'The writer's "boy" told the story'
ft was told him by one of the lors and when the writer pointed out the improbability of such a thing the boy said:—
"This belong ploper talk Master, what for China Merchants sell Kiangfu? What for no can run no more? Plenty Chinese have tell me have got snake on ship, you come Jong me I take you to plenty Chinaman tell you belong true."
The old Kiangfu is the oldest steamer on the river and came here from the State of Maine, U. S.A. in a sailing vessel over 50 years She has always been con-joss" of the China Merchants fleet and the company' thought so much"of her that when it was decided that her days of usefulness were over as a steamer they would not permit her to be sold other than to be broken up. The flying eagle that was a prominent figure on her mast has been presented to the U. S. Consul-General Mr. E. S. Cunningham.
There may have "been snakes aboard at one time or another, but they were of the kind that are only seen in dreams.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.