Chap. XX. LOSS ON BOARD THE "BITTERN." 403 



avoid attacking in front. The men therefore 

 scrambled np the hill- side, and thns were enabled 

 to gain a position where the guns of the pirates 

 conld not be brought to bear upon them. This 

 manoeuvre was perfectly successful, the pirates fled 

 from their stronghold in confusion, many of them 

 were shot by our seamen and marines, while those 

 who escaped from them were captured by the na- 

 tives and the mandarins. And thus ended one of 

 the boldest and best-managed expeditions against 

 pirates on the Chinese coast. In an attack of 

 this kind it could scarcely be expected that the 

 " Bittern " could come out without some disaster. 

 The master, an excellent ofScer, was killed while 

 on the bridge of the steamer engaged in towing the 

 brig into position, and three of the crew who were 

 working a gun were severely wounded by a shot 

 which had been better aimed than the rest, and 

 struck the bulwarks. 



In coming up the coast in one of the Peninsular 

 and Oriental Company's steamers we met the 

 " Bittern " with the steamer " Paou-shun " and a 

 captured junk coming out of the Shiepoo Bay. 

 The brig hoisted signals, and inquired whether we 

 would take the wounded men on board and convey 

 them to Shanghae, to which we were bound direct. 

 Captain Jamieson, the master of the steamer, 

 readily agreed to do what he was requested by 

 Captain Yansittart ; the poor fellows were brought 

 on board in charge of Dr. Gordon, the surgeon of 



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