communication
with the High. Officers of the Imperial Government at the capital.
Accordingly, he arranged with Baron Gros that they should meet in the Gulf
of Pecheli, at the mouth of the Peiho, backed by their respective fleets,
and with the moral support of the presence of the Russian and American
Plenipotentiaries.

In carrying out these plans everything depended, in his judgment, on acting
promptly; and he was therefore most desirous that the supporting force
should collect at once at the appointed spot, and that it should include a
considerable number of gunboats of light draught, capable of passing over
the mud-banks which form a bar at the mouth of the Peiho river. In this,
however, he was disappointed, and many weeks elapsed before any vigorous
measures could be taken. The delay, as may be supposed, caused him much
annoyance and anxiety at the time; and he especially regretted it
afterwards, because it prevented him from personally visiting Pekin, as he
might have done at this time under circumstances peculiarly favourable; and
thus left the delicate question of access to the capital to be settled by
his successor, with no such advantage.[1]

[Sidenote: Advance to the Peiho.]

_H.M.S. 'Furious,' at sea.--April 11th_.--Here we are, gliding through
the smoothest possible sea, with a gentle wind, and this time
favourable, which relieves us of all the smoke and ashes of the
funnel,--an advantage for our eyes as well as conducive to our
comfort. We are in the midst of the Yellow Sea, going about eight
knots, dragging a gunboat astern to save her coal. This is the only
gunboat I have got. I trust, both on private and public grounds, that
we may succeed, because otherwise the consummation might be put off
for a year, or at least till the autumn, and God knows what might
happen in the interval. The Russian Plenipotentiary, with his own
small vessel--dragging behind him, however, a junk well laden with
coals and provisions--sailed the day before me. I followed on the 10th
(yesterday). The French and American are to follow. It is amusing to
see how we play our parts. Putiatine and I are always together,
visiting every port, looking into everything with our own eyes. Our
colleagues, with their big ships, arrive sooner or later at the great
places of rendezvous.

[Sidenote: Aground.]

_April 13th, Nine P.M._--We had an adventure this afternoon. I w