as much enthusiasm as the two little girls who called him Santa Claus. Lieut. Hobson was always ready to join the party, and we found him a very agreeable and interesting traveling companion. His unassuming manners and gentlemanly conduct won for him the esteem of all on board, and the charming young lady from Georgia voiced the sentiments of us all when she said that "he was just the nicest gentleman that she ever did see."

We must not forget to speak of the ample provision made for supplying the desires of the inner man. To say that this far exceeded our expectations is but to poorly express our appreciation of the excellent fare served on the Gaelic. To give the reader an opportunity to judge, for himself, we print one of the daily dinner bills of fare.

The Chinese servants, dressed in their long blue or white robes, move noiselessly about, and seem to know intuitively your every wish, and before you have reached the journey's end you are convinced that there are no better servants than those on these steamers.

It is such surroundings as those described above that make life on board one of these splendid modern steamers, "one continual round of pleasure," and it is not to be wondered at that by the time the journey's end is reached you feel like a new being, and treasure up in your store-house of memories this most delightful experience and leave the ship with feelings not unmingled with regret

After six days of this kind of life, land is sighted, which proves to be Diamond Head, and now we have reached the famous Paradise of the Pacific. There is a charm about the Hawaiian Islands which increases with your stay. The delightful langor of a restful repose is the first pleasing emotion of a visitor to these islands, and he then easily finds himself en rapport with his surroundings. The climate is so equable that one scarcely notices the change of seasons. For instance, the morning temperature at six o'clock, for the year, runs from 67 to 75 degrees, a variation of eight degrees. The noon temperature, from 72 to 84 degrees, and the evening, nine o'clock, from 63 to 76 degrees. The rainfall at Honolulu averages twenty-five inches a year. On other parts of the island the rainfall is very heavy, while in others it is much less. The Hawaiian archipelago consists of about twenty islands, the entry ports of any note being Honolulu, on Oahu; Hilo, on Hawaii, and Kahului, on Maui. The resources of the country

are now in process of rapid development, and if the traveler has the time the situation will well repay his consideration. The population of Honolulu, prior to annexation, was about 25,000, but this is rapidly increasing, and the English language is generally understood. One will want to see the Punch Bowl Hill, an extinct crater-a few minutes' walk from the hotel. Go from this to Mount Tantalus, where you reach an altitude of 2000 feet, and the view covers a large area. Mount Konahuanui has an altitude of 4000 feet, from the summit of which the island of Oahu may be viewed. All these tours take the traveler through a country grandly picturesque, and in which. the flora is bewilderingly beautiful. It takes about ten days to make the trip. Waikiki is the bathing resort. This is some three miles distant from Honolulu. It is said that no one has had the full luxury of a sea bath unless he has laved himself in the sea at Waikiki.

After spending a most delightful day in Honolulu, we reluctantly returned to the ship, regretting that circumstances would not permit us to take advantage of the stop-over privilege which cabin passengers are entitled to. As if to more firmly rivet the chains which Honolulu's natural charms have placed about the admiring tourist, young ladies are at the dock with garlands of flowers which they place about the necks of passengers, and a native band plays some of their weird pathetic music, which adds a peculiar fascination not easy to shake off. the steamer backs away from the dock the passengers join in singing "Some Day I'll Wander Back Again," and you sincerely hope that Providence may so direct your footsteps. The usual schedule time from Honolulu to Yokohama, is ten days. The voyage is largely a repetition of the trip down to Honolulu. Friendships become

more cemented, and the ties are more and more like those of the family group. The first glimpse of the "Island Empire" is had at Yokohama. This is the largest of the treaty ports, and practically the port of Tokio. If you are bent upon a thorough inspection of this new wonderland, you quit the steamer at Yokohama, and with the stop-over ticket, proceed through the interior, by rail, to the temples and shrines, and many places of absorbing interest. A little note on climate that you may prepare yourself accordingly. To speak generally, the summer is hot, with occasional rains, and during September and a part of October very wet. Beginning late in autumn, and through the first part of winter it is delightfully cool and dry. February and March are variable with more or less snow, and in the late spring, considerable rain and high winds are interspersed with beautiful days. For thirteen years the mean temperature was 56.5°. The lowest, January, 36.7°. Highest, August, 77.9°. Mean rainfall 58.33". ber of rainy days 138.7, and days with snow 8.5. Japan has been called "the pleasure ground of the universe," and it is said one always leaves the country with regrets, no matter how short or long his stay. Dr. Dresser said, while exploring the country: "I am getting weary of beauty. and I am weary of writing of the beautiful." Percival Lowell says: "In the soul of the far East, the Japanese makes love to Nature, and it almost seems as if Nature heard his silent prayer and smiled upon him in acceptance, as if the lovelight lent her face the added beauty that it lends the maids. For nowhere in this world probably is she lovelier than in Japan. A climate of long happy means and short extremes. Months of spring, and months of autumn, with but a few weeks of winter in be

tween; a land of flowers where the lotus and the cherry, the plum and wistaria grow wantonly side by side; a land where the bamboo embosoms the maple; where the pine at last has found its palm tree, and the tropic and temperate zone forget their separating identity in one long selfobliterating kiss."

