nd the union of the
States was cemented,--representatives from nearly all being
present,--amongst the hours

"Ayont the twal."

We lay at anchor off Hong-Kong until the eleventh of July, when received
orders to proceed over to Macao, and join our consort there. I was out
of the ship when the orders came, and of course knew nothing about them;
had spent the evening on board H. M. S. S. Minden, where I occupied the
state-room of an absent officer, an acquaintance. The next morning,
whilst breakfasting, my attention was directed, through the port, to
some unusual movement on board our ship; such as a boat being dispatched
to the Cleopatra, sending aloft topgallant yards, and unshipping the
companion ladder. This last movement was decisive. Sailing orders must
be on: and bringing my meal to a hasty conclusion, got on board to find
the messenger shipped, and all hands heaving away at the capstan. Soon
we had sail on, and I did not get on board a minute too soon to secure a
passage to Macao.

After reaching that port, and concluding the business for which we had
been summoned, received permission to exchange our rolling and pitching
in the outer roads, for the snug and quiet anchorage in the Typa; and
our old pleasant trips to the shore were again resumed: rambles along
the Governor's Road, and over the hills, filling up the afternoons of
"liberty days," and suppers at "Frank's"--Hotel--at night adding
considerably to the amount of monthly mess bills.

The arrival of the mail was always an event with us; and this
month--August--it reached Macao unusually early, having been received
on the eighth day: just fifty-eight days from New-York. I do not know
what we would have done without this mail, the anticipation of its
arrival keeping our minds occupied, and the business of answering
letters and mailing them filling up the monthly intervals. We closed
our correspondence in the last week of the month, expecting dates from
home during the first week of the next.

Whilst we lay in the Typa had strong indications of a Ty-foong, but it
passed over with some bad weather, high winds, and squalls. Felt
perfectly secure at our anchorage, but used the precaution of bending
the sheet-cables, sending down yards, and housing topgallant-masts. As
it was, had considerable of a blow, and the Ty-foong ravaged the coasts
in our vicinity.

The Ty-foong of the East is synonymous with the hurricane or tornado of
the West Indies, as the m