A LiVND OF PIGS. 
171 
upon the Bittern shallows ; and on another occasion, 
as we were sailing cautiously along, we spoke a 
ship steering direct for a dangerous reef, on which 
in a little time she would have struck, and, in all 
probability have gone to pieces. On boarding her 
we found that she was one of the transports en- 
gaged during the late war with China in carrying 
troops and stores, but wofully out of her reckon- 
ing, the officers imagining, till they met with us, 
that she was crossing the China Sea ! 
Having surveyed .the greater portion of the Gulf, 
we arrived at the mouth of the Liao-tung, where 
there is a town of some considerable importance, 
situated at the entrance of the river. On going 
ashore we found ourselves immediately in the land 
of pigs, and encompassed by the mud and dirt con- 
genial to these animals. The poor porkers are 
killed and cured here for the markets of China, 
and everywhere we were sm*rounded by numerous 
bands of victims destined for slaughter. Vicious, 
long-headed, and obstinate, incredible numbers of 
them were being driven through the muddy streets. 
