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Hong Kong, Septem. 2nd, 190 [[strikethrough]] 8 [[strikethrough]] 9.
From original letter. However, diary entry indicates 1909 is correct.

Dear Colonel Hecker,
The Derfflinger reached this port on the 31st August and was promptly put in dry dock for repairs. It is expected that she will come out again this afternoon and start for Shanghai early tomorrow morning Her experience on the rocks near Southhampton, it proves, did her no visible harm, but in passing through the Suez Canal and when only three miles from its Suez terminal, a steamer just ahead of us got a steel hawser mixed up with her propellers and force our ship to make a quick halt in a very stiff current and swung our stern in to the canal bank injuring the blades of one of our screws. This injury, of course, delayed our progress which together with the time lost near Southhampton brought us to Hong Kong about a week late --- but in perfect safety and every one on board well and happy. At Singapore I received a letter from my friend Dr. Voretzsch - Consul General to China from Germany, inviting me to be his guest during my stay in this city and this letter is being written from his spacious and charming home situated just below the Peak --- affording a superb view of the harbour and relief from the great heat of the lower town. Mrs. Voretzsch is away north and the Dr. is keeping bachelors hall. He is a most charming host, a scholarly gentleman and enthusiastic collector of Chinese art fo the right kind. he arranged for my coming, of which he learned through the newspaper, by having men here from Canton and Hong Kong to meet me --- men worth knowing --- native experts and collectors as well as a responsible dealers from whom I am already learning some of the facts which for so long I have wished. One of the number, Mr. Chun Chik Yu is the most thoroughly efficient master of Sun pottery I have ever met and he has shown me his superb private collection and explained the best native tests for genuineness and age. I already feel repaid for the roasting received in the Red Sea --- the monsoon met in the Indian Ocean and the trifling inconveniences of this route at this season of the year --- let me add just here that instead of the ugly seas expected between Singapore and Hong Kong  we ran through the most charming weather and delightful seas imaginable. If we avoid typhoon conditions between here and Shanghai the journey that far will stand in my memory as one of great interest. I expect to remain in Shanghai only long enough to get a comfortable steamer to Tien Tsin where I take train to Peking. I want to see Peking during the good weather of Sept. and Oct. and shall