited and waited the signal ; but half hour after half hour passed , and nothing happened . So we could only lie down at o u r guns and take a snatch o r

— or . wo n sleep make the attempt , at any rate I der what many o f us thought over during those f o u r f ar weary hal hours , and whether minds were " was . away Not a light allowed All was still , to and in utter darkness . The only light be seen o n board was in the binnacle compass o n the poop . I recollect well running up and down constantly find o u t to the poop to the latest news , and convey to it below , because at one time we began despair f o the attack coming off that night .

u was My ncle calmly walking the poop , in close conversation with the Commander , and await ing the signal to weigh . At last, at midnight , up “ : ro went the signal , by lanterns Weigh and p c eed . All was bustle in an instant ; though beyond the links grinding in at the hawse pipe ’ not a sound was to be heard— no boatswain s whistle : absolutely nothing . We were soon o ff under weigh , and at slow speed . The lights which we placed were plainly visible as we steamed in . It was a most exciting moment as we ’ gradually approached the enemy s huge batteries .

The men were already at their guns , and we had placed a f ew more from our port batteries over to

- the star board side , in order to give them not only ’ 5 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

4 6 but also 5 0 or more shots from ou r star- board broadside . Having got our bearings o n with the lights c ( oloured large lanterns) , we steamed on until a certain light showed red : then we knew ou r fi t o re . approximate distance , and that it was time Up to this time I had been constantly sent down ffi with messages to the o cers at their quarters , in order to make sure that no mistake could possibly be made ; and the Captain arranged to give the order himself f or the broadside to be fired at the exact moment . ’ I was o n the poop by the Captain s side . Suddenly he asked whether all was ready below the guns being elevated to 1 2 00 yards and loaded “ ir w as s . with shell . The answer , Yes , He ” f ew o f said , Stand by . A seconds suspense f fire was o ff ollowed . When the order to given , went the roar o f these guns simultaneously f rom o u r whole broadside and in a f ew seconds I saw the most lovely illumination o f the whole front o f u r Fort Constantine . O shells had burst beauti f f O f f f or or ully . On the ace the ort , an instant so , I could plainly see the embrasures ( s o to speak) f f o f . lit up , and , indeed , the whole ace the ort A minute o r two elapsed before any fire was

returned . First came o ne or two shots ; then gradually more until they began pounding away ’ fi - to their hearts content , ring red hot shot , shells , T H E CRIMEA 5 9

c u t . and chain shot , the latter to our rigging The shells I could plainly see coming over us , some f ew bursting short ; but the enemy must have o u r 2 0 0 f estimated range to be yards arther out , f o r u s o u r hundreds passed over , cutting rigging f f unmerci ully . Had we been that distance arther out to sea we should indeed have g ot a proper mauling . It was great luck , indeed , that our hull

a five w s hit only times . We lost only two killed and five wounded all at o n e gun under the poop : just below where my Captain and I were standing . I shall never f orget an idiot o f a Signalman who on , hearing the crash , yelled out to me , ou t Look , sir the mast is coming down by the ” run . This shot certainly made great havoc . f v A ter knocking these poor chaps o er , it tore up

o n o u r - o f some planks quarter deck , smashed part of o u r the mast , and made a hole in the stern boom boat in its passage overboard to the other f side . For a quarter o an hour or more these shots and shells came very thick . We loaded f or ot u n another broadside , but suddenly g into t pleasant shoal water : so we had o turn tail . I ou r believe orders were not to run any risks , and not to fire more than one or two broadsides if the

o u r : f o u r enemy got range a ter all , purpose was f served in worrying the orts . Though the engage f o f ment was exciting , I elt glad when we got out range . It certainly was too hot t o be pleasant . ’ 6 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

f When the retreat rom quarters was sounded , there was a general call f or the steward ; and ’ (now two o clock in the morning) potted lobster ,

. tinned salmon , and sardines were eagerly devoured Many a yarn about the details o f the night passed f between us . We were a terwards told that the ff whole Fleet had been watching the a air, which was described as lovely in the distance . Next w e ou r day buried dead outside at s ea . Some people think that being sewn up in a hammock to f o f with two shots tied the oot it , and being o f launched overboard , is the best way being buried . I do not . I hated seeing the bodies slipped overboard out o f a port f rom a grating f during the uneral service . For a f ortnight we had cholera in the Fleet pretty badly . I think we lost eleven poor o u r chaps in ship alone . Many others were seized , but got over it . Our men generally f ell ill about daybreak o r soon af ter . I have seen them , seized with the horrid cramp , tumble down while decks were being washed . The best precaution was to make every one as cheer f u l so o f as possible , as to keep the devil out O ff o n the mind . The band used to play and all day ; while games and smoking were allowed ’ lib a a .

By the next mail I wrote to my mother , describing the night attack and saying

’ 6 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS being to mislead the Russians into thinking that we were bound with troops to the Alma . o ff We anchored that night Eupatoria , returning to Sebastopol next day . Whether the Russians ou r oe were taken in by man uvre , or they thought it a capital joke , we never knew . Nothing came o f the emprise .

The second time we weighed , the ships were

ou t o f spread across the mouth the harbour . We slung o u r long - range 6 8 - pounders o n the ° f - o f fi ore stay , and at an elevation 4 5 red occasional shots towards the batteries . I think that we did not do any harm we could not quite range the o ne o f batteries . On that occasion our small steamers went in pretty close under the land , to reconnoitre ; and the Russian paddle f rigate

Vl a da mir ou t o f was the harbour like a shot , and might have caught o u r vessel had not o ne or two other steamers gone to the rescue and driven ro f the Russian o ff . At night we had to w care ul guard round the ships . The Russians also had

- guard boats ; but we seldom came across them . H ow ff o f di erent it would be now , in the days

- " search lights , steam launches , and torpedo boats ’ No fleet would dare to anchor o ff a harbour s mouth f o r weeks together . There was great excitement about this time over a person who professed t o be able to steal in at night in a submerged canoe , drop an anchor T H E CRIMEA 6 3

o f when within a certain distance the Russian ship , fire his submarine mine under her bows , and haul f o t was himsel u by his cable . I believe he a blue ’ f D Ac o S t. ea n re j acket the j7 ; but , somehow , the f o ff per ormance never came .

At this time my uncle became very unwell , and t o f had o be invalided . This was a matter great regret to us all on board ; f or not only was he deservedly popular, but also we knew that , while

o u r u under his command , good ship wo ld have been o n e o f the first selected f o r any particular service . He was always most kind and considerate to me but in those days it was not a good thing f or the skipper to have a near relation serving under o f him . That created a certain amount suspicion , and at times made me feel that I might be thought the originator o f some gossip that may have o f reached his ears . Having the run his cabin o n e was a great boon . On occasion , having. met f was with a nasty accident to my oot , I laid up in f r a cot in his cabin o three weeks . I could never

- f get into a pair o f ready mades a terwards . C H A P T E R V

P U N I S H M E N T S I N T H E N AV Y

T H E new Captain was a horrid speculation to us juniors . When it was announced that he was Sir

Lewis Tobias Jones , dread ran through us . He was what we called a taut hand an officer with o f a stern sense duty , which was all he lived

f or on board ship . That was his reputation . We were agreeably surprised af ter a very short For f f or time . mysel , I had great admiration

his character , and none could question his great w as ot abilities . I soon made his and g f o f o n swimmingly . I recollect his running oul me only o n one occasion ; and no doubt I deserved

it . It was a bitterly cold day , and (as is the custom when a ship is under canvas) the wretched middy o f the watch had to walk the lee side o f f the deck . Un ortunately, the main trysail was — d set the most draughty sail in the worl , send ing all its winds bang down your neck from o ne

of u - f end the q arter deck to the other . I elt PUNISHMENTS IN THE NAVY 6 5

o f inadvert perished with cold , and in a moment fi to ence put my poor little ngers into my pocket , Now keep them warm . , the weather side is the s o sheltered side (it sounds illogical , but it is) ; and no doubt Captain Jones did not realise my o n benumbed state , he being the more sheltered f side o the deck . Seeing my hands in my ’ pockets o n the sacred precincts o f Her Majesty s

- quarter deck was beyond what he could bear . f He called me up , there ore , and said , in rather a P S ir stentorian voice , ray , , who allowed you to keep your hands in you r pockets on the quarter deck Go down immediately to the tailor o n the half - deck "a worthy who was always seen squat ting with his mate between two guns at the after o f end the main deck , sewing clothes", and tell him f rom me to s ew your pockets up instantly ; and to report me , sir , when he has done so . I fled , f eeling disgraced , and knowing that the only chance o f retrieving my character w as to urge the tailor “ ” to bear a hand ; as the sooner I appeared o n

w . deck se n up , the better It was but the work o f an instant . The tailor twigged the situa

tion , dropped all his work , and sewed me up

in no time . When I reached the deck , trem

bling almost , with my report ready , the sten

was torian voice had disappeared , and I accosted “ f Now in the most atherly manner . , my boy ,

t . this is a lesson o you . Do not do it again 6 6 A MIDDY ’S RECOLLECTIONS

GO w belo to the tailor, and tell him to unsew your ” pockets .

Now . , I am going to moralise I appreciated that f orm o f reprimand much better than I should have relished a senseless punishment such as , ’

f f f to . un ortunately , o ten alls the middy s lot I u to o f O f all de the stopping leave . course , that ff P could have e ect only when in harbour . ossibly , f f there ore , your ship might be weeks at sea a ter the punishment was awarded and you had it hanging f over your head . A boy was debarred rom seeing new o f some place interest , an experience which would have been more beneficial to his mind than

- the punishment was to his morals . Mast heading “ f - was another orm . Go up to the mast head ,

ou . and wait until I call y down This , on a rough day was very disagreeable the jerking of spars (to say nothing o f the climb up into the skies) did n ot abate the f eeling o f s ea- sickness ; and woe betide you if by any chance you made an unfortunate exhibition o f yourself " Among other punishments was what was termed sticking Y you on the bitts . ou stood on the wooden f raming round the mast , to which the ropes were f or fi of belayed , a speci ed number hours ; and f f . you not only looked , but also elt , an abj ect ool Sometimes yo u had watch- and- watch— f our hours o n f h o ff duty to our ours . During these punish ments there was generally one friend who had PUNISHMENTS IN THE NAVY 6 7

’ n w as compassion o you . That the boatswain s o f mate the watch . When he got the opportunity , he would invariably go behind the mast and near ou where y might be undergoing your punishment , o f spin you a yarn what he had seen in his time , ff ou and o er you some consolation , telling y to

endure your disgrace like a man . ’ fine f These boatswain s mates were ellows , as a rule but generally they had to bear the brunt if o r something went wrong with the sails ropes . ’ or Boatswain s mate , why the Devil this that — was constantly yelled ou t by the offi cer o f the o f watch . Noise and repetition orders emanating f rom that worthy were a sure sign that the officer o f the watch was not up to his work . Standing between two guns o n the quarter deck f or so many half hours was another f orm o f f punishment . This was killing . It o ten happened that the poor middy f ound himself in close prox ’ imity to some dirty cook s mate placed between two guns f o r neglecting to keep clean something under his charge . These punishments were very senseless : irri tating to some natures , and disgusting many a bo y with the Service . I have known several s erious cases o f insubordination consequent o n such punishments , which stung some characters to the

f that fi quick . A case happened to mysel shall f o f never orget . As mid the watch , I had to 6 8 A MIDDY ’S RECOLLECTIONS

. 0 A . M call a certain Commander at 5 3 . Calling a strict Commander whom you very much f unked was f in itsel a nervous transaction . But this offi cer seemed particularly to love cross- question ing the wretched small boy . The question usually “ fi ou w as H o w " rst put to y , is the weather f ollowed by various others— some diffi cult to answer , perhaps . On the occasion to which I

f - o f — re er , it happened to be a washing clothes morning ; and this very bearish Commander asked me whether the clothes were up , meaning , Were all " the clothes hung up o n the lines and in their places ffi v On my answering in the a rmati e , he asked , H ow many blue f rocks are there hanging on the ” " For f of not lower lines the li e me , I could tell nor could one possibly discover by any depth o f reasoning what object there was in knowing how many blue serge f rocks were hanging up to dry o u t of a complement o f 8 5 0 souls . I “ ’ bu t I answered , I don t know exactly , sir will ’ o s ee " . Yo u g and don t know , sir exclaimed “ f s ee this in uriated gouty person . I will about M f or that . eantime , consider your leave stopped ” M — a month . And this in alta Harbour where we ou r f had cricket , rackets , billiards , riends , and

o f f u n f — every sort , besides a hal crown stall at the we ff c o n opera when could a ord it . The only solation is that (I suppose) it did not do me much o n harm , but that , the contrary , it taught me a

’ 7 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

to the temptation disobey orders . They were not - or c o n ill treated by their shipmates , soured by f - fin in f stant aul t d g . Their sole object in li e seemed to be to go in a direction exactly opposite to that which was right . I believe this to be a mode o f insanity . C H A P T E R VI

R U S S I A C O L L A P S E S

EA R L Y in September 1 8 5 5 it was generally known

that the game was nearly up with the Russians . n t Sebastopol could o hold o u t much longer . The bombarding had been very heavy and constant f or th o f com some days . On the 7 that month the bined Fleets made all preparations to attack the

f orts in conjunction with the land batteries . We f or ou r prepared action , got all upper masts down , o f unrove a deal rope , placed shot about the deck , and demolished all bulkheads and when once the splinter nettings were placed we knew that business

w as meant . Steam was ready in the early morn o f 8 th o f f ing the September , and , a ter ceaseless f o u r blockading , we elt that turn to be up and

doing had come .

. o n Alas , we were mistaken It came to blow

- r . A . M o a gale dead onshore About 9 . Com mander- in- Chief signalled to the French gdmiral Do you think it advisable to weigh and attack " ’ 7 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

do n ot ffi What was answered I remember . Su ce to f of it say that , a ter all the excitement a coming - W ding dong , we remained at anchor . iser heads took the responsibility . f The south side ell that day . We watched the of f o n was huge explosions the orts that side . It — o f indeed a grand sight , the enormous columns ’ ’ a ekris smoke , dust , and flying majestically into the o f air in great shoots, and dense clouds it hanging c on thickly at the base . On the second day this tinu e f d . We could also plainly see streams o soldiers crossing the bridge o f boats over the harbour to the north side , where Fort Constantine ou t f still stood unscathed . I think many o the Russian ships- o f - war were sunk in the harbour at that juncture . Early in October we were ordered to embark 6 rd o f the 3 Regiment the Line and , together with a goodly company o f other ships with troops on f for we board , we le t Odessa , where , it seems , o u r made a reconnaissance only , real object being Kimbu rn f fi o f , a orti ed spit near the entrance the o f off Kimbu rn Sea Azov . Arriving , we trans f o u r f o f Vulca n erred reight soldiers to the , trans f fi port ship , and prepared to attack the orti cations . I find myself writing home by next mail as f ollows

K im bu rn P . M . We arrived at this place, , about 3 , and anchored about two and a half miles O ff the forts in RUSSIA COLLAPSES 7 3

a N a a a t very shallow w ter . othing h ppened th t f ernoon , an d we commenced preparing for action for the follow

a w as . ing day, being sure we should ttack, but it postponed ’ They say it was all Admiral B ru at s fault (French Ad a L a mir l), for yons c nnot do anything without his per

as . t t mission , he is much the senior We then hough d da . an our turn would come the next y But it did not, ’ w as Bru at s a a we found i t all old f ult, for he will h ve A L nothing to do with it . dmiral yons was very much put out about this, for depend upon it, that if he had been alone I really believe he would have gone in the day we so arrived ; but he was determined to do something, he ordered all the mortar- boats to commence shelling the an d place, which consisted of nine forts houses . The following day our Admiral m ade the signal to Old B ruat ” a t a A A This is fine day to a t ck . nswer was gree ’ a So 1 2 O o t and a ble . at clock we g under weigh ste med t 6 8 - in , firing our long pivo gun , a solid pounder, occasion a t lly, but not withou receiving some shots in return , and W a some not pleasant at all . Whish hish on they c me z 6 00 by the do en . When about yards from the centre a an d a a as battery we nchored put Spring in our c ble, so a A t was to keep our bro dside well on to the forts . ll his only the work of a few minutes , when we let drive from our 6 as as a whole 4 guns hard we could, firing occasion lly w as — ith moorsom shell as well round shot such a row, an d such dense smoke as was never seen or heard . I was

a n to const ntly sent dow with messages direct the firing, but it was nigh impossible to make myself heard to the O f an d ficers of the quarters , the smoke between decks was t an d ff so dense I could see absolutely no hing , felt su ocated sa a into the bargain . I must y I was awfully nxious to the a a a go in, but on other h nd equ lly gl d to come out . ’ 74 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

