330. MORE CKUISING AFTER PIRATES. 



There was, of course, no possibility of bringing the 

 pirates to bay, and nothing was left to be done but to 

 return on board. I was just about ordering the men to 

 fall in, when, on looking down the creek, to my no little 

 astonishment, a whole ileet of junks appeared steering 

 in. The Chinese interpreter immediately pronounced 

 them to be pirates. Pleasant, I thought; why, they 

 will take the gun-boat long before we can get on board. 

 My telescope, however, revealed that they were all the 

 same class of craft, a thing never the case in a fleet of 

 piratical junks ; Mandarins I felt sure, from their unifor- 

 mity and number of flags flying. However, to make 

 things certain, I got quickly down to the boats, and 

 pulled out for the headmost craft, hailing her as I came 

 near as to her friendliness or otherwise. This proved 

 the commander-in-chiefs junk, whom I requested to 

 come on board the gun-boat, and returned myself to 

 receive him. I shall never forget the man's face as he 

 reached the deck. 



" I am so glad to see you," he said ; " twice have I 

 been here, and each time have been beaten off; the 

 pirates were far too strong for me. I should never 

 have come in now if I had not seen a gun-boat in the 

 place." 



" What force have you?" I asked. 



