Magnus ignored the final dig and the smirk on Mason’s face. He stepped back as a launch came out to greet them and set them to their berth, waited to see how Mason would deal with the shore people.
Mason’s response was to shout at the Chinese and grovel to the British; it was not an edifying sight. Magnus began to wonder about his first lieutenant – his behaviour was hardly that of a conventional naval officer. Possibly his unfortunate experience as a younger man had warped him, to an extent.
“No shore leave, for officers or men, Mr Mason. We shall wait for Mutine to reach us and then make our return to Shanghai. There is much to be discussed there, I think.”
Magnus was obliged to go ashore himself – he must at minimum make a courtesy call on the Consul General and it was always wise for a commanding officer to show his face at Jardine Matheson’s offices. In his particular case he would also wish to be seen at Blantyre’s as well.
The Consul General was a senior man in China, one of the four ranking representatives of the Diplomatic Service in China. He was the epitome of the civil servant, lean, desiccated, greying, wearing gold rim spectacles and speaking with an overstated Oxford drawl – Magnus had no doubt he was the possessor of a Double-First, which was apparently a very desirable academic distinction.
“Jerningham, Lord Magnus. I am, of course, very glad to meet you, my lord. I presume you are on what might be called ‘familiarisation’ with the Great River?”
“I am, Mr Jerningham. Discovering the nature of the Yangtse and putting together this small squadron against sudden need for assistance to British nationals in the event of a breakdown of order in China.”
“A wise precaution in the prevailing climate, Lord Magnus. It will, I am convinced, prove to be otiose – there will be no more disorder than is normal to the Chinese character, of that I am quite certain. One hears much of so-called ‘secret societies’ in the normal run of things and just at the moment they are being talked up again. ‘Tongs’ and ‘triads’ exist essentially in the over-active imaginations of the missionaries, I believe, Lord Magnus. As for the new great ‘movements’, successors to the Tai Ping – wholly imaginary, my lord!”
“I much hope you are right, sir. I must obey my admiral’s orders, of course. What must I know of Hankow, sir? At a quick glance through my binoculars I believe I saw many more of German names than British on the fronts of buildings?”
“You did, Lord Magnus. There is a strong German presence, and a not insignificant number of French enterprises, many of them located in the British concession. Their own areas are expanding, but Hankow is not a major British trading location. The bulk of the German and French hongs are involved in manufacturing and in timber and coal. British interest is far more commercial and financial. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank is represented here, as is the Chartered Bank. Jardine Matheson have a very large set of offices and warehouses, as does the firm of Blantyre and there are several smaller but very profitable enterprises in the business of importing and exporting.”
Magnus had been long enough on the China Station to realise that these latter must be big in the opium trade.
“Medical supplies, one presumes, sir?”
“Quite, Lord Magnus.”
“I believe I should make a courtesy call on Jardines and Blantyres, sir.”
“It would be appreciated, Lord Magnus. The General Post Office is located here at the consulate; you might wish to send a rating to discover if there is a mailbag for you. It is possible that there might be reports to deliver to the Senior Naval Officer in Shanghai.”
“I will certainly do so, sir. Have you any other needs that the Navy can meet, sir?”
Magnus had been informed that the Treaty with China made the Consul General a magistrate with judicial authority over all non-Chinese expatriates in Hankow, irrespective of their nationality. It was occasionally the case that he had a felon in his cells who was to be carried off in irons to Shanghai and there dumped on a convenient ship out.
“I have one German gentleman in the cells, he being taken in drink and waving a revolver and announcing his intention to sanitise Hankow by extirpating the French presence. The Constable took him up and I have held court on him. I need not beg your services, however, Lord Magnus, as there is a German ship sailing today which will take him to the newly established treaty port at Tsingtao. What his countrymen will do with him there, I know not. I am within reason certain they will not permit him to return to Hankow, which is my sole concern.”
“Tsingtao? Germany took over the port facilities that were being built for the Chinese Navy, last year, was it?”
“They did and forced China to regularise their usurpation just a few months since. It is not impossible that they acted the giddy goat to the south, around Hanshan, to draw the Navy’s attention away from all that they were doing in Shantung, to the north, well placed to control the approaches to Peking.”
“One had wondered exactly what they had hoped to gain there, sir. It now becomes obvious.”
“It does, Lord Magnus. Wisdom after the event is commonly obvious. Their Baron Hildesheim is a clever man. Foreigners are often ‘clever’, you know, Lord Magnus, they seem to prize that condition.”
“The British, of course, know better, sir. We are very rarely accused of cleverness on the international stage.”
“Nor on the domestic from the latest rumours coming from London, Lord Magnus. Another damned scandal at Westminster – or so it would seem. The whisper is that some young Liberal MP, and from the best of backgrounds, has been taken up by the police, of all things. It seemed that they made what they call a ‘raid’ upon a male brothel, following complaints that a boy from a respectable family who had run away from school had been coerced into the institution, and found this damned fool there with his trousers down! I do not know the details, the ‘ins and outs of it’ as my correspondent rather wittily phrased the matter…” The Consul General waited expectantly for Magnus’ titter at such daring, resumed somewhat disappointed. “It would seem that there were attempts to make a cover up, such as occurred in the Euston business not so many years ago, but Lord Salisbury is less willing to cooperate on this occasion. Further developments are eagerly awaited!”