Japan "can be done" in three weeks, but three months is preferable. It is best also if you want

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the best of everything to start on an excursion in the morning and avoid night travel. Of course one must be armed with a passport, for this is in constant requisition. An excellent view of Yokohama and its approaches is had from Noge-Yama. Here are various shrines such as the Shinto God of Akiha, the great Buddhist God and the Sun Goddess of Ise.

It is eighteen miles from Yokohama to Tokio, the capital. The journey is made by rail in fifty minutes. It was the first railroad built in Japan and was opened in 1872. Tokio has good hotel accommodations and is the center of the trade in curios. On the road hither from Yokohama an excellent view of Fujiyama, the

highest mountain peak in Japan may be had. It is 12,400 feet high. At Neno Park the Cherry Blossom festival is held each year in April. If the traveler returns to Yokohama he may go by steamer to Kobe, the distance being 348 miles. If he goes by rail the distance is 376 miles. Most travelers go by rail as they may thus visit Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and other desirable places en route. The road runs through a densely populated region and these cities are among

the chief in the Empire. Kobe is the center for travelers, being situated accessible to the great Inland Sea and also communicating by rail with the interior important cities. The famous landscape gardens are in this region, and numerous temples of antiquity, while the scenic effects are incomparable. Lake Biwa is a national resort. It is 36 miles long by 12 miles wide, has an elevation of 340 feet and its depth is 325 feet. The oldest Buddhist temple in Japan is found near here and has many relics of antiquity. The bronze work in these temples is very elaborate. In one the bell was cast in 732, contains 37 tons of metal, is 14 feet high, 9 feet in diameter and 81⁄2 inches thick at the edges.

Its length is 240 miles,

The Inland Sea of Japan is famous the world over. and is studded with beautiful islands, similar in contour and aspect to those in the St. Lawrence and Puget Sound. It is justly styled the most magnificent sheet of water in the known world. It narrows in places so that two ships can hardly pass, and from the time the steamer enters it, through the Straits of Akashi until she goes out through the Straits of Shimonoseki, it is one gorgeous panorama, a veritable sailing through "fairy-land." The islands and country are in a high state of cultivation and the whole scene is so emblazoned with grandeur that the travelers quit their meals and feast their souls on the beauties of their surroundings.

Emerging into the open sea from the Straits of Shimonoseki a detour is made southward, where Nagasaki is reached. The steamer remains here usually one day for the purpose of coaling, and this is done by men, women and children with small baskets. The adults standing in a row passing the basket along the line from one to the other to the boat, the children gathering up the empty baskets. The women receive for this work nine cents a day and the men twelve cents. The

largest engineering and ship-building works in the far East are situated here, also the Tategami dock, cut out of solid rock and costing over $1,000.000. It is available for the largest ships afloat, and is a remarkable piece of workmanship.

The distance from Nagasaki to Shanghai is about 400 miles, and Shanghai from Hongkong about 870 miles. Shanghai is termed the "Paris of the far East" because of its pleasures and social gaities. Its population is about 400,000 with 5000 foreigners. It is the largest treaty port in China. Usually the traveler takes a stop-over trip at Shanghai, partly because of the sights there and because he wishes to see the great city of Peking, about 80 miles inland, and the distance is covered in less than four hours. There are fine roads and beautiful drives in this region and a very profitable stay can be made in the study of the antiquities, habits and customs of the people. Peking became the capital of China in 1491 and its present population is placed anywhere between 1,000,000 and 1,750,000. The natives call the city Ching. It is surrounded by walls, the outer of which is distant about 130 yards and runs parallel to the city. Then high walls and open spaces surround the inside of the Imperial City of Peking and separate it entirely from the city itself. The great wall of China is 45 miles from the city, and the road leading to the nearest part is paved with solid granite slabs 10 feet long. The city and its surroundings are replete with curiosities, and well worth a visit.

It is about four days by steamer from Shanghai to Hongkong. Hongkong is styled the "Revelation" owing to its development since the incoming of the English in 1841. In that year the Island of Hongkong was ceded to Great Britain by China, the island then having a population of 2000, consisting of Puntis, Aboriginee, Hakkas, or strangers from the highlands, and the Hoklos, hailing from the coast ports of the North. The island is about three miles in width and twelve miles in

length. It now has a population approximating 250,000 and is cosmopolitan in appearance. Those journeying to the Philippines usually want to spend about three days on their outward trip, viewing the many interesting sights in and around Hongkong, and should by all means take a flying trip up to Canton, which is reached in about seven hours by boat. Here is found the temple of Honan, the finest temple in

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China, with its gardens, in the kitchen department of which there is a Columbarium similar to the one discovered at Pompeii. A Buddhist monastery and nunnery with water clock 800 years old and the five-storied Pagoda are also here. Another day is usually given to Maco where great gambling games