former associates and friends as would not accept the pardon offered
them. There was some hard fighting, but the two renegadoes successively
took the chief Shih Url, forced the redoubtable captain, styled "The
scourge of the Eastern Ocean" to surrender himself, drove "Frog's Meal,"
another dreadful pirate, to Manilla, and finally, and within a few
months, destroyed or dissipated the "wasps of the ocean" altogether.

I have already noticed the marked intention of the Chinese historian, to
paint the character of Paou in a poetical or epic manner. When
describing the battle with Shih-Url, he says:--

"They fought from seven o'clock in the morning till one at noon, burnt
ten vessels, and killed an immense number of the pirates. Shih-Url was
so weakened that he could scarcely make any opposition. On perceiving
this through the smoke, Paou mounted on a sudden the vessel of the
pirate, and cried out: 'I Chang Paou am come,' and at the same moment he
cut some pirates to pieces; the remainder were then hardly dealt with.
Paou addressed himself in an angry tone to Shih-Url, and said: 'I advise
you to submit: will you not follow my advice? what have you to say?'
Shih-Url was struck with amazement, and his courage left him. Paou
advanced and bound him, and the whole crew were then taken captives."

"From that period," says our Chinese historian, in conclusion, "ships
began to pass and repass in tranquillity. All became quiet on the
rivers, and tranquil on the four seas. People lived in peace and plenty.
Men sold their arms and bought oxen to plough their fields; they buried
sacrifices, said prayers on the tops of the hills, and rejoiced
themselves by singing behind screens during day-time"--and (grand climax
to all!) the Governor of the province, in consideration of his valuable
services in the pacification of the pirates, was allowed by an edict of