Charles Beresford, Admiral
THE MEMOIRS OF
ADMIRAL
LORD BERESFORD
WITH TWENTY-THREE ILLUSTRATIONS
FOURTH EDITION IN ONE VOLUME
METHUEN & CO. LTD.
36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON
First Published (2 vols.) . . . . October 6th, 1914
Second Edition . . . . November, 1914
Third Edition . . . . December, 1914
Fourth Edition (1 vol.) . . . . September, 1916
TO
MY BROTHER OFFICERS
OF THE
ROYAL NAVY
PREFACE
This work is a record of my life from the year 1859, when I entered the Royal Navy, to the year 1909, when I hauled down my flag and came on shore.
For the Introduction and the Notes, which have been written in order to amplify the personal narrative and to connect it with the historical events of the period, Mr. L. Cope Cornford is responsible.
I have dedicated the book to my brother officers of the Royal Navy.
As luck would have it, my career has been of a singularly varied character. And my hope is that, in reading its story, boys and girls, as well as their elders, may find pleasure.
CHARLES BERESFORD
Admiral
1 GREAT CUMBERLAND PLACE, W.
June 1914
CURRAGHMORE
CONTENTS
CHAP.
II. [THE BEGINNING OF SERVICE]
III. [THE SHIP OF HAPPIEST MEMORY]
IV. [THE SHIP OF UNHAPPY MEMORY]
VI. [STRICT SERVICE]
VII. [THE CRUISE OF H.M.S. GALATEA—]
I. TO THE ANTIPODES
VIII. [THE CRUISE OF H.M.S. GALATEA (continued)—]
II. MY TWO FAITHFUL SERVANTS
IX. [THE CRUISE OF H.M.S. GALATEA (continued)—]
III. TAHITI AND THE SANDWICH ISLANDS
X. [THE CRUISE OF H.M.S. GALATEA (continued)—]
IV. OLD JAPAN. NOTE
XI. [THE CRUISE OF H.M.S. GALATEA (continued)—]
V. WITH THE DUKE IN JAPAN
XII. [THE CRUISE OF H.M.S. GALATEA (continued)—]
VI. THE HOMEWARD VOYAGE
XIII. [FLAG-LIEUTENANT AT PLYMOUTH]
XIV. [POLITICAL EVENTS OF 1873-80 AND POSTSCRIPT. NOTE]
XV. [AN IRISH ELECTION AND IRISH POLITICS]
XVI. [MEMBER FOR WATERFORD, AND COMMANDER, ROYAL NAVY]
XVII. [WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA]
XVIII. [THE EGYPTIAN WAR—]
I. THE BEGINNING OF TROUBLE. NOTE
XIX. [THE EGYPTIAN WAR (continued)—]
II. THE BOMBARDMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
XX. [THE EGYPTIAN WAR (continued)—]
III. CHIEF OF POLICE
XXI. [THE EGYPTIAN WAR (continued)—]
IV. GARRISON WORK
XXII. [PASSING THROUGH EGYPT]
XXIII. [THE SOUDAN WAR OF 1884-5—]
I. SUMMARY OF EVENTS. NOTE
XXIV. [THE SOUDAN WAR (continued)—]
II. HOW WE BROUGHT THE BOATS THROUGH THE GREAT GATE
XXV. [THE SOUDAN WAR (continued)—]
III. UP THE CATARACTS AND ACROSS THE DESERT
XXVI. [THE SOUDAN WAR (continued)—]
IV. THE FIRST MARCH OF THE DESERT COLUMN. NOTE
XXVII. [THE SOUDAN WAR (continued)—]
V. THE DESERT MARCH OF THE FORLORN HOPE
XXVIII. [THE SOUDAN WAR (continued)—]
VI. THE FIGHT AT ABU KLEA
XXIX. [THE SOUDAN WAR (continued)—]
VII. THE FIGHT TO REACH THE RIVER
XXX. [THE SOUDAN WAR (continued)—]
VIII. DISASTER
XXXI. [THE SOUDAN WAR (continued)—]
IX. THE RESCUE
XXXII. [THE SOUDAN WAR (continued)—]
X. THE EFFECT OF THE ACTION OF WAD HABESHI
