The Three Admirals

The Three Admirals
Life in the Royal Navy in the 1860s
By W.H.G. Kingston
CHAPTER ONE.
THE DRAGON OFF THE BONINS--A CONVERSATION
BETWEEN TOM ROGERS AND ARCHIE GORDON--GERALD
DESMOND ON THE SICK-LIST--THREATENINGS OF A
TYPHOON--IT STRIKES THE SHIP--SHE RUNS BEFORE IT--THE
SHIP HOVE TO--THE BOWSPRIT CARRIED AWAY--A MARINE
WILL-O'-THE-WISP--ENTER A BAY IN ONE OF THE BONIN
ISLANDS--TOM, GERALD, AND BILLY GET LEAVE TO VISIT
THE SHORE--A BEAUTIFUL CAVERN--LAND ON THE
ISLAND--THEIR DISCOVERIES--FISHING-- INTERRUPTED BY
SHARKS--A PICNIC--BOAT DRIFTS AWAY FROM THE
SHORE--TOM SWIMS OFF--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A
SHARK--SEE THE SHIP IN THE OFFING--PULL AFTER HER--A
HURRICANE COMING ON--FEARFUL DANGER WHEN
RE-ENTERING THE HARBOUR.
Her Majesty's corvette Dragon, lately commanded by our old friend
Jack Rogers, who had been superseded by Commander Rawson, was
on her passage across the wide Pacific, bound for Esquimault harbour,
Vancouver's Island, from Japan, to which she had been sent with
despatches.
The wind being fair, the screw was at rest, and she was under all sail,
looking as trim and taunt a little man-of-war as a sailor's heart could
desire. Her stay in Japan had been short, so that no leave had been
granted, and even the officers had seen little of the country and people;
though, as they hoped to return before long, that did not much matter.
As it was of no great importance that the Dragon should soon get back

to Vancouver's Island, Commander Rawson had received directions to
visit the Ladrone Islands, somewhat to the southward of his course, in
order to obtain particulars of an outrage, said to have been committed
on an English subject by some of the mongrel inhabitants of those
islands, which have for some centuries belonged to Spain.
The smooth sea shone brightly in the rays of the sun, undimmed by
cloud or mist. In all directions the snowy wings of sea fowl could be
seen, now dipping towards the ocean, now rising into the blue ether,
showing that land was at no great distance. As the wind was from the
northward, the air was cool, though the shady side of the ship was
generally sought for by the watch on deck, except by a few whose
heads seemed impervious to the hot rays of a tropical sun.
Two midshipmen were slowly pacing the port side of the quarter-deck,
where a few feet of shade afforded them shelter from the heat. The one,
a somewhat short, well-knit lad, with open countenance, well tanned,
and blue laughing eyes, his whole appearance giving promise of
strength and activity; the other, a tall youth with sandy hair, and
pleasant features well freckled. Though tall, he was too well built to be
called lanky, and showed that he possessed both strength and activity.
"I say, Archie, I do envy those fellows of the Eolus going on to China;
they will see all sorts of fun, for the Celestials are sure not to give in in
a hurry. The Eoluses will have the same sort of work that my brother
Jack and your cousin Murray went through in the last Chinese war,
when they were midshipmen."
The speaker was Tom Rogers, the youngest brother of Captain Jack
Rogers; his companion was Archie Gordon, Captain Alick Murray's
cousin.
"Gerald was dreadfully cut up at not being able to remain on board the
Eolus, and having instead to come back with us to return home; but
Captain Adair's letter was peremptory, and, as the newspapers say, I
hope that he will hear of something to his advantage. Gerald would
have been better pleased had his uncle let him know why he was sent
for."

"He has no great cause to complain, seeing that the climate of China is
none of the most delectable, and he would have run the risk of being
shot into the bargain," observed Archie. "I wish that I had the chance of
going home, and finding myself the possessor of a tidy fortune with a
title."
"But then there's the honour and glory, and the fun, and the pig-tails to
be captured, and the loot, and the chance of serving in a naval brigade
and seeing some work on shore, just as the Shannon's people did in
India, with a fair prospect of promotion at the end of it."
"If a body happens not to be shot, ye ken," observed Archie, who,
though every bit as eager as Tom for the sort of work he described,
took a pleasure in differing in opinion from him whenever he could.
"We will not, however, bother poor Desmond about the subject until he
is well again," said Tom. "I really believe that he fell sick through
vexation, though he was happy enough to be with us once more."
"He is much better to-day," remarked Archie, "and I hope by
to-morrow that the doctor will let