to myself, but to every soul with whom has had to deal. He understands regimental work well enough, but having said that, I do not know a single other redeeming point in him. He is no more fit to be trusted with command than he is to be Prime Minister. He has no head, no coolness, no decision whatever; his vanity is so great that he is jealous of all about him for fear they should get the smallest amount of praise, and he not get all. He is the most selfish man I ever met, and never, never has been heard to give a single word of encouragement, or to approve of any act on the part of those who are sufficiently high up to make him fear they may come across his path and obtain any credit. For this reason he never listens
to a suggestion, — invariably snubs it, — but later, if a good one, will adopt it as his own. So jealous is he of those about him that he will leave nothing to them. He pretends he does everything himself, and consequently throws everything into confusion, and entails double work upon us by our having to undo many of his acts. In short, he hates, with an intense hatred, every one of the General Staff, the Brigadiers, and Heads of Departments, and as one is in duty bound to bear with all the insults and impertinences which one's superior chooses to put upon you, I leave you to judge whether the last three months have been agreeably passed. I assure you that I have never yet had to do with so mean and contemptible a character, or with any man so utterly devoid of real gentlemanly feeling. I have now given vent to what has been rankling in my mind ever since I have been in Canton, and expressed feelings which I have been trying to suppress for the last three months, and which I should not now, or perhaps ever, have given utterance to except for the reasons I have mentioned above. You may perhaps think my expressions too strong and intemperate, but I have told you no facts; if I were to tell you of one or two scenes that have taken place, where I and others have been concerned, you would find I had not said half enough. There is not an officer in this command who, if he saw this letter, would not agree to every word of it. I dare say if you saw Bruce he would be able to tell you something as to our friend's capacity. However, I really think that in two or three months we shall be free of this business, and I fully expect to be home in January.... I see that I am gazetted C.B., which has given me the greatest pleasure, as I am sure it has to you and all of you....
Canton, August 22, 1858. — Since writing to you by last mail we have made a little expedition against a Chinese town which has rather enlivened us, and broken in upon the dull and monotonous
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life we have been living here for so many months. The Chinese, by way of annoying us as much as possible, issued recently some proclamations to the Chinese inhabitants of Hong Kong, warning them that if they did not cease from all intercourse with us, and immediately leave Hong Kong, their relations living on the mainland would be put to death, their property confiscated, and their posterity be for ever debarred from competing at the public examination which is the only means of arriving at power, and which is open to the whole population. The colony of Hong Kong is still so young that it has not yet shaken off all connection with the mother-country, — I mean China, — and most of the population have still their parents and most of their relations living on the mainland. The result of the proclamations was a perfect exodus of the Chinese from Hong Kong, and shops were closed, servants left, and a perfect stagnation of everything took place, provisions were getting scarce, in short, several thousands went away. The village, or rather town, from which these proclamations were issued, having become known, it was determined to destroy it if they persisted in their conduct and would not recall the obnoxious circulars. A gunboat was accordingly sent with a flag of truce to make these representations. The flag was fired upon. It then became necessary to proceed to retribution forthwith. A force of 5 gunboats, and a land force of 700 men, with 3 small guns and 3 rocket tubes, were accordingly dispatched there. The town, or rather suburb, ran along the beach for a distance of about a mile and a quarter, and at its northern extremity was the walled town of Nantow, separated from the rest of the suburb and surrounded by a wall nearly two miles in circumference, precisely similar but on a smaller scale to the one here. The town was about 400 yards from the shore, upon rising ground, and immediately below it was a shore battery of 12 heavy guns, which opened upon us as we advanced to disembark. The fire of the gunboats was, however,