garrison Canton with us; and three or four vessels they still have in the river. They have taken a place called Taphan on the coast, a little to the south of Hud, the capital. There was no fighting whatever; the Chinese fired one round at the ships, and then ran. The French are fortifying themselves at this place preparatory to an advance upon the capital, but what on earth they will do when they get there is more than I can say. I believe that the whole expedition is intended as a sop to the parti pretre, who have a great number of missionaries in this country, and according to their accounts half a million of converts, as many as they have in all the rest of China. Our friends the Russians too have not been idle, and during our negotiations have gained a large accession of territory in Manchuria, to the south of the Amoor, where they have collected a very considerable force. I believe it is to them we are indebted for the favourable treaty Lord Elgin has made with the Japanese, who being rather alarmed at the progress the Russians are making on the coast opposite them, are desirous of making a few powerful friends.... The N.E. monsoon has now set in, an atmospheric feat which has, strange to say, been unaccompanied by a typhoon or any very violent weather. I am delighted to hear you give so cheery an account of all the children. I long to hear Susie ^ play; my mother tells me her performance is admirable.... Pray thank Helen and Agnes for their amusing letters. I am afraid I have hardly time to write to them this mail.... — Your affectionate brother, Fredk. Stephenson.
To Lady Stephenson
Hong Kong, October 29.
My dear Mother, — ^This must be a very short note, for I have a slight fever upon me and could not write much; in fact, if I had written to you last mail I should not be writing to you now, but I was afraid two empty mails would make you uneasy. But mind what
1 858] A TOUCH OF FEVER 233
I tell you is literally the case, a slight fever and nothing more, so slight that I only saw the doctor yesterday, who says that two days 'quiet will set me quite right, and I assure you I am looking forward to those two days with the greatest pleasure. I am not even in bed....
Canton, November 13, 1858. —... When last I wrote to you I was spending a few days at Hong Kong with Mr. Dent, who is the head of one of the greatest firms out here. He is a most hospitable, excellent fellow, with a good head and as good a heart, and although two or three of these days were passed in getting rid of a very slight attack of fever, I passed a very enjoyable time and was all the better for a little holiday. I have certainly been very lucky in escaping any serious attacks of fever, and although I have been twice affected by intermittent fever, both cases have been very slight indeed, and now that the cold weather has set in I shall get no more of it. It is rather a bad time for fever just now; the second crop of rice is being cut, and the paddy-fields, which from March to December are nothing more than so many deep marshes, being covered with water the whole of that time for the cultivation of the rice, become exposed to the air when the rice is cut, and are supposed to produce more or less malaria; our cases of fever are therefore just now steadily on the increase, although none of the cases are serious. We have built a theatre here, and have very tolerable performances. It really is a treat to get anything in the way of a little amusement. Our habitations, which have been converted into summer abodes, will now have to be made habitable again for the winter, bj'" no means an easy task; for, as we never reckoned upon passing a second winter here, we have been rather reckless in the way we have treated our abodes. However, the cold here is very moderate indeed, and it is only when sitting still writing that any inconvenience is felt from it.... — Your affectionate son, Fredk. Stephenson.
To his Brother
Canton, November 27, 1858.