y freely at Nagasaki, instead of proceeding at
once to the anchorage we brought up at the mouth of the harbour, under
the lee of Tacabuco, until such times as we should hear more definite
and accurate accounts of the extent of the enemy's depredations. Like
another much-libelled personage, who is often painted much blacker than
he perhaps is, the cholera, through undoubtedly present, was confined to
the poorer haunts of the city, so that with necessary precautions there
was nothing to fear. Stopping everybody's leave, though, unfortunately
happened to be a necessary precaution, and communication with the shore
was limited to the visits of the bumboat and washermen.

On the following morning we commenced to fill up with coal. I have
before remarked that in this port we have lady coal heavers. It so
chanced that for once they were rather short-handed, and to expedite the
work a party of blue-jackets were sent to clear a spare lighter. Whether
or not they mistook the commander's order, or whether their eyes had got
blinded with coal dust I can't say, but sure am I that they failed,
every man-jack of them, to go into the indicated boat. May be, the sight
of women at "unwomanly work" was too much for Jack's chivalry--at any
rate, they had jumped in among the women and were cheerfully heaving out
the coal whilst the latter bad a smoke. Now this, however laudable in
itself, was clearly not the commander's intention, and the gallants,
much against their will, had to yield to pressure and clear the bachelor
lighter.

September 7th.--In company with the "Growler" and "Sylvia" we left the
shores of fair Nagasaki; and after despatching the small fry about their
business we shaped our course for Chefoo. The wind for a short distance
was again fair; but having, presumably, discovered its mistake, and that
we had had a full share of his favors lately, old boisterous suddenly
changed his tactics, and intimated to us in unmistakable language, by
alternate lulls and squalls, that he was about to do something rash. At
noon of the second day out, after, we must confess, ample warning, he
had apparently decided what to do, the wind came up as foul as it could
well be. We were at this time off the island of Quelpart, still carrying
reduced sail and barely going our course.

The breeze, though strong, was steady and all went well until the ship
reached the western extremity of the mountainous island, when, with a
roar and a screech truly te