This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XI That evening we sighted the low, green ridge of Macao, and beyond it the distant rocks of the mainland of China piled on top of each other like titanic walls. They gave me the impression of a huge ancient fortress, of lofty dungeons, tremendous, projectAnd somehow my prescient soul drew bitter auguries for the future. Our ship stopped within a few miles of the port, softly rolling to both sea-anchors, while the captain argued and whined once more. "Gentlemen, gentlemen," he pleaded, clutching his grease-stained dressing-gown with a gesture of despair, "I shall be fined, heavily fined." Mascasenhas cut him short. "Be quiet, ignoble son of a hog! What will not a goat eat or a fool say? For the love of the dear saints, if you're so afraid of your precious rupees, give us a lifeboat. We'll row her ashore ourselves, and you can tell the commandante of the port that the thing was washed overboard in a gale." So it was done. They put the boat over the side, and we pulled out toward shore through a glassy sea running amethyst and agate. We rowed steadily, taking turns. Late that night we landed on a little outlying promontory of limestone rock, which seemed perfectly familiar to the half-caste. There were coast-guards and sentinels of the Portuguese garrison about; for the coast is a favorite rendezvous for opium smugglers. But a thick, mother-of-pearl mist came rolling down from the mainland, cloking the hills and the shore, and blotting out the jasper tints of the sea. So we made our way across the promontory and down into the town of Macao without being challenged. Half an hour's steady walk, and we turned into the main street of the town. And a funny old street it was, crooked like the market Suks of Cairo, and framed on both...