The curse of Fu-Manchu and why Opium is bad for you

October 1864 copy of the Britannic Times has showed up and for non scabble players here are the highlights:

1) In London some talk in the clubs about formation of a private military company “Peace force” but no information about who is to control it, where it is going to recruit or what its purpose is to be. With Lord James Farnham busy building arsenals in the USA some people believe that the Albion corporation may be feeling a bit out gunned by its commercial rivals and looking to do something about what Lord James no doubt considers to be military bullying of the Albion Corporation by the other Hongs. Bullying which Governments have failed to do anything about even when in Lord James view they have a legal duty to clamp down.

2) Lord James however has not totally given up on expensive lawyers and at no doubt great cost got
Balthams of London to take up the case of his former man in India shipped home to face charges of corporate manslaughter due to a mining disaster in India. Alternative view is that after the death of Flashman and the maiming of Viscount Hardinge the Lord Chief Justice in India just wanted to get Cornel out of the country before he got snatched off the streets and was found face down in the Sunderbond as per the old Moghul Law Code.

Unfortunately for Balthams very nice and no doubt very expensive letter published all over page 2 of the Britannic Times and Ba;thams legal defence efforts it was all a bit pointless as Cornel was freed by the CPC without charges.

3) In what President Adolphe Thier has described as a triumph for French diplomacy, ingenuity and… and…flare! Saving both peace in Europe and the International Bond market the President has sold one French colony to Russia for £100m including clearing of French debts to Russia and another two colonies to the Tea Cartel for £150m plus clearing of French debt held by the Tea Cartel. Thus in two swift decisions the Republic is placed once more on a sound financial footing and the International Bond Market is saved by Adolphe Thier ……...from the crisis Adolphe Their started !!

France has now repaid or is in a position to re-pay all of the £200m plus it owed. But its unknown if internal investors and the international markets will ever trust the French Republic again.

4) According to the French Royalist leader Comte Victor de Vigny the Republic wastes money on stupid towers and other projects and France will only get back its financial good name when it replaces the Republic and restores the Monarchy. No doubt a view shared by such people as Queen Victoria and the Czar.

5) Someone else also upset by President Adolphe Thier sudden moment of diplomacy, ingenuity and flare was Victor Hugo who made it to Khorrom just in time to report on a war which is not now going to happen…….rats!

6) Having done his bit to save the peace of Europe and the International Bond markets and some would say save Adolphe Thier from his own folly. Prince Gaia Dmitrievich Iszhishkian and his trusty batman are now on their way to Berlin to see if they can work their diplomatic magic on the Kaiser and help save poor Christians being crushed and enslaved by the Mad Madhi and get the Kaiser to honour earlier agreements. The words no hope, bob hope and he would do stand a better chance of preaching temperance at an Irish wake spring to mind.

7) This is certainly the view of the British Government who have totally ignored German rights over Massawa to send first Gordon and now Sir John Nicholson with some of his India chaps to Massawa. Currently no action to report as Gordon is still holding the ridge line inland of the beachhead at Mitsiwa Sands dareing the Mardhi to attack something the Mahdi has shown no ambition to do since this would bring him into range of British Naval Gunfire. It is unlikely that Nicholson will want to stick around on a beach playing a waiting game so the Mardi would seem to now have two options of retreat or attack and try and wipe out the beachhead before the reinforcements land.

Adding to the problems suffered by the Mahdi after he insulted the Russian government and killed some of their subjects a Russian Battle Squadron of five fast Ironclads showed up off his only port of Suakin. Nicely allowed merchant ships and civilians who wished to get away to leave and then shelled the place flat. Oddly the Port seemed to be totally undefended.

An Italian Naval Squadron under command of the 1st Duke of the Sea, Paolo Camillo Thaon, Marquess of Revel went past this butchery of an undefended port but shown no sign of wanting to help the poor helpless folk of Suakin menaced by a “Bear”. The Good Marquess had as many ships as the Russians but as two of the Italian ships were gunboats and another a Cruiser they would have been badly outgunned and out armoured by the Russian Unit.

9) Italy has however announced other help for poor African Natives and is sending them a Catholic Mission under Monsignore Giovanni Musi to help spread the word of God in the Heart of Darkness. Why do I think this is going to lead to more menaced Nuns in need of saving?

10) At the White House, President John Neely Johnson spoke of his pride at seeing the Albion Arsenal under construction. Has the man totally lost whatever wits he ever had !? The Albion Corporation might pretend to be a respectable French Company these days but behind the expensive PR and lawyers its still the Opium Corporation an alliance of British Hongs and Triads who have faught Fu-Manchu and the Boxers to a standstill and are so widely feared and distrusted even by the British Government and the other Hongs that they were effectively exiled.

If the hard men of the Tory Party, the Tea Cartel and the HEIC are scared of something its for a reason. And good reason why you do not invite it in for a lay down with the lambs.

