H.R.H. and party have gone sight-seeing and to a luncheon in the Palace grounds provided by Sir Rutherford Alcock. We dine each day fourteen, the younger ones taking turns to dine at the Secretaries’ mess. We move from table after the first glass of wine, followed by coffee and cigars, the Prince going to his favourite bowls, and we old ones, as well as a few younger, attracted by the fair Miss Lowder to sixpenny pool. [Sidenote: Peking, Oct. 10.] _Sabbath._--After attending church, different parties had different ways of amusing themselves. H.R.H., to whom it was a novelty, partook of a regular Chinese feast--bird’s-nest soup, eggs that had been kept a hundred years or longer, shark’s fins, etc. Most of us went into the attractive shops of Curio Street. [Sidenote: Oct. 11.] Obliged to turn out betimes to enable servants to pack and start the many carts that ought to reach Usung before us. Until the last moment the vendors of curios flocked in and displayed their tempting articles. At 2.30, after an excellent luncheon, we were once more on the Legation horses, and bade adieu to our kind and hospitable host and hostess, with their pretty daughter, on whose horse, “Snowball,” the light Admiral was mounted, H.R.H. riding my old friend “Don Juan,” Conolly and Baker accompanying us. It was sunset before we were all embarked with our goods and chattels, and an hour later before we were clear of the numerous trading junks that jammed the creek, which gave time for Conolly and Baker to dine with us. Conolly had, of course, delighted everybody, while nothing could have been more obliging than both as interpreters. [Sidenote: Oct. 13.] H.R.H. cooked his dish of eggs, after which we resumed whist. A fortunate turn in my luck; got up winner of the expedition of 140 points, some of it going towards curios. Having dined comfortably, 8 P.M. brought us alongside _Salamis_, H.R.H. going on shore to bowls, having first arranged to wait over the morrow. [Sidenote: Oct. 14.] Mr. Chow-Wang put in an appearance early, which looked like a settling of accounts, and certain difficulties about them were suddenly solved by H.R.H. insisting on paying the whole of the expenses of our expedition, left dollars with the Consul to be returned to Mr. Porter. [Sidenote: Tientsin.] We found at Tientsin letters from Chefoo. The Shanghai community regretting that circumstances and want of time prevented their proving separately their appreciation of my services in the Far East, invited the wife and self to a grand ball. H.R.H., Stanhope, and self mounted donkeys and rode to the town. The Prince had selected eight from the Navy and challenged the shore at bowls. They met at 9 P.M. [Sidenote: Oct. 15.]