The boy travellers in the Far East : adventures of two youths ... - Library

oSS
THE BOY TRAVELLERS.
CHAPTER XXIX.
FROM SHANGHAI TO HOXG-KOXG.—A STORY OF THE COOLIE TRADE.
THE
party reached Slianghai without accident, and on their arrival at
that port the boys had a welcome surprise in the shape of letters
from home. Their first letters from Japan had been received, and read
and reread by family and friends. To judge by tlie words of praise tliat
they elicited, the efforts of the youths at descriptive composition were em-
inently successful. Frank's mother said that if they did as well all
through their journey as they had done in the beginning, they would be
qualified to write a book about Japan and China ; and a similar opinion
of their powers was drawn from Fred's mother, who took great pride in
her son. Mary and Ettie composed a joint letter to Frank, to tell liow
much pleasure he had given them. They were somewhat anxious about
the purchases, but were entirely sure evei'ything would be correct in the
end. Fred began to be a trifle jealous of Frank when he saw liow much
the latter enjoyed the communication from the girl who came to the railway
station to see them off. He vowed to himself that before he started
on another journey he would make the accpiaintauce of another Etfie, so
that lie would have some one to exchange letters with.
The letters were read and reread, and their perusal and the prepara-
tion of answers consumed all the time of the stay in Shanghai. The
delay, however, was only for a couple of days, as the weekly steamer for
Ilong-kong departed at the end of that time, and our friends were among
her passengers. Another of the ship's company was our old friend "'the
Mystery," who told Doctor Bronson that he had been travelling in the
interior of Japan, and had only recently arrived from there. He was
going to Canton, and possibly farther, but could not speak with certainty
until he had arranged some business at Hougdvong.
Tlie steamer on wliich our friends were travelling was under the
French flag, and belonged to the line popularly known as " the French
Mail." The service between Europe and China is performed alternately
b}' two companies, one of them English and the other French ; and by