“Another nasty business, sir. I seem to remember that Royalty were said to be involved in the Euston business. Is that the case this time?”
“Good God, no, Lord Magnus! The attempts to bring poor Prince Eddy’s name into disrepute were shown to be wholly malicious, quite unfounded, fortunately. No, it seems that this man’s father is well-regarded at Court, but no other connection. He had made a very eligible connection that has already been broken – he was to marry into one of the greater banks, one understands. I do not doubt that this week’s mail from London will carry more details – being well-placed in the Diplomatic, one tends to be told more than the ordinary man may hear, you know.”
Magnus found it hard to show an appropriately unconcerned face. The vague information given might well fit his elder brother Eskdale, although he thought that Jerningham might not have made that connection, might not be acting from malice.
“I must pay my call on Jardines, sir. Thank you for giving me your time. One of the things one misses on the China Station is the company of those who know just what is what in our world, you know, Mr Jerningham. It is a pleasure to talk with the right sort, you know. I shall order the Paymaster to speak to the Post Office people, sir.”
The manager of Jardines was fat, pompous and overbearing, as befitted his hong. He was glad to see Magnus, he said, and was rather pleased to see the Navy in a slightly more modern form – their gunboat being something of a laughing stock, when all was said and done.
“Its day is almost done, sir. I am given to understand that gunboats are being built to a specific design for the Yangtse – another five years at most and they will be here.”
“Very good! What particularly brings your flotilla into being, Lord Magnus?”
Magnus mentione
d the fears relating to a mass uprising of the Chinese.
“Like the Tai Pings? Possible, but unlikely, Lord Magnus. My feeling is that the triads will act to suppress the new movements. They make vast sums on our backs, Lord Magnus, will not wish to see the foreign devils expelled.”
“The Consul General seems to believe the triads to be imaginary, sir. I was told in Hanshan that they were very real.”
“The Consul General is a typical civil servant, Lord Magnus. He first decides what would be most convenient for him, then he believes that to be true. He is more interested in Town gossip than in the reality of China! The triads do exist, and they are powerful, sir. The mass movements also exist and despite their names, which seem silly to us, they have the potential to be a damned nuisance. No more than a nuisance, mark you, because the Empress and the triads are both opposed and will prevent the mass of the people from following them.”
Magnus had not heard of the names the popular agitators had given themselves.
“There is one called the Society of the Harmonious Fist, would you believe. They parade their people by the thousand and teach them something like Prussian drill, half marching, half boxing – all of them together. All of the normal nonsense besides – ‘perform your proper drill and the gwailo’s bullets will evaporate into thin air’. Put them in front of a Maxim gun and see what will happen, Lord Magnus! There are other groups of so-called patriots, mostly further to the west and north of us. They will come to nothing. I have talked to Butterfield and Swire’s people and they have heard no more than me. We do believe that something is in the air – what, we do not know.”
The manager of Blantyres believed the same.
“Fuss and bother and in the end all noise and nothing more, Lord Magnus. The mass of ordinary Chinese are too busy starving to have time to play political games – they will not rise against the foreigners. A good thing to see the Navy, however. I presume you are come in response to the business with the French mission?”
Magnus knew nothing of any French mission.
“Well, in the nature of things, you would not, my lord. It no longer exists, having been utterly wiped out just four months since.”
“The Consul General made no mention of the affair, sir.”
“Ah! Did he not? Then he no doubt has the best of good reasons. Better to play the three wise monkeys, I suspect, Lord Magnus! Add to that, they are – were – no more than Catholics and no great loss to the human race.”
Magnus detected a trace of a Protestant Irish accent in the manager’s voice, made no response. He had no desire at all to become in any way involved in the Irish religious dispute; no wise sailor had anything to say in that business. He debated whether he should return to the Consulate and enquire about the French mission; it was probably better not to – the French could look after their own people, or not, as the case might be. He wondered why Captain Erskine had not mentioned the incident to him, decided the answer was probably malice, the hope that he might fall into trouble.
Mutine arrived just two hours later, trailing a thick cloud of smoke, evidence that orders had been obeyed and she had steamed from Shanghai.
“Gannet has been sent back to Hong Kong, to the dockyard, sir. She must be taken out of the water to make the necessary repairs to her bows, sir. The surveyor suggested that the recent collision was not her first, sir, that she had in fact worsened previous damage. Captain Erskine has sent her back with the recommendation that her captain be court-martialled for hazarding his ship.
That must reflect badly on Magnus, he realised, which was undoubtedly why Erskine had taken the action. Bad luck for the captain of Gannet to be caught in the middle of the feud.
“Unfortunate, Mr Hartington, but there is little excuse for bad seamanship, whether it be hitting an obstruction or running out of coal on passage. I trust the gentleman will learn his lesson, though I suspect he will be dismissed his ship and may well be advised to send his papers in. I believe his career to be over, whatever he does.”
