The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-08-18
China and
Her Customs
Hong Kong is China's Great Port
And One Of the Largest
In the World.

In the World.
In a recent number Of The Mir
ror one of the contributors wrote an
article on China, but sorry to note |
that he had very little to say about
the largest seaport in China, Hong
Kong.
The town proper is situated on a
large hill and the scenery for miles
around is something grand and to
get good view of the harbor and
surrounding country one has to 60
to the highest peak on the island,
which is also used as signal sta
ton to incoming and outgoing ships,
with native in charge.
That part of the world is noted
for it's typhoons at certain times Of
the year, and that is the time for all
men who follow the sea for a liveli-
hood to be up and doing, from the
Captain of the ship to the men be-
fore the mast-to give and obey
orders, such as to take in sail, as
mostly all steamships in the Mer-
chant Marine service carry sail of
some sort or other, batten down
matches and remove everything that
is movable or it will be blown or
washed overheard.
Sometimes the force of water is
so strong that it will open up the
seams in a wooden sailing ship by
beating against its sides and all the
men that can be spared have to man
the pumps for hours and sometimes
days to keep her afoat aud there is
very little rest until the typhoon dies
down, so someone can go over the
side and calk up the open seams if
they happen to be above the water
line, or make some port with all
haste if they want to keep out of
dear old Davy Jones' graveyard,
where there is always vacant place.
The principal thoroughfare of
Hong Kong is named Queens Road.
1t is only a short distance from the
river front and on it stands the larg-
est hotel, named after the city. 1t
was the only hotel for tourists ten
years ago but things change a grea,
deal in a decade.
Most all the English barracks are
situated on the same road which is
about five miles in length. There
are thousand of soldiers doing gar.
rison duty as the city is under the
English flag, but they employ ma
tives on their ships and in barracks
and on police duty in the city
They are we'll trained to perform
their duty and receive about one
third the pay that white man gets
as most of them can live on next tc
nothing and their main diet con
sists of fish and rice. 1t is amusing
to watch bunch of them sitting OF
the ground (chairs are too expensiv,
for them using heir chop sticks
They can beat a n,. 'inute trai1
all hollow for fastness.
The only means of locomotio1
there was a short tramway. Th'
Jinriksha is high two wheeled car
riage with native between th'
shafts and sort of basket with
seat on each side carried by two ma
tives with long poles on their shoul
ders. This is the principal convey
ance. The few horses that wer'
there were mostly used for sport OF
a short course racetrack on the far
ther end of the island called Ba.
View and not for transportation, a.
!, horse flesh is very dear there.
1t is nothing extraordinary to Sc
women and young girls help coal
steamship or work at other labor sid
by side with men and some can lea'
, a man fast pace. Like all poo
: people they were born to work AM
, work hard to earn an honest living
The rich women Of today do no
believe in the old custom of havin,
their children's feet bound as in year