o a lot of small junks that
they brought alongside; but the Chinamen made a poor show, contrasting
their work with that of our stalwart able-bodied tars, one of whom
thought nothing of handling a big crate as it was hoisted out of the
hold which it took ten of the others merely to look at.

Fortunately, only a few boxes of the Manchester stuffs that were stowed
in our fore compartment were found damaged by the sea, the rest of the
goods being in good condition, and the cargo generally as sound as when
it came on board in the docks; a result which afforded "Old Jock" much
satisfaction, as he had feared the worst. The only loss, therefore, the
owners would have to suffer would be the small amount of our freight
that had been jettisoned when the ship first went ashore on the Pratas,
the cargo that had subsequently been taken out to lighten her before
getting her off the shoal having been carefully preserved.

"`All's well that ends well,'" cried he, rubbing his hands and sniffing
and snorting, when the people ashore reported this after a systematic
examination of all the bales and stuff. "I told ye so, Mackay, I told
ye so; and when I say a thing, ye know, I mean a thing."

"I'm sure, I'm only too glad everything has turned out right," replied
the first mate, smiling to himself, though, at "Jock's" assertion of
having prognosticated this favourable issue, the contrary being the
case; for, he'd been grumbling all the way from Hongkong about the
salvage to be paid, and compensation to the consignees for deterioration
of the cargo, besides perhaps demurrage for late delivery, the ship
arriving at Shanghai more than a month beyond her time. "`All's well
that ends well,' as you say, sir; and I only hope we'll soon have a
freight back which will recoup any loss the owners may have suffered
from the mishaps of our voyage out."

But, hoping for a thing, and having it, are two very different things.

It was the middle of July when we finally reached Shanghai, and it took
us, with the slow way of going to work of the Chinese coolies and their
comprador and the people ashore and all, a good three weeks to unload
our cargo; so that, by the time we had the hold swept out and got ready
below for the reception of a freight of tea promised the captain, lo and
behold we found we were too late, for the consignment intended for us
was now well on its way home in another vessel. This latter, however,
we were told in excuse for our dis