en_, during which he
ascertained that the vessel had fortunately struck only very lightly;
and, as she had been considerably sheltered from the seas by the part of
the reef through which she had somehow managed to blunder before
striking, she had not bumped to any extent, and was making but little
water. It was therefore to be hoped that her bottom was not so badly
injured as Wong-lih had at first anticipated, and that, at the rising of
the tide, it might be possible, with the assistance of the _San-chau_,
to get her safely off again. The admiral intimated to her captain that
he would stand by all night, and would commence salvage operations as
soon after daylight as the state of the tide would permit. Meanwhile
steam was to be kept in the boilers, and the pumps were to be kept going
continuously, so as to free the ship from water by the time that morning
dawned.

High tide, Admiral Prince Wong-lih ascertained from his almanack, was at
about seven-thirty on the following morning; so before daybreak all
hands were mustered and preparations put in hand for running a hawser
across to the _Chih' Yuen_. The sea had gone down during the night
until, when the first streaks of daylight came stealing up out of the
east, it was almost as calm as on the previous afternoon before the
storm.

Frobisher was one of the first among the officers to turn out and go up
on deck, and he occupied the time until breakfast very pleasantly in
watching the cruiser's boats running out kedge-anchors. Everything
being then in readiness, and both ships being under a full pressure of
steam, the crews went to breakfast; and directly that was disposed of,
the _San-chau's_ boats were sent across to the cruiser with a light
steel hawser, Wong-lih accompanying them in person, to see that "that
fool of a captain" did not make any mistakes this time. The light
hawser having been taken aboard the _Chih' Yuen_, the towing hawser,
also of steel, was bent on to the end still on board the
dispatch-vessel, and was hauled from her through the water on board the
cruiser.

As soon as this was done, the ends of the steel hawser on board both
craft were backed by several thicknesses of best Manila hemp, in order
to procure the necessary elasticity and guard against the wire-rope
parting when the terrific strain should be put upon it. After this the
hemp portion of the tow-rope was secured to bollards on the
quarter-decks of both craft, the slack of the haws