Chapter I: Front Matter

BRITISH CROSSES AND MEDALS.—(_Coloured Frontispiece._)

1. MEDAL OF ELIZABETH. (DEFEAT OF THE ARMADA, 1588.)

2. CRIMEA MEDAL AND 5. NAVAL MEDAL OF 3. CHINA MEDAL WITH
NAVAL CLASP FOR COMMONWEALTH TWO NAVAL CLASPS
AZOFF (1854-6). (1650). (1857-58).

4. NAVAL WAR MEDAL 6. CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY
RIBBON (1793, 1840). RIBBON (1854, 1874).

7. NAVAL MEDAL OF 8. NAVAL MEDAL OF 9. NAVAL MEDAL OF
COMMONWEALTH CHARLES II. COMMONWEALTH
(BLAKE’S VICTORIES (BLAKE’S VICTORIES
OVER THE DUTCH) OVER THE DUTCH)
(1653). (1653).

10. COLLAR OF THE ORDER OF THE BATH.

11. GOOD CONDUCT AND 12. BALTIC MEDAL (1854).
LONG-SERVICE MEDAL.

13. VICTORIA CROSS 15. ALBERT MEDAL (SEA). WITH NAVAL RIBBON.

14. BADGE OF THE KNIGHTS OF THE BATH
(MILITARY AND NAVAL DIVISION).

THE SEA

_Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism._

BY

F. WHYMPER,
AUTHOR OF “TRAVELS IN ALASKA,” ETC.

_ILLUSTRATED._

CASSELL PETTER & GALPIN: _LONDON, PARIS & NEW YORK_. [ALL RIGHTS RESERVED]