We blaz ed at them for one hour and a half before t hey surrendered we sent in a fl ag of truce an d asked them if an d they had had enough of it wished to surrender, saw t which they readily acquiesced in . I then hem t sending down their roops to the beach , with their arms an d and knapsacks, piling them on the beach . We gave the forts an awful pounding an d completely smothered m them . I ust tell you that two French fl oating batteries m bombarded the place all the orning before we went in , so they deserve more than h alf the credit of taking the

a . a a ff pl ce There were sever l forts . I fe r they su ered a a consider ble loss . I believe we were the only ship th t got knocked about a bit : we were struck in several

r z places . O u mi en topsail yard w as shot away and our bu t Side hit, we only had one man wounded and a good as a deal of rigging w cut to pieces . I am quite a w rrior Y now, three times under fire out here . esterday I went s ee w as t ashore to the place, which almos knocked down an d d a full of our shot an broken Shell . I picked up a a t an d a - few curios , such as b yone looking glass, ’ a a C R lso ossack s stirrup iron , and a piece of the ussian U nion "ack, which I will enclose . I hear we killed an d wo un ded a great many I s aw a lot of dead bodies . All our launches wen t ashore the first evening after o ff t the bombardment, and brought lo s of wounded Russians to be cared for on board good practice for our

doctors . 1 t We have taken 5 00 prisoners . I think I have old

m x you all for this ail , e cept that in the midst of the fight, saw u I was standing on the poop as usual , when I o r Turkish pilot suddenly fall head over heels backwards in

a large tub of water we had on deck in case of fire . I

thought he was killed , instead of which I feel sure he R USSIA COLLAPSES 7 5

a fell b ck from dire funk, because a Shot whisked past a his head . I could not help l ughing, as indeed we all did .

c o n Such were my descriptions . I evidently ense f d d my subjects . But I well recollect eeling f o r who S O u nmerci pity the poor Russians , were f ully hammered by the broadsides o f s o many line o f— ou r 2 - battle ships, 3 pounders working complete f destruction and levelling the orts . At times I could s ee ou r shot flying into the f ort only 6 00 yards

- fir n o ff . As quick i g meant approximately three ’ f o f rounds a minute rom each gun a liner s battery , the nu mber o f rounds fired c an be imagined though we cou ld not keep it u p long at that rate . Captain Jones always wore a tall black beaver hat (which was considered unif orm in those days) with what we called a lightning conductor nothing more nor anything less than a piece o f broad f gold lace rom the crown to the brim . It was an economical costume : o ff came the lightning c o n ou t ductor when the Captain landed , and he was o f f f fi uni orm . A ter the ring ceased his hat caused some merriment : it was white from the smoke o f a the gunpowder adhering to the n p . f Kimbu rn l We le t next day , stil thinking was o f that Odessa to be bombarded but , instead u old o ff going thither , we ret rned to our diggings

Sebastopol . The sailing squadron was now ordered re- home , and the Naval Brigade embarked ; and ’ 7 6 MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

was f f or there nothing le t the Fleet to do , as the south side o f Sebastopol had f allen and the Russians o f o u r fi were in a state collapse . So , to in nite o w e to j y, were ordered take a cruise into the : to Mediterranean while away the time , and await events .

’ 7 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

The bazaars also were an attraction , and very good ; and the town to my mind seemed more f Turkish than Constantinople itsel . Sometimes w e on o r ou r fi iends gave a dance board , took f f r . o . a picnic In act , the soj ourn was enjoyable h was u o u r Dwelling t ere a certain Miss Blo nt , ’ Consul s daughter . She was considered a great beauty , and was always called The Fair Maid ’ o f s o O f Athens, being like the lady Byron s f song . I rather think that her ather was Consul Mes salo n hi at g , where , it is said , Byron wrote his ” o n lines The Fair Maid . f f r P o ae . A ter leaving Smyrna , we sailed the ir us fi We stayed some little time , re tting and we mids o f got up regattas , hiring the sailing boats the P u a . ir e s , and racing round Salamis bay and islands Here it was that I derived my first taste f or boat sailing , which in my late years led to so much — o f yacht racing in England . The snug harbour f r the Pirae us always had a charm o me . I have f o ten visited Athens since those days , both in men of - war and in a private capacity ; and I know o f no better station to be on while in command o f a f ship . Your limits generally extended rom Corf u Chal chis f f l to . Cor u and its islands are per ect y ff charming , and a ord excellent wild shooting . I have made very considerable bags in those parts ; o f and was , luckily , once under the command a

P . genuine sportsman , Admiral Hobart asha We LEISURE HOURS 79 used to shoot great quantities o f game in the of Morea , all round in the bays those lovely

o f f or o f stretches country . Fi ty sixty couple f ou r o n woodcock ell to guns several occasions , when you just happened to hit o ff a flight o f these birds . Snipe also abounded , and wild duck and pigs were to be got . Indeed , in all the bays there o f was always plenty game , and in the higher lands

- the red legged partridge . Hobart was a genuine f sportsman , and a wonder ully good shot . Every o f day the week he used to get some shooting , or W devoting Sundays to consular work , to hatever business the ship was sent to do : shooting was more to his taste . We had still better sport u Is canderou n up a river called the Jah n , in Bay . o u r o n o ne We were returning to ship occasion , having been tenting—out up this fine river f or ten days . Our two boats were well laden with game , f . c o n besides wild boar Un ortunately , the boat taining Hobart and myself filled and swamped as we were crossing the bar . We managed to touch hard sand when we stepped out ; but it was — — o of touch and g , as the current out the river was f at a great pace , and the breakers and sur

. God w e were running very high Thank , all w e o u r escaped ; but lost boat , game , guns, dogs , r and all . The poor b utes swam in o u r eddy as long as they could ; but soon they became ex hau sted f to s ea , and dri ted away , to be drowned . ’ 8 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

was The society at Athens most enjoyable , and the number o f times I lost my heart it would be hard to say . In late years, when I commanded the

R a id f p , a wooden sloop , my very dear riend and - in- f most excellent Commander Chie , Sir Hastings

Yelverton , used invariably to send me to that a of st tion , where I had the honour becoming acquainted with His Majesty King George and an Her Majesty Queen Olga . No words that I c use would be commensurate with the marked kindness and hospitality that I received at their ’ o f Majesties hands . I spent many the happiest o f f f or days my li e under their roo , otherwise in their society ; and some who may chance to read these lines will bear me o u t in acknowledging the debts o f gratitude which those who had the distin ’ g u ished privilege o f their Majesties acquaintance must have f elt f or the kindness shown to them o n

- their visiting Athens , and that lovely country seat , fi K ’ Tatoi . I rst knew Athens in ing Otho s reign ; ’ ’ c ou cl eta t and I was there at the p , when His ’ Majesty was conveyed away in Her Majesty s ship S lla y , commanded by Rowley Lambert . From Athens the P rinces s R oya l was suddenly ordered to proceed post- haste to the island o f Z e a R o a l All bert , in the Archipelago , where the y , h ad f flagship , sought re uge , having sprung a serious leak in her stern post o n the way from

Constantinople . We f ound her with her bows

’ 8 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS with its numerous creeks splitting up the town into several small ones : though under diff erent names, it was all Malta . There were an excellent club , races, cricket , and every sport save shoot f ing , though quails were to be ound at certain seasons . About the middle of April 1 8 5 6 o u r stay at f f Malta came to an end . We le t or a cruise in the Archipelago : to pass the time during the long armistice , and also , I imagine , to be handily awaiting events while the peace preliminaries were under discussion . W e n ot . . had long to wait A day or two after we arrived at the island o f Rhodes the “ S ite ul p f hove in sight , flying the signal , Have f or important despatches you . These turned o u t to be an order to proceed f ull- speed to Co n s tantino le ou r o ff p , to hoist guns out , and be

f o n as ast as possible to the Crimea, to take f or board troops conveyance to England . Hurrah " We were indeed glad to find the war at an end f and home looming in the near uture . Our guns were hoisted o u t o n the Asiatic side o f the o ne ffi Bosphorus , and day su ced to turn the man

- — . f o war into a troop ship . Eighteen months is not a long time f or a sailor to be away from home ; bo f w ar f yet as a y, especially a ter service , one elt ’ a f — a nxious to return to one s amily , small warrior ’ f f M no ull o narrative . y cadet s time had w LEISURE HOURS 8 3

“ expired : s o I was able to d o n the patch o f o n f P white the collar , and elt as proud as unch . From the Bosphorus we made f or Katz atc h o n o f harbour , and took board a battalion the u ilier s 1 2 6 0 . Scotch F Guards , strong fine o f ar We had a army at the close the w . I believe that most o f the regiments were on a real

war~s tren th f u siliers g ooting . The Scots F were a offi c ered of fi splendid regiment , by some the nest f ellows you could possibly meet . Several were f o f f o r f great riends mine years a terwards ; though , o f as I write this , many them are gone . Alister

T ref u s is Frazer , , Astley (the mate) , Gordon ,

— Erskine , Gipps , all had served through the war . 1 8 f Landing at Varna in 5 4 , they had ought at the

Alma , at Inkerman , at Balaclava , and in other o f actions , and weathered the storm shot and shell in

the trenches during those tedious and trying times . be It was a marvel they lived to tell the tale . I lieve that only 4 00 o f the men who landed with the regiment at the beginning o f the w ar came home M o f o f in my ship . ost the other ships the Fleet

were embarking troops , and every available steamer f was chartered rom the Merchant Service . The f o r Hima l aya bore the palm size and beauty . She was looked on in those days as simply majestic f nothing approached her in size . She was a ter f P . wards brought into the Navy rom the . and O f or f s he Company , and years a terwards served ’ 84 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

- as a troop ship with the White Ensign at the peak , and was always, until her last days , considered a perf ect vessel : s he could be relied o n to make to her long passages almost a day . I saw her 1 8 6 in 9 , about to be broken up , lying in the H am oaz e at Plymouth ; and I could not help f eeling a pang when I heard that her days were to f or numbered and she was be broken up , a f more duti ul vessel has not graced the Royal Navy . one o u t On whatever station happened to be , old would come this glorious ship , looking as neat old as possible , even in her age . We in the P rinces s R oya l did all we could to f or make the time pass pleasantly the Scots . The Mate (Astley) was always to the f ore sky- larking with us mids ; and we tried the old game o f f s o getting him alo t to lash him to the rigging , that he should “ pay his f ooting ” (as it was c at called) ; but he was as nimble as a , and we never succeeded . to l We stopped coal at Malta and at Gibra tar , and made the best o f o u r way to England under f steam and sail . We took three weeks rom Sebastopol to Spithead no t a bad time f or a liner f o those days . Directly we anchored at Spithead a couple o r

- o u r gun boats were lashed alongside , and living freight was soon away to the ringing cheers o f o u r sailors . Again and again this healthy display

C H A P T E R VIII

S O M E D I S T I NG U I S H E D S A I L O R S

WI T H I N a month o f the letter f rom Captain K to f eppel my ather , I was appointed to the R a lei h f o f 0 fi o u t g , sailing rigate 5 guns, then tting f or the East Indies and China stations . I recall f o f vividly the honour I elt at the idea serving, under that Captain . I had been thrown in with him all through the Baltic and the Crimean campaigns . I did not serve in the Naval Brigade ashore ; but he was the constant companion o f my uncle when ff s aw d opportunities o ered , and in that way I a eal o f i K him . Throughout the war Capta n eppel and Lord Clarence Paget were always putting their heads f together , trying to in use more spirit into what was done . Well do I recollect overhearing their f remarks , especially those in re erence to the Baltic Do- Nothing Policy — how it aff ronted these enter " K f o f fire prising minds eppel was ull dash and , though always blessed with an iron nerve . His as n o t f w a nature that ever contemplated ailure .

SOME DISTINGUISHED SAILORS 8 7

f f I had plenty o opportunities o finding this out . I wa s not destined to serve long under his command f but I learnt to admire his love or the Service . I have heard it said that he did not study the possi bilities o f risk enough : that at times he was o f " to adventurous . Where and when did he ail

Let us leave well alone . He was the most genial f o f o . men , with the kindest hearts A great dis i n c i linar a . p he was not Still , in a service like the Navy you are as much in need o f a character like o f Keppel as you are a Sir William Martin . Both ff o ne are admirable in their di erent ways . In the case you train a man to perfect discipline ; in the other you make use o f that discipline and steadiness o f when the moment dash is required . One man may shine in o n e particular sphere ; another shines ffi elsewhere and both may be invaluable o cers . I have known Captains who (either f rom their own f s o peculiar natures , or perhaps rom having been trained in their younger days) apparently thought it absolutely wrong to hold f riendly intercourse with their subordinates o n board ship they could n o t o f f - bear the idea a riendly Good morning , and seemed glued to the notion that all discipline was if o f at an end the symptom a j oke appeared . Talking o f a f riendly Good- morning puts me in mind o f what occurred between a young lieutenant o fli ce r just joined and an I knew very well , who , m o ff though a ost pleasant man duty , had very 8 8 A MIDDY ’S RECOLLECTIONS

strong opinions as to the sanctity o f being on duty he carried them to such an extent that he would n ot even shake hands with any Captain o f his own standing who might happen to call on board his

ship . The young lieutenant was keeping the morn f o r fi M A . . ing watch the rst time , and at about the Commander o f the ship came up o n the poop bef ore the morning evolution o f crossing yards

and s o o n . As he approached the lieutenant the - s ir latter said , Good morning , . To that no

answer was given . Thinking that the Commander n ot had heard his salutation , the lieutenant repeated

it . Thereupon the Commander turned round “ " ” and asked , What is that you say The lieu " was tenant answered , Oh I only saying Good ” o u " morning to you , sir . Oh were y I will tell f or - you , once all , there is no Good morning here , ’ s ir. It s all work . What the young lieutenant thought I must leave to my readers to imagine . The whole episode was so characteristic o f the Commander that when I heard the story I would have laid a thousand to o ne that I knew the man and a finer Offi cer or more agreeable man in any as o fin O f w t d . ou other capacity it hard course , y soon learnt to f ear and respect such an offi cer but if not f he were a splendid pro essional man , and fi o f no t withal a gentleman , his gure merit did f always shine in the Service . It is a singular act that no body o f men are s o alive as the blue—jackets

’ 9 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS side than Captain Stewart came down the ac co m m odatio n ladder to conf er about my boats . Just at that moment the pipe went o n board the M a rl h horoug to cross royal yards and loose sails . The ship had been refitting ; her topmasts were struck ; the yards were down and across the hammock nettings . Thus , as all sailors will understand , the evolution about to be perf ormed was a very big 1 00 business . No sooner was the pipe given than 3 men f orming the crew were rushing to their stations up ladders and hatchways ; and , beyond

- — a o f f . the pit pat eet , not a sound was to be heard

Stewart , bored to death at having to inspect my o f e boats at that moment , instead b ing at his post o n o f the poop , said to me , by way consolation , “ ” M c an " ontagu , you hear a pin drop He meant to indicate how proud he f elt that his I 3 00 men were rushing to their stations in perfect “ “ ’ s ir silence . Well , , I answered , it s a remark able sign o f the order o f your ship that not a sound ” M is to be heard . Yes , ontagu this is the ship ” o u y ought to be in , he said . Beyond an occa u f af t or f sio al order rom the Commander , rom the fi f rst lieutenant orward , no human voice , as a rule , was heard ; and most o f the orders were carried

- o u t . If by flag signals any voice was heard , or the slightest confusion arose o n any part o f the o r f deck , alo t , the bugle immediately sounded the ” no t Still ; and a soul mo ved . It was curious to SO ME DISTINGUISHED SAILORS 9 1 s e e the strange positions o f arms and legs at such moments . I believe that the bugle on deck was fi M a rl horou h rst used in the g ; and , to my mind , ’ it did heighten immensely the discipline o f a ship s If company . a dilemma occurred , the bugle was sounded ; and the men were so trained to it that all orders could be spoken quietly , steadying every o n ins e c thing the spot . I need not say that my p tion ended soon . Captain Stewart glanced into the boats , and , not being able to resist the temptation

o n to go to his poop , whispered to me , Go back to your ship your boats are all correct .

