f.

Truth to say, I was jolly glad myself to be on board again with my
messmates, amid the old familiar scenes and surroundings.

Indeed, when swinging in my hammock the first night after my return, I
fancied all that occurred was but a dream--so it seemed to my heated
imagination--and that I had never left the _Candahar_ for a day, nor
passed through such exciting experiences!

A week or so later, after all the details of our treaty with the Chinese
Government had been settled, and Lord Elgin departed from Pekin on his
way to Europe on the conclusion of his highly successful mission, we
likewise weighed anchor before the Gulf of Pechili should be closed by
the ice and our egress therefrom barred for the winter months; and then,
bidding a long farewell to the poetically-named but "beastly hole of a
place," as Mr Jellaby called it, the "Bay of the Wide-spreading-sand
Islands," we sailed for Hong Kong.

Here we arrived at the end of November, the north-east monsoon being all
in our favour, and the current along the coast as well; both these
favouring causes making the old _Candahar_ travel as if "Old Nick" was
after her.

None of us were sorry to be amongst an English-speaking community once
more, with its attendant advantage of our being able to procure most of
the comforts and luxuries of civilised life, for our commissariat was in
the most deplorable condition.

My friend Larkyns, able caterer of the mess as he had hitherto proved
himself to be from the date of his deposing poor Mr Stormcock up to our
going to the Peiho, was at his wits' end to replenish our sadly-depleted
larder, which brought on the head of the unfortunate Dobbs every day at
dinner more abuse than even the long-suffering steward could well bear.

The fact was, really, fish and rice were the only articles of food to be
obtained to diversify our stock fare of pickled pork and salt horse from
the neighbouring inhabitants of this northern portion of the domain of
the Ruler of the Universe, and Emperor of the Sun, Moon and Stars; for
our French allies had so bullied and plundered all the Celestials in the
immediate vicinity on the seaboard that those dwelling in the interior,
where provisions of all sorts was quite plentiful, were too frightened
of the ferocious and light-fingered Gauls to care to come forward with
their goods--although, we invariably paid for all we had from the
natives in good, sound dollars, the reverse of the practice of Messie