the moral effect of our dash at the place. Holding the town after it is taken will be the real commencement of our work, and if we do this with a divided command the difficulty will be serious. Lord Elgin is, I think, fully alive to this, and will, I hope, induce the Admiral to give over the marines to us the moment they land at Canton, and if in addition to them we get 1500 men from India we shall do the thing comfortably. I have not yet taken over my department, for the General still lingers on;... between you and me, he is sadly disgusted at being ordered to India, and is doing all he can to stay on;... I should not be surprised if he remained, though I should think he would get into a frightful scrape if he did. We are now at the commencement of our winter — that is to say, that although we sit all day with every door and window wide open, yet at dinner we are obliged to shut half of them, and at night, instead of lying outside the bedclothes, we are obliged to throw one sheet over us. The thermometer in my room where I am now writing to you at half -past 4 p.m., with nearly every door and window open, is64°,so I leave you to judge how delightful the climate is just now. I constantly meet Bruce and the attaches, the former of whom often asks after you.... — Your affectionate brother,
Fredk. Stephenson.
To his Nieces, Fanny and Florence Wilson 22
Hong Kong, November 14.
My dear Girls, —... I have had no letters for the last two months, and begin to feel that I am in the proud position of an injured being. I suppose they all think I am still floating on a barrel in the Indian Ocean, and that as the degree of latitude I am in is uncertain it is not worth while writing. You may suggest this casually when you are next at Hampton Court; at present the date of my last letter from England is July. You have no idea what a nice
establishment we have here; our house is really a beautiful one, and our attendants, for five people, consist of three Englishmen who enact the parts of valets: Cameron is one, and is very well and very good. Then we have a Hindu man cook, and a.Chinese boy as kitchenmaid, one Hottentot, two more Indian servants, three Chinese men doing housemaid's work, whom we call Mary Ann, Jane and Susan, two watchmen and two messengers, so you see we live in ducal style. Then we have each of us two coolies who do not live in the house, and who carry us about in our chairs when it is too hot to walk, for there is not such a thing as a carriage in the whole island, except one or two private ones.... The Chinese are an endless source of amusement. I am constantly watching all their funny ways when I am out walking. You never saw such a hard-working set of people; they do more work in a day than any European I ever saw; their industry is wonderful. You never see them by any chance dawdling about, they are always busy.... Give my love to Minchen when you write, and tell her the Chinese have not got little, curly, stumpy scuts like the faun we saw at the Crystal Palace, but fine, long, honest tails....
This is rather a shabby letter, my dearest girls, and if it does not contain much matter, it must at all events be received as a proof that I am always thinking of you, which I assure you I am. Don't neglect your architecture, my dear Fan, and let me see you a proficient when I return. Now God bless you, my dears. — Your ever affectionate
Fredk. Stephenson.
To his Brother
Hong Kong, December 15, 1857.
My dear William, —... Lord Canning ^^ has written to say that he cannot spare us any troops, so that there is no use in our waiting any longer. We shall.
1857] LORD ELGIN'S ULTIMATUM 193