Other Countries ... With maps and illustrations

Front matter

OTHER COUNTRIES. VOL. THE "COLONEL'S" SKETCH OF LAKE HAKONE AND FUSIAMA OTHER COUNTRIES BY MAJOR WILLIAM MORRISON BELL WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. . ..." It is that of establishing our common humanity ; of striving to remove the barriers which prejudice and limited views of every kind have erected amongst men, and to treat all man kind, without reference to religion, nation, or colour, as one fraternity, one great community, fitted for the attainment of one object." .... WlLHELM VON HUMBOLDT. IN TAVO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON : CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY. 1872. LONDON : PRINTED BY TJBTUE AND CO., CITY ROAD. CONTENTS OF VOL. IT.

Chapter I

Approach China— Chinese Characteristics— The Islands seen en route— Penang— Run on Shore — Re-embark — Cape Prochada— Sumatra — Malacca— Singapore, its History — The Town — Whampou — Bab}* Encomiums — Whampou's Garden — Climate— Mangostein — On to Hong Kong— Mount Victoria— Population of China — History and Religion — Politics — Home Policy 1

Chapter II

Hong Kong — Coup d'ceil — Appearance of Town — We arrive — First Impressions — Hotel — American Barber — Hong Kong semi-Chinese — An Artist's Studio — Cricket-ground — Tea Prince's Palace — Public Gardens — Race-course — Cemetery — Steam to Canton — Opium Smoking — Passengers — Breakfast — General View — Tonnage of Chinese Ships — Whampo — Pawnbrokers — The Pagoda — The Opium Trick — Junks — Boats — Crowds — Food — The Town — Things to see — Off to see Canton — Narrow Streets — Pails — Wares — Shops and Shopmen — A Scene in Canton — A magnificent Law — Five Hundred Genii — Temple of " Longebity " — The Ladies in the Cage — Chinese Idlers — Jade Market — Tartar Town — Chinese Execution — The Pawnshop— Cash — Low Opium-shop .

Chapter III

Purchases — Wallop Hoching — Night in a Sing-song Boat — On Board — Mr. Glover's Presents — Hilsa — R. C. Missionaries — Moomiai — A Journal — Yang-tse-Riang — Wangpoo — Shanghae — Hong Rong — Canton — Shanghae, Appearance and Dirt — Within the Walls — Shanghae Races — From the Stand — Rinyoon and our Rambles — The "Quarters" of Shanghae — Wheelbarrows — Rinyoon's Dwelling — Alleys — How can we Buy ? — Cremorne at Shanghae — Two Tails — Dinner at the Club — A Night Stroll — Chinese Restaurant — Play-house — Six Cow Chilos 39

Chapter IV

History of Japan — Descent of Mikado — Conservative Spirit — Internecine Wars — First Shiogoon — Sinto and Buddhist Religions — Executive ceded to different CO.VTENTS. VI FACiK People— Imperium in Imperio— Descent of Offices— Adoption— Great Men Shiogoon— Daimios— Koongays— Order of Precedence— Recognition of Daimios — Yoritomo— Hojio— Two Kings— 1540-1600— Taiko Sama— Treaty— Jesuits —Religious Sketch— Iyeyas— His Laws— Fifteen Shiogoons— Historical Oyster — Other times other Effects

Chapter V

Area of Japan — Papenberg — Scenery— Nagasaki — Modesty — Bathing — C lean Bodies— Tea-houses— Scene at Katoze Tea-house— The Cock's Gallantry— A perfectly undressed Lady— No Apology needed— The Poles of Modesty— Moral Laws— Incident at Meanoshta— Graveyards at Nagasaki— Ep to Anything— Coal Mine— A Storm and its Thoughts— Cuttey Sarks— Sewers— Women- Dress of Women and Men— Nine Points of the Law— Japanese Character- Destructive and Protective Half of Nature— Boats— Different Customs— Actors —Tattooing — Hirai — Hasanoiiki— Ship's Rules— Our Passengers . 70

