"I always thought Chinamen was runts."
"Oh, it's only city Chinks—mostly from Canton, that come to civilized countries to run laundries ... but these are the real Chinamen."
After the cattle had been unladen, the crew were to be taken down to Shanghai and dumped ashore ... as it was an English Treaty port, that would be, technically, living up to the ship's articles, which guaranteed that the cattlemen aboard would be given passage back to English ground....
But I was all excitement over the prospect of making my way ashore to where the Allied troops were fighting....
Dawn ... we were anchored in Taku Bay among the warships of the Allied nations ... grey warships gleaming in the sun like silver ... the sound of bugles ... flags of all nations ... of as many colours as the coat of Joseph.
"Well, here we are at last!"
Next day the work of unloading the cattle began ... hoisted again by the horns from our boat of heavy draught to the hold of a coasting steamer, that had English captain and mates, and a Chinese crew.