were on their feet: they gave the enemy a loud
shout of defiance, and followed it up by letting
drive our broadside guns—again with terrible
effect, for I saw great gaps cut amidst the
numbers crowding the decks of the ti-mungs,
whilst the splinters flew from their bulwarks in
a cloud.

"During this time my two mates were not
idle, the discharge of their rifles having been
incessant. As I expected, my fiery little wife,
here, would not remain where I had placed
her in safety, but had stationed herself on the
companion-ladder; and when I went aft, there I
found her busily employed reloading the rifles
for my comrades.

"Having turned that bend in the river, we
now had the wind right aft; but our two
immediate antagonists had been obliged to sail
close-hauled, and so approach us on an oblique
line. Upon getting abeam and delivering their
broadsides, they were necessarily brought head
to wind, and compelled to put about. While
they were attempting this, my two sharpshooters
picked off every man that showed himself at the
helm, and consequently threw them into a state
of confusion: being unable to steer, they could
not accomplish the necessary manœuvre of tacking.
At this moment, the sternmost vessels,
having reloaded, let drive another broadside,
but in so thoroughly Chinese a manner that at
least half the shots intended for us took effect
on their consorts.

" 'Skipper,' cried poor Jack Ikey, 'I've
potted nine yellow skins at the helm of that
port ti-mung, for certain; Joe says that he can
score thirteen for the other; they can never
tack while we keep this going, so luff up and slap
another broadside or two into them.'
Enraged at the treachery of the ambuscade into
which I had been enticed by the deceitful
native merchant, and excited by the fell spirit
of war, as well as influenced by my mate's
request, I ordered the helm to be put a-starboard,
brought the lorcha to the wind, and foolhardily
accepted the proffered but unequal combat. The
ti-mung that had passed us on the port hand,
we disabled in no time; but meanwhile, the
other ti-mung had been neglected. The crew
of this vessel, having recovered from their
confusion, had successfully effected the manœuvre
of tacking; she was now sailing up to us,
closely followed by her two sternmost consorts.
She was the largest, heaviest armed, and most
formidable of our antagonists; and now, from
her position and the course she was steering,
right across our bows, would certainly grapple
and try to carry us by boarding. I instantly
made arrangements to counteract the danger.
From the altered position of the vessels, my
sharpshooters were no longer able to pick off
the enemy's helmsmen; so I directed them
to confine their attention to the fellows at
the mastheads, whom it was desirable they
should shoot down before getting within
stinkpot range, as if any of those missiles
landed on our decks, the burning, suffocating
explosion would prevent either the efficient
working or fighting of our vessel, and would
thereby cause us to fall an easy prey. Seeing
that it would be impossible to avoid coming to
close quarters, I ordered the boarding nettings to
be triced up. Then the muskets were brought on
deck, loaded, and served out to all hands, with
bayonets and ammunition. The big guns were
quickly recharged, and this time with bags of
musket balls, excepting only the after pivot gun
—the long eighteen—which I had carefully
double-shotted, and reserved for a particular
purpose. By this time the leading ti-mung was
close upon us, her decks crowded with men—
some ready to board, others standing by their
guns, match in hand, and the rest handling their
bows and arrows or matchlocks.

"A moment of concentrated suspense
followed, every breath restrained, every faculty
absorbed in expectation of the coming deadly
strife. The creaking aloft, and the rippling of
the waters cut by the approaching vessels,
alone broke the oppressive silence. Suddenly
the sharp and simultaneous crack of two
rifles terminated the painful interval, and I
saw on the face of each of my mates a stern,
satisfied expression. From the enemy's junk
there came a loud cry of mortal agony, as a
man fell heavily from her mainmast-head, and
another at the fore clung helpless and wounded
to his giddy perch.

"Those rifle cracks had broken the charm, and
now the hideous noise of war once more
resounded over the glittering waters. A savage
yell burst forth from the enemy as they began
shooting away with their gingals, matchlocks,
bows and arrows. A couple of fresh men,
nimble as monkeys, sprang up aloft to the
missiles at her mast-heads.

" 'Now then, Frenchy,' cried my mate to his
companion, getting warmed by the fray, 'bring
them down again!'

"We were now within twenty yards of the
ti-mung; another two or three seconds would
bring us muzzle to muzzle.

" 'Ready, there, with the guns?' I shouted.

" 'All ready, sir,' promptly responded my
Manillamen.

''I cried to the steersman, 'Port a little—
port!' and, as the lorcha answered her helm,
gave the command—'Fire!'

"Both vessels delivered their broadsides at the
same moment, and with terrible effect at that
short range. Only four of the Manillamen came
aft in obedience to my orders to resist boarders
on the quarter; the other two, and six of my
Cantonese, had been killed by the enemy's
round shot. Our broadside inflicted a much
heavier loss upon our antagonist. Yet, in spite
of the numbers killed and wounded, she still held
on her course, closed with us, and grappled fast.
Her decks presented a ghastly spectacle, but
I had little time to notice it, for fresh numbers
of men swarmed up from where they had been
sheltered in her hold, and rushed to board us.
Fore and aft, on the bow, on the quarter,
amidships, and everywhere, they clustered to
the attack, uttering the most dreadful yells, the