John Neely Johnson is officially nuts!

11) In India its hot !! They also played some polo, rather more cricket and dredged a sunk ship out of Bombay harbour with a strange metal object in it. They also blow someone away someone for breaking and entering a HEIC stronghold after killing their CEO only months before. Which has got to be one of the more odd ways to go even a for a spy in scrabble. Even the HEIC admired Ramesh Kapoor pluck…….stupid but plucky for a backstabbing assassin.

12) Japanese efforts to explore the America’s and sale the world junk it was not even aware it needed continue. They do however seem to have found gold and also the self proclaimed Republic of California.

13) Finally no more reports about Aliens but probably just as shocking. The Chin Empire has banned English trade in China. Let the Opium Wars commence.

Nov 1864 copy of the Britannic Times has showed up and for non scabble players here are the highlights:

1) In London they are rather upset about the Chin Empire ban on British trade and the seizure of British merchant ships and goods. An interruption of trade which is costing an estimated £10m per month.

No official position has yet been set by the Lord Derby Government but the press and sections of his own backbench support are demanding a full apology with compensation and interest or it should be war.

2) In Versailles, Adolphe Thier has offered to sale Russia French railways, roads and telegraph lines in Khorrum for £6m.

No reply as yet from the Government of the Czar who no doubt thought that things like roads were part of the province they purchased. Seems to be a month for trying to stitch up the Czar as in far east some goat herders tried to blame his Cossacks for death of some mangy goats and sent him a bill for £200,000. Do these particular goats have a golden fleece?

3) Berlin, after an Armenian diplomat in the service of the Czar (clearly Czar is unable to find a “diplomatic” Russian) kindly offered Russian support and transport help recover their invaded and lost province of Massawa and avenge butchered German Christians. The Emperor of Germany personally took over the talks. Not sure if he does not trust his own ministers to conduct the talks, trust the Russian-Armenian or does not trust the whole pack of them.

4) St Petersburg, still in a major strop about the killing of Russian merchants by the Mahdi force (for which he flattened the port of Sarkin and made friendly moves towards the Germans and the French). The Grand Duke Polovtsov made it very clear that if the Chin treat Russian merchants like they treated British merchants in taking over their ships, cargo and warehouses etc. It will be considered an act of war against the Czar.

Seventeen Russian Ironclads and eight Transports have made it to Port Khorrom heading east. They were watched with interest by veteran French General Patrice d’MacMahon who might have been going off to save threatened French nuns in Massawa but the British got their first to save the flower of French women from being ravished, defiled and forced into the harem of the Mahdi. The British unlike the Russians and French showing exactly 0% concern for fact that Massawa is a German colony.

5) In Massawa itself the Mahdi Army attacked the ridge inland of Massawa Sands defended by the forces of the British General Gordon. Their rifle fire using captured British rifles forced the Royal Horse Artillery to withdraw over the ridge line with heavy losses which allowed the Mahdi Cavalry and Camel mounted troops to take the top of the ridge and purse the RHA down the reverse slope.

Here the pursuit of the mounted troops of the Madhi was shot to a stop and routed by close range British rifle fire. However this mounted attack stopped the British Infantry from gaining the ridge-line and forcing the charging Infantry of the Madhi from having to charge up hill.

Having gained the top of the ridge and up slope advantage over the British regulars the Madhi troops then engaged in a fire fight against the British before the spear armed Fuzzy Wuzzies burst through their rifle armed skirmish line and charged home. The Fuzzy Wuzzies suffered terrible losses from British rifles at point blank range but kept going to engage in hand to hand combat with the British who held firm in the face of this savage charge.
However, the sheer savage skill of the Fuzzy Wuzzies, their upslope advantage and the fighting the British had already been involved in proved too much and to the shock and horror of Gordon his Infantry broke and routed pursued by the Fuzzy Wuzzie bands.

6) For from the top of the ridge with his bloody but victorious troops and with King Mitsiwa captive again (but no French nuns this time). The Mahdi has a perfect view of the now rallying troops of Gordon and the many British ships on a bright blue sea and it was good. But totally spoiling the view from the Mahdi point of view was another sight…….for Nicholson and the Army of the Punjab had come, and it was the pipes and drums of the 42nd Foot “The Devils own” defying the Shia Heretics on the ridge to do their worse.

7) In total HEIC ships have unloaded seven infantry battalions, five cavalry squadrons and three artillery batteries to support Gordon and they are now too the right of his rallied forces.

In theory the Indian Armies of the HEIC like the Army of the Punjab are colonial troops and considered inferior to European troops. But units like the Guides and the 42nd Foot are not just any colonial war band. They are the troops of Clive and Wellington with a glorious two hundred year history. Or if you are Prince Dakar a two hundred year history of loot, plunder and butchery.

However, what is not disputed is that they are armed, paid and trained to the very best European standards. And in Nicholson they are lead by an experienced and able commander even if he has a bit of a reputation in the Army for being “difficult” which was probably why he ended up in India in the first place.

