because on my relation pointing out what had happened in India several years previously by reason of similar unjust differences of pay, an order was at once sent out cancelling the previous reduction mentioned, and substituting a much more agreeable one— viz., placing the whole force in China on Indian pay and allowances.

CHAPTER V.

CANTON.

DURING the hot weather in India, when there was no early morning parades, I had occupied the time when not after black buck by making a survey of the cantonment as a specimen of part of the qualification required for some Indian staff appointment, and thereby kept my hand in as regards the work I had learnt as a cadet, and so regimentally got a reputation as a military draughtsman. When at Hongkong, the colonel requested me to do a small survey, and make some plans for a report he was engaged on. This I gladly did, and forgot all about it, when one day I was agreeably surprised by the commanding officer saying, "An expedition consisting of a battalion of marines and some half-dozen gunboats is going up a hitherto unexplored river on the west of Macao, to show an obstreperous Chinese governor who has been giving trouble that he is not beyond our reach; there are some forts near the entrance of the river, and there may be a very pretty fight; we are short of European officers, and the C. R. E. wishes to take you as assistant to help him in making a rapid survey of the river," &c. My chance had at last come, and next day I embarked in H.M.S. Assistance

E

with the marines. We steamed across to Macao, and then were transferred to the gunboats: I went with my special naval friend Lieut.-Commander Blane in his gunboat the Drake. On approaching the forts at the entrance of the river, our 10-inch shell-gun was got ready, but we were not fired at, and entered the river, across which a very strong stockade had been built, with a narrow entrance, through which we just managed to pass, and steamed thirty miles up stream to a large walled town. The mandarin in command came to the conclusion that in face of such a force discretion was the better part of valour, and was most civil, sending presents of live sheep and immense quantities of fruit to our commodore, M'Cleverty, who passed them on to the different gunboats, where they were most acceptable. Next day, with a small guard of marines in attendance, I made a rapid survey of certain high ground commanding the town, the C. R. E. doing the other side. On returning to Hongkong, I was immensely delighted to find that my flying survey of the river as we steamed up agreed literally to a compass point with that made by the C. R. E. on his gunboat. I was very satisfied with the result, as this naval survey work was the first of the sort I had done.

A few days afterwards the colonel informed me that Mackenna, one of our captains on the quartermastergeneral's staff, was to go as military staff officer with the naval commander-in-chief, Sir James Hope, who with most of the men-of-war was to start in a few days for the mouth of the Peiho, and that as Mackenna would be away some time, and possibly get some other appointment, I had been selected to fill the vacancy on Sir Charles Straubenzee's staff at

ON THE HEADQUARTERS STAFF.

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Canton as D.A.Q.M.G. This was indeed a lift for a subaltern twenty years of age; the pay also, Indian with allowances, was something worth having—viz., £60 a-month. The following day I was on my way to Canton, which I may simply describe as a regular sealed-pattern Chinese city, surrounded by the usual crenelated massive stone wall some 40 feet in height, with great half-moon-shaped bastions of wall enclosing the gates, which are to be found about every half mile; above each gate in the continuation of the wall is a three- or a four-storied quaint-looking rectangular barrack for the guard. Wheeled vehicles being unknown, the streets inside the city are very narrow, giving fire or plague every opportunity of extending. The smells, or rather stenches, are in many places horrible, and yet the mortality, except when plague and cholera came round, did not appear to be particularly large. The city contains several fine Buddhist temples, which with their grounds occupy many acres the mandarins' yamuns (residences) also are very extensive.

Previous to the capture of. Canton a heavy fire had to be directed on the south wall from the ships, and many of the unfortunate inhabitants had been killed. Consequently there was, on our first occupation of the place, a strong native feeling against us, causing an amount of assassination which had to be sternly suppressed; but in a wonderfully short time the Chinese who had fled to the country returned to their houses, and everything went on as usual. The native authorities were allowed to carry on their own government under the sanction of the allied commissioners, who lived in a large yamun in the centre of the city. The extent of this Chinese official resi

dence may be estimated when I mention that it gave spacious barrack accommodation to a whole battalion of marines, besides the French guard and many officials. The enclosing wall was loopholed, and the yamun generally placed in a state of defence.

On the north and north-east side of the city there is a range of hilly ground some 200 feet in height : part of this is enclosed by the city wall, and gives a fine site for a large temple. The undulating high ground outside the wall is the great cemetery of Canton, and contains many fine tombs. The headquarters of the allied forces occupied the temple on the heights and buildings adjacent, giving excellent quarters for all the staff, a battalion of marines, the artillery, engineers, and the French force, -a mere handful in comparison with ours, but nevertheless an uncommonly smart one, under Admiral Regault de Genouilly. His flag-lieutenant was Brown de Coulston, now the well-known French admiral. Being about the same age, and having many service ideas in common, Brown de Coulston and I became great friends.

The allied position on the heights was strongly intrenched, and the ground cleared of all buildings for a considerable distance in front. From the heights a road was made along the inner side of the east wall down to the well-protected landing-place on the river, the gate guard-houses of the city wall being made into fortified connecting posts. My work on the quartermaster-general's staff of a stationary field force was not particularly exciting, but it necessitated my being up every morning at daybreak; and the early ride through the city to the commissioners' yamun, which I had frequently to take, was a very interesting one,