R a lei h K On being appointed to the g , eppel o f was given the rank Commodore , as second in f o n o u r . command the China statio , destination

Consequently , we flew a blue broad pennant at the f O f ore ; and I was very proud this , as , on join ing , I was made his signal midshipman . The other midshipmen in command o f boats very soon had the blue burgee p ainted o n the bows o f their craft .

K ofli ce rs f eppel , I believe , chose all his himsel ; a better l o t never s e t f oot o n board ship ; and there was every prospect o f a long and happy com i l ’ . Ma s homme ro D ie di os e et u s os e. mission p p , p We were ready f or s ea about the middle o f Octo 1 8 6 o f P ber 5 , and sailed out ortsmouth Harbour

- s e with studding sails t . Tugs were handy ; but K o f eppel disdained the use them , much to the ’ 9 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

’ f P . O f ort Admiral s discom ort We , most us, had o f : f a goodly number relations on board in act , was — o f the ship crowded with sight seers , some not whom even went up into the tops . I do f or R a lei h know certain , but it is said that the g was the last sailing f rigate that lef t the harbour f 2 6th o f under canvas . We le t Spithead on the 1 8 6 f October 5 , and , a ter a dead beat down Channel , f r fi e called in at Plymouth o nal orders . Here w o was dispatched u r last letters home . Mine my f to last rom English shores my mother . From P we M lymouth shaped course to adeira , and took ten days on the passage , meeting with strong o f H ow contrary winds the latter part the time . strange is the diff erence o f being in ship and making a passage f rom port to port with the use o f sail power alone — no steam to f all back o n in case of emergency And how much more interest was o n ing , and even exciting , it entering and if leaving a port , particularly your ship was well m anmu vred , while you were threading your way into some diffi cult harbour f ull o f shipping to pick up a snug berth among the crowd At sea one is constantly on the look- out f o r the weather (change o f f o f wind and so orth) , taking advantage every opportunity to get o n by crowding a press o f sail o n the ship when opportunity off ers . Sailing in and o u t o f harbour required a deal o f judgment and prompt decision any o ne having two minds

’ 94 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

f a air wind all the way , and were not much de K layed while crossing the line . eppel was good at carrying on , and not a man to lose a minute on o f a passage . We carried away a goodly number f f spars be ore we got to the Cape , and be ore we n ot f S got to China we had a spare spar le t . pare

- o u r top gallant masts were requisitioned , and sweeps were cu t up f or studding- sail- booms and yards . Sweeps were huge oars , to be worked o u t of a main - deck port during calms ; but I do not suppose that they would have been o f much

0- f help in propelling a 5 gun rigate . Our best run in the twenty- f our hours between 2 6 South America and the Cape was 9 knots . For six days we averaged 2 7 5 miles a day— no great speed in the present day , but considered a f or f f very high rate a sailing rigate orty years ago . C H A P T E R IX

P L A Y O N B O A R D ; A N D S O M E D U TI E S

O NE day was much like another, though , I am sure , we middies enjoyed the whole business . There was constant interest in watching the good ship speeding along , driving great bow waves in f o f f ront her , the oam churning up along her sides f as she passed swi tly through the water . Occasion

- - ally some studding sail boom would carry away , o r ropes attached to it would break ; and we watched the degrees o f seamanship exercised by the various offi cers in getting sails reset as speedily as possible . This caused rivalry between the middies , as we naturally backed up the lieutenants to whose watches we were appointed ; and o ne constantly “ heard recriminations down below . I say , Jimmy , what a mess yo u made of your topmast studding sail last night in the middle watch you got your ” “ ”

f ou . sail be ore all , and there y were Oh , s a another would y, you have nothing to swagger about . Look at last Thursday in the morning ’ 9 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

watch . You were an hour crossing those royal

ou yards and setting the sails , and then y had to f rig and unrig the gear hal a dozen times over . I

on o u am sure the Commodore has his eye y , and it will serve yo u right if you get leave stopped ” when we get in . These conversations at times w waxed arm , but were generally hushed by some ’ who f senior in the mess , , taking his a ternoon s “ stretch o ff the land in the shape o f a good snooze , would be very angry at being disturbed . f In the evenings, a ter quarters (parade) , the upper deck was devoted to games — single - stick and

- —f sky larking . Leap rog round the decks was a f avourite escapade . Sling the monkey was another . That was a boisterous amusement . One o f us was slung in a rope f astened round the f waist ; with knotted handkerchie s , the others set to work to lash the unfortunate person who was f slung ; and he , in his turn , swung himsel one o f desperately about , endeavouring to hit the o f If crowd with his knotted piece rope . he f f ou t o f caught a ellow airly he came the sling , and the other slipped into his place . When the was ship rolling about , the game required much d balance and ju gment . Lacking those qualities , the person in the sling would get nasty knocks ’ a . gainst the masts or ship s side However , a

- ffi young gun room o cer was pretty tough , and scarcely ever came to grief enough to hurt him

’ 9 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

A M . and meant being on deck at 4 . The matter I disliked most was the short allowance o f time after being called to appear o n deck at night to relieve the watch — though I generally contrived to be if v fi e . called , I could , minutes to the time As soon as the eight bells had rung the boatswain w to mate ent below rouse up the coming watch , and in eight minutes the new watch was called to be o u t o f mustered . In cold wet weather , turning a

warm hammock , and having only eight minutes to

o n . dress and appear deck , was rather short work Then came the horrid ordeal o f calling out

hundreds o f names while mustering the watch . In a line- of - battle ship it meant 3 5 0 names or

thereabouts , and the wretched mid was nearly

f f - choked be ore he got hal way through . What

ever the weather was , this muster process had to f or be got through as quickly as possible , the old watch was not free to turn in before the muster f was over . Soon a ter daylight , when the decks

were washed , all sails that so required were reset , and any sail that had been taken o ff the ship the evening before f or precautionary measures was

set again in moderate weather . We crossed the line the day after Christmas ;

and , the weather being warm and calm , there was

a rare ado , with the usual ceremonies attending the f o f event . In act , one lived in salt water most

the day . Every new hand had to be ducked and PLAY ON BOARD — SOME DUTIES 9 9

’ shaved by Neptune s satellites , and some rough M play ensued . y duties during this long cruise o f t o were those signal mid the Commodore ,

o f - was a sort deputy flag lieutenant . He very f particular about being in ormed , when I called

0 . him at 5 . 3 , what vessels were in sight at daylight

All I s aw had t o be thoroughly described . By ’ eight o clock I was always ready f o r my break f ’ ast , which I invariably ate in the Commodore s mess , with the Captain and the Secretary . This

— was lucky , as in the gun room we were reduced to salt pork and biscuit after a week or two o u t . In o f o u r on spite being always a strict allowance , water was at times scarce . I c an recollect only o ne unpleasant occurrence

o u r on way o u t to the Cape . The ship caught ’ fire a f t - in the slop room , a store where the men s clothing was kept , and in close proximity to the magazine ; which was rather shaking to the nerves . fire m a ll The bell rang im ediately , and we were at o u r stations in a f ew moments . This was about

in the morning . My station was on the

- quarter deck , where I had to place sentries with a view to preventing men from j u mping overboard in panic terror , and also to see hammocks passed o f o n down in case necessity . The marine sentry walked up and down with a fixed bayonet . I cannot s ay it was pleasant to see smoke issuing up f one the a ter hatchways . At any moment might ’ 1 00 A MIDDY S ' RECO LLECT IO NS go s ky- high if the magazine exploded The Commodore was o ne of the first down to play the hose on the smouldering matter ; and it was amusing to see him rush down the af ter ladder with nothing on but a pair o f deck trousers and a flannel jersey . Sail was immediately s o shortened , and the ship placed as to prevent f ’ any draught going below . A ter half an hour s

fire re pumping the was subdued , and I well member watching the gradual return o f smiling countenances af ter the gloom o f the anxious half hour . While walking the deck I knew nothing o f what was going o n below ; but I heard after wards that the outer lining o f the magazine

ou r bulkhead had been burnt through , separating little outside world f rom the powder by not much f of f to spare . I can remember the eeling relie it aff orded me to hear the word passed up the hatch fire way that the was being got under , and still ” fire more to hear the pipe , Return stores . On such occasions— and in the same w ay when if — in action , the truth were known there are , f ew f I believe , men who do not eel a certain f f anxiety . Personally I always ound that I elt

less anxiety when moving about in action . On

board ship you are like a stationary target . When fighting on land and constantly on the move there is f ar less o f this emotion running through

your mind .

’ 1 0 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

w e resistance until were close alongside , and that ’ then he could quietly pot every mother s s o n of f o u r l us be ore we laid oars in . That I shou d be w as the best target unquestionable . Standing up if r I m fi u n o m . in , ade the most conspicuous gure And I often noticed that on my giving the order to draw cutlasses and stand by to board , there ’ were anxious looks o n the f aces o f my boat s P crew . ulling with their backs turned to what might prove to be the enemy was n ot a pleasant n ot position . I could see , but they could ; and with my glasses I often noticed men looking over ’ the coaster s bulwarks , crouching down in dire f o u r : o f unk at approach course , they might o f suspect us being the pirate , and possibly send a shot or two at us on spec . Thus there was a sort o f double event about of f or f this job being taken the pirate onesel , and o f finding the apparently peaceful trader a pirate f w e in disguise . There was much relie when ’ discovered each other s charms ; and many a laugh over a cigarette and bottle o f resin wine f w f hot ollo ed , especially pleasant a ter a long pull l o f two or three miles under a broi ing sun . I never caught a pirate ; though I had the luck to

f o f drive a boat ull the beggars ashore , when they burnt their boat and scattered up into the hills . The other Lieutenant o f the Foxhound did n ot f f are so well in his cruise a ter the pirates . Bent PIRATE- HUNTING 1 0 3

’ o n f - o f - a ruse , he le t his man war s boat , hired a native caique , and sailed about , disguising his crew by making them wear the regular Greek f dress, in which he attired himsel as well . f P o f f Un ortunately , the asha Rhodes had le t

- f or o n in a Turkish gun boat bound Smyrna , and , o f en route calling in at the island Symi , heard f o f rom the natives that island that a caique , d o ff apparently a pirate , had been seen becalme

- f f the north west point o the island the day be ore . fi ne for P This was a chance the asha . As it was f calm weather, he sallied orth in a north s aw westerly direction , and , to his delight , the ffi caiq u e in the o ng . Guns were loaded ; shots ’ were fired across the caique s bows ; and he ran

- w his gun boat alongside . Up ent the English

Ensign , which poor Turk naturally thought most improper , seeing a Greek boat and a Greek crew

n cu t : o deck . To my story short They were — boarded , taken prisoners , and thumb screwed . o n f or No power earth , a long time , could dis f f suade the Old Turk rom his way o thinking . So the caique was taken in tow , and a return journey o n made to Rhodes , where all board seemed like to be thrown into a dungeon . Luckily , there hap pened to be in their gun- boat a Scotch engineer who o n who , being called up , soon discovered w as everybody , and explained the ruse The poor old Pasha would even then not have it f o r a ’ 1 04 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

f or long time , and kept them prisoners the day ; f and when he had to release them , was urious at f having been taken in himsel . As soon as the F oxhound returned from her o f was cruise , all this , course , reported and

Hobart , not being a man to allow the British Flag t rifl ed off of u n to be with , rushed in chase the f P ortunate asha , caught him entering Smyrna Bay , fi red a shot across his bows , hove him to , boarded ’ Offi c ers him , gave him an hour to return all the and ’ ff men s e ects that had been bagged , pay a sovereign apiece to all the English crew , and salute the British Flag with twenty- o ne guns — or be blown f P o u t o . the water oor Turk , it is needless to f say , did what he was told The incident ound o u r its way to Ambassador at Constantinople , as and there w nearly a big shindy . ’ The R a leig h anchored in Simon s Bay o n arrival f ew at the Cape ; and we remained there a days , refitting and putting matters in order . During a fresh gale we dragged o u r anchor and parted o u r n o w e f cable but harm was done , though dri ted f rather near the only rocky part o the Bay . All the offi cers who could be spared went up to Cape

Town . There being no railroad , we drove or rode all the way . o f o u r The second night stay at the hotel , the middies took It Into their heads to entertain the

Commodore at dinner . That pleased him very

C H A P T E R XI

WA R W I T H C H I N A D E C L A R E D

A FT E R leaving the Cape we steered a southerly f or o f course some days , so as to get hold the

- south east trade winds , which took us north to the o f f line , making a poor passage it ; but rom the P o f line to enang , by the north end Sumatra , we made a tedious voyage . We were becalmed f or . near the line several days , in the doldrums There was no dependence o n a breeze when it sprang up . It was generally accompanied by wet f or strong squalls , which blew hard a short f f time rom all directions , and le t you again in a hot calm . One hour the ship was under all possible sail the next , perhaps , everything was in except the topsails , and they were lowered at times . f It was dreary work . Worse the sails were o ten f or t wo o f flapping about or three days , in a bit a f o f swell , with only the aintest airs to move you along . We did not anchor at Penang until the fif f s ix tieth day out rom the Cape . For weeks we f f had been o u t o sight o land . WAR WITH CHINA DECLARED 1 0 7

I shall never f orget the charm o f first scenting

the spice islands and the tropical vegetation , long f be ore land was in sight . These delicious flavours

o ff s ea came many miles to , and the scented airs f s were very pleasant a ter o long a voyage . I was ’

f o ne s ix . up alo t , as usual , morning at o clock

There was no land in sight , though I could smell it distinctly ; and we must have been f rom 6 0 to 8 0 miles f rom the nearest coast o f A chee n — o f Head , the north west end Sumatra . We had we met scarce a sail during this cruise , and were

glad to arrive and anchor . There was something particularly ref reshing in putting f oot ashore after o n being cooped up board , surrounded with no

thing but s ky and salt water . (We had become o f ou r rather short water , and allowance had had fi l to be reduced . ) When you rst and , legs and f f d ’ eet eel rather crampe , and one s body is sadly f o u t o o f . condition , even at the happy age sixteen P fi At enang , where we rst touched , we heard

that war with China was imminent . Our stay ,

ef c u t . ther ore , was very short We stopped only long enough to get in water and f resh provi

sions . Our next point was Singapore ; and get ting through the Straits o f Malacca took some K doing in a sailing vessel . eppel was in his glory at the prospect o f having a crack at John

Chinamen and again seeing active service . So it c an be imagined how we carried o n all the way to ’ 1 0 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

o r no Singapore . Squalls squalls , the ship had to f f put her best oot orward ; and , as at that season f or the Straits are celebrated violent squalls , we f or K to knew what was in store , eppel must get

- K f Hong ong in time to be in the ray . I must s ay that sometimes o u r nerves were a bit strained . One night in particular , during the o n to middle watch , it came blow like the very deuce . Everything , to bare topsails , had to be K o n taken in . eppel , lightly clad , rushed deck , and

ffi o f upbraided the o cer the watch , who had just f given a resh order to lower the topsails . The ship was now lying well over ; and , as standing o n was o u t o f f deck the question , nothing urther K could be done , though eppel instantly gave the order to hoist the topsail again , saying , Damn it , s ir we have been becalmed f o r some hours ; and

ou now a squall comes , and y do not take advantage o f f . s a o it It is needless to y, to . those my f readers who understand nautical li e , that no power in the R a leig h would ever have g ot those topsails up again during the squall— particularly

o u r - at the angle we were at , with main deck guns dragging through the water . We had many o f these escapades between Penang f and Singapore , and were o ten logged to be going twelve and thirteen knots in the smooth water, n braced sharp up o an easy bowline . It was very f f delight ul looking over the side , eeling the good

’ 1 1 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

set coasting anchor , and leaving all sails , until a breeze should spring up . This was a weary o f business , particularly amid the circumstances

our hurry . And now I come to a very eventful scene in ’ f ar my midshipman s career . So all had gone

o f o u r well with us . We were happy and proud f e ship . Little did we think what a w days were f ou r fine to bring orth still less , that ship would shortly be a wretched wreck . C H A P T E R XII

T H E R A L E I G H W R E C K E D

O N the 1 4 th o f April 1 8 5 7 we were sailing along

- o n . close hauled a lovely day A nice , gentle breeze w as blowing ; land and islands were all round u s ; and we had got within thirty miles o f

- K o ne our destination , Hong ong , when suddenly , at ’ ’ o clock , while the ship s company were at dinner , u f the good ship str ck a rock . Her bow li ted right up ; but not f or a moment did it deaden

w a . . her y She heaved , and passed on In an o n c o n instant all hands rushed deck , and the i f s tern at o n was simply appalling . We all elt that a dire calamity had come over us . At that moment I was looking over the hammock- netting o n re the weather bow , having just previously a ported rock awash two miles to leeward , which if I had been warned to report I could discover it . The sudden impact with this unknown rock which we had struck was s o severe that I was nearly jerked o u r o ff my seat . I knew that bow had come ’ 1 1 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

into serious collision somewhere under water . We were going about seven knots . fi was The rst order given to sound the well . f ew o n In a very minutes the carpenter came deck , and reported a considerable amount o f water rising as in the well . Rigging the pumps w the matter o f a f ew moments I never saw men turn to their f O ff f work in grander ashion . came their rocks ; fl an nel s they stripped to , and hove round with a will . We had two large chain pumps , besides smaller ones that cast o u t tons o f water every minute ; and buckets were used to bail water f rom below ; but , alas , to not much purpose . o n The water steadily gained us . f As it turned out a terwards , the rock proved f to be only 9 eet under water . It was shaped like f ’ a sugar loa , and the top was so small that a boat s n anchor could not lie o it . For about an hour we f were doing airly well with the pumping , and there was every hope that if the wind lasted we should

- K reach Hong ong . Every sort o f sail was improvised f or the occasion— even to setting the sails o f the boats o f hanging at the davits . At the end an hour , owing to the superhuman eff orts o f the men o f pumping , one the chain pumps broke down . f . we This caused a gloom A ter a bit , tried to f put a sail over the leak ; but this ailed , and no time could be spared troubling over it .

