be led to ’attack Canton before we have all our force, and led ’therefore to destroy, if there is any resistance, both life ’and property to a greater extent than would otherwise ‘be necessary.’  The prospects of immediate reinforcements from India diminished his fears on this score, and sent him forward with a better hope of bringing the painful situation to a speedy and easy close.

[Sidenote:  Changed quarters.]

H.M.S.  ‘Furious,’ Canton River.—­December 17th.—­You see from my date that I am again in a new lodging.  It promises to be, I think, more agreeable than any of our previous marine residences.  We have paddles instead of a screw.  Then the captain has not only given up to me all the stern accommodation, but he has also done everything in his power to make the place comfortable....  He is the Sherard Osborn of Arctic regions notoriety.  I am on my way to join Gros, in order to decide on our future course of action.  I mentioned yesterday that Honan was occupied, and that I had received a letter from Yeh, which must, I suppose, be considered a refusal.  This was the fair side of the medal.  The reverse was an ugly quarrel up the river, which ended in the loss of the lives of some sailors and the destruction of a village,—­a quarrel for which our people were, I suspect, to some extent responsible.  I fear that, under cover of the blockade instituted by the Admiral, great abuses have taken place....  It makes one very indignant, but unfortunately it is very difficult to bring the matter home to the culprits.  All this, however, makes it most important to bring the situation to a close as soon as possible.  It is clear that there will be no peace till the two parties fight it out.  The Chinese do not want to fight, but they will not accept the position relatively to the strangers under which alone strangers will consent to live with them, till the strength of the two parties has been tested by fighting.  The English do want to fight.

[Sidenote:  Yeh’s reply.]

December 18th.—­This does not promise to be a lively sojourn.  We are anchored at present at a point where the river forks into the Whampoa and Blenheim reaches.  We have the Blenheim reach, and my suite wish me to go up it to the Macao Fort, from which they think they would have a good view of what goes on when the city is attacked.  I wish, however, to be with Gros, and he will go up the Whampoa reach as far as his great lumbering ship will go.  Meanwhile we are here confined to our ships, as it would not of course do for me to go on shore to be caught.  Poor Yeh would think me worth having at present.  What will he do?  His answer is very weak, and reads as if the writer was at his wits’ end; but with that sort of stupid Chinese policy which consists in never yielding anything, he exposes himself to the worst consequences without making any preparations (so far as we can see) for resistance.  Among other things in his letter he quotes a long