nd over again told Parliament I am to pursue.

[Sidenote: Hong-kong.]

_Hong-Kong.--September 25th._--I used to dislike to begin writing a
letter, when I thought I should receive one from my correspondent
before it was finished; but I have got over all these scruples now.
Our correspondence is kept up in a kind of constant flow, and our
letters so cross each other, that we hardly know where one is begun or
ended. Therefore, although I sent off one this forenoon, and although
I may calculate on hearing from you again before this is despatched, I
feel that it is quite natural to take up my pen, and to have some talk
with you this evening before I retire to my cot. I have been dining
with the Admiral quietly, at 3 P.M., and I went on shore with him
afterwards to take a walk. We strolled through the Chinese part of the
town, crowded with Chinese all returning from their work, and looking
good-humoured as usual. The town is more extensive than I had supposed
it to be; but it was close and hot, and I was rather glad when we got
into our boat again to pull off to our ship, which is lying about 2-
1/2 miles from the shore. It was calm and cool on the water; and after
reaching my ship, I have sat down to my writing desk, having placed
one of the ship's attendants (a disbanded sepoy, I believe) at the
punkah which has lately been fitted up in my cabin. It is wonderful
what a comfort these punkahs are! I was suffocated with heat before my
sepoy began to pull, and every now and then I have to halloo to him
when he seems disposed to take a nap....

[Sidenote: Caprices of climate.]

_October 1st._--What a climate! after raining cats and dogs for forty-
eight hours incessantly, it took to blowing at about twelve last
night, rain still as heavy as ever. Our captain, who is a man of
energy, apprehending that he might run ashore or foul of some ship,
got up steam immediately, and set to work to perform the goose step at
anchor in the harbour. You may imagine the row,--wind blowing, rain
splashing, ropes hauled, spars cracking, everybody hallooing:--'A
stroke a-head! ease her! faster! stop her!' and other variations of
the same tune. All this immediately over my head! After expending the
conventional number of hours in my cot, in the operation of what is
facetiously called sleeping, I mounted on deck at abo