’ 1 1 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

ou r very considerably , which enabled ship to be steered f or the gradual shelving mud shoals o ff

Macao , some miles distant . to I reported the Commodore that , in the dis see tance and hull down , I could three French ’ —o f - - men war at anchor , with a Rear Admiral s flag

flying . This was great news . He instantly gave the order to salute the French flag , though we kept o n fi o f ring minute guns distress all the while . It was a fine idea it is astonishing how subordinates gain confidence when complete reliance c an be placed on their chief in moments o f dilemma : it always encourages the feeling of dogged determina tion not to give in . The water had n ow reached the level o f the - was main deck bow ports, and coming in where there was the slightest leakage ; and the hour was

M . about P . I f ancy it must have been a prof ound relief to

find ou t the Commodore to the breeze holding , f and that , bar accidents , in a short hal hour we o n should be encroaching the mud banks . s o f So it came about . The mud was so t , and the banks were so shelving , that , at the speed we f or were going , it took some little time the good ship gradually to lose all way , and eventually stop

- f with studding sails set low and alo t . All sail was f urled ; boats were hoisted o u t ; and we prepared to land o n a small island THE RALEIGH WRECKED I 1 5

f about a mile and a hal distant . A boat was sent ashore , and discovered a good sandy beach under the high land beyond . O f w as f to f course , it a great relie eel ourselves f f o n sa e . There were the boats to all back as a last resource ; but I doubt if we could have saved all f o f hands without making temporary ra ts , and then , course , provisions and water had to be considered . Within a short space O f time a French paddle she f sloop came as near us as could ; and , a ter o u r fi communicating , rst Lieutenant was sent

- K away in her to Hong ong , to take despatches

- in— f to the Senior Admiral and Commander Chie , M Sir ichael Seymour , and report the sad disaster . There was a question o f landing all hands at once ; but as long as we did n o t sink in the mud w as and the sea remained smooth , there no imme

f or . im diate cause anxiety We sent sails ashore ,

rovised p tents , and landed provisions and a guard o f marines . f Pirates in ested the neighbourhood . Every trading —junk was more or less a pirate if he got the chance All that evening there was little to be done beyond collecting our goods and chattels and placing them f or safety in the main f o f deck . The a ter part the lower deck was still ’ dry up to eight o r nine o clock ; s o that the officers were enabled to get to their cabins to remove their clothes . ’ 1 1 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

Later she settled still deeper in the mud ; and bef ore we had lain down to catch some sleep on the main deck the water was all over the lower f f . deck , and up to the beams arther orward

At 5 A . M . the ship appeared to have suddenly settled down very considerably . We were called up o f f to man the boats , and to land in case urther d was acci ent . It was still dark , and this business

difli cu lt somewhat . The Frenchmen sent boats f soon a ter daylight , and helped us all that day to get stores and provisions ashore ; but it was well f past midday be ore I got anything to eat , as we had not expected to have to f orsake the ship s o suddenly .

As has been said , the only spot where we could o n fi encamp was this sandy beach . Now , the rst night o f our landing deluges o f rain began . They or f d lasted three our ays , and the hills sent down such volumes o f water that we lost a good many f o ou r ff . e ects , which became buried in the sand We had three or f our brass howitzers in position f o f o u t in ront the camp , and these had to be dug o f the sand — one had been completely lost to view . Most o f o u r offi cers lost all they had saved from f the ship , and what was le t on board was well under water by this time .

The ship had sunk gradually into the mud , and at high water the upper deck was well covered .

’ 1 1 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS I have by me a letter written by Henry Keppel to Sir Baldwin Walker , then at the Admiralty After describing the circumstances that led to the o f R a l ei h grounding the g , he writes

a S I c nnot bear the idea of leaving the hip , and will not an A m a has do so while there is y hope . The d ir l given

' d llz a tor in an d us the g to live , we are happy and jolly together, and the idea of our being dispersed distresses all a h ands more th n the loss of our beautiful frigate . I O f should prefer the command a junk to being sent home . Y o u will feel, my dear Walker, this sad blow, this

finish to my career as a captain . If, however, the Ship is not got u p — and I will bet my quarterly bill she is (though I have lost my little all)— I m a y still be of some u e . u s . We ought all to be truly thankf l

This shows the distress o f mind poor Keppel was in ; yet he thought his vessel might still be saved . I believe later that they tried to raise her

. f d by lashing junks alongside That having aile , she f or o f was put up sale but , as only the value ff her copper was o ered , this also came to nothing . s aw f When I last her , some three weeks a ter the stranding , the sea used to break over the bulwarks f in the ore end . The three lower masts were still standing and the pennant still f astened to the main mast but beyond that she was a complete wreck . o f f I never heard what became her a terwards . C H A P T E R XIII

A T WA R I N C H I N A

A FTE R ten days or s o of hard work and exposu re o n to Na nkin this desert island , I was sent the , a

0- un f 5 g rigate , and took passage in her to Hong

K . ong , to await events Commodore Elliot was hard at the Chinese u K j nks up the Canton River , when eppel took his f place . As luck would have it , my dear Chie took P o f me with him ; also rince Victor Hohenlohe ,

Goodenough , Charlie Scott , and Harry Stephenson . Goodenough had command o f the improvised gun

n - o f Ho K n . v or boat , the g g Ha ing little no kit le t , I managed to get a small fit- out at Hong- Kong

f ffi f r be ore joining . Very little su ced o that rough

work up the river . I had lost nearly all my ’ o f clothes . What became my sea chest I don t fi I as f o f know (nor my poor ddle w so ond ) . I f on expect it was le t the desert island , with what as Se little there w in it . a chest What a ghastly

thing it was " You were supposed to wash in it . ’ 1 20 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

Fancy your stock o f white shirts being slopped f o u over , as well as your uni orm , every time y went to your chest to wash your hands . A certain part o f a cockpit could easily have been arranged ’ f or with drawers middies clothes , and there might t have been a decent place o bathe in . We started up the Canton River f o r the f ront on 2 o th o f Ma o f the y, and joined the Fleet brigs ,

- off gun boats , and small corvettes at the rendezvous f f fi the Bogue orts , orti ed islands some distance up

— I f - the river should imagine hal way to Canton .

Some o f these brigs were lovely little ships . A 1 6 - gun brig under all sail was o ne o f the prettiest l sights imaginab e . I particularly remember a little Aco n beauty called the r . The o ld Allig a tor was towed up and turned 2 6 into a depot flagship . She was an old f s he gun rigate , as broad as was long ; and , short as I was , I had to stoop in going along the main deck , lest I should strike against the overhead beams . we fi o r o n When were not ghting , some expedi old f tion , this rigate served as our flagship ; and , we l though cramped , were certain y much cooler f o r o f and better provided . Towards the end May the plan f o r the attack o n the Chinese war

- off junks was completed . Gun boats were told to o f lead divisions boats and take them in tow . Our larger boats , launches , and barges carried brass

’ 1 2 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

o th of f On the 3 May , the attacking orce was pushed up the river to a point where various f o ne creeks debouched rom the main stream . Up o f these creeks we were to fight o u r battle o f o n I st o f u Fatshan the J ne . The boats were all — towed up by the gun boats , presenting a very long string : they were an imposing sight . The Hon - Kon o n n g g , which vessel I was servi g , flew K ’ Commodore eppel s broad pennant . We had a good reconnoitre o f the Chinese w ar- junks o n the 1 st fi 3 , while the nishing touches were being made

u r - f among o gun boats and attacking orces .

At sunset we returned to the flotilla , and the ’ t last orders f or the morrow s fight were given ou .

We anticipated a hard tussle . We were right . The Chinese had placed stakes in the river at a cert in ranges, which we must pass, and all their guns were beautif ully laid f or those marks . There was a f ort also on a commanding hill o n ou r f f f le t ront , which must be taken be ore the boats could advance to capture the junks ; and this was to be the first operation . After supper o n the night o f the 3 I st we all o n o f lay down in our boats , or the decks the

" - — gun boats , to get some sleep . The gun boats were file anchored , with boats all lying in single astern . was It a lovely calm night , and pretty hot ; and o f f o n f ew beyond the noise rogs the banks , and a night birds parading about , there was little sound AT WAR IN CHINA 1 2 3

to be heard . We did ourselves as well as we : could some snoozing ; others smoking , spinning yarns , discussing eventualities ; and no doubt many

f ar minds with their thoughts away . Those who have gone through the eve o f an action know too well the many things that run in the mind . Those who have not I wish well through it when their time comes ; and to all who may happen to read these pages , luck . f 0 A M f Soon a ter 3 . 3 . . , and be ore daylight had dawned , the boats were ordered to be manned ; the landing- party told off to assault the f ort were sent o n ahead ; the rest o f the f orces f ollowed o n f slowly , with orders to move when the ort was carried . Just at break o f day the landing - party were ashore and rushing the hill at the point o f the

- bayonet , while the leading gun boats pitched shot f and shell into the ort , to cover the assault . It fi f ew did not take long . The Chinamen red a fire o f shots ; but , being overwhelmed by the the

- gun boats , and seeing the gallant marines close at hand , they bolted like rabbits . On went the o n e o n e flotilla , until by they grounded . The

H n - Kon f f a o . g g , luckily , drew a oot or so less water f We were highly avoured thereby , and got to pretty close quarters with the junks . As each gun boat grounded , the tide being at low water , the boats pushed ahead and came in f o r a real good ’ 1 24 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

su n dressing , it being now broad daylight and the rIS In g . P Hon —Kon resently the g g stuck , and a battery , fire which was masked by trees and sheds , opened o n o u r right flank , and caused us much annoy ance . Owing to there being many trees about , they could not see o u r hull properly ; but they

r f — made several holes in ou unnel and paddle boxes .

Soon the tide began to rise . One by one we o n o f all floated and scraped , as the depth water

ou r permitted , in order to cover boats , which were n ow o f K in the thick it . eppel led them in his

- 6 oared galley . The fire was very heavy : it has always been a marvel to me that we did not lose more men , f or the shot were ricochetting down the river as f thick as hail , rom junks moored across the creek f in two lines at intervals . Some o these junks had o r o n o f 2 eight ten guns board , and many them 3 pounders, besides endless jingalls . They certainly f looked very ormidable , and were decidedly picturesque , being painted in various colours (generally red and green) and flying streamers n W and flags o all their masts . hen we reached a o f 00 o r s o o f distance 3 yards the boats , we began fi o f ring over their heads ; and then , some the — other gun boats having come up , we gave the junks goss ' to fi Beyond helping direct the ring , I had little

’ 1 2 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

About this time— I should think — an unf ortunate marine had both his legs taken o ff f by a round shot and my (white) ducks , ace , and w ’ body were splashed ith the poor Chap s blood .

Looking over the side about this time , I noticed a

launch close alongside . I actually saw the whole o f one o f in side her oars cut away , and at the same on f — o ne stant two men killed the a ter thwart , poor ’ Chap s skull killing the man on the thwart along o f side him . Lieutenant Graham had a round shot between o f the calves his legs , contusing them ; but he

managed to hang o n to his work . f K The men were earfully done up . eppel gave the order to serve o u t quinine and biscuits during the time we were rallying ; but I do not think a dozen men had time to swallow this f rugal f K o n meal be ore eppel , who was at this moment o f o u r — o u t top paddle box , suddenly called , The o ff beggars are making . Man the boats man the ” " fist f boats and , shaking his at them , urther “ ’ Yo u " o u o ff f or exclaimed , rascals I ll pay y ” this " What a rush " Fresh boats had come up ; a f rantic Cheer was given ; and o n they in dis crimin raced exactly like boats at a regatta , ately , straight at the junks , which now slackened their fire and appeared to be getting into position with their oars to make away . Now there was f no quarter . Junk a ter junk was taken . Some ran AT WAR IN CHINA 1 2 7

o n the banks and were fired immediately Chinamen jumping overboard in all directions , and swimming

f r five o . their lives Some or so , I believe , got f or away . The rest were chased six miles up the o f o u r river , towards the town Fatshan but Chaps f fi f were done , and , as Fatshan was orti ed and ull f o . troops , we could do no more So ended a fi thundering good ght . The Hong —Kong went up some -distance beyond the junks that had been captured in the morn

ing , to cover the boats ; but , owing to the shoaling f u r o o . the water , progress was slow We were f scraping the mud most o the time . 0 When the boats returned it was about 3 . 3 M s o e f or P . t w . had been hard at it twelve f hours . As I said be ore , it was simply marvellous

that our casualties were so slight . Between ’ ou r seventy and eighty , I believe, was butcher s

f - bill . I ancy that , as the boats and gun boats - o n o f were all bows most the time , it must ff be considered that we o ered small targets . Otherwise the smallness o f ou r loss is u naccou nt

able .

I may be allowed , perhaps , to copy a letter f rom the Commodore that appeared in The Times f soon a ter the news got to England . It will

naturally be a description better than my account . on 2 0th o f f It was written July , three weeks a ter

f on Alli a o t r . the action , rom board the g ’ 1 2 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS The three weeks of this month have been full of I s t excitement . We commenced on the with as pretty a a boat action as any ever recorded in n val history, though it may never be appreciated because it was fought in C hina . The troops are now unfortunately required for

India, and, I suppose, we shall not get them before s um m er is over . "This is in allusion to the outbreak of S o M . as the Indian utiny " much the better for them, it m is boiling hot here now . In the meanti e we have to C R m keep the anton iver open for the , it being the high C C road to the elestial ity, which I suppose they will have to occupy before Lord Elgin attempts to bring Y eh m m Commissioner to terms . I am left here in co and Chu en ee of the river, the fort of p , which I took possession 1 8 n of on the th, bei g my boundary at one end, and the m Macao fort at the other . They are about forty iles A m m apart . ll the inter ediate forts have been de olished, and on the I s t we polished o ff the remainder of their war fl 1 8 0 - eet, about Imperial war junks , so that now I have

. O u r C a uncontrolled possession worthy hief, fine fellow fl H - K he is, remains with his agship at ong ong, paying

the us occasional visits in one of small steamers . I have a 2 6 00 seventeen ships m nned by about men , stationed at ff Her di erent distances , and this being the anniversary of M ’ ajesty s accession, they are dressed out with bunting, and at noon Comm issioner Y e h will be e difie d by royal salutes fired the whole length of the river from Canton to u below the Bog e forts . ’ My poor R a leig h no longer belongs to H e r Majesty s N A m f avy, and the d iral has appointed all the o ficers and l Al i a tor . myself to the g , with three tenders to do our work

H on - Kon W I live in the g g , but come here to sleep hen

x not moving about, this old hulk being a sort of fi ture .

