Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/399

Rh understand, ere he could be stopped, and regardless of my companion's cloth, proceeded to explain in singularly plain language what the Flower Boats were, much to my secret amusement, and the chaplain's shocked indignation!

Not having been able to see the river on our way up, we left in the Honam at 8 a.m., arriving at Hong-Kong at 4 p.m. There are various more or less picturesque villages with high towers—which are pawnshops—on the banks. There are forts, some armed with modern guns, and opposite to them the river is barred with iron and wooden piles and chains, leaving two passages for vessels to go through. Junks are sunk in these openings in time of war. The water life on the river is interesting, there being all sorts of quaint craft. The large junks are all armed with small cannon, and of course all Chinese boats have the two eyes in the bows, to " look-see "where they are going. We passed one junk filled with children who had been kidnapped by pirates, recaptured, and were being returned to their homes. They were a curious spectacle.

The river abounds with creeks which are the refuges of the numerous pirates, who sally forth on plunder bent. We no doubt carried many on the Honam, as thousands of Chinese pour in and out of Hong-Kong every day, and most look the same to us. There were also one or two Chinese gentlemen's country seats on the banks of the river—one looked a very desirable place.

Captain Jones of the Honam, a very pleasant, polite, and hospitable man, entertained us in his cabin and showed us some of his valuable pieces of Chinese porcelain of which he was a collector. At my request he took us down to the lower deck to see the live fish which were being brought to the Hong-Kong market. There were ten