The flood rose so rapidly that people could scarcely believe their eyes. At 11 o'clock the Bund was practically dry except for the results of a disappearing rainfall. At noon water was pouring over the waterfront in tremendous quantities and at 1230 the central district was miniature sea with great depths of waters on the Bund and stretching several streets back from the river., Outside the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, where astonished groups of. people watched the phenomenon from the steps, there were regular waves as motor cars and lorries ploughed through the brown expanse, although some of them failed to achieve this end and had to be pushed to dry patches of safety by willing Chinese labour, who reaped a handsome harvest while waiting for casual jobs in the cargo unloading business at the Bund jetties. Rickshaw pullers also shared, splas! ing merrily through the flooded streets to carry their passengers to higher and drier spots. Observers had the impression of the mass of lighters, launches and junks towering high above the Bund level as if the fickle Whangpoo had decided on something extremely capricious and daring to climax a long period of turmoil and activity,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.