My dear Mother, —... We are rather looking forward with interest to the mail from Shanghai as being likely to indicate a little of the future and whether we are to stay at Canton for ever, or that Lord Elgin will succeed in his determination to make peace. Rumours are afloat in all directions that the Chinese are raising men and money in order to attack us; they will never do it, they cannot — they dare not. I am certain these rumours... are merely got up to keep us in a state of alarm, but of course we must act as if they were likely to be true.... The rumours in question, and which I believe to have been industriously circulated by the Mandarins, have alarmed the Cantonese immensely, and they have left the town in such numbers that it has become a perfect desert. All the Mandarins and officials have sneaked out one by one till at last only three remained — Pih-Kevei (the Governor), the Judge, and the Collector of Customs. As it would have been difficult to carry on the government of the city in the absence of all Chinese officials these three were made prisoners at the moment when all their things were packed up and they were on the point of starting. They were very indignant at this treatment, and threatened to baffle all our designs by destroying themselves. But when told in reply that as far as we were concerned they were perfectly welcome to do so, but that at the same time it would be a pity to deprive the Emperor, their master, of their valuable services, they then answered that under those circumstances
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they would relinquish their designs of suicide.... I do not think there is any chance of the Headquarter Staff going to the north, so that I do not care how soon I am ordered home.... Pray thank all who have written to me for their letters, worth their weight in gold.... — Your affectionate son,
Fredk. Stephenson.
To his Brother
Canton, May 19, 1858.
My dear William, —... The last accounts we received were that the plenipotentiaries had given the Emperor six days, and that if at the end of that time he did not send down a Mandarin of equal rank with themselves for the purpose of treating they should commence hostilities. These six days would expire on the ist May [? June] and on the 5th the squadrons would be ready to attack the forts at the entrance of the Pei-ho. These forts mounted 70 guns, which fired down a channel about 300 yards broad. The Chinese were very busy strengthening these forts, which they had made rather formidable. Some of the gunboats had alreadj'' crossed the bar at the mouth of the river, and one or two had grounded on it. The entrance to the river is extremely difficult owing to this bar, upon which at that time there was a great deal of surf, the weather being very rough — the anchorage for the ships was 8 miles off. However, the postscript of the letter bringing this news stated that a Mandarin had just arrived announcing that in two days a Mandarin of the highest rank would arrive at the mouth of the Pei-ho to confer with the plenipotentiaries, and that there was a possibility of a peaceful solution.... The general impression, however, is that if a treaty is signed under present circumstances, our future relations with China will be more unsatisfactory than they were before the commencement of this business.... A razzia should be made of some of the 96 villages, and Fat-shan should be taken, for it is to these places that