Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1879-02-24)

steerage to San Francisco, which will cost $100. My fare from Singapore to here was $60. I have put up here at the Grand (?) Oriental Hotel at $1.50 per day. Tomorrow I am going to run up to Canton (74 miles) and spend two or three days in seeing the place.

    I don't believe there is a thing here in

the line of Natural History that is worth taking, but I hope to turn us something before I leave. There is plenty of granite, but it is very common looking stuff., There is simply next to nothing in the fish market, and the island of Hong Kong is as bleak and barren as -as </u Italy > along the Strait of Messina. This island & all the islets round about are </s pure- ly > volcanic, high, rugged & rocky. As you know the harbor is one of the finest in the world and there was a big fire in Hong Kong last Christmas. And Wash- ington's birthday was duly honored last Saturday by all the Man-of-war in the harbor, which embraced the U. S. China squdron consisting of one small side- wheel gun-boat called the </u Ashuelot. >