The writer was inspired to these reflexions, such as they are, by the deep drone of a departing steamer's ayres og she steamed down the Huangpu for Home, That particuizr sound aroused in him a quite trensiont attack of homesickness. At the same time, it led to another train of thought, and mental com. parisons between Hongkong and Shanghei. Hongkong, despite its is, ix undoubtedly far less popular among foreigners, especially young foreigners, then Shanghai, 'There are " number of reasons for this, the chief of which, sad though it may sound, is that lite this port is ayer end' faster than life int Hon, a payeho! reason which i ong. But there is also me fluences many people without th realising its existence. The writer spent two years in Hongkong pre ous to his three in Shanghai, In. quent in Shanghei is Hongkong homesickness was a fre=
comes very rarely indeed. Seeking beneath the surface for a ft occurred to him that the ties in the ships. A large prom tion of Hongkong's foreign popul tion crosses the harbour daily. all sides are ships, hi Fxtle ships—ships arriving' from strange ports in the South Americas, tiny high stacked coasters which pis' the China seas, disrespectable tramps of all nationalities, smug private steam yachts, worst of all, sleek liners running' to and from Home, All are going somewhere, and there is the rub. To the man who possesses the least shred of imagination the reaction these comings and goings set up is one of restlessness. There comes an almost irresistible soniewhere, feel a ship's deck under one's feet, to watch the were churned up by a propeller combing way behind, and to feast the eyes on tiny palm dotted islands nestling in blue water In Shanghai their piece. We live a city more than a port life, and the ships {in the Southern: colony.
Our plea. sures Fre town pleasures, our daily life a round of tramcars' and buses ax against Hongiong's ferries ard motor boats. Excepting for the: people whose duties bring them in active touch with the ships, we hardly realize that steamers exi: One day progressive authorities may make it a punishable offence for steamers to sound their sirens wit n hearing of the city. Then po laps we shall have the perfect hon from home. But then, again—pe haps not, A Party of 20 Buddhi from Japa The party will be met by a debut:
vf Chinese Buddhists in Shang-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.