A Sailor-Boy's Log-Book from Portsmouth to the Peiho by Walter White

Anchorage again -- Pay-day and Auction Sales -- Relief at last -- Happy Highflyers -- Departure from Whampoa -- Hurrah for Home! -- Working with a Will -- Departure from Hong-Kong -- Caught in a Cyclone -- The Trades -- Glorious Sailing -- The _Roman Emperor_ -- Do you want the Longitude? -- Snarley-yow's Growl -- Simon's Bay -- Departure from the Cape -- The Long Pig or the Short Pig? -- The Bill of Portland -- Anchor at Spithead -- Wives and Sweethearts -- Joys and Sorrows -- The Chaplain's Advice -- Pay-day and Liberty -- Home -- Getting a Discharge -- Conclusion.

September 26th. -- We were quite surprised out of our inactivity, in the early morning, by a gun-boat steaming up the river, flying the signal, _Prepare for sea_. Soon all was hurry and bustle; we knew nothing of our destination, but the bare idea of going from this dull place was sufficient to make us work, and by seven o'clock we had sails bent, boats in, and were steaming down the river. Early on the 27th we arrived in Hong-Kong, and found we had to go to Swatow, to try to get back some Europeans from the hands of the Chinese, who had unlawfully taken them prisoners. Our instructions were, if we could not get them by fair means we were to use foul means, and administer a little punishment by way of wholesome admonition. So to Swatow we went, and lay there two or three days, and by the assistance of the Consul and his interpreter the captives were released.