Page:Through China with a camera.pdf/154

84 has a sixth part of the vessel under his own command. The result of this equitable arrangement is that the craft is sometimes required to travel in six different directions simultaneously, and to stand for six different points at a time; and in the end the crew take the steering into their own hands, or else consult Joss, who stands in his shrine in the cabin unmoved, though tempests rage. As it happened in our case there were but two captains on board, the one anxious to be civil and the other ready to pitch us into the sea. At length they requested us to remain, while they referred the case to Joss. The idol, it appeared, gave us a hearty welcome, for captains and crew returned from the interior to unite in helping me to get up a successful picture.