hen felt so
satisfied that our request was granted that I could not continue asking,
and very soon went up again on deck. The first officer, a godless man,
was in charge. I went over and asked him to let down the clews or
corners of the mainsail, which had been drawn up in order to lessen the
useless flapping of the sail against the rigging. He answered, "What
would be the good of that?" I told him we had been asking a wind from
GOD, that it was coming immediately, and we were so near the reef by
this time that there was not a minute to lose. With a look of
incredulity and contempt, he said with an oath that he would rather see
a wind than hear of it! But while he was speaking I watched his eye, and
followed it up to the royal (the topmost sail), and there, sure enough,
the corner of the sail was beginning to tremble in the coming breeze.
"Don't you see the wind is coming? Look at the royal!" I exclaimed. "No,
it is only a cat's-paw," he rejoined (a mere puff of wind). "Cat's-paw
or not," I cried, "pray let down the mainsail, and let us have the
benefit!"

This he was not slow to do. In another minute the heavy tread of the men
on the deck brought up the captain from his cabin to see what was the
matter; and he saw that the breeze had indeed come. In a few minutes we
were ploughing our way at six or seven knots an hour through the water,
and the multitude of naked savages whom we had seen on the beach had no
wreckage that night. We were soon out of danger; and though the wind was
sometimes unsteady, we did not altogether lose it until after passing
the Pelew Islands.

Thus GOD encouraged me, ere landing on China's shores, to bring every
variety of need to Him in prayer, and _to expect that He would honour
the Name_ of the LORD JESUS, and give the help which each emergency
required.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER IX

EARLY MISSIONARY EXPERIENCES

ON landing in Shanghai on 1st March 1854, I found myself surrounded with
difficulties that were wholly unexpected. A band of rebels, known as the
"Red Turbans," had taken possession of the native city, against which
was encamped an Imperial army of from forty to fifty thousand men, who
were a much greater source of discomfort and danger to the little
European community than were the rebels themselves. Upon landing, I was
told that to live outside the Settlement was impossible, while within
the foreign concession apartments were scarcely obtainable at