SGB Chapter 162

## Chapter 162: A Gathering of Madmen

“Arthur, you’re early!”

Colonel Fitzroy, beaming, rose from his walnut armchair and enthusiastically introduced Arthur to his colleagues, “This is Arthur Hastings, the one I told you about.”

The two naval captains exchanged glances. The one with a trim build and short, black, choppy hair spoke, “The Fiorentine master swordsman of the Mediterranean half-sword, known for his aggressive style, reminiscent of General Rotherham?”

Fitzroy chuckled, “That’s him.”

The other captain, a jovial man with a round face, extended his hand to Arthur, “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hastings. George Elliot, Royal Naval Aide-de-Camp, current captain of the ‘Victory,’ delighted to make your acquaintance. To be honest, this isn’t the first time I’ve met a Hastings with a talent for naval combat.”

The round-faced officer chimed in, “You remember him too, don’t you? Frank Hastings, quite a fighter, with family backing and his own capabilities. But he messed up, breaking naval regulations. To return to the Royal Navy, he had to join Cochrane’s ‘Penitential Fleet’ aiding Greece.

But gold shines wherever it may be, his brilliance in battle is proof. If he had survived the Greek War of Independence, he might have been promoted by the Admiralty upon his return. A pity, he died for the Greeks in Missolonghi, just like Lord Byron, two Englishmen, perished in a foreign land.”

Arthur politely inquired, “May I ask your name?”

The round-faced officer smiled and shook his hand, “John Franklin. Nice to meet you. We three have discussed you before, but unlike Elliot, who’s interested in your Fiorentine style, I’m more interested in your academic contributions.

Because, I prefer exploration to warfare. If you and Mr. Faraday could develop an electromagnetically driven warship, maybe the Admiralty could find that elusive Northwest Passage.”

Colonel Fitzroy quickly explained, “Arthur, let me introduce you. Franklin, like me, is tasked with exploration by the Admiralty. I’m on a circumnavigation expedition, while Franklin is tasked with finding the fabled Northwest Passage, a route from the North Atlantic through North America to Asia.

You should know, the only way from Europe to Asia is around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa. If we can find the Northwest Passage, according to the London Geographical Society’s calculations of Earth’s radius, we’ll shorten the distance to Asia by at least 2,000 nautical miles. You understand what this means for Britain’s commercial interests.”

Intrigued, Arthur asked, “So, how’s the Northwest Passage exploration going? If you find it, when will Colonel Franklin start a shipping company? I’m definitely interested in investing.”

Franklin chuckled, “Ah, if only it was that easy. Since I first received the task of finding the Northwest Passage twelve years ago, I’ve explored along the North Atlantic and Canadian coastlines towards the northwest many times.

The first time, we were unfamiliar with the sea conditions and turned back after hitting ice in the Arctic. The second time, we were hindered by monsoons and climate factors. The third time, we got smart, we didn’t travel by ship, we explored overland along the Coppermine River in Canada’s Northwest Territories, first figuring out the coastline’s distribution.”

Arthur nodded, “Sounds like a smart choice.”

Franklin laughed, holding his coffee cup, “It was indeed. So, we trekked for several months, longer than the previous two expeditions.”

“And then?”

As soon as Arthur finished, he noticed Colonel Fitzroy and Sir Elliot with expressions of reluctance.

Seeing their faces, Franklin shrugged helplessly, “It’s exploration, what can you do? It was a pretty disastrous failure this time, 11 out of 20 died, the remaining nine ate lichen and boots for two months due to lack of supplies.

But even so, I can’t forget that place. Damn it! It was so beautiful, I’ll never forget the aurora borealis and the howling blizzards.”

The Red Devil, leaning back on the sofa, couldn’t help but shake his head and sneer, “Such irrational humans, like moths drawn to a bonfire, wanting to embrace what they love, first consider if you have the ability. Arthur, I assure you, one day, what will take his life will be the blizzard he cherishes.”

Seeing the gleam in Franklin’s eyes, Arthur couldn’t help but advise, “The Northwest Passage and the Arctic are beautiful, but if you go back next time, please be fully prepared.”

Franklin laughed, “Don’t worry, Mr. Hastings, I won’t go to my death for nothing. After last time, those fools at the Admiralty understand that finding the Northwest Passage won’t be easy. If they don’t grant me a hundred men and three years of supplies next time, I won’t go, even if they kick me out of the Royal Navy.”

Speaking of which, Franklin couldn’t help but sympathize with Fitzroy, “Robert, learn from my experience, you must stock up on enough vegetables and citrus for your circumnavigation. Plan your route carefully, know what you can replenish where. When you ask the Admiralty for money, don’t be shy. You don’t ask for money and resources now, when things go wrong later, the Admiralty won’t be able to help you across the ocean.”

As soon as Franklin finished, a lazy voice came from the door of the lounge, “Money? Who wants money from the Admiralty?”

Everyone turned to see a middle-aged gentleman with brown curly hair, a few wrinkles on his forehead, holding a discarded tailcoat in his hand, wearing a rose-red waistcoat.

