It was not without much
consideration that Lord Elgin adopted the latter alternative; and it was a
great satisfaction to him that his views on this subject were ultimately
shared by Mr. Reed, the Envoy of the United States, who had come to the
country with the intention of supporting the opposite opinion.

In the course of the conferences on these points, which were carried on in
the most friendly spirit, Lord Elgin induced the Commissioners to make a
separate agreement that he should be permitted, irrespectively of the
conditions imposed by the Treaty, to make an expedition up the great river
Yangtze Kiang; a permission of which he gladly availed himself, not only
for the sake of exploring a new and most interesting country, but even more
with the view of marking how entirely and cordially his Treaty was
accepted.

_Shanghae.--November 2nd._--You will, I am sure, see how necessary it
has been for me to protract my stay to this time. The systematic
endeavour to make it appear that my work was a failure could be
counteracted only by my own presence. The papers, &c., from England
are complimentary enough about the Treaty, but some of the accounts
which have gone home are somewhat exaggerated, and perhaps there will
be a reaction.... More particularly, I find a hope expressed that we
have plundered the wretched Chinese to a greater extent than is the
case.... Meanwhile, I have achieved one object, which will be, I
think, the crowning act of my mission. I have arranged with the
Imperial Commissioners that I am to proceed up the river Yangtze. The
Treaty only provides that it shall be open when the Rebels have left
it. I daresay this will give rise to comments. If so, I shall have
anticipated them, by going up the river myself. I shall take with me
my own squadron (what I had in Japan). The weather is beautiful; quite
cool enough for comfort. We shall visit a region which has never been
seen, except by a stray missionary. I shall lose by this move some
three weeks, but I do not think they will be really lost, because it
will give so very complete a demonstration of the acceptance of the
Treaty by the Chinese authorities, that even Hong-Kong will be
silenced.

_November 6th._--I hoped to have started to-day, but am obliged to
put off till Monday, as the tariff is not yet ready for signature. I
grieve over every day lost, which pr