Qfnrnell Iniucrattg ffitbrarg Stijata, Nem lock BERNARD ALBERT SINN COLLECTION NAVAL HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY THE GIFT OF BERNARD A. S[NN,'97 1919 The date shows when this volume was taken. ' To renew this book copy the call No, and give to the librarian. JUN ^-f929 ■ HOME USE RULES. v. r. All Books subject to recall All borrowers must regis-/ .......j^........... ter in the library to borrow , . '• ' books for home use.' l*^ "^ , All books must be re- 'i'f'v:. /.....;. ' ^ ' turned at erid of college '"\) ■■' year 'for inspection and ., repairs. , Limited books must be I,' returned within the fouT wsek limit and not renewed. Students must return all books before leaving town. ^ Officers should arrange for the return of books wanted during their absence from town. Volumes of periodicals '' and of pamphlets are held in the library as much as possible. For special pur- poses they are given out for a limited time. ' Borrowers should not use their- librafy privileges for the benefit of other persons. Books of special value and gift books, when the giver wishes it, are not allowed to circulate. ' ■"■'" Readers are asked tore- port all cases of books ■' ' marked or mutilated. Do not deface books by marks and writing. _. ^ Cornell University Library DA 88.1.T87F55 ^ '■''^iiMiiiifiteiii^'"'"' ®'^ Georqe Tryon, K 3 1924 027 923 105 c ^ ^io 1 LIFE OF VICE-ADMIRAL SIR GEORGE TRYON, X.C.B. Cornell University Library The original of tiiis bool< is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924027923105 =,,,^ LIFE OF VICE-ADMIRAL SIR GEORGE TRYON, K.O.B. BY REAR-ADMIRAL C. C. PENROSE FITZGERALD WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MDCCCXCVII UllJ ^f4KY ^^5io5io T- PREFACE. When T undertook to write the life of Sir George Tryon I felt that I was undertaking a heavy- responsibility ; but I had such a high admiration for the man himself, — for his great abilities, his untiring industry, his absolute devotion to the service, and to all that concerned its honour and welfare, and for the splendid example he set by his kindly, judicious, but firm method of rule, — that I hoped to be able to give my readers a fair idea of his manly self-reliant character, and of his interesting and — up to the last day of his life — eminently successful career. I have had great difiiculty in procuring suitable materials for writing this book. One reason for this is no doubt attributable to the fact that the bulk of Sir George Tryon's records and journals went down with him in the Victoria. Many friends, both naval and civilian, have vi PREFACE. been most kind, and anxious to help me, but have been unable to do so from lack of materials, or other reasons; or have only been able to furnish me with the naked facts contained in a log-book or journal ; and my imagination has unfortunately not been sufficiently fertile to enable me to clothe these records with interest enough to justify me in presenting them to the reader. The following, however, have given me most hearty and most valuable assistance, and to them my warmest thanks are due. First, I must thank Lady Tryon for placing all the family records at my disposal ; for the very useful information she has given me on various points ; and for the warm interest she has taken in the work. Next, I desire to thank Sir Samuel Griffith, now Chief- Justice of Queensland, but Prime Minister of that colony at the time that Sir George Tryon was in command of the Australian station, and closely associated with him all through the negotia- tions which led up to the establishment of the auxiliary Australian squadron. The two were close and firm friends, and it will be seen how thoroughly Tryon appreciated, and how warmly he acknowledged, the zeal and perseverance with which Sir Samuel worked in this matter. A whole volume PREFACE. Vll might have been written upon this subject alone, and I have the materials at my disposal for doing so ; but I felt that it would not be right to devote undue space to any one period of Sir George Tryon's life, however interesting it might be to a certain section of my readers. I have therefore refrained. But at the same time that I offer to Sir Samuel Griffith my most sincere thanks for all the trouble he has taken in answering my appeals to him for assistance, I must also tender him my apolo- gies for having cut short this most interesting chapter. To Mr R. G. Hayes of the Admiralty my warmest thanks are due for his most valuable assistance. His was the dry and laborious task of hunting up piles of Admiralty records, and fixing dates, and without his assistance I should have had no foundation to build on. My brother officers who have helped me are too numerous to mention : most of their names appear in the text, and it would only be waste of space to recapitulate them here. I must, how- ever, make two exceptions in favour of Mr C. J. Pawsey, Sir George Tryon's secretary, and Com- mander H. G. King Hall, D.S.O., who have given me most valuable and willing assistance. If I have forgotten any one else, I beg to offer them my vni PREFACE. sincere apology in advance. The slight is not intentional. My readers will doubtless understand the great diflSculty of dealing with the closing scenes of Sir George Tryon's life, so soon after the tragedy which ended it, and whilst many of those con- nected with the event are still living. I hope, however, that I have on the whole succeeded in showing due regard to the feelings of the living, at the same time that I have done justice — though no more than strict justice — to the memory of the dead. C. C. P. FITZGERALD. CONTENTS. CHAPTEE I. INTRODUCTORY. The biography justified — Impossibility of "gj'eatness" to a modern Admiral — The real reformers of the navy — Admiral Tryon's constant readiness for war — Personal characteristics CHAPTEE II. BIRTH FAMILY EARLY LIFE. Early days — H.M.S. Wellesley— Diligence at sea — Midshipman life — The benefit of favouritism — A visit to Halifax — A shooting expedition — A tour in the United States — Impres- sions of America — Fishing in Labrador — H.M.S. Vengeance — Reminiscences by Admiral Mends — A dinner at Cairo — A diplomatic visit to Cairo — Recollections by Admiral Bowyear — The Crimea — Battle of Sinope — Bombardment of Odessa — Alma — A portly midshipman . . . . .11 CHAPTEE III. TRENCHES CRIMEA ROYAL ALBERT. With the naval brigade — Sir Evelyn Wood on the Crimea— Balaklava — Death of Henry Tryon— In the trenches— Sebas- topol— Capture of Kinburn— H.M.S. Royal Albert— An extra- ordinary accident— A patriotic Englishman — Promotion — The Queen visits Cherbourg — The royal yacht . . 51 X CONTENTS. CHAPTEE IV. H.M.S. WARRIOE. Commander of H.M.S. Warrior — The economical value of the navy — H.M.S. Black Prince — H.M.S. Hercules — Ironclads and sailing-ships — Marriage of the Prince of Wales . . 79 CHAPTEE V. H.M.S. SURPRISE. Commander H.M.S. Surprise — Rescue of the barque Energy — Santorin — Love of sport — The importance of Gibraltar . 90 QHAPTEE VI. ABYSSINIA. Captaincy — Abyssinian expedition — Annesley Bay — Transport service — Admiral Maxwell's reminiscences — Testimony of Lord Roberts — Climate of Abyssinia — Companion of the Bath 99 CHAPTEE VII. AT THE ADMIRALTY. Marriage — Private Secretary to First Lord of the Admiralty— Reminiscences of Mr Goschen — The status of the navy — A ready wit ....... 118 CHAPTEE VIII. H.M.S. RALEIGH. Description of H.M.S. Raleigh — The Flying Squadron — A "dvimmy" ship— Dry canteens— A holiday in the Falkland Islands — Desertion in the navy — A clever rescue at sea — The Prince of Wales in India — A menagerie at sea — The unspeak- able Turk — Sporting in Ayas Bay— Return to England — Loyalty to friends . . . . . .128 CONTENTS. XI CHAPTEE IX. H.M.S. MOXARCH, committee on signalling — Accident on H.il.S. Thunderer- Cyprus — A discovery of coal — Naval courtesies at Naples — An international complication — The Sfax affair — The Sfax Com- mission — Diplomatic troubles at Tunis — End of the Sfax Commission — A compliment from France — A daring robbery — A chaplain's testimony ..... 154 CHAPTER X. SECRBTAET TO THE ADMIRALTY. Qualifications for the post — Testimonials from contemporaries — The intelligence department — A busy official life . . 186 CHAPTEE XL AUSTRALIA. The Australian squadron — The native question in Queensland — Labour problems — The annexation of New Guinea — France and New Caledonia — The birth of the Australian navy — The futility of local squadrons — Captain Mahan — A theory of naval defence — Necessity for a twofold defence — The defence of New Zealand — A plan of inter-colonial indemnity — Memor- andum on colonial defence — The Russian war-scare — Colonial federation — Australian cruisers — Hospitality in Sydney — The Sydney " Royal Naval House " — Weakness of subsidised forces — The demands of New Zealand — Return to England — Literary defects — A compliment from the Admiralty . . . 196 CHAPTER XII HOME AGAIN. Parliamentary candidature — An election address — Defeat — A keen sportsman .... . . 244 xii CONTENTS. CHAPTER Xlir. ADMIRAL SUPERINTENDENT OF RESERVES. Naval manoeuvres — The manoeuvres -of 1888 — Eunning the blockade — Lessons of the mimio war — Further manosuvres — Capture of the Inflexible — Manoeuvres again — The rules of the game — A German critic's views — The value of manoeuvres — Manning the navy — Naval reserves — A question of uniform — The Naval Defence Act — Visit to the coastguard stations — The" Aohill Admiral" 253 CHAPTER XIV. NATIONAL INSURANCE. General nature of the scheme — The question of food-supply — Newspaper criticism — Answers to objections — Sir T. Suther- land's views — Sir Arthur Forwood's criticisms — City opinions — Summary of the argument ..... 295 CHAPTER XV. MEDITERRANEAN COMMAND. Importance of the Mediterranean fleet — " Mediterranean form " — The dockyard at Malta — The secret of true discipline — The Howe disaster — Rules for manoeuvring — A fleet regatta — A winter in Malta — Italian war-pigeons — Grounding of H.M.S. Victoria — The rescue — A visit to the Sultan — A regatta — Distinguished visitors — A trusted commander . . 313 CHAPTER XVI. MANOEUVRES WITHOUT SIGNALS. The "T A" system— Details of the system— Defects of the old plan— Value of the "T A" system— Popular fallacies about manoeuvring ....... 345 CONTENTS. Xlll CHAPTEE XVII. THE CATASTROPHE. The Staff-Commander's account — Tlie position of the Nile and the Edinburgh — Captain Brackenbury's narrative — The court- martial — C&,ptain Bourke's evidence — Discipline to the last — A brave chaplain — The verdict — Water-tight doors — The real enigma — The " T A " system and the disaster — A novel manoeuvre — The dangers of mental arithmetic — Lessons from the disaster — A brilliant career ..... 357 INDEX . . . .397 ILLUSTEATIONS. PORTRAITS. SIR GEORGE TRTON . From a drmving by IFalton Frontispiece SIR GEORGE TETON From a ininiature ■painted in 1857 To face p. 72 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE BULWICK PARK . . . 11 H.M.S. VENGEANCE ... 32 SINOPE . . From, a draxinng on the spot by George Tryon 43 H.M.S. VENGEANCE . From a sketch by George Tryon 50 LIEUT, tryon's tent IN THE CRIMEA From a sketch by himself 51 H.M.S. ROYAL ALBERT IN PORT NICOLS, ISLE OP ZEA . 67 THE ROYAL YACHT .... 77 LIEUT, tryon's tent IN THE CRIMEA From a sketch by himself 78 H.M.S. WARRIOR . . . .79 H.M.S. HERCULES . . .86 H.M.S. SURPRISE . . .90 H.M.S. RALEIGH . . . To face 128 H.M. SHIPS RALEIGH AND SBRAPIS . ii 144 H.M.S. MONARCH . . • .154 H.M.S. NELSON . To facc 196 XVI ILLUSTRATIONS. MALTA HARBOUR . . . . 313 ENTRANCE TO MALTA HARBOUR . . To foce 314 START OF CUTTERS AND GIGS ..... 327 RESCUE OF H.M.S. VICTORIA FROM SNIPE POINT . 337 START OF LAUNCHES . . ... 345 H.M.S. VICTORIA . . To face 358 LITE OF ADMIEAL SIR GEOEGE TRYON. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. It is probable that the name of Sir George Tryon is known to many of his countrymen only as the man who was responsible for the loss of the Victoria. They know nothing of a singularly active and use- ful life, devoted to the profession which he loved, and to the highest interests of his country ; and even that more restricted circle to whom his name was familiar during the various commands and im- portant appointments which he held, will be apt to forget his many valuable services in the memory of the great catastrophe. Various theories have been put forward to ac- count for the hoisting of the signal which caused the disaster : they need not be discussed here, as the subject must be alluded to in the last chapter ; but whatever speculations may be made as to what A INTRODUCTORY. might have been done by others to avoid a collision between the Victoria and the Camperdown after once the signal had been acknowledged, there can be no doubt that the signal was the primary cause of the accident : and we know that, with that honesty and generosity which characterised his whole life. Sir George Tryon with his last words took upon himself the sole responsibility. It was no more than those who knew him best would have expected from him. It is scarcely consistent with that boasted British love of fair play, which we claim to be a specially national characteristic, that a man singularly gifted with all those qualities which inspire trust, devo- tion, admiration, and confidence in those who serve under him ; a man who had devoted all the best years of his life, all his talents (and they were far above the average), to making himself a thorough master of his profession, and who, in the opinion of all competent authorities, had become such a master, — it is not fair play that this man should be judged by his countrymen in relation to only one act of his life ; and that all the years of hard work and devotion which he dedicated to the best interests of his country, the ability which he ex- hibited as an organiser, the lessons which he taught as a strategist and tactician, the example which he set, and the confidence he inspired, as a bold, firm, skilful leader of fleets and squadrons, should be forgotten. It is not claimed for Sir George Tryon that he THE CONDITIONS OF " GREATNESS. 3 was a "great" man. The claim would be dis- allowed, and would be calculated to inspire ridicule ; even as we have of late so frequently seen ridicule cast upon feats of good and hard service in our numerous little wars and encounters with savage enemies, in consequence of the subsequent writing of imduly inflated despatches, by men who did not happen to be gifted with a due sense of proportion and perspective, and who forgot for the moment that it is but one short step from the sublime to the ridiculous : and it would certainly approach the ridiculous to speak of any general or admiral as "great" unless they had led an army or a fleet into action against a worthy foe. Their business is fighting, and it matters not what genius for war they may be gifted with, what pains and trouble they may take to master not only the minor though essential details of their professions but also the great principles and science of the art of war, they cannot achieve " greatness " unless circumstances outside their own control afibrd them the oppor- tunity for doing so. No such opportunity has been granted to any British admiral for many years ; and it is probably the wish of all peace - loving Englishmen that no such opportunity should occur for many more years to come ; and yet the ablest Minister that ever conducted the foreign afiairs of the British empire can only control in a very limited degree the international feelings, senti- ments, passions, jealousies, friendships, and sup- posed interests, which combine either to maintain 4 INTRODUCTORY. the peace of the civiKsed world or to render war inevitable. England, however, expects, and always has ex- pected, that when diplomacy has said its last word, and the pen has been laid down, the telegraph- office closed, and the sword drawn, admirals shall be found ready and able to lead her fleets and squadrons, not only with dash and courage, but with that cultivated skill (albeit without actual war practice) which may alone be expected to command success with the complicated machinery of modern naval warfare. The most severe irresponsible critics of our present navy will not deny that it has made pro- gress in certain directions since our last great naval war ; and whilst they will probably join in the popular lament over the decline of old-fashioned seamanship, they will have to admit (if they know anything about it) that in matters of organisation, method, and general fighting efficiency, considerable progress has been made since the outbreak of the war generally known as the Crimean War ; and this period indeed — viz., from 1854 to 1894 — is, roughly speaking, that with which the present memoir proposes to deal. It is the period which covers the working life of Sir George Tryon. The irresponsible critics above alluded to, who form a noisy, though small and unimportant, section of the community, would probably claim that any useful naval reforms which have been carried out during the period in question are mainly due to THE REAL REFORMERS OP THE NAVY. 5 their independent criticisms, and to the outside pres- sure of pubHc opinion, and not to the spontaneous initiative of those within the machine. In making this claim the critics would be wrong ; for although it may be true — indeed is true — that public opinion has more than once taken alarm at the political pranks which weak opportunist Ministers have played with the naval strength of the empire in order that they might frame economical Budgets, with a view to popularity and a desire to catch ignorant votes, and has forced both Conservative and Liberal Governments to ask for large additional sums for the strengthening of the navy : yet this phase of the subject is entirely distinct from the great, silent, unadvertised, often unnoticed, reforms which have been carried out in the various compli- cated branches of our navy ; which reforms, ofteh effected under great difficulties, and against per- sistent opposition, have enabled it to hold its ancient position amongst the navies of Europe. These reforms have been carried out by a few men of energy and action, with a talent for organisation ; men who devoted their lives, and all the best gifts which Providence had bestowed upon them, to maintain the good name and to increase the effici- ency of the profession which ,they loved, and of which they were proud ; men whose energy was not spurred into action by any prospect of riches or commercial gains, and who were not uncommonly rewarded with small thanks and a tardily bestowed honour ; men who felt that the great and glorious 6 INTRODUCTORY. traditions of the British navy were indeed a proud inheritance, but an inheritance which the heirs could not enjoy in sloth and idleness ; men who worked with an earnestness and singleness of mind which a great cause can alone inspire ; men, in short, actuated by one simple idea — pride in their profession, and jealousy for its reputation and honour. These are the men who have been the true reformers of the navy during the period under discussion, and. it is claimed that Sir George Tryon was a type of them, and that he was one of the most brilliant, most gifted, and most devoted of those whose joint work has not only maintained but greatly increased the efficiency of our navy, in spite of short-sighted political crazes for economy, and ignorant amateur criticisms. No man could have inspired the confidence, de- votion, respect, admiration, and it is not too much to say, love, which Sir George Tryon received from those who served under him without being worthy of it. With what implicit trust they would have followed him into action ; feeling assured, of his consummate skill as a tactician, his judgment, his nerve, his splendid self-confidence — an admirable quality in a leader, — these were the daily talk of the captains who served under his command. Sir George Tryon was always preparing for war : it is not probable that he actually wished for war ; he was of too humane a nature to indulge in such a wish; but he always had before him the possi- bility of its sudden outbreak, and he was deeply THE GREATEST BRITISH INTEREST. 7 impressed Avith the supreme importance of being ready for it whenever it should come. He was not one of those who preach the pusil- lanimous and delusive doctrine that the greatest of all British interests is peace. He knew full well, and he acted on the knowledge, that the greatest of all British interests is the defence of the British empire, and the maintenance of its honour and integrity ; and he knew that the turn of events, the jealousy excited by commercial rivalry, the clashing of interests in Europe, Asia, Africa, or even America, might any day make war, and not peace, the greatest of all British interests : war with all the resources of the empire, war to the last shilling and the last man who has the grit to fight. He fully realised this, and he was ever preparing for it ; ever working out problems in strategy and tactics ; ever drilling and organising the forces under his command ; sparing no pains or trouble to keep the ships of his squadron and the officers and men who manned them in the highest state of efficiency and ready for the supreme test of war ; deeply conscious as he was of the terrible consequences which must ensue if Great Britain is found to be wanting in organised naval strength when next she is called upon to fight with another great maritime Power, or possibly a com- bination of them. His capacity for work was marvellous — he never seemed to be tired ; but whatever he was doing he was always ready for a discussion on naval tactics, and during his last 8 INTRODUCTORY. command in the Mediterranean (the period during which the present writer knew him best) he was in the habit of inviting these discussions. He had strong convictions of his own on certain points, yet he hked to hear both sides of a question ; and although he was not fond of acknowledging himself wrong, it must be admitted that it was not often he had occasion to do so. During this last command it was the custom — whenever possible — after a day at steam tactics, for all the captains to go on board the flagship to discuss the manoeuvres. Perfect freedom of discussion was permitted, and all were invited to express their opinions and to make suggestions. Not uncommonly it occurred that one of the captains, or perhaps several of them, would come on board boiling over with indignation at an imaginary wrong, where the admiral had called them to order and corrected them when they were doing that which was perfectly right ; but after full explanations on both sides, it almost invariably happened that these same captains had to acknow- ledge that they were wrong and the admiral right ; so that latterly even the hardiest and most am- bitious were somewhat shy of arguing with a man whom they had by that time come to regard as a master of the art. Sir George Tryon was a man of tall stature and of a commanding presence ; latterly he was also broad and stout — in fact a portly figure : but it PERSONAL CHAEACTEmSTICS. 9 was significantly remarked of him that his heart was big enough for his body. Some thought his manners brusque ; some said they were imperious ; but none ever denied the kindness of his heart, or his great generosity, in the most universal and best sense of the word. It was frequently said of him that " he never jumped on a man when he was down." This may appear a trite remark, and it may be said that nobody but a brute ever does jump on a man when he is down ; but the saying has a deeper meaning to the minds of those who use it : it not only means that he never broke a bruised reed, but it means that he was always ready to hold out a helping hand to any one in trouble, difficulty, or distress : or as Charles Kingsley picturesquely expresses it — " to help a lame dog over a stile." In an obituary notice of Sir George Tryon pub- lished by the Royal Geographical Society — of which he was a fellow — the following passage occurs : " When a very distinguished officer recently had an accident with his ship, he entered Sir George Tryon's room, for his first interview afterwards, in fear and trembling. When he came out he was heard to say, ' One would have thought that it was the Admiral who was in trouble, and not me.' " There was generally a merry twinkle in Tryon's eye, and he was very fond of a joke, but he never allowed his love of fun to interfere with the strict performance of his duty. He was of a restless and 10 INTRODUCTORY. energetic disposition, but although he never spared himself he showed great consideration for the com- fort of others. He had a high ideal of the honour and dignity of his profession, and in his hands these were safe. He was undoubtedly ambitious, with the worthy ambition of genius : he knew he was clever — most clever men do — and he was not only content, but proud, to devote his talents entirely to the develop- ment, the organisation, and the improvement of every detail of his beloved profession. He never allowed the least competition between private in- terests and " the service," and he did not under- stand how any officer could do so. With these qualities it is not surprising that he was regarded as the heau ideal of an admiral by those who had the good fortune to serve with him. By his contemporaries he was almost universally beloved, and he was " dear old George " to them ; and if perhaps his brilliant qualities, and the de- votion with which he was generally regarded, ex- cited in the breasts of any of them some faint twinges of jealousy, it was but the usual tribute which mediocrity pays to exceptional ability. Buhvick Pari;. CHAPTER II. BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. George Tryon was bom at Bulwick Park, North- amptonshire, on January 4, 1832. He was the third son of Thomas Tryon, Esq. of Bulwick Park, by his wife Anne, who was the daughter of Sir John TroUope, Bart. Thomas Tryon had four sons. The eldest- Thomas— fought at the Alma in the 7th Royal Fusiliers, a regiment whose deeds at that famous battle have been immortalised by Kinglake. 