69i3 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



than true precious stones. It was long so important an article 

 of commerce that the place where it was found formed the goal 

 of special caravan roads which entered China by the Yii gate. 

 Amber also appears to have a high value put upon it, especially 

 pieces which inclose insects. Amber is not found in China, but 

 is brought from Europe, is often fictitious, and contains large 

 'Chinese beetles with marks of the needles on which they have 

 been impaled. Other less valuable minerals, native or foreign, 

 are also used, among others, compact varieties of talc or soap- 

 stone and of pyrophyllite. But works executed in these minerals 

 do not fetch a price at all comparable to that of nephrite. In 

 the same shop in which I purchased pieces of nephrite carefully 

 placed in separate boxes, I found at the bottom of a dusty chest, 

 along with pieces of quartz and old refuse of various kinds, large 

 crystals, some of which were exceedingly well formed, of trans- 

 lucent topaz. They were sold as quartz for a trifle. I bought 

 besides two pieces of carved topaz, one of which was a large and 

 very fine natural crystal, with a Chinese inscription engraved on 

 its tenninal surface, w^hich when translated runs thus : " Literary 

 studies confer honour and distinction and render a man suitable 

 for the court." The other was a somewhat bluish inch-long 

 crystal, at one end of which a human figure, j^erhaps some 

 Buddhist saint, was sculptured. The polishing of stones is 

 carried on as a home industry, principally in a special part of 

 the town. The workshop is commonly at the side of a small 

 sale counter, in a room on the ground-floor, open to the street. 

 The cutting and polishing of the stones is done, as at home, 

 with metal discs and emery or comminuted corundum, which 

 is said to be found in large quantities in the neighbourhood 

 of Canton. 



Large, commodious, w^ell fitted up, but in their exterior very 

 unwieldy river steamers, built after American designs, now run 

 between Hong Kong and Canton. They are commanded by 

 Europeans. The dietary on board is European, and exceedingly 

 good. There are separate saloons for Europeans and Chinese. 

 All over the poop and the after-saloon weapons are hung up so 

 as to be at hand, in case the vessel should be attacked by 

 pirates, or, as happened some years ago, a number of them 

 should mix themselves up with the Chinese passengers with 

 the intention of plundering the vessel. 



Hong Kong was ceded to England in consequence of the war 

 of 1842. The then inconsiderable fishing village is now one of 

 the most important commercial cities of the globe. The har- 

 bour is spacious, affording good anchorage, and is well protected 

 by a number of large and small granite islands. The city is 

 built on the largest of these on slopes which rise from the 

 shore towards the interior of the island. On the highest points 