Chapter VI

Views up to Simonosaki — Inland Seas — Simonosaki — Maharo — The Scenery — Koby — Artchikowa River — Osaka — Her Merchants — Sans Culottes — The Silk Shop— Fort and Palace — Hospital — Mint— Temple Street — Pagoda — Hiogo — Chart of Origonian — A Spurt — Volcanic Island — Fusiama — Harbour of Yokohama — Curio Street— Cost of Articles — "One Price ?"— Tea — Danger— To Yedo — Mr. Richardson's Murder — Tokaido — Change Horses — Ferry — Miaski . 88

Chapter VII

Size of Yedo and Population — Wood Houses — Fireproof Houses — Sheba — Temples —That at Enosima— That at Shanghae— That at Sheba— They and We— The Hotel — A Night Walk — An Earthquake — Bird's-eye View — Yaconin — Prince Tossa's House — Mikado's Palace — Tako Yama — The Zeta — Osaksa — Weeno. . 101 CHAPTER VIIT. Newspaper Opinions — Divine Right — The Festival — Leading Features of Yokohama — Curio Street and how it looked — Processions — Three Classes — Reception at the Yoshiwarra — Sights from the Hospital — The Drunken Christian — The Play-houses — Toilette — Little Secrecy — Night's Entertainments — Don't sneer — Sunday — Monday — An Introduction — Life of a Party — Trip to the Country — Dead Beggar — Rain and Wind — Luncheon at Yeoso — View across Odiwara River— The Passage — Dr. Ooeeroady — Have your Nose shaved ?— Castle at Oodawarra — Hutta — Tea-house and Garden — Are we welcome F — Walk to Hakone — Hakone — Bits of Scenery — Japs' Appreciation of Fun — Japanese Words — Different Views on Sketching — Asinoyou and its Occupations—Trees Grow in the Valleys — Alcoholic Water— Separate Bath — Boiled Baby — A very dangerous Act — Night Bathing— The Valley — Purchases — " I hate a Person who does what's right"— Japanese Dinner — How Eaten — After Dinner — Syonara — Japanese Fisher — To Tonosawa — Oodawarra— Fusisawa — Kite-flying— Katoze and its Occupants— Shampooer — Enosima— The Cavern —Anata Tempo— Temple of Duckgod— Daiboots— Kamakoora— The Murder of the Officers — The Temple — Hatchemangs— Respect this . . . .117 CONTENTS. VII

Chapter IX. Page

Waste of Waters— The Great Republic— Food— Chinese— The Crew— The Log- Eight Days — The Quaker and the Pigs — The Japan — Stories — The Far Alones — The Golden Gate — San Francisco 15

Chapter XI

Custom House — The Alta — Democrat and Republican — The Chinese — The Church — The Grand Hotel — The Town — The Lecture — Woodward's — The Sea Lions — Lynch Law — San Jose — Almaden — The Country House — Carriages . .172

Chapter XII

Railway Travelling — Pullman — The Trans-American Line — Luggage Labels — Stockton — Knight's Ferry — Bower Cave — The Ride 195

Chapter XIII

Crane's Flat Hotel — Tuolumne Trees — The Yosemite Valley — Sentinel Hotel — Splendid Views — Bridal Veil Falls — Yosemite Falls — Nevada Falls — Vernal Falls — Mirror Lake — Gold Mine — Mr. Wheeler's House — Heat — Through Tickets— Sacramento 213

Chapter XIV

Newcastle — Cape Horn — Alta — .Snow-sheds and Hedges — Truckee — People of Truckee Chapel — Story of Donner Lake — Independence Fetes— Tahoe Hotel * — The China Chamberman — Tahoe Lake — Nevada r. Rocky Mountains — Stations — Indians — Bridge Watchers — Leslie's Indian Attack — The Indians' Future — Winnemueca — An Apology — Battle Mountain — Carlin — The Indians get a Lift— Elko— The Mining District— The Ruby Range— Sudden Wealth . 226

