382 



ROBBED OF EVERYTHING. 



Chap. XIX. 



Turning to the place indicated by my servant 

 I could see, altliougli it was quite dark, that there 

 was a large hole in the side of the boat not more 

 than three feet from where my head had been 

 lying. At my right hand, and just under the 

 window, the trunk used to stand in which I was 

 in the habit of keeping my papers, money, and 

 other valuables. On the first suspicion that I was 

 the victim I stretched out my hand in the dark to 

 feel if this was safe. Instead of my hand resting 

 on the top of the trunk, as it had been accustomed 

 to do, it went down to the floor of the boat, and I 

 then knew for the first time that the trunk was 

 gone. At the same moment my servant Tung-a 

 came in with a candle and confirmed what I had 

 just made out in the dark. The thieves had done 

 their work well — the boat was empty. My money, 

 amounting to more than one hundred Shanghae 

 dollars, my accounts and other papers, including, 

 gentle reader, this journal which has been amus- 

 ing and instructing you — all, all, were gone. 

 The rascals had not left me even the clothes I had 

 thrown off when 1 went to bed. 



But there was no time to lose ; and in order to 

 make every effort to catch the thieves, or at least 

 get back a portion of my property, I jumped into 

 the canal, and made for the banks. The tide had 

 now risen, and instead of finding only about two 

 feet of water — the depth when we went to bed — I 

 now sank up to the neck, and found the stream 

 very rapid. A few strokes with my arms soon 



