the port filled with shipping from a huge mail steamer
to a small junk. I landed at an early hour, and soon
found myself settling down to a delicious breakfast at
the “Hong-Kong” Hotel, delighted to find myself on
terra firma after so disagreeable a passage. There was
a great turmoil in the street, which made me think I
had dropped upon another Chinese festival, but I was
told such was the normal condition of this small colony,
which is entirely supported by trade. The native
element is strongly represented and very turbulent, for
every malefactor from the mainland tries to make his
escape to Hong-Kong as a harbour of refuge, hence the
enormous amount of crime committed on the island.
Everybody remembers the atrocious attempt of a baker,
years ago, to poison the entire colony, and many other
acts of violence. During my visit an Englishman was
waylaid one day by some native ruffian whilst ascending
the Peak, robbed of his purse and gold watch, and
thrown down the precipice, where he was found dead
on the following day. There are some 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 Chinese
25,000 Malays, and about 2 , 0 0 0 European residents.
Walking being considered derogatory in eastern
countries, a number of very comfortable bamboo chairs
on long poles take the place of cabs in the principal
streets, carried by two, and sometimes by four, Celestials
with long pig-tails hanging down to the calf of the leg.
A strange sight in China is the European missionary,
who not only adopts the native costume, but also the
partial tonsure, and even the pig-tail,—a silken one,—
which enables him to travel throughout China unmolested.
There are a few handsome streets, a large
Government house, a club, etc. ; and from all appearance
the residents quite understand how to make themselves
comfortable at Hong-Kong, which has been under
British rule since 1842. There is, however, little to
attract the traveller; the only point of interest is the
Peak, where I spent a night at a bungalow erected by
the Government as a sanatorium. Here, the view at
sunrise was very beautiful upon the island-studded sea;
and below, on the opposite side to the town, there
stands a castle amongst barren rocks of curious shapes,
which belongs to a private gentleman, who generally
offers the use of it to newly-married couples to spend
their honeymoon; and no more suitable spot could
well be devised for a quiet retreat, surrounded, as it is,
by a sort of dreamy picturesque scenery.
One evening I was invited to partake of a genuine
Chinese dinner at the famous restaurant Hang-Fa-
Loh-Chung, which I greatly enjoyed on account of its
quaintness, independent of the good company I found
myself in. I t was a large establishment, containing a