96 



A MIDNIGHT ALARM. CiTAr. VI. 



are very hardened indeed, have a kind of super- 

 stitions dread of foreigners and foreign fire-arms. 



Amongst many false alarms I had at this time, 

 there was one which I thought would have proved 

 rather serious. It was about midnight, and the 

 night was excessively dark. We were all sound 

 asleep, except one boatman, who was sculling the 

 boat — if indeed he was not as sound as any of us, 

 for these fellows go asleep at the scull like an 

 Indian at the punka — when we experienced a 

 sharp shock from our boat coming in contact with 

 another. I was up in an instant, thinking the 

 long-threatened night attack had come at last. 

 Throwing the moveable portion of the roof of my 

 boat on one side, I saw our antagonist lying along- 

 side of us. My men were out on the bows, and 

 my boatmen at the stern, ready to repel the in- 

 vaders. Through the darkness I could discern a 

 number of people crowding the other boat, but 

 not attempting to board us. I immediately hailed 

 them, and asked ,them who they were, and why 

 they had run against us. They replied they 

 were Ningpo men, that they were not robbers, 

 and that the accident had occurred owing to the 

 darkness of the night. We now set to work and 

 got the boats clear, and each proceeded on his 

 journey. I believe those who gave us the alarm 

 were more frightened than we were, and that each 

 took the other for the pirate. My servants and 

 boatmen were, however, of a different opinion ; 

 they believed them to be thieves, and said that had 



