剌厘終結時 | Last of Raleigh

Notice of Sale by Public Auction in the Hong Kong Government Gazette, and the watercolor: 'HMS Raleigh (left) saluting the French Admiral at Macao whilst running for the beach to save herself from sinking', by Brierly, Oswald Walters, 1857, Credit: National Maritime Museum

Admiral Hon. Sir Henry Keppel (1809-1904), fourth son of the 4th Duke of Albemarle, Left:  Painted by Henry Weigall. Engraved by Henry Robinson. London, Published by Henry Graves & Comp.y August 20.th 1859; Lithograph, 585 x 430mm. 23 x 17".  Righ: Sir Keppel in his latter years, by Vanity Fair

Sir Oswald Walters Brierly (1817-1894), English marine painter. In 1854 he joined the British fleet during the war with Russia. He sent several sketches of allied operations to the Illustrated London News, and was thus one of the earliest war artists. It's hard to imagine in China, or in a Chinese community, a marine painter to be knighted. 

Robert Strickland Thomas (British, 1787-1853), 'H. M. Ship Raleigh' entering Portsmouth Harbour', signed 'R.S.Thomas' and dated 1850 (lower right), inscribed on reverse, oil on canvas. 31.7 x 46.4cm. (12 1/2 x 18 1/4in.)

 A half-block model of the Raleigh is in the collection of the Royal Museum

19世紀，拍賣是一種常見的交易方式。香港作為一個環球貿易點，拍賣活動頻繁。但這可不限於是商業貨物交易，由警署充公海盜贓物、法院裁決、私人破產、以至於天災意外損失後，都會以公開拍賣形式，去處理任何值錢財物。而這個例子，就涉及軍部出賣破艦。

肇事的是英軍四級巡防艦剌厘號。1857年4月14日，該艦入華支援，途經萬山群島海域時觸礁，艦長力圖勉救，將戰艦駛靠澳門路環九澳山淺灘，發求救訊號。當艦長發現應訊前來襄助的，正是法軍旗艦，沉沒中剌厘號艦長，隨即著部下按禮向法軍司令鳴炮敬禮。隨軍畫家就此份情義，以水彩繪畫出來 (見圖背景)。

剌厘號最終擱淺報銷。爛船都有三斤釘，同年6月12日本港刊憲，先招人投標承買，有意者，可於水師軍糧局官寫字樓處，取唐番名錄參詳。

Outer rim of Hong Kong - Ladrones Islands (Thieves Islands 萬山群島), Lema Islands (擔桿列島), and Ká-Hó of Macao 

Outer rim of Hong Kong - Ladrones Islands (Thieves Islands 萬山群島), Lema Islands (擔桿列島), and Macao on an 1878 German map

Coloane of Macao (澳門路環) in the early 20th c. :  Koho in Cantonese 九澳山, transcribed in Portuguese as Ká-Hó 

On the 14th April 1857, a British frigate HMS Raleigh struck on an uncharted rock in Ladrones Islands, a small pinnacle at 22"2'N. 113"47'E. nearly in mid-channel between Pak-leak island (白瀝島) and South White rock. After three hours effort, Raleigh eventually beached on Koho island of Macao (in Cantonese 九澳山, transcribed in Portuguese as Ká-Hó) and began firing her guns to summon assistance. These quickly attracted the French frigate Virginie. As soon as realized Virginie was the flagship of the French C. in C. in the area, the captain ordered an Admiral’s salute to be fired despite under sinking condition. In the event, Virginie took off Raleigh’s entire crew without loss. But the ship herself was beyond salvage.  Her wreck, laid sunk to the main deck, was later in June sold by public auction at Hong Kong for breaking. The pinnacle was subsequently named Raleigh Rock.

Note the broad pennant in the frigate HMS Raleigh. It belongs to Captain (later Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry) Keppel, then commodore to serve under Sir Michael Seymour as the second-in-command of the East Indies and China Station at Hong Kong. Although Keppel was subsequently court-martialed, he was honourably acquitted for the loss of Raleigh.

HMS Raleigh was armed with six 8-inch guns, and forty-four 32-pounders. It sounds like a lot. But, after 1756, ships of fifty guns were classed in the fourth rate as considered too weak to stand in the line of battle. However, their guns were sufficient to fight pirates and privateers, and other smaller vessels. A half-block model of the Raleigh is in the collection of the Royal Museum.

The original watercolor painting is known as "HMS Raleigh saluting the French Admiral at Macao whilst running for the beach to save herself from sinking", by Sir Oswald Walters Brierly (1817-1894). Brierly in 1854 accepted Keppel's invitation to join the British fleet for the Crimea Campaign, and was one of the earliest war artists.

Sinking: A British built iron sailing barque, The Cromdale, ran into Lizard Point, the most southerly point of British mainland, in thick fog. The three-masted ship was on a voyage from Taltal, Chile to Fowey, Cornwall with a cargo of nitrates. There were no casualties but within a week the ship had been broken up completely by the sea. (photo by the Gibson family)

Shipwreck, in the 19th c or early 20th c. The notice described HMS Raleigh 'now lies sunk to the main deck'

Shipwreck:  The Bay of Panama was wrecked under Nare Head, near St Keverne, Cornwall during a huge blizzard in March 1898. At the time it was wrecked it was carrying a cargo of Jute, used to make hessian cloth, from Calcutta in India, 18 of those on board died but 19 were rescued (photo by the Gibson family)

Reference:
Hong Kong Governement Gazette 1857
http://www.pdavis.nl/China2.htm
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/14977/lot/73/
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/103331.html
http://m.thevintagenews.com/2016/04/29/46282-3/
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/cdv-royal-navy-admiral-sir-henry-109194391
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2470146/Gibson-familys-photos-chart-century-Cornish-shipwrecks.html