The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-08-16
Hong Kong. China. July >, 1898.

10 MTiLt - a
| send this limited description oil
nv trim from San Francisco 10 Yoke
hama and stay in the latter place
I advise my friends who wish interest
ing reading to turn to other pages, but
an antidote for insomnia | cheerfuliy
that they read the following:
Leaving san Francisco Nay 10th on
the O.. and O. Steamship Gallic | found
everything clean and comfortable aboard
shin i clever. ucntlemanly corps
Of officers in command and efficient
Chinese SeryantS to wait on Us.
STAYED on deck until about > O'Clock
and then went below. having tired -
swinging TO the railing Of the ship
feeding the fishes" Subsequent pro
ceedings interested me no more untll the
next afternoon. | went on deck VIII
a feeling Of loneliness aS We'll ~ emptl-
ness and made friends with i fellow
sufferer. We were now about q miles
out and my new found friend and my
self had not been to Il single meal. ~
We made our appearance nj dinner on"
heartIe>S individual inquired in voice
loud enough to be heard all over the 81
loom: Captain. where did your two
new passengers get on?' There i no
sympathy for the sca-Sick. and aS other
passengers put in their appearance we
htd our fun with them.
On board ship friends are quickly
made and we soon had Il pleasant party
organized and passed the time with
music. games. yarns. cards. etc.
ON May 18th we reached Honolulu.
This is Il beautiful place and makes 4
most pleasant break in he voyage. We
stayed here al day and orr party drove
all over the place. through long venues
of palms and tropical ~shrubbery over
the finest roads | ever saw. The Raj
eigh Street Improvement Committee
could obtain some valuable hints on
goo roads from the ~IIawaiilns who
don't cut down all the fine trees along
the road. In the afternoon We attend
cd Il tea and were presented with 'laiS.'
This custom is confined. | am told, to
these islands. The Iais are long stream
crS Of different flowers STRING on thread
and are wound around the necks of the
guests by the host. 1t is a pretty Gus
tom.
The native women in Honolulu looked
very cute in their flowing gowns cut a n
Mother Hubbard.
We let the islands late in the after
noon and on May DIST crossed
the 1S0th Meridian here we lost one
day Snnday-and jumped to Monday
May 23rd.
We arrived 1T Yokohoma May 27th.and
when one of the lady passengers was told
that the ship had dropped her anchor.
remarked Il IN not surprised. they
are 50 very careless. the anchor has
been hanging over the side all day"
The steamship company have no
pier at lokoNma. the ships anchor
OFT IL the harbor and steam launches
from the different hotels carry the
passengers ashore. Upon landing YOU are
assaulted by the 'ricksha men who arc
worse than the hack-driverS at Union
depot. the ~'@rccnhorn' suffers II suffered
mysclfl from these men. No matter how
much you pay them they want more
and until YOU learn the1r ways you
generally pay double rather than argue
with them in Il language YOU don't un-
derStand.
Iokohoma is by far the most pleasant
city in the East to visit: the society is
formed Of people from all parts Of the
world. but the Americans are in the
majority.
Three very good hotels arc situated on
the bend facing the harbor and within
q short distance Of the business houses.
Most Of The fine residences are situated
on the Bend upon the Bluff. The
United States and British Naval Hos
pltals are also built on the Bluff.
While | was III Yokohoma the remains
of Captain Gridley were brought there
for cremation. The funeral services
were held from the Union church, Tniteu
states. English and Japanese Naval off
GERS attending in full uniform. The
Japanese also furnished a company of
m - I'll mos frn,, 90. &c ~.
act as guard.
Labor i'll Japan is 50 very cheap tina,
few agricultural implements are used. All
the farm works. including the cutting Of
wheat. etc. is done by hand. men. wo-
men and children working all day for :;
FEW cents. All the rice is transpIanted
each tiny blade is set out by hand.
In the large tea firing go downs the
natives work for 20 or 80 sen lahont
10 or 10 cents of our money per dav.
and many walk for ) ana 10 miles to
get this.
Passing through the Japanese portion
OF the town is anything but pleasant. the
people wear very abbreviated costumes
and 90 very much az they please. Little
children. looking scarcely more thar four
or five years old. trot around with n
baby strapped to their backs. the old
4 49, u Ib1'litS. WHO
are too old to work are also used for
baby carriers
Tea and sacki are the drinks for thirsty
Japanese. Sack is whiskey made from
rice. and while they drink a great deal
81 1t | only saw II drunk and down"
while i'll Japan. The climate is splen-
did. In January we had to have fro
ana twas very uncomfortable without
them. This was only for Il few DAYS.
but the weather while | was there was
much more pleasant than | had been
accustomed to at home.
| attended 4 Japanese theatre. Int
could not wait for the end as they wore.
lIaylng for three days ana when was
there they had only been holding forth
ahout Il hours. Some of the shows last
for Il week.
! am now IN Hong Kong. China and
VIII be here for an indefinite period. This
island Is a British poSsession and ONLY
!! few Americans live here. not over 20