2012, ISBN: 9781235897948

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustra… Plus…

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 Excerpt: ...Filipino war, Ah Kee demands five dollars and ten cents extra for the risk. Thanks to Ah Kee, the petty cares of life do not exist for me. But let us now begin a ramble around, or, rather, up and down the town, for as we extend our investigations we shall find Hongkong a place of many climbs and steep descents. The passing 'rikishas and chairs remind us that the white man seldom walks in China. Why should he? Let me give the rates of fare for 'rikishas: one-fourth hour, five cents; first hour, fifteen cents; subsequent hours, ten cents. Jinrikishas are used only in the lower, level streets. To make excursions on the Peak we take the comfortable chairs supported by long, springy bamboo poles and borne by two, three, or sometimes four sturdy coolies. These are a trifle dearer than the 'rikishas: with two bearers, one hour, twenty cents; all day, one dollar. These prices seem pitifully low, but we must still cut the figures in half, and then snip off a trifle more, for the silver dollar of China is worth less than fifty cents. Thus the two barebacked brown men who have borne your chair upon their shoulders all day long each receives at nightfall the equivalent of one American quarter. If we ask the reason for all this, the resident will point toward yonder mainland province of Kwangtung and remind you of its 29,000,000 plodding persistent workers, gaining a daily wage of from three to seven cents, who look envyingly upon the well-paid coolies of Hongkong. Strikes are of rare occurrence. A chair-excursion up and around about the Peak is as delightful as it is cheap. Smooth roads and paths wind from sea-level to the several mountain-tops and down the farther side to native hamlets on southern shore. The chairs are comfortable, the springy movement imparted by th... Weight:0.18 lbs, RareBooksClub.com, 5/15/2012 0:00:00<

2012, ISBN: 9781235897948

RareBooksClub.com, 2012-05-15. Paperback. New. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy., RareBooksClub.com, 2012-05-15