The boy travellers in the Far East : adventures of two youths ... - Library

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THE BOY TRAVEI>LE1!S.
plumlered all the native passengers, and got away. Some of tliein -n-ere
afterwards captured, and confessed to their part in the affair, and then the
whole story came out that they liad intended to rol) this boat. Since tlien
we always have tlie gratings down, so tliat the third-class passengers can-
not come on deck ;
and we keep plenty of rifles and revolvers in the pilot-
house and captain's cabin ready for use. They may never try it on us
again, and we don't intend to give them a chance to do so.''
FORT IN CANTON RIVER.
The captain went on to say that there were many pii'atos in the
waters around Canton, and all along the southei'n coast. The government
tries to suppress them, but it is not easy to do so, and hardly a day
passes without the report of a robbery somewhere. All trading-junks are
obliged to go heavily armed, and out of this fact comes a great deal of the
pii-acv, as a junk may lie a peaceful trader at one o'clock, a pirate at two,
and a peaceful trader again at three. It takes very little to induce a
Chinese captain to turn pii-ate when he sees a rich prize before him, and
he has no trouble in winning over his crew. It is impossible to distiii-
amish the pirate from the trader ; and as the coast is seamed with island
passages and indented with bays, it is easy for a junk to escape after she
has committed a robber^'.