At that time the Navy consisted of both sailing ships and steamships. Steam was used as seldom as possible in those ships which were fitted with masts and yards. The flagships of the Cape of Good Hope, East Indies and China, South-east Coast of America, Pacific and North America and West Indies stations were all sailing ships. The Navy List of 1859 gives the names of no less than 548 "effective" ships, together with a list of 185 "steam gunboats" and a list of 121 vessels employed in Harbour Service. That there was so large a number of "steam gunboats" {3} was the result of the Crimean war, during which very many were built for service in the Baltic. There is a story that an admiral returning from foreign service noticed eight gunboats aground on the Spit. Upon his inquiry, he was informed by one of his crew that they were "commanded by these old Baltic War mates and second masters, the sort what knows nothing and fears nothing." But of the sailing master there will be more to say. The line-of-battle sailing ships which were flagships on naval stations abroad were:--the _Boscawen_, 70 guns, Rear-Admiral Hon. Sir Frederick W. Grey, Cape of Good Hope; _Calcutta_, 84, Rear-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, East Indies and China; _Cumberland_, 70, Rear-Admiral Sir Stephen Lushington, S.E. Coast of America; _Ganges_, 84, Rear-Admiral R. L. Baynes, Pacific; _Hibernia_, 104, Rear-Admiral H. J. Codrington, Malta; _Indus_, 78, Vice-Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, North America and West Indies. The number of ships distributed among the various stations in 1859 was no less than 130. "Trade follows the flag." East Indies and China . . . . . . . 36 Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 W. Coast of Africa . . . . . . . . 17 N. America and W. Indies . . . . . 14 S.E. Coast of America . . . . . . . 13 Mediterranean . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Cape of Good Hope . . . . . . . . . 5 Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 River Gambia . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 --- Total 130 === The presence of so large a force in Chinese waters was due to the affair of "the lorcha _Arrow_," which occurred on 8th October, 1856, in the Canton River. The _Arrow_, a small vessel flying the British flag, was captured by the Chinese authorities and the crew were arrested on a charge of piracy. In the result, Admiral Sir Michael Seymour bombarded {4} Canton. Operations were suspended during the Indian Mutiny, to be resumed in 1858, with the assistance of France. Canton was captured, and the treaty of Tien-Tsin was concluded with China. It was not, however, ratified, and in June, 1859--six months before I entered the Navy--hostilities were resumed, to terminate in the burning of the Summer Palace at Pekin, and the subsequent signing of a convention. {5} CHAPTER II THE BEGINNING OF SERVICE