were confined.  The consequence was that it was getting late, and as I wished to get my escort out of the streets before it was dark, we were obliged to hurry through the ceremony a little.  We began with a kind of squabble about seats; but after that was over, I addressed the Governor in a pretty arrogant tone.  I did so out of kindness, as I now know what fools they are, and what calamities they bring upon themselves, or rather on the wretched people, by their pride and trickery.  Gros followed, in a few words endorsing what I had said.  The Governor answered very satisfactorily.  I then rose, saying that we must depart, and that we wished him and the Tartar General all sorts of felicity.  They were good-natured- looking men, the General being of great size.  They conducted us to the front door, where we ought to have found our chairs; but they had disappeared, to the infinite wrath of Mr. Parkes....  I say the front door; but in fact the house consisted of a series of one-storied pavilions, placed one behind the other, and connected by a covered way with trellis-work panels running through a sort of garden.  We got at last into the chairs, and hastened off to the city wall, which we reached just as it was getting dark, having thus terminated about the strangest day which has yet occurred in Chinese history,—­the Governor of this arrogant city of Canton accepting office at the hand of two barbarian chiefs!

Wednesday, January 13th.—­You get the least agreeable picture of the concerns in which I am engaged; because, as I write this record from day to day, all my anxieties and their causes are narrated.  On the whole I think the last fortnight has been a very successful one.  I walked through the city to-day with the Admiral and an escort, and saw evident signs of improvement in the streets.  The people seemed to be resuming their avocations, and the shops to be re-opening.  My ‘Tribunal’ is working well.  In short, I hope that the evils incident to the capture of a city, and especially of a Chinese city, have been in this instance very much mitigated.  The season is very changing.  Three nights ago the thermometer did not fall below 72 deg., and last night it fell to 40 deg..  There is a cold wind; and it was necessary to walk briskly to-day to keep one’s-self warm.

[Sidenote:  Exodus.]

January 16th.—­Though I was able to send off the last despatches with something of a satisfactory report, we are by no means, I fear, yet out of the wood.  I took a long walk in the city of Canton yesterday.  I visited the West Gate, where I found a stream of people moving outwards, and was told by the officer that this goes on from morning to night.  They say, when asked, that they are going out of town to celebrate the New Year, but my belief is that they are flying from us.  The streets were full, and the people civil.  Quantities of eating stalls, but a large proportion of the shops still shut.  As we