Memo: Hong Kong (Saturday morning April 2nd).
Written Sunday morning April 24/98.
Landed on shore about 9 o’clock by launch which belongs to the hotel, had breakfast, but none of us could get the promise of a room till afternoon, when some departures would be made on out going steamers. Eventually we all got accommodated & felt settled. I had decided to break my journey here after the 13 days’ sea passage rather than go straight onto Japan, & possibly it was the best. The weather all the while was good, whilst in Japan it was very cold & wintry during that period.
Saturday I spent in various ways, first enquiring about letters, none had yet arrived, then about steamer connections. Also viewing the streets & harbour and over hauling my clothes &c. &c. I also, during the afternoon, visited the Happy Valley. Took a rickshaw, going & returning different ways.
On reading over the diary I found I had missed the events of the Saturday on which I landed at Hong Kong, & have filled this in on Sunday morning, whilst laying in my bed on board the SS “Rohilla”, quarantined in Nagasaki harbour. It might have been wisest had I come straight on from Hong Kong to Japan.
[3:18]