Chapter three hundred and seventy-eight Canning's decision
Although Colonel Ross's reasons were very good and also recognized by Sir James Dundas, the old-fashioned Sir James Dundas never made an exception for Colonel Ross. He always believed that the Mediterranean Fleet must be supported by the cabinet or the British Consulate.
It can only take action under the instruction of the Ottoman diplomatic ambassador.
Otherwise, James Dundas is destroying the sacred discipline of the British Navy, and the noble Royal Navy cannot learn from the Army.
Facing the old-fashioned Sir James Dundas, Colonel Ross could only choose to continue to wait and see.
In the early morning of April 1st, when the sun was rising slowly from the sea level.
Located at the Malta port terminal in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, a steam clipper flying the French flag is slowly approaching from the northwest.
The steam cruise warship in charge of Malta's alert quickly moved closer to the French steam clipper as soon as it discovered it.
After traveling for about 5 minutes, the steam clipper and the cruise warship met on the sea less than 2 nautical miles away from Malta.
The captain of the cruising warship immediately sent sailors to ask why the steam clipper was approaching the port of Malta.
"We are the cruising fleet of the First Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. You have trespassed into the patrol waters of our Mediterranean Fleet. Please leave immediately! Please leave immediately!" Standing on the bow of the ship, he shouted to the steamer with his voice.
Shouting in the direction of the clipper. In this era of underdeveloped radio, the communication between warships and warships, and between warships and civilian ships, either relied on military semaphores or roars.
The former is suitable for short and fast delivery of effective instructions, while the latter is suitable for this scenario.
Shouting at the top of your lungs is undoubtedly the most laborious thing to do. Rather than asking the other party's identity diligently, many sailors would rather kill the opponent with one shot.
If the steam clipper opposite was not flying the French flag, then the cruiser would have every reason to treat the opposite ship as a spy and kill it with one shot.
When flying the French flag, British warships must be handled with caution.
A little carelessness may trigger an unexpected political crisis.
Not long after, a voice came from the steam clipper flying the French flag: "I am Stratford Canning, the British ambassador to the Ottomans. Now I need to go to the Malta military base to meet with Lieutenant Commander James Dundas.
Will meet!"
Hearing the response from the steam clipper on the opposite side, the sailors on the cruiser looked at each other. They didn't understand why the British ambassador appeared on a steam clipper flying the French flag.
One of the sailors poked the sailor next to him with his elbow and whispered: "Why are you standing there in a daze! Why don't you go and report to the captain!"
The sailor who had not yet come to his senses said "Hmm" and turned around to report to the captain's room. Halfway through, he suddenly realized why he was asked to report. The sailor stopped and turned around to glance at his companions behind him.
, the companion standing on the bow saw this and waved his hand to him to tell him to go back quickly. When the sailor saw this, he could only report the news to the captain with a helpless smile.
"Are you sure you heard correctly? The other party's name is Stratford Canning?" When the sailor told the captain the news, he was immediately questioned by the captain.
"I'm sure I heard it right! He said he was the British ambassador and his name was Stratford Canning!" the sailor responded to the captain confidently.
"Forget it! I'll go and see for myself!" The captain who met Canning decided to go to the bow in person to see if the other party was the ambassador he knew well.
Under the leadership of the sailors, the captain holding a lookout set out from the captain's cabin and quickly arrived at the bow.
The captain standing on the bow saw Canning standing on the bow of the steam clipper through the lookout glass. Now the captain no longer doubted the identity of Ambassador Canning. He hurriedly shouted to Canning opposite: "Canning."
Ambassador Ning, please come with me!"
"Okay!" Canning on the other side responded immediately.
Under the captain's order, the steam engine mounted on the cruiser was started again, and the other steam clipper was also restarted.
The cruise ship and the steam clipper sailed into the port of Malta one after another. After the clipper docked at the port of Malta, the wooden stairs were slowly lowered, and a pedestrian passage was being constructed to connect the clipper to the port pier.
The family members of the sailors living in Malta watched the steam clipper flying the French flag with curiosity. After the wooden stairs completely touched the ground, Stratford Canning slowly walked down the stairs.
When Canning's feet completely stepped onto the soil of Malta, the wooden stairs were once again taken back by the sailors on the clipper ship. Now the captain on the side of the deck near the dock waved goodbye to Stratford Canning on land.
.
Stratford Canning also smiled and waved to the captain.
