A Chinese Command: A Story of Adventure in Eastern Seas

In Short

Harry Collingwood's A Chinese Command follows Murray Frobisher, an ex-Royal Navy officer eager to restore his ruined reputation. Seeking his fortune, Frobisher accepts an offer to run arms into Korea, an ill-fated venture that hurls him into regional conflicts, captivity, and pirate ambushes. Upgraded to a command in the Chinese Navy, he leads ironclads through the Sino-Japanese War, stumbles upon the lost Millions of Genghis Khan, and uses his plunder to buy back his lost standing in England. It endures as a vivid, fast-paced tale of late-Victorian naval action and Orientalist adventure.

The Story

The narrative opens with Murray Frobisher languishing in disgrace at Kingston-on-Thames after being cashiered from the British Royal Navy. Eager for employment and a chance to rebuild his life, he embarks on a dangerous armaments-smuggling mission aboard the steamer Quernmore, captained by his loyal friend Drake. The mission goes disastrously awry in Korea, where their forces are overwhelmed by government troops in a desperate, blood-soaked fire-fight. Frobisher is captured, wounded, and thrown into a harrowing Korean prison stocked with grisly torture implements.

Leveraging a breach created by naval bombardment, Frobisher manages a daring escape from his cell. He eventually catches the eye of Admiral Wong-lih, a high-ranking officer in the Chinese military who recognizes the Englishman’s exceptional seamanship. Cleared of suspicion and supplied with new credentials, Frobisher is appointed captain in the Chinese Imperial Navy, initially taking charge of the warship Su-chen and later the modern cruiser Chih' Yuen.

As tension between China and Japan boils over into open conflict, Frobisher finds himself thrust into perilous naval engagements. On a river patrol along the Hoang-ho, the Su-chen is battered by pirate junks, forcing Frobisher to execute a audacious boarding action to clear the riverways. While navigating these treacherous Eastern waters, he and Drake stumble into a hidden subterranean vault containing the long-lost, unfathomable treasure hoard of Genghis Khan—chests bursting with unmounted jewels and precious gold.

When war erupts in earnest, Frobisher leads his men through devastating sea battles against superior Japanese naval forces. He drives his ironclad into the thick of combat, trading heavy shellfire with Japanese flagships amidst horrific storms and typhoons. Despite his tactical brilliance and courageous leadership, his vessel is eventually lost to overwhelming odds and brutal shore ambushes by hostile native forces.

Surviving captivity until a peace treaty is signed, Frobisher reclaims the ancient Mongol hoard, settles old scores with river pirates, and returns home to England an immensely wealthy man. He discovers his court-martial has been reversed, reinstating his rank. To guarantee his homeland's naval dominance, Frobisher uses his vast fortune to purchase and present four brand-new, modern battleships to the British government, earning a baronetcy and complete social vindication.

How It Unfolds

A desperate venture Disgraced ex-officer Murray Frobisher joins Captain Drake aboard the sleek steamer Quernmore, taking on a covert assignment to smuggle weapons into Korea.

Overwhelmed in Korea Surrounded by government troops, Frobisher stands his ground in a fierce firefight, detonating a pile of ammunition before falling wounded and being dragged to a torture chamber.

Escape and reinstatement Exploiting a hole blasted in his cell wall by artillery, Frobisher breaks out, impresses Chinese Admiral Wong-lih, and earns a commission as a captain in the Chinese Navy.

Battle on the river Commanding the damaged Su-chen against a fleet of pirate junks, Frobisher devises a perilous plan to run between the enemy vessels, board them, and torch their decks.

The Khan's secret While navigating underground passages during his travels, Frobisher and Drake breach an ancient ironbound chest and discover the scintillating jewel hoard of Genghis Khan.

Fire in the Eastern seas Frobisher drives the cruiser Chih' Yuen straight at Japanese ironclads in a chaotic sea battle, braving close-range shellfire, torpedoes, and incoming typhoons.

Triumph and redemption After surviving a violent night attack by shore savages, Frobisher retrieves the Mongol treasure, returns to England, and buys four battleships for the Royal Navy to secure a baronetcy.

The People

• Murray Frobisher: A tall, fair-haired former Royal Navy officer who seeks to redeem his honor and fortune after being cashiered. Driven by duty, courage, and an indestructible instinct for survival, he survives torture, pirate raids, and sea battles to return home a wealthy baronet.
• Captain Drake: The loyal, plain-spoken master of the Quernmore who stands by Frobisher through every trial. He braves broken glass and enemy fire with equal stoicism, eventually helping his friend unearth and haul away an ancient empire's riches.
• Admiral Wong-lih: A courtly, high-ranking Chinese naval commander who recognizes Frobisher’s tactical genius. He rescues the Englishman from military bureaucracy, bestows a naval commission upon him, and entrusts him with key ironclads during the war with Japan.
• Dick Penryn: Frobisher's faithful friend back in England who assists him before his departure and later delivers the triumphant news of his reinstatement to the Royal Navy.

In Its Own Voice

"He laid about him desperately, and many a man of the enemy went down under the terrific sweep of his cutlass..."

Frobisher fights to the absolute limit of his strength when his shore enclosure is overrun by Korean soldiers.

"The sight was so extraordinarily beautiful that it fairly took the beholders' breath away..."

Drake and Frobisher stand spellbound inside a dark underground chamber as their torchlight hits a chest filled with Genghis Khan's loose, sparkling gems.

"The darkening sky overhead and away to the eastward glowed with a dull incandescence, like the reflected glare of an enormous furnace..."

The crew of the Chih' Yuen watches the horizon nervously as an ominous typhoon gathers right before they meet the enemy fleet.

What It's Really About

Underneath its thrilling sequence of sea fights and treasure hunts, A Chinese Command is an exploration of Victorian imperial anxiety, personal redemption, and modern naval warfare. It contrasts the decline of the Qing dynasty—hampered by administrative inertia and outdated technology—with the rapid, disciplined modernization of late-nineteenth-century Japan. Frobisher’s journey demonstrates how individual British pluck and seamanship can turn the tide of foreign conflicts. At its core, the story asks what constitutes true patriotism, suggesting that personal disgrace can be erased through enterprise, raw courage, and direct contributions to national defense.

Why Read It Today

Fans of classic maritime fiction, age-of-steam naval warfare, and late-Victorian yarn-spinning will find much to admire in Collingwood’s tale. It captures the transition period when wooden sailing ships gave way to steel-hulled ironclads, coal smoke, and early torpedoes, delivering authentic nautical terminology alongside pulse-pounding action sequences. Reading it feels like flipping through an illustrated boy's adventure magazine from the turn of the century—evocative, sweeping, and unapologetically heroic.

Modern readers must, however, navigate the work's historical limitations. The narrative is steeped in late-nineteenth-century imperial attitudes, marked by casual Orientalist tropes, sensationalized depictions of Eastern torture, and patronizing characterizations of Asian sailors. The plot relies heavily on outrageous coincidences—such as stumbling upon Genghis Khan’s long-lost fortune mid-campaign—and the prose occasionally slows for detailed descriptions of ship specifications. Yet for those interested in period naval adventure and historical genre fiction, it remains a fast, fascinating artifact of Victorian military escapism.