12 BIRTH — FAMILY— EARLY LIFE. Thomas also fought with his regiment at Inker- man, and then served with it through the Indian Mutiny. He retired as a lieut. -colonel, and suc- ceeded his father in 1872. He died in 1888. The second son — Henry — was educated at Sand- hurst, and joined the Eifle Brigade. He fought at Alma, Inkerman, and Balaklava, and was killed on November 20, 1854, while in command of 200 rifle- men leading a gallant attack on some Russian rifle- pits. It is certain that had he lived he would have been recommended for the Victoria Cross. The third son — George— is the subject of these memoirs. The fourth son — Richard — was educated at Harrow, and served in the Rifle Brigade from 1854 to 1867. He is still alive, 1897, the sole survivor of his family. George Tryon showed early signs of being a re- markably clever and intelligent boy. There is extant a journal of his : it consists of only half-a- dozen pages, written in a childish but very neat hand. It is dated July 1840, at which time George was only eighfand a half years old ; and it appears from the little diary that he accompanied his father and mother on a trip to Scotland, vid Birmingham and Liverpool : and he describes in his own lan- guage the journey and the different things he saw. It would do credit to a child of twelve or fourteen years old. George went to a preparatory school, and thence to Eton. H.M.S. WELLESLEY. 13 It does not appear very clear whether or not he was intended for the navy at the time he went to Eton. The assumption is that his parents did not contemplate a sea-life for him at that time, as he eventually joined the navy two or three years older than the usual age ; and indeed it is a tradition in the family that he suddenly informed his father of his wish to go to sea, while at Eton. Be that as it may, he went to sea at the very mature age of six- teen : and those who were messmates with him as a midshipman are of opinion that he was none the worse for being kept at school a year or two longer than usual ; but that, on the contrary, his later entry, and public school training, gave him a greater breadth of view, and made him a quicker and readier learner, than many of his contempor- aries, who had joined the navy some years younger. On the other hand, however, this may have been due to natural causes — viz., to his greater ability and intelligence. But as this question of the best age for the entry of naval oflScers is one of such acute controversy amongst those most competent to form a judgment, it need not be discussed here. It is certain that George went to sea of his own choice ; and his father having obtained a nomination for him, he passed the necessary ex- amination — not a very stiff one in those days — and joined the Wellesley in the early spring of 1848. The Wellesley was fitting out at Plymouth as flagship for the North American station. Her cap- tain was George Goldsmith, and the Admiral was 14 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. the Earl of Dundonald (Lord Cochrane of Basque Koads renown). The ship sailed for her station on the 25th of March 1848 to relieve the Vindictive, carrying the flag of Admiral Sir F. Austen. George Tryon gave early promise of being an excellent and interesting correspondent^ and his letters to his mother give graphic descriptions of the places he visited and of his early experiences of sea-life. But though letters from a midship- man to his mother are doubtless of absorbing interest to her for whom they are intended, and possibly also to the other members of the family, it would not be interesting to the general reader to give more than a few extracts from them. The Wellesley was a sailing two-decker ; for although there were numerous steamers in the navy in 1848, they were mostly of small size, and steam had not yet been tried in line-of-battle ships, though ten years later (after the Russian war had come and gone) there was scarcely a line-of-battle ship in the navy which was not a steamer. So rapid was the transition, greatly hastened, no doubt, by the war. It is no wonder, therefore, that in 1848 all our best officers looked upon seamanship — the art of handling ships of all classes under sail in all weathers — as the ne plus ultra of a naval officer's ambition. To say that a man was " a good seaman " was quite the highest compliment you could pay him — in fact, it embodied almost everything which went to make up a perfect naval officer. Things have EARLY STUDIES AT SEA. 15 altered considerably since 1848 ; but even now, in the year 1897, it is not yet fully recognised that seamanship of the old type is an obsolete and unnecessary art. So hard do old traditions die — traditions of the most glorious epoch of the British navy. Young Tryon set himself to work assiduously at the task of learning seamanship and navigation, and there can be no doubt that he succeeded. Whatever else he learnt at Eton, it is clear that his mathematics were greatly neglected ; and as mathematics — of at least an elementary type — are a necessary foundation for navigation, he found that he had to begin almost from the very beginning. He writes to his mother : " Only fancy, I have to pay my own schoolmaster £5 per annum. But if no one else does, I shall get my shilling's worth out of him, as he will have to teach me from almost the beginning — instead of which most cadets know," &c., &c. He was evidently a quick learner, and fully realised the importance of mak- ing up for lost time in his mathematical studies ; for at an examination held on board the Wellesley when he had been a year and a half in the ship, he heads the list, the subjects being algebra, trig- onometry, navigation, and nautical astronomy, and the residt as follows : — Marks. Marks. Tryon . . . 814 : C . . .130 S . . .698 W . . .111 C . . 205 , D ... 85 H . . 201 i L ... 47 16 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. He started late, but he certainly made up for lost time. The passage of the Wellesley to Bermuda was a long one, even for those days. She sailed on the 25th March, called at Fayal for a few hours without anchoring, and arrived at Bermuda on the 3d of May. They had gales, of course, and George was sea-sick, but tells his mother that " the best thing to do when you are sea-sick is to eat plenty and walk about." Excellent advice ! Then they have great smashing of crockery in the gunroom (the midshipmen's mess-place). It is well known that the gunroom crockery always does get smashed in much greater proportion than either the captain's or the wardroom crockery ; but then, on the other hand, they make up for it in live stock : for there is a tradition — and a very true one — that the gunroom fowls never die. It is supposed that the midshipman of the watch takes such good care of them that in the morning after a gale of wind, although numerous dead fowls may be found in the captain's and the wardroom hen-coops, there is never a dead one found in the gunroom hen-coop. Fowls are all more or less of the same pattern, but the crockery is not ; and so it comes about that the gunroom usually gets a great deal of its crockery broken in the early part of a commission, and then the middies have to eat their dinners oflF broken plates, and drink their tea out of cups without handles, and suffer various other hard- ships, which fit them for a sea-life. MIDSHIPMAN LIFE. 17 It appears from his early letters that young Tryon was a supernumerary on board the Wel- lesley, and consequently liable to be drafted into any ship on the station in want of a midshipman ; and his special anxiety seemed to be lest he might have the ill luck to be drafted into the Imaum, to await disposal on the West Indian division of the station. The Imaum was an old yellow hulk that used to lie in Port Royal harbour at that time, and for many years after, as a receiving ship. She was popularly supposed (not quite without justification) to be a hotbed of yellow fever ; and in any case she was a most undesir- able ship for a young and zealous midshipman to pass any of his time on board of The captain and officers of the Wellesley, however, seem to have taken a fancy to Tryon, and he was saved from going to the Imaum. It is not proposed to follow closely, and in detail, the career of young Tryon through the junior ranks of his profession ; for although he was at this time preparing himself — by his zeal and diligence — to become the very able and accomplished officer which he subsequently so amply proved himself to be, yet the ordinary everyday events of a mid- shipman's life — save when recorded by the magic pen of a Marryat — would scarcely be of much interest. It may, however, be permitted to take an occasional glimpse at his doings; not only to see what manner of lad he was, but also to give the reader some idea of naval life nearly half a B 18 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. century ago. For although it may be assumed that many of our readers are familiar with the life of Lord Dundonald (the admiral with whom Tryon was serving) — ' The Autobiography of a Seaman ' — they will doubtless remember that this most inter- esting book deals with an earlier period, — forms, in fact, a connecting-link between what we might call the Nelsonian era and the steam era, which latter was in its childhood — though vigorous and ambi- tious childhood — in 1848. The youth and develop- ment of this steam era corresponds with the period of Tryon's naval life — 1848 to the present day. Tryon writes to his mother with great joy to tell her how he was saved from the Imaum. Writing on May 30, 1848, he says: "I have some good news with which to begin my letter to you. I am sure of remaining in the Wellesley. I asked Lieutenant Cochrane to speak to the Admiral about it, which he did ; but there was some difficulty, as I knew there would be, owing to there being no vacancy in this ship ; but it has been overcome, and I — still having the Imaum for my ship — am permanently lent to the Wellesley. Lieutenant Cochrane was very good-natured about it," &c. Lieutenant Cochrane, who was a son of Lord Dundonald, appears to have been most kind to young Tryon on many occasions : he allowed him the use of his cabin, and befriended him in many ways ; and Tryon was most grateful, and was con- tinually telling his mother of all the kindness that Mr Cochrane had been showing him. FAVOURITISM OF THE OLD SCHOOL. 