_1861. TIENTSIN. CHEFOO. NAGASAKI. DEVONPORT_
Fraternity of beggars--Relief fund--A Buddhist nunnery--A
Buddhist temple--Ancestral worship--A pantheistic mosque--A
Chinese dinner--An opium den--A missionary plan--Postal
arrangements--Remittances--Vegetation--Birds--Mr. Bruce proceeds
to Pekin--Camp formed--The Spirit of Fire--French “ideas”--“Sheep
grows its own wool”--Taipings--Sir John Mitchell--Sickness among
troops--Emperor dies--Trip to Chefoo--Town and vicinity--Taoist
temple--Resume duty--The force breaking up--Nagasaki--Places
visited--Embark--Homeward bound--Aden--Cairo and Alexandria--Death
of Prince Consort--Devonport.
The Fraternity of Beggars constitutes one of the institutions peculiar
to Tientsin, the numbers of mendicants to be met with being very
great indeed, comprising old and young, fat and lean, the healthy,
the deformed, and the diseased. One particular class are to be seen
almost devoid of clothing on the upper part of their persons, even
in the coldest weather, when the thermometer ranges from zero to a
few degrees above, the use of thick clothing and furs by most people
considered indispensable; yet that their health in no way suffered
from such exposure was evident by their appearance. Another notable
class represent to some degree the order Flagellants, their appeals for
charity emphasized by a series of self-inflicted blows on their bodies
by means of a piece of wood or a brick-bat. These several classes live
in communities, one of which I visited. In a wretched hut, in coldest
winter, destitute of fire, thirty-five men, all in a state of nudity,
were huddled together, having a cubic space per head of 57 feet. The
atmosphere was foul and offensive, the inmates for the most part
strong, and to all appearance healthy. Here, as in China generally, the
rule that “once a beggar, always a beggar,” has few, if indeed any,
exceptions.
An attempt was made to relieve some of the poverty and distress which
were so prominently before our eyes. For this purpose a fund was
established, a sum of eight hundred dollars being collected among the
officers of the force; the subject was brought to the notice of the
Chinese officials and wealthier classes in the city, the result being
that they not only refused to aid the work, but opposed it in various
ways. Finally, notices were issued that the sum collected would be
distributed at the house used as a “church” by our troops; a guard
of soldiers was mounted to preserve order, and at the hour appointed
seven thousand applicants for relief had collected. Unhappily the crush
speedily became greater than the guard was capable of resisting; in the
pressure of the crowd a number of persons, chiefly women and children,
were trodden under foot, several crushed to death, and of those less
severely injured fifteen were carried into hospital.
As winter advanced, sickness among our troops increased to such a
degree that various _yamens_ or other buildings had in succession to be
hired for that purpose. On such occasions, in addition to the officers
specially concerned in making the selection, some representative city
(Chinese) officials, the whole party under the protection of our own
military police, made an inspection of the buildings most suitable
for our purpose, after which an application was duly made for the
particular one fixed upon. On an occasion of this kind, Captain C.
E. Gordon, R.E., who shortly afterwards was to become so prominent
a character in Chinese, and subsequently in Egyptian, war-history,
formed, as usual, one of the party alluded to. In the course of our
excursion we came to what from the outside appeared to be an eligible
enclosure for our purpose. A series of loud knocks at the outer door
brought to it a neatly attired and rather good-looking _boy_, as we
at first supposed, whose manner of receiving us was the very reverse
of polite. _He_ was quickly brushed aside; our party was in act of
entering, when our Chinese escort intimated the fact--up till that
moment unexpressed--that we were forcing our way into a Buddhist
nunnery, against the expressed objection of a nun. Our regret was real;
explanations were exchanged; we were informed that the community within
adopted male costume as an indication that they not only renounced the
world, but with it the emblems of their sex. We were “received” by the
Lady Superior, tea and cakes offered to and partaken of by us; we were
then permitted to visit the “private chapel,” and finally we parted
from the _religieuses_ on the best of terms. Needless to say, their
establishment from that time forward was by us held sacred.
