Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-04-07
THEY SUNK HIS YACHT.
An Adventure which Gives Some In
sight Into Chinese Character.
rGna.ial Corrasnondence


sight Into Chinese Character.
ISpe,ial Correspondence
SAN Francisco, March 2S.-A party Of
two Americans, of which the writer was one,
had been on yacht cruise down the Yangtss
Kiang, and had gone down the great
river some 800 miles from Kin Kiang to Sill
yer island, below Wo Hoo. We were on tho
return trip, sailing before a splendid ten
mile will Night came on as we were ap-
preaching Nysn-King, on the north bank of
the river.
Chinese boats never travel at night unless
belated in reaching an established and
guarded anchorage. We had been out some
thirty days, and wishing to get home as
soon as possible, decided that we would not
tie up for the night 1t was fearfully dark,
and l concluded for safety to hang out
lantern on tie prov Of our yacht. had
Just lighted the lantern and was coming on
deck from below, when a shock and lurch of
the fast flying yacht brought me off my feet.
Running forward found that we had cut
down native boat, which proved to contain
a crew of three belated fishermen. The first
warning they had OF our approach was the
deep shadow Of our sail coming up over
them as dark specter. The boats were
directly in each others track going in oppo-
site directions Our helmsman, according to
Chinese law, shouted aloud, Port your helm
hard there and followed the words by bear
ing down ''hard aportn on his own lever.
Had the man on this other boat done like
wise, we would have passed each other safely.
But he lost his head and drew his helm the
wrong way. This brought his boat square
across our PROV at right angles.
As saw the cut craft dragging on her side
and filing with water, called, down sails, !"
threw a rope to the affrighted men on board,
and drew them aboard our vessel then
made fast the rope to the wreck, which we
were riding down, and with poles released it
and brought it astern in tow. We fshed out
what we could Of the fishing nets and mats,
and hoisted sail again, for the current was
bearing US down on the city. We now found
that we had caught Tartar" Our victim
set up an unearthly howl that the foreign
ers had sunk his boatn We knew enough Of
Chinese nature to know that IL that cry
reached the populous anchorage near by we
would have a race for our lives. So it be-
came a question of shutting the old mans
mouth until we got to a more retired spot. l
ordered the crew to take the man below, into
the HOlQ, anu ueIdllcu q eullOf 70 Keep uliu
quiet. afterward learned that he held the
old man by the neck, and when the latter
attempted to yell he closed in on his wind
pipe. We cast anchor on a sand bar seven
miles above the city. / called council Of
war. What were we to do with our captive
was the subject considered Our captain, -
native, who sailed our boat, was the first
to speak. Said he:
"Gentlemen, you made a mistake in saving
that mans Iifel Dead men give no trouble.
No native would have rescued those fel-
lows.n
told him that was not our way Of doing
business. His next proposition was that we
wait till midnight, when all was quiet, and
then put the man ashore and tie him so that
he could not give the alarm before morning,
and hoist sail and escape.
/ objected to that also he then said:
"Let US get away, then, and go home, and
let the old man walk honlen 200 miles, at
least) 'the best way he can after we are
safe"
That being objected to, be said no more.
We held the old man there till morning,
dragged his wreck ashore for him and gave
him enongh money to repair his craft and
sailed away, leaving our Tartar" knocking
his head on the sand and showering blessings
upon the journey Of his benefactors.
Our captains view. however, gave the true
measure of the sympathy of one Chinaman
for another, when their interests cross each
other. b. N. Ton.