Chapter XV

Salt Lake City — Difference of Opinion — Hepworth Dixon — Mormon Theology — Ogden — Line to Salt Lake City — Townsend House — Belief — Amasa Lyman — Wives— Walk to see the Town— The Cabby— The Tabernacle— The Men— The Women — The Singing — The Sacrament — Mr. Pratt's Sermon — Mr. Lyman's Chapel — Mr. Lyman's Sermon — Mr. Candland's Store — Wives — Morality — Conversation with Mr. Candland — The Why of MormoniBm — Visit to Brigham Young — Museum — Brigham's Boy — Different Opinions — The Pastrycook 241

Chapter XVI

Why the Wives submit— Leave Salt Lake — Distances and Elevations — Where are we? — Weber — Devil's Gate — The Second Canon — Echo— Wahsatch — Echo CONTENTS. VIII pa as 257 271 282 304 313 32S Canon and Difference of Opinion— The One Thousand Mile Tree— Wahsatch —Prairie— Bear River— The Shoshones— Carter— Bryan— Arid Prairie— Green River— How to Fertilise it— To Bed— Romance and Reality— Look-out Station —Backbone of Continent- The Night's Journey— Wake on Laramie— Three Sorts of Plain— The Air of Laramie— Contrast between it and Omaha— The Wealth of Laramie -Breakfast— The Murder— Cavalry Encampment— Branch Line to Denver — New Settlements ...-••■•*

Chapter XVII

Denver— Waiters— Singing Saloons— Danger at Denver— The Colonel's Decision — Buffaloes — Telegraphic News— Cheyenne — Chicago and Sunday — The "Mob"— Antelope Plains— Sydney and Food— Officials arm— Prairie on Fire— Night^Pawnee Station— Grand Island— Dread of Sights— Centre of the United States — Fremont — Sioux City and Two Lines .

Chapter XVIII

Omaha— The Barber— Church— Council Bluffs— Post Office— Off the Line— Cozzen's Hotel — Missouri — The Chicago and North-AYestern Line — Boone — Ordinary Car — Scenery — Cedar Rapids — Mississippi — Another Prairie — Tuesday — Chicago Hotel — At home and there — Heat — Restaurant— Exchange — Town of Chicago — Pig-killing — Lake Michigan — Grain Stores — Lincoln Park

Chapter XIX

Fare to Niagara — Pullman's Car — Distance to Niagara — Michigan City — Detroit — Comparison — America and Canada — Canadian Prints — London — Great Western — Paris — Ontario — The Canal 297

Chapter XX

Niagara — Brock's Monument and View — American and Canadian Sides of Niagara — "Under the Falls— Customs— Bridges — The Maid of the Mist — Home-spun Cloth — Mr. Green's Garden — Resume — Cross Ontario — Toronto — Fare .

Chapter XXI

Ontario — Toronto— Bomonville — Port Hope — The Spires — Cobourg — Berths Kingston 3 a.m.— Lake of the Thousand Isles — Preseott— Ogdensburgh — The Rapids — Distance, Preseott to Montreal — Long Sault — Cornwall Second Rapid— La Chine Rapid— Tubular Bridge— Montreal— Victoria Bridge— Protestant Cathedral — River Boats— Quebec — Montmorency — Leave Montreal

Chapter XXII

Expense— Fouquet's— Plattsburg— American Victories— The Adirondack— Size of Lake Burlington — Westport — The Yeoman — Fort Henry — Dinner The Division of the Party— Drive from Lake Champlain to Lake George— Lake George Workpeople— Fort William Henry Hotel— Bad Food— Saratoga— Daily Occupation—Tame Indians— Cardiff Giant— Gaming Tables— Street— Newspaper . CONTENTS. IX Tkr,_ 352 357

Chapter XXIII

Albany — Population— General Aspect — Lumber — Sail to New York — Distance — Hudson — Maiden — Poughkeepsie — Professor Morse — Newburgh — West Point Nyack — Yonkers — Palisades — New York — Apology — Aspect of Town — Broadway — Fifth Avenue— Mr. Steward's House and Store — Merchants — Honours — Fifth Avenue Hotel — Brevoort's — Squares— Streets — Washington Square — Central Park — New York by Night — Advertisements — Poorness of Places of Business — Unshuttered Stores — Gardens — Jim Fisk — Opera House — Booth's Theatre — Wood's Museum — Newspapers ........ 338

