the second mate in charge. The opium was taken in,
and the boat started on her return to the _Typa_ about two P. M.
When about half way between the two harbours, the four Chinese
suddenly dropped their oars, seized the mate and Lascar,
stunned them with the boat's tiller, and threw them overboard:
their bodies were picked up next day, and gave the first
intimation of their fate. Two of the pirates were subsequently
caught and executed; but the property, worth 10,000 dollars,
was irretrievably lost.

6. A British merchant in Macao sent an order off to his ship in
the _Typa_, to bring on shore, in the course of the day, a box
containing 6000 dollars: the money was put into a boat
belonging to the vessel at ten in the forenoon, and started for
the inner harbour, about an hour's pull. She was attacked by a
fast-pulling Chinese boat, when about half way between the ship
and the shore, and robbed of the dollars; but no violence was
offered to the crew, who were China-men. When this money was
being packed and put into the boat, some Chinese sailors on
board the ship were observed making signs as if to some one at
a distance: no notice was taken of this circumstance at the
time, though it was remarked upon when too late.

I could enumerate other cases of a similar nature; but these six are
sufficient for my present purpose.

The Chinese servants in the employ of Europeans at Macao, Canton, and
Hong Kong, are, without exception, the most consummate set of scamps it
has ever been my fortune to encounter. Their whole study from morning to
night and from night to morning, is, how to cheat their masters. There
is not an article put upon the table, that is not charged at four times
its value. If you keep a cow, or even a dozen cows, not one drop of milk
can you obtain, more than barely enough for daily use; and should any
attempts be made to punish either the cowkeeper or the head servant for
their villany, ten to one that your cows are poisoned before another
week passes over your head. This state of things might be, in a great
measure, put a stop to, were masters to pay more attention to their
domestic affairs; but most of the European merchants of China, being men
of wealth, and engaged in mercantile transactions of great importance,
deem such matters beneath their notice; and thus, the system goes on to
the serious loss and inconvenience of less w