Cuar. XIX.] SCENE IN A JUNK. ze 349 
little vessel. We were all huddled together in the 
centre cabin, and our beds were spread down on 
each side, merely leaving room for us to walk down 
the middle. Some of the passengers were respec- 
table merchants, but even these had something filthy 
and disagreeable about them. Little insects whose 
names sound harsh to “ ears polite,” were charitably 
supported in great numbers amongst the warm folds 
of their dresses. The first thing I did when my 
bed was spread down, was to surround it with my 
trunks, gun-case, and another boxor two, to prevent, 
if possible, any visiters of this description from 
leaving their rightful lord and master, and taking 
up their quarters with me. With all my care it 
was next to impossible to keep myself apart from 
the Chinese, owing to the motion of the little vessel 
which sometimes sent us rolling from one side to the 
other. 
A great part of the night was spent by the Chi- 
nese in smoking opium and tobacco. When morn- 
iug dawned, the scene which the cabin presented 
was a strange one. Nearly all the passengers were 
sound asleep. They were lying in heaps, here and 
there, as they had been tossed and wedged by 
the motion of the vessel during the night. Their 
features and appearance, as seen in the twilight of 
a summer morning, were striking to the eye of a 
foreigner. I almost fancied that I could read the 
characters of the different beings who lay stretched 
before me. There was the habitual opium smoker 
—there was no mistaking him—his looks were pale 
and haggard, his breathing quick and disturbed, 
