Voyage to China and shipwreck Murray Maxwell

lord amherst



alceste firing @ chinese forts in bocca tigris

in 1816 maxwell ordered escort lord amherst on diplomatic mission jiaqing emperor of china. alceste accompanied small sloop hms lyra, under captain basil hall, , east indiaman general hewitt, carried gifts emperor. small convoy called @ madeira, rio de janeiro, cape town, anjere , batavia, , arrived @ peiho after 6 months @ sea in july. amherst went ashore party, instructing maxwell meet him @ canton once diplomatic mission complete. mission expected last several months, maxwell , hall agreed use time become first british sailors explore yellow sea , beyond. between them, lyra , alceste visited gulf of pecheli, west coast of korea , loo-choo (ryukyu) islands—in cases first european ships known have sailed these waters. during journey, maxwell saw great wall of china , discovered serious inaccuracies in charts of western korea, finding lay 130 miles east of supposed position. expedition made first known british government contacts both koreans , ryukyu islanders, ignored instructions chinese officials not communicate british ships.

maxwell arrived off pearl river in november 1816 , prepared sail whampoa reunion amherst. amherst s mission had foundered on british party s refusal kowtow jiaqing emperor , offer him tribute overlord, , amherst , retinue had retire whampoa mission incomplete. @ mouth of pearl, alceste refused permission enter river , perfunctorily ordered halt local mandarin, threatened sink frigate if tried force passage. responding angrily pass river or without mandarin s permission, maxwell attacked chinese defences, breaking through blockade of junks , firing on forts guarding river mouth, scattering defenders. sailed on whampoa without further impediment, without casualties; chinese losses reportedly 47 killed , many wounded. maxwell himself had fired first cannon statement took personal responsibility exchange of fire—reportedly, first cannonball ironically marked tribute king of england chinese . collecting amherst , party whampoa, maxwell sailed down pearl river and, in january 1817, began return journey britain, visiting macao , manila.

on 18 february 1817 alceste entered gaspar strait between bangka , liat, traversing largely uncharted waters. hours later frigate struck hidden reef , grounded, sustaining severe damage hull. despite maxwell s best efforts free ship carpenter reported alceste taking on water , rapidly sink if refloated. ordering ship abandoned, maxwell gave ship s barge ambassador , supervised construction of raft which, remaining boats, safely convoyed crew, passengers , quantity of supplies nearby island, formed largely of impenetrable mangrove swamps. last leave alceste, maxwell arrived on shore on morning of 19 february. council of officers subsequently decided amherst take ship s boats , 50 men , attempt reach batavia, 4 days sail away. essential amherst reach batavia quickly, supplies salvaged wreck, of drinkable water, last few days shared among 250 survivors.

attack dayaks

to keep morale following amherst s departure, maxwell began organising remaining 200 men (and 1 woman) secure position , gather supplies. men divided parties, 1 ordered dig while returned wreck of alceste salvage weapons , equipment could. third party ordered clear path island s central hill, cool cave used larder , trees felled form protective stockade. end of first day producing steady supply of water.

the party aboard alceste, having determined ship in no immediate danger of sinking, decided remain aboard overnight. however, @ dawn awoke discover ship surrounded dayak (or malay) proas armed swivel guns. party escaped on raft, reaching island ahead of pursuing proas assistance of boats sent meet them carrying armed royal marines. wreck vacated, dayaks began enthusiastically looting , several proas approached island, landing crews on offshore rocks both observe british , store salvage. maxwell hastily organised defensive positions in case dayaks attacked island, completing stockade on island s hill , preparing sharpened stakes , hundreds of improvised cartridges group s 30 muskets. on next few days proas approached island several times, despite attempts british communicate them, never landed. eventually, on 22 february, maxwell took advantage of divided dayak positions drive observers off rocks, intention of recapturing wreck. successful, departing dayaks set fire alceste, burning waterline. destruction of frigate s upper works exposed hold, , next morning stranded sailors able collect supplies had floated out.

during morning of 26 february, british sentries spotted 2 proas attempting land @ cove remaining british boats anchored. taking 1 of boats intercept proas, lieutenant hay boarded dayak canoe , captured it, despite fire dayak guns. 4 dayaks killed, 2 captured, , 5 jumped sea , drowned themselves, having scuttled proa. later in day fourteen more proas appeared, led large vessel carrying rajah. these approached island , several malays came ashore, number of british sailors being admitted on board rajah s canoe in return. inability of either side speak others language hindered negotiations, , malays retreated boats late in day. rajah subsequently directed renewed salvage operations on wreck, seeking copper nails had held ship s beams together. 2 march there 30 proas off island, 20 of detached open ineffective long-range fire on british positions ashore, accompanied frenzied drumming , bashing of gongs. although further attempts made communicate proas, , messages passed them in hope in authority transmit them nearby settlements, british crew expected attack @ moment. in preparation, maxwell gathered men , spoke them:

my lads, must have observed great increase in enemy s force, , threatening posture have assumed. have reason believe attack night. not wish conceal our real state, because not believe there man here afraid face sort of danger. in position defend ourselves against regular troops, far less set of naked savages, spears , krisses. true have swivels in boats, cannot act here. have not observed have muskets, if have, have we. when first thrown on shore muster seventy-five musket ball cartridges — have sixteen hundred. cannot send up, believe, more 5 hundred men; 2 hundred such stand around me, not fear thousand — nor fifteen hundred of them. pikemen standing firm, give them such volley of musketry little prepared for; , when thrown confusion, sally out, chase them water, , ten 1 secure vessels. let every man on alert, , should these barbarians night attempt our hill, trust shall convince them dealing britons.

so loud cheering followed address proas fell silent, dayaks apparently unnerved. in morning 20 canoes still offshore and, anticipated rescue overdue , supplies running low, desperate plan made use ship s boats board , capture enough dayak vessels enable entire crew reach batavia. however, while these plans being formed british east india company s (eic) armed brig ternate appeared on southern horizon.

napoleon

determined make 1 last show of defiance, maxwell ordered marines wade towards proas @ low tide , open fire on them. achieved no hits, did persuade dayaks move further offshore, , departed entirely when ternate spotted. following day survivors embarked on board ternate, maxwell having lost not 1 man on either shipwreck or island. @ batavia crew reunited amherst , party, had sent ternate search them , subsequently chartered east indiaman caesar remainder of journey britain.

the voyage europe remained eventful. in indian ocean caesar caught fire , destroyed, , after stopping @ cape town, indiaman visited st helena, amherst, maxwell , other officers introduced former french emperor napoleon bonaparte, prisoner on island. @ meeting bonaparte recalled maxwell s conduct in action of november 1811 , commended him on victory, saying vous êtes très méchant. eh bien! government must not blame loss of alceste, have taken 1 of frigates .