e the admiral, G. O. Willes, of Devonport dockyard
celebrity and traditionally known to us; the commander, nephew to the
admiral; and the flag lieutenant.

February 28th.--So quietly, that the majority of us scarce knew of it,
the admiral left to-day for England, and with him the good wishes of
everybody on the lower deck. With the hauling down of the flag at the
main, and its re-hoisting at the fore, a new departure in the conduct of
the fleet on the China station was inaugurated. Henceforth a season of
activity, seasoned with salt junk, is to be the order of the day.

After a short cruise with the squadron in Singapore waters, during which
period the "Tyne" arrived with our new captain, and having bid good-bye
to Captain Cleveland, we stood away for Hong Kong, encountering such
heavy weather on the passage that we were compelled to put into Saigon
for coal.

The anchorage to seaward of Saigon--which town is the French capital of
Gambodin, part of the kingdom of Anam, and situated some miles up the
river Dong-nai--is Cape St. James, where we brought up until the tide
should suit for the river passage. In the first watch we commenced to go
up the river by the light of a brilliant moon, which, however, did not
allow us to judge of the beauties of what is really a beautiful river.
By the following morning we had arrived off the town; and what a
surprise it was to see a popular European town in such a situation, well
laid out, clean, and--well, thoroughly French. The river here is so
narrow, and yet of so even a depth, that, in turning, our dolphin
striker was buried in the foliage on the one bank and our stern almost
touching the opposite one. The town is seemingly built on a well-drained
swamp or marsh, and consequently lies very low, in fact, from our
topgallant forecastle we could command a pretty general view of the
whole of it. Ashore the place is just as pretty as it looks from the
ship. It is almost a miniature of Paris. A great cathedral, Notre
Dame--an exact model of that on the island in the Seine; a palace for
the governor, which might well accommodate an emperor; streets with
Parisian names; boulevards and champs, all bearing the well-known
nomenclature of the gay capital; cafes, hotels, all remind one of the
Paris of Dumas' charming novels. It is the boulevards, streets, and
promenades, planted with trees, which make Saigon so beautiful, so cool,
and so refreshing towards the evening even in a temperature w