In Africa the Austrians seem to be doing Austrian type things such as writing letters of complaint back too Vienna and getting measured up for coffins before they are even dead (Its probably the heat getting too Alpine types). But oddly no sign of any more flying disasters as of yet.

9) In Panamint the Japanese have had lumps of gold thrown at them by the locals. They are not sure if they should be happy about this “greeting” or sending letters of complaint back to Nippon about unfriendly locals.

10) Victor Hugo the famous French writer who’s work is published to many different European Papers has made it to Bitra in order to report on public interest story about the return of Atlantis.

11) In Bombay Sir Harry Smith and his chums trying their best to establish Bombay rather than Shanghai or Hong Kong as the greatest merchant hub in the east. This month they laid the foundation stone for the St Thomas hospital. The hospital is linked to the Anglican Cathedral of St Thomas but looks after all faiths.

Some note that Bombay got a Test Match ground, a Sock Exchange and a Grand Railway Station before it got a general hospital and a House of God.

12) Queen Yehonala of Transoxania Oxford University educated former girl-friend of Flashman, left arm spin bowler and treated like a niece by Lord Hardinge. A young lady of first rate connections and breeding. Helpfully pointed out that as she is decended from Ghengis Khan via the Timurid Line from Central Asia and India. This also means that she has a distant relationship to the Yuan Dynasty of China.

Since the Yuan were overthrown by the Ming Dynasty who in turn were overthrown by the Manchu invaders who currently rule China with unbelievable levels of slough, brutality and corruption this would be of little but academic interest to anyone who is not a China merchant suffering £10m a month losses and desperate to replace the Manchu Emperor with someone a bit more friendly. And they have the word of the immortal Flashy that Yehonala sometimes known as the silk one and her maids are very friendly indeed.

13) In the far east the Russians have invaded Wanda………….again. A very Russian type thing to do in between dealing with local goat farmers complaints about Cossack goat bothering.

14) While in Tokyo the Japanese seem to be doing Japanese type things with Kites. Does this mean that Japan is going to join France, Italy and Austrian in pursuit of manned flight and its various military applications? Normally resulting in crashes into mountains, deserts and sometimes Jungle then sometimes successful attempts to find the crew and the wreck.

Many thanks for the update Stuart.

Let's hope the Japanese kites are not Kamikaze

December 1863 Britannic Times has shown up and for non scabble players here are the hightlights:

1) Page one came from Paris and was taken up by snobby French Royalists, English diplomats and the Babbage Array moaning about something or other. So no change in the normal state of affairs for both the French and English diplomacy.

2) Meanwhile back in Brittania. Lord Francis Farnworth was back in London after his long “exile” to the wild west. Lord Weatherbee was made a Viscount but lost a silver tea creamer and some of his security. While right at the end of “town” news Lord Derby declared war on China following prior months ban on British trade and seizure of ships and goods by the Chin authorities.

3) In Berlin the Germans and Russians still trying to fix up a peace agreement. With Russia agreeing to German terms subject to improved pilgrim access including a rail link across German territory to both Carmel and Jerusalem.

4) In Vienna the Emperor gave Johann Strauss an award for services to Austrian Military Music. Then announced a whole long list of Austrian military changes. Which would seem to imply that Austrian military music is 1st rate the rest of the military rather less so.

- In particular down in Pola Admiral Tegetthoff wants to scrap the whole Austrian Navy and start again with new ships and new guns.

5) In St Petersburg the ministers of the Czar offered Christmas greeting's to the powers of Europe and agreed to pay the French an extra six million pounds for rail and telegraph concessions in Persia including Khorrom. And have urging a united European approach to the threat posed by the Mahdi rather than let Gordon and the British deal with the matter on their own and no doubt then carve up the whole of the Nile Valley and the wider Sudan region.

6) No reply from Paris or Berlin concerning captive French Nuns or German colonies and missions butchered by the Mahdi. But interestingly in Khorrom this message has been meet with joy and singing of the La Marsellaise by General Macmahon and his die hard Republican Army of the Orient.

One wonders what moderate Republican President and Prime Minister Their, The Royalist leader Comte Victor de Vigny and the Napoleonic Prince Imperial will make of a die hard Jacobite like Macmahon restoring the somewhat dented honour of the French military? Politics in France are somewhat well French!

7) Meanwhile near the actual action in Massawa a herald of the Mahdi offered Gordon and his allies the opportunity to leave by sea or “their blood will curdle on the sand”.

Gordon himself has yet to reply to this message as was later taken to a British Hospital ship with debilitating stomach cramps. His HEIC allies however expressed the view that trusting the word of the Mahdi in the current situation was madness and asking for a spear in the back! So summoning the spirit of Flashman “Bloody Lance” the HEIC warships bombarded Mitsiwa Ridge while General Sir John Nicholson attacked the left flank of the Mahdi Army.