’ 1 3 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

- d R a lei h being heavy 3 2 poun ers . I saw I had all the g m boats well up, and I deter ined to push on . They fired a u occasional Shots as if to ascert in our exact distance, b t ’ did not open their heaviest fire until we got to 6 00 yards saw m distance, and then I how i possible it would be to

ur re I n fo r e m n t force o way until I had c e s . Nearly the o ff w as first fellow who had his head knocked an amateur, K Major earney . I had known him many years . We t cheered and I tried to get on , when a shot s ruck my a o ff bo t right amidships , cut one man in two and took arm P V the of another . rince ictor, who was with me, j umped forward to tie up his arm with his neckcloth . While he was doing s o another round shot passed through

tw o a . both sides of the boat, wounding others on its pass ge The boat was now filling with water and I got on one m of the seats to keep y legs out of the water, and j ust after stepping u p a third shot went through both Sides of the boat not m ore than an inch below the seat o n which M I was then standing . any of our boats now got huddled A together, the oars of most being Shot away . boat of Ca lcu tta t the being nearest , I j umped in o her, pulling our t m M av wounded men wi h us, y dog ike refusing to le e m an the dead body of the who was his favourite . We were obliged to leave him . I then gave the order to H an - Kon t retire on the g g and reform abreas of her . While we were going down a shot cut away all the oars L on one side . I called to ieutenant Graham to get his a boat ready, as I would hoist my bro d pennant and lead x a had the ne t attack in his bo t . I no sooner Spoken to h a im than a Shot disabled his bo t, wounding him and

saw killing and wounding four others . I Graham one O f mass blood , but it was from a marine who stood next

to him , and part of whose skull was forced three inches AT WAR IN CHINA 1 3 1

’ a H on into another man s Shoulder . When I re ched the g ’ Kong the whole of the enemy s fire seemed centred on S h . e was a u her hulled twelve times in few min tes , her deck w as covered with the wounded who had been

brought on board from the boats . I was looking at him when a round shot cut down a marine and he fell on m them . Fro the paddle box I saw that our heavy firing u a t was bringing p strong reinforcements . The ccoun of

having been obliged to retire had reached them , and they

m ad H on - Kon fl were pulling like . The g g had oated and

grounded again . I ordered a bit of blue bunting to be

got ready to represent my broad pennant . I called out , ” L 1 n et us try the row boats once more, boys, and we t

n R a lei h over the side i to the g cutter, in which was 2 T u rn o u r and the faithful Spu rie r bringing th e bit of A a blue bunting . t this moment there rose from the at boats , as if every man took it up the same instant, one m at of those B ritish cheers so full of eaning , that I knew

once it was all up with "ohn Chinaman . They might

sink thirty boats , but there were thirty others who would n w as a go ahead all the faster . O we went . It indeed n d saw a lovely a exciting Sight . I the move mong the an d o ff j unks ; they were breaking ground moving , the m outer ost first . This manoeuvre they performed in

beautiful order . They never ceased to fire . Three m ore Cheers and then commenced an exciting chase for A a seven miles . s our Shot told on them they ran shore S an d their crews forsook them . eventeen were come up

“ 1 What h e d d s a w as T h e rasc s are m ak n Off i y , al i g . “ H e s h oo k his fis t a t h e m an d u r h e s a d I w a o u t , f t r i , ill p y y ” h s Man th e boa s bo s f or . o ff . t i t , y 2 a n H is c o xsw i . ’ 1 3 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

d w a an . with this y, only three escaped It was in this last Chase that my poor Spu rier was shot down by my

saw as side . I his bowels protruding he lay in the bottom H e of the boat, holding my hand . asked me if I thought n s — there was a y hope . I could only ay Where there is

. . S sa life there is hope But I had none trange to y, the C A m ’ good rawford sewed him up, and the d iral s last letter from Hong- Kong states Spu rier hoped to return to his duties in a few days . We have a surgeon out here who served in the Naval

H e a B rigade in the Crimea . says he never s w such C a frightful wounds as these hinese Shot appe r to make .

By the way, I ought to record a delicate attention from ’ a M a the ladies of M cao . y Commodore s broad penn nt had been lost when my boat sunk . They presented me with a new silk one, worked with their own fair hands I hope some day to plant it on the walls of the Celestial ” C W t he ity, here Braves , as they call themselves, shall respect i t .

I will now, in conclusion, give a letter equally gratify ing in its way

A - I A IR H A YM O From RE R AD M R L S MIC E L S E UR .

S 1 R — I , had the satisfaction of communicating yesterday to the squadron generally my high sense of the z ea l and gallantry displayed by the officers and m en in the decisive action against the C hinese war junks in Fatshan Creek m b m e I . u on the st inst , but I feel it is f rther incu ent on to express personally my admiration of the cool courage m and good j udg ent with which you led the attack, first

- in the gun boats until they grounded , and afterwards in ’ the ships boats up the Fatshan branch, when in the

’ 1 3 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

" ofl o f going . It was a case running the gauntlet how I did watch the muzzles as we passed close by " ou r Luckily , we were not hit , though awning caught fire in several places from falling dehris ; and mighty glad was I to find o u r poor craf t clear o f all these blazing junks and once more out o f ’ harm s way .

I had one very close shave during the fighting . P o f ( robably there were plenty others , unknown I w as o n to me . ) standing the sponson , helping o u t o f the wounded up the boats , when I heard a o f devil a crash close to my head , and , turning s aw round , a great bulge and crack in the pantry

f of - bulkhead , at the a ter end the paddle box , exactly in a line with my head . I could not resist the temptation to look round , and in at the W door , to see hat was wrong and there I beheld an 1 8 - pound shot still pirouetting round on a shelf o n o f which stood some our crockery , now all r more o less smashed . The missile had gone right — f o ne to through our paddle box rom end the other . f ew o f o ne A more grains powder or bulkhead less , and my head would have been unshipped to a moral .

Luckily , John Chinaman was not in those days f enlightened in the use o shells . Had he been s o f , we should probably have lost our times as many men , and we might not have been able to take and destroy the Chinese Fleet as we did ; fi Still , the Chinamen had grape , and lled their AT WAR IN CHINA 1 3 5 guns with bags o f musket balls ; and the ji ngall was an ugly customer , throwing a very large bullet .

o u t of fire o u r Once , on way down the river, n ot there was time to reflect . What would we have given f or a good cup o f China tea under some o f f or o f the groves we passed , and the privilege being lef t in peace f o r a short time " Instead o f w e f - being at rest, were tearing along ull speed , leaking like a sieve , owing to the shot holes . The first thing I did to my outward person was to Change my Clothes and make an attempt at w as a wash . I covered in blood , begrimed with f fi f o n : . smoke in act , lthy I had a hasty eed What I could get hold of to find anything was ffi di cult , with so many poor wounded lying o n f about the beds in our cabins , on the so as , everywhere . u r The next trouble was o leaks . Where the shot had gone through ou r sides all was f airly well , as the holes had been plugged up and covered with boarding but several had stuck in our sides , o f and the vibration the engines loosened them , P and the leakage was serious . umps were kept going ; but at o ne time during the night it was

f if w e - K doubt ul should reach Hong ong , as the

- fire- water was rising to near the stoke hole pits . o n We hung all night , however, and reached

- K Hong ong at nine next morning . of The remembrance that evening and night , ’ I 3 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

— while we were steaming down , is heart rending . w as o f It dead calm , and the cries the wounded f were unbearable . Many were calling or their relations and f riends ; others would rise up in their beds , and then throw themselves down in t im e s I o n despair . Several went to the sponson to have their piteous cries drowned in the noise o f the paddle wheels . P f oor ellows , who had been scorched terribly ’ f o f rom explosions boats magazines , were enveloped o f in wadding . Some them sank during the night f rom exhaustion though covered in wadding from f f f head to oot , they ound no respite rom their f agonies . There was a nice young ellow , a mate of Trihune the , who had a grape shot through his to lungs . It was touching hear him talking to his who f coxswain , knelt by his side , anning him the W f o f hile . The Chie subject his conversation was his poor mother . He also sank during the early f r hours o morning . When daylight broke o u f decks presented a sorry sight . It was pain ul to have renewed the scenes o f suff ering which the darkness had mitigated . Some were soon to die others were in great pain ; but generally all now f or o f seemed more still , and , except the noise of the paddle wheels , a sort silence came over us : as day dawned the weary were more at rest . f I shall never orget that night . I snatched an ’ hour or two s sleep ; but o ne and all o f us did

’ 1 3 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS board to quench thirsts ; but that was only natural . The Hong —Kong was a large target ; but ou r o n fi interest was so much centred ring good shots , and in watching the boats amid the smoke ahead o f fi all us, that , while the ring was hottest , we ff f . elt quite excited , and redoubled our e orts I enj oyed planting the rockets into them : you c an f make excellent practice when your cra t is still . C H A P T E R XIV

M O R E P I R A T E H U N T I N G

AFT ER Fatshan actual war operations were more or less over ; but we had a deal o f pirate hunt the — ing . All trading junks were more or less pirates if occasion off ered the w hole country was demoralised . H an - Kon One day , lying at anchor in the g g , w e s aw o n o f o r the other side the river , two three miles away , a piratical junk Chasing two others K laden with salt . In less than no time eppel ordered me to man a cutter o f twelve men and go f S fi a ter him . The pirate did not how ght when f o n I got near . He ran his cra t to a mud bank W fi the hole crew bolted up through a paddy eld , w l o w and sat do n , unconcerned , on a hill , watching

s et fire me trying to to the junk . We had pot shots at them ; but I could not get the junk to fire o n w as catch . To climb board impossible f (the mud was so t , and had we tried we should have gone over o u r necks : the tide was falling fast) ’ 1 4 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS so the only thing I could do was to smash in the side under water with axes . We set him o n fire next day . On another occasion the Hong - Kong was despatched up one o f the many rivers that o f run into the Canton main stream , in search k “ f ” piratical jun s and ast boats, which were supposed to be marauding some little distance

of s c u t inland . Boats the E k also were sent to off o f ou r them up another creek , in case missing

. f them Fast boats were beauti ul models , generally

s ix- - propelled by and twenty oars , and armed with jingalls o n swivels : they could command all fire round . s aw We started early , but nothing until about ’ f two o clock in the a ternoon , when we discovered o f f three the ast boats , which , I imagine , had

of o u r f caught sight unnel . As we rounded a bend in the river w e s aw them pulling f o r all they were f f worth to escape rom us . Going at ull speed , ot we gained somewhat , and g nicely within long f l gun range ; but un ortunate y took the ground ,

f . the tide being low , and stuck in the so t mud

Nothing daunted , Goodenough manned and armed the only two small boats w e had ; taking command

o f o ne f o f . himsel , and giving me Charge the other

ofli cers . Our boats held ten men , besides us two His boat was a wretched 4 - oared gig ; mine a ” s and an p (shaped like a canoe) , which we had

’ 1 4 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

“ Goodenough said to me , Montagu , do you think w e c an take her "

I hesitated to answer . I thought it would be If hopelessly mad to make the attempt . two or three were wounded in either boat , we should be done .

Seeing that I made no answer, he said , s a " Well , what do you y “ I answered : if Sir , you lose a man or two , or f I do be ore we board her , we shall be utterly s ir helpless ; but I am game , , whichever you ” decide . ffi f or G This su ced oodenough , as plucky a “ man as ever breathed . He said , quickly , Oh ” yes we will try . ” f f Oh , said I to mysel , trying to look and eel “ ’ U P as bold as a lion , it s this time . off But , once we were , somehow the excite ment and the steering and the firing of the ’ e o f Mini rifle kept the devil out one s mind . The — fille d wretched junk with men , crowds on her deck (into which I was potting as f ast as I could

fire - o f load and ) kept the even tenor her way , though she soon began to fire round shot and f jingalls at us . They ell pretty thick , though o u r most went over heads . f fi She was not sailing ast . At rst , consequently,

o n . we gained her, as there was little breeze On we fi went pulling , Goodenough and I ring until MORE PIRATE HUNTING 1 4 3 we got about 3 5 0 yards f rom her— and were still gaining . Bullets struck ou r boats ; but not a man was touched . Luckily , the big shot missed H o o f us every time . w I watched the muzzle his two 3 2 - pounders " What diffi culty I had to keep my boat straight " The least mistake in ff o . steering , and she was at right angles This went on f or a quarter of an hour o r more l o u r the junk stil sailing slowly away , we pulling ou t f hearts , when the breeze reshened suddenly, in a sort o f puff on the water . The junk began to b ow . we heel , and soon she showed a wave Then was f or knew we were done and perhaps it well , nothing could persuade me that ten men and two officers could take a junk with sixty men o n board if they showed the semblance of a fight— f or the simple reason that nobody could have fired from o u r fi boats , and in a running ght we should have been shot in the back as we were pulling along side . The only chance O f our capturing her was that f f the beggars might jump overboard rom unk . I f or one — and I am not ashamed to o wn it— was ho w heartily glad we got no nearer . I suppose , ever , that I should have acted as Goodenough acted had I been in his position . This same junk was captured next day by the ’ E s k s - boom boat , armed with brass guns and a f f orce of at least fi ty men . They lost twelve killed ’ 1 4 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

and wounded . How we shou ld have f ared n without a gun , without a rocket , and with nothi g e fi ’ but two Mini rifles ring at intervals, I don t kno w. We dropped a f ew poor beggars : it was not fi 0 easy to miss when ring into a crowd at 3 5 yards . I do not think I got more than a dozen rounds into them : steering with a paddle and loading a muzzle loader is n ot an easy combination o f duties . The only thing which this running fight showed us was that the John Chinaman o f 1 8 5 7 was made f f . of ghastly stu He Simply bolted . f o n A ter lying our oars , we turned back to pick ” o u r f o f ou r up ast boats , two which , to dismay , had got Clean O ff we f ound the third— a beautiful boat but how s he stank " We took her in

H on - Kon tow, and went down to meet the g g , now approaching us with the risi ng tide ; and ou r rattling good cheer they gave us on return , as they could s ee from the paddle- boxes a bit of what o n had gone , by looking over the land and much distressed they were that they had been unable to help us . We had other goes at the pirates ; but o n no was f fi occasion there much show o ght . The w as work harassing , and the constant expeditions were tedious , the heat being very severe . o f 1 8 6 I now come to the month July 5 , when

’ 1 4 6 MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

: f n ot conscience there ore , he is very particular “ ” about his digestion : I f ound this plat very tasty . I was well into my breakfast o ne morning at Dent ’s house when I received an order to join the e l P a r in the evening . She was to start next day not o n the expedition up the northern coast , but

- " was post haste to Calcutta She taking in coal , and we were to pick up some troops at Singapore f or conveyance t o India . C H A P T E R XV

T H E I N D I A N M U T I N Y

T H E Mutiny was at its height . Regiments bound to China had been stopped at the Cape o r at Singa S ha nnon 1 t o . pore , and sent on India The , a 5 f O ff f or ou r gun rigate , was told duties similar to o n w and we started together next day . If on I recollect aright , I was not very keen f H o w f " this Change o scene . little a boy oresees n ot I was , most probably , weary , and sorry to f e have a w days more at the Charming bungalow .

