I may be allowed, perhaps, to copy a letter from the Commodore that appeared in _The Times_ soon after the news got to England. It will naturally be a description better than my account. It was written on 20th of July, three weeks after the action, from on board the _Alligator_.-- The three weeks of this month have been full of excitement. We commenced on the 1st with as pretty a boat action as any ever recorded in naval history, though it may never be appreciated because it was fought in China. The troops are now unfortunately required for India, and, I suppose, we shall not get them before summer is over. [This is in allusion to the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny.] So much the better for them, as it is boiling hot here now. In the meantime we have to keep the Canton River open for them, it being the high road to the Celestial City, which I suppose they will have to occupy before Lord Elgin attempts to bring Commissioner Yeh to terms. I am left here in command of the river, the fort of Chuenpee, which I took possession of on the 18th, being my boundary at one end, and the Macao fort at the other. They are about forty miles apart. All the intermediate forts have been demolished, and on the 1st we polished off the remainder of their war fleet, about 180 Imperial war-junks, so that now I have uncontrolled possession. Our worthy chief, a fine fellow he is, remains with his flagship at Hong-Kong, paying us occasional visits in one of the small steamers. I have seventeen ships manned by about 2600 men, stationed at different distances, and this being the anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession, they are dressed out with bunting, and at noon Commissioner Yeh will be edified by royal salutes fired the whole length of the river from Canton to below the Bogue forts. [Illustration: The battle of Fatshan, showing the sinking of Commodore The Honourable Henry Keppel’s galley, 1st June 1857.] My poor _Raleigh_ no longer belongs to Her Majesty’s Navy, and the Admiral has appointed all the officers and myself to the _Alligator_, with three tenders to do our work. I live in the _Hong-Kong_, but come here to sleep when not moving about, this old hulk being a sort of fixture.