For reasons unknown the Mahdi failed to order the attack he had promised earlier if the British did not leave and rather than face the “Devils Own” and other crack units of the Army of the Punjab. The Madhi ordered his formerly victorious fanatics to give up Mitsiwa ridge and retreat inland with no more than an exchange of artillery fire.

Why the Mahdi ordered a retreat with Gordon seemingly at his mercy remains a mystery. Possible theories include his Army suffered worse than believed last month and he did not wish to risk another battle to wanting to keep his men fresh for a true and worthy North African foe – MacMahon. A really extreme theory believed only in India is that the reputation of the bloody handed Army of the John Company is now so scary that even true Ghazi would sooner face European Regulars than the hand picked killers of Gough, Nicholson, Rose and the Silk One.

In good news for all apart from coffin makers the great Italian explorer Pierfrancesco de Medici has made a full recovery from his fever.

9) The 1st Army of Japan has crossed from Diablo into Panamint and declared that Panament is now part of the Empire of Nipon. The locals seemed only slightly interested.

10) Meanwhile back in Diablo it would seem that a bit of a gold rush is under way with Confederate miners drawn to the province by the recent discovery of gold.

11) Christmas celebrations in Bombay along with various Naval movements including three Royal Navy Battleships putting to sea?

- But are they headed to Massawa or the Island of Bitra where famous French reporter Victor Hugo looking for a scoop on the return of the Atlanteans instead found a very large and hostile submarine which harpooned his small hired fishing boat and took captive a couple of crew members while Victor had to swim for it.

- The Royal Navy may be interested in such piracy after earlier loss of ships and damage to cables. But are Battleships the best Submarine hunters?

12) On subject of a sea going life the port of Kerachi in Bela is getting two new hospitals. One at the military base known as the White Fort and a second down by the Docks with its very own VD clinic which gives away free condoms, does free medical checks for “soiled doves” and hands out religious tracts on why you should not do this type of thing.

13) In Peking the mouthpiece of the Holder of the Mandate of Heaven said a lot of stuff which is now out of date as Lord Derby has spoken…...and declared war.

14) In other parts of Chin the Siamese Military has banned all fighters in the war to come from the port of Taku while an Italian fleet has sailed into Tsing-Tao. It is made up of a flagship Cruiser, two lineships and two gunboats.

15) Meanwhile to the North of the expected war zone in Chin a rather larger Russian Naval force has sailed into Port Arthur to join the Grand Duke Paul for the Christmas festival. While Russian land forces tried to investigate accounts that Cossacks had butchered £200,000 worth of goats in Musan, something the Russian view as a false slander – have these goats got golden fleeces?

Also right up in the Northern province of Wanda the Czars forces can not get at their foes on the Blackwater mountain. But little food, water or shelter exists on the steep mountain slopes for man or pig and the Czars men are digging in. Short of fighting through the Czarist lines the only way out for Chief Biu and the Heishui would seem to be to fly off the Mountain or dive from the mountains sea cliffs into the Sea of Japan and swim for it. Possible for a hero-sage but probably not for a normal man or pig.

Thanks Stuart, a fascinating (and balanced) summary it would seem to me.

In regards the mystery submarine, I hope someone is working on a 19th C sonar system...

Jason2 wrote:Thanks Stuart, a fascinating (and balanced) summary it would seem to me.

In regards the mystery submarine, I hope someone is working on a 19th C sonar system...

Having enough trouble trying to invent depth charges!

The good news is that while submarines in scrabble are hard for other people to find and sink they generally sink themselves esp if they spend more than a few days at sea.

The "mystery" one may be a one off "special" lifted from the pages of 20,000 leagues under the sea but for more normal players think their best use is as a type of harbour defence.

I seem to remember that in the Scramble newspapers there was someone (in Hong Kong?) trying to sell a piece of "art" that seemed to be a fragment of the Nautilus

Seems my lucky Naval Dice have been taken out of the Lead lined box again.

Sure, that a certain Dr is behind it.

J Flower wrote:Seems my lucky Naval Dice have been taken out of the Lead lined box again.

Sure, that a certain Dr is behind it.

It was only one transport sunk in a Typhoon! I suspect that the introduction of cricket into Nippon has probably upset the Kami.

Look on the bright side you could have been:-

- Speared to death by teleporting Camel riders who are seemingly equiped with a crystal ball.

- Abandoned in a load of ruins with no more than a English photographer and 20 Turks when the French Army decided its scared of the dark (and being speared by teleporting Camel riders)

- Had your brand new port set on fire.

- Or like Lord Derby have been sent a French Poddle poodle called Claudette with a large pink bow in full and final payment of £40m plus interest in French Government debt. Along with a whole load of very dodgy or is that doggy French legal reports........pretty sure Lord Derby did not pay off the distressed French debt he bought it on the open bond market to protect said markets!

