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78 Only [[underline]] liquors pay heavy duties, everything else comes in free. [[/underline]] The boatmen use bamboo for everything. [[image: drawing of bamboo pole with hook with annotations: "plug", "steel hook"]] It makes excellent [[underline]] boat-hook-poles, [[/underline]] on which they fasten a ringed hook as per sketch, by slipping it over the extremity of the bamboo then wedging a plug inside which expands the diameter. By hooking these bamboo poles [[underline]] on the rail of the vessel they climb aboard along these bamboo poles or by holding the pole with their [[/underline]] arms and climbing the sides of the ship with their feet. All this is done in a twinkling and shows how easy it is for [[strikethrough]] pirates [[/strikethrough]] [[end page]] [[start page]] 79 [[left margin]] Hong-Kong [[/left margin]] [[underline]] Chinese pirates [[/underline]] to board a ship [[underline]] however high its sides may be: [[/underline]] Kowloon is quite a busy place, yelling and [[strikethrough]] quar [[/strikethrough]] jabbering Chinese-coolies everywhere; all busy working, pulling lifting or carrying something or another. A small crowded ferryboat brings us to [[underline]] Hong Kong [[/underline]] and suddenly we are in a [[underline]] well paved, wide streeted city, [[/underline]] with opulent [[strikethrough]] hotels [[/strikethrough]] business buildings, stores and hotels. One or two blocks away is [[underline]] Hong Kong Hotel, known for its steep prices. [[/underline]] I got a room with bath for 17$ Mex or about 9-10 Doll. American. [[strikethrough]] Hotel [[/strikethrough]] Rooms are difficult to obtain. There is another hotel nearby smaller. [[underline]] King Edward Hotel [[/underline]] where Newton went and which is said to be as good