18 EAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. [Oh. I. 



" Princess Charlotte " in fine spring weather, were truly de- 

 lightful. And when night came, and the young moon lighted 

 up the scene, the rows of lights round the dark mass of the 

 mountain, which itself stands out in bold relief against the 

 twilight sky— the smooth,, bright sea reflecting the moon-lit 

 heaven, and bearing upon its surface innumerable sombi'e 

 ships, each showing its guardian lamp— was a fairy-hke 

 scene which I never tired of watching. 



Without leaving the ship, too, there were points of interest 

 in Chinese life which forced themselves upon the attention. 

 The numerous boats, or sampans, plying about between the 

 shore and the various ships, aU manned by Chinese, were in 

 themselves a study ; and some were constantly hanging about 

 the ship at a respectful distance, in the hope of a fare. They 

 are, for the most part, long boats with a small awning near 

 the stem, under which the passengers sit, and they have a 

 complement of four or five rowers. I have said they were 

 manned; but although there are usually one or two men 

 among them, the majority of the rowers are women, or young 

 girls. In fact each boat is the home of a family, and in their 

 boat they spend their whole existence — how, it is difficult to 

 comprehend ; but naturally they become expert in rowing 

 and handling their craft. In fine weather but little skUl is 

 required, but there are times when the sea in the harbour is 

 so rough that boats cannot be obtained at any price ; and I 

 have heard of people, only last winter, being detained on 

 board ship for nine days together, unable to get ashore. The 

 family inhabiting a boat all share in the work — it may be a 

 husband, wife, daughter, and son — or, if the family is not 

 sufficiently numerous, the complement is made up by agree- 

 ment from without. But the women and girls, whose dress 

 differs but little from that of the men (when the latter wear 



