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life for studying the peculiarities of British aristocratic titles. It was for this reason no doubt that, when our ship's papers came to be examined, my companion was found to be masquerading under a title as lord Bolt, while I was described as Mr Ronald Shay, though there was added as an afterthought, or perhaps as a sop to my vanity, an explanatory note to the effect that I too was a "British lord." Perhaps, too, in this confusion of description there was an explanation of the fact that we found it necessary to thread our way through so many yards of Imperial Maritime Custom-house red-tape, before being enabled to rid ourselves of our boats and establish ourselves on shore. The points of detail in connection with our identity having been at length satisfactorily disposed of, there remained the boat's crew to be paid and tipped before we were able to call our souls our own. I was satisfied with my crew, and decided to give them a substantial present in the shape of a silver ingot weighing approximately 10 taels, equivalent to about £1, 10s. in English money. To men whose ideas of money are constructed upon a cash basis,