the Mandarins have retired and are now bidding us a sort of impotent defiance. The strictest injunctions have been given to prevent our coming into colhsion with the people outside the town, so as to offer no impediment whatever to negotiation. The result is, no one is allowed to go more than a mile beyond the city walls, the consequence of which system is that we are accustoming the Chinese to the sight of our power without making them feel it, which, with people like the Chinese, I cannot consider to be very politic. The Mandarins down here have been busy lately in spreading all sorts of rumours about intending to attack us... that they have collected a subscription of 100 million dollars, publishing all kinds of impudent proclamations, in which they offer certain sums for our heads should we dare to attack them in the neighbouring villages, likening us, rather practically, to the worm which eats into the leaf and ends by destroying all the foliage of the tree. Poor devils! they have neither soldiers, money, nor pluck enough to do what they would give their ears to see done, namely, that we should be driven out of this place. We have very foolishly been giving too much attention to these idle rumours... and in order to take precautions against surprise the principal gates of the city have been closed, whereby traffic has been entirely stopped, the wretched inhabitants reduced to great misery, and the town, which, when we entered it, was so full of people, converted into a complete desert. This was a very foolish step, for it was playing into the hands of the Mandarins, and doing the very thing they washed, namely, to create a panic among the people and drive them out of the town. However, the gates are now open again and business is looking a little lively.... — Ever your affectionate brother,
Fredk. Stephenson.
[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
To his Sister, Mrs. Henry Giffard
My dear Ella, —... I think if Lord Elgin can once get this fellow [the high-class Mandarin expected to treat'] by the button he will not let him go till he has brought matters to a satisfactory issue. I assure you I shall not be at all sorry when this treaty really has been signed, for this place is beginning to pall on me. Five months have we now been cooped up in this dirty place, and it is beginning to get ver}^ monotonous. I would give a great deal to be suddenly transported to a seat in your garden at this moment, with something more refreshing to the eyesight than this endless array of tails that is constantly before me. This town has been converted into a perfect desert the last fortnight, owing to our having closed the principal gates in consequence of rumours that the Chinese intended to attack us,... The wretched Cantonese, in a horrid state of alarm, have nearly all left the city, with their tails standing on end.... — Ever your affectionate brother,
Fredk. Stephenson.
To Lady Stephenson
My dear Mother, — It appears that I am to stay out here a little longer, as it wall not do for me to throw up my appointment, so that I must wait now until the Chinese aifair is over. However, as far as I am concerned, matters are being conducted in such a much more satisfactory manner that I have no longer the same strong reasons for wishing to return that I had, especially as my health is better, if possible, than it has been all my life. I have not had one day's illness nor the slightest symptom of anything approaching to ailment. It is really quite wonderful how the climate agrees with me, I, who used to think I could not stand a tropical summer for one month. Now that I have said so much about myself I will give you an account of a little expedition we made against the Braves last
week, which, although it did not result in anything very wonderful, did us all good.