Chap. XVIII. 
PIRATES DISAPPEAR. 
805 
of a helmsman, and was soon left some distance be- 
hind ns. 
While I was watching this vessel our men called out 
to me that there was another close on our lee-bow, which 
I had not observed on account of our main-sail. Luckily, 
however, it proved to be a Ning-po wood-junk like our- 
selves, which the pirates had taken a short time before, 
but which, although manned by these rascals, could do 
us no harm, having no guns. The poor Ning-po crew, 
whom I could plainly see on board, seemed to be very 
much down-hearted and frightened. I was afterwards 
informed that, when a junk is captured, all the principal 
people, such as the captain, pilot, and passengers, are 
taken out of her, and a number of the pirates go on 
board and. take her into some of their dens amongst the 
islands, and keep her there until a heavy ransom is paid, 
both for the junk and the people. Sometimes, when a 
ransom cannot be obtained, the masts and spars and 
everything else which is of any value are taken out of 
her and she is set on fire. 
Two other piratical junks which had been following 
in our wake for some time, when they saw what had 
happened, would not venture any nearer ; and at last, 
much to my satisfaction, the whole set of them bore 
away. 
Now was the time for my heroical companions to 
come from their hiding-place, which they did with great 
alacrity, hooting and yelling as the pirates had done 
before, and in derision calling on them to come back 
and renew the fight. The stones, too, were now boldly 
seized and thrown after the retreating junks, reaching to 