Chapter XXIV

Union Club — Servants — Music Hall — Clams — Egg-Nogg — Sunday — Old Trinity — Blacks — New York Government — Market — Opinions — The Irish — Ferry Boats — Trams — Brooklyn Cemetery — Yacht Race — Steam to Newport — Introductions — Women — Society — Accent ........ 347

Chapter XXV

Massachusetts — Wenham Lake — Capitol — The Common — Different Localities — Comparison -with New York — Drive to Mount Auburn — Mount Auburn — First-class Carriage — Good-bye to New York— Strikes — New London — Connecticut River — Yale College — Newhaven — City of Brussels — The Fare — The Start

Chapter XXVI

Log — Homo — Queenstown ■ — Holyhead — Liverpool — Adelphi — The Train — The Gallop OTHER COUNTRIES.

Chapter I

Approach China — Chinese Characteristics — The Islands seen en route — Penang — Run on Shore — Re-embark — Cape Prochada — Sumatra — Malacca — Singapore, its History — The Town — Whampou — Baby Encomiums — Whampou's Garden — Climate— Mangostein — On to Hong Kong — Mount Victoria — Population of China — History and Religion — Politics — Home Policy. \I7~E are now sailing away to that enormous country and » * people, whose history, whose associations, past and present, differ so widely from those of our own world. (Have I not even seen somewhere that they are non- Adamic ?) And as when approaching a town you get your first notice of arrival from the out-scattered villas, so we, touching at Penang and Singapore, are gradually introduced to that hive of humanity, China. There are very few Chinese in India, few in Ceylon ; but, by the time you get to Penang, and when you reach Singa pore, you see proof of the dogged energy and self-satisfaction of this strange race, in works of usefulness of all kinds.

If I adopted, perhaps with some lack of courtesy, the motto " Needs must " for the dwellers at Sandhurst, I may assur edly suggest " Material " for the Chinaman. Perhaps, in his own country, passion, fanaticism, or some one or other less practical emotion, may throw a barbaric poetry over his life ; but abroad he has but one aim, and that VOL. II. B CHINA 2 is to get on. Undeterred by any other feeling, he steadily bores his way like a gimlet among the people where he may plant himself. His aim of success is not high, but it is suc cess to him, and he points for it. Whether it be among the Queenslanders, among the rough men of a mining district in Australia or America, or among the dreamy Malays, he prospers. Hated by half the population among which he has cast his lot, called filthy and foul, and looked at askance for his morals and his sinews alike, he remains.

Employed by the other half, he evinces no gratitude, but keeps his eye fixed on the one motive for his being there, material success, and remains till he has obtained his object. The Americans — the working portion — hate him and fear him, and, holding the fate of their statesmen in their own hands, agitate them to agitate for laws of restriction on Chinese emigration. "Why should these locusts come and eat our food, and go and digest it at home ? " they cry. And so this great republic, the god of the bright .ones of Great Britain, at the sound of whose sackbut senate we are all to fall down and worship — this land of three thousand miles and people of thirty-six million — seeks to shut its door in the face of these emigrants from out four hundred million in a space of fifteen hundred miles, because, forsooth, their steady persistence in self-seeking upsets the monopoly which calls itself free.

We are at Penang. Penang, that Mr. , master of a trading vessel, got when he married the Eajah of Quedah's daughter, and then gave it and its one hundred and sixty square miles of an island to the Honourable East India Company. Penang, that then had not a soul "on board," but now has over forty thousand. Just wait a minute, how- ISLANDS. 3 ever, before we land, and tell me what we have seen as we have been steaming from Ceylon here. " An awk and a flying fish." No ! That's what we saw when we went down to Australia. On this voyage we have been among islands. CEYLON TO SINGAPORE, via PENANG, ABOUT 1625 MILES. SINGAPORE TO SHANGHAE, „ 1730 „ Acheen Head, the extreme north point of the island of Sumatra, was just visible on Sunday. Pula Brasse on our right, Pula Way on our left; the former densely covered with wood, but uninhabited.

