Hardinge T J (1 results)
More imagesPublished by 1st. March - 31st January 1896 and 1st February 1896 to 29 July 1897., 1894
- Hardcover
Seller: Robert Frew Ltd. ABA ILAB, London, United KingdomRobert Frew Ltd. ABA ILAB
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2 vols. Folio (32 x 20.5 cm). Original boards covered in sail cloth, marbled endpapers. Manuscript. Vol 1, ll.96 (plus blanks at end); Vol 2, ll.94. Initialled by superior officers, WHA (First Lieutenant William Henry Arnold) and EHP () and CH. 25 original manuscript maps and plans initialled CH and approved by (?), comprising:…Vol. 1 - James Town, St. Helena - [Bathurst to the Cape via Ascension Island & St. Helena] - Plan of Port Elizabeth - [Cape Colony to Mombassa (via Zanzibar)] - Plan of Simons Bay - [Table Bay and Cape Town] - Accra visited by HMS St. George Feb 1895 - [George Town, Ascension Island] - [Cape to Bathurst via St. Helena and Ascension Island & back via the coast.] - [Cape Town and Simon's Bay] - [Zanzibar Island] - East Coast Cruise St. George, Simon's Bay to Mombasa via Zanzibar - Port Natal (Durban) - Port Elizabeth - Zanzibar Roads. Unguja. - West Coast Cruise 1895-6 Vol. 2 - Algoa Bay to East London - Simon's Bay - Buffalo Bay - James Town St. Helena - West Coast Cruise July '96 - Delagoa Bay - Plan of operations [sic] at Zanzibar August 27 th - 1896 - HMS St. George 1886 East Coast Cruise - Mozambique Harbour First volume a typical log-book recording the mundanities of life on board, weather, sailing directions etc of HMS Raleigh and HMS St. George,in typical log book form. The second volumeis far more expansive with long narrative sections and includes a detailed account of the Anglo-Zanzibar War. Both volumes profusely illustrated. H.M.S. St. George was the flagship of the Cape & West Africa Station (Rear-Admiral Harry Rawson) based at Simon's Town, Stationed in Simon's Bay - cruising up and down the coasts of southern Africa from St. Helena in the West, and as far as Mombasa in the East, with many stops in Bathurst, Algoa Bay, Zanzibar, etc. in between. Feb 1896 HMS St. George. Simon's Bay to Port Elizabeth. Cricket match v. HMS Philomel "won by our team after an exciting match by three runs." Mostly at anchor in Simon's Bay, some military exercises, testing of boats speeds and occasional excursions to East London, Port Elizabeth. 4th July sailed for St Helena. July 18 Cricket v. St. Helena islanders ship lost by 200 runs, and to Mossamedes "smells very nasty and is not much of a place." Back to Simon's Bay Aug 13 ".[I]n the afternoon the admiral [Rear-Admiral Harry Rawson, commander of the British fleet in the area] came on board. At 4.15 we shipped [out] for Delagoa Bay" (Mozambique). To Larenzo Marques (Maputo Bay) "a prosperous Portuguese colony." Aug 22 proceeded for Zanzibar, the admiral determined to catch the homeward bound mail which was to leave on the 27th. This is followed by a four page eye witness account of the Anglo-Zazibar War (of which more below).* 4 pages describing the war then off to Mombassa, chased down a dhow believing it to be a slaver but it was just a trading dhow. Back to Zanzibar and on Thursday 17.a cricket match was commenced culminating in a win for the navy on 19th after a court martial. *An eyewitness account (c.1000 words) on the Anglo-Zanzibar War by a T.J. Hardinge, midshipman aboard the HMS St. George, flagship of the Cape and East Africa Station. The Anglo-Zanzibar War, which took place on the 27th August 1896 and lasting just 38 minutes makes it the shortest recorded war in history. Hardinge's account includes vivid details of the bombardment of the Sultan's Palace at Zanzibar after Khalid bin Barghash ("the pretender [to the throne]") refused to comply with British ultimatum demanding that he order his forces to stand down so that Hamud bin Muhammed, who was more favourable to British interests, could assume power after the death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini: "all the morning we were expecting to see the Sultan accept our ultimatum but the nearest he got to it was a defiant letter in which he mentioned he was going to give England a lesson for once and all". Harding then describes how in response the "Raccoon" (a torpedo cruiser of the Royal Navy) opened fire on the Sultan's Palace, nearly reducing it to "ruins" before the Sultan's yacht HMS Glasgow opened fire on the flagship "with startling audacity," provoking a combined counter-attack from the Raccoon, HMS Philomel and HMS St. George which would eventually sink her: "[T]he 'Glasgow' was perceived to be sinking & settled down steadily by the stern till with a sudden plunge she went down, the water spouting in the air as the decks burst". He then describes the aftermath of the war, including an account of the dead and the injured who lay "almost unrecognizable because of the manner in which there were mutilated", the ceremonial crowning of "new Sultan" Hamud bin Muhammed, the destruction of the palace and square, and the ensuing week of salvage operations to recover the lost guns from the Glasgow. Three weeks later Harding describes how the HMS St. George returned to Zanzibar where they fired a salute for the new Sultan and played a cricket match against the locals, resulting in a "win for the Navy". Full transcription: Aug. 29 At 5 pm we weighed & proceeded for Zanzibar. The admiral determined to catch the homeward bound mail, which was to leave on the 27th. On Wednesday at about 2 pm as we were approaching the anchorage at Zanzibar we heard that H.H. the Sultan had mysteriously died on the previous day & that the pretender had ascended the throne having with him two thousand men. He was immediately ordered to abdicate but refused whereupon an ultimatum was sent him & all available men were landed from the fleet. Scarcely had the men landed when the Sparrow arrived and after that the Raccoon & the next day (Wednesday) H.M.S St. George arrived. At 2 o'clock the small arms companies were piped to fall in & by 5 o'clock A B & C companies & 2 maxims were landed and had taken up their quarters in the customs buildings. The hands were all settled down ashore by about 9 o'clock & colites were told off & sentries placed etc. During the night a most ghastly.
