the part of the Chinese,
became quite outrageous against Fukee, as the natives are called, and
would hardly permit any visitors to come near their favourite, lest
they should accelerate her inevitable fate by poison. At length poor
dear Jean gave token of approaching dissolution; she could neither
eat, nor drink, nor even grunt; and her breathing was like that of a
broken bellows: in short, she died! Every art was taken to conceal the
melancholy event from the Chinese; but somehow or other it got abroad,
for the other English ships were deserted, and long before sunset a
dense mass of boats, like a floating town, was formed astern and on
both quarters of the Lyra.

The sailors now held a grand consultation as to what was to be done;
and after much discussion, and many neat and appropriate speeches, it
was unanimously resolved that the mortal remains of the great sow now
no more should be deposited in the mud of the river of Canton, in such
a way that the most dexterous and hungry inhabitant of the celestial
empire should not be able to fish her up again.

As soon as it was quite dark, and all the Chinese boats sent, as
usual, beyond the circle limited by the ship's buoys, the defunct
pig's friends set to work to prepare for her obsequies. The chief
object was to guard against the ravenous natives hearing the splash,
as she went overboard; and next, that she should not afterwards float
to the surface. The first point was easily accomplished, as will be
seen presently; but there was a long debate, in whispers, amongst the
men, as to the most expedient plan of keeping the body of their late
pet from once more showing her snout above the stream. At length, it
was suggested by the coxswain of one of the boats which had been sent
during the morning to sound the passage, that as the bed of the river
where the brig lay consisted of a deep layer of mud, it would be a
good thing if Jean's remains could be driven so far into this soft
stratum as to lie below the drags and hooks of the Chinese.

This advice was much applauded, and at once acted upon with that happy
facility of resource which it is the pride of the profession to have
always in store for small as well as for great occasions. The dead sow
was first laid on its back, and then two masses of iron ballast, being
placed one on each side of the cheek, were lashed securely to the neck
and shoulders in such a manner that the ends of the kentlage met
across her nose, and f