19 In those benighted and ignorant days, before it was discovered that one boy was as good as another, it was no uncommon thing for a Heutenant to take under his wing a promising and intelligent midship- man ; to work him up in professional subjects ; to take a special interest in his progress ; to allow him the use of his cabin for working or reading in ; and to be to him what was then known as his " sea- daddy." This of course was gross favouritism, quite shocking to all principles of impartiality and equality ; and instead of this all midshipmen are now made by machinery, on the same pattern, like strings of macaroni. But still it is found most difficult to make them all quite alike : some curl one way, and some curl the other ; some curl up directly they are out of the mould, and some curl down ; so that even the most scientific modern machinery fails to make them exactly alike. In the days when favouritism was recognised, and not considered wicked, Mrs Tryon must have been pleased to hear that her son George had been taken up by one of the lieutenants — and the fact that the lieutenant was a son of the admiral would not be likely to detract from her satisfaction ; for women — and especially mothers — are never such prigs about impartiality as men, certainly not when their own children are concerned. But it was not only Lieutenant Cochrane who took up young Tryon ; the captain and commander took him up too, and he was very soon given charge of a boat. A proud moment that, when first a cadet or mid- 20 BIRTH — FAMILY— EARLY LIFE. shipman gets " a command of his own," even if it be but a jolly-boat or a dinghy. Was there ever an admiral in the British navy who could forget the sensation of importance and the pride with which his bosom swelled as he clambered down the ship's side, stepped into his jolly-boat for the first time (in command), and gave the order to " shove off" ? The Wellesley stayed at Bermuda for about two months — from the beginning of May to the end of June — and then went to Halifax. From Bermuda George writes to his mother most picturesque descriptions of the famous caves, and how they had a picnic there, and lit up the caves with torches and blue-lights ; and how beautiful the stalactites were, and the marvellous clearness of the water. And even at this early age he seems to have had an appreciative eye for the beautiful and picturesque, not usual in a lad of his age. He certainly did not learn drawing before he went to sea, as some of his earlier attempts at sketches of the places he visited are of the crudest and most childlike description. But the improvement is very rapid ; he must have worked diligently, and must also have been possessed of some natural talent for art, as some of his later logs — that of the Vengeance, for instance — are adorned with some very creditable and by no means inartistic sketches ; and his plans, charts, and mechanical drawings are marvels of neatness and accuracy. He wrote a very neat, finished, and legible hand at this time, and did so for many years afterwards ; though later in life it A VISIT TO HALIFAX. 21 degenerated into too much of a runaway hand, and became somewhat illegible. From Bermuda the Wellesley went to Halifax at the beginning of July, and stayed there till the end of November. Halifax seems to have been rather a wild place in 1848 ; for George writes to say, "The other day another of our men was murdered here, beaten with sticks to death. So our men when on leave attacked the house he was found in, beat all the occupants, and burned it to the ground. It con- sisted of two houses, built of brick, nearly the only ones in the town, and it was rented for £25 for each house. It was a house into which they enticed men, and then robbed them, making them drunk, &c. In this house some soldiers were found dead, and their comrades in revenge have burnt it down several times." Even if young Tryon did not learn much at Eton, — in the general acceptation of the word learning, — he certainly did not regret having spent some of his time there; for he says, in a letter: "I have never yet regretted, except the expense of going to Eton ; it is a letter of introduction of the best kind all over the world. I meet some one wherever I go. There never was such a nice place as it, and there never will be." George is described at this time as being a tall lanky lad, nearly six feet high ; full of spirits, and fond of a lark. He gives his mother an account of a shooting expedition at Halifax : "I went out shoot- ing early one morning to a wood, where there were 22 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. the day before a great many woodcocks, about twelve miles from Halifax. Our horse bolted two or three times on the passage out there, but with no serious consequences ; and we had a hard day's work, during which time I saw only two things to shoot at, a hare, and a robin (a large bird something like a missel- thrush), both of which I killed. The woodcock had all gone into the depths of the forest, as they always do after rain, it having rained the night previous to our excursion. In the evening driving home I was voted to be helmsman, so I took the reins and drove safely home about half the distance, though our nag showed a great disposition to go in any way but the right one, and at last off he bolted, and I only managed to stop him after he had gone about three- quarters of a mile along anything but a nice road : then I walked him, or tried to walk him, the rest of the way, and he went quiet enough till .he got to the top of a very steep hill, at the bottom of which is the ferry, where small steamers convey you to the Halifax side of the harbour, and he walked about 50 yards down the hill, when the harness gave way, and he set off as hard as he could, and nothing would stop him down the hill, and nothing could prevent it. I saw our only choice was to get a good ducking by going slap over the ferry, or to go into a boarded paling ; so I chose the latter, and picked out a soft place between two posts, and he went full gallop into it, the shafts mating two bull's-eyes through the palings ; the horse was thrown down of course, and my companion was pitched out, but I A SHOOTING EXPEDITION. 23 kept my seat. Well, we got over that all right, and led the horse into the steamer, and got over the other side, and I led him about 250 yards from the landing-place, when at the suggestion of my com- panion I let him go, when up he reared, and knocked me down, but I scrambled on all-fours out of his way and escaped comparatively uninjured, and jumped up and saw my friend run full dash into an apple-cart, the contents of which the little boys devoured rapidly : the horse cleared this, and then fouled a truck, when one shaft was broken ; again he cleared, and about 200 yards further on (my friend still retaining his honourable but onerous position) fouled a 'go-cart,' — as they are called, — which )nen trundle along the street with meat, &c. ; which the horse leapt, or tried to leap, and from the concussion my friend was seen to fly clean over the horse's head. I thought he must have been killed ; but no, no damage done as yet. I set off running to pick up the guns, and just came in time to see a fellow running off with mine, to whom I gave chase, and, thanks to my long legs, tripped him up, and secured my property, but, sad to say, with the stock broken. I put my gun into a shop, and ran after my friend, whom I had left sitting in the middle of the street, rubbing himself after his fall, and picked up his gun also, and lodged it in safe hands, and pursued the fugitive horse, and after running at full speed for about half a mile saAv the seat of the chaise, — or waggon as they are called here, — and put it on the side of the street ; and then about 24 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. 200 yards further on found the body with the two hind wheels, and took the cushions, &c., out of it, and put them into a shop, and then looked for the missing fore -wheels and shafts, and found them about a quarter of a mile further on, and then went to the man to tell him about his loss. Of course we were not liable for damages, though he wanted to get them. But after about an hour's consultation I proved that we had taken every precaution, and that the horse had run away with us, which by the law out here — and I believe also at home — exempts from any liability as to damage." Oh those joyous midshipman days, when you could tumble about without hurting yourself; when salt horse was as tender as spring chicken ; and when everything was " a lark," except having your leave stopped ! In spite of his love of fun, young Tryon knew how to work hard at his profession, and could exercise the invaluable quality of self-denial when necessary, as witness the following case. It appears that some of the officers of the Wellesley had planned a tour in the United States, and had invited Tryon to accompany them. It seems that he at first thought he could go ; but then writes to his mother to say, " I am sure I shall disappoint you in saying that I do not think I can go this year, for various reasons undermentioned, and I am sure you will say I am right in the end. First, I have a boat, and shall have plenty to do as to duty. It is a cutter, which is seldom given to a cadet. Secondly, I must this A TOUR IN THE UNITED STATES. 25 summer study hard with the naval instructor. . . . I could not think of going as long as I have a boat, particularly a cutter, which is seldom given to a cadet, particularly to the junior cadet in the ship ; and therefore if I was to go away I should decidedly forfeit my claim in some measure to her, &c., &c. The money you sent me will keep : it won't melt : and the clothes will keep also. Though I cannot boast of being 6 ft. 3 in., I can of 6 ft. I often laugh when I look at the captain and think of what Batten said, ' Not every naval cadet can go on board for the first time and report himself in his captain's breeches ' — which, if you remember, was the case ; and, what is more, they have worn better than any others I have." The reward for his self-denial (not in wearing the captain's breeches, but in foregoing the pleasure of a trip to the United States) came next year ; and in the summer of 1850 he went with a party of his shipmates for a tour in the States, visiting Boston, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Niagara, &c. : and writes to his mother most interesting descriptions of all the places he visited, and of the novel sights he saw. At Washington they went to the House of Representatives. " We first went into the strangers' gallery, afterwards we were introduced to the fioors of the House ; we went on to the floor, and were introduced to all the leading statesmen." He then gives a description of them, and of the scene in the House during a debate. Not too flattering ; but then he was young and critical, and perhaps pre- 26 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. judiced also, and did not understand the methods and manners of the land of freedom. In the light of subsequent events it is curious to read his remarks; for even then (1850) the storm vs^as brewing that burst eleven years later, in the great patriotic struggle for Unionism, vs^hich our cousins — vs^ith the true genius of their race — recog- nised as the primary condition of a great, free, and independent nation. "The debate," he says, "was most interesting. It was concerning the admission of California, which State wishes to be admitted as a £r,ee state, not as a slave state. The Northern States, who have no slaves, have no need for them, and are for the abolition of slavery. The Southern men, again, are all for slavery ; for they would be ruined if slavery was abolished. . . . The Northerners preach about the horrors of slavery, &c., &c. — in fact have quite the same opinion as Englishmen ; for they can afford to be magnanimous at the expense of their neigh- bours. ... It is a very difficult question to settle, especially as the Southern States say they will separ- ate themselves from the Union if slavery is abolished, and there is little doubt but that they will." In this letter he also describes the constitution of the House of Representatives and of the Senate ; and adds as a P.S., "1 forgot to mention one other difference between the Senate and the House of Representatives ; in the latter they blackguard each other in the highest terms, and in the former they are at all events tolerably civil to each other." IMPRESSIONS OP AMERICA. 