Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Christmas Day On Board Her Majesty's Ship "Nonsuch."
CHRISTMAS DAY ON BOARD HER MAJESTY'S SHIP "NONSUCH . "
npWO 'lays before the 25 th of December , 1 S 73 , arrived and anchored in the spacious _ harbour of Hong Kong H . M . S . " Nonsuch , " one of a series of newly-patented ironclads which had been adopted by the Admiralty . The work of mooring over , the chief aim of " all hands" was to have a "Merry Christmas , " and preparations were begun forthwith , which were hardly stayed on the Christmas Eve , when a sad accident happened to a boat ' s crew . It had been blowing freshly for several hours when
thesecond cutter , which had not been lowered since leaving England , was " called away . "" From some cause , never explained , the foremost fad ( or rope by which the boat is lowered ) gave way . The boat fell , her bows just touching the water , while her stem remained fast ; the crew was precipitated into the tide , which , was running strongly at the time , ancl , notwithstanding that boats were almost instantly on the scene , they succeeded only in picking up nine of the poor fellows , and of these some had received such
severe shalongs that they were at once sent to the hospital . Of the remaining three itwas thought that they must have been knocked insensible and so have been swept far away by the current , before rising to the surface , if they ever did . By the way , thesewaters of China are very chary of giving up their prey . Both iii the Canton River ancl the Yangtzi Kiang I have known many cases of " falling overboard , " but never once , hare I seen a single body recovered . I remember in tho former , just below Whampoa , that one afternoon a man , who had been slung over the bows to blacken the cable ancl
hawse pipes , _ slipped into the river from hardly a height of two feet ; the alarm was given—the lifeboat manned ancl dropped almost by the time he coidd have reached the stern , yet after pulling about for an hour , nothing- was brought back save his cap . During the next seven clays we fired heavy guns at intervals , but nothing more was seen . Some have put it down to under-currents , but in this last case the man was a powerful swimmer , and surely had that advantage over the cap .
I had several times before visited Hong Kong , but had never climbed to the top of the hill which rises behind the town of Victoria , and is known as Victoria Peak . Its height is 1 , 825 feet , ancl there is a signal station on the summit from which a gun is . fired when mail-boats are si ghted . So on this Christmas Eve A- ancl I agreed , with two friends from the old " Princess Charlotte , " to inaugurate the following day by an ascent , and we were to meet at the clock tower at 5 . 15 A . IC . Here are the notes I
took of that never-to-be-forgotten undertaking : — 4 . 0 A . M . —Roused by the sentry . 4 . 10—Shook A , who turned over , saying he was too tired to think of it . 4 . 30—Gave A another chance ; a nap had not altered his ojnnion . 4 . 50—At the gangway hailing a sampan . How drear and dark it looks ! 4 . 59—Reached the clock tower , evidently the first at the rendezvous . 5 . 0—Clock striking . Counted five , and meditated on the best way of passing thenext fifteen minutes .
5 . 3—Very dull ! darker than ever ! think it will rain ! increase pace between clock tower and wharf , ancl take sweet consolation out of an early pipe . 5 . 5—Ghmmering lights flitting about borne by dusky Chinamen . " Wonder which way THEV ' come from the "Princess Charlotte" ! from Peddar ' s Wharf or up the Queen ' s Road ? Well ! can't miss them while I stick to clock tower . Wonder if they'll . do an A . Pshaw ! 'tis too early yet .
5 . 7—Evidently going to rain . 5 . 8—Dropping slowly—faster ancl faster . Still keep to my walk , ancl brave the elements . 5-10—Raining thick and fast . Despite good resolutions driven under the shelter of Hong Kong hotel colonnade . 5 . 13—Rain shows signs of giving over . Resume walk . Have an idea it will clear up :
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Christmas Day On Board Her Majesty's Ship "Nonsuch."
CHRISTMAS DAY ON BOARD HER MAJESTY'S SHIP "NONSUCH . "
npWO 'lays before the 25 th of December , 1 S 73 , arrived and anchored in the spacious _ harbour of Hong Kong H . M . S . " Nonsuch , " one of a series of newly-patented ironclads which had been adopted by the Admiralty . The work of mooring over , the chief aim of " all hands" was to have a "Merry Christmas , " and preparations were begun forthwith , which were hardly stayed on the Christmas Eve , when a sad accident happened to a boat ' s crew . It had been blowing freshly for several hours when
thesecond cutter , which had not been lowered since leaving England , was " called away . "" From some cause , never explained , the foremost fad ( or rope by which the boat is lowered ) gave way . The boat fell , her bows just touching the water , while her stem remained fast ; the crew was precipitated into the tide , which , was running strongly at the time , ancl , notwithstanding that boats were almost instantly on the scene , they succeeded only in picking up nine of the poor fellows , and of these some had received such
severe shalongs that they were at once sent to the hospital . Of the remaining three itwas thought that they must have been knocked insensible and so have been swept far away by the current , before rising to the surface , if they ever did . By the way , thesewaters of China are very chary of giving up their prey . Both iii the Canton River ancl the Yangtzi Kiang I have known many cases of " falling overboard , " but never once , hare I seen a single body recovered . I remember in tho former , just below Whampoa , that one afternoon a man , who had been slung over the bows to blacken the cable ancl
hawse pipes , _ slipped into the river from hardly a height of two feet ; the alarm was given—the lifeboat manned ancl dropped almost by the time he coidd have reached the stern , yet after pulling about for an hour , nothing- was brought back save his cap . During the next seven clays we fired heavy guns at intervals , but nothing more was seen . Some have put it down to under-currents , but in this last case the man was a powerful swimmer , and surely had that advantage over the cap .
I had several times before visited Hong Kong , but had never climbed to the top of the hill which rises behind the town of Victoria , and is known as Victoria Peak . Its height is 1 , 825 feet , ancl there is a signal station on the summit from which a gun is . fired when mail-boats are si ghted . So on this Christmas Eve A- ancl I agreed , with two friends from the old " Princess Charlotte , " to inaugurate the following day by an ascent , and we were to meet at the clock tower at 5 . 15 A . IC . Here are the notes I
took of that never-to-be-forgotten undertaking : — 4 . 0 A . M . —Roused by the sentry . 4 . 10—Shook A , who turned over , saying he was too tired to think of it . 4 . 30—Gave A another chance ; a nap had not altered his ojnnion . 4 . 50—At the gangway hailing a sampan . How drear and dark it looks ! 4 . 59—Reached the clock tower , evidently the first at the rendezvous . 5 . 0—Clock striking . Counted five , and meditated on the best way of passing thenext fifteen minutes .
5 . 3—Very dull ! darker than ever ! think it will rain ! increase pace between clock tower and wharf , ancl take sweet consolation out of an early pipe . 5 . 5—Ghmmering lights flitting about borne by dusky Chinamen . " Wonder which way THEV ' come from the "Princess Charlotte" ! from Peddar ' s Wharf or up the Queen ' s Road ? Well ! can't miss them while I stick to clock tower . Wonder if they'll . do an A . Pshaw ! 'tis too early yet .
5 . 7—Evidently going to rain . 5 . 8—Dropping slowly—faster ancl faster . Still keep to my walk , ancl brave the elements . 5-10—Raining thick and fast . Despite good resolutions driven under the shelter of Hong Kong hotel colonnade . 5 . 13—Rain shows signs of giving over . Resume walk . Have an idea it will clear up :