Chap. XVI. 
CHINESE TRAVELLING. 
26.) 
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 Chinese in 
smoking opium and tobacco. When morning 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, and so thin 
was he, that his cheek-bones seemed piercing the skin. 
Some seemed careworn with business, and others again 
apparently slept soundly with hearts light and joyous. 
All had the fore-part of their heads shaved, and their 
tails lay about in wild confusion. 
We were now far on our way across the bay, having 
had a fair wind and tide during the greater part of the 
night, and the hills near Chapoo were already visible on 
the horizon to the northward. All hands were soon 
busily engaged in getting breakfast ready. A Chinese 
sea-breakfast consists chiefly of rice, fish, and vegetables. 
The proprietors of the junk provide food for the pas- 
sengers, for which they charge a small sum from each, 
independent of the passage-money. If the passengers 
do not choose to have breakfast or dinner, they are not 
required to pay for it. When breakfast was ended, 
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