MACAO REGATTA. 



departure an event occurred^ which gave an unanticipated 

 notoriety to our short sojourn here. Were I to pass it 

 imnoticod, my motive might be mistaken ; but as the 

 narmtire must unavoidably be egotistical, and the subject 

 has perhaps lost its general interest^— my readers may 

 now pasa to the next chapter, who have no inchnation to 

 discuss a point of international law^ nor to see how it 

 was decided, for the oecasion at least, by a British 

 Loat's-crew and a party of Marinea. 



Just before the arrival of the Amazon, I received an 

 inyitatioE through my young friend, Mr, Robert Elhce 

 (Honorary Secretary on the occasion), to act as joint 

 umpire with Commodore Geisinger of the United States 

 at a regatta which had been got up chiefly by Mr. Bush, 

 the United States Consul at Hong Kong,— he kindly 

 giving a cup to be sailed for. The event was to como 

 ofi', weather permitting, on the 8th of June. To this 

 proposal I cheerfully acceded. As the Medea, Com* 

 mander Lockyer, waa cruiBing outside for the suppression 

 of piracy, and the ColumMnej Commander John Dalrymple 

 Hay, was coming down from Wharapoa about that time 

 for provisions,— I wrote to each of these officers, inviting 

 them to meet me ; ancl^ aa I had to give up the charge of 

 the station to Captain Troubridgo of the Amazon (which 

 could be done as well at Macao), we all agreed to meet 

 there on the 7 th, The Amcricfin squadron, consisting of 

 the Plymouth^ the PeeM^Sf and the Doipkin^ added to our 

 own, made a gay show in tlio roatl^i : the Hong Kong 



