Scott attended on my visit to His Excellency, who lived two miles away on the opposite side of the river. Tchung-How, in addition to being Governor, is superintendent of trade and junior guardian of the heir-apparent. Mr. Morgan acted as interpreter. We were received with the usual courtesy, the Viceroy holding his hands before him and bending forward at each door. In the inner room we had tea, and then, in the second, champagne and fruit. Made the visit short, and was glad to get away; having exchanged into lighter clothing, visited curio shops, in which there was a sad falling off; dealers in furs and skins charged double what they did in Peking. Had still to return the visit of the Russian Consul C. Skottschkoff. He has a Cossack look about him; his wife, not being got up to receive visitors, disappeared by an opposite door, but I believe she is pretty and speaks English. Our Consul and his wife joined us at dinner; she made herself very agreeable. [Sidenote: May 28.] Made an early start with the hopes of crossing the bar in the afternoon, but the pilot, I believe from the want of his accustomed cocktail, failed in nerve and muddled us twice; by dark we came to, a little more than halfway down the Peiho. [Sidenote: Peiho-Taku Forts, May 29.] Started early, but not in time to save the tide over the bar; a bore, am anxious to get north. We brought up close to the celebrated Taku Forts, that the squadron under Sir James Hope had such good reason to remember. Some of our officers landed, and no objection was made to their inspecting forts. They report them as in good repair, guns mounted and ammunition ready, but nothing heavier than 32-pounders, evidently taken from our gunboats, having the “V.R.” on them; but these will be retaken before long! The European in charge of signal station stated that the garrisons, formerly thirty or forty in each fort, had within the last month been increased to 800 soldiers in one and 600 in the other. The coolies state that all foreigners are shortly to be driven out of China. I believe they are conceited enough to attempt it. Secret copies of some of Commissioner Li’s correspondence had reached our Embassy at Peking. If anything is to take place, I hope it may come off in my time; I am confident that a war would eventually benefit both sides. [Sidenote: May 30.] Read prayers to ship’s company. At 3 P.M. came to at Chefoo. The mail had arrived from England. Discussions had taken place in Parliament in which the Duke of Somerset and Lord Clarendon proved how mistaken they were regarding the state of China. An _apology_ was to be sent to the Chinese Government for our “mistake” in Formosa! [Sidenote: Chefoo, May 31.] Inspected Charles Scott’s _Icarus_; as I expected, found her in perfect order.