146 
PACIFIC OCEAN 
pin to go between the big toe and the second, can only be worn with 
the special socks. The writer suffered much inconvenience from 
having to make the best of sandals of the other pattern that constantly 
slipped, and were most uncomfortably small. 
The Japanese with all their politeness are, at all events in country 
places, very full of fun and would laugh heartily at our party, while 
they had not the slightest objection to us in our turn laughing at 
them. The first time that we essayed chop-sticks the landlady and 
her daughter were literally convulsed with laughter—they bent double 
and rolled from side to side! It may here be remarked that they 
bid fair to rival the Swiss as hotel-keepers. 
The lower orders, though very short, are almost grotesquely 
muscular. The upper classes are said to be less strong, but judging by 
the officers, their stature seems equally small. So far as I could 
see, the people, and especially the children, looked wonderfully 
healthy and robust. The only ailment that obtruded itself was an 
eruption on the scalp, and that did not appear to impair the general 
health of the children afflicted with it. 
The “Empress of Japan,” though not large, has, like her sisters, 
beautiful lines, looking more like a very large private yacht than a 
mail steamer. Of all the steamers that I have sailed on I know none 
to equal those of the “ C.P.R.” The discipline is splendid; 1 the 
service (all the stewards are Chinese) excellent, the table equally 
good. On Sundays we had strawberries and cream, while there was 
a very fresh-looking rose on every lady’s plate. 
Our voyage was scarcely a pleasant one owing to fog and wet. 
We were once six days without “ sights ” and found ourselves some 
35 miles north of our proper course. This, however, is considered, 
under such circumstances, not to be a very great discrepancy between 
ascertained position and dead reckoning. When the weather would 
permit, hockey on deck was a great institution, especially as it was 
distinctly cold. For my part I had not played the game for forty 
years, and enjoyed it immensely. 
A curious feature of this voyage was the outbreak of what can 
best be described as an epidemic of Patience-playing. For days 
there was played scarcely a game of bridge or a rubber of whist; 
even more surprising, not a game of poker or nap. Morning, noon, 
and night every available table in drawing-room and smoking-room 
alike was occupied by Patience! Young and old, men and women, 
all played “The Demon.” Even the sporting fraternity, when not 
1 At drill all the boats were lowered a fathom or so from the davits within nine 
minutes. , 
