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1 Jun 58 Peter Hong Kong Mother 1, Hyde Park Place ______________________________________________________________________________________________

East Point, Hong Kong

1 June 1858

My dear Mother

I told you in my next letter I would give you more full particulars of the contents of the small package I have sent by the ‘Florence Nightingale’ & so I now take an early opportunity of writing & telling you all about it.

There is one thing I however must observe & would wish you to do the same – that you must never judge of the time at which my letters leave Hong Kong by that on which they are written. As to the Tea in the first place which I have sent I quite forgot to tell you the derivation of the name. For P.W.K as it is called is rather strange & unintelligible.

But the fact is PWK is only a short way of spelling Pickwick & the name of Pickwick again was derived from its inventor, a gentleman whose name certainly did not correspond but whose natural dimensions did. And so the Tea mixed for the express consumption of J.M. & Co by the stout good-natured party was facetiously styled Pickwick by Mr David Jardine, Dickens’ famous work having just previously made its appearance.

In the Tin Box you will find in the first place a very handsome Indian gold lace cap such as is worn by all the more wealthy natives on full dress occasions. I think it would look very well on a velvet cushion under a glass bell in the drawing room. It is the best & handsomest I could get (the velvet is never very good) & is well worth a little expense as it cost a great deal of money.

I had most terrible bargaining for it in company with Mrs S who pretty well understood prices but I got it for much less than she expected having beat the man down £2 !! The way I managed it at last was by giving the salesman a rupee for himself if he would let me have it at my price & he did.

There are 3 Indian skull caps such as the natives wear indoors or in undress, one of which you may give to Uncle Lloyd & another to Mr Lawes. There is an Indian Box which lifts out into half a dozen pieces & in which are imitations of all the different fruits in India. Still I am afraid you will not be able to form a very good idea from these of what they are really like. The principal are the Mangoe, Banana or plantain, Custard apple & Pommelon. There are two Ceylonese cigar cases which I am sure you will not care about, so pray give Robert* one, & inside these I fancy you will find some of the minor articles.

I should have told you that the Indian fruits & box together with a lot of other things were given me by Mrs S at Calcutta. There is a Chinese worked purse with about a dozen different pockets as they all have. There is a small Chinese compass – a little out of order I fear. N.B. the Chinese compass points to the South.

There is a Chinese lock – padlock I should say – place the flat key in the hole & push & it will move out a little way so that you can pull it open. They have many very clever contrivances in padlocks, but this one is a very poor one.

There are 2 Bundles of rice pictures as they are called for they are made of the pith of a tree & have nothing whatever to do with rice. One lot represents their modes of punishment & torture & the other, if I recollect rightly, a lot of junks &c. but I will send you some better ones one of these days.

There are about 8 or 10 China made neck ties or ribbons which would do either for a gentleman or lady. The black ones with embroidered ends would make very handsome evening dress ties. The expense of these was about 5d each, say 5 for 2s/-. There is a pretty little string of sampans or boats, made of carved peach stones with varied silk tassels. The lot of 6 cost 1s/-.

There are also 2 strings, each with two small scent bottles containing the famed sandal wood oil in silk network. They are very pretty but I think the scent itself is not very charming. You will also find 9 curiously carved peach stones loose, which are really very curious if you look well into them but only cost a trifle & there are 4 small pieces of Ivory with a face carved on them being intended for wrist links I believe.

Such is I believe the contents of the aforesaid box & anything you like to give away as mementoes please do so to any one to whom they may be suitable but I think ere long you may perhaps receive another packet with a lot more of the same description of things so that you will have other opportunities of making presents to any one to whom you may wish to do so besides the present.

I should wish for instance in course of time but there will be lots of time – that Sir Peter might have some little thing & Aunt Lloyd & Aunt Robert – as in juvenile days I used to call her, & so on & some of these days I shall nominate some special little gift for Mrs Brooks who used to be very kind to us all & who has a fancy for the curio & ornamental line. I am going to get the Capt of the 'Ireland' (one of Mr L's ships) to take home a small packet of some more things I have by me & which perhaps after all will arrive first.

Teddy writes me word he thinks of sponging on me this next winter in answer to an invitation from this quarter. I am sure I hope he will & if he does, I will give a most intricate report on him & take a most complete survey on his personal appearance & growth of moustache &c. &c. together with all other such interesting topics.

We had a very grand review on the Queen’s birthday here & I hastened down on horseback to witness the sight. It consisted however of nothing but drawing up the troops in a line, wasting an immense lot of powder & then marching them past the Governor who stood dressed up in something in the Field Marshal style, looking as ridiculous (or more so I should say) than he usually does. But this is saying a great deal for he is the most miserable crazy rickety looking old creature I ever saw, with long grey hair thrown behind his ears & curling down his back.

In church he cuts the most amusing figure. There he wears a skull cap & adds to the uncomfortable habit he has of for ever wagging his head about, the fact of staring all about the church, turning right around in his pew & regularly watching & staring out of countenance every one in church. But he sometimes does most strange things I believe.

However as it is, having witnessed the strange manoeuvres of the strange old gentlemen in the skull cap in church, I one day could no longer stifle my curiosity but inquired of a gentleman high in office who that ‘extraordinary crazy old man’ in front of the pulpit was. Imagine my discomfiture at being told it was the Governor, Sir John Bowring.