A visit was made to “The Temple of Future Punishments.” That temple
comprises a series of buildings, the entrance to the general enclosure
in which they are situated having on either side a stone figure of
a dog, probably the Buddhistic ideal Cerberus. Within the several
buildings well-executed clay _figures_ represented the subjects of
departed spirits, undergoing all the forms and degrees of punishment
to which evil Buddhists were condemned, the whole reminding us, on
the one hand, of those described in “The Vision of Meerza,” and, on
the other, of illustrations contained in at least one publication by
the Roman Catholic Church. Among the various forms of punishment so
illustrated was that of crucifixion; another illustration included the
humpless bullock, as if relating to the worship of Isis and Osiris; a
third presented the rites of the Indian Chukkur Poojah, and so on.
On visiting an old Buddhist temple on the left bank of the Peiho,
our reception by the priests belonging to it was most friendly and
hospitable. On the principal shrine were the orthodox representations
of “the three Buddhas,”--namely, past, present, and to come. In other
portions of the same sacred edifice were figures, doubtless of saints;
before each a joss stick smouldered, while our venerable entertainers
talked and smiled, even in presence of their gods. This portion of our
visit over, we were invited by the priest to enter the house of one of
the brethren. Having done so, tea in small cups, and cakes, steamed
instead of baked, were served to us.
Arrived at a dwelling-house, in which various members of the family
were engaged in the ceremonies connected with ancestral worship, we
were permitted to be spectators of that ritual. A small shrine, erected
for the occasion, had upon it two figures, probably Confucian, for
they were without any characteristics of Buddhism. It was further
decorated with flags and other ornaments. Offerings of apples were
arranged upon the shrine; a vessel containing joss sticks, otherwise
incense rods, one of which was taken by each worshipper in his turn
and lighted; there were also piles of tinsel paper, from which pieces
were successively taken and set on fire, the belief of the worshippers,
all of whom were grave and orderly in demeanour, that messages were
by that means conveyed to their departed relatives. But there were no
women present at the ceremony. On either side of an enclosed passage,
communicating with the ancestral hall, a series of tablets, roughly
estimated at two hundred, were arranged, the impression conveyed to us
being that each ancestor has his particular day on which his worship is
celebrated.
We were at first unprepared, on visiting a principal mosque, to learn
that several others of less magnitude existed for the considerable
Mahomedan population in the city. The mosque alluded to was to a
great extent Chinese in external style, but within had all the usual
characteristics of such edifices; superadded to these, however, there
was, on the middle of the floor, a tablet of Confucius, around which
was entwined in bold relief the Taoist dragon! The moolahs were
Chinese in feature and costume, and wore the Mongolian _queue_ or
pigtail. As we entered we found them deeply engaged in the study of the
Koran, written in Arabic, which language they spoke fluently.
Having had the honour of being invited to dinner by a Chinese
gentleman, the occasion was taken advantage of to observe the phase of
native life so presented. As guest of the evening, I was received with
much ceremony by Chang, for such was the name of the host; there was
much bowing, “chin-chin”-ing, and hand-shaking, each person for himself
shaking his own hands as he held them clasped upon his breast. Then
followed a respectful inquiry as to my honourable years,--otherwise,
how old I was,--and it by a desire to be informed as to how many
children had the honour to call me father, a bow and expressive gesture
indicating that sons only were to be counted in the enumeration. All
this took place in an outer apartment; the party was then invited
to proceed to the dining-hall, separated from that in which we at
first stood by a series of apartments, all handsomely furnished and
ornamented. In each corner of these rooms stood an ornamental lantern,
having in it a red-coloured taper, in token of rejoicing; on the wall
directly facing the door, a tablet upon which, in Chinese characters,
was the moral maxim, “Not to covet is a virtue,” otherwise a compressed
epitome of the tenth commandment. In the dining-room we took the chairs
assigned to us. On the table, arranged with much taste, were dishes
containing fruit, fresh and preserved; a dish on which were some neatly
cut slices of what looked like ham; on another a pyramid of eggs that
had been first boiled hard, then permitted to remain buried in the
ground for a year. These delicacies partaken of (and the eggs referred
to were by no means nasty), our host filled the tiny cup at the side
of each guest with hot sham-shu,--_i.e._, a spirit distilled from
millet,--bowed to each of us in succession, and returned to his seat.