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. MEN-OF-WAR. PAGE Our Wooden Walls—The _Victory_—Siege of Toulon—Battle of St. 4 Vincent—Nelson’s Bridge—Trafalgar’s Glorious Day—The Day for such Battles gone—Iron _v._ Wood—Lessons of the Crimean War—Moral Effect of the Presence of our Fleets—Bombardment of Sebastopol—Red-hot Shot and Gibraltar—The Ironclad Movement—The _Warrior_—Experiences with Ironclads—The _Merrimac_ in Hampton Roads—A Speedily-decided Action—The _Cumberland_ sunk and _Congress_ burned—The First Monitor—Engagement with the _Merrimac_—Notes on Recent Actions—The _Shah_ and _Huascar_—An Ironclad tackled by a Merchantman CHAPTER II. MEN OF PEACE. Naval Life in Peace Times—A Grand Exploring Voyage—The Cruise of 28 the _Challenger_—Its Work—Deep-sea Soundings—Five Miles down—Apparatus employed—Ocean Treasures—A Gigantic Sea-monster—Tristan d’Acunha—A Discovery Interesting to the Discovered—The Two Crusoes—The Inaccessible Island—Solitary Life—The Sea-cart—Swimming Pigs—Rescued at Last—The Real Crusoe Island to Let—Down South—The Land of Desolation—Kerguelen—The Sealers’ Dreary Life—In the Antarctic—Among the Icebergs CHAPTER III. THE MEN OF THE SEA. The Great Lexicographer on Sailors—The Dangers of the Sea—How 42 Boys become Sailors—Young Amyas Leigh—The Genuine Jack Tar—Training-Ships _versus_ the old Guard-Ships—“Sea-goers and Waisters”—The Training Undergone—Routine on Board—Never-ending Work—Ship like a Lady’s Watch—Watches and “Bells”—Old Grogram and Grog—The Sailor’s Sheet Anchor—Shadows in the Seaman’s Life—The Naval Cat—Testimony and Opinion of a Medical Officer—An Example—Boy Flogging in the Navy—Shakespeare and Herbert on Sailors and the Sea CHAPTER IV. PERILS OF THE SAILOR’S LIFE. The Loss of the _Captain_—Six Hundred Souls swept into Eternity 54 without a Warning—The Mansion and the Cottage alike Sufferers—Causes of the Disaster—Horrors of the Scene—Noble Captain Burgoyne—Narratives of Survivors—An almost Incredible Feat—Loss of the _Royal George_—A Great Disaster caused by a Trifle—Nine Hundred Lost—A Child saved by a Sheep—The Portholes Upright—An Involuntary Bath of Tar—Rafts of Corpses—The Vessel Blown up in 1839-40—The Loss of the _Vanguard_—Half a Million sunk in Fifty Minutes—Admirable Discipline on Board—All Saved—The Court Martial CHAPTER V. PERILS OF THE SAILOR’S LIFE (_continued_). The Value of Discipline—The Loss of the _Kent_—Fire on Board—The 67 Ship Waterlogged—Death in Two Forms—A Sail in Sight—Transference of Six Hundred Passengers to a Small Brig—Splendid Discipline of the Soldiers—Imperturbable Coolness of the Captain—Loss of the _Birkenhead_—Literally broken in Two—Noble Conduct of the Military—A Contrary Example—Wreck of the _Medusa_—Run on a Sand-bank—Panic on Board—Raft constructed—Insubordination and Selfishness—One Hundred and Fifty Souls abandoned—Drunkenness and Mutiny on the Raft—Riots and Murders—Reduced to Thirty Persons—The Stronger Part massacre the Others—Fifteen Left—Rescued at Last—Another Contrast—Wreck of the _Alceste_—Admirable Conduct of the Crew—The Ironclad Movement—The Battle of the Guns CHAPTER VI. ROUND THE WORLD ON A MAN-OF-WAR. The Mediterranean—White, Blue, Green, and Purple 87 Waters—Gibraltar—Its History—Its First Inhabitants the Monkeys—The Moors—The Great Siege preceded by Thirteen Others—The Voyage of Sigurd to the Holy Land—The Third Siege—Starvation—The Fourth Siege—Red-hot Balls used before ordinary Cannon-balls—The Great Plague—Gibraltar finally in Christian Hands—A Naval Action between the Dutch and Spaniards—How England won the Rock—An Unrewarded Hero—Spain’s Attempts to regain it—The Great Siege—The Rock itself and its Surroundings—The Straits—Ceuta, Gibraltar’s Rival—The Saltness of the Mediterranean—“Going aloft”—On to Malta CHAPTER VII. ROUND THE WORLD ON A MAN-OF-WAR (_continued_). MALTA AND THE SUEZ CANAL. Calypso’s Isle—A Convict Paradise—Malta, the “Flower of the 98 World”—The Knights of St. John—Rise of the Order—The Crescent and the Cross—The Siege of Rhodes—L’Isle Adam in London—The Great Siege of Malta—Horrible Episodes—Malta in French and English Hands—St. Paul’s Cave—The Catacombs—Modern Incidents—The Shipwreck of St. Paul—Gales in the Mediterranean—Experiences of Nelson and Collingwood—Squalls in the Bay of San Francisco—A Man Overboard—Special Winds of the Mediterranean—The Suez Canal and M. de Lesseps—His Diplomatic Career—Saïd Pacha as a Boy—As a Viceroy—The Plan settled—Financial Troubles—Construction of the Canal—The Inauguration Fête—Suez—Passage of the Children of Israel through the Red Sea CHAPTER VIII. ROUND THE WORLD ON A MAN-OF-WAR (_continued_). THE INDIA AND CHINA STATIONS. The Red Sea and its Name—Its Ports—On to the India 117 Station—Bombay: Island, City, Presidency—Calcutta—Ceylon, a Paradise—The China Station—Hong Kong—Macao—Canton—Capture of Commissioner Yeh—The Sea of Soup—Shanghai—“Jack” Ashore there—Luxuries in Market—Drawbacks: Earthquakes and Sand Showers—Chinese Explanations of Earthquakes—The Roving Life of the Sailor—Compensating Advantages—Japan and its People—The Englishmen of the Pacific—Yokohama—Peculiarities of the Japanese—Off to the North CHAPTER IX. ROUND THE WORLD ON A MAN-OF-WAR (_continued_). NORTHWARD AND SOUTHWARD—THE AUSTRALIAN STATION. The Port of Peter and Paul—Wonderful Colouring of Kamchatka 131 Hills—Grand Volcanoes—The Fight at Petropaulovski—A Contrast—An International Pic-nic—A Double Wedding—Bering’s Voyages—Kamchatka worthy of Further Exploration—Plover Bay—Tchuktchi Natives—Whaling—A Terrible Gale—A Novel “Smoke-stack”—Southward again—The Liverpool of the East—Singapore, a Paradise—New Harbour—Wharves and Shipping—Cruelties of the Coolie Trade—Junks and Prahus—The Kling-gharry Drivers—The Durian and its Devotees—Australia—Its Discovery—Botany Bay and the Convicts—The First Gold—Port Jackson—Beauty of Sydney—Port Philip and Melbourne CHAPTER X. ROUND THE WORLD ON A MAN-OF-WAR (_continued_). THE PACIFIC STATION. Across the Pacific—Approach to the Golden Gate—The Bay of San 156 Francisco—The City—First Dinner Ashore—Cheap Luxury—San Francisco by Night—The Land of Gold, Grain, and Grapes—Incidents of the Early Days—Expensive Papers—A Lucky Sailor—Chances for English Girls—The Baby at the Play—A capital Port for Seamen—Hospitality of Californians—Victoria, Vancouver Island—The Naval Station at Esquimalt—A Delightful Place—Advice to Intending Emigrants—British Columbian Indians—Their Fine Canoes—Experiences of the Writer—The Island on Fire—The Chinook Jargon—Indian “Pigeon-English”—North to Alaska—The Purchase of Russian America by the United States—Results—Life at Sitka—Grand Volcanoes of the Aleutian Islands—The Great Yukon River—American Trading Posts round Bering Sea