The river was so serpentine with its numerous bends that the men often had to take a run on the banks to pull the boat along. The sun was just tinging the western cloud-castles with crimson and gold and as we went further and further from the town a panorama of great beauty passed before our eyes. Mountains and stream, and fields wavy with golden grain, and towering pagodas, all gemmed by the setting sun, composed this kaleidoscopic scene. But I had no heart to enjoy it. I was homesick for the first time in my life. A sense of solitude, of desolation—a feeling of loss possessed me—and I retired into the small cabin to weep unseen. Before long, a tossing of the boat announced the awful presence of the sea, and soon after I realized what seasickness meant. We arrived at Hongkong the next morning. It was a wonderful place to me. I never wearied with gazing at the vessels, which were of all sorts and all nationalities. The foreigners too were strange sights. How I stared at them and wondered how they could move with their “strait-jackets and tight pantaloons!” I had an adventure which I can never forget. My cousin left me behind with friends while he went to the theatre. I inwardly rebelled at this treatment, and, against the advice of the people at the store where we stayed, set out in that strange place to find the theatre, taking the money which my mother had given me to buy a ticket. I walked quite a distance, stopping frequently to gaze at the show windows and at the foreigners, till I came upon one at last. Although I had seen theatrical performances before, I had never been in a permanent theatre, so I was determined to enjoy my new experience. But alas! no enjoyment came to me. I felt uneasy the whole time and looked all over the auditory to see if my cousin was there. But he was nowhere to be seen. Scared and trembling for the consequences, I left the building before the grand climax when one hero was to distinguish himself by killing another and went my way back to the store. My cousin returned before long and, being informed of my escapade gave me a sound whipping. In two days we went on board a steamer and arrived at Shanghai after a four days’ journey from Hongkong, without any incident or accident. CHAPTER XI. HOW I PREPARED FOR AMERICA. On our arrival at Shanghai, my cousin took me to see our aunt whose husband was a compradôr in an American tea warehouse. A compradôr is usually found in every foreign _hong_ or firm. He acts as interpreter and also as agent for the company. He has a corps of accountants called _shroffs_, assistants and workmen under him.