our later the officer and Wong-lih saluted each other in
farewell, and the Army man returned to the fortress, where the troops
were quartered for the remainder of the night, while the admiral entered
his barge, and, with his latest recruit in the stern-sheets beside him,
was pulled swiftly away to the _Hai-yen_.

Once on board, the admiral conducted Frobisher to a handsomely-furnished
cabin, of which he was to have the exclusive use during the voyage, and
also, with his characteristic kindness, presented him with a complete
Chinese Naval captain's suit in perfectly new condition, which by a
lucky chance proved to be a very passable fit. Of course Frobisher was
not as yet entitled to wear it, but Wong-lih was so certain that the
proposed appointment would be promptly confirmed that he had no qualms
in donning it.

It was by this time not very far off daylight. Frobisher therefore
decided that, tired though he felt, he would not turn in just yet, but
would wait for sunrise in order to watch the squadron get under way.
Wong-lih also had no intention of retiring during the short time that
still remained before they were ready to leave, so he invited the young
Englishman into his own spacious and luxuriously-fitted quarters in the
stern of the ship, where the two remained smoking, talking, and drinking
coffee, until the sound of the morning gun from the fort, followed by
the report of one of the twenty-four pounders on deck, announced that it
was "official sunrise", and that the hour had arrived for them to take
their departure.

With the admiral's permission Frobisher followed him on deck and up on
to the bridge, where a yeoman of signals was already waiting to hoist
the necessary flags as a signal to the other ships to weigh and proceed
to sea. Thick, greasy columns of smoke were rising from the funnels of
all three craft, proving, to the Englishman's experienced eye, that the
coal they were using was quite unsuited to Naval requirements; while a
white feather of steam rising from their steam-pipes showed that there
was already full pressure in their boilers. After a comprehensive look
round, the admiral spoke a few words to the signalman, and a moment
later a string of parti-coloured flags soared aloft to the cruiser's
yard-arm.

Instantly the shrill clamour of boatswains' whistles was heard from each
ship, and next followed the measured "clank-clank-clank" of iron cable,
as the steam-capstans got to work and bega