Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/103

Rh Chinese. The five stewards are really hopeless; the two Germans seem to have no brains at all. One is exactly like a wolf. As I came along the deck one day this one suddenly thrust his head out of the deck cabin window, gave me quite a shock, and made me think I was Little Red Riding Hood—difficult as such a feat was.

These five stewards stand in a row with absolutely blank faces; I ask for something, and the whole five rush out and return five minutes later—to be stormed at by the Captain—having forgotten what they went for. I have got into the way of signalling to Captain Dunbar's boy, who has learned also to read in my eye what I want without my asking for it; so I had to apologise to his master for so making use of him, with the result that this bluejacket is made to do all sorts of things for me, does everything beamingly, and is by way of " taking care of me." It is wonderful the amount of people who feel it necessary to take care of this helpless being, who in reality is very capable of taking care of himself, but does not like to hurt their feelings by showing it. The only time the inscrutable faces of the Chinese stewards light up is when, with an insinuating smile, they offer you "cully and lice," a dish always in favour in hot climates. Why a Chinaman cannot pronounce an "r" I do not know. They reply to everything " Allee litee."

The crew are Malays, so that weare a sort of Noah's Ark—every sort of animal represented. As deck passengers we have Indian coolies, Chinese, Malays, Javanese, South Sea Islanders, and a monkey.

This North German Lloyd boat is heavily subsidised by the German Government, and is run on certain lines. The Captain gets a lump sum down, runs the whole ship on that, paying for