58 
DEPARTURE FROM BATAVIA ROADS. 
CHAPTER III. 
On the 21st of June, the Ambassador and his suite having a^ain em- 
barked on board the Alceste, she got under weigh from Batavia Roads 
accompanied by the General Hewitt, (the Lyra having sailed some 
days before,) and prosecuting her voyage, fell in, on the 9th of July, 
with the Orlando frigate, Capt. Clavill. 
From this vessel, which had carried out from England intel- 
ligence of the Embassy to China, we expected to receive some 
interesting information respecting the disposition of the Chinese 
towards us ; and were glad to learn that tidings of the Embassy 
had been favourably received by them. Capt. Clavill also informed 
us, that Sir George Staunton * and some gentlemen who were to 
accompany him on the Embassy had embarked on board the Discovery, 
one of the East-India Company’s cruisers, and in company with the 
Investigator, a similar description of vessel, and the Lyra, had sailed 
for the Lemma Islands, there to wait for the Alceste. On receiving 
this information we steered for the place of rendezvous. 
For some days before we fell in with the Orlando, we had been 
sailing on seas liable to those tremendous gales called by the Chinese 
Typhoons, and had therefore watched with great anxiety every change 
in the appearance of the sky, and every variation of the barometer. 
But we experienced nothing to excite our apprehension till the evening 
of the 9th of July, when the sky exhibited such novel though brilliant 
appearances, as led us to fear that they would be followed by formid- 
able changes of weather. The course of the sun, as it sunk beneath 
the horizon, was marked by a vivid glory expanding into paths of 
light of the most beautiful hues. They did not in the least resemble 
the pencils of rays which are often seen streaking the sky at sun-set, 
but were composed of sheets of glowing pink, which diverging at 
* For the list of the persons of the Embassy, see Appendix. 
