CANTON
steamer soon finds itself in the brown waters of the Chukiang river — or the Pearl, or the Canton River, as it is sometimes called by foreigners. It is on the Chukiang River that the crews of passenger boats take all possible precautions against attack by Chinese pirates, who resemble criminals the world over, in that they are more prone to operate at night than in daytime. But the sun never renders the Chinese cousins of "Cap'n Flint" so timid as to keep them from attacking a steamship in broad daylight if the opportunity presents itself.
The local governments have found it impossible always to protect ships against the danger of assaults by river pirates; so the steamship companies, in self-defense, place armed guards on board the Canton boats. The guards are equipped with rifles, revolvers, and sometimes shotguns, which often serve to scare off, at long range, suspicious looking individuals. The value of life is not so great in this particular stretch of country as in the Occident, and the guards take no risks, preferring to shoot first and ask questions afterwards a course of action reminiscent of early days on the American frontiers.
The guards are on the alert, although no pirates have shown themselves on the river for weeks, and the possibility of a skirmish lends spice to what would otherwise be an uneventful trip.
Sixteen
