CriAP. XI. 



VOYAGE TO FORMOSA. 



227 



steamer to convey money across to the island of 

 Formosa, where a rebellion was going on, and 

 where it was necessary to have money to carry on 

 the war, I had thus an opportunity of paying a 

 short visit to this beautiful and interesting island. 



When we had taken the boxes of money on 

 board with a guard of mandarins and soldiers, we 

 got up our anchor and steamed down to the 

 mouth of the Min. Our decks were covered with 

 Chinese soldiers, and their baggage, consisting of 

 baskets and trunks of clothes, arms of various 

 kinds, such as bows and arrows, short swords, 

 matchlocks, and bamboo shields ; while mixed up 

 with these in wild confusion were beds and man- 

 darins' hats, with crystal and white buttons ; 

 there were also various eatables, such as sugar- 

 cane, &c., which the soldiers intended to consume 

 during the voyage. Altogether, the scene thus 

 presented was a striking one, and one which gave 

 an idea of Chinese warlike life, not often presented 

 to the eye of a foreigner. 



When we arrived at the mouth of the Min we 

 anchored for the night, as it was then too late to 

 cross the sandbanks at the entrance. The coast 

 here was swarming with pirates, both on land and 

 at sea ; and although on ordinary occasions a 

 foreign vessel, and particularly a " fire-ship," * 

 would have been safe enough, yet loaded as we 

 were with boxes of sycee silver, the temptation to 

 these lawless bands was stronger than usual, and 



* The name <2;ivcu to steamers by the Cliiuese. 



n 



