MORE PIRATE HUNTING
After Fatshan actual war operations were more or less over; but we
had a deal of pirate hunting. All the trading-junks were more or less
pirates if occasion offered: the whole country was demoralised.
One day, lying at anchor in the _Hong-Kong_, we saw on the other side
of the river, two or three miles away, a piratical junk chasing two
others laden with salt. In less than no time Keppel ordered me to man
a cutter of twelve men and go after him. The pirate did not show fight
when I got near. He ran his craft on to a mud bank; the whole crew
bolted up through a paddy field, and sat down, unconcerned, on a low
hill, watching me trying to set fire to the junk. We had pot shots at
them; but I could not get the junk to catch fire. To climb on board was
impossible (the mud was soft, and had we tried we should have gone over
our necks: the tide was falling fast): so the only thing I could do
was to smash in the side under water with axes. We set him on fire next
day.
On another occasion the _Hong-Kong_ was despatched up one of the many
rivers that run into the Canton main stream, in search of piratical
junks and “fast boats,” which were supposed to be marauding some little
distance inland. Boats of the _Esk_ also were sent to cut them off up
another creek, in case of our missing them. Fast boats were beautiful
models, generally propelled by six-and-twenty oars, and armed with
jingalls on swivels: they could command all-round fire.
We started early, but saw nothing until about two o’clock in the
afternoon, when we discovered three of the fast boats, which, I
imagine, had caught sight of our funnel. As we rounded a bend in the
river we saw them pulling for all they were worth to escape from us.
Going at full speed, we gained somewhat, and got nicely within long-gun
range; but unfortunately took the ground, the tide being low, and stuck
in the soft mud. Nothing daunted, Goodenough manned and armed the only
two small boats we had; taking command of one himself, and giving me
charge of the other. Our boats held ten men, besides us two officers.
His boat was a wretched 4-oared gig; mine a “sandpan” (shaped like a
canoe), which we had bagged from a junk on some previous occasion;
it was propelled by six paddles, and I was steering with a paddle. I
could beat the 4-oar, if only I could keep my boat’s head straight;
but herein a difficulty lay, for I was firing my muzzle-loading Minié
rifle as hard as I could all the while when within range. I fancy the
fast boats’ crews were hesitating as to whether they would await our
approach and show fight, because, to our delight, we found ourselves
gaining a trifle: perhaps they were getting a bit done up after the
_Hong-Kong_ chase. Be that as it may, we gradually wore them down; and,
when within 300 yards or so, they suddenly put their boats’ noses to
the bank, forsook their crafts, and bolted into the paddy fields.
We had had enough of it, having pulled a long distance; and we sate
ourselves down when we came up with our capture, got into shade, and
filled our pipes, hoping that the _Hong-Kong_ would rejoin us shortly.
A little distance away on our right front was a small wood. To our
astonishment, soon we saw the mast and sail of a huge junk coming
slowly along, opening out to view after passing the trees. She was
sailing down another creek, which ran into ours about 500 yards farther
on.
“Man the boats!” shouted Goodenough. When she showed her hull round the
corner Goodenough said to me, “Montagu, do you think we can take her?”
I hesitated to answer. I thought it would be hopelessly mad to make the
attempt. If two or three were wounded in either boat, we should be done.
Seeing that I made no answer, he said, “Well, what do you say?”
I answered: “Sir, if you lose a man or two, or I do before we board
her, we shall be utterly helpless; but I am game, sir, whichever you
decide.”
This sufficed for Goodenough, as plucky a man as ever breathed. He
said, quickly, “Oh yes: we will try.”
“Oh,” said I to myself, trying to look and feel as bold as a lion,
“it’s UP this time.”
But, once we were off, somehow the excitement and the steering and
the firing of the Minié rifle kept the devil out of one’s mind. The
wretched junk--filled with men, crowds on her deck (into which I was
potting as fast as I could load and fire)--kept the even tenor of her
way, though she soon began to fire round shot and jingalls at us. They
fell pretty thick, though most went over our heads.
