232 COMPULSORY ASSISTANCE. [Cuar. XII. 
one to the other, and our vessel hauled off when 
the tide was sufficiently high to float her. As I 
was able to speak a little Chinese, I was asked to go 
in the boat and explain what our object was, and 
likewise to tell them that they should be well paid 
for their trouble. The boat’s crew armed them- 
selves with cutlasses, and, in order to render the 
business more imposing, the captain put on an old 
uniform which had formerly belonged to a naval 
officer, and with a cocked hat on his head and a 
sword dangling at his side took his seat in the boat. 
The night was dark but fine, and we could just dis- 
cern the masts of the nearest junk. In a few mi- 
nutes we were alongside, and were challenged by 
the man who had the watch upon deck, and who at 
the same moment, seeing we were foreigners, ran to 
give the alarm, exclaiming that the Hong-mou- 
jis, or “red-haired men,” were uponthem. Without 
further parley we sprang into the junk, and when 
we looked round we found her decks deserted—the 
watch and every body else having hid themselves 
below. The captain directed our men to go down 
the hatchways and try to get the Chinese upon 
deck, but he gave them strict orders to use them 
kindly. It was not a little amusing to see our tars 
going about this part of the business, which they did 
with right good will and glee. They soon dragged 
the Chinamen out of their hiding places, and, much 
against their inclination, mustered them on deck, 
I now explained to their captain that our intentions 
were peaceful, but that our vessel was in very great 
