friend into a towering passion; and before I could stop him, he caught up a fowling-piece, lying on the stern sheets, and discharged it directly at a thick cluster of Chinese, not one of whose faces could be seen, but who nevertheless offered a most conspicuous front to his aim. Fortunately the piece was loaded with snipe-shot, and the distance being considerable, the dose, thus promptly administered, acted merely as a sedative, not only upon the crew of the nearest vessel, but upon that of every other in sight. ‘There, you long-tailed rascals,’ exclaimed the Highlander, ‘there is a second edition of Maxwell and the batteries for you!’ And no doubt the effect was analogous; for many weeks afterwards, when I passed in the same boat with the same person, the natives recognised the hand that had peppered them, and were extremely civil as we rowed along.
“We had time to fight our way, step by step, into the good graces of the Chinese. The last conflict which we had with them took place about an hour after I had reached Canton, at Captain Maxwell’s lodgings. We heard a great noise at the top of the stairs, and on going out to see what was the matter, found my cockswain and boat’s crew in high altercation with a Chinaman, who was endeavouring to deprive them of a trunk which they carried on their shoulders. My boat had followed me to Canton, and the sailors on landing naturally brought the things to our lodgings: just as they crossed the threshold, however, they were observed by the Mandarin of the custom-house, who called out to them to stop, and insisted upon searching the packages. Jack resisted this, and both parties having entered the house, the action which had disturbed us was raging on the staircase.
“As it was an established practice at Canton for no Chinese authority to enter the house of a European resident without first obtaining permission, this proceeding was quite contrary to usage. At all events, Captain Maxwell, who had commenced by assuming a high tone in great matters, was resolved to carry it through even in trifles, and turning to the Chinese, asked him by what right he had dared to violate the quarters assigned to his Britannic Majesty’s officers, without first appealing to him. The Mandarin looked a little surprised; but a reply being insisted upon, he said it was quite a mistake – that he had imagined the trunks had belonged to some merchant ship, and not to a king’s ship. ‘Well, then,’ said Captain Maxwell, ‘you must learn better in future.’ And turning to the sailors, ordered them to put the officer out of the house, and retired to his own room, whispering to me in passing to take care that the intruder was not hurt. I had enough to do, however, to attend to this hint, for my fellows, the moment they heard the words ‘turn him out,’ caught up the unhappy Chinaman, and bore him along over their heads, till they reached the door, whence, as they expressed it, they gave him fresh head-way into the street; and in fact, had it not been for the crowd assembled before the door, against whom he fell headlong, it might have fared worse for the poor Mandarin; who, gathering himself up, took to his heels, and never stopped till he reached his little office at the beach. The rest of the crowd, fancying, by the impe-
