Most of our officers lost all they had saved from the ship, and what was left on board was well under water by this time. The ship had sunk gradually into the mud, and at high water the upper deck was well covered. The Commodore would not leave the ship. He was much distressed, and spent most of his days on the bridge under a temporary covering, with a guard of marines as his protection. He always had the idea that his frigate could be floated; but not so others, who felt sure that the game was up and the vessel doomed to be a wreck. As soon as lighters and help came from Hong-Kong we set to work to hoist guns out and get every mortal thing out of the ship we could; but mud had settled so much in the ship (owing to the tides) that work was very slow and much against the divers. More important duties now called us elsewhere. John Chinaman had to be settled with. War had begun, and a strong naval force was to ascend the Canton River. Accordingly, all our officers and men were dispersed into different vessels forming the Squadron then in China. Keppel was given second in command of the Fleet, and made senior officer up the river. He flew his flag in the _Hong-Kong_, a river steamer that had been improvised for the war. She was useful, being of fair speed and very light draught. Her armament consisted of a long 32-pounder; and a few brass guns were put into her, besides several rocket tubes, splendid weapons to smash into mandarin junks and bamboo stockades which we should have to deal with up the river. I have by me a letter written by Henry Keppel to Sir Baldwin Walker, then at the Admiralty. After describing the circumstances that led to the grounding of the _Raleigh_, he writes:-- I cannot bear the idea of leaving the ship, and will not do so while there is any hope. The Admiral has given us the _Alligator_ to live in, and we are happy and jolly together, and the idea of our being dispersed distresses all hands more than the loss of our beautiful frigate. I should prefer the command of a junk to being sent home.... You will feel, my dear Walker, this sad blow, this finish to my career as a captain. If, however, the ship is not got up--and I will bet my quarterly bill she is (though I have lost my little all)--I may still be of some use. We ought all to be truly thankful. This shows the distress of mind poor Keppel was in; yet he thought his vessel might still be saved. I believe later that they tried to raise her by lashing junks alongside. That having failed, she was put up for sale; but, as only the value of her copper was offered, this also came to nothing. When I last saw her, some three weeks after the stranding, the sea used to break over the bulwarks in the fore end. The three lower masts were still standing and the pennant still fastened to the main mast; but beyond that she was a complete wreck. I never heard what became of her afterwards. CHAPTER XIII AT WAR IN CHINA