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Page 28
Though so long acquainted with the compass, the Chinese have always
been as unenterprising in sailoring as in everything else, and seldom
lose sight of the land, if they can help it. Their fondness for
hugging the coast was very noticeable to me, and, unused to the
constant vigilance and care which a long sea voyage demands, their
system of duty was very lax and careless. There were no proper
watches; at nightfall the Ty Kong used quietly to lower about three
reefs of the main-sail and the whole of the mizzen. All the crew would
then go to their cabin, leaving the helmsmen alone on deck. At
midnight a supper was prepared, and the sleepers awakened. The meal
ended, the helm would be relieved and the men retired to their berths
again.
At this rate it may be supposed that we made slow progress, and more
than one incipient mutiny had to be dealt with, some of the crew
refusing to work, and the soldiers complaining on the far from
unreasonable ground that they had not enough to eat. We spoke several
northward-bound vessels, both native and foreign, to whom we wished to
entrust the discontented warriors, but these ships one and all
gratefully but firmly declined the compliment. By dint of necessity,
aided by the mandarin's promises, we struggled along, and as
everything must come to an end some time or other, we reached our port
at the beginning of January.
I have little more to add. Ki-Chang showed himself grateful, and not
only entertained me royally, but gave me substantial pecuniary aid, a
thing I was in very pressing need of. Of course I have long since
repaid his loan.
I obtained a passage in a French steamer to Callao, whence I made my
way overland to San Francisco. I called on Mr. H----, who informed me
that the _Columbia_ (not then in port) had made another successful
trip, but with results so diminished in the pecuniary sense that he
had determined not to risk her again for inadequate profits.
_Columbia_, I may say, was not the steamer's real name.
I next met Webster at Sydney. The explanation of my being left behind
at Port Arthur was simple enough. The "houtcast" had taken so many
"caulkers" of rum during the day that he became oblivious to the fact
of my being ashore, and Chubb took it for granted that I had returned
on board, especially as I had sent back the boat in which I landed
with the Chinese agent. My absence was not noted until the small hours
of the ensuing morning, when the swift steamer was far enough away.
Webster wanted to put back for me, but Chubb, whose regards were
strictly confined to number one, decided against it, coolly saying
that they could pick me up next trip, and that as it was Webster's
fault I had been left, he, Webster, might if he liked swim back for
me. This unmessmate-like conduct, when recounted to me, so excited my
ire, that if the worthy Chubb had been within kicking distance at the
time, he should have known something further about it. I have not,
however, seen him since.
Such were the things I saw and did where the Dragon Flag waves in
splendid impotence. I took no notes of anything, excepting as to the
build and fittings of the junk, and that merely for my own
information, and it was not until long after that the idea of writing
an account of these occurrences entered my mind; but I can trust my
memory for the main events. If my little narrative should for only a
few furnish not merely entertainment but admonition, I shall not have
gone through quite uselessly my varied and painful experience of life.
THE END
Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London & Bungay.
***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNDER THE DRAGON FLAG***
******* This file should be named 16407-8.txt or 16407-8.zip *******
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/4/0/16407
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