308 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. XYIII. 
therefore evident that we must prepare for another 
encounter. 
It now struck me that perhaps I might be able to 
deceive the pirates with regard to our strength, as I was 
afraid that I might not again be so successful with them, 
particularly if they found out that there was only one 
foreigner on board : knowing that they have a great 
dread of foreigners and their guns, my object was to 
make them believe that there were a number of us, and 
that we were well armed. For this purpose I got up all 
the spare clothes I had, and put them on the least Chi- 
nese-looking Chinamen on board. At the same time I 
desired them to collect all the short levers which they 
use for hoisting their sails, and which at a distance would 
look not unlike fire-arms, particularly if the deception 
was assisted by the report of a double-barrelled gun. 
Everything looked promising, and I thought my recruits 
were Hkely to be of some service to me ; but when the 
nearest pirate, who had been coming fast down upon us, 
gave us a broadside, it was too much for my Chinamen, 
who were instantly panic-struck, threw down their arms, 
and ran below ; and added to this I had again to threaten 
the men at the helm, who seemed half inclined to follow 
the example of the others. 
The pirates came on, firing at intervals as the others 
had done, and I followed my former plan of watching 
their movements until they were near enough for my 
gun to tell upon them with fearful precision. Their shot 
was now fl}dng about our ears and riddling our sails, and 
they came on in their usual noisy manner, perfectly un- 
conscious of what 1 had in store for their reception. For 
