of conversation. The
news from India is rather better. The whole of Bengal was dependent
not only on the China force, but on that portion of it which I took or
sent them on my own responsibility. The 5th and 90th regiments are
marching to the relief of Lucknow. The crews of the 'Shannon' and
'Pearl' are protecting other disturbed districts, and the marines
garrisoning Calcutta.... It cannot therefore be said that I have not
done Canning a good turn. I think, however, that there is a
disposition, both in Calcutta and in England, to underrate our needs
in China, and I am disposed to write to Canning a despatch which will
bring this point out.... If we take Canton by naval means alone, we
shall probably not be able to hold the city; in which case we shall
probably occasion a great deal of massacre and bloodshed, without
influencing in the slightest degree the Court of Pekin.

[Sidenote: Continued perplexities.]

_October 9th._--I do not think that the naval actions here have really
done anything towards solving our questions, and perhaps they may have
been injurious, in so far as they have enabled the Government and the
Press to take up the tone that we could settle our affairs without
troops. All these partial measures increase the confidence of the
Chinese in themselves, and confirm them in the opinion that we cannot
meet them on land. They have never denied our superiority by sea.

_October 13th._--No steamer from England yet. I have just despatched
letters to Canning, in the sense I have already explained to you....
General Ashburnham's position is a very cruel one,--at the head of a
whole lot of doctors and staff-officers of all kinds, without any
troops. The enormous amount of supplies sent out passes belief. Oceans
of porter, soda-water, wine of all sorts, and delicacies that I never
even heard of, for the hospitals. I am told, even tea and sugar, but
that may be a calumny. This is the reaction, after the economies
practised in the Crimea, and will be persevered in, I suppose, till
Parliament gets tired of paying, and then we shall have counteraction
the other way.

On the 16th of October the French ambassador reached Hong-kong, having been
delayed by the breaking down of an engine, which made it necessary for him
to stay at Singapore to refit. The relations of the two ambassadors, at
first