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Pulp Through Trouble To Tibet

Page history last edited by Michael 14 years, 1 month ago

back to Into the Desert or to the Index


 

 

May 27, 1934:  Our Heroes board the S.S. Mooltan in Melbourne, bound for Singapore.

June 6: 1934:   arrive in Singapore! Some news of note:

  • The British sent troops to Dongola to suppress an uprising
  • Three ships have disappeared in the South Atlantic in the last four weeks:  a Union Castle mail ship bound for South Africa, a French freighter, and the yacht of a famous arms dealer (not Boulle) -- complete with the arms dealer and his family.

Lotta sends a telegram to her crew in Alexandria. Major Delacy checks in with Naval Intelligence; Commander Anonymous gives him a vaguely-defined mission to travel to Tibet with half-a-dozen other British troops who are training in Tientsin, China. Ivanov receives orders seconding him to the British under the command of Major Delacy.  The party buys new clothing and generally improves their equipment.

June 9, 1934:  depart for Tientsin on the S.S. Hwuddagin.

June 14, 1934:  while crossing the China Sea, a typhoon appears, and drives the Hwuddagin onto a reef at dusk! The passengers and crew take to the lifeboats. Our Heroes end up on three of the boats, along with about 50 other survivors.

June 18, 1934:  the typhoon has continued for four days, driving the three boats in an unknown direction. Mid-day, Our Heroes see the masts of two junks and a dhow -- pirates! Or rather, two pirate junks and their latest victim. One of the junks approaches the lifeboats -- the boat containing Fury, Lotta, and four survivors. Fury and Lotta make a blazing attack, and the sparse crew of the junk are taken by surprise. Some strange mystical stuff occurs, most notably a man (probably a Chinese sorcerer) flying away from the junk just before Lotta and Fury destroy it entirely! The junk's crew managed to shell one of the other lifeboats, and some of them escape in Lotta's boat, so in the end Our Heroes and about 50 others are crammed into one boat. Despite the best efforts of Our Heroes, the other junk and it's towed prize manage to escape. The typhoon continues ...

June 21, 1934:  the typhoon abates, and the lifeboat lands on Panay, in the Phillipines. After a bit of searching, a native village is located.

June 22, 1934:  after a bit of searching, a fishing village is located.

June 29, 1934:  the survivors arrive in Manila on a small steamboat. There is some attention from the press -- our boats had been presumed lost in the typhoon, and several other boats were rescued the day after the ship sank. There is some confusion about how the pirate attack was dealt with. Mr. Davis is taken away by the Shore Patrol.

June 30, 1934:  Delacy asks about Davis' whereabouts; the authorities state he'll be back in a couple of days.

July 2, 1934:  Davis rejoins Our Heroes, in the uniform of a US Marine first lieutenant. Apparently his commission has been reactivated and he's assigned to Major Delacy. Delacy is informed that the expedition being formed in Tientsin has "gone missing" (they've been underway to Tibet since about June 18th), and his new mission is to locate the missing expedition. Davis obtains weapons for the party from the naval arsenal.

July 6, 1934:  off for Shanghai from Manila by ship.

July 11, 1934:   Our Heroes arrive in Shanghai. After checking in a the Hotel Metropole, there follows three days of obtaining equipment, entertaining ourselves, and arranging for passage on a series of steamers to Likiang, far up the Yangtze River. Ivanov obtains French uniform items and equipment from various pawn shops, surplus stores and tailors -- the French have about 1,000 Troupes Coloniales in Shanghai. A visit is paid to the amazing "Great World" amusement center.

July 14, 1934:  the 1800 mile trip to Likiang begins.

July 19, 1934:  the river steamer strikes a mine! Some damage is done to the bow, and the vessel anchors about 100 yards from the north bank of the river to make repairs. A desultory attack by the bandits/warlord troops who set the mine is easily repulsed.

July 20, 1934:  the steamer is still not repaired. At night, a score of ogres attacks the anchored vessel -- 8' to 11' tall, dressed in rags and furs, carrying crude melee weapons. They are able to run across the water's surface, and their terrible screams cause men to cower in fear. Four of the ship's crew, and Our Heroes, fight them off, with some injuries. Major Delacy has some sort of obscure battle with one of the ogres -- he seems to be glowing black! Only Davis saw the battle, but all of Our Heroes (and the ship's passengers and crew) are rather disturbed by this. He seems remarkably chipper about it, and remains in his cabin for a day or so till the glow wears off.

July 21, 1934:  the vessel is repaired just after dawn, and continues its voyage.

June 23, 1934:  the sound of a motor vehicle is heard in the distance; Our Heroes disembark to investigate, and find a pillaged and massacred town. A quick burial is arranged for the inhabitants.

July 24, 1934:  the steamer arrives in Likiang.

July 25, 1934:  Delacy arranges for the neccessary beasts, guides and porters for the trip to Tibet:  2 guides and 9 porters/animal handlers. A few last furs and such are obtained; Ivanov buys an old (but working) 8mm Mauser rifle, and a couple hundred rounds of ammunition.

July 26, 1934:  depart from Likiang, bound for Tibet, a trip of about 1300 miles - a journey of 52 days.

July 29, 1934:  a unit of fifty armed men -- Japanese troops and Chinese irregulars -- surprises Our Heroes during breakfast. The Japanese officer in charge of the unit warns of bandit trouble ahead, tries to persuade Our Heroes to turn back, and says the graves of six Europeans are nearby. The graves are almost certainly those of the "Tientsin group" of British soldiers, sent out 41 days ago; they've been dead for a week or two. Our Heroes decide to turn back and abandon the expedition; the remains of the British soldiers are examined and neatened up.

 

 

an iron chain bridge

 

 

the Tea and Horse Road

 


 

On to Around the World Again

 

 

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