CHAPTER VIII
THE END OF THE _FENG SHUI_--CAPTURED AND PRESSED
The tremendous excitement of the Chinese was due, as I then understood,to a signal from the _Naniwa_, which we found out meant "Weigh; cut orslip." This was rightly interpreted as a command to follow the warshipand surrender, and the Chinese absolutely declined. I wished we hadrun away and beached the steamer.
We were on the bridge then. I mean the officers; and the captainattempted to persuade the Chinese officers to be quiet. But thetrouble increased every minute. Soldiers loaded their rifles, and tookup their positions as sentries at the ladders, so that at the firstsymptoms of surrender the British would be shot; and when the Asiaticbegins to kill he becomes a fiend.
Under these circumstances the captain made an appeal to the Japanese.Goldheugh and the mate conferred with the German officer, who was a"drill instructor" of the Chinese troops, and the cry went up--
"Send a boat. Must confer personally."
When this signal was perceived, and explained, the generals threatenedto shoot us all; the soldiers at once thronged the deck, and advancedto the gangway, so that if the Japanese came on board again they ran agreat risk of being killed. The signal was replied to by "Sendimmediately," and we waited amid a fearful uproar, and desperateresolves upon the part of the Chinese to cut our heads off.
We were silent and expectant. The explanation was agreed on by all theEuropeans, and it was with great difficulty that the Chinese leaderswere at length induced to order the men from the gangway. The Japanesedid not come alongside at once. They perceived the difficulty and therisk for us.
When the lieutenant did come up he was informed of the state of thecase. Captain Goldheugh and the German officer fully explained thecause of the delay.
"We can do nothing," said the former. "You desire us to weigh anchor;the Chinese will kill us all if we attempt to obey. Cannot yourcaptain permit us to return? _We_ had not heard of any declaration ofwar before we sailed. We have not in any way broken the laws ofnations."
"The Europeans must quit the ship," said the Japanese. "That is mysuggestion."
"We cannot. You perceive the difficulty. What shall we do? You maylet us return to Taku. This is the Chinese demand."
The Jap shook his head doubtfully.
"I will inform my superior," he replied. "You must be ready to actwhen the answer comes, whatever it may be."
He then returned to the boat, and the crew gave way rapidly. All thesearrangements had occupied quite three hours and a half, and it was thennearly "one bell,"--half-past twelve,--for I remember the bell beingstruck at the time the Japanese boat was proceeding to the cruiser,which lay about half a mile away.
"Julius," said the captain, "tell the engineers and firemen to come ondeck; and hark ye, my lad, put on a life-belt."
"A life-belt! What for?" I exclaimed.
"Do as ye're bid," he said, descending from the bridge, and enteringthe chart-room, and later, his cabin. Meantime I gave the order, andthe engineers and firemen came up, some went forward to wash.
We had not much time to spare. The Chinese sentries had left thebridge before this, and the "calm that precedes a storm" had settledupon us. The pause was broken by the expected reply from the cruiser--
"Leave the steamer at once."
The captain shrugged his shoulders, and called to me--
"Have you told the engineers? Signal, 'I am not allowed,' and ask fora boat for us. Be ready all; there's mischief now."
When the captain had made this reply, he spoke to the mate, who quittedthe bridge, and made some preparations to depart. The next thing Iremarked was a red flag at the foremast of the cruiser, and a signalabaft--"Can't send boat."
"Then we're done," said the chief engineer. "What's that red flag?"
"Looks like 'Fire,' but it can't be that," replied his mate, who hadretreated aft with the mate of the steamer.
"She's taking up position," said the mate. "See! What's that? Bythunder, it's a torpedo! That's another. Hurry, lads. Fly! Jump!They intend to sink us with the Chinese fools!"
I stood irresolute, not from fear, because I could not realise theextreme danger of the situation. "A torpedo," the engineer had said.I had never seen one before; and was it possible that this black thingwhich was rushing like a small porpoise at us was intended as adestructive weapon against a friendly vessel? What would happen if itstruck the steamer?
