About two o'clock we entered the tropics; but the weather is now
colder again, and not nearly so pleasant as it was two days ago. I
suppose it is owing to the north-east monsoon.
In the course of the afternoon we received several more offers of
pilotage, all of which were declined; and at 7.45 we got up steam and
lay to all night, ready to go into Hongkong harbour at daylight.
_Monday, February 26th_.--At 4 a.m. we found ourselves close under the
light on the eastern end of the island of Hongkong. We were surrounded
by islands, and the morning was dark and thick; so we waited till
5.30, and then steamed on through the Kowloon passage up to the city
of Victoria, as it is really named, though it is generally called
Hongkong. The channel is long, and in some places so narrow that it is
like going through a mountain pass, with barren hills and rocks on
either hand; but the combined effect of the blue waters, and red,
brown, and yellow hills, is very fine.
Off the town of Victoria the crowd of shipping is immense, and it
became a difficult task to thread our way between the fleets of
sampans and junks. The latter are the most extraordinary-looking craft
I ever saw, with high, overhanging sterns and roll, or rather draw, up
sails, sometimes actually made of silk, and puffed like a lady's net
ball-dress.
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