"Do not, however, suppose that all is lost; take courage again, and try to become convinced of a truth which all past centuries have proved to be incontestable. This is the truth I refer to; treasure it up in your mind, and never lose hold of it: _As long as a man has life, there is no reason to despair of him;_ he may pass suddenly from the greatest trouble to the greatest joy, from the greatest misfortune to the greatest felicity. Take courage once more, return home, and strive to turn to account every instant, as if you began to-day for the first time to realize the value of life." Then turning to the younger of his disciples, Confucius said to them: "What you have heard from the lips of this man is an excellent lesson for you--reflect seriously upon it, every one of you." After this remonstrance it is said that thirteen of the followers of the sage left him to return home and perform their filial duties. The Celestials, in fact, all agree in saying that filial piety was alike the groundwork of the Confucian philosophy and the foundation of Chinese society. In spite of much that is strange to European ideas, might we not well follow many of the precepts of the enlightened pre-Christian teacher? CHAPTER V My voyage to Macao--General appearance of the port--Gambling propensities of the Chinese--Compulsory emigration--Cruel treatment of coolies on board ship--Disaster on the Paracelses reefs--The _Baracouns_--The grotto of Camoens--The _Lusiads_--Contrast between Chinese and Japanese--Origin of the yellow races: their appearance and language--Relation of the dwellers in the Arctic regions to the people of China--Russian and Dutch intercourse with the Celestials--East India Company's monopoly of trade--Disputes on the opium question--Expiration of charter--Death of Lord Napier of a broken heart--Lin-Tseh-Hsu as Governor of the Kwang provinces--The result of his measures to suppress trade in opium--Treaty of Nanking--War of 1856-1858--Treaty of Tien-tsin and Convention of Pekin--Immense increase in exports and imports resulting from them. I had confided to M. Vaucher, that most amiable of cicerones whom I had been fortunate enough to meet at Canton, my great wish to go to Macao and make a pilgrimage to the grotto where it is said Camoens, the great Portuguese poet, wrote a portion of his most important work, the _Lusiads_. M. Vaucher at once made arrangements for me to go to the celebrated Portuguese settlement by river and sea, and placed one of his own decked boats at my disposal. He even went so far as to choose a crew for me, and to arm that crew with six rifles. Before I started he warned me to keep in my cabin so as not to arouse the cupidity of the banditti, who abound on the river, by appearing on deck.