Sketches from Formosa.

126 SKETCHES FROM FORMOSA
danger I made it ;
but all my labour was thus lost in a
few minutes.
On reaching the southern bank of the river I was com-
pelled to travel for ten miles over a wild, rocky plain, with
nothing on save my sun-hat and what remained of the
old tattered ^waterproof but the Elder at Toa-sia ;
loaned
me a pair of his own short, baggy
trousers and a Chinese
jacket, in which array I conducted my three services
on Sunday.
I see my Notes refer to another instance of peril by water
which may be referred to here. At one time I happened
to be on pastoral duty in Tang-kang, a town near the
southern end of the Island. Owing to long-continued
rain, the river there had overflowed its banks to such
an unusual extent that communication with the north
had been cut off for a week ; but, as urgent duties
were calling me to Pi-thau,
ordinary fare to the boatmen if they
I offered ten times the
would undertake
to ferry me across in one of their long bamboo rafts or
catamarans. They agreed, had their raft dragged well
up the river-side, my two travelling baskets placed on
beside me, and then made a cautious move in the
direction of mid-channel. In a minute or so, the rush
of water proved too strong for them. They lost all
control of their craft, which shot past the crowds of
people who were lining the southern bank. It was almost
impossible for me to keep steady, and the oarsmen never
ceased yelling on their gods to save them. Their voices,
however, were soon drowned by the noise of the surf,
and we thought that nothing could save us from being
engulfed by the raging sea. At this stage, we saw the
water breaking over a low sand-bank, towards which the
men rowed with all their might. Again and again we
thought it would be impossible to reach it ; and, even
then, it was with the utmost difficulty we waded across
to a place of safety on the other side.