She was not sailing fast. At first, consequently, we gained on her, as
there was little breeze. On we went pulling, Goodenough and I firing
until we got about 350 yards from her--and were still gaining. Bullets
struck our boats; but not a man was touched. Luckily, the big shot
missed us every time. How I watched the muzzle of his two 32-pounders!
What difficulty I had to keep my boat straight! The least mistake in
steering, and she was off at right angles.
This went on for a quarter of an hour or more; the junk still sailing
slowly away, we pulling our hearts out, when the breeze freshened
suddenly, in a sort of puff on the water. The junk began to heel, and
soon she showed a bow wave. Then we knew we were done; and perhaps it
was well, for nothing could persuade me that ten men and two officers
could take a junk with sixty men on board if they showed the semblance
of a fight--for the simple reason that nobody could have fired from our
boats, and in a running fight we should have been shot in the back as
we were pulling alongside.
The only chance of our capturing her was that the beggars might jump
overboard from funk. I for one--and I am not ashamed to own it--was
heartily glad we got no nearer. I suppose, however, that I should have
acted as Goodenough acted had I been in his position.
This same junk was captured next day by the _Esk’s_ boom-boat, armed
with brass guns and a force of at least fifty men. They lost twelve
killed and wounded. How we should have fared without a gun, without a
rocket, and with nothing but two Minié rifles firing at intervals, I
don’t know.
We dropped a few poor beggars: it was not easy to miss when firing into
a crowd at 350 yards. I do not think I got more than a dozen rounds
into them: steering with a paddle and loading a muzzle loader is not an
easy combination of duties.
The only thing which this running fight showed us was that the John
Chinaman of 1857 was made of ghastly stuff. He simply bolted.
After lying on our oars, we turned back to pick up our “fast boats,”
two of which, to our dismay, had got clean off; we found the third--a
beautiful boat; but how she stank! We took her in tow, and went down
to meet the _Hong-Kong_, now approaching us with the rising tide; and
rattling good cheer they gave us on our return, as they could see from
the paddle-boxes a bit of what had gone on, 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 on no occasion was there much
show of fight. The work was harassing, and the constant expeditions
were tedious, the heat being very severe.
I now come to the month of July 1856, when I was lucky enough to get
the opportunity of seeing further active service, though in a different
part of the world.
The operations upon the Canton River had now come to an end. The
enemy’s fleet of junks was destroyed, and the fortified posts had been
demolished. Certainly the town of Canton had to be taken; but that
business required troops, and troops were not yet available. Amid these
circumstances, the Commodore thought it advisable to ask the Admiral
to appoint us mids to one of the ships of the squadron now forming
for a cruise up the north coast of China. This was done; and after
a few days’ leave at Hong-Kong, where I was kindly put up by one of
the great merchants, Mr. Dent by name, Scott, myself, and Stephenson
were appointed to the _Pearl_, a 21-gun corvette commanded by Captain
Sotheby.
During my few days ashore at Hong-Kong I had a capital time of it:
complete rest in a charming bungalow, with a lovely garden attached:
we lived on the fat of the land. I recollect having a regular Chinese
dinner with Colonel ----. It was entirely of Chinese dishes, and we fed
ourselves with chop-sticks. One dish consisted of bird’s-nest soup. I
was told that a _bonâ fide_ bird’s nest of some sort had been cooked,
the interior producing a most choice glutinous substance resembling
thick stock. A mid is not supposed to have much conscience: therefore,
he is not very particular about his digestion: I found this “plat” very
tasty.
I was well into my breakfast one morning at Dent’s house when I
received an order to join the _Pearl_ in the evening. She was to start
next day: not on the expedition up the northern coast, but post-haste
to Calcutta! She was taking in coal, and we were to pick up some troops
at Singapore for conveyance to India.