288 COFFEE, 



CHINESE MAMTEES, CirSTOMS, AKD PECULIAEITIES. 



From Shanghai to Hong-Kong is 819 miles, but the fine 

 steamer Ava, of the " Messageriea Maritimes " line, upon which 

 we took passage, made this distance in sixty-three hours— not a 

 bad run for a heavily laden screw steamer. The cargo of this 

 ship, by the way, is itself worthy of mention, being composed al- 

 most entirely of raw silk, which China merchants were hurrying 

 forward to the French market, in order to avail themselves of 

 the very high prices now ruling. The cargo of the Ava con- 

 sisted of about ten thousand bales, worth, upon an average, over 

 five hundred dollars a bale, or, in round numbers, jime miUions 

 for the cargo. It is said to be the most valuable cargo ever car- 

 ried by any ship. At any rate, $5,000,000 represents a goodly 

 number of eggs to be carried in one basket. Soon after leaving 

 Shanghai, the coast, which, at the mouth of the " Yang-tse " is 

 low and flat, rises into a rugged range of mountains, which con- 

 tinues, with now and then a break, aU the way to Hong-Kong. 

 For the greater distance we passed quite close to the coast, which 

 was fairly lined with a continuous fleet of quaint Chinese fishing- 

 junks, which, when occasion offers, take a hand in piracy as well. 

 At first I was inclined to doubt the stories which I heard of their 

 enterprises in this line, but the records at Hong-Kong show that 

 it is only about six years since they captured a sailing-vessel at 

 the very entrance of the harbor of Hong-Kong, and now, not- 

 withstanding the coast is closely patrolled by gunboats of both 

 the Chinese and foreign governments, any vessel that goes ashore, 

 or becomes disabled along the Chinese coast, is in great danger of 

 being captured. It is not often that these rascals are taken, as, 

 with their knowledge of every bay and inlet on the coast, and the 

 light draught of water of their junks, it is quite difficult to fol- 

 low them successfully ; but occasionally a junk is caught outside 

 that cannot give account of itself, and it is taken to Hong-Kong 

 and dealt with according to law. The following advertisement, 

 which I clipped from the Hong-Kong Press of September 26th, 

 illustrates an occasion of this kind : 