Away, farther on our port, the Andaman and Mcobar Islands. On Monday we passed the bare rock of the island of Pera, b2 CHINA 4 standing out white in the sun like an iceberg, and covered with countless boobies. These streaming home in ribands and handkerchiefs of black birds spread over the calm sea, fished as they went, they and the fish together, the latter jumping out of the water as the former dived in, causing it to bubble and froth with commotion. On Tuesday we came in sight of the low wooded shores, with a range of mountains farther inland, of Quedah, the Wellesley Province, and of the island of Penang. This Wellesley Province is only separated from the island by straits two miles broad, is a dependency of Penang, and was purchased from the Eajah after we had obtained the island in 1785.

It has an area of two hundred square miles, and a population of over fifty thousand. I call Penang " hybrid," and I might say high bred, too, on account of the neatness and cleanliness of the town. But I say "hybrid," because it is not exactly eastern (Chinese eastern), much less western ; but by reason of its great Chinese population, it presents a sort of mixed Chinese and Indian appearance. The Chinese are called the sinews of Penang. They pushed off to us in their little sampans (boats), with very broad sterns, and one Chinaman in each boat. We met them iu the town hard at work as carpenters, blacksmiths, &c, their light, copper-coloured skin bare to the waist, their bull dog but open faces, and firm, well-knit bodies, no less than their prettily-dressed women and clean and most picturesquely painted houses, prepossessing me in their favour.

But they fight hard amongst themselves, these same Chinese ; and the often cause of their great success, their guilds, beget amon° themselves sometimes such severe rows, that the Government has to interfere. Malays, too, lesser in figure, darker in PENANG. 5 colour, more easy going by nature, surrounded the Travan core, pulling to her in large boats in which were many hands. The town, composed of low houses, stores for the sale of European goods, church, offices, and the homes of Europeans, Malays, Chinese, Madrasses, and up-country men, is neat and attractive. The kind of house prevalent, I believe, in Burmah is found here — a sort of human pigeon-cot, to keep humanity out of the reach of tigers and floods, but built on many poles instead of one, pleasant to look at, and quaint enough withal.

We landed after breakfast, and proceeded to do as the world does at Penang — the world of boat-landers. We strolled through the town, into the stores, and out to a celebrated waterfall in the outskirts. A little Dellie (a place on the mainland opposite Penang) pony pulled us and our shigarem — pulled us through lovely scenery like to Ceylon ; through the luxuriant growth of the heart of the tropics ; through spices, coffee, cotton, cocoa, we went ; and when, having got out of our carriage, I, tired, sat down short of the fall, I sat under a nutmeg-tree, from out whose dark green leaves I plucked a nutmeg, in appearance something like to an unripe nectarine. It grew in the basin of a beautifully wooded half circle of hills, from whose summit poured the water, the fall of which we had come to see, and which is appropriated by the borough of Penang.

Before re-embark ing we ate pines and ices at a restaurant. We bathed and swam in a large plunge-bath of fresh water, and brought on thereby a rich smarting of prickly heat, and then we went to sea again. The sail down the coast as we made for Singa pore added to our knowledge of the island, and confirmed us in our opinion of its beauty : recurring bays, showing us frequent pile-built villages, sweeping undulating hills, CHINA 6 clothed in palm forest and cleared in places for coffee, delighting the eye. The higher slopes of Penang pleased more than did the lower wooded shores of the mainland opposite, towards which we gradually steered, saw there dense low bush, and heard of a thickly populated colony of tigers therein. We had not got rid at Penang of our multitude of steerage passengers.

Pilgrims some, returning to Singapore from Mecca, who, for their £10 payment, had right to lie about on deck in every form, and amid every scene of confusion, of jack-fruit and curry-stuff — Chinese, Lascars, African boys, Hindoos, and others. What a mixture ! What heat ! What nasty smells ! It is about 376 miles from Penang to Singapore ; and, leaving the former place on Tuesday in the afternoon, we came into the latter on Thursday at nine in the morning. We skirted along by the coast of Malacca all Wednesday. Cape Prochada, its white lighthouse, its higher than hitherto hills in the backgound, its low sea-shore, and its dense jungle full of wild beasts, were seen and noted. The town of Malacca lies a little farther on down the coast. Sumatra, as you near Singapore, is visible in the distance, and the whole bosom of the waters is studded with islands carpeted with green forest from the lowest shore to the highest hill, and reflected in the calm sea.

