once launched,
and the mate and the engineer, with one sailor, went to the rescue. When
they arrived all that could be found was the captain's wife and an
ordinary seaman. All the others had perished, through the dastardly act
of the Spaniard in running away.

Captain Knowles of the "Northfleet" was newly married to a very
beautiful lady, who was later on by command presented to Queen Victoria,
who, after hearing her story, condoled with her, and later gave her a
pension of fifty pounds a year as long as she remained a widow.

Some three years after this the widow was again married, to Captain
Cawes, of the ship "Coriolanus." This ship came to Hankow to load tea
and I had the pleasure to meet Mrs. Cawes, who had been saved from my
old ship in which I had served for years.

The steamer that run down the "Northfleet" was twice arrested, but
nothing definite could be proved until some two years later, when one of
her officers was near dying, and he confessed that it was the steamer
"Murillo," which was later proved to be true, and the vessel was
confiscated.

Chinese Politeness.

Whilst running to Hankow with the steamer "Neimen" I had as sailors
Malays. The firemen were seedy boys, or Nubians. The steward was a Goa
Portuguese. The servants were Chinese, and the cook a Chinese who
claimed to be an American, he having been trained by Captain John
Parrott, of San Francisco, "a number one American man," who had taught
him to swear quite neatly.

Well, on Christmas Day, 1862, we had a very hard gale and snowstorm, and
early in the evening we had to anchor. Then we sat down to dinner, which
we hoped to enjoy. There were several passengers on board, and when the
soup was served and tasted each looked at the other, and I looked at the
steward and asked him what kind of soup it was. He said it was plain
soup. I asked why some meat had not been used in its making, and he
replied that the cook must have eaten the meat, as he was given plenty.

The cook was sent for, and when he was confronted with the steward he
began to use the refined language taught him by Captain Parrott. I
ordered the steward to put all the soup back into the tureen. Then I
invited the cook to take a seat at the table and consume the soup, which
he did. When he had taken it he rose and, bowing most politely, tucked
the tureen under his arm like an admiral with his cocked hat, and said,
"Excusey, my sir; all hab finishee," and backed out of the s