228 KINTANG, OR SILVER ISLAND. ([Cuar. XIL 
possible. ‘The men now began to throw off their 
clothes as a last resource, and so completely lost 
all their self-possession that no remonstrances could 
induce them to attend to the boat and get some of 
the water out of her. The captain or helmsman, 
however, did his duty well, and to his firmness and 
knowledge we, doubtless, owed our lives. Provi- 
dentially the wind lulled for a short time, which 
enabled us to hoist more sail; and soon afterwards 
we got to leeward of one of the numerous small 
islands which are scattered over this part of the 
coast. As soonas we had anchored all hands began 
baling the water out of the boat. We were in a 
most pitiful condition, all our clothes and beds 
being completely soaked with sea water; some plants, 
but luckily only duplicates, which I had with me, 
were, of course, totally destroyed; but our hearts 
were light, and we were thankful that our lives had 
been saved. Before daylight the boat was all right 
again, and as the weather had moderated, we were 
able to proceed on our course to Chusan. 
Kintang, or Silver Island, as it is called by 
the English, is a large island in this archipelago. 
Although near Chusan, it was seldom visited by 
any of the English there; but its hills and valleys 
were very interesting in a botanical point of view, 
and on that account I was in the habit of anchor- 
ing my little boat in some of its numerous bays, 
_and exploring its botanical productions. The sur- 
prise of the simple inhabitants, many of whom had 
never left the island in their lives, was often very 