The Press, well the part s of it not waiting to be speared to death in Africa alive, are now seeking confirmation concerning account that Lord Derby is training Claudette reference if he hates the French Government, the Chin or the Mahdi more. One bark for frogs, two barks for Fu-Manchu, three for the Mahdi. What was that? Six barks.......what a clever doggy.

Jan 1865 copy of the Britannic Times has showed up and for non scrabble players here are the highlights:

1) Prestige list at the start of 1865 is headed by the semi Asian power of Rossia who’s Aristocratic and Crusader Czar also claims to be Khan of Khans and Supreme Hetman. While in 5th place is the fully Asian Kingdom of Siam lead by its photographer King who may or may not be Triad No 1. In between these two are the three “Hongs” or trade houses of the Opium Cartel (AKA The Albion Corporation…..even though its officially a French Company these days), the Tea Cartel and the Hon East India Company.

Oddly or perhaps not so oddly when you look at some of the people leading their governments – mad, bad and dangerous too know and that just Adolphe Thier - Not one of the major western and central European powers is currently on the Prestige list.

2) Of the three trade houses the Tea Cartel seems to be the most conventional trader and proudly British. The HEIC is also sort of British with Indian influence, a relic of a bye-gone age in theory this company-state is obsolete and should have been replaced by more modern rivals. Unfortunately such modern rivals tend to have nasty accidents or drown in red tape! The Opium Cartel or Albion Corporation has a name plate in France, a London HQ and a majority shareholder who spends most of his time in America. It claims to be a truly free enterprise modern International company unlike its rivals who it views as catspaws of the British Government. Or perhaps the British Government is the catspaw of the Tea Cartel and the HEIC? Currently the Albion Corporation is busy setting up the “Peace Corporation” to take the principals of the modern market into the military sphere. Quite how “Peace Corporation” differs from the Army of the East India Company is not yet clear…...fewer bagpipes, cricket pitches and polo grounds at its bases?

3) In Paris after taking some very dodgy legal advise President Thier decided that Lord Derby had not bought up distressed French debt to save International Credit and the bond markets but had actually paid off the debt and so no money was owed to anyone. To say thank you for this kindness President Thier sent Lord Derby a white French poodle called Claudette. No comment has yet been made by Lord Derby or his Legal Team.

President Their also confirmed in a very high handed and French way that the French Army was going to respond to Russian pleading and British begging and save Europeans from the Mahdi and his hordes. Which is an interesting response to a calls for an International Christian Crusade against invaders of German and British colonies who have also butchered Russian merchants and enslaved French Nuns.

Some cynics will no say that President Their sudden late keenness is campaign for the Christian cause is based on keeping arch Republican General MacMahon out of France so Their can carry on plotting to replace the Republic with either a Monarchy or an Empire. Probably with Their as King or Emperor.

4) However, at least President Their was more responsive than that of Berlin where the Kaiser meet calls for an International Christian Crusade against Madhi with a flat “no”. Even though it was a German colony which was attacked and the Czar called for its recovery the Kaiser seems to have decided its all a Russian plot of some kind.

The Kaiser did however agree to Russian amendments to his proposed peace settlement. Though his continual denial of what Bismarck promised the Russians (effectively calling them liars) and refusal to help against the Madhi would seem to imply he has abandoned Massawa to be fought over by the Madhi and the British.

5) In Massawa General Gordon has made recovery and rejoined his troops who moved up to support Nicholson and his HEIC Army of the Punjab. While Nicholson dug in, and with Navy help landed extra supplies both for troops and victims of the Madhi. He also sent his Cavalry off to find and skirmish with the Madhi forces who had fallen back from the coast only to find out that the blighters had totally fled the province.

With Nicholson considering a monument to the fallen British and the German abandoned locals happy to take his money for work and relief supplies sent from India it seems likely that Massawa and his coastal Christian who hate the Madhi are a natural fit for the British Empire. Sure they can soon learn to drink tea and play cricket.

6) Meanwhile to the north of Massawa in the province of et-Teb the first battalion of the French crusaders moved through the ruins of Suakin and got speared to death. It seems that the French have found at least some of the Madhi forces lost by the British! General MacMahon landed further troops but worried about a night attack on the landed troops did his best copy of the Duke of York and pulled them back to the hired Russian ships they had landed from.

7) Sadly no one bothered to inform that doyen of the French press Victor Hugo who fresh from his research into the mystery of the returned Atlanteans had landed with a party including the English photographer Jenny Forthingbrass-Smith in order to report on the victorious French campaign.

It now seems that Victor and his party is a long way in advance of the crusaders and as close to the forces of the Mahdi as they are to those of MacMahon. On the plus side if an English lady (if that term can be applied to a member of the press) needs to be saved by the French Army that should sale a lot of papers and suit President Their narrative of Europe needing to be saved by a revived France.

