A CEUISE UP THE YANGSTZE IN 1858-59. 203 



and we thought, with a shudder, whether Christen- 

 dom was responsible for this scene of misery, and 

 whether it would be the fate of our poor friends the 

 Japanese to pass through the fire of a similar ordeal. 

 Between the intersection of the Grand Canal and 

 Nankin, the Great River flows in a tolerably straight 

 course, and without any bars or reefs ; the squadron, 

 therefore, put their best legs foremost in order to get 

 past the ancient capital of China before the night 

 closed in ; and as we dashed along past point and 

 bluff, and the glorious scenery of the Nankin valley 

 revealed itself, we began to forget the troubles of the 

 Furious under the Hill of Sorrow, as the Chinese 

 have justly named Silver Island, and to talk of the 

 to-morrow which would see us carry our flag farther 

 than British keels had yet gone. Personally, there 

 was an especial interest in this strip of the Yangstze ; 

 it was a return to an old scene, replete with memories 

 hallowed by the recollection of past events and old 

 friendships. Here we recognised the channel where 

 our beautiful brig was taken by the gallant Morshead 

 through fleets of grain-junks, so closely packed that 

 we had almost to pole our way through them ; there 

 the spot where the deceitful current so pinned us 

 against a steep bank and a forest of bulrushes that 

 we were fairly in irons, and had to remain until the 

 wind shifted and blew us off again, but not before 

 the exhalations from the reeking marshes, in the 

 shape of a terrible malaria, had swept over the gal- 



