And Midshipman Raxworthy positively disgraced himself by being seasick! Only once before in his naval career had he fallen a victim to this malady and that was in one of the Naval College cutters just outside the Dart. Since then he had been in picket-boats, sailing cutters, destroyers and light cruisers; but the motion of the shallow draught river gunboat as she pounded over the short steep seas of the Yang-tse estuary compelled him to “muster his bag”.
The only slight compensation he received lay in the fact that Lieutenant Viner—Poundall’s junior—Ridge, the surgeon-lieutenant and nearly a dozen of the crew were similarly affected.
Viner tried to attribute his indisposition to the sickly reek of the mangroves, until the Owner pointed out that the wind was westerly and consequently an on-shore breeze; but he added that these waters were notoriously wicked, often upsetting the hardiest seaman.
Before nightfall Sandgrub was well up the river and in sheltered water. Owing to the difficulties of navigation she dropped anchor at sunset rather than risk running aground on one of the many mudbanks. Double look-outs were posted and the watch on deck were armed. What with civil war in China and the presence of pirates who belonged to neither of the rival parties, it was essential that Sandgrub should be prepared for all eventualities since the Chinese are apt to make mistakes and then offer bland though tardy apologies.
Three days later, struggling constantly with the strong adverse current, Sandgrub found herself about twenty miles above Hang-kow.
Here her troubles commenced.
Raxworthy was standing morning watch with Viner in charge of the deck. The gunboat was making good about eight knots against a five-knot current. The leadsmen were in the chains and had been monotonously singing out: “By the mark three” for the last twenty minutes.
It was out of the question to detect the shallows owing to the muddy nature of the water, except where the mudbanks were almost awash. Then the ripples over them gave an indication of what Sandgrub was likely to expect if she didn’t alter helm smartly.
“Plenty of water hereabouts,” declared the lieutenant. “It’s a hundred miles farther up that we’ll find shoals. Last June we got aground and stopped there for a week. Gruelling job, I give you my word! Where’s that blighter Ti-so? I told him to bring iced drinks at six bells.”
The lieutenant turned and looked towards the companion.