27 This remark savours of insular prejudice ; but it must be remembered that in 1850 our own House of Commons had not yet advanced to that freedom and richness of language in debate which the eloquent Irish patriots have since introduced. As a P.P.S. to the above letter (written from Washington) he adds : " One thing remarkable is that there are no beggars ; we have not seen one, and only heard two organs. There are no lean horses, and no starving dogs, and the Irishmen seem well contented." George Tryon was always a bit of a wag ; but yet it must be regarded as a pure accident that he groups the Irishmen with the lean horses and the starving dogs, and brings them in last. As a set-off against his criticisms of the parlia- mentary manners of the House of Representatives, it must be mentioned that he speaks in the warmest terms of the genuine thoughtful hospitality with which he and his companions were treated during their tour in the United States. He says : " You have no idea how civil every one is as soon as they find out who you are — that you are an Englishman — and you have only to inform any one of that, and he will give you the best information in his power regarding the place. One gentleman we met, and asking him a question, he saw who we were, and he offered his services, and he accompanied us all over the town." It is one of the standing reproaches of "the old country " that the great personal attention, and in- 28 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. dividual hospitality, with which our cousins receive us in America, are not reciprocated with anything like the same warmth on this side of the water. It is difficult to say why it is so ; but it is a fact which hundreds will bear witness to, and it is a very natural cause of soreness. It is to be feared that this same want of sym- pathy, and lack of reciprocal hospitality, occur also with regard to our own colonies ; just because, for- sooth, our ultra-critical taste detects in our colonial brethren some want of that refinement and polish which young communities, occupied with the tougher and rougher business of subduing nature, and ex- tending the bounds of our empire, have not been able to find much time to cultivate. During the three years of the Wellesley's com- mission as flagship on the North American station, she visited almost all the places of interest, both in the West Indian and Canadian divisions of the station ; and young Tryon with his eyes wide open takes in and appreciates all he sees. They went to Trinidad and saw the famous pitch lakes. They visited nearly all the Windward Islands, and Jamaica, and St Thomas. The scenery enchants him ; and his descriptions of all the beautiful things he saw — the cabbage-palms, the flowers, the shrubs, the gorgeous-plumaged birds — remind one of Kings- ley's ' At Last.' Then they go round the Canadian division of the station, and visit St John's, Newfoundland, Louis- berg, Sji-dney, St George's Bay, and the Straits of FISHING IN LABRADOE. 29 Belle Isle, where they get some wonderful trout- fishing. George says : " And now I think I shall beat any one at fishing, after this place, as to numbers and size. We went trout -fishing, and caught in about three hours more trout than we could carry. We each loaded one or two men, and carried several dozen ourselves, and still left hundreds rotting on the shore, not being able to carry them. The average size was 1-J lb., a great many were S^, and several 4^, and one 5^ lb. We left ofi" from sheer satiety, having caught fish until we were sick of it." Almost too much of a good thing, even for an enthusiastic fisherman ; for after all is said and done about big baskets of fish, the joy of the true fisherman depends not on the weight of fish caught, but on the difiiculty in catching them. Hence two or three good fish caught in a clear chalk stream in Hampshire afford better sport than two or three score caught in a Labrador river, where they are very numerous, hungry, and unsophisticated, and require no skill in the catching. At the period of our naval history of which we are writing, and for some years afterwards, the admiral commanding on the North American sta- tion flew his flag in a sailing line -of- battle ship, and was always accompanied at sea by a paddle- wheel steamer, which towed the flagship during calms and light head -winds ; and which in turn was towed by her during fresh and fair winds, so as to save her coal. The steamer would also tow the flagship in and out of harbour when 30 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. there was not a commanding breeze. Thus the Admiral had many of the advantages of being in a steamship, without the smoke and dirt and the noise and vibration of the screw. It must have been the height of luxury. But the more general introduction of steam, and the conversion of nearly all our line-of-battle ships into steamers during the period of the Russian war, abolished this happy and comfortable method of procedure. The sailing line-of-battle ship was succeeded by the steam line-of-battle ship, and this again by the ironclad in 1867. The Wellesley's commission of somewhat over three years must have been a very pleasant introduction to a naval career. It showed the sunny side of a profession, which also has a dark side ; as many a youngster could testify who has spent the first three years of his naval life in a brig on the West Coast of Africa, or some other small craft on a distant station — the Pacific, for instance — where the long sea cruises and the many months of salt beef and salt pork often weed out the soft and delicate ones. The Wellesley came home, and paid ofi" at Chat- ham in June 1851 ; and George Tryon, after the usual spell of leave, was appointed to the Venge- ance, Captain Lord Edward Russell, which was then fitting out at Portsmouth for the Mediterranean station. The Vengeance was a fine 8 4 -gun ship. She was considered a crack ship, and a first-rate sailer, even as late as 1851; though, strange to say, H.M.S. VENGEANCE. 31 she was built after the model of a ship captured at the battle of the Nile in 1798. That marvellous old ship, called by the French the Franklin and re- named by us the Canopus, appears to have afforded the model for British naval architects for full fifty years. It is a tradition that the Canopus was all her life the fastest sailing line-of-battle ship in the British navy ; and that not even the attempted copies of her which we produced for half a century could ever beat the old ship herself, though they were nearly always good sailers. Proud indeed may the French feel of their genius for naval architecture. The Vengeance was one of these copies, and was known in the Mediterranean as "the wind's -eye liner." She could beat all the line-of-battle ships, and all the frigates, with the single exception of the Phaeton. It is almost impossible for the present generation to understand the extraordinary pride which both ofl&cers and men took in a ship that was a good saUer, and could beat the other ships of the squadron. That, and drill aloft, were the two things that they lived for, and thought of, and talked of, and dreamt of. Every one in the ship, from the captain down to the cook's mate, felt himself at least an inch taller when he met the men of another ship which his ship had beaten, either at sailing or at drill aloft; and the midshipmen, we may be sure, were not be- hindhand in appreciating and reflecting the glory 32 BIBTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. of the situation. Young Tryon — as his letters show — was very proud of his ship. The Vengeance sailed for the Mediterranean in August 1851 ; called off Lisbon and Gibraltar ; and arrived at Malta on October 2. H. iV. S. Vengeance . It has already been remarked that a record of the daily life of a midshipman on board his ship would not be a very interesting subject ; and young Tryon appears to have been quite aware of this fact, for even when writing to his mother he devotes almost all his space to accounts and descriptions of his doings, and of the interesting places he saw, and people he met, during his visits to the shore. But REMINISCENCES BY A.BMIRAL MENDS. 33 it must not be inferred from this that these visits were anything more than the rare exceptions to the somewhat monotonous routine of daily Hfe on board a man-of-war in the piping times of peace. But peace or war (and he got a taste of the latter a year or two later), he was ever full of zeal and energy ; most anxious to learn his duties and to become a credit to the profession which he had chosen. The commander of the Vengeance in 1851 and 1852 was William R. Mends, one of the organisers of the present British navy, a very distinguished officer, and still alive (1897), as Admiral Sir William Mends, G.C.B. He says of Try on : "He served with me, when I was commander of the Vengeance, for two years, as a midshipman, and a better young officer never existed ; ever full of energy and zeal. As a boat midshipman and signal midshipman he was unrivalled. On my becoming flag-captain to the late Admiral Lord Lyons, I applied, with his permission, for Tryon's appointment as one of the lieutenants of the Royal Albert, and as such he more than fulfilled the opinions I had formed of him in the junior ranks." Sir William then goes on to describe Tryon's special services at the time the Royal Albert had to be stranded on the island of Zea to save her from foundering ; but we must not anticipate. The Vengeance went to Alexandria shortly after her arrival in the Mediterranean, and young Tryon — whose parents appear to have been very generous c 34 BIRTH FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. in supplying him with money to visit places of interest — managed to make a delightful trip to Cairo under exceptionally favourable circumstances. He writes to his mother : " You will doubtless be somewhat astonished at my dating my letter from Cairo, but I have been here nearly ten days on a cruise. I got leave with a party to come up here and see the wonders, shortly after our arrival at Alexandria. . . . We started up the Nile in a steamer for this place, at the Pasha's expense, who has at this moment a great respect for English officers. We had ten days' leave, but towards the termination of it, when we were thinking of returning, we all went to pay our respects to the Pasha, who held a levee on purpose, and after smoking long, beautifully inlaid, studded - with- diamond pipes, and drinking coffee, he invited us to dinner, and the consul said it was impossible to decline, so he took upon himself the responsi- bility and told us we must remain, and immediately afterwards we heard by telegraph that the Venge- ance had put to sea, as it had come on to blow ; and the next thing we heard was that the captain was coming up ; so we waited his arrival ; and he was very glad we stopped." Which was lucky for them. Then he describes an interview, at which he was present, between Lord Edward Russell (the captain of the Vengeance) and the Pasha, concerning the construction of a railway from Alexandria to Cairo, — a project which was opposed by the Sultan, as suzerain of Egypt, but A DINNER AT CAIRO. 35 which it appears Lord Edward had authority from the British Government to press upon the Pasha, even at the risk of displeasing his lord and master. For England was at that time very anxious to put her overland route to India on a better footing. And then we hear the complaint (not for the first or the last time) that France is doing all in her power to frustrate England in Egypt : and doubtless a similar complaint from France — though it does not come so freely to our ears — that England is doing all in her power to supplant France, and frustrate her projects. Our mutual bickerings are not altogether of recent date. Possibly they act as a useful safety-valve for letting off superfluous steam, and thus prevent serious explosions. At any rate no explosions came at this time, and three years later the two rivals were fighting side by side, as close allies, in the Crimea. In the same letter, quoted above, the Pasha and his dinner are described: "I shall now attempt to describe the dinner with the Pasha. He — to begin with his person — is very fat, very gross and coarse, but he is very kind in his manner to us, and tries to be very amiable ; but I am not sure whether he succeeded or not, but his manner was curious, from his habits, no doubt. He sat cross- legged during the interviews and when not at dinner. And now for the dinner. We first had a sort of semi-cold soup, the chief ingredient of which seemed to be eggs ; next a dish of cutlets, then apricot tartlets, then stewed mutton, then 36 BIETH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. cold potatoes in oil, and so on, with cod-fish, and French beans, and rice patties, &;c. He let us off with eighteen dishes, which are all handed round separately, and of each of which one is obliged to partake. ... I have been twice to the Pyramids ; the first time with a private party, and the second time in state with Captain G . They are only nine miles from this, but it is a long day's work to go there and back in one day. We started early, at half- past four, on some of the Pasha's horses, for he mounts us whenever we send for horses. Sometimes we order fourteen, at any time we like. And after crossing two ferries, &c." And then the glories of the Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the tombs are fully and graphically described : though described naturally and unaffectedly, with- out any rhapsodies, or any of the other numerous adornments which so many people think it necessary to add to the description of one of the most intrinsi- cally interesting spots on the face of the earth. Then there was a second expedition to the Pyr- amids, this time in great state: "The next time I went it was a very grand affair. We had a steamer on purpose, and carriages to take us to it, and we rode on excellent horses with magnificent saddle-cloths all embroidered with gold, &c., and fifteen armed attendants ; and on our arrival we found the Pasha had ordered tents to be pitched, and five camel -loads of provisions for five of us ; for on this occasion there were only five of us. . . . Fancy how kind the Pasha has been to us ; he paid our passage up, and has mounted us many days, A DIPLOMATIC VISIT TO CAIRO. 