creasing influence at the Court of Pekin, are ominous signs of the times. The French, too, have not embarked in this war for nothing; they feel the growing importance of the East, and the necessity for a first-rate power having a voice in the affairs of this part of the world, which in future she always will, and that is why she has done all she could to get a square foot of ground in China. I feel sure that if we mean to regain our footing here we must do it now or never. By the way, I may just as well mention, par parenikese, that one of the apparently great blunders of the attack on the Pei-ho forts has, I believe, a different construction from what was originallj'" put upon it. I am told that landing the men to attack the South Fort was not done entirely with the view of capturing it, but that the gunboats were all in such a predicament that a diversion was absolutely necessary to save them from destruction, and thus the men were sacrificed to save the shipping; unfortunately in war such extreme measures are sometimes necessary. I must trouble you once more to forward a letter to Versailles, 3^ for those good people never date their letters by any chance, and I have therefore no more idea of where their house is than if it was up in the moon. I hope you will send the books I wrote for overland, and that there will be plenty of them and a good variet3^ — Your affectionate brother, Fredk. Stephenson.
To Lady Stephenson
Canton, September 10, 1859.
My dear Mother, —... Your last letter, which left the first mail in July, contained very cheerless news. The loss of two such old friends as the Bishop ^ and Mr, Hamilton *^ was indeed heavy to come upon me at once; I feel them both most deeply. The affection and deep interest the dear old Bishop so long showed for me I trust I shall never forget. Such kindness as I have received at his hands can never be surpassed, and springing as it did from associations so dear to one's memory of former days rendered his conduct to me doubly pleasing.... Mr. Hamilton's loss will be long felt by William and Julia and will cause a great disruption of their family party. I shall be glad to hear from you what their future intentions are, where they propose to live, and who will live with them, etc.; pray wTite to me a good deal about it. The news brought by this last mail gives such an unsatisfactory account of the state of affairs in Europe that I begin to doubt whether the Government will feel disposed to send a large force out here and engage in so distant a war — though I hardly see how they can get out of it. I wish you would ask William, as I probably shall not have time to write to him by this mail, if he would, in the event of nothing being done in the north of China next year, try to make another effort to get me brought home. I shall soon be second Captain in my regiment, and therefore very near my promotion, which certainly makes it very desirable I should now be doing regimental duty....
Canton, September 23, 1859. — Many thanks, my dear mother, for your last letter.... I am much grieved to hear your account of poor Fanny's sufferings— it quite upset me. Her resignation is quite beautiful, and makes one feel all the more deeply for her.... The idea of any disturbance being got up against us at Canton seems to be subsiding, in fact this Province has enough to do to take care of itself against the rebels, who have again broken out and are making the Chinese authorities very uneasy. We have had dreadful stormy weather this summer, including two or three typhoons which have caused an enormous number of shipwrecks, and the worst time, viz. the change of the monsoon, is yet to come; so that probably this year will be more prolific of disasters from storms than any preceding ones. We still keep on the even tenor of our way; our great dissipation is our theatre, where we have most excellent performances once a week, officers and men acting alternately. It contributes much to our vitality, in fact a little more such excitement would be very acceptable.