From Ningpo he was transferred to Canton in March 1858, and made Secretary to the Allied Commission governing that city.  Life was very different there from what it had been in Ningpo.  Instead of the small community to which he had been accustomed, he found himself in a town filled with troops—­British and French.  Instead of living alone or with one companion, he occupied quarters in a big yamen full of officers and men—­a change which probably benefited a character too given to seriousness and introspection.

The work in Canton was exceedingly interesting.  He was much more in the centre of affairs than he had been before, and he had the opportunity of serving under Sir Harry Parkes.  With some of the erraticness that is said to belong to genius, Parkes enjoyed doing things at odd hours.  He liked to fall asleep after dinner, for instance, with a big cigar in his mouth, then wake refreshed and energetic at midnight, and work till morning.  But he never expected his staff to follow his example, and was consideration itself to those under him—­especially to young Hart, whom he liked from the first, and whom he always took with him on his expeditions around or outside the city.

There was no lack of these, since he was a man of indomitable energy, matured his plans with astonishing rapidity, and often had them carried out before any one suspected they were maturing.

The story of one particular little coup d’etat is well worth the telling.  A new Viceroy was expected in Canton, and Parkes heard that the man who was filling the Acting Appointment was anxious to go out of the city to meet his successor.  At the same time he was told that if the official left the city, the occasion would be taken to make a disturbance, so he determined to use a sudden and vigorous stratagem to keep the Acting Viceroy within the walls, willing or no.  Accordingly one morning he invited all the officials to discuss matters at the said Viceroy’s yamen, and went himself to the rendezvous with Hart and an escort of military police.

He greeted the assembled officials cordially, and, after some preliminary remark, went on to say:  “I hear that you are all anxious to go and meet the new Viceroy.  Very natural, I’m sure; very natural and obviously your duty.  But we really do not want you to leave Canton just at this particular moment.  Ugly rumours are floating about which only your presence here keeps in check.  Therefore, as we realize that if you do not go to meet your colleague, you will be accused in Peking of lack of courtesy towards him, that none of your excuses will be believed, I have brought a few men with me to keep guard outside your rooms here.  You can consequently say with truth that you were prevented from fulfilling your duty.”