Magazine Hill. As we landed, all the vessels in the river hoisted
English and French flags, and fired salutes. We walked up to the hill
along the top of the wall, which is a good wide road, and which was
all lined with troops and sailors, who presented arms and cheered as
we passed. We reached the summit at about three. The British quarter,
which is a sort of temple, stands on the highest point, the hill
falling pretty precipitously from it on all sides. The view is one of
the most extensive I ever saw. Towards the east and north barren hills
of considerable height, and much of the character of those we see from
Hong-kong. On the west, level lands cultivated in rice and otherwise.
Towards the south, the town lying still as a city of the dead. The
silence was quite painful, especially when we returned about
nightfall: but it is partly owing to the narrowness of the streets,
which prevents one from seeing the circulation of population which may
be going on within. We remained at the top of the hill till about
half-past five, during which time we blew up the Blue Jacket Fort and
Gough Fort, and got back to our ships about 8 P.M., having spent a
very memorable first of January, and made a very interesting
expedition; although I could not help feeling melancholy when I
thought that we were so ruthlessly destroying the prestige of a place
which had been, for so many centuries, intact and undefiled by the
stranger, and exercising our valour against so contemptible a foe.

_January 4th._--I have not given you as full a description as I ought
to have done of the views and ceremony of Friday, because I saw 'Our
own Correspondent' there, and I think I can count on that being well
done in the _Times_.... This day is a pour of rain, rather unusual for
the season.... Some of the Chinese authorities are beginning to show a
desire to treat, and some of the inhabitants are presenting petitions
to us to protect them against robbers, native and foreign.

[Sidenote: Capture of Yeh.]

_January 6th_.--Yesterday was a great day. The chiefs made a move
which was very judicious, I think, and which answered remarkably well.
They sent bodies of men at an early hour into the city from different
points, and succeeded in capturing Yeh, the Lieutenant-Governor of the
city, and the Tartar General, &c. This was done with