After chartering a Peruvian-built bark as a coal-ship for the squadron, and ordering two officers to her, allowing those of the Mississippi to make a hurried visit to Canton, and shipping about forty Chinese coolies, whose names puzzled the purser to enter, we returned to Macao and then to Hong-Kong. On the 27th April we left the latter place for the more northern port of Shanghae, where the steam-frigate Susquehanna awaited the arrival of the commodore, who proposed making her his flag-ship because of her noble spaciousness. We went out by the Lymoon passage, and with the ship deeply laden with coal, staggered along up the Formosa channel. For a few days we had a mist so thick that it precipitated in rain, and afterward a fog so thick that we ran slowly and cautiously not to go over Chinese fishermen, and also to take soundings, for which purpose the engines were stopped at intervals. Our band played at intervals: the English-coast pilot on board had a Kanaka servant with him; this fellow would listen to the music with much interest and seem delighted: the Chinese cooley would move about the deck the while, apparently perfectly unconscious of, or indifferent to the sweet strains, or if he observed at all, his smooth and sinister face looked his disapproval of such a barbarian noise. Our first of May suggested anything else but floral association. It was cold and raw; blowing fresh, and a heavy head-sea, which, during the night, smashed in the port side of the head-rail of the ship; deck wet, sky overcast; no observations, to determine our position could be taken; poor little land-birds, ejected from domicil, were perched in the rigging, too much benumbed to work their passage, and around were small junks of the Chinaman, “laying-to,” with basket-drags from head and stern, like floating anchors.