Before Arthur could ask, he noticed the three Royal Naval captains, who had been relaxed a moment ago, twitching their lips, straightening their backs, and saluting in unison, “Good afternoon, General Cochrane!”

Fitzroy quickly stepped forward, taking the tailcoat and hanging it on the coat rack. Franklin and Elliot weren’t idle either, one poured tea for Cochrane, the other brought him a sofa.

The three captains’ swift movements stunned the maids who were carrying various snacks.

They couldn’t believe that the arrogant Royal Naval captains had become as tame as gentle rabbits.

Arthur was curious too, but he didn’t dare ask.

Just when he was awkwardly wondering what to do, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Arthur!”

Arthur turned around and saw Eld with a row of teeth and a beaming smile.

Arthur glanced at his empty back and asked, “Why are you alone? Where are your aunt and sister?”

Eld nonchalantly lit his pipe, muttering, “General Codrington has two lounges, one for men to smoke, one for ladies to chat, they’re with the ladies. But you, Arthur, why don’t you light up? What are you pretending to be a good boy for?”

Without waiting for Arthur’s reply, he reached for Arthur’s pocket, pulling out his pipe and stuffing it in his mouth.

But before Eld could light it, he heard General Cochrane, sitting on the sofa behind him, speak.

Cochrane tapped the floor with his cane, shouting, “Eld!”

“Hmm?” Eld turned around and looked back, almost dropping his pipe in surprise, “General Cochrane? When did you get back?”

“Not long ago.” General Cochrane glanced at him, tapping his pipe with his finger, “Light mine later.”

Eld was sweating profusely, he said with a forced smile, “You wait, I’ll be right there.”

He quickly reached for his matchbox, but he flipped it over and over, finding not a single match.

Eld felt his heart rise to his throat, he stammered, “Report! I’m out of matches!”

Cochrane, hearing this, pulled out a shilling and tossed it in his palm, “Go buy some.”

Eld saluted, Arthur had never seen the boy so serious, “Aye, sir!”

Eld hurriedly pulled Arthur out of the lounge, and soon they heard laughter from inside.

Eld turned back and glared at the lounge, cursing, “Damn it! Those old geezers, what a rotten day!”

Arthur asked, “What’s the deal with General Cochrane?”

Eld frowned and whispered, “Arthur, haven’t you heard of ‘Mad Cochrane’?”

“He’s famous?”

Eld sighed helplessly, “Well, maybe not that famous in England. But if you go to South America, Brazil or Chile, people will tell you that the best naval commander in South America, also the first naval commander of those two countries, is General Thomas Cochrane.”

Arthur was puzzled, “Isn’t he a Royal Navy general? How did he become a naval commander of Brazil and Chile?”

Eld angrily retorted, “Because he messed up here, someone reported him for manipulating stock trading for profit, so he was expelled by both the House of Commons and the Admiralty. This guy was pissed off, so he went to South America, helped Chile defeat the Spanish navy, and then went to Brazil to help them defeat the Portuguese fleet.

Chile and Brazil wouldn’t have been able to gain independence from their mother countries without Cochrane. Their navies still use English for commands.”

Arthur was even more confused, “General Cochrane sounds pretty capable, why do you call him crazy?”

Eld rolled his eyes, “If he’s not crazy, who is? Forget about his shenanigans in England and with the Admiralty.

When he got to Chile, he helped them capture Valdivia, captured the strongest Spanish warship in South America, the Esmeralda, and naturally became the first admiral in Chilean history, awarded the Chilean Order of Merit, the highest honor in Chile. It should have been a good life, but he wasn’t satisfied. He fell out with the Chilean governor, O’Higgins, shortly after Chile’s independence.

He then went to Brazil, led the Brazilian navy to defeat the Portuguese South American fleet and expeditionary force, became the Brazilian naval commander, and was even made a marquis for his achievements. But soon, he fell out with the Brazilian Emperor Pedro I, seized Brazilian merchant ships near Saint Louis with his fleet. The Brazilian navy sent ships to fight him, he dragged a frigate away.

Cochrane couldn’t stand South America anymore, so he begged to return to Britain. At that time, the Greek War of Independence was going on, and we couldn’t declare direct intervention, so the Admiralty, seeing how good a fighter he was, reluctantly sent him to Greece to help the newly independent Greeks train their navy to resist the Ottoman Empire’s invasion.

This time he was good, didn’t cause any trouble. So, after the Greek War of Independence ended, the Admiralty, considering his past achievements in the Napoleonic Wars, restored his rank of Royal Navy Rear Admiral. But think about it, if he had behaved himself, he might have been a full admiral by now.

Look at his resume, his temper, if he’s not crazy, who is?”

Eld had just finished his rant, before he could catch his breath, he saw an old man with a cane wobbling towards them.

As soon as he recognized the face, he slapped himself, “Damn it, I take back what I said, if you’re talking about crazy people at the Admiralty, this one’s just as bad as General Cochrane. What kind of people did General Codrington invite today?”

(End of Chapter)