Chapter 100: Specialized Treasure for Elder

Chapter 100: To Elder’s Specialized Treasure
The sun had just risen at this time, and the water of the Thames was still foggy.

However, the West India Docks were brightly lit, and business at the docks during the peak transportation season was always so hot.

And in the sailor pile of the dock, Elder is leaning on a railing and yawning sleepily.

He looked at the sailors who were carrying box after box of supplies to the ship, took out his pipe from his pocket and lit it, inhaled deeply, and then exhaled the smoke ring with satisfaction and exclaimed, “Comfortable to the core!”

Darwin stood beside him, he looked at the boxes of cabbage, fresh beef, and rum, and looked a little skeptical of his own eyes.

He pestled Elder beside him and asked in a low voice, “Elder, did you lie to me before, didn’t you say that the treatment of the Royal Navy is very poor? But I see that the food is okay!”

Elder glanced at Darwin and hummed disdainfully, “Charles, of course the food is good when you’re offshore, if it’s that kind of ocean voyage for a few months, there’s something for you to suffer when you turn around. And when I say the treatment isn’t good, I’m mainly referring to the wage level.

I did not say that the Royal Navy food is poor ah! Aren’t you a naturalist? Then you should know that if the animals can’t eat well, where would he have the strength to finish two rounds of shelling in less than three and a half minutes?”

Darwin stared at the sailors walking by in front of him clutching lemonade crates and couldn’t help but gulp as he muttered, “But isn’t the food a little too good? Does the Army get that too?”

“The Army? Do they deserve it? They eat shit!”

Elder taunted, “Those hayseeds eat mashed potatoes with breadcrumbs and that’s about it. The Army, with their legs, can walk without starving. Who wouldn’t be an army member? Just line up and shoot them. Just find a few people and train them for two weeks and they’ll be ready to go to war, what kind of skill is needed for this kind of soldier?
The sailors of the Royal Navy are not like them. We have valuable skilled men here. Charles, you realize how difficult it is to train a skilled sailor.

Many of our sailors have been on board since they were seven or eight years old. If we put them out there, they’d all be skilled in the merchant marine.

It’s no joke that merchant ships are willing to pay three or four times as much to get them, and the shipowners are not stupid, at least they know how to do their math.

For this kind of talent, the navy can not afford to give much salary is not even a problem, but at least must make the supply a little better.

Because of this, even in the most difficult period of the Napoleonic Wars, the Royal Navy sailors could at least eat a few pounds of stale corned beef every week and drink a gallon of beer every day.”

Darwin couldn’t help but be dumbfounded when he heard this, “Are you telling the truth?”

Elder nodded, “Of course, why would I lie to you about that. Right or wrong, won’t you understand if you stay on the ship for a while?

As long as you don’t go offshore for long periods of time, the Royal Navy’s meals have always been okay, and almost all of the fleet commanders take the issue of resupply very seriously.

The reason why Admiral Nelson was so popular in the Royal Navy at the time was partly because he was very strict about the requirements of the fleet’s supplies, and he had to personally try out the dishes he supplied to the sailors, and anything he found unpalatable had to be returned and re-purchased.

It is also because of this, so the guys are happy to work for him. And after the Battle of Trafalgar, the captured French commander-in-chief Vilnaeve came to the Victory to dine with a stiff upper lip and said: ‘you eat so well, no wonder you won the fight’.

But I can understand, after all, the Royal Navy’s most abhorred corned beef can be a delicacy when it comes to the French. Even that sort of thing they eat with relish, so it’s no wonder they gasp at our food.”

At this point, Elder suddenly drew out the Daily Food Ration Sheet for the crew of the Beagle, which was tucked in his breast pocket, and read it.

“Let’s see what the Admiralty got us this week for sea training ……

Monday, one pound of cookies, one pint of wine, one pound of pork, half a pint of peas, 3/4 ounce of lemonade. Tuesday, one pound of cookies, half a pint of rum, two pounds of corned beef, one pint of oats, two ounces of butter, 3/4 ounce of lime juice.

Wednesday …… Well, isn’t that today?”

Elder fixed his eyes and suddenly slapped his head and exclaimed, “Oh! Fuck it! Today’s dish is a bit fucking rich! Four pounds of flour and a pound of raisins, half a pint of gin, and half a pound of cabbage and three pounds of fresh lamb! There’s actually sweetened black tea served at the end of the meal!

My God! Colonel Fitzroy was quite good at making arrangements. He knows that the brothers don’t like to go on board, so he’s made a special list of the finest delicacies for us!”

Darwin actually began to look forward to the next week of sea training life when he heard Elder say this.

He gluttonously gulped and pointed at his backpack again, complaining at Elder.

“Elder, you boy are something else! You made life at sea sound so miserable before, causing me to buy a whole bunch of food yesterday to prepare to bring on board. Now it seems that all these things probably won’t be able to be put to use, just the regular meals served on the ship every day will be able to prop me up.”

Elder also gave him a blank look, “Of course it’s miserable, when we start sailing around the world later on and we can’t dock to replenish our supplies, you’ll be in for a hard time! Besides, I told you to buy some cigarettes and playing cards for this sea training, but it was you who insisted on buying food, and you blamed me afterward. Charles, that’s where you’re wrong.”

“I don’t know how to smoke and gamble, what am I buying those things for?”

Elder sniffed angrily, “Can’t you learn if you don’t know how? Besides, even if you don’t, I can still play!”

Darwin heard this and got angry too, “Hey! Elder, you fucking ……”

But before he could finish cursing, he saw three men in black coats rushing towards them on the dock.

Darwin peeled away from Elder and squinted toward them, muttering, “What are those guys doing?”

Elder didn’t care to give his head a twist, but as soon as he saw the trio’s outfit, he immediately rushed towards the boat in fear, “Fuck! They must be looking for old me to collect a debt! These assholes are chasing me too tightly, don’t I just owe more than ten pounds of gambling debt? I’ve got a gambling debt of ten pounds or so! Charles, don’t look at me, get on the boat with me!”

Elder is trying to wipe his feet and slink away, but unexpectedly was dragged by Darwin.

“Don’t you run away, that looks like Arthur and the two Scotland Yard officers I taught.”

“Arthur?” Elder didn’t believe Darwin’s words, he opened his mouth and cursed, “Charles, didn’t I just trick you into buying some snacks? To not be so vindictive to me? Are you going to let go of me? If you don’t, I’ll turn my face away!
Although I, Elder, am a decent gentleman who graduated from the University of London, if I unleash the devil hidden in my heart, I will definitely let you see the power of the Oxford villains!”

One of Elder and Darwin wanted to run, the other was dead set on not letting go.

The two were at a standstill when suddenly Arthur’s voice was heard running across the dock.

“Elder, look damn well, I’m not a debt collector! If you dare to run away, I’ll go back to Scotland Yard later and turn over your entire record!”

(End of chapter)