CHAPTER VIII.

HONG-KONG.

HONG-KONG, Nov. 18, 1889.

Leaving Kobé on the evening of the 8th, by the Peninsular and Oriental steamer _Ancona_, we arrived here at seven this evening. This line of steamers has the contract for transporting the English mails all over the Eastern waters, including Australia, Japan, and China, and has in commission fifty-four vessels, some of them of 6,000 tons, representing 7,000 horse-power.

On the 14th and 15th we were steaming through the famous inland sea, the beauty of which could hardly be exaggerated by a writer of a poetical turn of mind,--passing between Nipon, a large island, on one side, and many hundred smaller ones on the other. The channel would often be near the shores, where we could see the villages and cultivated land. The islands being volcanic, were in all sorts of fantastic shapes; one called the Asses'-ears was very funny-looking. The water is very clear and blue, the islands largely cultivated and clothed with green to the summits of their mountains.

On the morning of the 15th, the steamer dropped her anchor at Nagasaki, and we all went ashore sight-seeing and shopping. We rode about through long streets, and called at several factories and stores; among others, at a place where was made a variety of shell-work, which was very pretty. I made some purchases.

The owner of the place spoke English, and I recommended him to send an exhibition of his goods to the fair which was expected to be opened in New York in 1892, and he astonished me by asking what country New York was in? But life being too short for me to teach him the rudiments of geography, I paid for my purchase, and came away.

We went to see more temples. In the grounds near one of them were two small trees and on a stone near it was engraved, "Planted by Mr. and Mrs. Gen. Grant, 1879."

We had an excellent lunch at the Hotel Bellevue, took another trip around the city, and came back to the ship at 6 P.M.

The harbor is one of great beauty, nearly landlocked, and surrounded by hills covered with verdure. It was crowded with ships, three Russian men-of-war, one American, and several English.

Nothing could have been more lovely than the trip from Nagasaki to this port--the sea as smooth as a pond, weather warm, and every thing quite agreeable and comfortable.

We came up the bay last evening between four and six. It was a splendid show. One of the finest harbors in the world, eleven miles long and from two to five wide. The islands and mountains covered with verdure.

The island of Hong-Kong was taken possession of by the British after the war with China in 1842, and now has a population of one hundred and forty thousand.

We left the steamer after dark in a tug, and had a fine view of the city of Victoria; the streets and buildings covering the hills for a long distance, and the vessels in the harbor being brilliantly lighted, presented a splendid appearance as we approached.

We soon took possession of rooms previously engaged at the Hong-Kong Hotel, and found it to be in all respects first-class, including an Otis elevator furnished by their London house. The waiters are all Chinese, tall and good-looking, and dressed in long blue night-gowns or frocks.

This city surpasses Gibraltar in the number of nationalities one sees in the streets; every nation on earth appearing to be represented, and I am much interested in looking at them as they pass.

The policemen are a sight--tall, black fellows from the Malay Peninsula. Their uniform is the same as worn by those in New York, except a large red turban, which gives them a very imposing appearance.

Passing for a mile or so alongside the water front between 5 and 6 P.M. I found that hundreds of boats had returned from fishing, or other business, and were tied to the piers, bows on, giving me a chance to see this phase of Chinese life, which had always interested me when reading about it. They were all having their suppers,--a family of ten, sitting in a circle with a big bowl of food, apparently rice, in the centre. Each person had a small bowl, which was often replenished, and the food eaten with chopsticks. The boat was their home, their sole residence. In one case a small boy was eating and his mother was boxing his ears very roughly. Except the children, no one paid any attention to me; this being an English city the people are accustomed to foreigners.

One morning we called _jinrickishas_ and went on a ten minutes' trip to the foot of the mountains, which are back of the city, and there entered a cable tramway car, which took us up a very steep incline, a mile or so, to a station, and then we took sedan chairs and continued our trip to the top of Mount Victoria, 1,825 feet high. From there we looked down upon the bay, the city, many islands, and the mainland of China on the opposite shores--a scene of unsurpassed magnificence. The big steamers in the beautiful bay looked like canoes on the calm waters of an inland lake.

The island is a series of mountains, over, around, and through which are built splendid roads, near which are many beautiful residences, where the governor and wealthy people reside.

We looked about for a couple of hours and then took the tramway down. Some of the more timid of the party preferred to come all the way down in the sedans, and said they had a delightful trip.

The sedan I was in was carried by two men, who were very picturesque, their bronze bodies shining in the sun. Their bare feet pressed the ground with a sure tread. Sometimes I have seen a sedan carried by four men with white trousers and red sacks, their heads covered by large bamboo hats, and altogether presenting a very attractive appearance.

The thermometer on the top of Mount Victoria registered only sixty-five degrees, but I never felt such heat in July at home. However, when in Japan I suffered so much from cold weather that I am quite glad to have some of the other kind now.