(My letters rather implied this . ) Then , I had o f as o f no idea what w in store . I thought only my ship being turned into a trooper to go to w as Calcutta , little knowing that there a possi bilit O f f y a Naval Brigade being landed . In act , I thought that f ollowing my luck in China under K eppel would have been more to the point . O f the voyage to Singapore , occupying twelve

- days against the south west monsoon , I have

S ha nnon nothing to relate . We met the going ’ 1 4 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

into the harbour as we approached s o we made a of N good race it . ext day was spent in coaling and taking aboard a f e w troops then o n we went

to Calcutta , making a good passage , averaging our

2 00 miles a day . On arrivi ng O ff the mouth o f the Ganges we unf ortunately lost f our days in searching f or a pilot . The weather was very thick , and , as may be imagined , this was very trying to all on board . 1 2 o f We arrived at Calcutta on the th August ,

o u r o f d and moored vessel to the shore the Mai an . S ha nnon ot The g in three days earlier , having picked up her pilot shortly after reaching the mouths . These pilots were very important gentle f men . They were dressed in uni orm , and each brought his own leadsman with him . They would

- n ot trust to the blue jacket . The shoals in the river were constantly changing , especially during o f the rainy season , when great volumes water came down ; and , I believe , there was a shoal called the James and Mary : if by chance it was touched you would capsize instanter . What a scene it was on o u r arrival Thousands o f people were watching us . We astonished the natives by firing a Royal Salute . I was amused by P watching arsees in their buggies flying , horses f f taking right , and the natives generally ancying we were bombarding the city . Sir Colin Campbell , who was still at Calcutta, told Lord Canning we

’ 1 5 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

W f or indlass they would almost stop a whole verse ,

o n two and then go again and just get in links .

n - The men ge erally were a rough looking lot , and o f there was plenty liquor floating about . The first detachment O f our Naval Brigade was f f ew f f or u ormed in September , and in a days le t p country . Sotheby was in command , taking all the marines and about 1 00 blue-jackets and half the ffi f f combatant O cers . I mysel was le t behind , which was a great trial but I knew it would not f r be o long . f Our turn came about the middle o October . o f The six weeks my stay I passed pleasantly . The Civilians and the Government Offi cials were most hospitable . I was surprised at seeing so M o f many Europeans . y idea India was the dark man and nothing else .

Lord and Lady Canning were kindness itself . In o ne o f my letters to my parents I describe the dread o f going up to write my name down at Government House on being ordered to do s o by my Captain “ I considered that a poor mid was not half swell ” ff enough f or that . I put O what appeared to be the evil day as long as I could : until o ne morning I got f Du nkellin a note rom Lord inviting me , by Lady ’ tiffi n Canning s wishes , to come to . Though care s he worn and anxious , still preserved her Charming looks the grace and dignity o f her bearing struck me , young as I was . THE INDIAN MUTINY 1 5 1 She conversed with me a good deal about f common relations and riends at home , and soon wo n my heart by her very kind ways and charm o f manner . His Lordship was just as I remembered n ot him in England , though he was well , with the f weight O cares depressing him . ff I was o ered ponies to ride , buggies to drive , anything I wanted ; and I heard him give the order that I was to have ca rte hla nche u s e O f his stables .

Great state was observed in those days . I have seen sixty to seventy attendants , all dressed in very handsome native garb , waiting at dinner ; and we f COO1 dined in a beauti ul marble hall , kept by innumerable punkahs . o ne They took me , on occasion , to the country seat at Barrackpu r ; and how I did enjoy the f gardens , flowers , ruit At Calcutta in those days tiffi n there were two celebrated restaurants , where we mids consumed English mutton chops , beer , and the celebrated chutnee . One was called f and was amous in its day . Maybe o n it is going now ; though , I suppose , there are o f o n many more such places a much larger scale . At the end o f September orders were sent f rom the Governor— General that we were to be ready to

Of o u r start , with the remainder crew (as many as to f could possibly be spared) , rein orce Captain ’ Sotheby s detachment , and we were to endeavour ’ 1 5 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

to raise 1 00 volunteers from the merchant ships S O f r lying in the river . pressed were we o the o ne f white man , as long as any could be ound to

to - carry a musket he had go u p country . I devoted a good deal o f my time to going o n board the merchant ships to induce the men to O f o n f come . course , this was hard the un ortunate

captains it meant their lying there unmanned , and consequently unable to sail away with their cargoes ; and many were the altercations I had with the skippers . 1 00 f Still , I collected men in less than our days , and sent them o n board the P ea rl to be fitted ou t

u se o f fire in clothes, and to be taught the the o f arm . Curiously enough , they turned out some the best men in the Brigade . To get more , we sent to the jail , thinking that there might be men whose times were about to expire .

u - To get p country , we had to be taken by S u nderbu nds steamer right down the river to the ,

v ia . and so , the main river , to Benares Our f steamer was very com ortable . She towed a flat s o f laden with baggage , ammunition , and orth .

1 2 - Our remaining brass gun ( pounder) , howitzers , fiel - f and two brass d pieces had gone up be ore . The 1 2 - pounder threw a shot at no greater range than 1 2 00 yards ; the range of the howitzers was 8 00 f about . Such were the guns that ormed our o n war batteries service .

’ 1 5 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

O f organising went on daily , and all preparations f or were made landing the Royal tar , and turning him into a soldier . What a novelty to us , all trained to the sea as we were , to be suddenly turned " f or into soldiers Such we were twenty months , as we remained u p-Country until the whole neck o f M wa the utiny s broken and peace restored . We had ou r horsed battery and companies o f inf antry ; and it w as really astonishing how soon the sailors learned to ride and gallop their horses f and guns about , very O ten like horse artillery . We picked o u t the most horsey blue - jackets f or o u r battery : some that had had in their or boyhood to deal with horses , , at any rate , who knew something about them . The men were all armed with the Brown Bess . Rifles were not to o u r be had at Calcutta , and in those days only marines had been supplied with the Minie rifle . Brown Bess was good only up to 3 00 yards in M w as f ar reality . Not until the utiny advanced were we supplied with rifles , and , even then , there were not enough f or the whole Brigade .

- w as two Our 4 gun battery , later , increased by

- 1 00 9 pounder brass guns . These ranged some 7 ff yards or more , and that made all the di erence f in the world to Our effectiveness . O ten we longed f o r the rifle instead o f the Old Brown

Bess .

Luckily , the Sepoy mutineers were little better THE INDIAN M UTINY 1 5 5

f Of . o n . Still , they had better artillery the whole f f we Anyhow , they always ound our range be ore got theirs ; though in o u r part o f India very f ew shells were used by the Sepoys , and that only at

f o r O f the beginning , they ran shorter and shorter o n ammunition as time wore , and latterly even f u s e f had O ten to bullets made o clay . We arrived at ou r destination o n the 2 nd O f f o n 1 2 O f November, having le t Calcutta the th o u r October . There were no railways , and thus u - journey p country took an endless time . We P o n landed not many miles above atna , the opposite of f bank the river marched our miles inland , and bivouacked in an Old schoolhouse f or the night . A M was d W At . . the reveille soun ed , and e o n e marched ten miles . Then w remained two n f or days , waiti g baggage , collecting bullocks , tw o hackeries , and elephants ; and days later we fi joined Sotheby and the rst detachment , who were awaiting o u r arrival bef ore proceeding u p country . I o f fi t was a great lark . One the rst things I t o n e for did was to buy a pony . I g o g 3 s which wa a pound more than the usual price .

" What a delight to a boy — possessing his pony — two of " and syce , and a grass cutter between us We remained in this encampment f o r several days . The tents were pitched in a large mango ff tope , shady and pleasant ; the monkeys a ording ’ 1 5 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

f us much amusement . We set to work , ormed ou r f fi orce in ghting order , and drilled like the devil , morning , noon , and night ; marched out ot to practise the men , and g them into the ways O f : f battalion drill in act , turned the British tar into a soldier .

’ 1 5 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS f v ice v ers e" f ancy , and and so I give what ollows o f t as the reflection my bes remembrance . In fi nd ff looking over my letters , I a great di erence in the account I wrote o f passing events during those twenty months ashore . To enable me to refresh my memory with more of d correctness etail , I applied to the blessed Board o f Admiralty to allow me the use of the offi cial ’ report o f ou r proceedings in the P ea rl s Naval Brigade ; but this w as refused— on what grounds l it is difli cu t to imagine . Either it is the cursed system of red tape that pervades the length and o f or o s breadth that building at Whitehall , p s ibly some librarian and his associates fi nd the book- ladder too heavy to trouble with but there ’ live the records o f the doings o f the P ea rl s on Naval Brigade in India , possibly rotting f one some musty shel , and who served his coun try— to whom ref erence to these books would be o f the greatest service— has been denied the privilege of referring to them . I consider that it

ought to be deemed a right . The Admiralty has one O f always been (in my days , at any rate) the f last places on earth to expect assistance rom . I am happy to say that I have never been under any f or obligation to the Admiralty the slightest help . w as My promotion by Order in Council , when the ’ P ea rl s Brigade were voted the thanks o f both Houses Of Parliament ; and whatever luck I may THE NAVAL BRIGADE AT WORK 1 5 9

t o have had I owe no one at the Admiralty , but to chances that might accrue to any Ofli ce r during his career . We now arrive at a date about the middle o f 1 8 o f November 5 7 . During the rest that month , and well into December , there is nothing

f u r particular to relate . We moved rom o camp only to send out a detachment when any news came in o f a party o f rebels bei ng in the

. n ot vicinity There were occasional scrimmages , worth recording . We were simply stationed there as the Sarun field f orce to protect a district in f the neighbourhood O Sewan . The flower O f the Sepoy army were well engaged with Lord Clyde

e and General Franks in O ude . W ourselves O f Gorru c k ore were on the borders the p district ,

and , consequently , at that period , had to deal only

with the rebels , led by certain Rajahs and without

much organisation . From day to day we heard

f f u - f dread ul accounts rom p country . Our orces ffi f o r f were barely su cient de ensive purposes , and

things generally looked black . On the 1 9th o f December Brigadier- General Rowc ro f t u f , in command , had nder him a orce o f 2 6 0 of consisting men the Naval Brigade , with 1 ffi o f Gho o rk as 4 o cers , two small regiments 1 1 0 0 mustering about 5 men , and 5 Sikhs , with the

o f f 1 2 - Naval Brigade battery our guns , all pounder Rowc rof t brass guns . General had taken command ’ 1 6 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

O f f f this orce about a week be ore ; and , owing to the bad news we received Of the rebels collecting f was e n rom all directions , it deemed necessary to f ar t o o f trench our camp . We were small a orce to take the field : s o it was decided to wait f o r f rein orcements . It took very little time to throw up earthworks and bastions and to make rifle pits f or the outlying pickets ; though we had to work night and day to complete the job , as native labour was n ot to be had f or love or

- f money , and camp ollowers in India are a lazy

l ot .

To overawe the natives , we made dummy guns , which with ou r battery guns were always kept S O to covered up , as make the enemy imagine that we O f had plenty artillery ; but , I take it , they knew just as much about ou r doings as we our selves knew . The bazaars (as they were called) , a system o f market that always sprang up when e in o ne ever we remain d long encampment , were hotbeds o f the spies and detrimental to the f orce ; but the ca mp— f ollowers must have them— else had f they been minus ood . f or In India in those days , every white man f o n you had at least three natives ollowing , either the line O f march o r on their own account as f appendage s to the orce . A magistrate accompanied u s , and goodness knows how many baboos and and o f native police other paraphernalia the law .

’ 1 6 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS charge O f powder ; and the rebel was lashed to the was f or ff o f muzzle . This done e ect , in the hope overawing the nativ es but those executed did not to f or seem mind it , their souls were supposed to be saved if they were killed by white men I s aw them walk up to the gun as coolly as possible . One could not help admiring the pluck o f the wretched creatures . Al as e l w . , had to do it Also , in the ear y days O f the Mutiny we had constantly to hang the w as wretches . Once I sent away to hang eig ht n rebels o o ne tree . Shooting them would have f Off been more merci ul . I s imply marched them with a small guard O f sailors to a tree a mile o r f If s o . rom camp , where they were executed by chance captured rebels happened to be n atives o f we f any note , erected temporary gallows and le t r them hanging f o r a day o two . Not many days after we had thrown up o u r o f entrenchments , there was a sudden apprehension o u t a night attack ; but it came to nothing . The lying sentries in o ne place began firing the pickets ran in ; and we stood to arms . At that time , and f o r f f many days, only hal the orce were allowed to sleep at a time ; those asleep kept their belts on , o ne to o f ar f and no was allowed g rom camp by day . Being pent up in entrenchments f or days f together was weary work . We longed o r the f enemy to attack us , eeling pretty sure that we T H E NAVAL BRIGADE AT WORK 1 6 3

o f s o should give a good account ourselves , and f enable the orce to move on , and change quarters . ff Christmas Day 1 8 5 7 passed o quietly . We o u r had Christmas dinner, such as it was . I think I fared Off a tough f owl I had shot a day o r two f f be ore in the High Street o some village . We used to go into villages to buy poultry o r kids if f f the villagers re used to sell , we shot the owls

and paid the market price . fi ff n 2 th Our rst brush came O o the 6 . S oon after daylight inf ormation was brought in by our Spies that some f our o r five thousand rebels with six

guns were advancing to the attack . At abou t ten O ’clock some native mounted police brought in word that the enemy was about five miles O ff o n f or the high road . This we soon discovered our f . O selves Seeing Clouds dust in the distance , we struck camp and f ormed up half a mile o r s o to

o u r f ou r f o f 1 00 ront , with poor little orce 4 men f had and our guns . I by this time been appointed

- — Rowcro f t ot Aide de Camp to General , and had g

O f na . hold a real good g , besides my pony

We awaited them some little time . Then , the enemy making no move , the Brigadier ordered a f . ou r general advance To surprise , we ound them partially entrenched near a huge tank (pond) , and o f in a large grove trees , with a battery in position under cover o n the high road . Natives always f think you must attack them in ront . They ’ 1 6 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS cannot imagine that that is about the last place a wise General would Choose— particularly if he had the slightest chance o f doing double the damage by a Change o f front or by a flank attack — and NO s o it happened here . sooner did we get within long range of their artillery than we changed direction to their right ; which seemed to nonplus to them completely . Our skirmishers got well up o u r them , and guns , pouring in shells , astonished o n f or the natives very much . This went about was was two . hours I sent galloping about , and highly amused all the while at the novelty o f the I s aw thing . Our guns made splendid practice . a o ff Rajah knocked clean his elephant , and all the t crowd around him bolting o the rear . of to By way a divertisement , the natives tried ou tfl ank us shortly afterwards ; but o u r shrapnel f shell soon stopped that little game . Shortly a ter Or f wards about three our hundred horsemen ,

looking like business , appeared to be advancing r to charge ou r skirmishers . We had divided o u f to our guns meet this flank attack , and I saw two shells sent bang into these Sowars just as ,

apparently , they were collecting to Charge . It

to . seemed paralyse them They turned and bolted . Rowc ro f t now thought his time had come .

A general advance was sounded , and we went in f o r straight at their position . This was enough

e the natives . They fled . When w got to their

’ 1 6 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS On arrival we gave the infirm and the sick an v hour to Clear ou t . The illagers generally had f bolted be ore we arrived , or , it was assumed , had f ormed part o f the little army that had attacked us o n th the 2 6 . It was rather pitiable to see these o u t people wandering into the open , some carried o n charpoys , others limping along , with all the goods and chattels they could collect in that short f f r as hour . I elt sorry o them but it w a regular bu dm arsh (rebel) village , and its destruction ffi was richly deserved . A very short time su ced to o wn to burn it the ground and , I must , we all r f tried f o a bit o loot bef ore it became a blaze . C H A P T E R XVII

I N C I D E NT S O F T H E C A M P A I G N

F R O M this period — the end of December 1 8 5 7 until the l o th O f February 1 8 5 8 — Our work consisted in sending o u t detachments to destroy

f n e villages and the houses o rebel Rajahs . On o occasion a Sikh discovered rupees (belong ing to some Rajah) hidden in the wall o f a c ow house . Needless to say , this money was handed over to the Governmen t : much to o u r diss atis f w e o u r action , as rather anticipated having o u t respective shares doled to us . Occasionally o u r - was s o camping ground Changed , as to keep in touch with ou r detachments ; but otherwise as fi there w no ghting during these six weeks .

