344 ‘¢4 MAN OVERBOARD.” ([Cuar. XVIII. 
— the “ Queen of Orchids ” — had been distributed 
amongst the Fellows of the Horticultural Society 
of London. 
The time which I had allotted for this excursion 
having expired, I sailed for my old station in the 
north of China and arrived there on the 14th of 
March, 1845. On going up the coast, we had to 
contend with the north-east monsoon, and “ beat to 
windward,” during the whole of the passage. One 
afternoon when it was nearly dark, and when the 
sea was running very high, one of the men who 
was out on the bowsprit lost his hold, owing to 
the heaving of the vessel, and fell into the sea. 
The cry of a “man over board” —that peculiar 
cry amongst sailors which, once heard, can never 
be forgotten, made me rush on deck. . The schooner 
was going at the rate of at least eight knots, but 
her helm was instantly put down, and her way 
stopped. A hand was sent aloft to keep his eye 
upon the poor fellow whose head was seen every 
now and then as he rose upon a wave, and in a 
few seconds the schooner was close at his side. 
A rope was thrown out to him, and every one 
thought that he would be able to lay hold, and be 
drawn in over the side. Probably from exhaustion 
he unfortunately missed it, and the schooner 
shooting ahead at the time, he was again left to 
the mercy of the waves. As a last resource the 
boat was lowered ; and although rather a dangerous 
service, several gallant fellows stepped into it and 
pulled in the direction signalled to them from the 