Before it touched us, however, a fearful thunder of guns rang out atone moment, and a curious sound of grinding or rattling.
"A broadside!" shouted the chief mate, rushing forward. "Leap, Julius;jump overboard!"
He rushed at a belt, and disappeared as the steamer heeled over underthe fearful impact of the shot or shell, and I also dropped in the bluesea behind him. The effect of the broadside was to depress the steamerupon the starboard side.
The crash was fearful! Even as I fell into the water I felt theconcussion, and the roar of the discharge was terrific. Since then Ihave heard "guns going off," and have been startled by them, but thishurricane of shot was fearful. When I again rose, supported by mybelt, the air was enveloped in steam, and thick with dust, while thesea was sprinkled with coal ashes.
The "quick-firing" guns were peppering the survivors on the doomedship, flashing from the _Naniwa_ like crackers. The Chinese keptfiring in reply at anyone in the water, and at the ship's boats, whichhad been lowered, but not with the intention to save life at first.The Japs fired without mercy at the wrecked and sinking steamer and theChinese troops.
Mechanically I swam in the direction of the island. I had no time tofear the bullets, but perhaps I owe my life to the small ladder whichsupported me, and beneath which I managed to float, and propel myselfat intervals, while the firing continued. The Chinese repliedaimlessly from the steamer, killing their own people on the principleof the scorpion which attacks itself when in imminent danger of death.Numbers of Chinese were swimming, and were slain in the water; a fewwere saved, with three or four Europeans, by the Japanese and by aFrench vessel which came upon the scene, but the vast majority perished.
I learned these details afterwards; at the time the noise and shouting,the crackling of the machine-guns and the rifle fire, were mostbewildering, and how I managed to keep afloat and unharmed is to me,even now, astonishing. Had I not been perfectly at home in the water Ithink I must have drowned from sheer nervousness; the exertion itselfwould have exhausted me before the boat came and rescued me. As itproved, I kept my head and my life-belt.
Then I saw the unlucky _Feng Shui_ rise up a little, roll a bit, andplunge down by the stern suddenly, carrying hundreds of living,wounded, and dead Chinese into the vortex of the Yellow Sea. The_Naniwa_ had struck a decisive blow in the war. Then my mind sprungback to the evening on which I had been rescued by Captain Goldheughfrom the sinking yacht, in which I had dreamed of a sinking steamerattacked by a man-of-war, amid steam and the roar of artillery. Wasthis prophetic?
I SAW THE UNLUCKY _FENG SHUI_ PLUNGE DOWN BY THE STERNSUDDENLY]
A murmur of strange voices aroused me for I swam mechanically, as Iascertained later, in the direction of the Japanese cruiser. I raisedmy head, and perceived a large boat closing upon me gently. A word ofcommand; I was seized and dragged on board the launch amid the Japanesecrew, and to my delight I perceived Mr. Rose, the mate of the steamer.There were some other boats afloat with Japanese and Chinese occupants,but the former fired upon the latter at every opportunity.
We were carried to the _Naniwa_ and, I am glad to say, well treated byour captors, who supplied our wants, and those of the others rescued.We received no apologies, however, though food and dry clothing weresupplied. The captain also was rescued by another boat, but we did not"chum" with him; and we found that a sentry had been placed at thedoors of the cabins respectively, to avoid and prevent any comparisonsof our treatment.
During the evening we were asked separately many questions, and desired
to make a statement to the captain of the cruiser. At eight bells weanchored for the night, and I slept thankfully till the morning.
* * * * *
Very early in the morning of the next day I was awakened by the noiseof a brief and sharp conversation outside the cabin wherein I waslying. There was a sound of firearms, a clash of a sword, and in thedawning light I perceived a young officer advancing from the door.
