“China for the Chinese?”
“For some of them, certainly, my lord.”
They chuckled, very quietly.
“I may well be called back to London soon, Mr Sia. My father is possibly on his deathbed and I may be requested to take up my responsibilities as the earl. You may, of course, be assured that I shall not forget those who have so generously befriended me.”
“The word of a gentleman is always good to me, my lord. I shall not leave Shanghai, that is almost for sure. Lord Ping is considering the possibility of placing his second son into control of Hanshan and of himself going to London. He believes that his place is increasingly threatened in China. He has been too successful and has aroused the jealousy and fear of the Dowager Empress. Add to that, he has no desire to be fought over by German and British agents. Was he to take up residence in England, in an unostentatious fashion, then he might wish to have friends there.”
Magnus was silent a few seconds, working out just what was being asked of him. He nodded as he came to a conclusion.
“Captain Hawkins knows the identity of a number of potentially very good friends for Lord Ping. A mutual friendship might be very desirable to those who wished to be informed of all that was happening in China.”
“So we thought, my lord. Let us join your lady, my lord, to discover what her tastes in silks are today.”
“Before she bankrupts me, perhaps. By the way, what of Lord Ping’s first son?”
“He is to take a place of honour in Peking, under the Qing, my lord. I much doubt that his lifespan will be great, but he will serve his father’s needs for a year or two.”
“That is very good of him, Mr Sia.”
“So it is, my lord. One must say that he is not necessarily the most able of Lord Ping’s sons, but all must serve as they can.”
“Duty above all else, Mr Sia.”
“In that, my lord, the British and many of the Chinese are as one. We owe an obligation to our concepts of faith and service.”
“I do agree, Mr Sia. There are few certainties in life, but duty must be one.”
Ellen was considering brocade when they rejoined her – imperial crimson especially.
“A ball gown, my lord. Stood next to you in your tropical formal dress, I believe the colour would go very well.”
“Flamboyant, my dear, but very effective. A few yards will make a sensible purchase.”
Mr Sia insisted on a bolt, gratis, of course.
The celebrations tapered off and ordinary life resumed along the Bund. The gunboats set off upriver at intervals of a day apiece while Taku remained at her berth on two hours notice for steam. Her captain took advantage of the rest period by painting the whole of the ship.
“Every internal space, sir! Rust wire-brushed and then red lead followed by white or black paint as is appropriate. Necessary, sir! She has been left unpainted since reaching Chinese waters. Very shocking!”
“I do agree, Mr Marlborough. The Chinese were slack indeed in their approach to the cleanliness of the ship. How is the magazine now?”
“Full, sir. A junk came alongside four days since, sir, and ran a tonnage of forty-seven millimetre shells aboard. All fixed, of course. We have a good thirty thousand rounds of Maxim ammunition to hand. I am told that more forty-seven mil has been delivered to SNO’s stores here in Shanghai. Where it has come from, I cannot imagine.”
“No more can I, Mr Marlborough. What have you in mind for training of your gunners?”
“I hope, sir, to sail offshore, out in the estuary, to put targets out.”
“A good idea. Set aside two days for the purpose. I shall join you on the second.”
Mr Marlborough smiled his best and said that was an excellent notion – he would be proud to display his ship’s prowess.
“I doubt we can sensibly exercise the torpedoes, Mr Marlborough. Not this year, at least. It may be possible to purchase an old junk as a floating target at some future time.”
That was also a jolly good thought, Mr Marlborough said.
Magnus was beginning to wonder just what sort of reputation he possessed among the junior officers. Their sole response to him was of sycophantic subservience. He did not think he was known as a bully – he hoped not. What was wrong with them?
A sloop sailed in – literally under sail – and came to her mooring at the Bund.
“Seamew – what do we know of her, Mr Marlborough?”
“Very little, sir. She is old. I believe she was on the Australia station, sir. Perth, I think.”
“Why send her here, I wonder. Soon know – that is her captain making his way to SNO’s office.”
