CRUISING AFTER PIRATES. 285 



There were something like a hundred junks of all 

 sizes, some large enough to have run over the pirates 

 without feeling the shock. 



" Why did you not put some of your brave men in 

 the fishing-junks and capture these pirates ? " 



" Ah, you English are very brave," he replied ; " my 

 men are very easily frightened." 



Well, I thought to myself, that seems pretty certain. 



"How many inhabitants are there in the town?" I 

 asked. 



"More than 4000," was the answer. 



" I think," I said, " if I were a Chinaman, I would 

 turn pirate at once. They must lead very jolly inde- 

 pendent lives." 



" Yes, they do," answered this blue-buttoned war- 

 rior ; " the only things they fear are English gun- 

 boats.'' 



A score or so of fishing junks had assembled round. 

 The crews, consisting of quite as many women as men, 

 were making a fearful clamour, talking over the last 

 four days, and their sleepless nights; and now their 

 relief had come, and their dreaded enemies were 

 captured. 



" Give us the pirates," they cried ; the women parti- 

 cularly bawled for their possession. 



