Viewing page 797 of 978
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
[[left page]] I was glad to escape from it notwithstanding a delightful Italian gentleman; Sig. Picorini, married to an American lady who has a sister living in Detroit, met me at the wharf and begged me to make his home mine during my stay in Shanghai. I had not met before Sig. Picorini nor his wife, nor her relatives, but they are friends of good old Coleman of Capri, and he had sent them word of my coming and they had reached me by letters at Singapore and had urged me to be their guest in Shanghai which I had declined. But when meeting Sig. Picorini at last, I learned that he is an ardent collector of Chinese art, knows everybody worth knowing in Shanghai, has some office in the Chinese Customs under Sir Robt. Hart, and his wife is a devoted Whistlerite. So, on my return to Shanghai from here I shall see something of this interesting couple. [[/left page]] [[right page]] Enroute from Shanghai to Tientsin we encountered two corking storms which cut our ship progress down fifty percent on two occasions and blew the water out of the Hai Ho river - Tangku to Tientsin - so that we reached the latter port nearly two days late. But I escaped sea sickness and enjoyed the whole trip. Our first stop was at Tsing-tan the very important German concession, where I found the surp [[/strikethrough]] ring [[/strikethrough]] rising new German town and superb port only ten years old and having a 16.000 ton dry dock and amazing harbor with great stone piers, etc., etc. All in the real classical Chinese scenery of the ancient Chinese painters - that of serrated mountains, varying distances and great water spaces. Then our obliging Captain notwithstanding his delay, but because it was the ships 100th trip without an accident - built for the route - and his 50th in command - ran to Wei hai Wei - British - gave us a fine view of the forts, harbor and British fleet in port there. Outside of the British waters we were met by a fine German cruiser which was scouting for us and [[strikethrough]] to [[/strikethrough]] which ship our Captain is to command - his regular navy service - for two months, beginning Nov 1st next. It was a fine sight to have these two ships draw close together at sea, exchange conversation by megaphones, separate, salute and pass. The German navy men are as fine a lot as I care to know! Our next stop was at Chefoo the interesting Chinese port and town, which has immense possibilities, but which will require millions of gold to develope. The Germans and English [[/right page]]