From nine a.m. to five p.m., whilst the Travancore coaled, we had to spend in Singapore, and were landed at what is called the New Harbour, some three miles from the town and main harbour, which subsequently we passed on our way to Hong Kong. As the drive over the good road to the town is not very interesting, dotted here and there with Chinese and Malay poor people's houses, we shall as we trot along read up SINGAPORE. 7 about Singapore. On the south side of an island of the same name, 270 square miles in size, stands the town, 1° 17' north of the equator. Sir Stamford Baffles took it in 1818, and Sir Harry Ord retains it in the name of Queen Victoria now, a.d. 1870. The Europeans there — who, it is whispered, do not altogether like Sir Harry's government — the Chinese, the back-bone of the place, the Malays, and Hindoos, amount to over 50,000 ; a population which, despite the threats of Sir Harry, and the objurgations of the Tumangong of Johore, is reduced yearly by 360 people.

The tigers eat them ! The Tumangong is the native Malay potentate to whom we pay deference, and who pays deference to us, with whom we are friendly, and whose full-length portrait adorns a wall in the Palace of Government House. He is rich, young, and liberal ; but I speak under correction. Singapore is a bustling, pleasant place. Its inner harbour, lined with " stores " of hides, spices, and the traffic of the far East, and covered with boats, is peculiar and interesting. Its European bungalows, church, esplanade like many others in the East. Its Government House, albeit somewhat of a sore, a credit to builder and people, and a luxury to whom soever governs ; cool, commanding a good view, well built, a real palace, and a proper house for her Majesty's representative. So be comforted, Singaporians ; if you have paid for it, you have got a good thing.

But Mr. Whampou is the representative of Singapore, and Mr. Whampou' s fat pig the representative of Mr. Wham pou. I don't say this disrespectfully. Mr. Whampou's pig was the fattest, the cleanest, the best conducted pig I ever saw, and he lived in the best sty I ever saw. Mr. Whampou (member of council) was seen to be a courteous gentleman, albeit a Chinaman with a tail, was found to live in a CHINA. 8 lovely house and garden,, and was described as being high minded, clear-sighted, a friend to good government and us, rich, and a most useful auxiliary to the government. Still he is a Chinaman, and they do say that when his son came back from England without a tail he shut him up till it grew, and made him marry a Chinese woman into the bargain ; a safeguard, thought Whampou pere, against the tricks of any future barbaric Delilah who might wish to cut off my son's tail.

None of your land-parcelling-out, socialistic Odgerisings, thought Whampou, but a strict law of entail. We called on Mr. W., who we found above his store of Chinese curios and other more extensive merchandise, and by whose kind permission we got leave to visit his house and garden ; and then went to one of the many fair hotels of the place, "Emersons," and were served to some good beef by cheerful, small, clean-handed Chinese waiters. I think I can see some people sneer at my infantile predi lection in favour of the Chinese race, they thinking, whilst they read my baby encomiums, of the scenes of filth of all kinds, moral and material, amid which many Chinese live. I admit their right to remember these undoubted facts, but I insist upon my right to show the other side as well ; and I think when one nation tries to judge of another it should always do so by the light of its own worst side.

A drive of about three miles in the outskirts of Singapore brought us to the Honourable Mr. Whampou's formal garden, the white walks of which led up to a house best described by reference to some homely tea-caddy. There was another house in the grounds where Mr. Whampou retired for coffee and cigars, and both wore much the same appearance — bungalows, verandahed, with Chinese adornments of gilt and carving, and paper lamps outside and inside, with the WHAMPOUS GARDEN. 9 large centre of the house divided into perhaps one or two compartments, the divisions between which, up-stairs, in one room, were through two, on either side of the centre room, circular rings set in square frames. Objects of Chinese virtu everywhere abounded — carved work in wood and ivory, ebony chairs, pictures without perspective, and Whampou's grandson with his thumb in his mouth.

