Chapter 19

           HongKongisanislandwhichcameintothepossessionoftheEnglishbytheTreatyofNankin,afterthewarof1842;andthecolonisinggeniusoftheEnglishhascreateduponitanimportantcityandanexcellentport.TheislandissituatedatthemouthoftheCantonRiver,andisseparatedbyaboutsixtymilesfromthePortuguesetownofMacao,ontheoppositecoast.HongKonghasbeatenMacaointhestrugglefortheChinesetrade,andnowthegreaterpartofthetransportationofChinesegoodsfindsitsdepotattheformerplace.Docks,hospitals,wharves,aGothiccathedral,agovernmenthouse,macadamisedstreets,givetoHongKongtheappearanceofatowninKentorSurreytransferredbysomestrangemagictotheantipodes.

           Passepartoutwandered,withhishandsinhispockets,towardstheVictoriaport,gazingashewentatthecuriouspalanquinsandothermodesofconveyance,andthegroupsofChinese,Japanese,andEuropeanswhopassedtoandfrointhestreets.HongKongseemedtohimnotunlikeBombay,Calcutta,andSingapore,since,likethem,itbetrayedeverywheretheevidenceofEnglishsupremacy.AttheVictoriaporthefoundaconfusedmassofshipsofallnations:English,French,American,andDutch,men-of-warandtradingvessels,JapaneseandChinesejunks,sempas,tankas,andflower-boats,whichformedsomanyfloatingparterres.Passepartoutnoticedinthecrowdanumberofthenativeswhoseemedveryoldandweredressedinyellow.Ongoingintoabarber’stogetshavedhelearnedthattheseancientmenwereallatleasteightyyearsold,atwhichagetheyarepermittedtowearyellow,whichistheImperialcolour.Passepartout,withoutexactlyknowingwhy,thoughtthisveryfunny.

           OnreachingthequaywheretheyweretoembarkontheCarnatic,hewasnotastonishedtofindFixwalkingupanddown.Thedetectiveseemedverymuchdisturbedanddisappointed.

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