Whatever rebels there were about did not collect . f Camp li e was at that time pleasant enough . The days were pretty warm ; the nights actually cold . We amused ourselves shooting snipe in the o f f ghylls the near neighbourhood , and very O ten came across wild pea- f owl in the pea- fields or among ’ 1 6 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

the growing crops . The diffi culty lay in procur

ing shot . We improvised a system O f melting : o u r bullets standing on a chair in tent , we dropped molten lead through small pierced pieces o f tin of into a bucket cold water . The shot were rather elongated ; but they answered the purpose wa in a y (anyhow as slugs) , and we bagged many

- f f e w pea owl , also a snipe , and occasionally duck . Another recreation w as to go pig- sticking after the pariah dog with an improvised spear— generally o f a long nail secured to a cane bamboo . We O f sallied out , a party six or eight , on our ponies , and rode round the outside o f a village in quest o f - do fi nd a good , strong looking g , which we might basking in the s u n and if it was not f ound o u t we side the village , rode down the High Street f in search . When ound , he got a good prick , and o ff immediately started , yelling . He was given a o f O ff dl f bit law , and we skedad ed a ter him . Some times the dog would take yo u clean across country to the next village , and once we had a rare run

o f five . or miles These dogs were more less wild , f and the hunt sounds a bit cruel to relate . I ancy o u r feelings were hard in camp life — especiall y d during the Mutiny ays . The time had now arrived when we were ordered to the banks o f the Gogra river to collect boats to enable us to build a bridge f or Jung ’ Bahado u r s army to cross over into Oude , in order

’ 1 70 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

f o u r . we miles Much atigued by long march , ff O we . rested until dark , when started in silence Not a pipe was allowed ; the wheels o f the gun carriages were m u ffi ed ; and strict orders were given that no sound should be made . Crossing the dry bed Of a river at night is not ou r an easy matter, and progress was slow in the G extreme . uns stuck in the sandbanks , and at f times the horses came to grie . It was so tedious, s o and I done up , that I slipped unconsciously ’ o ff o n my pony s back , and was sound asleep a f sandbank f or upwards o an hour . When I awoke f o n f my Chie had not ridden hal a mile , and , as luck would have it , had never missed me when I rejoined him he made no remark . At about that evening a detailed f orce was sent on ahead to attack a stockade o n a hill near the spot where e f w were to arrive a ter crossing the river . This f was f u n ort , however , o nd deserted , and was soo in a blaze . w e Once more bivouacked , and got some rest , n ot f or t o though long , as at daylight we had

o u r assist in getting tents and baggage across , which had now arrived o n the other bank . This o f took a considerable part the morning , and beyond what I had in my holster (the remains o f ’ my previous night s feed) I had nothing to eat . ’ o ne f About O clock that a ternoon , the baggage t o having arrived , and while we were preparing

INCIDENTS OF THE CAMPAIGN 1 7 1

’ pitch o u r camp f or at any rate twenty - f our hours o u r rest , outlying pickets gave the alarm and ’ we f 0 o f instantly ell in , as about 5 the enemy s cavalry came down in o u r direction to reconnoitre . Our f orce that day consisted O f 2 6 0 Naval f 1 00 Gho orkas Brigade , with our guns , 5 , with seven f 6 0 . guns , and about Sikhs A ter assembling , w e proceeded to march in the direction o f our o f f o f bridge boats higher up . A strong orce Sepoys and rebels had n ow come down to pre u s f ou r c u t vent rom getting to boats , and to

O ff . we us By in a raging hot sun , had marched throu gh the village o f Pho olpore ; and o u r little battle o f that name began directly f a terwards .

was : fi It the usual scene rst , a good blaze at each other with artillery , skirmishers to the f ront . Then a general advance , the enemy f alling back and taking up a fresh position ; there he stood until we came up close , and then he bolted . There were a good many casualties or o f O that day , and a tumbril two urs were blown up . I witnessed a rather curious scene at the begin

o f . ning the action Elephants , as usual , dragged o u r spare ammunition f or the guns and men — as bullocks were slow and could n ot keep u p though directly we came within manoeuvring distance the elephants had to be sent to the rear ; ’ 1 7 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS and ammunition was placed in hackeries drawn f by bullocks . On that day , rom accident or otherwise , the ammunition was not Changed soon f o r f enough , a long shot rom the rebel battery f came bounding among some o the elephants .

It was the work o f an instant . Up went their off trunks , their trumpets , and away they fled as hard as they could to the rear . It was an absurd sight . Nothing on earth could stop them a mahout told me he could hardly keep his seat . We killed a good many mutineers that after 6 noon . We chased them till near dark ( f o f and , what with the orced march the previous day and the night crossing (to say nothing of having been under fire from 2 till 6 ou r f o u t orce was completely exhausted . Worn with f atigue and hunger, we were soon sound asleep . I pitied the poor Chaps who had to go ou t on picket

f - a ter those thirty six hours o f incessant hard work . Tw o o r o f three us that evening , while pitch ou r ing tents , suddenly discovered in the dark a white mass lying near our tent pole . We had just g ot the pole up when o ne o f the party o n o u t trod this white mass , which turned to be f an un ortunate wounded Sepoy , his leg broken , either by a shot or by a piece O f s hell — and two parts o u t f or dead , though , poor wretch , he could call mercy and close his hands in token o f salaam . all I c a n s a f o r Well , y is , we did what we could

’ 1 74 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

f bayonet , man The sailor had orgotten that he

had this still on his belt . Soon it came into use , f o r and all was over the rebel .

f o f o f ac c om The orcing the passage the Gogra ,

lished o u r f Ne au lese p by orce , enabled the p army t o cross and next day they were O ff o n their way

to Lucknow . These troops , I suppose , could not be compared with the Gho orkas of this day I do

not think they had much military system . Their

f ko okerie - chie weapon was the (a long handled ,

- f curved blade kni e) , which they were supposed to throw with the utmost precision a matter o f fifty yards ; and it was said that these knives were thrown during a charge bef ore coming to very art I n ot Close quarters . For my p , do think I ever saw them used in this way : these warriors

preferred their muskets and bayonets . They were o ff o f adepts , however , at cutting the head a bullock with o ne stroke o f the ko okerie : I saw

this done o n more than one occasion . After Jung Bahado u r left us we recrossed the

f Gorru ck Gogra , and were sent back to de end the

: o u r pore district again much to disgust , as we thought there was a Chance o f o u r going on to

Lucknow . I f orgot to mention that Jung Bahado u r held a sort o f levee in his camp to all o u r Offi cers before f o r he started , and , in a short speech , thanked us f O f helping him across . He was a per ect blaze INCIDENTS OF THE CAMPAIGN 1 7 5 precious stones— diamonds and emeralds as large as a thimble— and must have been worth a mass

O f money as he stood . f or fi We now came in some severe ghting , f r o . marching , and countermarching , weeks The heat was becoming oppressive , with violent winds

- and dust storms ; and the flies were abominable . I have known a leg o f a sheep o r a goat half eaten if f by flies , by any chance the tent was le t deserted o b f or a f ew hours . The white ants were most noxious insects : they would demolish a rug laid o n the ground to such an extent that it was utterly f useless f o r any practical purpose a terwards . rd of On the 3 March , having arrived and Am orrah f encamped at a place called , our orce was augmented by 2 5 0 o f the Bengal Yeomanry

f . Cavalry , a per ect Godsend to us These were

— indeed splendid troops . The regiment which ,

— I believe , was raised at Calcutta was commanded f ar by o ne Colonel Chapman . As as I c an re c o l

— o f o f lect , two thirds the men at least consisted those who had lost their little all during the begin

f — and o . ning the Mutiny Some , indeed , these

f ew— not had lost near and dear relations , and , con was o f f o r sequently , their only thought vengeance the dastardly atrocities and ruin brought upon f them and their poor amilies . They possessed , f or the most part , nothing but what they stood I fi n they were volunteers , and came only to ght ’ 1 76 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

if f and to die , such was to be their ate . They were f : f beauti ully horsed and well armed in act , a of splendid corps . Many the troopers were gentlemen in social life ; all threw in their lot If together and their discipline was superb . they f : had a ault , it was recklessness in their charges f nothing deterred them . I orget the actual engage

o f ment , and where it was ; but , just to see a bit f u n f the and what they would do , I ollowed them , af ter giving them the order from my Chief to charge a certain position ; and at a respectable f distance I s aw the whole thing . A ter advancing f of at a trot , they ound that a battery the rebels of o u r was playing into part position very warmly . Suddenly they took ground to the right f or a short of f distance , and , under cover trees , ormed up at

right angles t o the battery . Then they advanced 1 00 o f at a canter , and , when within yards or so

the battery , wheeled suddenly to their right and f Charged straight at the guns in ront . As good fi luck would have it , the rebels red their grape f ew just too soon , and caught only a outside files as the squadrons wheeled f or the final charge . It looked to me ( 2 00 yards or s o away) as if

they must have been annihilated but , thank God , they had lost only seventeen killed and wounded f and a e w horses . It is needless to say that every u n w g was taken , and the gunners ere sabred to a

’ 1 7 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

campaign , and there were considerable misgivings as to whether we could remain and fight it out or f o f should have to retire arther . The worst it was that ou r retrograde movement from the f ort of Belwar had given the rebels additional pluck . They thought they had us . C H A P T E R XVIII

A T O U C H —A N D - G O E N G A G E M E N T

A L L the 4 th Of March we were busy strengthen o u r fi ing entrenchments , lling up tumbrils and : I n ammunition hackeries in short , preparing . f ormation had arrived that the enemy were going th to attack us on the 5 , and would bring a very f o f strong orce to the task . Several the swell rebel Al l Rajahs were to be present . was in readiness of th 2 A M by dark on the evening the 4 and at . . o f th on the morning the 5 the alarm was sounded .

f o u t of The orce moved its entrenchments , and f to o u r f on ormed up a mile or so ront . Cavalry f both flanks , guns in centre , and in antry were on o f equally distributed each side the battery . f we or . There remained , waiting news The cavalry patrol had been sent o u t fi ve miles along f f o r the road , to eel the enemy . Daylight appeared yet no news had been sent ’ o u r in . Not until seven O clock did we see patrol f retiring at a com ortable trot along the road . ’ 1 8 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

Soon after break o f day they had observed this of huge mass the enemy advancing , and had,

consequently , retired . We had not to wait long . o f f Clouds dust told us o their whereabouts . The

clouds extended a very considerable distance , over ou r f o n Not f lapping ront both sides . long a ter wards we could hear the bugle calls o f the enemy ; and I must own it was rather an anxious time f or

. to us The Brigadier , alive the occasion , rode about and spoke a f ew words o f encouragement to the men . How we longed to be all white troops , o f f " Al l instead a mixed orce told , we mustered f 2 f 1 00 0 . only 7 in antry , 5 cavalry , and our guns f The enemy , we heard a terwards , were strong— half Sepoys and half badly- armed rebels with twelve guns . The next thing to be done w as to f Show as large a ront as we could . The regiments

S file one were actually placed in ingle in long line . ff f We could not a ord supports , and the our guns

f to r o u . were divided . In act , we had take chance : o r Luckily, had to deal with niggers only

Words f ail me .

M . was About 9 A . the action begun by the fi 1 8 — 1 00 enemy ring his pounder, then some 5 yards distant . As we had nothing that ranged

1 2 00 we . more than yards , were at a disadvantage So a general advance was made ; o u r skirmishers were thrown o u t ; and the guns soon got their Al l s aw O f range . this time I masses men moving

’ 1 8 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

fi f range , red , lying down , volley a ter volley into the disconcerted rebels , whose centre seemed to be o n the move . ou r f Meanwhile le t flank was overlapped , and the beggars were trying to get round o u r lef t rear ff f ou r . O into camp went the le t squadron , sup o u r ported by the other two guns, with Marines f and Sikhs, and mowed them down beauti ully . 1 P M o f By . . the rebels had enough it , and began to f retire in earnest . Our ellows then all along one the line took up continued cheer , and rushed was f or them . This too much the enemy , who f or off a time made completely . They took up f f f a resh position some our miles arther on , where there was a village with a large tope o f trees ; but ou t they did not remain long . We drove them . was 2 P M ou r f It now about . . , and ellows were

Clean done up by the great heat . The General ordered a halt . The enemy gradually retired in f o u r f f ew all directions rom ront ; and , beyond a stray shots f rom their artillery while we were rest

fi . ing in the shade , the ght was virtually over I had a good deal o f galloping about all that f o ne morning . No sooner was I back rom order than off I was sent on some other errand It was most interesting work . I had constantly to cross some part o f the plain where the fire was

n . raging hot . In went my spurs o these occasions

I could generally see the round shot coming . A TOUCH - AND- GO ENGAGEMENT 1 8 3

O f One them came ricochetting straight at me . o f o r f Luckily , I was crossing a bit ploughed so t fi land . The shot actually nished its last bound m ’ under y horse s legs without touching them . Once o r twice I f ound some of our n ative troops o f o ld hanging back under shelter walls , the f o l ruins o some d village . This so annoyed me fi o f that , nding strong language no avail I used o f the flat my sword on more than one man s back . My Chief w as v ery calm all that morning ; but I could see very plainly that he was anxious as to f m results . On my returning rom y message he was very impatient to know if the orders were tw o being carried o u t . He had other gallopers that day , and they too were hard at it . o n e 1 8 — We took seven guns an pounder , three

- O f brass 9 pounders , and others smaller calibre . Here it was that a very good messmate o f f mine , Fowler , was killed by a round shot ; not hal f “ a minute be ore he had passed me and said , I s a old V y, ictor , look at this , showing me where a grape shot had gone through the bottom o f his ll a . trousers . This was a sad loss to us That w night I helped to dress him in clean hite clothes ,

- and we laid him in his last resting place . Our f ew casualties were astonishingly . I attribute this to the thinness o f o u r line and the wretched f f shooting o the enemy . The hostile orce were large enough to eat us had they had any system ’ 1 84 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

o f fi ghting but , I suppose , they thought that their f great masses would righten us clean away . The incident showed what method and discipline c an M o f do against a mob . any the Sepoy regiments f had come rom Oude . There they had been thoroughly thrashed ; and they f ought us that day with their tails between their legs .

The action had a marvellous eff ect . It saved

orru ck ore f the G p district rom a second rebellion . f ro Be ore attacking , the rebels had issued a p

clamation that they had come to annihilate us ,

Gorru c k ore f to liberate p rom the Englishmen , o u t o f and to drive us the district . Our spies told us that they never thought our small f orce f f or would show ront an instant . It was expected that we should retire , and , consequently , the o enemy made no preparations to man euvre .

We had many narrow squeaks that morning . A shell burst Close under the head o f the ’ Brigadier s horse ; yet he was not touched . I had of o f f hold the branch a tree , clearing it rom my O ff head , when a round shot cut it just above me . After the fight we marched back to camp much f atigued ; but we did n ot enter ou r entrench f f ments . We elt comparatively sa e . We knew that the horde o f rebels had lost all courage and M fi f were in despair . any gave up ghting and le t f r as o their homes . The loss w estimated at 700 killed and wounded .

’ 1 8 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

Colonel your regiment is about to mutiny . “ If Brazier thereupon seized his revolver , saying , my regiment is to mutiny you shall be the first ff f or . to su er it , and then shot him on the spot It was said that this summary proceeding stopped a mutiny which w as imminent in this regiment that what the fanatic had told him was quite true . During the seven months at Bustee we were constantly sending out flying columns, and other wise giving the rebels no peace when they congre in gated the district which we were protecting . Sometimes the fighting was at close quarters f or a brief period but generally the rebels did not stand longer than they could help . It was harassing r f ou . work , and kept orce employed a good deal o t Cricket matches were g up . Also , we had a theatre , and amused ourselves as best we could ,

o u t o n when not detachment service , during was those long months . The heat very great , and during the rainy season o u r m en suff ered a l f f f or good dea rom ever . I was down with it six weeks . It took a very malignant mode with me

f - - f o or . in act , it was touch and g with me some days o n I lived quinine and jack fruit .

