230 



SEA-SICKNESS OF MANDARINS. 



Chap. XI. 



sea on, our brave Chinese soldiers were doomed to 

 suffer severely from sea-sickness. Huddled about 

 the decks in every direction, unable to move or to 

 eat, and perfectly indifferent to everybody and 

 everything, they presented a most forlorn and 

 wretched appearance. One old mandarin in par- 

 ticular happened to suffer more than any of the 

 others. He was a stout, fat man, rather red in 

 the face, and evidently accustomed to good living 

 on shore. When we started, he was down in the 

 cabin with the others, laughing and joking in the 

 best of spirits ; but as soon as we crossed the bar 

 and felt a little motion, he began to put on a most 

 serious countenance, and was evidently most un- 

 easy. At last he could stand it no longer, and 

 rushed up the cabin stairs to the deck. Every 

 now and then we heard a loud groan, which told 

 too plainly of the poor man's sufferings, — suffer- 

 ings, too, for which no one seemed to have any 

 compassion. The next time I saw him he made a 

 faint attempt to smile, but it ended in a kind of 

 shudder as he rushed past me to the side of the 

 vessel. I confess I pitied the poor fellow, and re- 

 commended him to have his bed on deck and to 

 lie down. He took my advice and lay down 

 amongst his retinue, many of whom were nearly 

 as bad as himself, — all distinction for the time 

 being set aside, as they lay on the wet deck of the 

 steamer, with the spray from the ocean dashing 

 over them. 



In the afternoon, shortly after we had lost sight 



