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Tracks of a Rolling Stone-Part5_Henry J.Coke(1827-1916)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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authorities believed that opium did to their people.

Even Macaulay advocated this shameful imposition. China had



to submit, and pay into the bargain four and a half millions

sterling to prove themselves in the wrong. Part of this went



as prize money. My share of it - the DOUCEUR for a middy's

participation in the crime - was exactly 100L.



To return to Amoy. When off the mouth of the Canton river we

had taken on board an interpreter named Thom. What our



instructions were I know not; I can only tell what happened.

Our entry into Amoy harbour caused an immediate commotion on



land. As soon as we dropped anchor, about half a mile from

the shore, a number of troops, with eight or ten field-



pieces, took up their position on the beach, evidently

resolved to prevent our landing. We hoisted a flag of truce,



at the same time cleared the decks for action, and dropped a

kedge astern so as to moor the ship broadside to the forts



and invested shore. The officer of my watch, the late Sir

Frederick Nicholson, together with the interpreter, were



ordered to land and communicate with the chief mandarin. To

carry out this as inoffensively as possible, Nicholson took



the jolly-boat, manned by four lads only. As it was my

watch, I had charge of the boat. A napkin or towel served



for a flag of truce. But long before we reached the shore,

several mandarins came down to the water's edge waving their



swords and shouting angrily to warn us off. Mr. Thom, who

understood what they said, was frightened out of his wits,



assuring us we should all be sawed in half if we attempted to

land. Sir Frederick was not the man to disobey orders even



on such a penalty; he, however, took the precaution - a very

wise one as it happened - to reverse the boat, and back her



in stern foremost.

No sooner did the keel grate on the shingle than a score of



soldiers rushed down to seize us. Before they could do so we

had shoved off. The shore was very steep. In a moment we



were in deep water, and our lads pulling for dear life. Then

came a storm of bullets from matchlocks and jingals and the



bigger guns, fortunately just too high to hit us. One bullet

only struck the back-board, but did no harm. What, however,



seemed a greater danger was the fire from the ship. Ere we

were halfway back broadside after broadside was fired over



our heads into the poor devils massed along the beach. This

was kept up until not a living Chinaman was to be seen.



I may mention here a curious instance of cowardice. One of

our men, a ship's painter, soon after the firing began and



was returned by the fort's guns, which in truth were quite

harmless, jumped overboard and drowned himself. I have seen



men's courage tried under fire, and in many other ways since;

yet I have never known but one case similar to this, when a



friend of my own, a rich and prosperous man, shot himself to

avoid death! So that there are men like 'Monsieur



Grenouille, qui se cachait dans l'eau pour eviter la pluie.'

Often have I seen timid and nervous men, who were thought to



be cowards, get so excited in action that their timidity has

turned to rashness. In truth 'on est souvent ferme par



faiblesse, et audacieux par timidite.'

Partly for this reason, and partly because I look upon it as



a remnant of our predatory antecedents and of animal

pugnacity, I have no extravagantadmiration for mere



combativeness or physical courage. Honoured and rewarded as

one of the noblest of manly attributes, it is one of the



commonest of qualities, - one which there is not a mammal, a

bird, a fish, or an insect even, that does not share with us.



Such is the esteem in which it is held, such the ignominy

which punishes the want of it, that the most cautious and the



most timid by nature will rather face the uncertain risks of

a fight than the certain infamy of imputed cowardice.



Is it likely that courage should be rare under such

circumstances, especially amongstprofessional fighters, who



in England at least have chosen their trade? That there are

poltroons, and plenty of them, amongst our soldiers and






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