sides, and so enlarged his central aperture, and
forced the remaining tea chests in; and behold
the enormous cargo packed as tight as ever
shopkeeper packed a box — nineteen thousand
eight hundred and six chests, sixty half chests,
fifty quarter chests.

While Mr. Grey was contemplating his work
with singular satisfaction, a small boat from
Canton came alongside, and Mr. Tickell, midshipman,
ran up the side, skipped on the quarter deck,
saluted it first, and then the first mate; and gave
him a line from the captain, desiring him to take
the ship down to Second Bar—for her water—at
the turn of the tide.

Two hours after receipt of this order the ship
swung to the ebb. Instantly Mr. Sharpe
unmoored, and the Agra began her famous voyage,
with her head at right angles to her course; for
the wind being foul, all Sharpe could do was to
set his topsails, driver, and jib, and keep her in
the tide way, and clear of the numerous craft, by
backing or filling as the case required; which he
did with considerable dexterity, making the sails
steer the helm for the nonce: he crossed the Bar
at sunset, and brought to with the best bower
anchor in five fathoms and a half. Here they
began to take in their water, and on the fifth day
the six-oared gig was ordered up to Canton for
the captain. The next afternoon he passed the
ship in her, going down the river to Lin Tin, to
board the Chinese admiral for his chop, or
permission to leave China. All night the Agra
showed three lights at her mizen peak for him,
and kept a sharp look out. But he did not come:
he was having a very serious talk with the
Chinese admiral; at daybreak, however, the gig
was reported in sight: Sharpe told one of the
midshipmen to call the boatswain and man the
side. Soon the gig ran alongside; two of the ship's
boys jumped like monkeys over the bulwarks,
lighting, one on the main channels, the other on
the midship port, and put the side ropes assiduously
in the captain's hands; he bestowed a
slight paternal smile on them, the first the imps
had ever received from an officer; and went lightly
up the sides. The moment his foot touched the
deck, the boatswain gave a frightful shrill whistle;
the men at the sides uncovered; the captain
saluted the quarter deck, and all the officers
saluted him, which he returned, and stepping for
a moment to the weather side of his deck gave
the loud command, " All hands heave anchor."
He then directed Mr. Sharpe to get what sail he
could on the ship, the wind being now westerly;
and dived into his cabin.

The boatswain piped three shrill pipes, and
"all hands up anchor," was thrice repeated forward,
followed by private admonitions, " Rouse
and bitt!" " Show a leg!" &c., and up tumbled
the crew with homeward bound written on their
tanned faces.

(Pipe.) "Up all hammocks!"

In ten minutes the ninety and odd hammocks
were all stowed neatly in the netting, and covered
with a snowy hammock cloth; and the hands
were active, unbitting the cable, shipping the
capstan bars, &c.

"All ready below, sir," cried a voice.

"Man the bars," returned Mr. Sharpe from
the quarter deck. " Play up, fifer. Heave
away!"

Out broke the merry fife with a rhythmical
tune, and tramp, tramp, tramp went a hundred
and twenty feet round and round, and, with
brawny chests pressed tight against the capstan
bars, sixty fine fellows walked the ship up to her
anchor, drowning the fife at intervals with their
sturdy song, as pat to their feet as an echo:

Heave with a will ye jolly boys,
                        Heave around;
We're off from Chainee, jolly boys,
                        Homeward bound.

"Short stay apeak, sir," roars the boatswain
from forward.

"Unship the bars. Way aloft. Loose sails.
Let fall!"

The ship being now over her anchor, and the
topsails set, the capstan bars were shipped again,
the men all heaved with a will, the messenger
grinned, the anchor was torn out of China with
a mighty heave, and then run up with a luff
tackle and secured; the ship's head cast to port:

"Up with the jib! man the taupsle halliards!
all hands make sail!" Round she came slow
and majestically; the sails filled, and the good
ship bore away for England.

She made the Bogue forts in three or four
tacks, and there she had to come to again for
another chop, China being a place as hard to
get into as Heaven, and to get out of as—Chancery.
At three p.m. she was at Macao, and hove
to four miles from the land, to take in her passengers.

A gun was fired from the forecastle. No boats
came off. Sharpe began to fret: for the wind,
though light, had now got to the N.W., and they
were wasting it. After a while the captain came
on deck, and ordered all the carronades to be
scaled. The eight heavy reports bellowed the
great ship's impatience across the water, and out
pulled two boats with the passengers. While they
were coming, Dodd sent and ordered the gunner
to load the carronades with shot, and secure
and apron them. The first boat brought Colonel
Kenealy, Mr. Fullalove, and a prodigious negro,
who all mounted by the side-ropes. But the
whip was rigged for the next boat, and the
Honourable Mrs. Beresford and poodle hoisted
on board, item her white maid; item her black
nurse, item her little boy and male Oriental in
charge thereof, the strangest compound of
dignity and servility, and of black and white, being
clad in snowy cotton and japanned to the nine.

Mrs. Beresford was the wife of a member of
council in India. She had been to Macao for her
boy's health, intending to return to Calcutta;
but meantime her husband was made a director,
and went home: so she was going to join him.
A tall, handsome lady, with too curved a nose.