The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-05-08

lnemDer UllaC one OF The party aWaheHeu
him by shouting in his ear: "Passen..
gers for Sodom and Gomorrah will
change cars"
We had hardly time to see the mosque
of Mehemet Ali and buy some altar of
roses, when we were hurried off to Alex
andria, so that our only sight of the
Pyramids was from the train. None of
us were "griffins," but those majestic
structures command interest at all times,
and then we had borrowed that won
derful book, "Our Inheritance in the
Great Pyramid" from the captain of the
steamer, and read it carefully, so that we
were as eager as schoolboys. shall never
forget the scene which ensued. We
were craning our necks to get the first
sight, and two OF three of us cried out,
"There they arer' Manson had been
leaning back in his seat with an ex-
preston of WEAKNESS on his countenance.
He raised himself slightly with his
hands, took one look, and sank back in
his old place with the remark: One
more sensation gone!"
The summer of 1856 was an unusually
hot one in China. Residents of Shang-
hal passed their time in an artificial tenn
perature produced by "punkahs" hung
over desks, dining-tables and beds-in-
decd, in every practical situation. The
despotic, implacable sun rose each morn
ing as if invigorated for new career of
persecution, and Knocked at bamboo
shades, blinds and even tiled roofs.
Crews of vessels coming up the river
were driven from aloft, and strong men,
like the.Shunamite boy in Scripture, cried
out, MY head! my head!' In the lat
ter part of September came the first re-
lief-cool nights; then, at last, refreshing
days. l was dressing one morning, with
serene satisfaction in the thought that
| might put on n flannel instead of a
linen coat, when my, hoy announced,
"One piecee gentleman hab got down
side; wantchee see YOU" Stretched out
found, on descending, my friend Manson.
Responding to my deli ghted and surprised
greetings, he told me that he had sud-
denly made up his mind to visit the far
East, and had started without rejecting
that he would reach India and Southern
China at just the wrong time. He had
been nearly dead with heat, narrowly
escaped q sunstroke Mt Canton, and was
caught in typhoon between Manila and
Hong Kong. | had room made ready
for him, found him good Canton ser
want and introduced him at the club.
He was unanimously voted a success.
TO people rs busy rs we all were with
the new seasons teas, a perfectly lazy
man was a refreshing spectacle; and his
languid indifference and dry conversa-
ton We're declared extremely good
| form"
In few weeks l made up my mind to
take two or three days holiday and
carry out a cherished plan of a boat
trip on the Yangtsze, and Manson agreed
house boat of Chinese model and rig
Il fair saier and very comfortable; and
our two Canton boys-Ah Wing and All
How-and our cook were sure to give
us good living. | was obliged, on ac-
count of the illness of my lowdah," OF
captain, to engage a new one at short
notice. did not know much about him.
and did not like his looks, but l never
dreamed of any trouble with him or the
crew which he engaged. There was q
gun-rack in the cabin and | had put in
II couple of Enfield rifles belonging to
the volunteers and two Sharp's rifles
from the hong, thinking that we might
compare their performance at target
Manson, to my amusement, added to the
armory an elephant rifle, carrying 4
heavy ball, which he had brought from
Ceylon, and his own old Kentucky hunt.
ing rifle, which he had been backing,
he said, against all others. ] laughed a
this battery Qittle thinking what | was
to owe to iD, and threw in Il couple O.
revolvers to complete our assortment.
| shall never forget the sail down the
Wongpoo, or Shanghai river, that pleas
ant afternoon. To appreciate the coo
breeze from the southwest one mus
have endured the sufferings of the sum
mer, and it seemed to blow rather from
some breezy upland "at home," thar
from the low-lying, damp paddy-felds
AS we left the settlement behind l fell
like a boy having a first holiday, an(
even fancied that the ordinary sunset re-
minded me of some of the gorgeous one,
| had seen in more favored latitudes
We passed Woosung and the dilapidatcC
earth-works below, rounded Paoushar
Point, and ran a long way before we an
chored for the night. In the mornin!
we were under way in good season, ant
bore for the north shore. We had oul
coffee and toast, and were sitting aft
when All Wing, my favorite servant, a!
clever and "plucky" a boy as ever wor,
pigtail, came attic speak to me.
Master" said he, "jussee now mi se
two piecee junk come. Mi thinkee he NJ
good junk. Mi fear he b'long lallee- looI
(they are ladrones or pirates). Mi aske
that lowdah-he mouf no speakee plopp,
(his mouth does not answer me prop
erly). He say junk b'long he fen Cs hi
friend). Mi welly fear he no good man.
ran forward and looked at the tw,
junks. We had changed our course anC
were running west, with the wind OF
orr ham They were coming tOwar,
us, but both considerably to the north
and one more so than the other. Thei
character was unmistakable. rs was tn
expression on the lowdah's face. He spok
q few words ofpidgeon English, and OF
my telling him to turn, said with grin
mo wantchee go back Shanghai"
There was not moment to lose.
had not even time to explain matters t.
Manson. IT anything can make on
think and act quickly, it is the approach
of Chinese pirates. | jumped down tn
cOmpanion-ladder, seized n large revol
, yer, loaded and capped, concealed it un
, der my coat, and told All Wing to com
forward with me. AS | passed Manson
I who was cOolly smoking, and asked n
| questions, whispered:
"Stand by the helm, and wait for tn
| word, in case of need"
, told All Wing, in as mild tone as
, could command, to tell the lewdah tha
he ha2misunderstood me, and that
J wanted him to turn around. He was o
his guard, and replied in a rapid Chimes
sentence, and with chuckle.
"He talkee no wantchee," said A
: Wing.
| The man was nothing to me at thf
: moment but mad dog. Why did nc