Transcriber’s Notes: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=). Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end. * * * * * A YEAR IN CHINA; AND A NARRATIVE OF CAPTURE AND IMPRISONMENT, WHEN HOMEWARD BOUND, ON BOARD THE REBEL PIRATE FLORIDA. BY MRS. H. DWIGHT WILLIAMS, AUTHOR OF “VOICES FROM THE SILENT LAND.” WITH AN INTRODUCTORY NOTE BY WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT. NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY HURD AND HOUGHTON, 401 BROADWAY, COR. WALKER STREET. 1864. * * * * * Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864, by HURD AND HOUGHTON, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York. RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE: PRINTED BY H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY. * * * * * This Volume, MUCH OF WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN LETTERS TO MY MOTHER, IS AFFECTIONATELY AND TEARFULLY Dedicated TO HER MEMORY. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Departure from New York, and Passage to the Cape de Verd Islands. Arrival there. The Island of St. Vincent. Passage to St. Paul de Loando. The African Continent. Entrance into the South Atlantic. Arrival at St. Paul de Loando. Bay of Loando. Loando. Fortifications. Population. Language. A Slaver. Coaling the Vessel 1-25 CHAPTER II. From Loando to Cape Town. Arrival there. Sunday at Cape Town. The Black Southeaster. The “Lions” of Cape Town. The Old Curiosity Shop. The Kaffir College. Public Institutions. The Library. The Museum. Statuary. The Botanical Garden. The Industrial Schools. Population. Buildings and Public Works. The Markets 26-58 CHAPTER III. From Cape Town to Mauritius. The “Whale’s Feed.” Brilliancy of the Tropical Heavens. The Island of Madagascar. The Isle of Bourbon. Approach to Mauritius. Harbor of Port Louis. Cholera. Early History of the Island. The City of Port Louis. The Hurricane Season. Pamplemeuses. Tomb of Paul and Virginia. The Public Cemetery. The Zoölogical, or Royal Gardens. The Christian Cemetery. Mrs. Newell’s Grave. A Mahommedan Funeral 59-91 CHAPTER IV. From Mauritius to Singapore. The Straits of Malacca. Malacca. The Continent of Asia. Approach to Singapore. Singapore Harbor. The Dubash, Ramasamy. “Doing” the City and Environs. Singapore River. Departure from Singapore. The Northeast Monsoon. Coast of Cochin China. Approach to Hong Kong 92-113 CHAPTER V.