The course which followed was mainly composed of the root of water lily
(_Nelumbum_); it again by one of sharks’ fins; then olives preserved
in syrup, or perhaps rather jujubes;[234] more fruits of sorts,
variously preserved; seaweed, sea-slugs[235], and other delicacies.
Although chop-sticks were arranged for each of us, knives, forks, and
spoons--all of silver, but the last-named of Chinese pattern--were
also placed for our use. Several courses of this kind having succeeded
each other, the more _material_ part of the banquet was introduced,
in the shape of portions of fowl and duck, served à la Russe; then
a repetition of preserves as before; winding up with a portion of
rice--the sign that dinner was over. Dessert was laid in another
room; thither we repaired, and with toasts, talk, and a good deal of
festivity the evening passed away.
A visit to an “opium den,” and inquiries to which that visit led,
induced me to make, at the time, an entry in my diary thus: “I have
witnessed much wretchedness and want among the victims of this vice
(namely, opium-smoking); but neither in a greater degree nor among
so large a proportion of the people as are debased in the United
Kingdom through the evil consequences of indulgence in spirits.” The
institution of such establishments was at the time looked upon as among
the first fruits arising from the treaty, in accordance with which
Tientsin, as a port, has been opened to foreign shipping.
The visit alluded to was made in company with an American
missionary.[236] His plan for obtaining influence over the frequenters
of such places was to point out to them the evils present and
prospective of the vice in which they were indulging, and so endeavour
to wean them from it. By seeking for, and assisting in various ways,
outcasts and the neglected,--by reconciling, when possible, those
between whom misunderstandings had arisen, and in other kindred methods
of proceeding, rather than in direct attempts at religious conversion,
he had succeeded in making for himself a sphere of great usefulness and
influence.
The postal arrangements in connection with our portion of the force
were so imperfect that only by means of Chinese messengers employed
at high rates of pay, which had to be made up at our individual cost,
our letters were conveyed to Chefoo, to be put on board a steamer.
The French, on the other hand, had with them two officers from the
Post Office in Paris, under them a party of sailors, for the purpose,
without expense to individuals, of keeping up postal communication
between Tientsin and the same port.
With regard also to the transmission of family remittances, a similar
contrast existed; it was impossible for us to send such remittances
otherwise than through a bank or mercantile house in Hong-Kong, at the
same time that the greatest difficulty and inconvenience existed in
sending money to that island. The French, on the contrary, have with
them special officers sent from the Paris Treasury for the purpose of
transacting business of this kind. If, therefore, our arrangements are
in most respects superior to those of our allies, these are examples of
the few in reference to which we are comparatively at a disadvantage.
In the early days of April a great advance was apparent in the aspect
of vegetation; long red catkins of poplar trees hung pendulous to a
length of several inches; plants, numerous in their variety, rapidly
came into blossom, many being species familiar to us in England, the
progress made by all of them astonishing. Vines that had been buried
deep in long trenches, and so protected against the cold of winter,
were disinterred, laid along the surface of the ground as if to dry,
then secured upon trellis-work erected for the purpose, after which the
succession of bud, leaf, flower, and fruit was very rapid. In the near
vicinity of irrigation canals, peach trees presented lovely displays
of pink blossom; at intervals the “white cloud” of cherry flowers gave
contrast to the whole.
From this point onwards interest increased in observing the successive
aspects of Nature. On March 17 temperature was sufficiently mild to
bring into activity a few winged insects; a perceptible change in the
aspect of the fields was apparent; tender shoots of green cereal leaves
were rising from the ground, and tree buds began to manifest coming
activity. Migratory birds were now in flight northward in their course,
wild swans being the first to start on such a journey, and to suffer
at the hands of the snarer. Early in April the swallow,[237] so well
known in England, made its appearance; and thenceforward, with White’s
“Selborne” in hand, note was taken of the order in which various
species made their appearance--an order which coincided to a remarkable
degree with what happens at home.
