CEUISING AFTER PIKATES. 299 



they also would have been allowed to take to their 

 heels. The authorities, at any rate, believed these 

 wretched men, and the Mandarin, a first-class, red- 

 buttoned individual, was recalled from his station, 

 degraded, and sent into retirement. Altogether it was 

 a queer piece of justice. In time 1 managed to get the 

 unfortunate man reinstated, so far as his rank went, 

 but he was never again given the governorship of the 

 province. 



On leaving Quanghai I kept on to the west, intend- 

 ing to reach Tienpak, where I thought T might hear 

 some news regarding the Hainan pirates. 



Tienpak was a queer place to get to, situated five 

 miles up a narrow creek, scarcely fifty yards wide, 

 which at low water led through flat sands, but at high 

 tide the whole immense extent of sand was covered 

 with three or four feet of water. After the military 

 Mandarin had been on board I returned his visit on 

 shore, and found him comfortably settled in a tem- 

 porary residence on the outskirts of the town. He had 

 collected all the prettiest girls of the place to wait and 

 attend upon him during his short stay at this rough 

 village. None of these people had ever seen a European 

 before, and their curiosity in consequence was greatly 

 excited by my arrival. 



