To Lady Stephenson
Hong Kong, October ^o, 1857.
My dear Mother, —... As you complain that I never tell you enough about myself, I will commence with
1857] DINNER ON BOARD THE AVA 187
that interesting topic. I never was better in my life, and find the dimate of this place more enjoyable every day. The thermometer in the shade just now is about 78°, with a delicious fresh wind almost always blowing. We almost all wear still the lightest summer clothing, and our dress for the evening is alwajT'S white from head to foot — a white jacket, white trousers, and white shoes. By the time you get this, which won't be far from Christmas Day, you will probably shiver at the vers'" idea; but you have no idea how nice we all look, so cool and clean. I dined with Lord Elgin last week on board his ship the Ava, where he lives altogether. We dined on deck, which was very nicely arranged for the purpose. Being very large, it was divided in two, fore and aft, b}'' large flags, which were also arranged so as to form the walls and ceiling of these two rooms, in one of which we dined, the other being the receptionroom — the whole covered with a double awning against heat and rain. The reception-room, where we smoked and played whist after dinner. His Excellency also indulging in a cigar, was lighted by Chinese lanterns, and the whole had a very pretty effect. He has got a very nice set of fellows in his suite, and Bruce,^' Lord E.'s brother, the Secretary of Legation, I like particularly. I have been taking sundry long walks over this island, which is really a beautiful spot in many respects, though there is scarcely a tree to be seen; but it is very mountainous, and though the highest peak is barely 2000 feet, I had no conception so much effect could be produced by so low an elevation. Except the racecourse, there is not a flat spot in the whole island, which is one confused mass of peaks, ravines, and precipices, presenting, however, some really fine scenery. The formation of the island is granite, and the soil is formed by its decomposition; the granite here always decays very rapidly. As for the manners and customs of these devils. Fortune's and Meadow's books will tell you more than I can, for I have not yet left the island. The funerals, however, are the most ludicrous
[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
exhibitions. Everyone but the priest is in white, — they are in yellow, — provisions of different kinds accompany the corpse, and in the centre of the procession is sometimes carried with great ceremony, in an elaborately carved kind of temple, a roast pig: a live pig, a live sheep if the people are wealthy, and other provisions accompany the funeral also. These are, I believe, intended to propitiate the Devil, but the priests are of course the medium of communication with that gentleman, and take care not to let him have more than is absolutely good for him. This individual they always imagine to be following a funeral, and it is their object to get the body underground before the Devil can snatch it away. With this view they scatter along the road pieces of paper — like the one enclosed, which was picked up on one of these occasions; the Devil is supposed to take these for banknotes, and as he stops to pick them up, the procession thus gains ground upon him, and so gets to the burial-ground before him. These people have no religion,2o they worship no god, and their ceremonies merely consist in endeavours to propitiate the Evil One by offerings and burning joss-sticks. If his majesty is in a bilious or fractious humour, and they can't come over him anyhow, they get angry and frighten him with crackers and gongs. I believe this to be a summary of the Chinese Thirty- nine Articles.... My books are a sad loss to me, and I would give anything for a good Atlas. My military books I cannot replace here, nor indeed any of the others; there are no books to be got in the East. People seem to me never to read in the tropics.... — Your affectionate son,
Fredk. Stephenson.
To his Brother
Hong Kong, October 2g, 1857.
My dear William, —... You know, of course, of the changes that are about to take place in this force. Ashburnham, Pakenham, and Wetherall, with other
1857] HOPES FOR REINFORCEMENTS 189