The hum of steam appeared again, and the French steam clipper slowly sailed away from the port of Malta.
The cruise fleet also followed closely to escort them out of Malta. Of course, the cruise fleet said it was an escort, but in fact it was to prevent steam clippers from wandering in the waters near Malta.
Looking at the steam clipper and the cruising warship Stratford drifting away, Canning withdrew his gaze and turned to leave the port.
Led by the naval soldiers stationed in Malta, Stratford Canning not only met Sir James Dundas, Commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, but also Colonel Ross, who was stationed at the Ottoman Embassy.
James Dundas glanced at Stratford Canning and then at Colonel Ross. His eyes were full of doubts. He didn't understand why Ambassador Stratford Canning was already here.
Colonel Ross would have to go through extra trouble to come over.
"Your Excellency Ambassador... why are you here? Why didn't you inform me before you came?" Colonel Ross looked at Stratford Canning in front of him in surprise.
If he had known that Ambassador Canning would return in the near future, there would be no need for him to go to Malta to persuade Sir James Dundas.
"Didn't you receive a telegram from Britain?" Stratford Canning also asked in confusion.
"No!" Colonel Ross shook his head and denied.
After thinking for a moment, Canning suddenly realized that he seemed to arrive a few days earlier than originally planned.
According to the procrastinating character of the British cabinet, it is estimated that they will never disclose their information to the Ottoman embassy until the end.
This also caused Colonel Ross to come to Malta without receiving the cabinet telegram.
It's all the French's fault! Who makes their trains so punctual!
But why did Ross come to Malta?
A new question appeared in Colonel Ross's mind. He looked at the deputy in front of him and asked: "What are you doing in Malta?"
"It's like this..." Colonel Ross told Stratford Canning the exact contents of his conversation with the former Ottoman Foreign Minister two days ago.
After hearing the content of Colonel Ross's conversation, Stratford immediately smelled a hint of conspiracy.
The diplomat's sixth sense told him that the former Foreign Minister mentioned by Colonel Ross seemed to be concealing part of the real situation, especially the situation in France.
While Canning was traveling across France, he saw a group of guys wearing French military uniforms at the railway station in southern France; he saw a lot of supplies being transported via the railway towards Lyon and Marseille, as well as communicating with train passengers.
, Canning heard a certain Marseille fleet company owner complain that his fleet had to be at the disposal of the committee at any time, so that he made a lot of money.
There are various signs that France is conducting limited mobilization.
Although the scope of mobilization was like that of ants moving, they still could not escape Stratford Canning's "fiery eyes".
Judging from the intensity of France's mobilization, Stratford Canning really couldn't imagine why so many supplies were prepared if it wasn't for the preparations for entering the Near East.
So when he heard the conversation between Colonel Ross and Fouad Edifin, he concluded in his heart that the former foreign minister had hidden part of the content from them.
"Lord Canning, the Mediterranean fleet is at your disposal!"
Now that someone who can command the Mediterranean fleet has arrived, Sir James Dundas is naturally willing to follow Stratford Canning's orders.
"Mediterranean Fleet..." Stratford Canning pondered and then said to Sir James Dundas: "Don't move for now!"
Colonel Ross looked at Stratford Canning in astonishment. He didn't understand why Ambassador Canning wanted the warship to stay still for the time being.
"There are a lot of things we don't know here. It's best not to act rashly!" Stratford Canning responded vaguely. He didn't want to embarrass his assistant too much in this public place.
Colonel Ross, who has been working with Ambassador Canning for many years, immediately realized what Ambassador Canning had discovered, but did not refute him because of his face.
"Yes!" Colonel Ross was very grateful to Ambassador Canning.
On the afternoon of April 1, Stratford Canning and Colonel Ross left Malta on a steam clipper.
The clipper arrived in Constantinople in the early morning of April 2.
Looking at the city in front of him after nearly five months of absence, Canning was filled with emotions.
The two people who returned to the embassy simply washed themselves and then fell asleep.
April 2, 10 am.
Stratford Canning emerged from the embassy and soon arrived at the home of former Prime Minister Redeshed.
The old friends who reunited after a long separation exchanged greetings for a while and then immediately entered the group.
"Please tell me! What step have you taken while I was gone!" Stratford Ford asked the former prime minister in front of him with a serious face.
"Canning, you should ask the current Prime Minister this question, rather than asking me, an old man who has lost power! Now I just want to spend the rest of my life in peace!"