Her captain was an elderly lieutenant, well into his thirties, formally dressed in frockcoat and bicorne.
Thirty minutes saw the SNO’s messenger running to Taku.
“Beg pardon, sir, but Captain Grafton would much appreciate your company, sir.”
“Immediately.”
Magnus followed at the messenger’s heels, was ushered into Captain Grafton’s office.
“Ah, Captain Lord Eskdale, thank you for being so remarkably prompt. You will wish to listen to this gentleman’s report.”
Seamew’s captain lifted his hat in grave salute.
“Hardbottle, sir. Lieutenant-in-command of Her Britannic Majesty’s sloop Seamew.”
“Welcome to Shanghai, Mr Hardbottle.”
‘Britannic’ smacked of Nelson’s day. HBMS had fallen out of favour years since, replaced by HMS in recognition that the Queen ruled over the Dominions as well as Britain.
“I am ordered to call in at Shanghai on my way to Pechihli, where the fleet is assembling to march on Peking, sir.”
“We marched on Peking five months ago, Mr Hardbottle. Took it as well. Where have you been not to know that, sir?”
“At sea. Foul winds from Perth to Hong Kong. I doubt we have made good one hundred miles on any day since we sailed.”
“Then why did you not steam, sir? Your Seamew could have bunkered in Darwin and then at any of the ports en route to Hong Kong.”
“Seamew has sails, my lord. We do not use the steam kettle so foolishly installed in a fine vessel.”
“As a result, Mr Hardbottle, you have failed to carry out your orders. Your presence would have been welcome at Pechihli. Seamew looks to draw very little…”
“Seven feet laden, sir.”
“You could have bombarded the Taku Forts to great advantage, sir, and saved many lives by so doing.”
“But, my lord, it was impossible to reach the Gulf in the time allowed me. My Admiral must have known that, for he would not have been so foolish as to have expected me to fire up that monstrous abortion of a so-called steam engine!”
Magnus shook his head, turned to Captain Grafton.
“I believe this gentleman to be in dereliction of his duty, sir. I must recommend that he be removed from his ship pending the decision of Admiral Bruce.”
“I concur, my lord. Mr Hardbottle, you will take yourself to a hotel and remain there until further notice. Your baggage will be sent to you. Most naval officers patronise the Imperial. I must order you to remain there pending a decision on your future.”
Grafton’s messenger led the lieutenant away.
“I shall cable Hong Kong immediately, Eskdale. As I was in effect dismissing the man from his ship, it seemed better that you should be present.”
“Undoubtedly, sir. He must be dismissed from the Service, not merely his ship, would you not think?”
“He should be. Whether he will be is a different matter. Too many damned fools who believe in sail in this navy, Eskdale!”
That was certainly true. The old-fashioned proliferated in the senior ranks of the Navy.
“How is she armed, sir?”
“Two of muzzle-loading sixty-four pound guns. Two breech-loading five inch. A pair of Nordenfelt volley guns.”
“She would have been useful at Taku. Three quarters charge the sixty-fours and set them to max
imum elevation, wedging up the front trucks perhaps, and the gun behaves as a howitzer, lobbing the heavy shells over the ramparts of a fort. The gunboats were effective that way, sir.”
“That, I had not known, Eskdale. I shall make the point in my court-martial request. Men died taking those forts, Eskdale.”
“I know, sir. I was there.”
“So you were. And Hardbottle was not. Useless damned fool!”
“I can agree with that, sir.”
Grafton’s cable was answered that day, Admiral Bruce agreeing that Hardbottle must stand before a court. A replacement lieutenant-in-command would be sent immediately, though it was likely that Seamew would be sold out of the service in the near future.
A few days saw a very young lieutenant coming ashore from a liner that had called in Hong Kong.
“Lieutenant Hawkes, sir, to join Seamew in command.”
Magnus met Hawkes that evening, welcoming him back to Shanghai and inviting him to dinner.
