Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/422

330 of mourning for Queen Victoria themselves, and all Japan was in mourning. The shops .were hung with black, purple, and mauve crêpe, and Queen Victoria's portrait also so adorned, and with often a green wreath laid across it, was in every window. The sympathy, good feeling, and taste the Japanese showed should not be forgotten.

There is another thing to remember. During the long period during which the Boer War was waged, Japan and her people took our side, stuck to us through thick and thin, lauded our successes, and minimised our mistakes.. No nation ever showed to another such loyal faith. We had not many such friends. Why forget it? Japan simply stood for us and by us through it all.

There was an American, Mr. Duncan, on the Empress of India, bound for San Francisco. Why did he come by Vancouver? I asked. Whilst he could sail on a British ship with a British captain there was no chance of his going with any other, was his answer. He had crossed the Atlantic sixty times without mishap.

There was also an American millionaire on board, the Mr. Collbrand who played such a part in Korea for a time. He was fully conscious of the important part he had taken in things there, or perhaps it was his millions he was conscious of.

It was spring almost when, on the 6th March, we touched the shores of Canada in that part they call British Columbia, of which the capital is Victoria, with 25,000 inhabitants—situated on the southern extremity of Vancouver Island. Esquimault Harbour in the vicinity is our naval station on the North Pacific.

At a quarantine station all the Chinese on board were landed, turned into a building, stripped, fumigated, and their clothes were piled up out side and fumigated also. We passengers were