Shanhaiceltic-

Thanks for the additional notes. As I recall you are actually our resident Mudcat on the China Station, an awesome responsibility. You should start your own thread of observations!

Hamish Maclaren, as I've mentioned above, served in the Royal Navy in the mid 1920's on the China Station. In his semi-autobiographical sketches in his book Cockalorum (buy a copy on the www used book sites for a treat) he describes his adventures up and down the river after he mustered out of the Navy in pursuit of a White Russian dancer. The details are too ludicrous and painful to be fiction.

I seem to have lost contact with Maclaren's daughter over the summer.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble