The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-26 00:00:00

with a slight keel and two sister kelsons ; then, if

the ground is touched, little or no damage will be
sustained; added to which great advantage may be
reaped, when the river is swollen, by steaming near
the banks and keeping out of the tide. Left Han-
kow Aug. 15 with loaded junks to convoy.
"Aug. 16.—Landed at Wuhuitsou, a large Im-
perial town on the left bank, the ship being at
anchor about her own length off the shore in seven
fathoms. I fancy I must have been the first Euro-
pean that had landed, for I was immediately sur-
rounded by some 300 to 400 men, women, and chil-
dren, the women keeping a little in the back ground,
although not at all bashful or timid, and oh ! such
feet ! I was not likely to see a female thus far in
the interior with such an ugly appendage as a large
foot. The feet of these,beauties must have been capa-
ble of pleasing the most fastidious, lovesick Chinese
swain, as they did not exceed four inches, shoe,
stocking, and foot as well. My clothes were all
examined with great minuteness, even to the taking
off my hat, feeling my shoes and the texture of my
other garments, as well as smelling them as well as
myself. The eagerness of all to have a sight of and
touch me was so great that I was in anything but
an enviable position ; being surrounded on all sides
and the day very hot, I could hardly breathe.
Making my way close down to the water I managed
to keep my inquisitive friends at bay on one side.
A cram at the opera for admittance did not beat
our Celestial friends in their anxiety to catch a
glimpse at me ; they were civil though with all
their curiosity. When I got into the boat I made
a sign for them to come on board ; from that time
till dusk we had hundreds of them backwards and
forwards, and their eagerness to examine every-
thing was so great that it was only by placing
sentries we could keep them out of the engine-
room and other forbidden places. But withal
their behaviour was goad, and in no instance
did they endeavour to purloin anything. We take
our meals on the poop, and when we sat down to
dinner we had an admiring crowd watching our
every movement. A sightseer, after paying 6d. to
see wild beasts feed, never enjoyed the scene more
than our Celestial visitors, and were you to land
them in the remotest part of the United Kingdom,
the natives could not be more amused with them
and their chop-sticks than our visitors were to see
us using knives, forks, spoons, and glasses.
"August 19.—Passed close to the steamship
Rajah; she has three feet of water under her bows,
and seven fathoms from amidships right aft; she
will most likely float off when the river rises next
year. Steamed up and down while our convoy
passed the rebel city of Nanking, which is closely
besieged by land and water by the Imperialists,
and which it has been, I hear, for two or three
years. The besiegers are now again exerting them-
selves to take the place.
"August 20.—Landed at daylight on the left
bank among the rebels, at a village opposite Niang-
shan-ki, and walked about two miles along the
bank of the river. The appearance presented by
the people and all around was most pitiable; they
had just migrated from the hills, the water had
fallen about seven feet, and the land was now about
two or three feet uncovered. The people had
nothing but fish and herbs to live on, all their last
year's rice being exhausted. Cultivation had just
commenced. These people were not all inquisitive,
and looked upon my landing as a matter of course ;
they did just suspend operations for a minute or so
to look at me, and then resumed their work.
"August 21—Dropped anchor and landed at Nan-
king. Her Majesty's ship Centaur and gunboats
90 and 95 at anchor. Landed and had an inter-
view with the rebel King, to obtain permission to
pass through a creek adjacent to the city, and
which shortens the distance very materially ; he
granted the request. Shortly afterwards he
paid a visit to the Centaur, and the crew were
exercised at gun exercise, longg range, shelling,
&c. At 6 o'clock this evening the ship grounded off
the north-east point of Tsaouha Island, but this was
a more serious affair than any of the previous ones,
as the ship was hard and fast. By dint of great ex-
ertion, blowing off boilers, &c., we floated off into
deep water at 11 o'clock that night, close to land 10
and 12 fathoms, and then 18 fathoms water.
" August 22.—Passed the extent of rebel terri-
tory, and anchored at Chin Keang Fo. Here is sta-
tioned the Imperial Custom-house,' being a ship
at anchor, named the Swallow. All steamers, junks,
&c., have to send their clearances to be examined,
whether proceeding up or down. The Custom-
house officers are all English or Scotch. There is an
English consul stationed on shore (Mr. Adkins).
This is a very picturesque past of the river. Chin
Keang Fo, on the right bank, is a large walled city
with the usual amount of pagodas, houses, gardens,
&3. Ahead we have Gold Island (having a fine
pagoda on it), and astern is Silver Island. Both
these islands are high rocks, rising out of the bed of
the stream, covered with trees and foliage, and hav-
ing several very pretty buildings on them. I do not
know from what they derive their name. Lots of
game here, pheasants, partridges, snipe, &c., as
there is also along the river. Fish is abundant and
of very good quality ; pears, peaches, apples, and
vegetables of every description ; fowls 1 dol. per
dozen. This is applicable to all towns on the banks
of the river, excepting where the rebels hold posses-
I sion,

" August 23—Left Chin Keang Fo, came into the
dangerous part of the river again to-day, passed
wreck of Manilla at 3 40 p.m.—she is stranded on a
shoal north of Starling Island, with Chooshan Pa-
goda N.W. by W. Anchored for the night off
Kyang Yin:
" August 25—Proceeded at daylight and an-
chored about 30 miles lower down, the wind being
ahead, and our convoy being some miles astern and
unable to make headway.
" August 26—Still at anchor, our convoy not
being in sight. Since the survey of 1858 many and
great changes have taken place in this river. What
were shoals then have now formed up into
islands, in some instances covered with houses and
brushwood, and in high state of cultivation ; chan-
nels then in existence are now filled up, while
others then unnavigable have now IN ater sufficient
for a line-of-battle ship; many new banks and
shoals have grown up. At the Langshore crossing
and other places where beacons and buoys have
been placed to facilitate the navigation, the tide
runs so strong that several have already disap•
peared, and it will only be by constant care and
watching that they can be kept in their proper
positions. On the passage up to Hankow the ther-
mometer ranged from 86 deg. during the night to
102 deg. to 105 deg. during the day, and this under
double awnings. This last day or two the thermo-
meter has been at times to 82 deg. Notwithstanding
the thermometerbeing at 105 deg. I personally
have felt the heat in theßed Sea, with the ther-
mometer at 98 deg. much more oppressive and
unbearable.

" Aug. 28—Weighed. Proceeded as far as Plover
Point.

"Aug. 29.—Steamer Williamette passed us at
noon on her way from Hankow to Shanghao. At
12 30 p.m. she ran ashore on the Aetwou Shoal,
but as the tide was rising she was got off in half an
hour.

" Aug. 30.—Weighed anchor at daylight. Found
two of the beacons gone, that on the S.W. point of
Bush Island, and the other not far from it on the
western side of the channel. We have not yet been
able t ) discover whether the beacons are removed
by some interested Celestials or if they are washed
away. Arrived at Shanghae at 1 p.m."
I remain, yours truly, W. W. PALMER.
Steamship Fernandez, at anchor off the