The kind friends who had decided on entertaining me at a parting dinner determined no expense or trouble should be spared. The press, too, entered cordially into the idea, and each had its leading article puffing me up to any extent. There was one painful part in all this to me: the speech which it entailed, that I had to prepare; although no preparation was necessary, one could think of nothing else. On Monday (13th), the Prince, Parkes, self, and the party who saw the Mikado at Yedo, were photographed by Beato. Inspected afterwards the _Salamis_; clean and improved. On Tuesday (14th), H.R.H. planted some valuable shrubs in my bungalow ground. They had formed part of the ornaments of the Mikado’s palace in which the Duke had resided at Yedo. In the evening the dinner came off. [Sidenote: Sept. 16.] Nothing was left undone by my entertainers; about eighty sat down, including the Minister, Chief-Justice Sir E. Hornby, Colonel Norman, and Captains of ships--among them H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh. My staff were also among the guests; _Ocean’s_ band in great form. Behind the head of the table was a place screened by flower-pots, where the wife and a few ladies were stowed. Got through my speech better than I expected; the whole thing was a complete success and ended by my being carried on the shoulders of my entertainers round the tables, preceded by the Prince’s Highland piper! Yesterday we had plenty to do, packing up and shifting on board _Salamis_, intending to sail on arrival of mail. Embarked with wife and chicks on board _Salamis_. It was determined to wait no longer for the mail, or our time at Peking must be cut short. On a signal from _Salamis_ at 3 P.M., _Galatea_, _Ocean_, and _Pearl_ weighed, and formed into line. All the foreign men-of-war manned rigging and cheered. The _Galatea_ had just fired a parting salute to Sir Henry Parkes, when the Japanese battery fired a royal salute, returned by _Galatea_. The American Admiral gave me a parting salute, which _Ocean_ returned. Many of the merchant ships were dressed with flags, and a large American steamer, with a greater part of the community and _Delaware’s_ band on board, accompanied our little squadron, led by _Salamis_. After standing down the bay some miles at half-speed, the American steamer _Nautilus_ passed up the line with many ladies on board, giving each of us parting cheers. Poor Parkes fancied he should never have another Naval Chief who would so cordially co-operate with him. Our friendship was of long standing; his friendly grasp at parting was touching! I met him first when he was a boy, and I commanded _Dido_ in 1842. In 1858, he wrote--“Oh for a Keppel, just for one month.” * * * * * I was among those who stood by to see Parkes’ monument unveiled in St. Paul’s Cathedral. CHAPTER CIII PEKING [Sidenote: 1869. Kobe, Sept. 18.]