Towards November the weather became cooler , and preparations were made to leave o u r canton ments and once again take the field under tents . f The Change o scene and o f work w as very welcome . We lef t o u r cantonment o n the 1 6 th of Novem A TOUCH- AND - GO ENGAGEMENT 1 8 7

- to ber , and advanced in a north west direction the f o f Ne au l rontiers p . From that date until the 2 3 rd o f December we were gradually driving the f w as rebels be ore us . There a smart encounter at Dom e ri u n e a place called g g , where we drove the rebels across the Rapti River . We crossed a f ew f days a ter by a bridge of boats . In the action near the Rapti Ri ver w e g ot well among I them , and n their flight across the river a good o f many them were drowned . The Bengal Yeomanry Cavalry paid them off well in a f ffi charge , but , un ortunately , lost an able O cer, ff f f o . Captain Gi ard , who ell at the head his troop

Once over the Rapti , we heard that the rebels had made preparations f o r a great stand at a place T o olse ore f ar f called p , not rom the Terai Jungle . We were now within sight o f the Himalaya fi Mountains , and the distant scenery was magni cent a relief after the plains we had been marching through all these months . We arrived in the vicinity o f T o ols epore o n 2 o th o f o n 2 rd the December , and the 3 we had fi our last ght . It was supposed that to take l s re T o o epo would be a big business . It was said to be a very strong position . Consequently , a siege train was sent fo r to batter down the f ' P o f l orts . art the Nava Brigade had to take

o f 1 8 - charge the guns , three pounders and some f o n o f c o n mortars . Our orce the eve the attack ’ 1 8 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

of 2 1 8 0 f 00 1 2 fi sisted in antry , 4 cavalry , eld guns , and the siege train . To us, long accustomed to fi f o f ghting with hand uls men , this appeared quite f an imposing orce . We could see the enemy ’s position in the f distance , and clearly make out large orts and batteries and a very extensive camp . I believe that that w as their last dying eff ort in our part of fi f India . All the other eld orces were gradually who now converging and Closing in the rebels , could only surrender or retreat into the Terai Jungle and Ne au l f Bahado u r cross the p rontier ; which Jung , it was said , would oppose . We were now within ’ o f two touch Sir Hope Grant s columns ; and , f T o ol s e ore days be ore the action at p , he sent us a o f rd 8 0 wing the 5 3 Regiment , about 5 strong , f ’ with two guns o Welch s battery . In the evening before our fight I rode down to

- the outlying pickets to have a look round , and was much interested in watching the Sepoys ’ pickets o f and sentries , and the little knots cavalry fi patrolling about . Now and then a bullet red f as I rom a distance would fly past me , and , was only an amateur , I did not remain long to hear more . Next morning at nine o u r little army crossed f as . w a small ordable river , the Bulli Rapti I galloping about all the morning t o the various f corps , with messages sent by my Chie . About

ten the troops had all got into position , and the

’ 1 9 0 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

what my Chief wanted and expected them to f do, cavalry and some in antry were immediately

sent round their flank , to attack them in the rear and to c u t o ff their retreat should they o f bolt . The siege train heavy guns , drawn by

no w fire o n elephants , was moved up and opened M f P . . f the orts . By 4 we had carried the ort and the ’ villages . There was a chase until seven o clock , and the cavalry were very eff ective during the flight o f f ho the natives . It was wonder ul w soon the rebels got away . They were marvels at running when once o ff nothing but horse artillery and cavalry i could come up with them . Many h d themselves

- ou t away in the high standing crops, villages ,

: f houses in act , they scattered all over the country . That night we bivouacked outside the enemy’s f f ort and entrenchments . Just be ore dusk I rode in to s ee what they were like . It was certainly a very strong position ; but the dirt was s o abominable that I could not stay long . They had evidently been there some time anybody who knew India in the Mutiny days will well understand what I mean . ’ Several o f the enemy s guns that day were carried at the point o f the bayonet (generally by ou r skirmishers) , and we routed them completely .

Next day the troops rested .

On Christmas Day , as we were well into our dinner , and what might be called enjoying ourselves,

P M . Sir Hope Grant rode into camp about 4 . and A TOUCH- AND- GO ENGAGEMENT 1 9 1

to m f ordered us ake a orced march immediately , f who so as to ollow up the rebels , were trying to escape to the eastwards . What a nuisance we voted this grand soldier, as he stood there with a fine escort o f cavalry (Lancers) giving his orders “ o u r " s a O ff " to General I heard him y, at once ” w e c t ff o r n o u o . Dinner dinner , must these rebels o n There , the spot , the bugles were sounded ; down came o u r tents ; and what became o f o u r stewed kid and other little delicacies we had taken ’ s o o f much trouble to get hold I don t know . I was o n my horse in no time and sent galloping about with instructions . Marching until well into the night straight across country (the roads being blocked with mud , we o u r owing to heavy rains) , halted , and curled selves u p as best we could o n the ground until fi daylight . I lay down in a ploughed eld that or night : no baggage tents had come up . The f fi f soil was so t at rst but I soon made a large orm , which became as hard as a brick bat ; and I woke s a up aching all over . For three days we w neither f tents nor baggage . We were simply ollowing up f or the rebels , who were now making the great I n wa . t 2 8 th Terai Jungle Arriving at on the , we f ound Sir Hope Grant with a troop o f horse ’ th H o ds on s artillery , the 9 Lancers, and Horse . What joy to s e e horse artillery and that splendid cavalry The 9th looked nearly as well as if they ’ 1 9 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS had been at Aldershot ; so did the horse artillery ; ’ H ods on s and that splendid regiment , Horse , was indeed a sight . ’ Fo r two or three days ou r f orce and Sir Hope s marched in parallel columns . Only once did we f come across rebels . That was at the edge o the

Terai , where we took them completely by surprise , f fire and actually ound their pots on the , cooking . s aw fi This was about the last shot the Brigade red . On the 3 rd of January 1 8 5 9 we had done o u r share in quelling the Mutiny , and received orders o u r v id to return t o ship Allahabad . All our part o f f f the country was reed rom rebels at any rate , f there was no chance o their congregating again .

’ 1 9 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

f Intwa o n th o f u Starting rom near the 4 Jan ary , we marched incessantly (with the exception of one ’ n day s halt) to Alahabad . We arrived there o the ’ 1 s o o f o ne 5 th , that with the exception day s rest ’ ( o n a Sunday) we had a consecutive ten days marching ; doing 2 6 miles o n one day and 1 8 on f or another . What was the reason this hurry we I could never understand . I suppose were fine in condition , and not hampered with much

f u r - baggage . We le t o tent stores and ammunition f behind , and our guns were le t with Sir Hope to find Grant . Lord Canning, I was pleased , was l at A ahabad . He kindly allowed me to visit him , and I dined with him o ne evening during o u r f o f stay . On the morning o the day our departure His Excellency caused the f ollowing general orders to be read o u t to the Brigade

A AH AB AD he 1 th a ua r 1 8 L t n . , 7 y y 5 9

H is Excellency the Viceroy and Governor - General cannot allow the O fficers and men form ing the Naval ’ Brigade of Her Majesty s ship P ea rl to pass through Alahabad on their return to their ship without expressing his acknowledgmen ts of the excellent service they have rendered to the State . D 1 2 S 1 8 isembarked on the th of eptember 5 7, they have for fifteen months formed a main part of the small force to which the security of the wide district of Go rru c k ore has p , and of the country adjoining it, been entrusted, and which has held during that time important THE NAVAL BRIGADE 1 9 5 advan ced posts exposed to constant attack from the strongholds of the rebels . The duty has been arduous and h arassing ; but it has a n d been cheerfully and thoroughly performed , the ’ ea rl s a a discipline of the P brigade has been dmir ble . Ga z ettes the th an d 2 rd Ma 2 th A The of 9 3 rch , 7 pril, 1 1 th Ma 2 2n d 6 th an d 1 1 A y, "une, 3 th "uly , 3 th ugust, 1 2 th an d 1 O 2 rd 2 6 th N 9 th ctober, 3 and ovember 1 8 8 an d 1 1 th a 1 8 at 5 , "anu ry 5 9 , have shown th when the Go rru c kpore field force has been engaged the Brigade t has sign ally disti n guished i self. The Governor - General cordially thanks C aptain f S C . B . otheby, , and his brave o ficers and men for the a a the valuable ssistance they h ve given to army in Bengal, an d he is glad to think that they do no t quit the scene of their services without the satisfaction of seeing peace o t a restored t the rich districts which hey h ve protected .

H a R . H or Genera l . IR M " . B C , j ,

S ecreta ry to the Government of I ndia

ith the Go ernor- Gener l w v a .

Af ter this w as read o u t a ringing Cheer was sent up , and renewed again and again ; knots o f soldiers and civilians standing by joined in the general rejoicings . The bands played us down to our B ena res f f steamer , the , and we le t shortly a ter n o r wards o u way down the river . Here w as a o u r pleasant ending to all work . The Governor General was right in stating that we left with f o f the satis action seeing peace restored . It was indeed a proud moment to be told that a reward ’ 1 9 6 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS to us to see that accomplished which we had done o u r best to bring about . I hope I may be excused f or writing thus much . We had had very arduous fi l f work , ghting with a smal orce against vastly f o . superior numbers , whatever they were made of We never knew, especially in the early days f : the Mutiny , what a day might bring orth we find o u r f might even whole orce annihilated . We f had very scanty in ormation about the rebels , and of ten o u r spies were not to be trusted . The whole was f country up in arms ; villages were orsaken , either f or f ear o f us or because they had j oined the rebels ; the incessant marching and counter f marching , and entrenching our camp a ter a long ’ day s march in a hot climate , were no joke and I f o f o u r f o f elt very proud orce , especially the s o Brigade , well commanded by Captain Sotheby . The action o f Am orra had great eff ect o n the f mutineers in that part o India . It broke their : spirit so much so , that they never were able to f f mass in any large orce a terwards , with the

o f fi T o ol se re exception that nal stand at po . The rebels as a rule f ought badly ; but there were occasions when we were hard put to it not so much by the actual fighting as by the o f constant state unrest into which they put us . f if Then , there was always the eeling that retreat had been forced o n us we should have nothing to f n or f all back upon neither position rein orcements .

’ 1 9 8 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

’ who mother s death . Those have known the ’ depths o f a mother s love will be able to measure f n o . the terrible blow that then ell me She , the o ne to in the world I longed see again , to talk over with her the many adventures I had had — S he since last we parted was gone . C H A P T E R XX

H OM E A G A I N

T H E P ea rl arrived at Spithead early in June , and as O u r w immediately paid off . Lieutenants were

all promoted , and the midshipmen were to have their Lieutenants ’ commissions when duly qualified f i i a ter exam nat on . Besides , we received the great honour o f being voted the thanks o f both Houses

o f P f or o u r arliament services during the mutiny . ’ After two months leave I was appointed to Al iers the g , then in the Channel Fleet . I had to wait until the f ollowing spring to complete my s ix years as a mid and to attain the age o f

nineteen . I now had to set to work and get up my

navigation and gunnery , so long neglected , in f order to quali y in February . While I was in the Channel Fleet there was — the usual cruising to Vigo , Lisbon , and so f orth — but we spent most of the winter o f 1 8 5 9 P lying in ortland Roads . How dull that service ’ 2 00 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

was to me after years o f excitement and constant change " 1 8 6 0 I pass it over , and come to March , when I went up to be examined f or my

Lie e n n c fi u t a t y. The rst ordeal was a Seaman o n V tor ship examination board the ic y . Three Old salts s at o n me— two of them brig Com Th P . e manders , the other a ost Captain ball o ne o f was opened by these setting me questions , ‘ itod ‘vo which I was expected to answer v ce. I was to o f old find take command his brig , to P her alongside the jetty in ortsmouth Harbour , fit ou t dismantled ; to her , get my guns in , and

ou t stores , and take her to Spithead , mooring her at that anchorage ; I was to let them know

when I was ready t o begin the ordeal . In the meantime they lef t the cabin and disappeared— I suppose in the hope that I should be better able to make o u t my programme and so save their time . as ne f This question w a hot o . I gave mysel a Clear ten minutes over it . I made some pencil notes to assist me in my answers . These notes I f o f consistently ollowed , and at the end my ten minutes ’ grace I sent a message by the sentry to s a o n y that I was ready . It always struck me such occasions that there was a chuckle of delight dimly visible in your examiner ’s countenance at

- the thought that he had got you dead beat . When all three reappeared smiling and joking I

’ 20 2 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

’ of I don t know . Soon appeared my sheet f f oolscap duly signed , and I was a ree man , as having passed my Seamanship examination . was The next step the Gunnery examination , o n board the Excellent ; and finally I had to be put through my f acings at the Royal Naval

College examination in the Dockyard . s ix f There were just weeks be ore the Vacations , and there was to be o ne day f or each exam . The Gunnery day gave me only a clear f ortnight— short n I wou ld otice , certainly ; but I thought have a f or s o t o f try it , as to be able get clear away be ore O f not the Vacation July , and have to begin again later in the year .

I was allowed a room at the Naval College , Excellent and went daily to the to work , besides P to having a crammer at lodgings in ortsea , whom

P . M I repaired at 5 . , working with him until seven o r f eight . Sometimes I began again a ter dining at the College mess . Things looked bad when I l went to the Exce lent . The instructors told me I had no Chance of getting through in a bare f ort night , and that I was evidently below the ordinary o f NO f standard knowledge . ( wonder , a ter so long a period of war and active service . )

f . However , the event ul day arrived I began at 1 0 P M fif , and by 4 . . had got my teen crosses f (mistakes) , sixteen turning you back . There ore , there was half a cross left and the subject to be HOME AGAIN 2 6 3

ot — g through was Drilling Quarters that is , a o f battery guns . My poor crammer was very anxious : I had i promised him an extra fiver f I go t through . ” “ o ne f Sir , said he , you have but chance le t , which is that yo u must give your orders as loud fi u c an as possible and show all the con dence yo . Y o u . o u t must Chance your mistakes Only , sing ’ f or s ir f or ou " God s sake , , all y are worth Whether my examiner (I c an s ee him now pacing up and down the deck) was becoming tired o f his ’ or o n c on day s work , whether he had a pity me , s iderin I was o n g the brink he knew standing , I don ’t know but he seemed to keep some distance " ofl or . Once twice the men at the guns helped me (when his back was turned) by giving me a hint or otherwise , as they knew whither they O if f ught to go , I had orgotten some detail in my f order . At any rate , I yelled mysel hoarse , pre tending I knew all about it ; and when this exercise was over and the retreat sounded , my crammer “ ’ s ir said to me , I think it s all right , . Within an hour I was told I had just squeezed through with fifteen crosses and a half o u t O f a possible f o r : sixteen . Good enough me all I had wanted s wa to pass . I had now a month to get through the remain — ing ordeal Navigation , Algebra , Trigonometry and Other Sciences . During that time I rather ’ 2 6 4 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS enjoyed my stay at the College there were some f o ne or good ellows there , as well as two very eccentric ones . One in particular touched my f ancy . He was a poor chap trying to pass , and f r n o o n had been s o o months . He had hope the f wa s eve o the dreaded day . His only chance that he might be allowed to stay o n at college by n getting o the sick list somehow or other . The first time he actually let himself drop some f eet m f down the stairs , and contrived to hurt hi sel ; and the doctors put him o n the sick list imm e di f ately . Having recovered shortly be ore the next fi f l u m dreaded day , and nding himsel stil in the f ortunate fix o f not being able to go up f o r o f examination with the slightest chance passing , he took a razor and chopped his shin bone in two o r three places s o badly that he was enforced to lie up . This always struck me as showing the good stuff he w as made o f it was a pity that s o courageous a man should be lost to the Service . f Un ortunately , his little ruses were detected , and he had to qu it . of no t f At the end my month , I went up eeling over confident yet if the sheet happened to be a

6 to o n . moderate one it would , I thought , be 4

S O it came about : I won in a canter . 1 8 o f 1 8 6 0 f On th July , the ollowing letter , o f to f written by the Duke Somerset my ather,

f f f or . ollowed , shortly a ter I had passed Lieutenant

’ 2 06 A MIDDY S RECOLLECTIONS

important than ever ; and , with a higher educa o f t o tion and another class men deal with , his f r character tells o more every day . He must never f orget that he has to set bef ore himself the highest standard o f effi ciency and conduct at home o n and abroad , at sea , and shore . Let him never f orget that he is an offi cer serving under the flag f o f O the Realm which is Mistress the Seas . I have written about my midshipman lif e as being by f ar the most interesting part o f my naval career . The rest ran over a good many years but , though I had some interesting times , I war f or have no more service to account . During my midshipman years f ortune f avoured me more o f a o flicer M than is usual in the lot a n val . y only regret (if I may so call it) is that I was not f o riper years during the stirring period . Thereby I should hav e gained more experience f or the good on o f the Service . I remained in the Navy until 1 8 8 6 ; but my deaf ness (contracted by jungle f ever during the Mutiny) increased considerably ; ff and , what with that and other personal a airs , I f thought it best , a ter mature consideration , to retire f rom the noble profession I could no longer f ollow with satisfaction to my country or to f mysel .

T H E E N D P rinted b R R LA RK L I MI T ED Edinbur h y . . C , , g

1 4 DAY U SE RETURN To DESK FR O M WH ICH BORROWED

LO AN DEPT.

n l a t a e This bo o k is du e o th e s d t stamp e d bel ow , o r

o n th e date to w hic h ren ew e d . ll re ca .

Gen e ra l Li brary LI) Z 1 A— 5 0m U n ive rs i ty o f Cal if ornia ( D3 27 9 8 1 0) 4 7 6 B Be rke ley