144 
THE OLD JOHN “FEELS HER OATS.” 
come several hundred miles. The sea had been like a 
broad expanse of polished glass. 
The “old John” now began to feel herself of vast 
importance: we only drew twelve-feet of water, and could 
consccpicntly go much nearer the river than the other 
steamers ; so we took the lorcha and Coo^^er in tow and 
stood in for the land. -We ran into thirteen-feet water, 
and then cast off the vessels, which continued on before a 
light breeze, the lorcha getting safely into the river, and 
the schooner, which drew a foot more water, grounding 
on a bank near its mouth. We were a week getting 
her in after that, — some of the hardest work I ever 
engaged in. Then, after both she and the lorcha were 
safely anchored inside of the mud forts, the secretaries 
of the commissioners took up their residence on board 
and communications commenced. 
The Chinese seemed very averse to have any thing to 
say to us at all, and humbugged us to such an extent 
that some of us advocated the idea of forcing our way 
up, to Pekin and demanding an interview in person. 
As we were not the confidential advisers of the minis- 
ters, however, our opinion had little "weight, — none at 
all, I fear. 
Tims passed several weeks; and, Avhile the diplomatists 
were making themselves hoarse with talking, we made a 
beautiful survey of the locality, — the schooner attending 
to everything inside of the river, and our ship the bar and 
adjoining coasts. The schooner had Carnes — our sailing- 
master — and his boat to assist her; and upon one occasion, 
when they were trying to ascend the river as high as pos- 
sible, they came to a barrier of junks with only a passage- 
