pen than mine. The weather was excellent. Enough
covering over the sky to prevent the rays of the sun from striking us
too fiercely, and yet no rain. The proceedings of the day terminated
by some _tours de force_ of the Sikh cavalry and their officers;
wrenching tent-pegs from the ground with their lances, and cutting
oranges with their sabres when at full gallop. Everything went to
confirm the favourable opinion of the state of the army here which I
expressed in my last letter. Hope Grant seems very much liked. It can
hardly be otherwise, for there is a quiet simplicity and kindliness
about his manner which, in a man so highly placed, must be most
winning. I am particularly struck by the grin of delight with which
the men of a regiment of Sikhs (infantry) who were with him at
Lucknow, greet him whenever they meet him. I observed on this to him,
and he said: 'Oh, we were always good friends. I used to visit them
when they were sick, poor fellows. They are in many ways different
from the Mohammedans. Their wives used to come in numbers, and walk
over the house where Lady Grant and I lived.' The contrast with what I
saw when I was in China before, in regard to the treatment of the
natives, is most remarkable. There seems to be really no plundering or
bullying. In so far as I can see, we have here at present a truly
model army and navy: not however, I fear, a cheap one.

The Admiral told me last night he had written to the Admiralty to say
that, looking to the future, he believed there were two distinct
operations by which the Pekin Government could be coerced,--either by
a military force on a large scale such as this, or by a blockade of
the Gulf of Pecheli, undertaken early in the year, &c. I was glad to
hear him say this, because I recommended the latter course immediately
after we heard of the Peiho disaster, with a view to save all this
expenditure; and I still think that if the measures which I advised
had been adopted, including the sending up to the north of China two
or three regiments (enough, with the assistance of the fleet, to take
the Taku Forts), much of this outlay might have been spared.

_Sunday, July 15th._--I have been on board the Admiral's ship for
church. Afterwards I had some talk with him in regard to future
proceedings. ... The problem we have to solve here is a ve