February 4th.—­Still no letters.  To-morrow, Frederick is to go to Macao, to take to Messrs. Reed and Putiatine copies of all my diplomatic correspondence with Yeh, &c., and an invitation to each that he will join us in an attempt to settle matters by negotiation at Shanghae.  It is the commencement of the third act in this Chinese affair.

    February 6th.—­I have a letter from Mr. Reed, saying that he is
    going to the North this day, so that perhaps Frederick will not find
    him.  This would be a great disappointment.

Sunday, February 7th.—­A month without news is very long to wait.  Perhaps time passes a little more quickly than when one was dawdling and doing nothing at Hong-Kong; but still this life is tiresome enough.  I do not suppose that there ever was a town of the same extent, or a population of the same number, more utterly uninteresting than the town and population of Canton—­low houses, narrow streets, temples containing some hideous idols, which are not apparently in the least venerated by their own worshippers.  The only other resource is the curiosity shops, and, as you know, I have not the genius for making collections.

February 9th.—­Things have taken a better turn.  F. by steaming at night from Macao to Hong-Kong caught Reed about an hour before that fixed for his departure for the North.  He was delighted with my communication, and has written undertaking to co-operate cordially with us.  This is, I think, a very great diplomatic triumph, because it not only smooths the way for future proceedings, but it greatly relieves our anxiety about Canton, as the Americans are the only people who would be likely to give us trouble during the military occupation.

February 10th.—­We have got Putiatine’s letter for Pekin.  It is very good; perhaps better than any of the lot....  However, the entente is now established.  My mind, too, is a good deal relieved to-day by seeing the wretched junks, which have been shut up so long by the blockade, with their sails set, gliding down the river.  I sent Mr. Wade to visit Yeh yesterday, to see how he took the notion of being sent out of the country to Calcutta or elsewhere.  He adhered to his policy of indifference, real or affected, I cannot tell which.  I suppose it is a point of pride with him never to complain.

[Sidenote:  Adieu to Canton.]

H.M.S.  ’Furious.’—­February 20th.—­I am now off from Canton, never I hope to see it again.  Two months I have been there—­engaged in this painful service—­checking, as I have best been able to do, the disposition to maltreat this unfortunate people....  On the whole I think I have been successful.  There never was a Chinese town which suffered so little by the occupation of a hostile force; and considering the difficulties which our alliance with the French (though I have had