310 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. XVIII. 
iron shot which the Chinese use in their guns ; I 
advised the wounded men to hurry on to Chusan, where 
they would get good medical advice. 
Up to nine o'clock in the morning, although the wind 
and tide were both favourable, there were no signs of 
the junks getting under way ; I therefore sent for the 
captain and inquired if it was not his intention to pro- 
ceed. He told me that he had had a meeting with the 
captains of the other vessels, and that they had deter- 
mined to get a convoy of war-junks from the mandarin 
before they went on. Being now within eighty or ninety 
miles of Chusan, I could easily hire a small boat for that 
distance, and therefore said to the captain, " Very well ; 
then I shall leave you here, as I am very unwell, and 
anxious to get to Chusan as soon as possible.'' " Go," 
said I, turning to my servant, "and engage a boat to 
take me on to Chusan, and bring it here as soon as you 
can." When he was about to leave the vessel, several 
of the crew gathered round him and attempted to per- 
suade him not to go ; anxious to serve his countrymen, 
although at my expense, he loitered about for a little 
while and then came back and informed me that it was 
no use going on shore, as I should not be able to engage 
a boat to take me so far. As I had been informed by 
one of the shore people who had come on board that 
plenty of boats were to be had on hire, I felt annoyed 
at his deceit, and threatened to punish him if he did 
not start immediately and bring a boat off. When he 
saw that I Was determined, he turned sulkily away, 
jumped into a sand-pan, and procured a boat without 
the slightest difficulty. The captain and crew now 
