Arrived at Hong-Kong on the following day, he found letters from his brother Frederick—­’generous and magnanimous as ever’—­giving him some hope of there being an opening for diplomacy, and a chance of settling matters speedily.  In this hope he pressed on to Shanghae, whither the naval and military authorities with whom he was to act had preceded him.

Steamship ’Ferooz.’—­At Sea.—­June 27th.—­We are rolling a great deal and very uncomfortably,—­a more disagreeable passage than I made last time in the month of March.  So much for all the talk about the monsoon....  Writing is no easy matter; and I shall probably also have little time after reaching Shanghae to-morrow, as the mail is likely to leave on Saturday next, and I may have despatches to send which will occupy my time....  I cannot go much farther, for already I am separated from you by nearly one-half of the globe.  I sometimes think of how I am to return for a change,—­by the Pacific, by Siberia.  It would be rather a temptation to take this overland route.  Thurlow,[4] it appears, has already written to St. Petersburg to ask leave for himself and Crealock to return through Russia.  Alas! these are castles in the air, very well to indulge in before we reach Shanghae and the stern realities of the mission.

[Sidenote:  Shanghae.]

At Shanghae he had the happiness of meeting his brother, and the benefit of hearing from his own lips a full account of the past, and discussing with him their common plans for the future.  The noble qualities of that brother, shining out the more brightly in adverse circumstances, filled him with admiration which his affectionate nature delighted to express.

[Sidenote:  Mr. Bruce.]

Shanghae.—­June 30th.—­Frederick is a noble-hearted man; perhaps the noblest I have ever met with in my experience of my fellows....  He has had a most difficult task here to perform, and to the best of my judgment has performed it with great ability.

Shanghae, July 1st.—­Frederick, partly from generosity of character, and partly from sympathy with the Admiral and admiration of his valour, abstained from stating in his own justification all the circumstances of the unfortunate affair at the Peiho last year.  Moreover, Frederick’s policy at the mouth of the Peiho was one which required success to justify it in the eyes of persons at a distance.  After the failure, no matter by whose fault, he could not have escaped invidious criticism, however clear might have been his demonstration that for that failure he was not directly or indirectly responsible.  Therefore I think it probable that the result will prove that, in following the dictates of his own generous nature, he adopted the course which in the long-run will be found to have been the wisest....  I do not like to speak too confidently of the future.  Of course their victory of last year has increased