Chap. XX. THEIR RENDEZVOUS DISCOVERED. 399 



course of the evening one of them brought it 

 back, not for the purpose of returning it to the 

 owner, but to take lessons from him in winding it 

 up ! Having kept the missionaries close prisoners 

 all night, they put them into a small boat next 

 morning and sent them away ; but before this a 

 box of tea was sent to them as a present from the 

 leader of the band ! For all this kindness and 

 politeness a heavy recompense was awaiting them. 



It soon became known that the rendezvous of 

 the pirate fleet was at a place called Shie-poo, 

 a few miles south from Chusan ; and in this place 

 the " Bittern " found them a few days after the 

 robbery of the missionaries. The brig was accom- 

 panied by the steamer " Paou-shan," a vessel 

 bought by some Chinese merchants for the pro- 

 tection of their junks a short time before. The 

 pirates, who had watches on every headland, and 

 runners all along the coast, were fully aware of 

 the intentions of our men-of-war. But they had 

 upwards of twenty vessels, all heavily manned 

 and armed, and, as the entrance to the bay in 

 which they were at anchor was extremely narrow, 

 it appeared to them impossible for a vessel like 

 the " Bittern " to attack them with the slightest 

 chance of success. Their own authorities on shore 

 were treated with supreme contempt, and the 

 people in the towns and villages adjoining were 

 told of the fate which awaited the foreign ship of 

 war, should her commander be foolhardy enough 

 to make an attack upon them. And certainly, 