General -Major Archduke Charles and Austrian Cavalry have landed in Mogadishu and moved inland, No mention of any crusades just talk of routine re-deployment of troops.

9) Sir Harry Smith and his wife Lady Cynthia have been photographed for the Times of India heading the supply effort for our brave boys and relief efforts for victims of savage Islamic heretic raiders in Massawa.

10) In Bela someone burnt down the HEIC new port facilities at Kerachi. Three men who claimed that this was due to backers of the fugitive slaver Emir Ghodrat were later knifed to death and some workers have stopped work due too fear. Perhaps they should consider who is more scary a fugitive or the HEIC with a broken contract?

11) In Karshi the Siames merchant trader was blinded in a sand storm. It is hoped this condition is only temporary however as he is now being treated by a French Doctor who knows.

12) General Wichung has arranged for building of a Chinese coastal defence battery at Canton. Odd since I thought only a Admiral could do this but perhaps technical help being provided by “Peace Force” which is lead by an Admiral who Lord Derby sacked for basically being past it and useless.

13) In Nippon Prime Minister Kazuyoshi was not poisoned as feared but was actually dropped by a cricket ball. While Peter Ward Fay of the Albion Corporation was jubilant about infrastructure projects between the Empire of Nippon and the Opium Cartel. Opium meets Saki what can possibly go wrong?

14) In the Pacific a Japanese transport ship loaded with troops sunk in a typhoon.

15) Meanwhile in Japanese America they are building telegraph lines and doing other stuff which probably make sence to the Japanese. Or perhaps not since it seems to involve a Mad Scots engineer and lots of spirits.

Feb 1865 copy of the Britannic Times has showed up and for non scrabble players here are the highlights:

1) REPUBLIC OF FRANCE OVERTHROWN BY ITS OWN PRESIDENT !! The Fourth Republic is no more and has been replaced by the Third Empire under Emperor Adolphe Their (ex President of the Republic).

- It is not clear what the Army of the Republic which Their sent to the Orient ahead of his coup or the True Royal and Imperial Houses think of this latest move by the son of a merchant without a single drop of Royal Blood in his body. But probably a fair amount on his hands.

2) Oddly unconcerned by turmoil in France and own wars with Chin and the Mad Mahdi in Britannia they spent to month considering the benefits or otherwise of concrete as a building material. It would seem that the Albion Corporation (technically a French Company these days – for tax purposes at least, not that it ever pays any) has redeveloped the saint Giles area using a lot of concrete. With some people saying this is the wave of the future while others say it lacks soul and give it ten years and St Giles will be a characterless slum as opposed to just being a slum.

3) In the war to counter the Madhi's Jihad against Christians the Russian Navy was able to save Victor Hugo and his party (who the French abandoned last month) and also land some units of the French “Republican” Army at Suakin but not the whole Army. Meanwhile to the South of them the British continued to help Christian Massawa to recover from the Madhist invasion.

- But oddly not in the press was any account of the Madhi and his Army which seems to have vanished. Which raises the question of will the French Army accept the new Emperor and continue with its campaign or seek to return home and restore the Republic?

- And if no one can find and save the King of Massawa (last seen as a captive of Madhi forces) what happens to his Kingdom? Currently any government and restoration work seems to be being directed from Bombay so could the HEIC take over the administration as an interim measure? But how long is interim?

3) Further south in Africa the Austrian Envoy has died in Boar captivity. The Boars claim the man was also working as an agent for the British as well as for the Emperor of Austria.

- Is Austria going to avenge this insult?

4) In India the British seem to be getting over labour issues and getting on with various building projects but in Bela someone was shooting at their camp! Sadly the attackers did not stay around long enough for a proper fight to the great disappointment of Sir Hugh Gough who has not shot anyone in months and months.

- Also in India after the finest French medical treatment Ting Ho Min has now fallen into a fever and is now delusional……..poor chap.

5) In the America’s the Japanese have given up their export of rice due to lack of demand. But after finding gold in Panamint are now trying to find it in Delano as well. The local law enforcement are happy for them to look but want them to keep their noses clean. Which might be a bit hard when digging, perhaps this means that the Japanese are only allowed to pan for gold?

6) In China some chap was seen to throw a panel into the sea and then a British Battle under Admiral Sir John Perry showed up outside Shanghai but they have not yet attacked.

7) Meanwhile to the north in Siberia its all getting very pious. Faced with demands that Vladivostock needs to be ruled by a theocracy. The clearly confused Russian authorities pointed out that Vladivostock is ruled by the Czar who is head of the Russian Orthodox Church so Vladivostock is ruled by a theocracy!

Meanwhile around the Black Mountain the pious hymn singing hordes of the Czar are happy to blockade the Mountain and allow Chief Bu as much time as he wants to seek enlightenment and beg the Czar for mercy for his many sins.

In Nippon they are also seeking enlightenment in their own way. Which seems to involve strange forms of cricket and a philosophy that to obtain enlightenment you first of all have to discover the true meaning of language.

