CHAPTEE II. 



•HOFG KONG TO PKATAS ISLAND. 



Anglifled appearance of Hong Kong — Physical Character — The Chinese 

 Quarter — Leave Hong Kong— Arrive at Pratas Reef— Description of the 

 Island — We visit the Island — Its Vegetation— Insect Fauna — Marine 

 Animals — Sea "Weeds — Fishermen's Temple — Lagoon — Birds of the 

 Island— The Gannets' Settlement— The Seine— Towing Net— EoUers— 

 We quit the Eeef— Birds ohserved upon the Ship between Pratas and 

 Formosa. 



It scarcely forms a part of my plan to enter largely into a 

 description of Hong Kong, nor shall I attempt to do more 

 in this place than cursorily refer to some of those features 

 which most strike a stranger from the West. I shall have 

 occasion to return again to the island, which is a convenient 

 starting-point for many places. 



Hong Kong is so essentially English China, that a traveller 

 who passed by here, and visited no other part of the country, 

 would have but a very imperfect idea of Chinese life and 

 manners. The houses are fine, substantial, and European 

 for the most part, the Chinese town forming quite a sub- 

 ordinate part of the place ; and the population is a mixture 

 of English, French, Portuguese, Americans, Parsees, Ma- 

 hommedans, and Chinese. Of these, aU, except the Chinese, 

 are of a good class, being for the most part well-to-do 

 merchants, who employ the Chinese in their offices either as 

 compradores, clerks, servants, or coolies. Some Chinese 

 there are who do business in Hong Kong on their own 



