December 7th.—­Four P.M.—­I have just returned from a walk through Hankow.  Like all the places we have visited on this trip, it seems to have been almost entirely destroyed by the Rebels; but it is recovering rapidly, and exhibits a great deal of commercial activity.  The streets are wider and shops larger than one generally finds them in China.  When ‘foreign’ parties landed yesterday, they were a good deal pestered by officious mandarin followers, who, by way of keeping order, kept bambooing all the unhappy natives who evinced a desire to see the foreigners.  In order to defeat this plan, which was manifestly adopted with the view of preventing us from coming in contact with the people, I landed near Han-yang, on the side of the river Han opposite to Hankow, and walked in the first instance to the top of a hill where there is a kind of fortress, from which we had a good view of Ouchang, Han-yang, and Hankow.  The day was rather misty, but we saw enough to satisfy us that there must have been great exaggeration in previous reports of the magnitude of these places.  Some of the mandarin satellites tried to accompany us on our walk, but we soon sent them about their business.  After seeing all we wished of the view, we descended and crossed the river Han in a sampan to Hankow, where we walked about for some hours, followed by a crowd of perfectly respectable people.  As some hint was conveyed to me implying, that it was hoped we would not go to Ouchang, I have sent a letter to the Governor-General of the Two Hoo, who resides there, informing him that I intend to call upon him to-morrow.  I shall go with as large an escort as I can muster.  These Chinamen are such fools that, with all my desire to befriend them, I find it sometimes difficult to keep patience with them.  They are doing all they can to prevent us from having any dealings with the people; refusing our dollars, sending us supplies as presents, &c.  I have sent back the presents, stating that I must have supplies, and that I will pay for them.

December 8th.—­Eleven A.M.—­An officer has been off from the Governor-General, proposing that my visit should take place to-morrow, in order that there may be sufficient time for the preparations.  He was very profuse in his protestations of good-will, but as usual there were a number of little points on which it was necessary to take a half-bullying tone.  ’I could not have a chair with eight bearers; such a thing had never been seen at Ouchang.  There were not thirty chairs (the number for which we had applied) in the whole place.’  ’Lord Elgin won’t land with less, do as you please,’ was the answer given.  Of course, the difficulties immediately vanished.  Considerable indignation was expressed at the fact that some of our officers had been prevented from entering the town of Ouchang yesterday.  A hope was expressed that nobody would land on the Ouchang side to-day; all would be