This approach to Philosophy probably seems a bit worryingly Scots and French inspired to many. Also approach to cricket hardly seems MCC approved. Could it see the English calling for a crusade against this Heresy?

March 1865 copy of the Britannic Times has showed up and for non scabble players here are the highlights:

1) Lloyds Bank wins some type of award in London.

2) In St Petersbug Grand Duke Polovtsov welcomed the French change from a Republic to an Monarchy. But Russians a bit sniffy about Thier the grandson of a butcher being properly Royal.

3) Somewhere in the Orient Patriarchy Vakulovsky was busy spashing holy water of new Russian Guns and dishing out jelly, icecream and Vodka to Russian Soldiers and their families. Or perhaps it was the other way around?

4) Also in the Orient a Russian diplomat was trying to visit the Empress of Persia while the French Army landed in Et-Teb province with massive press attention but a major lack of Mahdi forces to fight. General Macmahon has hosted the French revolutionary tricolour over the ruins and proclaimed that Suakin is now part of the "Rep......Empire!"

5) Meanwhile south of Et-Teb in Massawa following much tea drinking and eating of tiffin it has been declared that purely as a temporary ah-hoc measure untill London says otherwise and to allow for its recovery and future protection from Muslim slave raids. The ex-German colony of Massawa has been placed under the Indian Legal Code and is being run by the HEIC from Bombay. Fairly sure same was said about Bengal over 100 years before 1865 and the HEIC are still in place.

6) The Shokumin chi kano nihon (Colonial Army of Nippon) which numbers 12 Infantry battalions, 3 Cavalry Squadrons and 3 Artillery batteries swept down from the Mountains into the fair cattle lands round San Antonio. Mayor James R Sweet II who as well as being the Mayor of San Antonio is a ally of the Russians and a director of the Russian owned Trans Pacific Railway Company road out with a posse of Texans to find out what the Japanese wanted and why they were shooting artillery (at the 8 strong Jesse Plants gang it later turned out) and upsetting the cattle.

Without warning or even saying a word the Japanese openned fire and slaughtered both the Mayor and the men with him.

With the Mayor a bullet ridden corpse on the panhandle it fell to Sheriff P L Buquor to block the further advance of the invaders towards both the City of San Antonio and the Trans Pacific Railroad. This he did by setting a ambush which the now over-confident Japanese Army walked right into. Other problem for the Japanese is that the San Antonio boys do not seem to be armed with the bows and arrows or spears of the Army of Nippon normal foes but good quality (European?) fire arms. The Japaanese 49th Infantry Regiment got so shot up that it has ceased to function as a military unit and the rest of the Army has fallen back into Panamint.

7) General-Major Archduke Charles of the Austrian Army has lead Hussars inland showing the flag in territory which is part of the Austrian African Commonwealth so no one tried to spear or club the Archduke (yet).

In Bela which is in India but wrong side of the Indus some total bounders took pot-shots at the camp of Sir Hugh Gough and his men but did a runner before Sir Hugh Gough and his men could turn it into a battle. The HEIC Sepoys then spent rest of the month trying to find these cads but with no luck.

9) A British Battlefleet has shown up at Shanghai. Four Chinese flagged merchant ships attempted to leave the Port but were shelled by the British with one sunk and the other three driven back. Further British operations against Shanghai was delayed by HMS Warspite grounding itself and the need to take soundings and work out the best route up river. By end of month the British Navy have eye balls on the walls of Shanghai, no guns can be seen lining the embrasures of the walls of Shanghai.

10) More protests in Slavya, Russian soldiers have found it wearing but have yet too shot anyone. Meanwhile in Wanda the Russian Army continues to blockade the last stronghold against them on Black Mountain. The Russians do not fancy trying to climb the mountain with Chief Bu men rolling rocks down on them. But they seem to believe that at some stage pigs will run out of fodder on the bare mountain and the people will run out of pigs too eat and when the snow melts away in the summer the hold outs will run out of water.

Their only hope would seem to be if something happens which diverts the Russians away from their stranglehold on the Black Mountain.......like the Director of a Russian Raileway Company getting filled full of lead?????????

April 1865 copy of the Britannic Times has showed up and for non scabble players here are the highlights:

1) Massive crisis in France !! Seems that some cad has sabotaged the hall of mirrors in Versailles to make the new Emperor Thier look too short, too fat and too well common.

2) The Comte Victor de Vigny who is anything but common, a blue blood Royalist of the old school. Hosted a soiree for the great and good of La belle France. Republican leader now Emperor Thier sent his apologies pleading pressure of work (& a need to go on a diet?) but the Bonapartist heir the 11 year old Prince Imperial did show up to wine and dine with the Royalists. Which would seem to prove that while France may be divided into rival factions they are united in being well French and totally baffling to everyone else.

