late, and as I wished to get my escort out of the streets
before it was dark, we were obliged to hurry through the ceremony a
little. We began with a kind of squabble about seats; but after that
was over, I addressed the Governor in a pretty arrogant tone. I did so
out of kindness, as I now know what fools they are, and what
calamities they bring upon themselves, or rather on the wretched
people, by their pride and trickery. Gros followed, in a few words
endorsing what I had said. The Governor answered very satisfactorily.
I then rose, saying that we must depart, and that we wished him and
the Tartar General all sorts of felicity. They were good-natured-
looking men, the General being of great size. They conducted us to the
front door, where we ought to have found our chairs; but they had
disappeared, to the infinite wrath of Mr. Parkes.... I say the front
door; but in fact the house consisted of a series of one-storied
pavilions, placed one behind the other, and connected by a covered way
with trellis-work panels running through a sort of garden. We got at
last into the chairs, and hastened off to the city wall, which we
reached just as it was getting dark, having thus terminated about the
strangest day which has yet occurred in Chinese history,--the Governor
of this arrogant city of Canton accepting office at the hand of two
barbarian chiefs!

_Wednesday, January 13th._--You get the least agreeable picture of the
concerns in which I am engaged; because, as I write this record from
day to day, all my anxieties and their causes are narrated. On the
whole I think the last fortnight has been a very successful one. I
walked through the city to-day with the Admiral and an escort, and saw
evident signs of improvement in the streets. The people seemed to be
resuming their avocations, and the shops to be re-opening. My
'Tribunal' is working well. In short, I hope that the evils incident
to the capture of a city, and especially of a Chinese city, have been
in this instance very much mitigated. The season is very changing.
Three nights ago the thermometer did not fall below 72 deg., and last
night it fell to 40 deg.. There is a cold wind; and it was necessary to
walk briskly to-day to keep one's-self warm.

[Sidenote: Exodus.]

_January 16th._--Though I was able to send off the last despatches