The departure of Mr. Bruce[238] to take up his position as British
Representative at Pekin marked the opening of a new era in the
relations between our own and the Imperial Governments. The
Emperor[239] was still at Jehol, whither he had fled on the approach to
his capital of the allied army; it was known that his chief adviser,
the Prince Tsai, was inimical to foreigners; that the details of
government were conducted by Prince Kung in conjunction with the Manchu
Prince Wan siang; moreover, that the Taiping rebels were carrying their
conquest rapidly northward, and so threatening the existence of the
reigning dynasty; hence it was that our force was held ready prepared
for eventualities. Happily the reception accorded to the British
Minister, if not all that could be desired, was not of a kind to call
for actual protest.
By way of occupation to our soldiers a camp was pitched and temporarily
occupied by them at a little distance from the city; parades and drills
became frequent, the general routine of duty much like that in an
English garrison. Men who had suffered in health during the winter,
and those time expired, were got ready for dispatch homewards, being
conveyed by military train waggons to Taku, and thence by steamer to
Hong-Kong _en route_. Of time-expired men the greater number were in
the best of health and vigour, inured to military life, and in all
respects desirable as soldiers, so that their departure was a serious
loss to the efficiency of our force.
With a view to facilitate access to the recently established camp, the
somewhat forcible measure was taken of cutting through the city wall.
That an objection should be raised by the citizens was a matter of
course; a deputation accordingly waited upon our Brigadier to protest
against the dilapidation, the reason assigned by them being that “the
Spirit of Fire” enters from the south, and danger to the city was thus
to be apprehended.
Intercommunication between the French and British officers was
friendly, if not exactly intimate, the former being invited to
entertainments of different kinds given by the latter. On one such
occasion conversation turned upon the nature of the influence being
exerted upon the Chinese mind by our presence respectively: “Yes,”
observed our neighbour, “we have a great mission to perform: you to
benefit them by your commerce; we (the French) by our ideas!” One
morning news reached us that a considerable portion of the French
contingent had been dispatched for service in Saigon.
On the subject of commerce the Chinese had already their own views in
relation to the indemnity to be paid to “the Barbarian.” Double import
duty was imposed on all foreign goods landed at the port; one moiety to
be paid before leaving the ship, the other prior to actual landing. By
this simple method, according to the expression used, “the sheep would
grow its own wool.” Not that the price to the Chinese receiver would
increase; the dues must fall upon the exporter.
Meanwhile the Taipings were steadily advancing in their progress of
devastation and murder; the atrocities reported as committed by them
horrible in their details. Towards the end of April, Admiral Hope
and Brigadier Staveley proceeded to Pekin, at the request of Prince
Kung, who desired to consult with them relative to a plan initiated by
himself, of dispatching a body of British troops to aid the Imperial
forces against the rebels in question. The circumstance sufficed to put
all concerned on the _qui vive_; our field arrangements were overhauled
and seen to; all preparations made for contingencies. Shortly
afterwards news spread that a considerable body of Tartar cavalry had
been sent from Tientsin against them; that the British were to be
withdrawn from Canton, and thus a force 2,000 strong left available for
service against the rebels.
Our Ambassador, finding it well to consult personally the general
officer commanding the troops in China respecting the somewhat
important question at this juncture, of retaining our force intact or
diminishing it, that officer was summoned to the capital. It was while
he was _en route_ towards Pekin that I had the pleasure of making his
acquaintance, and of adverting to an incident already mentioned with
reference to the battle of Maharajpore. In the interval of seventeen
years which has meanwhile elapsed, Captain Mitchell, of the 6th Foot,
had become Major-General Sir John Mitchell, K.C.B. I asked him whether
he had ever received the watch sent to him from the field by request
of General Churchill. He seemed surprised to learn that I had been the
sender; and taking it from his watch-pocket exclaimed, as he showed it
to me: “There it is, and it goes as well as ever.” The expletives which
accompanied the action are here omitted.
