CHAPTER II THREE BOAT ACTIONS 1.-ESCAPE CREEK IT will be remembered that the first bombardment of Canton by Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, directly resulting from the Arrow incident, took place in October and November, 1856, after which, for want of troops to occupy and retain the city, we retired, pending the arrival of reinforcements and the result of diplomatic negotiations which were carried on for several months with the ultimate result of a second bombardment, and the capture and occupation by the British and French in December 1857, and January 1858. Meantime operations of a somewhat desultory character, as opportunity offered, were carried on by us against the mandarin forces in and around the extensive area of the Canton River, though, as a rule, except they here or there aided or abetted the enemy, the native country population were not interfered with; the fact being, indeed, that, unwelcome as the presence of foreigners might have been to the latter, that of mandarin people was much more so, their presence being too intimately connected with "squeezing" and oppression. The Tribune's sojourn at Hong Kong on this first occasion was a very short one, nevertheless, into so new a world had it introduced me, and so much that was 418515 interesting had it given me an opportunity of observing, that at the end of ten days, when we proceeded up river to place ourselves under Commodore Elliot, it seemed to me as if I were separated from our former life by as many weeks. On the third day after our arrival, the temperature on deck under the awning being 92°, and that of my little cabin 84°, twenty-two men went on the sick list from the combined effects of sun and surfeiting; so perhaps it was as well to withdraw for a time out of the reach of such seductive attractions as bumboats, where Jack could get his fill for 2d. and a feast for 3d., especially as our services were speedily required in the direction of Canton, where numbers of ships, steamers, and gunboats had preceded us—in the language of our Chinese comprador, "plenty sippy maky walky." At its entrance the Canton River is broad, and for a considerable distance is simply an arm of the sea with invisible or scarcely visible sides; but after thirty miles it narrows rapidly to places where it is only a mile in breadth and sometimes much less. On its north or left side, ninety miles to the north-west of Hong Kong, is situated Kwan-tung, the capital of the province from which the city takes its name, of which Canton is merely an English corruption. The waters of this river are never clear, being charged with rich yellow alluvial soil in fine suspension, like the Nile. Having shipped a native pilot we steamed up to a station well known as the Second Bar, where we found H.M.S. Sybille and other ships and gunboats, a general signal being soon made for "a midshipman," which meant that from every ship an officer of that rank, or from small vessels, which did not "rate" midshipmen, > some one corresponding, was immediately to "repair" to the Sybille, at whose masthead the blue broad swallowtailed pendant of a commodore-of-the-second-class was flying. Commodores-of-the-first-class, who flew red pendants, were much more important functionaries, being little less than local rear-admirals; but it was a curious fact, though probably a necessary precaution to prevent misunderstandings, that no commodore of any sort was allowed to fly his broad pendant in presence of a senior captain. Did such an unwelcome intruder come within the horizon, down, ignominiously down, must come the swallow-tail. Of course, commodores with permanent appointment to a station were senior to all other captains upon it, yet now and then, in making a voyage, or by fresh arrivals, the lines of some senior man were crossed. On the return of our midshipman we learned that a little expedition was to be made next day against a squadron of about forty war-junks that were known to be at anchor in a creek subsequently known as Escape Creek. All was instantly bustle in the way of preparation. Accordingly, at 3 A.M. on the 25th May, the boats of the squadron, "manned and armed," were taken in tow by a couple of gunboats and the hired armed paddler Hong Kong, I being in command of our pinnace with Barker my midshipman. To me the situation was extremely interesting, not only because of its novelty in a country and under conditions so new to me, but because re-entry into active armed service seemed to connect me with my recent Crimean campaign, from which, I could not help being sensible, I had brought |