He told me hurriedly that intelligence had
just arrived that two of his friends who were proceeding to Hong-
Kong (Whampoa lay on the road) had been attacked by pirates, and
that one was killed and the other wounded. He then immediately
retired, so that I was unable to learn the name of the unfortunate
victim, and was left all night a prey to the greatest anxiety lest
it should be Mr. Agassiz.
Fortunately, this at least was not the case, as Mr. Agassiz returned
at 5 o'clock in the morning. I then learned that this misfortune
had happened to Monsieur Vauchee, a Swiss gentleman, who had passed
many an evening in our house. On the very day of his departure, I
met him at a neighbour's, where we had all been in the highest
spirits, singing songs and quartettes. At 9 o'clock he went on
board the boat, set off at 10, and a quarter of an hour afterwards,
in the midst of thousands of schampans and other craft, met his
tragical end.
Monsieur Vauchee had intended to proceed to Hong-Kong, and there
embark on board a larger vessel for Shanghai; {103} he took with him
Swiss watches to the value of 40,000 francs (1,600 pounds), and, in
speaking to a friend, congratulated himself on the cautious manner
he had packed them up, without letting his servants know anything
about it.
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