3) In England we seem to be getting closer to a very, very minor, nothing to worry about honest, DONT PANIC ! DONT PANIC !! financial crisis.

According to Lord Weatherbee and his chums at Lloyds Bank even though the world supply of gold from mines in Russia, Africa and South America is now expanding even more following Japanese finds in the wild west. It is not keeping up with the growth in the money supply. Meaning that if Brittania and the rest of the world is to remain on the Gold (Agema) standard it with require a sharp devaluation in the value of money !!!!!

With the money in your pocket/account about to get reduced by 90% and Lord Weatherbee saying DONT PANIC with a upper lip so stiff you could bounce cannon balls of it. What is he smoking in that Pipe and can he share with the rest of us?

4) Lord Weatherbee with his charming wife (even if she is a American) also hosted a Grand Ball for Society and visited the House of Lords to join Lord Derby in being snooty about the origins of the new Emperor or France. As well as asking when the revolting little oik is going to pay Britannia the money it spent saving International Bond markets after the French crashed them. Payment in colonies, gold or cash equally accepted.

5) William Gladstone for her majesties loyal opposition did not say if the frogs have any sence they will wait for Lord Weatherbee to devalue then pay their debts in old de-based money but he was clearly thinking it. While claiming that if an election was called his liberals would win by a landslide.

Just as well that an election is not going to be held any time soon as the majority of the Lords and her Majesty clearly think Gladstone is a bad egg. The political public face of the France based Opium Cartel and a Catspaw for Lord Farnborough the baddest of bad eggs and a total rotter.

6) In St Petersburg Grand Duke Polovtsov is somewhat annoyed about the attack by the Colonial Army of Nippon on good christians and allies of the Czar. In fact at one stage he compared the murder of Mayor Sweet and the threat to the Russian owned Trans Pacific Railway as being like the rampage of the Mad Mahdi.

Nippon has been placed on warning and told not to do it again, because according to the Grand Duke Russia does not abandon Christians or allies.

7) Though oddly in Et-Teb the Russian Navy seems to have done just that as it left the French behind and sailed due north. Which raises the question as to if the Czar even consider the French as Christians let alone allies?

Unmoved by the withdraw of Russian Naval support General MacMahon proceeded to establish French military control over the province with not a Fuzzy-Wuzzy or rabid camel in sight. The French civil control over Et-Teb has not yet replaced the Mahdi tax collectors and other civil officials.

Furthher south in Massawa the English were playing cricket and bringing Engineers ashore to celebrate their victory over the pagan hordes. Which would seem to indicate the crisis is over.......or is it?

9) CRISIS IN CAIRO (Read all about it).........panic striken telegraph messages are being sent round the world and esp to London to say that the Mahdi and a vast army have crossed into the Eastern Desert of Egypt and are posed to sweep down on Cairo and the key British base of Port Said which are both in the province of Egipya.

10) Famous war reporter Victor Hugo may have made an error in thinking that the hunt for the Mahdi would be long, dusty and a bore and going east to cover the Anglo-Chin war instead. Not least because in may be over before Victor even shows up.

After freeing its ships and sorting out the fair water channel British fleet finally made it too Shanghai only for Governor Suen to agree to all of their terms before they were even issued or a shot fired at the city (English did sink one Junk). However the question remains open as to if the Governor has authority to speak for the Emperor? Or is he speaking only for his city?

11) In more confused messages Field Marshal Model said his forces will not leave the Holy Land until the Czar returns Alma. Has Berlin even bothered to inform Model of their recent diplomatic agreement with the Russians?

12) On subject of diplomatic agreement Persia has allied with Russia while staying a client state of France.

13) Panamint and its gold has been brought under the authority of Imperial Nippon.

14) In Shammata (Canada) Mounties looking for Metis rebels found huts on stilts and then got shot at.

15) Traders in Karsui were surprized to find the province is ruled by King Ferry who used to be a French Admiral backed up by elements of the Persian military. Seems very much the fashion in France to suddenly give yourself a Royal title.

16) Talking about another who would be King (well Queen) North of the Hindu Kush. Queen Yehonela marched an Army into Tashkent and nicely (with cake) demanded that everyone take a oath of loyalty to the Timurid Kingdom. The Uzbecks counter claimed that they have never been subject to the House of Timur.........which may well be true, but Tashkent is most clearly a history land of the Timurids and the Queen has the backing of her former wicket keeper "Speedie" and the HEIC. Clearly this could turn into a blood bath.

17) "Speedie" if anyone is interested is believed to be the Right Honourable Viscount James J Speedicut.........Ruby School where he was a close chum of Flashman, Cambridge, Diplomatic Service Vienna, now CEO of the Honourable East India Company. All round spiffing chap and a first rate wicket keeper.

Hope he is as "Speedie" as his nick name as the last two holders of his current job have been shot and badly wounded and the other knifed to death while watching cricket. On the plus side job is very well paid and comes with its own train and palace plus first rate medical cover.