37 and he gave a dinner for us, and has given us everything, and has offered to pay the bills at the hotel, but the captain declined that ; but it has been quite as expensive, for we have been obliged to fee all his men so highly. Even the sentry at the palace gate, when we wanted to see it, asked for backsheesh. . . . The captain and the consul told us that it would not do under the present cir- cumstances to decline the Pasha's hospitality — in fact, we have been on a diplomatic expedition, very interesting, and I never have enjoyed myself more." Whether the expedition was diplomatic or private, it is very clear that Tryon and his companions had what the Yankees call "a good time" at Cairo, and made the most of their opportunities. Tryon on his return to his ship adorned his log with some capital sketches taken at Cairo and Alexandria ; but concerning which he is very modest, and tells his mother, " I attempted a few sketches, but all I can say is that no one would ever doubt that they are original." The Vengeance cruised about to various ports in the Mediterranean, and amongst other places visited Gibraltar ; where six of her midshipmen, including Tryon, went hunting with the Calpe hounds : — " On Monday last we got leave — six midshipmen, including myself — to go out hunting. We began by landing in a pouring rain, blowing half a gale, at half- past five in the morning. . . . After searching the town till about half-past eight we managed to collect horses enough. . . . The meet was about six miles off; the field mustered 38 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. about forty, with six red-coats. We soon found in a large gorse cover, and after some preliminary- skirmishing round and round the base of a hill for about half an hour, we got away. Our captain was out, and some of us nearly knocked him over down a ravine. We had a run of an hour and a half over some very pretty country through a cork -wood, and at last ran him to ground " (probably the fox, not the captain) " under a rock on a very steep hill. I was close to the hounds the whole day, and the six midshipmen — every one said — rode with amazing success, considering the precipices. The captain says he did not follow, as he considered the country dangerous ; and I must say I should not have pushed on so much if I had not been on a very low horse, though strong, and he ran up and down almost perpendicular places like a cat. We left off — what they called — twenty-five miles from home, but I should think eighteen or so, and after giving our horses half an hour's rest, we, whenever the ground admitted of it, raced home. I am sure English horses would not have stood it." Probably not : but a British midshipman on a foreign hack has always been famous for feats of horsemanship. The Vengeance came home to England in 1852, arriving at Spithead on Christmas Day. She then went to Plymouth and refitted there : and on April 10, 1853, she sailed again for the Mediterranean. Afiairs in the East were at that time beginning to look interesting, if not critical ; and in June the British Mediterranean Squadron moved up to Bashika Bay. RECOLLECTIONS BY ADMIRAL BOWYEA.R. 39 While in England the Vengeance changed her commander.^ Commander Mends was promoted, and Commander George Le Geyt Bowyear took his place. He also is still alive (1897) as a retired admiral ; and on being asked by the present writer for his recollections of the Vengeance and George Tryon, he wrote as follows : — "The Vengeance, 84, Captain Lord Edward Russell, was detached from the Mediteri^anean station towards the end of 1852, and wintered in England. I joined her at Devonport in January 1853 as commander. ... I found a promising set of young fellows in the gunroom. George Tryon was about the senior mid unpassed, as he certainly was the biggest. I fancy he came to sea rather later than usual, and attained his height early. He was signal officer. The right man in the right place, as I shall soon show. The ship was ready for sea at the end of the spring, and it was intended to send her to Lisbon ; but affairs in the East changed everything, and she was ordered off sharp to Malta, to rejoin Admiral Dundas's fleet, and arrived at Valetta early in June, making the tenth line-of-battle ship there. This was an essen- tially exercising fleet, and the benefit of a good signal officer was immense. George Tryon had a sharp eye and a quick intelligence to put things together. 1 For the information of our non-naval reader it may be here ex- plained that the commander is not the oificer in command of the ship. In a large ship the commander is the oificer second in command ; and in all ships, irrespective of size, and irrespective of the substantive rank of the officer in command, he is always called " the Captain.'' 40 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. " In harbour Admiral Dundas had a fixed day for exercise, which he always attended himself. The Vengeance had always been about the foremost ship at all evolutions ; and the Admiral got furious when the flagship was beaten, and the commander got it hot, and consequently adopted all manner of devices to try and ensure success." Admiral Bowyear then describes some of these devices ; but the description would scarcely be in- telligible to any but naval readers, and they will be quite capable of imagining them for themselves without any description, as it is not improbable that they may have seen them practised — in fact, not absolutely impossible that they may have practised them themselves, or at any rate winked at them, in their own ships. But all the dodges of the flagship were unavailing, so far as the Vengeance was concerned, for the ever- watchful eye of the signal midshipman and his myrmidons was upon her. And if by night she tried any devices, it was still the same ; for if it was too dark to see from his own ship, Tryon used to drop down quietly in the dinghy, or a shore-boat, and lying unsuspected abreast of the' erring flagship, his quick eyes and ears would soon detect what preparations she was making for the morrow's drill, and back he would come to the Vengeance and give to his commander such valuable information that the latter was enabled to start on equal terms at the keenly contested exercise of the following morn- ing. No wonder Commander Bowyear appreciated his signal mid. THE CRIMEA. 41 But the signal midshipman was soon to have some more stirring and exciting work than watching the flagship in Malta harbour ; for the drama of the Crimean war was about to be acted, and Try on was soon to watch the battles of the Alma and Inkerman from the maintop of the Vengeance, and to see some active service in the trenches himself. The British fleet remained at Bashika Bay (close outside the entrance to the Dardanelles) from June till October ; and then passed up through the Sea of Marmora to Constantinople, and moored in Beikos Bay in the Bosphorus. It would be entirely outside the scope of this biography to follow or to discuss the different phases of the political events which led to the British and French fleets entering the Darda- nelles, and finally the Black Sea, and the subse- quent invasion of the Crimea. These are to be found in Kinglake's ' Invasion of the Crimea,' and other works on the same subject ; and we are only concerned with the fortunes of the Vengeance and George Tryon, — though the fortunes of Tryon and his two soldier brothers were profoundly affected by the course of events which led to the war : and the gallant young Henry there ended his short but brilliant career, meeting a soldier's death at the head of his men of the Rifle Brigade. On November 30, 1853, occurred the naval battle of Sinope. The Allies (English, French, and Turks) call it a massacre. The Russians call it the destruc- tion of a Turkish squadron which refused to sur- render to a greatly superior force, war being imminent. 42 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. Such acts of hostility have very frequently pre- ceded war between civilised nations. Whether they are morally justifiable or not, is a question which need not be discussed here ; yet those who have done likewise, need not call them by hard names. Our " glorious victory " at Copenhagen in 1801 may possibly have presented a different aspect — from a Danish point of view. It appears that a Turkish squadron, consisting of seven frigates, three corvettes, and two smaller vessels, was lying at anchor in Sinope Bay, a bay on the southern shore of the Black Sea, nearly opposite to Sebastopol. A Russian squadron, con- sisting of six sail of the line (three of them being three-deckers), two frigates, and three steamers, surprised the Turks at anchor, — getting close up to them in a fog before they were seen, — and the Russian admiral — Nachimoff — called upon them to surrender. The Turks refused, and the Russians then destroyed all the ships with the exception of one steamer, which escaped, and brought the news to Constantinople : she had been riddled with shot, and had seven men killed and many wounded. When the captain of this steamer reported himself to the Grand Vizier, the latter, it is said, spit in his face. There can be no doubt that the Turks fought with the greatest bravery, and gained for them- selves the admiration and sympathy of all Europe. The Turkish frigates either sank, blew up, or were driven on shore with their colours flying, and were afterwards burnt by the Russians ; so that the whole squadron was destroyed, with the single BATTLE OF SINOPE. 43 exception above mentioned. The loss of life on the part of the Turks was said to have been very great, nearly 3000 ; but they would not surrender, and the Russians cannot be blamed for making their victory complete, and rendering it impossible for any of the ships to be used against them again. It is probable that any French or English admiral would under similar circumstances have acted exactlv as did Sinope. From a drawing on the spot by George Tryon. Admiral Nachimoff. At any rate, the Russians were very proud of him, and have lately called a ship after him. They also have a first-class battleship named Sinope : so it is very evident they are not ashamed of it. The Russian fleet then returned to Sebastopol. Early in January 1854 the British squadron went to Sinope, viewed the site of the so-called massacre. 44 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. and the remains of some of the Turkish ships, and then returned to Beikos Bay. Tryon probably reflected the general British naval feeling on the subject of Sinope when he wrote home to say, " We are all so annoyed about it. With our large fleets we might sweep the seas ; and these poor Turks, left so imprudently so far from aid, and so totally unable to cope with the Russians alone, might have been saved. ... It is impossible not to admire the cool determined courage which made them fight at all against such a fleet. ... If we had been sent out when the Admiral first wished it, we probably might have been in the action : as it is now, we appear to be neither at peace nor war, and no prospect of a settlement, and so many people to consult." Then, not long afterwards came war ; Great Britain, France, and Turkey against Russia. The fleets of the Allies moved up into the Black Sea ; the troops were landed at Varna, and then re-embarked for the Crimea. The Vengeance was in the thick of it, and Tryon was very busy : — " We have lots to do of course. All boats away from 3.30 A.M. to 7.30 p.m. ; and working parties, and all sorts of little extra work : but it is interest- ing, and the men like work, and are never better than when hard at it, particularly when there is any novelty connected with it. ... I should think, now that the Russians are retreating, the fleet will leave, as their presence can no longer be required to cover operations on this coast. . . . The great nuisance is, that the Russians by raising BOMBARDMENT OF ODESSA. 