Shanhaikuan, Chinwangtao has one advantage beyond all others. The ships bringing you there tie alongside a solid concrete pier; there are no sampans to be fought, no train schedules to be discussed. A few coolies are quickly called, and your baggage shouldered. You walk down the jetty, past trains and trucks bursting with coal, over piles of coal, scattered over with coolies taking well earned rest. You pass the Customs barrier and secure a ricsha, your light baggage is put in a few more rieshas, and away you go, Away from' the coal, Yound the corner, into a hidden bay, where stand the eighteen or so semidetached, five-roomed bungalows, one of which you will probably occupy.
Once arrived you can proceed to enjoy yourself immediately. The sea is nota hundred yards from your verandah steps, the twelve-kol: Bolt course is but 'a little further fon, and you have already passed the Chinwangtao Club on your way to the bungalows. At this club there ave four excellent hard tennis courts, where you can be sure nearly every fine afternoon of pick-rig up game; a dance room, converted into a badminton court in winter, reading, card and billiard rooms, (the last with bar adjoined) plus plenty of verandah space: alt this makes up an excellent club house. Here every Saturday night 4 dance is held, and those who wish may also dance on Wednesday nights. Once a season a Fancy Dress Ball is held, the most important night of the year, Other years picnics have been arranged to the Great Wall via Shanhaikuan, to the hills about fifteen to twenty miles distant, to the hot springs, all day picnics or in some cases two day trips, but this year these have not taken place. Riding is*popular, however, and a number of people have ponies down from Tientsin and good riding is enjoyed in the early morning and in the evening when the sun has lost ite bite.
This summer the bungalows along the beach and the rest house have, in the main been filled with Belgiat refugees from Tongshan. News from Shanghai filters through very, very slowly, and papers and letters coming through the post are all at least nine days old if not more. From Tientsin the mails are a little more regular, but the Wednesday night cinemas which were held in previous years at the Club have to be abandoned this year owing to the impossibility of films down from Tientsin.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.