206 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



Wade, the Chinese Secretary of Legation. Our 

 worthy senior had evidently cheered up with the 

 prospect of a brush, which, so far as counting em- 

 brasures, forts, and guns went, looked formidable 

 enough compared with our small force, and made us, 

 if possible, love him more, to see how, in spite of a 

 stroke of paralysis, which had occurred since leaving 

 Shanghai, and still left him partially crippled, the 

 chivalry of the true officer shone through sickness and 

 disease. His instructions to the Lee were concisely 

 these : To go ahead as far as possible, give all ex- 

 planations if asked for, but not to take the initiative 

 in opening communication with rebels in arms against 

 the government with whom Great Britain had just 

 signed a treaty of peace. If they fired on him, he 

 was to display a large flag of truce, the nature of 

 which we held proofs of their perfectly understand- 

 ing, and to remain stationary or return towards us. 

 Above all, to run any risk rather than fire in return 

 without express permission from Captain Barker. 

 The Lee was then despatched ; and for the rest of 

 the squadron the orders were, to be prepared to force 

 a passage if it was disputed, the Retribution leading 

 in such case as senior officer, and the Furious and 

 Cruiser following in their proper places. It was an 

 interesting sight to see the stanch little Lee approach- 

 ing alone such a hornet's nest as the place looked ; 

 and nothing, we felt, justified such a risk, except the 

 very natural anxiety of the Ambassador to give no 