45 the siege of Silistria have let out ' our own corre- spondent ' — the man who used to abuse our Admiral so who, now his tongue has been quieted so long, no doubt will come out with renewed vigour. . . . The Admiral was here [Varna] yesterday evening on a flying visit to Lord Kaglan. We go to sea next week, if not before, but everything is kept very secret, and nothing is known whatever as to our destination. . . . Tom " (his brother in the 7th Fusiliers) " has passed for his company, as he says ' first rate ' ; some one above him did not, so it is quite possible that he may get his company at once, a great thing for him. He is very much sun- burnt, but T never saw him looking so well." The following is a short itinerary of the movements of the Vengeance in the spring and summer of 1854. After visiting Sinope in January she returned to Beikos Bay in the Bosphorus. Then leaving Beikos Bay on March 24, arrived ofi" Varna on the 26th, Odessa, April 20. The bombardment of Odessa took place on April 22. Then the Vengeance cruised ofi" Sebastopol during the latter part of April and the early part of May ; then Baljik Bay and Varna ; then off Sebastopol again in July ; then back to Baljik Bay. Then took place the trans- portation of the army across the Black Sea to the Crimea ; and the Vengeance arrived off Old Fort on September 12. Battle of the Alma on September 20. The fleet then moved down to a position six miles north of Sebastopol; and the naval bom- bardment of Sebastopol took place on the 17th of October. 46 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. In August of this year (1854) occurred that sudden and extraordinary outbreak of cholera in the French and English fleets, which puzzled every- body. Writing to his mother, Tryon describes it thus : " You will perceive we have returned to Baljik after our cruise. We fortunately seem to have started in the nick of time : the rest of the fleet, except one or two steamers which remained here to attend to the transports, joined us at sea very shortly after we had left them ; and just as we were getting better it broke out dreadfully on board the flagship [Britannia]. Forty died in one night, and twenty the day afterwards ; and then it gradually decreased till now : she has lost 140 out of 950, and hardly a man escaped diarrhoea. Our sick list in a few days went from 25 to 137. Strange to say, the ofiicers of the fleet have almost entirely escaped. . . . The French have lost many more than us. It is very curious to trace the ships that have suffered. The French on the right of their flagship and immediately adjacent to her have suffered most. Then our own flagship and the Furious steamer in a line with her. Then Albion, which was next to the flagship, and has lost about 70. Then ourselves with 18. We fortunately got to sea, and probably escaped the noxious air to some extent. Then a jump, and at the extreme of the line the Trafalgar loses 135. Some ships escaped almost entirely, and some have not had a case." Tryon, as signal midshipman, watched the battle of the Alma from the maintop of the Vengeance ; ALMA. 47 and thus describes it, when writing home three days afterwards : — " On the 19th the army in full fig advanced (the fleets accompanying) and slept that night three miles from the Russians, stationed on the heights on the south bank of the river Alma, with seventy or eighty guns in position. We all anchored close to the shore in full view of everything. The next day at about eleven the army was seen to advance ; the French and Turks, close to the shore, climbed up a very steep road, which the Russians were unable to prevent, as our guns would have knocked them over. The French rushed up most gallantly ; the artillery had a tremendous drag to get up at all ; twice we saw the French shelter under the brow of the hill, making a short retreat from the murderous fire, while their forces were increasing : when collected they rushed on, carrying everything before them. " Now for our part of the field. Our men ad- vanced, first coming to a village in flames, filled with sharpshooters, who were driven out by the Rifles, and were assailed by a storm of shot, shell, and grape. Now they came to a brook about 300 yards from the main Russian battery : it had very steep banks, and part of the men were up to their armpits ; but nothing stopped them. They shoved each other up the opposite bank, and rushed on right in the face of a battery of twenty-four guns. Took it, guns and all, killing or driving out of the redoubt all the Russians, when some one hailed, ' You are firing on the French.' A bugler heard it. 48 BIRTH — FAMILY — EARLY LIFE. sounded cease firing, which was repeated down the line and obeyed" (these details must, of course, have been heard after the battle, not seen from the Vengeance). " The 23d leapt out of the battery ; the Kussians rallied, returned, retook their guns, and carried them off. In a few minutes the mis- take was found out, but too late to save the lives of hundreds of brave men, who, huddled together, afforded a fearful opportunity to the Kussians to pour in a murderous fire. It was now the colonel and Eadcliffe (a brother of the one who was in the ship, and eldest son of the Eadcliffe papa met) fell ; but our own men rushed on again as soon as the mistake was found out, captured two guns, and routed the Russians, who, like a flock of goats, now fled towards Sebastopol. ... I went on shore to help to carry the wounded down, and to see if I could find my brothers. I found that Tom had gone to Scutari, and that Henry was here. I did not see him, but saw an ofiicer who had just seen him, and he is quite well : his battalion was not much under fire ; it was the other one which led, and, strange to say, suffered far less than the regiments which followed. We are now weighing anchor for Sebastopol. To-night we shall anchor within a few miles of it, and the army will halt until we get the siege-train landed." The sequel to the battle of the Alma, the divided- councils, and the hesitation to advance and capture Sebastopol by a coup de main before the Russians had time to recover themselves, are well known, and need not be repeated here. A POETLY MIDSHIPMAN. 49 Tryon was at this time an acting mate, and was twenty-two years of age. He passed his seaman- ship examination on the 17th of March 1854 ; and as he was born in January 1832, he must, for a few days, have been a midshipman of twenty - two. Rather old, according to present ideas, though nothing extraordinary at that time ; for in the same year (1854) the present writer was messmates with a naval cadet of twenty-seven years of age, who weighed 18 stone, and could not pass for a midshipman ; he was not allowed to go aloft for fear of breaking down the ratlins. He retired in the following year ; but this is a digression. Tryon had not lost a day's time ; but there was no royal road then to becoming a mate with any- thing less than six years' service. He was very anxious about his examination. " Not " (as he tells his mother) " that I am afraid of being plucked, but of getting an inferior certificate, and the seamanship examination is so much of a lottery " ; as no doubt it is, and always has been. Nothing would satisfy George Tryon but a first- class certificate ; and he got it. His old commander (the present Admiral Bowyear) says of him : " About this time Tryon passed his seamanship examination. He had asked me to set him questions, not in ordinary subjects, but placing ships in difficult positions with regard to coasts, or enemy's ships, &c., and he passed well." He appears to have realised the disadvantage of being two or three years older than his contem- :.o lilUTll — FA Mil A" — KAItlA' 1.1 KK. poiaries, and he made the most strenuous rtVorts to kee]) himself in the first llii^iit. and to %slunv hv his zeal and dihgoiice that he \\as worthy ol' oai'ly promotion. He was rewarded with early promotion in all iiis steps ; thus he was only eii^'ht months a mate, six years a lieutenaiit, aiul fi\e and a half years a com- mander. After the stop from commander to captain promotion goes entirely by seniority ; so Tryon could not play leap-frog any more with his less (Miergetic and ambitious coiitem})oraries. The abo\t> was rapid promotion e\ en for those days ; and short of the much-abused promotions of tlag-lieutenaiits in " haul- ing down" vacancies, it was probably amongst the quickest on record. I/.A/,S. i'f'it^i^raiiit', Vmm ti slickh by G. J'lyoii. %. . ^ >■■■ ■•' M^~ "#^^1 m^^ m Lietit. Tiyon's tent in the Crimea. From a sketch by himself. CHAPTEE III. TRENCHES — CRIMEA — ROYAL ALBERT. In the last chapter we left the Vengeance weigh- ing anchor and preparing to move down towards Sebastopol after the battle of the Alma, which George Tiyon had watched from the main-top with his long glass as signal mate, reporting the various phases of it to the deck. Admiral Bowyear (commander of the Vengeance in 1854) says with regard to this period : " The duties of the signal officer and his men were most arduous, keeping touch with the armies and wit- nessing the Alma. Our eyes — as our signalmen were — were at it day and night. Then came the 52 TRENCHES — CRIMEA — ROYAL ALBERT. march round, the occupation of Balaklava, the anchorage of the fleet off the Katcha for watering, &c., the bombardment of Sebastopol on the 17th October, the return to the Katcha, the hurricane on the 14th November, the return of many- damaged ships to Constantinople, and the battle of Inkerman, when the Vengeance was anchored off Kasatch Bay, and Tryon in the main-top with his long glass reported continually and with great intelligence until the affair was over ; after which he joined the Vengeance's Naval Brigade in the trenches." Tryon seems to have had a way of making firm and fast friends at all periods of his career, and amongst his juniors quite as much as his seniors. The present Admiral Fane, who was a naval cadet and midshipman in the Vengeance, says of him : " George Tryon was one of my oldest and best of friends ; we kept up the closest friend- ship since the Vengeance days. When I joined the service he was a great long three-yearly mid- shipman, and, as a matter of fact, took charge of me forthwith without any previous acquaintance, and became there and then my firm friend and ' sea-daddy ' — and you know what that meant in days gone by. Since then we have kept up our friendship until the time of his tragic death. You can, therefore, imagine how deeply I felt his loss. ... I know from his first start in the service how keen he was about everything connected with it. What a log he kept ! with such in- THE NAVAL BRIGADE. 53 teresting sketches, which I always had to copy. How he worked at seamanship, teaching me with such kind consideration. He was mate of the signals all the Mediterranean and Black Sea time until he landed with the Naval Brigade, and I was his second in command in the signals." . . . Many of Tryon's shipmates in the Vengeance and the Royal Albert (which he joined after- wards) are still living, and they all agree in describing him at this time as being full of life and energy, amiable, good-humoured, and a leader at all games and amusements, in addition to being full of zeal for the service, and never sparing himself when there was any hard work to be done. Shortly after the battle of Inkerman he joined the Naval Brigade in the trenches, saw service there, and was reported as slightly wounded ; but he appears to have kept this from his mother, and does not mention it in his letters. He was gazetted for services on shore in the Crimea, and reported upon by Captain Stephen Lushington, who commanded the Naval Brigade, as "a very promising young officer." One of Tryon's exploits while on shore was to build a hut for himself and the other two officers of the Vengeance, which was the envy of the whole Naval Brigade, for it had glass ivindows. " I lent him some strong glass plates," says Admiral Bowyear, " and the Vengeance's hut was the only one that sported glass windows." 