A TIGHT WITH A JUNK.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 235, 2 May 1868, Page 3

A TIGHT WITH A JUNK.

, Just at that time a very stately-look-i ing mandarin junk wag coming down \ the river with great parade, and making for the entrance of the creek. A ! crowd of men were rowing her very i swiftly and enormous banners floated from her mast-head, whilst a profusion of gaudy flags trailed in the water from the spears that were thickly planted around her bow and stern. The gong that had been clanging furiously suddenly ceased as our two boats dashed alongside, and we boarded her. i After a short scuffle we were in full possession of the vessel, almost before the crew had recovered from their first surprise. We now turned the junk's head round, and made the rowers get their long sweeps out and pull her alongside the Haveck. Our movements had not been unnoticed in the creek The braves were literally howling with rage, trumpets were braying, and the men, stripped for fighting, were rushing about for their arms in the wildest hurry and confusion. Meanwhile no time was lost in bringing our guns to hear, theponderous sixty-eight pounder trained slowly round, received its charge and the Haveck showed her teeth. "We waited for the first volley, but our ugly appearance seemed to damp their courage very considerably. I have always noticed the cool deliberate way in which our guns are run out and loaded has an astonishing influence on the Celestial mind; it is so different from their bombastic way of

fighting. It was, perhaps, just as well ; for us that they did cool down, for there would have been more than 800 opposed tojour 40 men, whilst we had the additional inconvenience of having just captured a larger numher of the enemy than our own ship's company. Failing to perceive their advantage, they released the trading junk and pushed her out into the stream, and our boats soon towed her alongside. A boat was then sent in with a gentleman named Mr Doyle, who acted as interpreter for Messrs Pent and Company, to offer to exchange the mandarin junk and crew for the men who had seized the trading junk. This they refused. As it was now near sunset we shifted our position out into the middle of the river, for it would have been most imprudent to have remained within pistol-shot of so numerous and skilful an enemy through the darkness of the night. The mandarin's retainers and crew were transferred from their vessel to ours and a search was commenced for the mandarin himself, whose euphonious name, "Wang was emblazoned in huge characters on all the banners and everything else- in the vessel. It seemed that this "Wang was the very gentleman we most wanted, for he was the general in command of this division of the army. All the doors of the cabin were strongly barred up from the inside, and for a time defied our attempts to enter. " Now," we thought, " we have you, G-eneral "Wang!" as the door burst open, and, accompanied by another officer, and Doyle rushed in. Judge of our .astonishment when, instead of the old mandarin skulking in a corner in a state of abject terror as we had expected, we found two of the loveliest girls and the ugliest old woman that it is possible to imagine. The elder girl stood up boldly, her fine face white with rage, and her lustrous black eyes flashing and giving full effect to the volleys of curses that she hissed at us through her white and firmly clenched teeth. She was indeed a beautiful girl—such a profusion of glossy black hair, such firmly-pencilled eyebrows, strongly arched, and in her calmer moments such a sweet little red mouth. Her figure was good, her

hands, too, were of the smallest, and fingers the most delicately tapered, whilst her feet must havo beon to a Chinaman something maddening, they were so incredibly smalk The dtess she wore suited her admirably ; it was of a rich dark purple satin, lined with j white far, and embroidered round the edges with gold and bright colors. Close behind her stood another girl. She was apparently a year or so I younger, and was a faint reflection of her companion. She in the bud was the promise of as fair a flower as the' other, and was wonderfully pretty. Her dress though not so magnificent as her sister's —for they evidently were sisters—was still exceedingly handsome. She, though in very great terror, seemed to have unfounded confidence in her elder sister, to whom she clung -as though for protection. The old woman sat muttering in the corner,.and groaned out the direst imprecatious on us and our fathers before us; but of these, since they amused her without affecting us, we took no: notice. She would have been at any' time ugly enough, but her impotent rage no«v rendered her doubly hideous. We searched every part of the vessel, but were unable to find "Wang. It appeared that he had indeed come down in the junk, but during the hurry and confusion of the capture had managed to jump overboard and get away.—From CasselVs Magazine.