The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-02-01

We left Hong Kong by one of the huge
American paddle boats which ply night
and morning between the Englishfortress
and the Chinese city of Canton. The
steamer, built in Glasgow, was con-
structed on the American river pattern,
and seemed to be made of cardboard,
rather than of wood. Its CAPTAIN, a
Yankee, assured me that she was so
light he thought she could 90 over land
in shower of rain. She certainly drew
very little water indeed. As we pre-
pared to start at evening thick fog
came on, SO dense that only part of
the vessel could be seen at time. l
thought this would induce our skipr er
to stay awhile, for l knew the liver was
full of boats, barges and junks; but 1
did not then know the gent man. He,
sitting astride rail. smoking a huge
cigar, was swinging his legs backward
and forward, and splitting across the
deck. when l, having deposited my bag
in the cabin, went to ask him if he
thought we should start that evening.
''Guess SO" was the prompt reply.
''But the fog is very Dense" l replied.
''4es; that don't amount to much, I"
said he, 1--WE shall let her rip" and his
looks quite bore out his assertion. There
were ut the moment hundreds of China
men coming aboard. AS they did so,
two clerks bounced down III on them
for money. Most could pay, others
could not; but where a man was short
OF cash. he quietly gave up his bedding,
or his coat and shoes, in consideration
for his voyage, to be either redeemed
eventually or sold, as the case might be.
The cash went into a box. the clothes
or bedding, made up into neat bundles,
duly docketed and ntered, being car
ried away. There was no noise,
every transaction went on quiet
ly; the giving mp of wear
ing apparel as fare was evidently
the most ordinary circumstance: when
man objected. lie was, to use the Yam
kee shippers parlance, ''fired OUT"
that is, set ashore. By seven o'clock
the last Celestial was aboard, and we
were moving off in the fog. Darkness
of night. added to the dense mist, made
the track appear impenetrable to any
unaccustomed eyes, but the two China
men who held the wheel, and who was
told were very experienced pilots. were
evidently quite at home. In vain 1 tried
to descry the shore of the river, or to
see any object twenty feet ah ad-on
went the steamer; the American was
Letting her rip as he said. and we
were evidently on the right track
Twice felt the craft bump against
something, but no shade of surprise
ever crossed the faces of the impertur-
bable Celestials at the wheel They had
their orders-like Mark Twain's cab
man, who once drove Horace Greeley
and they swerved for nothing. And
these were "only Cinnamon" whom
Europeans choose to look down upon
l question whether any Englishman
could have found his way through that
fog, At length, after four hours. the
cload lifted and we could see our way
Tho flat, uninteresting country stood
out clearly in the moonlight, and We
flew by at great speed. Now and then
junk or boat would get in our way,
but they had to get out of it as best they
could; our pilots were not inclined for
trifling, and we moved straight on. We
could hear the occupants of the junks
saying something which did not sound
like compliments, but that did not mat
ter; their good wishes affected neither
our Captain nor his crew-the steamer
stopped for nothing. Canton Cor. Lon
don TELEGRAPH.