228 



CHINESE PIRATES. 



Chap. XI. 



rendered an attack far from unlikely. And had 

 sucli an attack been made by two or tbree hundred 

 men, armed with stinkpots and other combustibles, 

 which they generally commence with in cases of 

 this nature, the steamer and all its valuable cargo 

 would have been an easy prize, owing to the small 

 number of foreigners on board. If it ever happen 

 that our mandarin passengers, or any of their 

 brave soldiers who were on board at this time, 

 should peruse these lines, I have to beg their 

 pardon, with many low bows, for not taking their 

 valour into consideration. 



In addition to the captain, the engineer, and 

 two or three officers belonging to the steamer, 

 there were several passengers on board who had 

 come down from Shanghae for the purpose of 

 seeing the city of Foo-chow. Captain Dearborn 

 very properly proposed that we should all take a 

 share in the protection of the vessel, and that the 

 best way to prevent an attack was to be prepared 

 for one. The Chinese pirate is somewhat like a 

 tiger in his habits, in so far as foreigners at least 

 are concerned. He knows they will fight and 

 defend themselves — he has had several good 

 lessons on this score — and he will rarely attack 

 them if he sees them prepared ; but if he can 

 catch them asleep, or take them unawares, he will 

 leap upon them at once, and murder all who show 

 the least resistance. 



Knowing these things well, the passengers 

 readily acceded to the proposal which had been 



