June 26.
NINETEEN year's ago to-day the present writer first landed in Shanghai. The event was of no political importance nor in the least likely to interest any reader. But some contrast between Shanghai then and now! may be a relief from the usual unprofitable discussion of still more unprofitable politics, Also, by an odd coincidence, the day he landed was very much like the day he is writing, a proper June day, heavy and' lowering, although the writer, being fresh from Home and full of vigorous English blood unthinned as yet} by Asiatic summers, did rat feel] much discomfort and was vaguely surprised to find everyone so! Timp. In those days Shanghai was regarded as semi-tropical and houses were bui al view to hot weather.. Nowa architects seem to have a totally' different conception of the; climate.
It may be worth recalling that the voyage from Liverpool had taken exactly twenty-eight days, the C. P. R. having just secured the "Ail Red Route" mail contract and being anxious to show what it could do, though there was nothing faster on the Pacific than the old Empress of India, and she ran into bad weather too. But from Woosung the tender took over two hours, having to go all the way round Gough Island by the Ship Channel. Nearly two years were to pass before H. M. S. Astrea gave her name to the now deepened Junk Channel by steaming' through it, The Bund, except that there were no motor-cars and no trams, presented, however, almost as animated an
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.