“Mr Hawkes was one of my young men, Captain Grafton. An able youngster.”
In Grafton’s eyes he was still very little more than that. He frowned, saw Magnus shake his head and grin, knew there was a story to be told behind Hawkes’ back. He repeated his welcome of the afternoon.
Grafton waited until Hawkes had returned to his little command, then demanded answers.
“Does the name ‘Hawkes’ perhaps remind you of another distinguished naval officer on station, sir?”
“Hawkes… Hawkins? Surely not! Do you truly believe so?”
“Quite certain – having myself been asked to look after the boy. Luckily, he is competent. Quite bright, in fact. He will make the grade and will probably do nothing too foolish while he has Seamew. What of Hardbottle, sir?”
“Hawkes brought his papers with him. We cannot muster the requisite number of post captains in Shanghai, so he is to be sent back to Hong Kong – under arrest with an escort of provosts from the Army – they having an officer available to accompany him. Next ship out. No attempt to hide his disgrace.”
“Humiliating, sir.”
“Admiral Bruce is angry. Seamew would have been useful, for the first time in many years, Importantly, lives were lost for her absence.”
“They will dismiss him from the Service at a minimum, sir. Poor fellow. He will be destroyed, I fear.”
“Publicly Eskdale. The Fishpond will be sure to make his sins public knowledge. Typical of the old navy they wish to abolish.”
“An old lieutenant with no influence and probably no family money behind him. He will have a hard time of it, sir.”
“So did the sailors who died or were wounded because his guns were not where they should be, Eskdale. I have no patience with him!”
The two captains were called to Hong Kong to give evidence at the court martial, they having taken the decision to suspend Hardbottle from his ship and to serve papers on him. They stood in the court, the Navy habitually using the civilian courthouse for convenience, and gave their brief depositions, stating clearly that the defendant had refused to use steam to carry out his orders, knowing that he was called to active service, and that his guns were required.
Magnus had been present at the Taku Forts and was further questioned on the value of one old and small ship in such an endeavour.
“The preliminary bombardment, sir, was carried out exclusively by small ships, and only five of them, one American gunboat choosing to absent itself when the Forts opened fire. There is a bar at Taku and only vessels drawing around two fathoms can cross it other than at an exceptional high tide. Seamew would have been useful, the more for having old black powder cannon which could be used as howitzers to drop explosive shells inside the fort, which was done by Algerine, I believe.”
The prosecutor seized on this point.
“Seamew would have in effect doubled the ability of the Royal Navy to bombard, and thus save the lives of our men who later stormed the Forts. I believe, my lord, that you took a leading part in that onset and can therefore speak from knowledge of the Chinese defence.”
“That is so, sir. Many more of the guns might have been dismounted by additional bombardment. I am certain that the lives of some, even all, of my lost officers and men might have been saved.”
The officer acting as Lieutenant Hardbottle’s friend protested to the court that this was merest speculation – but he did not sound convinced.
The case was rapidly concluded, the sitting post captains retiring with grim faces.
Captain Grafton whistled as he waited in the room to the side, drinking the tea provided and wishing it were something stronger.
“He was lucky to be charged only with dereliction of duty, Eskdale. Failing to carry out his orders with due and proper diligence – the penalties not of the most severe. They would hang him if they could for failing to bring his ship into battle.”
“I would find small objection to such a course. I lost too many men that night, sir.”
The court sat again within a bare thirty minutes.
“Quick, Eskdale – no argument about their decisions there. Time for a pee and a cup of tea and little else.”
“What do you know of the captains on the court, sir? None of them are acquaintances of mine.”
“All have sea-going commands – heavy and armoured cruisers, not a sail between them. New men, all of them. Three of them are Fishpond, the other two stand with neither party.”
“God help Hardbottle!”
“Do you care, Eskdale?”
“No, except that I have a weakness for a fair trial and no undue severity.”
The sword was placed to point towards the accused, sign of his guilt.
