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Page 12
"You might," he said, "as your navy is so much larger than theirs."
But I pointed out that our naval triumphs had seldom been gained by
superior force--"although," I admitted, "we certainly have now double
the force of any other European power, on which account none of them
dare attack us singly, as they know that if they did, the majority of
their knocked-out tubs would be towing up the Downs in a very brief
space of time. But numbers apart, the British sailor of to-day can
still do more with a ship than a Frenchman. The conditions are
certainly completely changed, but the best seaman will make the most
of the new order."
He shook his head dubiously, and said he should like to see a war
between England and France.
"Well," said I, "you may live to see that and not be an old man. You
may live to see a war between England and half the rest of the world,
and see England get the best of it. It has happened once or twice
before."
On another occasion we were talking about Russia, when Hishidi
remarked--
"Russia wants China."
"Russia wants everything," said I.
"Ah, that is what they say of you," replied he.
I once asked him what he thought of the torpedo.
"Well," said he, "the torpedo is as yet far from being thoroughly
understood. It is very uncertain in use, though when it takes effect
invariably deadly. Gun-fire should be able to neutralize it, that is,
to keep it at a distance, for once struck, no sort of construction
could resist the explosion of two hundred pounds of gun-cotton against
the hull under the water line; water-tight compartments would be of no
avail against such devastation. Vessels of the cruiser type, fast, and
with a heavy quick-firing armament, are best suited to cope with
torpedo-boats, which would find it difficult to get to close quarters
with such craft. Warships have lately been built with a considerable
increase of length, which of course increases a torpedo's chance of
striking by giving it a larger target. Moderate size, no overloading
with armour, speed, good coal supply, and as many quick-firing guns as
can be mounted--that is my idea of the best type of warship at
present. The policy of building monstrous ships is doubtful, when they
can be sunk by a torpedo-boat. Under such conditions, it seems to me
that ease and rapidity of manoeuvring is of more advantage than
gigantic weight of ordnance and armour, because after all the
torpedo's attack is directed against a part which nothing can render
invulnerable."
Such is the substance of my conversation with the lieutenant, but
despite the charms of intellectual intercourse, I soon began to get
desperately weary of my detention. Day after day the _Itsuku_ cruised
about, sometimes in company with other craft, sometimes alone. The
enemy kept well out of sight, and few events occurred to chequer the
monotony. Once we sighted two Chinese gunboats not far from Chefoo,
and the Japanese varied the day's drill and gun exercise by shelling
them into Wei-hai-wei. They ran ignominiously and never made the least
show of fight. Had the _Itsuku_ been a faster vessel, she would
undoubtedly have captured or destroyed one of them. Her maximum speed
was under sixteen knots. On another occasion, off the western coast of
the Liaotung, we came upon a fleet of junks, craft engaged in coast
trade, I presume. Their crews ran them ashore and escaped, whilst the
Japanese fired the stranded junks with shells, the officers amusing
themselves by sighting the guns and betting on the shots. When a
satisfactory bonfire had been created we steamed away.
This sort of thing, I have said, went on for more than a month. The
gunboat's cruising-ground was chiefly about the mouth of the Pechili
Gulf, now under the frowning forts of Wei-hai-wei, and now opposite
Port Arthur on the other side. There did not seem to be any regular
blockade of the Gulf, though Japanese warships were constantly
hovering about. The Chinese fleet, I believe, confined itself to the
modest seclusion of Wei-hai-wei harbour, and was not to be tempted
outside. Once I asked Hishidi when they meant to assail Wei-hai-wei
and Port Arthur?
"Oh," said he, "we are waiting our time; it has not come yet."
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