64 NORTHEBN BUSS1A. 



to save the good ship ? It was resolved to make the 

 attempt. We were able to collect very speedily 100 

 Japanese junks to tow her into a safe harbour. The 

 junks were all made fast, the ship's anchors raised, and 

 away they rowed, towing her, when, suddenly, down she 

 went, head foremost, to the bottom, like a stone 1 Well, 

 we all went on shore again, and I must here say, that 

 from first to last we were most kindly treated by the 

 Japanese. Onr numbers may possibly have awed them ; 

 but it is but fair to give them all credit for what they did, 

 and did so well. 



" What now was to be done ? We resolved at once to 

 build a schooner. Everything had to be extemporized, 

 but so heartily did we work, that from the time we cut 

 down the first tree to build our craft, until she was afloat, 

 was only four mouths. The admiral (as noble a fellow as 

 ever lived, and, by the way, married to an English lady, 

 which, of course, accounts for his excellence!) set sail 

 with as many of the crew as he could stow away, for the 

 river Amoor, distant about 1,300 miles. In her voyage 

 the schooner was obliged to pass through the British 

 Fleet. So little idea had good John Bull that a Russian 

 admiral was near him, that, on perceiving the approach of 

 the unknown vessel, supposing, of course, that in those 

 distant seas she was one of their own, he even showed a 

 light, while another ship hailed her to ' keep off.' The 

 admiral was ready to throw his valuable charts and also 

 his despatches overboard, had he been taken. Bat he 

 escaped into the 'Amoor/ 



