Page 39 - Michael Frost-Voyages to Maturity-23531.indd

them to the ship’s rail was a messy and gory task. Fortunately, the buffalo proved
more hardy, although we grew to believe that they had been dosed a tranquilliser
before being loaded; as time went by, their need to butt us with their large horns
as we passed by increased. Of necessity, we sweltered in our cabin; however, the
zephyrs were now manure-laden and unavoidable.

Hong Kong was one of the major P&O ports and lived up to every expectation.
The number and variety of ships, large and small, was overwhelming. Although
I had attended a lecture at the Royal Geographical Society in London about the
efficiency of the basic design of a junk, to see so many of all sizes was an eye-
opener (more current knowledge may be found in Gavin Menzies’ ‘1421’) and
frankly awe-inspiring.

Junk and Restaurant in Hong Kong

38