Thomas Miller

“ About 9 o'clock passed the Ass's Ears, and came to in the harbor of Hong Kong, after a very tedious passage of 14 days.
Hong Kong is an English colony under British rule, and is a very fine city, built on the side of a hill, very high, the top of which is called Victoria Peak, which has a marine telegraph station. There are some very fine granite buildings belonging to the English and Americans and other foreign merchants, Russell & Co., Augustine Heard & Co., Oliphant & Co., Thomas Hunt & Co. It is a very lively city. ”

“ After listening to the Count's demand, the Kalaholm asked "By what authority do you come here to treat with Siam for land? Where is your exequatur to act?" The Count said he had none. "Well," said his Excellency, "you had better go home and ask your Royal Master to give you some authority to act, and not come here with your gun boat and guns past Packnam in violation of treaty which says all guns shall be sent on shore, when a vessel is bound up the River."
The fortification of Packnam consists of only one fort on right hand side of the river as you go up. ”

“ In some places where we passed, the natives, who never saw a white man, and to whom we looked strange and ate strangely with knife, fork and spoon, would observe us very closely and watch how we handled the tools. ”

“ At this writing, there are say fifty sail of ships of various nationalities at anchor.
29th. — I took a sail up to Wampoo and Canton on the American steamer, White Cloud. Wampoo is a place for mechanical work. There are three very fine dry docks, and a machine shop. The ship N. B. Palmer, belonging to A. A. Low & Bros., of New York, 1 went on board of, and engaged passage and state room for New York, $400. Everybody is getting rich.
30th. — The City of Canton is a walled city of about 5,000,000 population including the white population about 1,500,000 live on the water. ”

“ Streets very narrow, about nine feet from curb to curb, principal business tea and silk, no loafers or idle men or women.
31st. — I again started for Hong Kong on the White Cloud. The Canton river is beautiful, having clusters of islands, and the banks of the river presented high mountains, very picturesque.
April 1st. — Nothing but going about.
3d. — Breakfasted with Capt. Treadwell on board of the American clipper ship. Sagamore.
4th. — Breakfasted with Capt. Rowe on the American Barque, Homer, and dined on board the British Barque, Alicia, Capt. Morse. ”