Notes of the Expedition 0/1858. 469 



overboard, tliey swam a considerable distance to rescue tliem. 

 With respect to the political events in the Pei-ho and Tien- 

 Tsin, liis Excellency, whether out of diplomatic reserve or 

 for other reasons we do not know, preserved profound 

 silence.* 



* We are however in a position to furnish an extract from the note-book of an 

 English sailor, left in charge of the yacht of an English merchant at Shanghai, who 

 accompanied the expedition of Lord Elgin to the Pei-ho as coxswain. Notwith- 

 standing the occasional naive expressions made use of, it is a valuable narrative, such 

 as may call up many strange reflections in the mind of the reader : — 



" 1858. May 30th. — The nver Pei-ho is about 150 yards wide at its mouth, and at 

 dead low water varies from lito4^ fathoms in depth. On the bar, which is two 

 miles wide, the diflierence between the ebb and the flood is from 9 to 10 feet. Easterly 

 winds cause the highest tides. In the interior, near Tien-Tsin, the river is from 3 

 to 6 fathoms deep, and from 50 to 100 fathoms wide. Countless villages stud the 

 banks. The houses are built of clay or straw. The boys run about naked to an 

 age of eight years. It is a very wretched population. The coolies plunge into the 

 water after the empty bottles which are swimming about. They seem exceedingly 

 willing to be serviceable to foreigners. At Tien-Tsin, ten and a half hours from the 

 mouth of the river, the thermometer marks 89° Fahr. in the shade. Lord Elgin is 

 living in a private house on shore. The interpreters live in a passenger-junk. Pro- 

 visions are on the whole cheaper than at Shanghai. An immense number of natives 

 keep crowding open-mouthed round the " barbarians " and their ship during the entire 

 day, hundreds following us at every step. Almost all the shops ai'e shut, through 

 dread of the barbarians." 



" 4th June. — Thermometer 95'. The people very willing to supply the strangers 

 with water, tea, &'c. The natives are on the average from five to five feet three 

 and well-proportioned. Some of them are " tremendously " fat, with huge heads. 

 Among the entire lot I could not see one single woman. The streets are narrow, 

 filthy, and uneven. Saw several hand-carts, which were used to convey water from 

 the river to the village. On each barrow there could be fi-om six to eight buckets of 

 water. There were also plenty of mules and donkeys, but very few horses." 



" June IS. — This day the Russian minister concluded his treaty. A Russian courier 

 starts to-morrow for St. Petersburg with dispatches." 



"June 26th. — At 6 p.m. to-day the treaty with England was signed. Went in proces- 

 sion to the town. All the shipping dressed with flags, and manned yards. The 

 festivities went off in the Yamun. Lord Elgin sat at the middle table, with a Man- 

 darin on each side of him. I hear their names were Wa-schu-nau and Kwei-liang. 



