Chap. XI. 



CHINESE COOLNESS. 



239 



Chinese coasts and tliose of Tartary, or to gain 

 a more perfect knowledge of the resources of the 

 islands of Formosa and Japan, a service of great 

 value would have been rendered to commerce, and 

 probably to science, the health of the crews would 

 have been preserved, and numbers of lives saved. 



The mandarins we took over to Formosa with 

 the treasure had agreed to pay some two thousand 

 dollars as charter-money for the steamer, and had 

 also promised to give us a sufficient quantity of 

 coal to take us back to the coast of China. It 

 turned out, however, that the said coal had to be 

 sent for some distance inland, and the captain was 

 informed he would have to wait three or four days 

 before he could be supplied. Time is nothing to 

 the Chinese, but it was of great importance to a 

 small tug-steamer. The Chinese were informed 

 that we could not wait ; an assertion which they 

 received very coolly, now that themselves and 

 their treasure had been brought safely across the 

 channel. "If we could not wait, we must go ; 

 that was all." 



During the day of our stay at this port the 

 natives came off in swarms to look at the steamer. 

 They were kindly treated by the officers, and their 

 curiosity was gratified as much as possible. In 

 the afternoon the mandarins brought their friends 

 to see the vessel, and took away their boxes of 

 silver. They were treated with tea and wine, and 

 left us the best of friends. Just before dark, the 

 steam being up, we left them to fight their own 