As in the severity of winter the health of the troops suffered greatly,
so it did, though in a different way, when late in July and early in
August summer heat was at its highest. During the latter period heat
apoplexy, cholera, and a very virulent form of small-pox prevailed to
such an extent and with such mortality that a veritable panic spread
among them. Fortunately these terrible maladies continued but for
a short time, a change to temperate in the state of the atmosphere
seeming to put a sudden and complete check to them. While they
continued they affected only the foreigner; the Chinese enjoyed their
ordinary health; but they deviated altogether from the method, so
general in India, of protecting their heads from the heat of the sun by
means of thick turbans; on the contrary, they freely exposed themselves
to the fiercest sun with no covering whatever on their shaven heads.
According to them, the cause of this sudden outbreak of illness was
_the_ comet. An immense and brilliant comet had shortly previous
appeared in the heavens--a strikingly grand object to gaze at, and
wonder; but in the eyes of many a portent of evil.
Various rumours circulated with reference to the state of health of the
Emperor: that he was ill; that he was in perfect health; that he was
dead; that he had been murdered; that he was neither, and so on. After
a time authentic news of his death was received; that, as expressed by
the Chinese, “he had ascended upon the dragon to be a guest on high”;
that his son Chesiang had been named as his successor, under the name
or title of Tung-che, or “Felicitous omen,” otherwise “Union of law and
order”; that a Board of Regency had been appointed for the conduct of
government; that its chief members, including the Empress-Dowager, were
persons of anti-foreign proclivities, the Prince Kung retaining his
position as a kind of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. At the
date of his accession the young Emperor was no more than eight years
of age; but a truly Chinese method of adding to them was adopted: his
Council _bestowed_ upon him three years--namely, one from heaven, one
from earth, and one from themselves; his age, moreover, was calculated
as having been nine months at the date of his birth.
A trip to Chefoo having been arranged, in company with our
Brigadier-General, Sir Charles Staveley, I proceeded by H.M. gunboat
_Woodcock_ to Taku; thence by H.M.S. _Simoom_. Like many others at
Tientsin we had suffered considerably in health, first from the great
cold of winter, then from the no less trying heat of summer, with the
outbreak of epidemic disease already mentioned. Soon, however, the
open sea, with its clear air, added to complete relief from official
responsibilities and duties, had an effect for good upon us. But we
were not a little surprised to observe that while those actually
ill among the ship’s company amounted to the large proportion of
15 per cent., those who remained “efficient” were pale and sickly,
a circumstance attributed by their officers to their exposure to
land-winds, while cruising or at anchor in the Gulf of Pe chili.
Arrived at Chefoo, we landed by a roughly-built jetty, on which in
large letters was painted the word _Odins_, thus indicating the crew by
whom the work had recently been effected. We were hospitably received
by Mr. Morrison, the Consul, son of the eminent Chinese scholar. He
having provided us with horses, we were speedily away, enjoying a ride
through a tract of country remarkable for its loveliness; the open
spaces covered with brilliant flowers, while along each side of narrow
thoroughfares fruit trees at short intervals afforded us the treat of
being able to stand up in our stirrups and pluck ripening pears as we
proceeded. A second ride took us to the highest point of a range of
low hills that separates the town from the inland districts. Thence we
looked down upon a richly cultivated valley, along which ran a stream
of considerable size, itself dotted with clumps of wood, in which were
seen villages and isolated houses of agriculturists; the sides of the
valley formed for the most part of gneiss-like hills, torn at intervals
into deep and rugged ravines. In the distance inland the view was
bounded by a serrated line of mountain peaks.