There is another touch of nature that makes us all kin ! Do you mean to deny for your grandson brotherhood with Whampou's, when incon testable proof is found of their kinship by the locality of the thumb ? The garden was paradise for the botanist, and I bored "the judge." " What's this ?" " Poinciana." "That?" " Amherstia nobilis." "That?" "Oh! that's a beautifully flowering tree, very rare — Chinopolis-whampoua." There was the sassafras-tree with a green leaf, and a flower some thing like Gardeenia, from the seed of which the dye is got ; lagostremia, petræa, exora (a beautiful scarlet-flowering bush common in the forests of Ceylon), gloriosa superba, butterfly orchids, sago palms ; Malacca canes with red stem and long, graceful, green leaf; the yellow alamander, arums, Victoria regia, lotus, China asters, roses.

These mingled with bamboo hedges, hybiscus bushes, cisipara creepers from Ootacamund; mingled with larger trees, tanks for the lilies, and straight paths ; made up a garden, if formal, rarely, richly, perfectly luxuriant. The stiffness, not inelegant, of the whole garden, was not relieved, but rather increased, by the quaint cutting of the bushes, myrtle or box, which grew so close as to admit of their being shaped into vases, sometimes prettily sprinkled with little white flowers, dogs, carriages, and boats. From Mr. Whampou's, we drove to Government House, and "in- CHINA 10 terviewed" the Governor. He told us that he thought Singapore possessed the finest tropical climate in the world, the air being freshened and cooled by almost daily rain. Evi dently "in medio tutissimus ibis," for certainly you can't get much nearer the line.

We were wishful to purchase plumes of the bird of para dise, but could not. Mr. Little was sold out. Had he had any he would have asked us ten dollars a pair, he said. Singapore is the place of departure, if you wish to visit the Dutch islands of Sumatra and Java, and some of our passengers left us. Small boys, inferior as divers only to those at Aden, surrounded the steamer, paddling their little boats about, and upsetting them in the water when they needed baling out. A leaping fish sprang along the calm sea as we glided on, the town and main harbour lying on our port, green islands, afar off, on our starboard side, and — but it requires a sentence to itself. I had a mangostein given me. By some the mangostein is considered the fruit of the world. It is nice, undoubtedly very nice, and has a sweet, refreshing, cool, very slightly bitter taste.

The fruit lies like the quarter ings of an orange, coloured like white of egg, in a round shell or nut, like pomegranate, lined inside with a fibrous stuff the colour of shammy-leather. The log marked 171 miles on Thursday, that is from the noon of Wednesday till nine of Thursday, when we °-ot to Singapore; from five p.m. of Thursday to noon on Good Friday 176 miles, then intervened Saturday, Sunday, Mon day, Tuesday; and on Wednesday, after running, between noon on Tuesday and two p.m. on Wednesday, perhaps 260 miles, we reached Hong Kong. We were now in those seas and the farther we went the farther we got into them HONG KONG. 11 dreaded for typhoons and cyclones ; but, unless I invent one, I fear I cannot oblige you with a description of the same. On Good Friday we had a slight squall, but it was not a cyclone, and it was not a typhoon.

The heat was great, and the nights were passed in fanning oneself to sleep, awaking, and refanning to sleep again. The bare island of Supato was passed on Easter Sunday, booby-covered as usual; the sun was 10° north and vertical to us, the thermometer marked 90°, and the heat was intense. On Easter Monday the stewards gave us a very good theatrical performance, and sung us some good songs, the refrain of one of which, " Do unto others as you'd be done by," still sounds in my ear. On Easter Tuesday a breeze sprung up, which made us rejoice to disembark at Hong Kong on the morrow. Hong Kong is an island and a highland in one. Mount Victoria is it, or nearly all of it, 1,825 feet high ; and the island is one of many at the mouth of the Canton river. It has an area of thirty square miles, length nine, breadth between two and five; population over 70,000 Chinese, wliich has risen since 1841, when we took the place, to that amount from 5,000 then existing there.