The President of the court – its most senior member – gave the verdict, condemning Hardbottle’s actions in the strongest terms.
“You are dismissed your ship and the service, Hardbottle. You are cashiered. This court considered a term of imprisonment additionally but has decided that your disgrace is, marginally, sufficient. You will leave Hong Kong immediately. Your pay and emoluments from the Royal Navy cease as of this day. You will be escorted off the precincts of the naval harbour as soon as you have been paid to date. You will remain in shackles until you are removed from the presence of the Navy you have disgraced.”
Magnus thought that was harsh, but not undeserved. He was fairly sure that Hardbottle would be almost penniless – the pay of a lieutenant in command was not large and he showed no signs of a private income. The consul would take responsibility for him, dumping him into a steerage cabin on the first ship leaving Hong Kong for any destination in the Empire. Once in an English-speaking harbour, he would be on his own. Hopefully, he would jump overboard first.
“Never wise to anger the Navy, sir.”
“Very true, Eskdale. No better way of doing so than to fail to steam to the sound of the guns.”
Chapter Thirteen
The Earl’s Other Son Series
Peking Nightmares
“Ensign to half-mast at SNO’s office, sir!”
Magnus was in Taku’s cabin, conferring with Lieutenant Marlborough when the message was run down from the yeoman on the bridge.
“That’s a death, sir.”
Marlborough had a penchant for stating the obvious.
“It is indeed, Captain. The question is, whose? One must greatly fear that it may be Her Majesty gone finally to her long home.”
“It might be that the admiral has succumbed to heart failure, sir. He was enthusiastic in his supping and drinking when he sent us off from Hong Kong – he may have achieved surfeit since, sir.”
“Well expressed, Marlborough, but I am inclined to doubt it. The gentleman displays a robust constitution – he can down a damned sight more than me and still stay upright.”
“I must agree, sir. I was hard-pressed to stand when I left his table.”
The yeoman walked down from the bridge, message pad in hand.
“From SNO, sir.”
Mag
nus glanced at the expected words.
“Her Majesty is no more, Mr Marlborough. The Prince of Wales has risen to the throne under the title of King Edward. God bless the King!”
“So say all loyal men, sir. I must dress the ship properly, sir.”
Magnus followed Marlborough to the bridge and watched as the news spread along the Bund and every ship in port lowered its colours in respect
Captain Grafton visited Taku to confirm the details of official mourning.
“Black armbands, of course. Flags to be at half-mast – not much else one can do in a steamship. No yards to set a-cockbill like the old wooden walls could do. There is to be a book of condolence open in the consul’s offices. All officers to sign, naturally. A mourning service at the Anglican cathedral. A difficulty is that there should be a service timed to take place simultaneously with the burial at Westminster Abbey – but we are half the world away, it would have to be in the middle of the night. We must take advice from the admiral on that. The army will wish to get involved, I do not doubt. Don’t know what they will do. Make a cock of it, anyway.”
Ellen was uncertain of the social implications of the death of a monarch – she was not yet at home with the conventions of high society.
“To be practical, Magnus, what does it mean for us? We have a dinner for Tuesday next. Will that go ahead?”
“No. A note to each guest to confirm that nothing other than family functions may be held for the next thirty days. After that, dinner parties may resume, but no balls for another month. Entertainments may proceed as normal after sixty days of mourning though even the most distant relatives of the family must wear black armbands for three months.”
“I shall write the notes this afternoon. We must take the lead in ensuring that Shanghai behaves properly.”
Magnus could accept that their social position implied leadership in their community – they would be expected to know what was right and show others, almost all of them of the middle classes, the correct behaviour on this unprecedented occasion. Victoria had held the throne for more than sixty years – most people could not remember what had happened when Silly Billy had died, so long ago and in a different age. The last king had been a Hanoverian, a brother of the Prince Regent, son of Mad King George; the next king was to rule in the Twentieth Century – in a land changed beyond recognition.
04 Peking Nightmares (The Earl’s Other Son Series, #4) Page 23