The Mutiny was at its height. Regiments bound to China had been stopped at the Cape or at Singapore, and sent on to India. The _Shannon_, a 51-gun frigate, was told off for duties similar to our own; and we started together next day. If I recollect aright, I was not very keen on this change of scene. How little a boy foresees! I was, most probably, weary, and sorry not to have a few days more at the charming bungalow. (My letters rather implied this.) Then, I had no idea of what was in store. I thought only of my ship being turned into a trooper to go to Calcutta, little knowing that there was a possibility of a Naval Brigade being landed. In fact, I thought that following my luck in China under Keppel would have been more to the point. Of the voyage to Singapore, occupying twelve days against the south-west monsoon, I have nothing to relate. We met the _Shannon_ going into the harbour as we approached: so we made a good race of it. Next day was spent in coaling and taking aboard a few troops; then on we went to Calcutta, making a good passage, averaging our 200 miles a day. On arriving off the mouth of the Ganges we unfortunately lost four days in searching for a pilot. The weather was very thick, and, as may be imagined, this was very trying to all on board. We arrived at Calcutta on the 12th of August, and moored our vessel to the shore off the Maidan. The _Shannon_ got in three days earlier, having picked up her pilot shortly after reaching the mouths. These pilots were very important gentlemen. They were dressed in uniform, and each brought his own leadsman with him. They would not trust to the blue-jacket. The shoals in the river were constantly changing, especially during the rainy season, when great volumes of water came down; and, I believe, there was a shoal called the James and Mary: if by chance it was touched you would capsize instanter. [Illustration: H.M.S. ‘Pearl,’ 21-gun corvette.] What a scene it was on our arrival! Thousands of people were watching us. We astonished the natives by firing a Royal Salute. I was amused by watching Parsees in their buggies flying, horses taking fright, and the natives generally fancying we were bombarding the city. Sir Colin Campbell, who was still at Calcutta, told Lord Canning we were as good as the right wing of an army in the position in which we were--so as to cover the town. An outbreak even at Calcutta was daily expected: in fact, the whole place was in a state of turmoil. Dreadful stories came down-country. The massacre of Cawnpore was in everybody’s mind. In fact, these outrages, accompanied by feelings of revenge, were on every white man’s lips, and we soon caught the infection.