In 1898 I was in Hongkong on a business affair which gave me muchleisure, when Murray Bain, editor of the China Mail, whom I had longknown, asked why I did not send him a letter occasionally. This led tomy venturing to give him "Some Notes by the Way in A Sailor's Life."
These Notes, I considered, could only be of interest locally. But someof my friends have urged me to overcome my diffidence and put them inpamphlet form, which I now do for distribution among my friends,trusting that they will treat leniently the literary efforts of one whois a sailor and not a cleric.
A.E.K.
To the editor of the "China Mail."
Dear Sir:—I have just read with much pleasure the report of the quickpassage made by the sailing-ship "Muskoka" from Cardiff to this port inninety-two days. This is really a good trip and the captain and hisofficers may be complimented on having done so well, for, as you know,the ship is of large tonnage and the complement of men is small. Icongratulate the captain and his officers, and wish they may be assuccessful in all their future voyages.
Mr. Editor, no doubt you remember the ship "Northfleet." I was secondofficer of her, as you know, in the year 1857. In the spring of thatyear, we loaded government stores, guns, mortars, and general warmaterials, with two companies of Royal Artillery, for the war at Canton,in which the French and the British were allies. We sailed from Woolwichon the river Thames, and stopped at Gravesend twelve hours, then madeour final start for Hongkong, in which port we anchored in thewonderfully short time of eighty-eight days from Woolwich, which is atleast three days' sail farther than Cardiff.
On the following voyage we did the same in eighty-eight days and a half.These two were record voyages made in t