Impulsively I arose, bracing myself for an encounter, but theambassador was on peace intent. He was my young friend the midshipmanto whom I had been of some assistance at Shanghai. He began directly,without any preface.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Julius? I have been thinking about you, andhave ventured to see you. What are your plans?"
"I have no plans. My captain and mate are prisoners, and I am incustody," I replied. "Why ask a prisoner what his plans are?"
He put up his hand deprecatingly, and shook his head.
"You are not a captive," he replied; "at least only until we canrestore you and your officers to the British ships. Your captain willreturn to Nagasaki, I believe, and thence to Hong Kong, perhaps. Butif you have liberty to remain, why not stay with this ship?"
"Enlist in the Japanese navy?" I exclaimed.
"Not enlist; join us. My uncle is commander here now, and he isalready pleased with you, and grateful for your assistance to me. Hehimself has suggested your joining the ship. You were intended for theEnglish navy, you said; and you may do us the honour of accepting theoffer."
I made no immediate reply. The suggestion was pleasant to my ears.Perhaps I might volunteer if Captain Goldheugh had no objection.
"Well?" asked the young Japanese. "I must request a reply, as my watchwill be called at eight bells."
"Yes; I will volunteer if my captain will permit me. But must Iactually join your service?"
"I presume not. The idea is merely one to enable you to see someservice, and I am certain you will be a credit to the _Naniwa_."
He bowed and smiled. I jumped up and responded.
"You are too kind, Tomi," I said. "Please tell your most honourableuncle that I will, if permitted, be most happy to join his ship, thoughhe nearly drowned us in the _Feng Shui_."
"That would have been a misfortune," said Tomi.
"The steamer was always unlucky," I replied. "Her very name is areproach, and the captain changed it to _Kowshing_."
"Which was even a greater ill-luck. But I am on duty. We weigh atfour o'clock this morning. I will tell the commander of you."
He retired quickly. The time was passing, and the hands were about toweigh anchor. Before I had finished dressing in the sailor's clothes,with which home-made (Japanese) attire we had all been supplied, amessage came for me, and I was released politely from the surveillanceto that time observed. At this point I may say that all the officersand men, and later the Japanese ashore, treated us all most kindly.But all the same I think that in war they would be most formidableantagonists, because they "go" for their aim at once, risking all forcountry; even killing themselves if they do not succeed as they intendto do, and they spare neither themselves nor their opponents, not evento the farther verge of cruelty, if aroused.
But I did not know so much of the Japanese character then, and I admireit still. In all my dealings with them--and I have met manyinfluential Japanese and others--I have found them polite andcourteous, with a fine tendency to business, and to "take the turn ofthe market" for themselves.
Soon after eight bells the warship weighed anchor, and I was permittedto go on deck amidships, or forward of the bridge, and while I wasgazing alongside my midshipman friend accosted me.
"Your captain is aft," he said. "Perhaps you would like to see him."
"Is he a prisoner?" I asked, as I gazed at a Chinese gunboat close by,which had been captured when conveying despatches. "What's thatvessel?"
"She's a Chinese boat, _Tsaokiang_," replied my friend Tomi. "We havecaught her, and shall send her captain and crew with your officers inthe transport. You can visit your captain if you wish."
This was my desire, and accordingly I proceeded astern, under escortand by permission, to the cabin in which Captain Goldheugh wasinterned. He welcomed me gladly from his cot.
"Ah! my son, so ye've got free of the Japs, have ye? Sure I'm still inlimbo, though I must say the fellows are civil enough. We're steamingto the rendezvous, I'm told."
"Yes, sir. I came to ask your permission to stay on board here."
I rushed at my fence, you see, and yet in trepidation when I realisedthe obstacles.
"What!" exclaimed the captain. "Remain on board the Jap's cruiser withthe fellows who smashed us into smithereens, and made a 'holy show' ofthe _Feng Shui_? Bedad, a March hare isn't in the same run with ye.He's mad this time, anyway," concluded the captain. "Stark andstaring! Are those straws in your hair?"
