Page 28 - Round_the_World_with_BJ_1926
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i ’Round the World with B. J.
in, tired out. T h e financial responsibility of a big boat means some
w here between $5,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 and $10 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 , according to the kind and
quantity of cargo on board, much less the value of the personnel on
board ship.
W e believe that the nicest system of docking of any w as at Y o k o
hama. T h e hotel runners came out and got on just after you left
quarantine. Y o u r w o rk w as taken care of quietly, orderly, on board
ship before you docked. Y o u tu rn your keys over to the porter, land,
go to your hotel, and forget your baggage. H e gets it thru customs and
in a jiffy here it is at the hotel, more than lik ely never opened, at least
seemingly nothing disturbed.
A t any port over which the U . S. has control you m ay pleasurably
anticipate trouble w ith customs. W e were in M a n ila four days. A s
we w ere going back on the same boat w e came in on, w e left our trunks
on board ship, thinking we could go down any time and get anything
we needed. M a b e l w anted some clothes, so she w ent to the ship to get
them. C om ing off, the customs refused to pass her w ith tw o dresses,
some shoes, and a little leather hat. T h e hat w as bought in San F ra n
cisco, but it had a G erm an trade m ark. T h e shoes w ere bought in
Chicago, but they had an E nglish m an u factu rer's name in them. T h e
dress w as bought in N ew Y o rk and had a French tag on it. H e in
sisted upon customs, claim ing that she w as tryin g to get it into the
country. F in ally she convinced him that all three had been w orn.
T h e n , not until then, did he release the articles.
I f the tide is up, you can go righ t to dock in Shanghai. I f it is out,
a tug comes aw ay down the river and takes you in. A nd you may
have to go from tow n to ship the same w ay.
A t the harbor of H o n g K o n g, we docked across the bay and had to
ferry back and forth between Kow loon and H ong Kong. W e stayed
at the hotel anyhow. H on g K o n g is w here w e struck the little boats,
lying alongside, each boat carrying all kinds of birds for sale, cages ’n
everything. Canaries, parrots, trained birds to go up into the air for
a seed and then come back to your finger, etc. Thousands of them.
A t T o u ra in e , In do-C hina, w e dropped anchor out in the harbor.
W e took little boats which rolled and tossed as they made for dock.
Sometimes the w ind is so strong from lan d w ard that even one anchor
w o n ’t hold, so they drop another. A t times even this does not suffice.
A t Saigon, Indo-China, w e docked at the dock, but going up a river
made it slow w ork and it w as several hours before passengers could go
ashore. A t some ports you go o ff in tugs which rock and roll at the side
of the b o at; this makes going from the big to the little boat very unsafe
and you must watch your step.
U su a lly there is the w ild est-yelling mobs o f any and all kinds w aitin g
at a ll docks. H otel runners by the score, each yellin g and tryin g to
body-snatch you. B aggage is piled up m ountain high and it is one mad
scram ble to keep your eye on yours until it is safely handed over to the
proper hotel man— and then you can rest safely.
in, tired out. T h e financial responsibility of a big boat means some
w here between $5,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 and $10 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 , according to the kind and
quantity of cargo on board, much less the value of the personnel on
board ship.
W e believe that the nicest system of docking of any w as at Y o k o
hama. T h e hotel runners came out and got on just after you left
quarantine. Y o u r w o rk w as taken care of quietly, orderly, on board
ship before you docked. Y o u tu rn your keys over to the porter, land,
go to your hotel, and forget your baggage. H e gets it thru customs and
in a jiffy here it is at the hotel, more than lik ely never opened, at least
seemingly nothing disturbed.
A t any port over which the U . S. has control you m ay pleasurably
anticipate trouble w ith customs. W e were in M a n ila four days. A s
we w ere going back on the same boat w e came in on, w e left our trunks
on board ship, thinking we could go down any time and get anything
we needed. M a b e l w anted some clothes, so she w ent to the ship to get
them. C om ing off, the customs refused to pass her w ith tw o dresses,
some shoes, and a little leather hat. T h e hat w as bought in San F ra n
cisco, but it had a G erm an trade m ark. T h e shoes w ere bought in
Chicago, but they had an E nglish m an u factu rer's name in them. T h e
dress w as bought in N ew Y o rk and had a French tag on it. H e in
sisted upon customs, claim ing that she w as tryin g to get it into the
country. F in ally she convinced him that all three had been w orn.
T h e n , not until then, did he release the articles.
I f the tide is up, you can go righ t to dock in Shanghai. I f it is out,
a tug comes aw ay down the river and takes you in. A nd you may
have to go from tow n to ship the same w ay.
A t the harbor of H o n g K o n g, we docked across the bay and had to
ferry back and forth between Kow loon and H ong Kong. W e stayed
at the hotel anyhow. H on g K o n g is w here w e struck the little boats,
lying alongside, each boat carrying all kinds of birds for sale, cages ’n
everything. Canaries, parrots, trained birds to go up into the air for
a seed and then come back to your finger, etc. Thousands of them.
A t T o u ra in e , In do-C hina, w e dropped anchor out in the harbor.
W e took little boats which rolled and tossed as they made for dock.
Sometimes the w ind is so strong from lan d w ard that even one anchor
w o n ’t hold, so they drop another. A t times even this does not suffice.
A t Saigon, Indo-China, w e docked at the dock, but going up a river
made it slow w ork and it w as several hours before passengers could go
ashore. A t some ports you go o ff in tugs which rock and roll at the side
of the b o at; this makes going from the big to the little boat very unsafe
and you must watch your step.
U su a lly there is the w ild est-yelling mobs o f any and all kinds w aitin g
at a ll docks. H otel runners by the score, each yellin g and tryin g to
body-snatch you. B aggage is piled up m ountain high and it is one mad
scram ble to keep your eye on yours until it is safely handed over to the
proper hotel man— and then you can rest safely.