XXXIII. [THE SOUDAN WAR (continued)—]
XI. THE RETREAT
XXXIV. [THE SOUDAN WAR (continued)—]
XII. SEQUEL AND CONCLUSION
XXXV. [ORGANISATION FOR WAR]
XXXVI. [THE TWENTY-ONE MILLION]
XXXVII. [H.M.S. UNDAUNTED—]
I. WITH THE MEDITERRANEAN FLEET
XXXVIII. [H.M.S. UNDAUNTED (continued)—]
II. THE SALVING OF THE SEIGNELAY
XXXIX. [THE SECOND SHIPBUILDING PROGRAMME]
XL. [STEAM RESERVE]
XLI. [VIEWS AND REVIEWS]
XLII. [COVETED CHINA. NOTE]
XLIII. [THE INTROMISSION OF THE ADMIRALS]
XLIV. [TRAFFICS AND DISCOVERIES—]
I. CHINA
XLV. [TRAFFICS AND DISCOVERIES (continued)—]
II. JAPAN
XLVI. [TRAFFICS AND DISCOVERIES (continued)—]
III. THE UNITED STATES
XLVII. [H.M.S. RAMILLIES]
XLVIII. [HER MAJESTY'S MIDSHIPMEN]
XLIX. [THE PARLIAMENTARY ANVIL]
LI. [BOAT RACING]
LII. [THE MEDITERRANEAN STATION]
LIII. [SPORTING MEMORIES—]
I. RIDING AND DRIVING
LIV. [SPORTING MEMORIES (continued)—]
I. SHOOTING
LV. [SPORTING MEMORIES (continued)—]
III. FISHING
LVI. [HOME WATERS: THE LAST COMMAND]
POSTSCRIPT. [THE MAKING OF AN ADMIRAL]
(The "Notes" are by L. COPE CORNFORD)
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
[THE AUTHOR] … … … … … . . Frontispiece
From a photograph by Heath
[CURRAGHMORE]
From a photograph by G. D. Croker
[SIR JOHN DE LA POER BERESFORD, 4TH MARQUESS OF WATERFORD]
[CHRISTINA, MARCHIONESS OF WATERFORD]
From paintings at Curraghmore
[THE AUTHOR AS NAVAL CADET]
From a photograph
[H.M.S. MARLBOROUGH, 1861]
From a painting in the possession of the Author
[THE OFFICERS OF H.M.S. SUTLEJ, 1865.]
From a photograph
[H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH]
From a photograph by J. Russell & Sons
[PIETER BOTH MOUNTAIN, MAURITIUS]
From a photograph
[THE AUTHOR AS LIEUTENANT]
From a photograph
[THE AUTHOR ÆT. 27]
From a photograph
[LADY CHARLES BERESFORD]
From a photograph
[THE BOMBARDMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, 11TH JULY 1882]
From a chart drawn by the Author at the time
[ON BOARD H.M.S. CONDOR, 11TH JULY 1882]
From a drawing by Frederic Villiers
[PROVOST-MARSHAL AND CHIEF OF POLICE, ALEXANDRIA, JULY 1882]
From a drawing by Frederic Villiers
[THE AUTHOR'S METHOD OF HAULING BOATS THROUGH THE BAB-EL-KEBIR]
After a drawing made on the spot by the Author
[THE NILE FROM WADY HALFA TO KHARTOUM]
[THE AUTHOR]
From a photograph by Hallen, New York
["RUNNING THE GAUNTLET"—THE ACTION OF THE SAFIEH
AT WAD HABESHI, 4TH FEBRUARY 1885]
From a painting in the possession of the Author
[FIELD-MARSHAL THE RIGHT HON. VISCOUNT WOLSELEY]
From a photograph by Elliott & Fry
[THE AUTHOR SPEAKING IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON
HIS TWENTY-ONE MILLION SHIPBUILDING PROGRAMME,
13TH DECEMBER 1888]
From the drawing by J. Walter Wilson in the possession
of the Author
[THE AUTHOR, 1898]
From a drawing by Phil May in the possession of the Author
[H.M.S. KING EDWARD VII ENGAGED IN BATTLE PRACTICE, 1907]
From a photograph
(Design of Cover by HAROLD WYLLIE)