Read Online Tokyo Bay by Anthony Grey - Free Book Online Page A

been!’
Prince Tanaka again shook his head firmly in disagreement. ‘For two hundred years Nippon has shut itself off from the world. That has been a time largely of peace, so our fighting men are no longer hardened and experienced in battle. Their fighting spirit is low, their spears and their muskets are rusted, their arrows are unfeathered . . . On the other hand, the boldness of the enemy ships is a sure sign that the gal-jin have a great willingness to fight - ’
‘You are suggesting that we capitulate to whatever the barbarians demand of us, without a fight,’ cried Yakamochi accusingly. ‘You are urging a total surrender!’
‘That’s not true. If we antagonize the barbarians, the shogunate may be humiliated before our people. This could lead to turmoil - and even rebe ll ion! So it is essential that we strive to deceive the enemy. We should negotiate skillfully so as to mislead them about our true strength.’
‘This is dangerous,’ interjected Lord Daizo. ‘If we behave like cowards, they will surely sense our weakness. It would be madness for us to rule out the use of force!’
‘If we make the wrong choice, have you not thought how easy it would be for the foreign barbarians to strangle Yedo?’ asked Tanaka mildly, looking again towards the bay where the four black warships were cutting a broad white swathe through the growing swarms of merchant junks and sampans dotting the water. ‘Look how many supply craft are plying back and forth to feed our great city . The enemy will already have noticed that most of its food is brought in by sea. A simple blockade by their ships at the narrows would quickly bring one million people in Yedo to the brink of starvation!’
‘You may be right said Yakamochi fiercely, stepping forward and confronting Prince Tanaka directly ‘But we believe it’s better to fight than to starve! That’s why I’ve volunteered to he l p escort our delegation to the barbarian ships, disguised as an ordinary samurai guard.’
Yakamochi paused and, with a flourish, drew his short sword from its scabbard. Turning the weapon, he concealed it expertly inside one of the voluminous sleeves of his kimono, then looked hard at Tanaka again.
‘If an opportunity to kill one or more of the foreign barbarian leaders arises, I shall be prepared to act swiftly in this fashion. My father approves of this. And we believe that all of us must act as boldly as the enemy, if we are to save Nippon!’
For a long moment Prince Tanaka held the challenging gaze of the other young nobleman in silence; then he bowed his head formally to Lord Daizo to indicate that the exchanges were at an end.
‘I, too, have volunteered to accompany the boat delegation disguised as a guard, my lords,’ he said evenly. ‘But I intend to do all I can to ensure that we do not use the sword until the moment is ripe.’
‘We shall see who is right - and very soon,’ snapped Daizo, bowing perfunctorily in return. ‘It’s time now to confront these barbarians and their black ships!’
Swinging on his heel he motioned impatiently to his son and his bodyguards, and led the way towards their tethered horses.

5
    ‘ A CTION STATIONS!’ Robert Eden yelled his order sharply, and watched eagle-eyed as his gun crews surged towards the row of massive sixty-four-pound cannon drawn up before the open firing embrasures on the port side.
‘Load shot - and prime!’ he shouted, and nodded with satisfaction as the crewmen ‘ w ielded their ramming poles with lightning speed to force charges of gunpowder, wadding and huge balls of cast-iron round shot into the gaping muzzles of the guns. As soon as this had been done, slender friction tubes with lanyards hanging loose were dropped into the rear touch-holes, readying the guns for use.
‘Run out!’ barked Eden, striding quickly along the deck, his hand gripping his sword hilt.
As one man, the sailors strained and heaved at the thick ropes threaded through block-and-tackle fittings on