LETTER XX.

5th November 187-.

To-day I have been visited by a number of French Naval Officers from a gun-boat that has just come in. They are all rejoicing at the fall of the Emperor and hoping for the establishment of a good (?) Republic, for which I of course upbraided them with their inconstancy.

You will be sorry to hear that we are about to lose our pleasant neighbour Madame D. Her husband has eighteen months' leave of absence, and there is therefore no object in their remaining here, so they intend returning to Europe.

A very sad return it will be to them in the present state of France, and not knowing where to find their relations who fled from poor besieged Paris. Madame D. will be a great loss to me, especially in the solitary life I am likely to have sometimes, and of which I had a foretaste a few days ago when H. and his pupils went their trial trip in the "Foo-Sing." It lasted two days only but they appeared very long ones. One of my grievances (and who is not troubled with such ?) is that from our house we cannot see the Harbour, so that I have not even the variety of watching

the arrivals and departures, and the constantly animated scene on the river.

I have had, however, three lively days to make up for those two dreary ones. Our friends the Consul and his wife have been staying with Mon. G., at whose house we have dined, and had music and billiards every evening.

On Friday Mrs S. spent the day with me, and at four o'clock M. Le Directeur and H. made their appearance to take us over the work-shops of the Arsenal.

About these I have never told you anything, for the excellent reason that this was actually the first time I had visited them; but, as you know, what can be done any day, is proverbially that which is most liable to be left undone.

Even now it is quite beyond my powers to tell you all we saw, so let me hope that you, like me, have not a mechanical mind. Suffice it to relate that it is the largest establishment of the kind in China, that we build ships,—make engines,—teach various kinds of knowledge—and dearest of all to the heart of the Director, have a huge steam-hammer whose noise predominates over all our other varieties of sound.

The chronometer shop seemed to me the most interesting department, and the Chinese appear to

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be very clever in learning the art of watch-making. There is something in the neat and detailed nature of the work which suits them and makes it likely to prove one of the most successful branches of instruction.

On Saturday we were to have accompanied Mr and Mrs S. back to Foo-Chow; but it was such a morning of wind and rain H. found his troublesome ship had broken away from her moorings, which prevented his going. I was therefore preparing rather unwillingly to leave him behind, when, to my great satisfaction a note arrived from Mon. G. to say that he had persuaded his guests to remain another day.

It being arranged that our visit should be postponed for a week we naturally expected to have better weather, in which hope we were quite disappointed, as it poured in a manner that would have been beyond apology even in our own rainy country.

Had it been fine, we intended to have accomplished our voyage in a gig, which, with six oars, is much the pleasantest mode of transit; but being so wet, we were obliged to have a house

boat.

Though we started at nine o'clock, at eleven we still found ourselves some miles from Foo

Chow with the wind and tide against us; so the coolies had to jump out and run along in the splashy paddy-fields, dragging us after them with ropes in canal-boat fashion. Judging from the laughter and fun that went on they must have found it rather amusing; and so did I for a time, but it was also decidedly tedious.

Chairs had awaited our arrival for four hours and then been taken home, thinking we were not coming; we had therefore to throw ourselves on the mercy of some philanthropic friends who live near the landing-place and who kindly sent us on in theirs.

Notwithstanding the rain, we again sallied forth in chairs after Tiffin to return the visits of those who had called on us when we stayed last at Foo-Chow. There were a few people at dinner, and in the evening we played bézique, which seems to be a very popular game in this part of the world.

As we could remain a day only, there was no time for seeing anything of the native town or surrounding country except as before, from a distance.

On Sunday morning we went to the pretty little consular chapel; and after a a hurried Tiffin returned home with the clergyman when

he came to the anchorage for his usual afternoon duty.

10th. The climate continues much too European at present in its sudden changes of temperature.

Two nights ago we had a fire for the first time since my arrival in China, and I must confess it looked very cheerful and like home, when we came up from dinner.

We are supplied with coal by the Chinese. It comes from the Island of Formosa and is very bad, but when mixed with that from England or Australia, it burns tolerably well.

LETTER XXI.

15th Nov. 187-.

I trust my letter sent last week may reach its destination. I put "via Marseilles" on it, hoping that if that route should no longer be available, it might be forwarded by any other that had been established instead of it. I shall send this one by Southampton, so that you may be sure sooner or later to have your minds relieved by hearing that we are alive and well.

We cannot wonder that all that is said in the