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An Bord

des Dampfers "Rhenania" 

den 11th April 1907.

Hamburg-Amerika Linie.

Dear Colonel Hecker, 

After Saigon; Hongkong, Canton and Shangai were visited. The greatest interest centers at Canton with the old Chinese walled-city of Shangai second. The foreign parts of Hongkong and Shangai have changed greatly since my earlier visit --- huge buildings have sprung up and immense business operations have started. The harbours are filled with ships, wharves are heaped with freight, the steamers are packed and no small number of people sleep on billiard tables in town and on deck on board. The "Farther East" is booming and the foreigners are not getting all of the cream. Fine Japanese and Chinese steamers outnumber the European and American. The Chinese ride in carriages and travel and mingle in first class manner everywhere. The Chinese practically own Singapore and the other ports mentioned, with the Japanese hustling for second place. These two nations have done wonders in business of all kinds during late years. Many English, French and German merchants have told me that the Chinese and Japanese merchants completely undersell the foreigners. All signs point to tremendously increased mercantile wealth on the part of the Chinese and Japanese. If I were a merchant in this part of the world, I would sell out and go home and stay there. Let the Western world look out!

I visited many Chinese homes in Canton and old Shangai in my search for Chinese pottery, and the richness and beauty of their artistic possessions made a deep impression. I secured a number of fine specimens --- many for almost nothing --- but in frequent instances, good specimens could only be captured at highly prohibitive prices --- those I left --- a few gentlemen would not sell at any price. In the old furniture shops and in certain bazaars I bought Sung pottery of rare beauty, cheaper than I could buy copies in the foreign settlements. Canton is amazing! And already I am dreaming of some old inland cities lying between Saigon and Peking which, some day, I would like to search as I did Canton and Shanghai, only more slowly and thoroughly. From Egypt to the temples of Ceylon and Java and thence to the treasure houses of China and Japan is to me an experience of indesirable delight. Our steamer is several days behind her schedule and will not stop at Nagasaki --- at Moji she coals, passes through the Inland sea and if weather and tide and daylight favors she will send some passengers off in lighter at Kobe, thence direct to Yokohama. If any passengers