WAR WITH CHINA DECLARED
After leaving the Cape we steered a southerly course for some days, so
as to get hold of the south-east trade winds, which took us north to
the line, making a poor passage of it; but from the line to Penang,
by the north end of Sumatra, we made a tedious voyage. We were
becalmed near the line for several days, in the doldrums. There was no
dependence on a breeze when it sprang up. It was generally accompanied
by strong wet squalls, which blew hard for a short time from all
directions, and left 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. It was dreary work.
Worse: the sails were often flapping about for two or three days, in a
bit of a swell, with only the faintest of airs to move you along. We
did not anchor at Penang until the fiftieth day out from the Cape. For
six weeks we had been out of sight of land.
I shall never forget the charm of first scenting the spice islands and
the tropical vegetation, long before land was in sight. These delicious
flavours came off many miles to sea, and the scented airs were very
pleasant after so long a voyage. I was up aloft, as usual, one morning
at six o’clock. There was no land in sight, though I could smell it
distinctly; and we must have been from 60 to 80 miles from the nearest
coast of Acheen Head, the north-west end of Sumatra. We had met scarce
a sail during this cruise, and we were glad to arrive and anchor. There
was something particularly refreshing in putting foot ashore after
being cooped up on board, surrounded with nothing but sky and salt
water. (We had become rather short of water, and our allowance had had
to be reduced.) When you first land, legs and feet feel rather cramped,
and one’s body is sadly out of condition, even at the happy age of
sixteen.
At Penang, where we first touched, we heard that war with China was
imminent. Our stay, therefore, was cut very short. We stopped only
long enough to get in water and fresh provisions. Our next point was
Singapore; and getting through the Straits of Malacca took some doing
in a sailing vessel. Keppel was in his glory at the prospect of having
a crack at John Chinamen and again seeing active service. So it can be
imagined how we carried on all the way to Singapore. Squalls or no
squalls, the ship had to put her best foot forward; and, as at that
season the Straits are celebrated for violent squalls, we knew what was
in store, for Keppel must get to Hong-Kong in time to be in the fray.
I must say that sometimes our nerves were a bit strained. One night
in particular, during the middle watch, it came on to blow like the
very deuce. Everything, to bare topsails, had to be taken in. Keppel,
lightly clad, rushed on deck, and upbraided the officer of the watch,
who had just given a fresh order to lower the topsails. The ship was
now lying well over; and, as standing on deck was out of the question,
nothing further could be done, though Keppel instantly gave the order
to hoist the topsail again, saying, “Damn it, sir: we have been
becalmed for some hours; and now a squall comes, and you do not take
advantage of it.” It is needless to say, to those of my readers who
understand nautical life, that no power in the _Raleigh_ would ever
have got those topsails up again during the squall--particularly at the
angle we were at, with our main-deck guns dragging through the water.
We had many of these escapades between Penang and Singapore, and were
often logged to be going twelve and thirteen knots in the smooth water,
braced sharp up on an easy bowline. It was very delightful looking over
the side, feeling the good ship quivering under a press of sail, and
with the phosphorus lighting up the whole of her sides distinctly. We
used to put every sort of additional support to the spars and ropes on
such occasions: for go she must. In fine weather and smooth water, we
used to bowse the fore- and main-yard arms together, and get our tacks
down amidships; and we clawed many a mile to windward in consequence.
The _Raleigh_ remained only three or four days at Singapore, though we
were in sore need of a refit. We took on board a goodly quantity of
shot and shell for conveyance to Hong-Kong. The colonials entertained
us handsomely. We used to amuse ourselves catching sharks, or shooting
at any shark that showed its fin above water. The harbour was infested
with these brutes. A few of us took it into our heads (about as mad
a thing as we could do) to swim twenty or thirty yards from the ship
and back again, as quickly as possible. I suppose the sudden splash of
eight or ten of us jumping into the water together frightened away the
sharks that were in the vicinity; the water being very muddy, possibly
we were not seen; but we got into trouble for so doing--and that served
us right.
After leaving Singapore, we had to beat against the monsoon, all the
way up the China coast, constantly anchoring with a light anchor
termed a coasting anchor, and leaving all sails set, until a breeze
should spring up. This was a weary business, particularly amid the
circumstances of our hurry.
And now I come to a very eventful scene in my midshipman’s career. So
far all had gone well with us. We were happy and proud of our ship.
Little did we think what a few days were to bring forth; still less,
that our fine ship would shortly be a wretched wreck.