At this display, our men are so delighted that
they can no longer resist the impulse, and, one
and all, give a regular thrilling British cheer: a
sound that has, before now, struck terror to
stouter hearts than those of Chinamen. The
other boats are round the point, and the first
lieutenant, who commands the expedition, suddenly
finds himself opposed to about twenty
piratical junks, besides several captured merchant
junks, which have been armed, and whose
guns are beginning to be worked with unaccustomed
energy, loaded up to their muzzles with
iron nails and fragments of every description,
but, fortunately, too near to take much effect.
Almost everything passes over the heads of our
fearless little band, who find much difficulty in
getting to work, though the guns in the paddle-box
boats and pinnace answer right well with
grape and cannister.

The junks are high and dry on the mud, where
they have been left by the receding tide. Out of
their boats, our people now leap, without hesitation
(for delay were death), to wade their way
to the sides of their antagonists' vessels, which,
amidst showers of missiles of every description,
they soon reach. Despite their disadvantages,
they swarm upon the decks, and quickly clear
them of their lawful (or rather lawless) occupants,
who jump over the sides, right and left:
the blue-jackets after them, who pursue them up
the beach, knocking over those who are slowest
in the race, and fast gaining upon the rest.

But who can that large body of men be, in
red turbans and sashes, all dressed alike, who
are coming down the mountain at double-quick
time, from the town? Not friends, certainly;
so our people think, for the handful of marines,
with their officer at their head, are ordered to
the front to form and receive them: though
from their numbers it would seem of little use.
Suddenly, a thundering report, and a mass of
white smoke from the ship, show that those left
on board are neither idle nor asleep: while a
ten-inch shell (or, as the Chinese call it, "twice-
eye shot") drops into the midst of our new
acquaintances, greatly astonishing them, and causing
them to waver; another ten-inch shell settles
the question; they halt, and begin to jabber (always
a sign of turning tail), while our heroic
little band advance bravely, and let them have
it to the utmost of their power. Presently, they
run: the ship repeating her dose as fast as the
guns can be served by their motley crews,
formed of stewards, cooks, &c., who think they
are having a fine lark all to themselves, and
contributing greatly (as indeed they are) to the
success of the day. The Chinamen are pursued
up the mountain, until the dangerous proximity
of the shell to our own men renders it prudent
to proceed no farther, particularly as there is
more for them to do at the scene of their late
captures.

The prizes have to be inspected when we get
there, and (it seems almost a pity) burned; for
the first lieutenant's orders from the captain are
''to sink, burn, and destroy;" and as naval commands
are as the laws of the Medes and Persians.
which alter not, he now proceeds to carry
them out. As volumes of smoke rise up from
several of the lately piratical craft, half a dozen
Celestials are seen to approach, with signs of
great respect, and speak to the great man in
command, explaining to him that they are captives,
taken with their vessels, which they point
out, and begging that those junks may be saved
from the general destruction. The request is
presently granted, much to their satisfaction.
All this time our sailors and marines are not
idle, and the piratical town, from which the
inhabitants have all "mizzled," is made to blaze
as high and fiercely as the junks.

The work of destruction is at length complete,
and late in the evening all hands prepare
for a speedy return to the boats: every officer
and man being pretty well tired out with his
day's work, and each congratulating himself that
there is a good dinner and a comfortable hammock
on board. But what are those objects
which merry knots of sailors and marines are
hustling down towards the boats? Not some
of their foes, surely? Certainly not, for Chinese
men would not have half the trouble taken about
them; they are some very comfortable-looking
well-fed Chinese pigs, which our people intend
for their own particular digestion, and have no
idea of allowing to escape. They all at length
return on board, and, an hour later, after they
have satisfied the cravings of hunger, they may
be seen congregated about the forecastle, pipe
in mouth, each relating his adventures during
the day, and his own private opinion of the
affair.

But though they have done their work, there
are others on board who are only beginning
theirs, namely, the surgeon, the assistant ditto
(or, as he is more commonly called, the doctor's
mate), and an individual called the "sick Bayman,"
who would be better known to the uninitiated
as a chemist's assistant.

ln a dark cockpit, is a strong deal board,
known as the amputation-table, and now lighted
by a few flaring "purser's dips," through the
medium of which we are enabled to see the
three aforesaid personages with shirt-sleeves
tucked up, feeling the edges of certain sharp-looking
saws, knives, &c., while before them lies
stretched a little China girl of about twelve years
of age, dressed in costly garments, from whom
escapes, every now and then, a low subdued
wail of agony, caused apparently by a wound
in the right arm, which is bound up, and from
which the doctors are about to remove the
bandages: while the mother, a "small-foot lady,"
is bending over her daughter in deep sorrow.
They are both rescued prisoners who were taken
by the pirates, while passengers in one of the
merchant junks journeying from one place to
another; the poor little girl has unfortunately
been hit in the arm twice, by rifle bullets, each
of which lodged there, breaking the bone. The
doctor proceeds to examine it, and decides that
the fractured portion of the arm must come off;
in a few minutes, the grinding of a saw is heard,
and the operation is done, thanks to chloroform,