November 23rd.—­Six P.M.—­Arrived off Woohoo at about 3 P.M.  We passed the town, and anchored just above it.  It is in the hands of the Rebels, but no hostility was shown to us.  Wade has been on shore to communicate with the chiefs, who are very civil, but apparently a low set of Cantonese.  The place where he landed is a kind of entrenched camp; the town about three miles distant.  An Imperialist fleet is moored a few miles up the river.  I sent Lay to communicate with the commanding officer, and he recommends the ‘Retribution’ to go a little farther on to a place in the possession of the Imperialists.

[Sidenote:  Rebel warfare.]

November 24th.—­Ten A.M.—­We set off this morning at about 6 A.M.  In passing the fleet we begged from the commander the loan of a pilot.  He proves to be a Cantonese, so that the active spirits on both sides seem to come from that quarter.  We asked him why the Imperialists do not take Woohoo.  He says they have no guns of a sufficient size to do anything against the forts, but that about twice a month they have a fight on shore.  They cut off the heads of Rebels, and vice versa, when they catch each other, which does not seem to happen very often.  The war, in short, seems to be carried on in a very soft manner, but it must do a great deal of mischief to the country.  While I was dressing I was called out of my cabin to see a fight going on, on the right bank of the river.  The Rebels occupied some hills, where they were waving flags gallantly, and the Imperialists were below them in a plain.  We saw only two or three cannon shots fired while we passed.  As things are carried on, one does not see why this war should not last for ever.  My friends, the Commissioners, seem to have acted in good faith towards me, for the Chinese naval authorities all inform me that they had been forewarned of our coming, and ordered to treat us with every courtesy.

[Sidenote:  The Imperial fleet.]

November 25th.—­Ten A.M.—­We have just passed a bit of scenery on our left, which reminds me of Ardgowan,—­a range of lofty hills in the background, broken up by deep valleys and hillocks covered with trees; dark-green fir, and hard wood tinted with Canadian autumn colours, running up towards it from the river.  With two or three thousand acres—­what a magnificent situation for a park!  There are so many islets in this river that it is not easy to speak of its breadth, but its channel still continues deep, and, with occasional exceptions, navigable without difficulty. Six P.M.—­A very pretty spectacle closed this day.  The sun was dropping into the western waters before us as we approached a place called Tsong-yang, on the left bank.  We knew it was the station of an Imperial fleet, and as we neared it we found about thirty or forty warjunks, crowded with men and dressed in their gaudiest colours.  Flags of every variety and shape.  On one junk we