interest to us two youngsters and explaining all we did not
know, which meant pretty nearly everything, as he had served in these
waters before; while to Larkyns and myself Singapore and its migratory
population, with their prominent characters and characteristics, were
all new, as, indeed, they were to most of the fellows in the gunroom,
excepting Mr Stormcock and Plumper, the fat senior mate, both of whom,
like the commander, had previously been on the station and were
acquainted of old with the place and its people.

But neither Larkyns nor myself need have been in any hurry to make our
observations; for, we had ample opportunity of learning all we wished to
know, and a good deal more, too, of Singapore and its surroundings, as
we remained here over six weeks.

The _Candahar_ had orders to await the coming of Admiral Hope from
England by the overland mail, in succession to Admiral Sir Michael
Seymour, whose period of service had expired before the former left
London to take up his commission.

In order to understand the position of affairs leading up to the events
I am now about to speak of, in which, possibly, I took a more prominent
part than I might have chosen had I been given the option, I may mention
that through the action mainly of the last-named officer, in capturing
Canton and forcing his way almost up to the gates of Pekin, which seemed
to bring the Imperial Ruler of the Universe and Emperor of the Sun, Moon
and Stars to his senses, the series of intermittent wars between Great
Britain and China, which had been waged at intervals since the year
1840, breaking out again after more than one temporary cessation of
hostilities, like a smouldering fire ever and anon bursting into flame,
had been, it was sanguinely believed by the authorities, brought to a
permanent close by the Treaty of Tientsin, signed in 1858.

This treaty, however, which as Lord Elgin, our plenipotentiary, wrote
home to warn the Government, had "been extorted only from the fears" of
the Chinese, was not to be ratified until the succeeding year, the date
of our arrival on the scene; where the Celestials hoped that they might
by then have time to prepare themselves for a renewal of the struggle,
although, of course, our wise men in office never thought of such a
thing, implicitly giving faith to the assurances of the pigtailed
mandarins that peace was as good as settled, and that friendly relations
betwixt ourselves and the yellow-skinned