o the convict
establishment, at which some 2,500 murderers, &c., from India are
confined, and some fifty women, who are generally, after about two
years of penal servitude, let out on condition that they consent to
marry convicts. I cannot say that their appearance made me envy the
convicts much, although some of them were perhaps better-looking than
the women one meets out of the prison. In truth, one meets very few
women at all, and those that sees are far from attractive. _Au reste_,
the convicts go about apparently very little guarded, with a chain
round the waist and each leg. The church, which we afterwards visited,
is rather an imposing edifice, and is being built by convict labour,
at the cost of the Indian Government.

[Sidenote: Opium-shops.]

_June 8th._--This morning I visited, in my walk, some of the horrid
opium-shops, which we are supposed to do so much to encourage. They
are wretched dark places, with little lamps, in which the smokers
light their pipes, glimmering on the shelves made of boards, on which
they recline and puff until they fall asleep. The opium looks like
treacle, and the smokers are haggard and stupefied, except at the
moment of inhaling, when an unnatural brightness sparkles from their
eyes. After escaping from these horrid dens, I went to visit a Chinese
merchant who lives in a very good house, and is a man of considerable
wealth. He speaks English, and never was in China, having been born in
Malacca. I had tea, and was introduced to his mother, wife, and two
boys and two girls. He intends to send one of his sons to England for
education. He denounces opium and the other vices of his countrymen,
and their secret societies. All the well-to-do Chinese agree in this,
but they have not moral courage to come out against them. Indeed, I
suppose they could hardly do so without great risk.... Alas! still no
sign of the 'Shannon.'

[Sidenote: Captain Peel.]
[Sidenote: Ignorance of the Chinese language.]

_June 11th._--At half-past four this morning the 'Shannon' arrived.
Captain Peel came up to breakfast. He has made a quick passage, as he
came almost all the way under canvas: such were his orders from the
Admiralty. He says that his ship is the fastest sailer he has ever
been on board of; that he has the best set of officers; in short, all
is very cheery wi