"No," I replied, smiling, yet nervously. "The fact is the captain ofthis ship has offered me a berth, and"--
"By the powers o' Moll Kelly this beats the world!" cried the captain,relapsing into native idiom. "The Jap captain offers ye a berth. Ah,go out o' that! He wants ye to take the cruiser into action, so hedoes! That's what he means. Well, well," he sighed resignedly, "lookat that!"
He nodded his head up and down three times, as if perfectly, butunwillingly, resigned. I felt smaller by degrees.
"All right, _admiral_," he said suddenly. "By all manner o' means.Won't I make them proud at home when I tell them that the young runawayis the admiral of the _Naniwa_--what's that mean? In Ireland 'Nanny'is an old _nurse_--and she here is your wet-nurse, bedad! Oh, it'sgrand entirely, _your honour_!"
This affectation of manner puzzled me. The captain was "putting on"this, I perceived.
"If you object, sir," I began.
"Is it me object! Not at all! Go and leave your ship--she's leftye--and your friends. What for?" he asked suddenly and almostfiercely. "What d'ye want to do?"
"To serve in the Japanese navy," I said, "as a volunteer, and see someservice for a while. The captain here has told his nephew, who askedme to tell you too."
"The dog began to bite the pig, the pig began to go, and the old woman(that's me) begins to get over the stile. I see! Well, do as ye like,Julius, my boy, I'll not stop ye."
"Really? Oh, you are kind, captain! Still, if you order me"--
"Ah! go on! Ye won't stay long I expect. But if ye _do_ it will do yegood. I don't understand why the captain of the ship has made ye theoffer, but as he _has_, and ye are already dressed up in Japaneseclothes, maybe he wants to see whether ye're worth your salt! Allright, Admiral Julius, 'Go where Glory waits ye,' as Tommy Moore says,and 'when Fame elates thee, then remember me,' that's all. Here's thelieutenant."
The officer came in, we saluted, and the captain accepted the politeinvitation to breakfast by and by, and the lieutenant retired.
"Now, admiral, quit, if ye please, as I'm going to 'draw on mystockings,' and--dress myself. I suppose _ye'll_ breakfast in thecabin, while _I_ am pigging in the ward-room. Be off, I tell ye!Don't stand there staring like a stuck pig. Hurry, now!"
I obeyed, feeling that the captain was annoyed, but my feelings ofadventure rose in me, and as he had consented, however unwillingly, Idecided to assume his acquiescence in the matter, but he apparentlyfeared the future.
There was another interview with my captain afterwards, and a chat withthe mate and others, who subsequently were transferred to the transport_Yayayama_ with the Danish gentleman,--also a captive from the despatchboat,--the Chinese crews of it, and the surviving soldiers of the _FengShui_. I need not dwell upon the parting. I felt sorry to leave mymessmates, but against this feeling came the knowledge that I wasadrift already, and must go to Nagasaki first, then find conveyance toChina and perhaps to Europe. I had no money, and no chance of findingany then. My parents, particularly my dear mother, would be much morepleased to receive a telegram announcing my en
try into the Japaneseservice, than a wire for money and announcing shipwreck! The captain(Goldheugh) had promised to write about me, and I found out afterwardsthat not only had he done so, but had spoken well of me to Captain Toyoof the _Naniwa_.
The _Tsaokiang_, which had appeared before the sinking of the steamer,was a prize to the _Maya_; and all her officers and crew having beentransferred as indicated above, the _Yayayama_ steamed away for Japan.I remained in the cruiser while she sent boats to search for thefugitive Chinese vessel, which had fled away ashore. She was found anddestroyed by the Japanese boats' crews as she lay beached.
Then the cruisers joined the fleet, and war was declared on the 1stAugust 1894, "after the ball" at Phungdo.
In the Yellow Sea Page 9