326 MORE CKUISING AFTER PIRATES. 



frightened. There was no doubt, however, that they 

 firmly believed their last hour had come, otherwise 

 they would never have disclosed their guilt. 



For a couple of months I was employed entirely 

 on the coast east of Hong-Kong, during which time we 

 took a number of junks, some prisoners, and released 

 others kept to ransom. The coast between Macao and 

 Hainan I purposely left alone. 



The China New Year was approaching (February), 

 a great time with all Chinamen — a general holiday — a 

 feast time — a time that business is thrown aside, and 

 revelry and dissipation are alone thought of. Even the 

 pirates cannot resist the temptation of general laxity, 

 and as a rule return to some rendezvous or stronghold 

 for at least three days. Another custom, and a very 

 good one, connected with their New Year is, that every 

 Chinaman pays his debts ; it is a point of honour with 

 them to do so; an item in the general routine of a 

 Chinaman's Hfe we might well imitate. Eelying on 

 this general slackness, I had decided to cruise down the 

 west coast during their holiday-time, hoping to make a 

 good bag. The day before the commencement of their 

 New Year, 1876, I visited sorhe Chinese merchants, 

 and talked over the state of trade, piracy, etc., but none 

 had any news such as I wanted. As I was in the act 



