Chap. IX. OUR BOAT SEIZED FOR DEBT. \J\ 



already in the midst of the fray, and asked him what 

 was the matter. He told me that the captain of our 

 boat on a former voyage had bought some rice, for 

 which he had not paid, and that the creditor and 

 some of his friends had come with the determination 

 of getting the money, or, if not, they intended to 

 carry off our sail. This was tantamount to stopping 

 our boat, for we could not stem the current, which 

 was still very strong, if our sail was taken away 

 from us. 



When I went out I found two men already on the 

 roof of the boat, unbending and hauling down the 

 sail. The old creditor was standing in the bows, 

 coolly looking on, and watching the progress of his 

 men. Our captain had retired to the stern, where 

 he was quietly smoking his pipe. His wife, however, 

 was not taking things so tranquilly. She was stamp- 

 ing about — I beg her pardon, I ought to say skipping 

 - — with her little feet, in a towering rage, now running 

 to the creditor, and now to her husband. At one 

 time she tried to coax, at another to storm, but all 

 was of no avail. " Pay me the debt," said the 

 obdurate creditor, "or I must take the sail." She 

 begged him to allow the boat to proceed to Nan-che 

 and deliver the cargo, when the debt should be paid, 

 " Ah," said he, "I did that once before, and, instead 

 of paying me, you got a fresh cargo, and ran down 

 to Hang-chow-foo. No, no, you must pay me here y 

 and while I have your sail there is no great danger 

 of your running away." Threats, promises, and 

 coaxing were alike useless, the old man was in ex- 