The warning was sufficiently unsubtle, Magnus thought. Judging by the reddening of his face, Hartington agreed.
“How long has Shearwater been on the Yangtse, Mr Mason?”
“Two years on station, sir. Her captain is only four months in the position, sir.”
“Long enough to have heard of the French mission, I would imagine. Captain Murray-Peterson to repair aboard Racoon, if you please.”
Murray-Peterson was aboard Racoon in less than ten minutes, which showed very willing, Magnus thought. Shearwater must have kept a boat in the water against need, perhaps expecting a summons aboard. It was a pity they had to anchor out in the stream, it would have been easier had they been tied up, and, as well, Magnus would have been able to walk along and make an unexpected inspection at any time. Using a boat, he must be seen coming, lost the advantage of surprise.
“About three months ago, perhaps four, I am told, Captain Murray-Peterson, a French mission was destroyed not so far from Hankow. Did you hear the story?”
“In part, sir. I do not believe the full account was made public. The place is about a hundred miles from here, along the Han, on the banks of the river, up on the edge of hills, on dry ground. A boat came into Hankow one day, three or four Chinese converts on board, telling the story. They were out fishing on the river when the attack was made and had the sense to get out – young men, boys probably, with no wives and children of their own. They saw every building in flames and a mass of peasants boiling over the place and then bodies thrown into the river. The French sent a river steamer up to see what had happened, found it deserted, the only people left all dead. The local villages all knew nothing, said it was foreigners who they had never seen before, normal sort of thing.”
“So, no idea of who or why, Captain Murray-Peterson?”
“Rumour only, sir. Last time I was here in Hankow, six weeks ago, the word was that the mission had fallen out with a local warlord, encouraging their own people not to pay their taxes to him. It was said as well that the warlord was on good terms with the big Spanish mission here… they might have wanted to get rid of the opposition. Normal enough, if so. Another rumour said that the Germans were trying to reduce French influence – the two are both big in trade in this part of China. Mind you, I was told as well that that was not true but was put about by the Russians who want to make trouble between France and Germany. I heard as well that the Japanese might have been involved – they are growing in influence in these parts.”
“Small wonder that the Consul General said nothing of it to me, Captain Murray-Peterson. It seems that we are not being blamed yet so best to keep our noses out.”
“Exactly, sir. None of our business!”
It was a strange country, Magnus thought. The foreigners were so busy vying with each other that the Chinese were able to play them off, one against the other. Very short-sighted. It was not at all impossible, he suspected, that the Chinese had massacred the mission solely to sow dissension among the foreign invaders of their empire.
“Not to worry, Captain Murray-Peterson. It was only missionaries and there’s plenty more where they came from. We return to Shanghai at first light, exercising station keeping on passage. If my cook has finally settled into his galley, then I shall invite all captains to dinner en route.”
The squadron returned to Shanghai, seeing nothing untoward but managing to enjoy their promised dinner. Magnus’ cook showed able to produce an English meal, much welcomed by the captains, and to an extent bringing them together as a squadron.
Captain Hartington recounted the latest news from Shanghai, to the effect that he had heard that the Admiralty had sent out a few of more senior officers on the last trooper to arrive in Hong Kong. He thought it very likely that he might be superseded in Mutine, she being officially a cruiser and himself no more than a lieutenant-in-command, given his ship when his captain had gone to the sick list.
“Captain Erskine thought it possible that the squadron might be
broken up, sir, following the promise made by the Empress to restore order inland. The prospect of a great uprising seems far less, sir.”
Magnus nodded wisely.
“The squadron was put together in a hurry as a response to fears of China blowing up. Now that Germany has taken Tsingtao and the Heavenly Fist, or whatever they call themselves, are less to be feared, then it might make sense to change the arrangements. The word is as well that the River Gunboats are soon to arrive – small ships actually designed for the purpose. The Admiral must wish to use his resources in the most efficient fashion. It is not impossible that he wished us to get used to working together so that the squadron could be reformed instantly in response to any future need.”
They agreed that to be probable, and highly sensible, in fact.
They made their moorings at the Shanghai Bund and Magnus reported to Captain Erskine, expecting that he would have new orders from Hong Kong and needing to discuss coaling.
“Heard the latest from London, Lord Magnus? Not that you can have, being upriver. Another one of these scandals – too many of them these days! No names coming out yet, but rumours by the score. Not much doubt that one of the up and coming Liberal men has been caught where he should not be and doing what no man should do! A Member of Parliament from an aristocratic background, or so it is said…”
Magnus shrugged, said that Jerningham in Hankow had mentioned something of the sort.
“I’m barely on speaking terms with my brother Eskdale or I should send him a letter asking what’s going on. He is a member, of course, and must know the latest. Probably a friend of his, I would imagine. No love lost between us, I regret to say, so he won’t tell me without I ask him, and I am damned if I will request anything of him.”
“Never met him, myself, Lord Magnus, not that I recall.”
02 Shanghai Dreams (The Earl’s Other Son #2) Page 4