Chap. VII. 



A GAME-SHIP. 



127 



very beautiful, particularly the white-necked pheasants, 

 and the ducks and teal with feathers of every hue. 



All cargo of this kind is taken down freight free ; 

 but, as it is of a perishable nature, there is generally 

 a tacit understanding between the sender and the 

 master of the vessel that, if any of it show signs of 

 becoming bad, it should either be eaten or thrown 

 overboard. Some masters of vessels, and passengers 

 who are perhaps a little sea-sick, cannot endure the 

 smell of game in this state, however agreeable it may 

 be to those for whom it is intended. 



It may easily be believed, then, that we did not 

 fare badly on our passage to Hong-kong. We were 

 lucky in having a medical man on board of high cha- 

 racter, and I can honestly say that no plump wood- 

 cock, wild duck, or pheasant was condemned without 

 being examined by him and pronounced in imminent ; 

 danger : on the other hand, it must be confessed that 

 none, so far as I knew, were ever thrown overboard. 



As soon as we got out to sea all sail was crowded 

 on our vessel, and we ran merrily on before the wind. 

 In four days after leaving the Yang-tse-kiang river 

 we were safely at anchor in the bay of Hong-kong, 

 having run fully one thousand miles. 



The tea-plants having reached Hong-kong in good 

 order, I lost no time in getting them transshipped to 

 vessels bound for India, where they afterwards arrived 

 in excellent condition. 



All my spare time in Hong-kong was spent in 

 rambling about the hills. I was frequently accom- 

 panied by Captain Champion, one of the best botanists 



