ahead of us, but we hear of Tartar troops farther
on; and at Tung-chow it is said that a large army is collected under
Sang-ko-lin-sin himself (their great general). I am now enjoying the
life of a camp; writing to you seated on my portmanteau, with my desk
on my only chair. It is perhaps better than my hothouse at Tientsin.

[Sidenote: New Plenipotentiaries.]

_September 11th.-Six A.M._--Parkes and Wade have just been in my tent
with a letter from two new Plenipotentiaries--really some of the
highest personages in the empire--stating that they are under orders
to come to Tientsin to settle everything, and deprecating a forward
movement.[2] I shall of course stick by my programme, and decline to
have anything to say to them till I reach Tung-chow. Of course this
proceeding on their part augurs well for peace. It poured all last
evening, and the General determined not to march this morning; but as
it is fine now, I think we may start at noon, and make out our
allotted march. It is cooler this morning, and I think it not
improbable that the thunder of yesterday may close the hot season.
However, the sun is coming out in his strength, so one cannot say what
the day may bring forth. _Ten_ A.M.--All our cart-drivers, with their
animals, disappeared during last night, leaving the carts behind them.
Probably they got a hint from the Chinese authorities. I am sorry for
it, for if we begin to resort to measures of violence to supply
ourselves, we may entirely alter the footing on which we have hitherto
stood with the people. We are putting all our surplus goods into
junks, in order to reduce our baggage.

[Sidenote: Chinese gentleman-farmer.]

_Nan-tsai-tsun.--September 12th._--Where will this letter be sent
from? It is begun at a small town on the close of our march of to-day,
which ought to have been our march of yesterday. It was a very mild
one--about eight miles--through a nice country, more wooded than
former marches, and with bright sunshine, and a fresh, almost frosty
air. The sunshine we had not at first, for we started before the sun
had appeared on the horizon. Instead of trusting to our tents, we have
this day taken up our abode in the house of a Chinese gentleman-
farmer, the owner of about 1,000 acres. It is nearly as large as the
house I occupied at Tientsin; at least it has nearly