54 TRENCHES — CRIMEA — ROYAL ALBERT. Try on took his long glass on shore with him, and found it useful for reconnoitring the position and proceedings of the enemy. He made the acquaintance of a Russian officer who also re- joiced in a long glass (a species of acquaintance which was not at all uncommon during the siege of Sebastopol). In the early morning, as soon as it was light enough, they reconnoitred each other with their long glasses, to see if anything new had been done during the night ; then as soon as they were satisfied, they mounted their re- spective parapets, waved each other a friendly recognition, jumped down, and blazed away. War is a curious business. There is an undated letter from George Tryon to his mother, which must have been written almost immediately after he landed, and after it had been decided by the Allied generals to lay regular siege to Sebastopol. He says : " We were sent off the other day with fifty guns to assist the siege-train, and more are landing now. We have from a hundred to a hundred and fifty men from each line-of-battle ship on shore — a merry party, as long as fine weather lasts. ... It is great fun to see ' Jack ' ashore. We run our guns by hand, landed from the ships, much faster than the artillery. Everybody seems to be de- lighted with the progress we have made, but there is an immense deal to be done. I do not expect we shall open fire for another week. We have just lost some ninety odd horses in a gale BALAKLAVA. 55 of wind, coming from Varna. We get on pretty fairly as regards grub ; we are victualled from the ships, and our men are very ingenious in making many little contrivances. We ought properly to have two lieutenants, but one has gone back sick, so there are two mates" (one of them being Tryon) " and one lieutenant. ... I have never seen such an extraordinary place as Balaklava, an entrance from the sea about 70 yards wide. ... I am writing this on the ground, having just returned from dragging eighteen large powder- cases four miles up from here, lashed to a long spar strung on some field-piece carriages we had on board. We also have landed all our marines. . . . You must not be surprised if you do not hear of me for some time, as I very likely shall not be able to write, as Sebastopol is between us and the fleet. I have not seen Henry yet ; but I saw one of the Rifles, who said he was well. I must let you know all particulars when I return, for it is quite impossible to write fully now." The story of the mismanagement of the Com- missariat and Army Supply departments during the Crimean campaign, where ship-loads of stores and provisions remained either unstowed on board the ships or else piled in hopeless and inextric- able confusion around the shores of Balaklava harbour, whilst the soldiers at the front were perishing for the want of them, is a tale that has been told a thousand times. It is not pleas- 56 TRENCHES — CRIMEA — ROYAL ALBERT. ant reading for Englishmen ; and although this departmental mismanagement was in great measure redeemed by some brilliant and memorable feats of arms, and by the dogged and determined courage with which the troops and sailors stuck to their fighting and to the fatiguing labour in the trenches, though half starved and imperfectly clothed, during an almost arctic winter ; yet, on the whole, the siege of Sebastopol, taken as a military exploit, and considering the immense re- sources which the Allies had at their disposal — had they been properly utilised — cannot be looked back upon as one of the brightest pages in the annals of the British army. The following criticism and explanation of this mismanagement, written just forty years after- wards, by General Sir Evelyn Wood, G.C.B., V.C., is interesting, and seems fair and reasonable. He says : — It is impossible to write of the sufferings of our soldiers during the Crimean war without seeming to impute gross mismanagement to some or all of those whose duty it was to see that the soldier, whose life must be freely hazarded in battle to attain the end in view, should never want for any article which may enable him to live until required for battle, and in the most perfect condition attainable on service. I will therefore state at once that I intend in this article to cast no reflections on any one serving in the East. Ten years before we went to the Crimea, Eungeet Singh, after seeing our men fight in the Punjaub, said, " If I owned such soldiers, I should carry them in palanquins to the field of battle, let them fight, and carry on for the next engagement any that remained alive." This sounds absurd, but he was SIR EVELYN WOOD. 57 much wiser than Englishmen in 1854, and his plan would have been far less expensive than our haphazard economies. During a peace of forty years the representatives of our taxpayers had insisted on reduction of expenditure in all warlike establishments. A commissariat officer cannot learn his many duties in a few weeks, any more than a staff officer can acquire from books only, however closely he may read them, that ex- perience and knowledge essential for controlling the different units of an army, to the best advantage of the whole. A Treasury clerk, however able and zealous, who has spent his service in curtailing expenditure, cannot reasonably be expected to launch out in a lavish outlay, for which he has no authority, and thus incur heavy personal pecuniary responsibility, in order to provide in advance for the wants of soldiers, for which he has had no previous experience.^ In 1854 General Sir Evelyn Wood was a mid- shipman in her Majesty's navy, and belonged to the Queen ; he was landed with the Queen's Naval Brigade, and served in the trenches. The Queen's and the Diamond's men were brigaded together, and were under the command of Captain Peel of the Diamond. The gallant Peel (younger son of the great Minister), who a few years later gained for himself an undying renown as commander of the Shannon's Naval Brigade during the Indian Mutiny, was at this time (1854) only thirty years of age, and a post -captain. His noble bearing, chivalrous conduct, and the splendid example he set to all his subordinates, made a deep impression on Mr Wood, midshipman of the Queen, who forty years later gives graphic descriptions of some of the 1 rortnightly Eeview, October 1894. 58 TRENCHES — CRIMEA — ROYAL ALBERT. scenes he witnessed in the trenches. But to return to Tryon. On October the 21st Lieutenant Greathed of the Britannia was killed, and the Admiral gave Tryon the death-vacancy. On the following day he writes to his mother : "I have this day received my pro- motion, and a letter from you telling me all you had done for me. ... I am appointed to the Britannia in the pla,ce of a poor fellow killed the other day. . . . The Admiral wrote me a note as follows : ' I have promoted you to be a lieutenant of this ship, and you owe it to the conduct and character which you bear in the service. At present you are to remain with the Naval Brigade.' We are firing away all day at the forts and town, and the former are generally much damaged by day, but put all to rights during the night. . . The fleet have been in action with the forts, and have suffered much ; in all 263 casualties, and 47 killed. . . . The Albion and Arethusa are so damaged that they are obliged to leave — first for Constantinople and then for Malta. The Venge- ance was very fortunate, only two wounded. They did a good deal of damage to the forts. Tom is very well, and' so is Henry ; I see them nearly every day." The three brothers were now fighting before Sebastopol — Tom in the 7th, Henry in the Kifle Brigade, and George in the Naval Brigade. It must have been a proud but anxious time for their mother. DEATH OF HENRY TRYON. 59 Just a month after the above letter was written Henry was killed at the rifle-pits, in a gallant fight, where he greatly distinguished himself.^ Not ' " The Russian riflemen having established themselves in some rifle- pits in front of the left attack along some rising ground, annoyed our working parties as well as those of the French on the opposite side of the ravine by their fire. Lord Raglan determined to drive them back, and to take possession of the pits. These pits, caverns, or ' ovens ' as they were called by the men, are formed by the decay of softer portions of the rock between the harder strata, leaving caves in the sides of the hill. The duty of driving the Russians from them was confided to the first battalion " (Rifle Brigade) ; " and on November 20th a party consisting of Lieutenant Henry Tryon, in command, with Lieutenants Bourchier and Cuninghame, 4 sergeants, and 200 rank and file, was detached to carry it into execution. It was kept a secret what the service was to be until the party fell in about four o'clock in the afternoon. Then Tryon wheeled them round him, and told the men what they were wanted for. He said that he intended to drive the Russians out, and he was sure they could do it. And right well they did it. Marching down to the trenches, they lay down till dark. They then advanced stealthily, creeping along the broken ground which led first down a slight incline, and then up towards the enemy, who were completely surprised by the attack. Fifty men under Tryon formed the storming column, 50 the supports under Bourchier, and 100 the reserve under Cuninghame. Eventually these parties became practically one. They quickly drove the Russian riflemen from their cover, though supported by a heavy column of Russian infantry. The occupants of the pits were evidently surprised. But soon the guns bearing on the pits poured grape and canister on the riflemen, who had no cover, for the pits were open on the enemy's side. In the moment of taking possession of the pits the gallant Tryon fell shot in the head ; Bourchier, who succeeded to the com- mand of the party, maintained his advantage ; and Cuninghame greatly distinguished himself by the energy wi£h which he repulsed an attempt to turn the left flank of the advanced party, and thereby ensured the success of the capture. Repeatedly during that long night did the Russians attempt to retake the pits — sometimes by sending forward strong columns, sometimes by creeping up a few at a time, and when they got near making signals for their companions to come on. But this handful of riflemen, under the command of these two young olficers, bravely withstood them, and held the position until they were relieved next day by another party of the battalion. In this affair Lieutenant Tryon and 9 men were killed, and 17 men 60 TRENCHES — CRIMEA — ROYAL ALBERT. long afterwards Tom was invalided home sick, and George continued to serve in the trenches with the Britannia's men, as acting lieutenant of that ship, until January of the following year, when he went home to England with the Britannia's landing-party in the Vengeance (his old ship), the Britannia hav- ing previously gone home. There are not many home letters from George during the time he was serving in the trenches — he was no doubt too busy to write much ; but on January 9, 1855, he writes to his mother relative to his brother Henry's grave : " I think all your wishes have been anticipated, except the flat stones and inscription : no other grave there of an officer of similar rank has any inscription, but I see they are making one out of a tombstone found here for General Strangways ; but whatever is done must be done by his regiment. ... I have seen uncle Charles to-day, and he agrees with me. . . . Your questions have either been answered in my previous letters or Tom in person will answer them. . . . The weather is now very severe, frost and deep snow, and the ice very thick. The night before last a wounded. This gallant feat of arms, the first of the kind during that war, and never surpassed, was thus described in the despatch ad- dressed by Lord Raglan to the Duke of Newcastle." Then follows the despatch ; and also a general order to the French army from Marshal Canrobert, highly eulogistic of this exploit, and concluding thus : " J'ai voulu rendre hommage devant vous a la vigueur avec laquelle s'est accompli ce hardi coup de main, qui a malheureusement c6ut^ la vie au vaillant capitaine Tryon. Nous lui donnerons les regrets d