A visit to a Taoist temple was an interesting episode in an otherwise
enjoyable excursion. The priest, apparently over seventy years of age,
received us graciously; he “chin-chinned,” shook hands--with himself,
after the national custom; felt our arms, our legs, our feet; examined
our saddles, girths, and bridles; inquired our several ages, proffered
us glasses of water, patted the necks of our steeds; as we rode away,
chin-chinned and shook hands with himself as on our arrival. His
temple, situated on the summit of a small hill, was erected in honour
of the North star. Near it stood two marble monuments in memory of
ladies who, though left widows while yet young, refused to re-marry; at
a little distance was a graveyard, the headstones in which were by no
means very different in style from what may be seen at home. The faces
of adjoining hills present a succession of terraces bearing abundant
crops, and watered by _levadas_, as may be seen on the island of
Madeira.
A few days most pleasantly spent, and with health considerably
improved, we proceeded on our return journey; first by the French
steamer _Feilung_, or Flying Dragon, to the mouth of the Peiho, thence
by the French gunboat _l’Etoile_ to Tientsin to resume official duties.
Great was the pleasure with which, early in August, we received
intimation that our “army of occupation” was to be gradually broken
up, the regiments and batteries composing it to be disposed of between
England, India, and the south of China; great the satisfaction
personally with which I received the welcome information that my
connection therewith would cease. Towards the end of September
embarkation began, detachments taken on board flats, and these towed
down the river by gunboats, each party while marching from barracks
being escorted by a band, to the strains of which--“Auld Lang Syne” and
“The Old Folks at Home”--they went cheerily on board, and away from
what to most of us had been a station devoid of attraction. In this way
did the second 60th embark for England, having during its ten years of
foreign service buried 300 of its members, 94 of whom in China during
the past eighteen months. This is but an example of what “service”
meant in the days referred to.
Next came my own turn to embark. Gladly did I proceed by H.M. gunboat
_Slaney_ to the _Vulcan_ at anchor off Taku, embarking Indian troops.
Captain Strode, in command, having received orders to proceed in the
first instance to Nagasaki, an unexpected opportunity thus offered
of seeing that port and city in Japan. The arm of the sea by which
the harbour is approached extends inland to a distance of six miles,
with a breadth of nearly two. On either side rises a range of hills
interrupted by valleys, the whole covered with rich forest, or with
cultivated fields, a succession of batteries being so placed as to
command the channel. To the south of us rose the island of Pappenberg;
the cliffs, 800 to 900 feet in height, are those over which, A.D. 1622,
the Roman Catholic “Christians” were hurled. We next arrived at Desima,
now grown into a large town, but to which locality in former times
the Dutch traders were confined by gates and narrow ways, though now
containing various houses built and in course of erection according to
European models.
Among the places visited was the steam factory. There, under the
direction of Dutch engineers, Japanese workmen were actively employed
in the manufacture of machinery. In an adjoining dock a small steamer
was having placed in her engines, that had been thus made and turned
out; while in the harbour lay moored a steamer, the _Scotland_, manned
entirely by Japanese officers and sailors. The town of Nagasaki was
clean and tidy; very different in these respects from that whence we
had arrived. There appeared to be at least some agreeable aspects of
domestic life, inasmuch as men and women were seen partaking of their
meals together; the people were polite and civil to us foreigners, and
to myself, personally, the proprietors of a shop which I entered to
purchase various articles were so civil as to take me through several
parts of their dwelling-house, then into a neatly arranged garden
attached thereto, and in parting to beg my acceptance of a packet of
their tea, I having presented to some of the younger members a few new
silver coins, to be made by them into studs. All the while we were
being carefully watched by officials, though we were ignorant of the
fact. [How little at that time did we anticipate the amazing strides
Japan was to take during the succeeding five-and-thirty years!]
Arrived at Hong-Kong, my stay of a few days there was made the more
pleasant by the receipt of orders to proceed to England by the first
available opportunity, added to hospitable civility by friends whose
acquaintance I had made while stationed there the previous year.
Preparations for continuing my journey were speedily made; on November
15 I was on board the P. and O. steamer _Emeu_, from over the stern of
which, without a tinge of regret, I waved what I hoped, and proved to
be a final adieu to China.
