morning visit to the water front of the
city affords much amusement, especially at the hour when the market
boats arrive from the country, and from along shore, with fish and
vegetables. Here the people swarm like ants or bees more than like human
beings, all eager for business, all crowding and talking at the same
time, and creating a confusion that would seem to defeat its own object,
namely, to buy and to sell. The vegetables are various and good; the
variety of fruit limited and poor in flavor; but the fish are abundant
and various in shape, size, and colors. Nine tenths of the business on
the river front is done by women, and nearly all have an infant strapped
to their backs, while they carry heavy burdens in their hands, or are
engaged in rowing or sculling their boats. They carry on trade, make
change, clean fish, and the like, quite oblivious of the infants at
their backs. Babies thus managed are often shaken about most
unmercifully, and among Europeans would assert themselves by the loudest
screeching; but who ever heard a Chinese or Japanese baby cry?

The environs of Hong Kong are extremely interesting, and the roads are
kept in most admirable condition. The jinrikisha is the common mode of
conveyance, though the palanquin is perhaps nearly as much used. The
introduction of the former vehicle into both China and Japan is of quite
recent date. We enjoyed several expeditious in the suburbs by both means
of transportation, the charges being extremely moderate. The Japanese
jinrikisha men seemed lighter, yet more muscular, than do their Chinese
brethren when between the shafts; and the latter, after a few miles,
exhibited symptoms of fatigue, whereas, on a long thirty-five mile trip,
this was never observed in a Japanese: either he was superior in pluck
or muscles, or both, to John Chinaman.

The English burial-ground, located about three miles from the town, is a
very beautiful cemetery, and is to Hong Kong what Mount Auburn is to
Boston,--not quite so extensive, but superior in its collection of
flowers and trees, which must have been gathered and naturalized here at
a great cost. The varieties of the cactus family are remarkable in
numbers and mode of training. The same may be said of the camphor-tree,
the aloes, tall and graceful cypresses, mingling with which are Cape
jasmines, hydrangeas, magnolias, and the scarlet geranium, tall and
hedge-like, barked by white, variegated, and scarlet camellias.
Everythin