Part 28 (2/2)
”Get out with your blarney,” said Mr Mackay good-hu the crew on to fresh exertions by way of changing the topic ”If we stop jawing here long we'll never sail frohai before next year Put your hearts in it, et all stowed and be done with it”
”Look aloive,” yelled the boatswain, following suit; ”an' hurry up wid thioin' to make the job last a eance; so that, before the as out, the tea was all stowed and the hatches battened doith the shi+p quite ready to sail as soon as Captain Gillespie got all his permits and papers from the shore--of which latter, by the way, I ot tired at last
I had received no less than three letters frohai, one also co me about father and thee and ent on at Westhaland, instead of only six e of life and all that had happenedthese dear hoet back and see theain; and, in anticipation of this, you ood collection of nice things for mother and my sister Nellie, as well as some ”curios” for father, such as he had prorieve so, telling that all the arrange to sea,--do you recollect?
Yes; and besides the curios I iven , by Ching wang, who,back in the Silver Queen--not, at all events, this voyage, heat Shanghai until the next year
”Me likee lilly gal, she likee me,” he explained with his bland vacuous set chop chop
Two o shi+p and 'top shore too”
”You rascal!” shouted ”Old Jock” in a rage, ”you served e before last You'd better coain”
”No, cap'en,” grinned the imperturbable Chinaman, ”no can do”
So, a must have about fifty wives by this ti the nue for hi present the little brass figure of Buddha which he worshi+pped as his deity This was a sure token of the strong affection he entertained for me, his ”lilly pijjin,” as he always called ood graces
”He'll come back with us next trip,” said Mr Mackay, as he with all of us gave Ching wang a parting ”chin chin” on the celestial cook being presently rowed ashore in great state, sitting in the stern-sheets of his sa as his round face could be distinguished, dwindling away in the distance till it finally disappeared ”I'h, sir, for he was a capital cook, besides being a plucky fellow Recollect how he helped to save all our lives the other day, as well as the shi+p and cargo”
”Huotten this ”He's served us a shabby trick now, by going off like that at the last ain”
”Ha, ha, cap'en,” laughed Mr Mackay, ”you said so last tiain with the other hands before we started froood-natured to bear in s you say soered and snorted ”Old Jock,”
thinking this a high co, you know”
Ching wang, when he got ashore, did not forget his old friends and leave us altogether in the lurch; for he sent off a black cook, a native of Jaer from the brokers on shore ca now delayed our departure fro whistle once more on board, and the welcome--thrice welcome cry:
”All ha-a-nds make sail!”
The topsails were soon loosed by one watch, while the other hove up the anchor in fine style to the chorus of ”Down in the lowlands, oh!”
”Up and down!” cried Matthews on the forecastle, taking poor Saunders'
place here, for he was now doing duty as second h he had not yet passed the Trinity House examination for the post ”Anchor's up and down, sir!”
”Then heave and paul!” answered Mr Mackay fro out at the sa by the halliards: ”Sheet home and hoist away!”
In another minute, the topsails were dropped and the yards hoisted, the jib run up and the spanker set; when, as our anchor cleared the ground, soon peeping over our bows and being catted and fished in the old fashi+on, the Silver Queen's canvas filled and she bade adieu to China with a graceful curtsy,at a rate that showed she was as glad as those on board her to lose sight of its yelloaters at last!
It was the 14th Septeh it was rather early in the year for it, the nor'-east un to blow, fine and dry and cold, bowling us down through the Formosa Channel and into the China Sea beyond, ”as if ould Nick war arter us,” as Tiress past the same latitudes in which we had previously encountered such perils,south by the Strait of Gaspar--to the other side of the island of Banca, instead of by our foretting out into the Indian Ocean at the beginning of October