Our journey was thence along the same track, but in a reverse direction
to that over which I had passed twenty months previous. Arrived at
Galle, we had, as before, to tranship, this time to the _Simla_, by
which we traversed the Indian Ocean. The season of the year permitting
us to “explore” some of the sights of Aden, we took advantage of the
opportunity afforded by the brief delay of our ship at the anchorage.
Driving through the narrow cut in the hard lava rock,--that had in
distant time formed the wall of an active volcano,--we were at the
cantonments, situated in the ancient crater; thence to the reservoirs,
originally erected _in_ the face of perpendicular rock, their design
and construction due to Persian engineers, dating from A.D. 600. Our
drive was next through a narrow gorge, opening towards the south,
admitting the only breeze that can directly reach cantonments. From
its outer limit a view was obtained of the open sea, and of the small
island upon which, according to Arab tradition, Cain was forced to
reside after his murder of Abel. Continuing our excursion, we arrived
at the fortification known as “The Turkish Wall,” that protects and
defends the isthmus connecting “the rock” with the mainland. The shops
on the beach were visited, and purchases made at some of them; among
such purchases, ostrich feathers, here so common as to be used to
decorate the heads of donkeys driven by Arab boys.
The people met with comprised Parsees, Somalis, Jews, and Egyptians.
The Jews and Egyptians said to be descendants of those who fled to
Egypt on the invasion of Palestine and Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar;[240]
the Somalis supposed to be descended from former Abyssinian possessors
of “Yemen,” or that part of Arabia to which Aden belongs, or rather
did belong. Other historical items relating to Aden include its early
importance as an _entrepôt_ of commerce between the Roman Empire and
the East; in recent times the capture of the position by the British
in January, 1839, it being the first military conquest effected in the
reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
To most of us the news we received on arriving at Suez was a surprise;
namely, that which speedily became known as the _Trent_ affair. Some
particulars reached us also regarding the action present and intended
of the English Government and War Office, the immediate effect being
to lead us to anticipate active service within a very short time.
Here we were quickly landed, distributed in railway carriages, and
so sent on to Cairo, at which place another brief detention awaited
us. I accordingly reverted under the guidance of my former dragoman,
Hadji Selim, to the excursions previously interrupted by my departure
eastward; visiting, among other places of interest, the ancient Coptic
Church, erected, according to tradition, upon the cave in which, during
their flight into Egypt, Mary and the infant Saviour took shelter one
night. Thence, continuing our railway journey, we reached Alexandria,
arriving there in a storm of such violence that to embark was
impossible; consequently another halt was unavoidable. I took advantage
of the occasion, in defiance of wind and rain, to visit some of the
places of historical interest pertaining to this very interesting
city, including the site of the ancient Pharos, Pompey’s Pillar, and
“Cleopatra’s” Needle,[241] the latter prostrate in and almost covered
by the sand; also, what was indicated as “St. Mark’s pulpit.” Time did
not admit of a visit to the ruined aqueduct, of which, however, we
obtained a glance while nearing the city.
Here the unexpected news reached us that the Prince Consort had
succumbed to fever; that national sympathy was felt for the Queen
under her bereavement, as well as sorrow and regret at the event, more
particularly at a time when political matters throughout Europe, and in
reference to America, were in a very disturbed condition.
From Alexandria the journey was performed by the _Ceylon_, comfortably,
and without adventure. At Malta we learned that the American Congress
had expressed approval of the Southern minister being captured on board
a British steamer;[242] that troops were being prepared in England
for immediate embarkation; that war appeared imminent and inevitable.
On reaching Gibraltar we found in the bay the Mediterranean fleet, in
which it was said all necessary preparations were being made for active
service. Our entrance to the Bay of Biscay was duly announced by the
ship’s band with the well-known air so called. Warlike news greeted
us on arrival at Southampton. Then followed, in quick succession,
disembarkation, personal report at Headquarters, London, appointment to
Devonport, and happy reunion to wife and children there.