We have just received news from the Pei-ho* of the failure of all attempts to come to terms & of the capture of all the forts at the mouth of the river but with about 100 killed & wounded. This is rather different to the late war when we used to mow them down by hundreds, without them so much as being able to touch a man.

The fact is if we do not look sharp about it, we shall soon not be able to cope with them – for people at home have no idea of what the Chinese really are. They are a splendid race of men & capable under proper management & with proper means of astonishing our weak minds. The Management they have, but it is as yet the means they want & in this latter as before observed, they have of late made most useful studies.

They say that amongst the enemies they encountered, there was not one less than 6 feet high & I quite believe it. Even in this hot place we have excessively fine sturdy men so what would they be, up more northwards as far as Pekin.

Pekin the gunboats cannot reach as there is only 5 feet of water up the river but the Admiral seems determined to carry out his intentions & distinctly refused the Mandarin who applied for 3 days truce one moment’s. That is the only way to treat these Chinese. They would else go on humbugging us for ever just like they did in the last war.

Canton seems tolerably quiet & one hears little of the ‘Braves’ – so little indeed that they have sent a steamer to Canton. It is supposed to take away some of the troops & send them up north. We have only one English Regt. in China now, the 59th, but Heaven knows how many Sepoys. However I suppose it wouldn’t answer to mutiny here. The Sepoys – the much abused, the so called ‘misguided’ Sepoys – are really very fine soldiers & present a most martial appearance.

I always admired them as soldiers. I speak of course of their bearing but I never saw them look better than they did in the review the other day. Upon my word I was quite ashamed of the company of the 59th there present. And the way they managed the guns & marched – right about wheel & all that sort of thing was unrivalled.

There was one thing I did not understand. None of them saluted the Governor as they passed, as their officers & the men of the 59th did, nor did they raise their hats & cheer after ‘God Save the Queen’ altho’ all the English & their own officers in front of their lines all did so.

We had a great attempt at a blow up here the other evening. There have been several ‘Gunpowder Plots’ of late & a reward of 300 dollars is offered for the ‘notorious pirate, Chu-acqui’ or 100 for an accomplice. They lay trains of powder in houses, blow them up, set fire to the rest & then plunder away right & left.

This was tried on in the Bazaar at East Point & would have made a little excitement for us, had it succeeded. However when we found it out we had every thing ready & our Sepoys were in a great state of excitement & declared there were 300 men waiting to attack us at midnight. The attack however never came off.

About a week ago a policeman was attacked by 6 Chinamen & they not only carried off his arms but stripped him of all his clothes in open day light & left him to get home stark naked. I must have passed just by the place where it occurred exactly at the time at which the papers state it to have taken place but did not see anything of the affair. Indeed there must have been many other people about there at about the same time for it occurred on the road to the Eastward just at the time when every one drives out there in the afternoon.

On Sunday I had a beautiful sail in one of our yachts but the sun at times was so fearfully powerful that I got so scorched as to be looking at this present moment quite an object.

We have three beautiful little yachts belonging to the house which we are able to use whenever we like. China will quite spoil one. The only thing is ‘looking out for squalls’ which are very severe here & looking out for junks which are equally severe if you let them catch you, so that whenever we go out we collect together all the small arms & ammunition, revolvers being in most repute. It was one of these yachts which was captured by pirates a short time ago.

I have just discovered a large quantity of pictures & have carried off enough to cover my walls. This I must consider a great ‘haul’ & will save me a considerable expense for our rooms here look so fearfully bare & desolate without something, particularly as they seem to be most fearfully damp & have large patches all over them. That is the advantage I suppose of being situated on the edge of a point with the sea breeze blowing right thro’ the house – all doors & windows being of course wide open.

If I have before not mentioned the subject, I wish my Father would send me out a good saddle & bridle – also a good hunting whip with a long lash. The saddle should not be too large as my horse is rather slight & narrow across the back. So much so that I am using a pony’s saddle at present. The Bridle should be double with a martingale* as he has a habit of raising his head when pulled in – or rather had, for by the use of a martingale I am getting him out of it.

What has become of my Roosky & the big rough puppy as was. I want a dog here very much but it would be too expensive to send them out. I am going to try & get a good specimen of a China Dog. They are rough with bushy tails & fox heads, resembling much the wolf & are here kept up in a manner & for a purpose pretty similar to those in Constantinople – that is neither for beauty nor use.

In this state they are most objectionable, but if I can get hold of a good specimen & have him properly fed & looked after, I think it would be generally admired. At home of course I mean, for in his own country a prophet has no honour.*

A few days ago two lawyers were out riding & one happened from some cause which I cannot comprehend, to be a considerable distance in advance of the other. Suddenly the unhappy lawyer was seized from behind, pulled off his horse, robbed of everything, fearfully knocked about & mutilated & when his friend came up they were just preparing to cut off his head. Such is the consequence of being unarmed.

The unfortunate man is lying at the hospital whither he was conveyed in a most dangerous state. So far the matter is serious. Here is the joke. His friend when he came up happened to be armed & of course drew forth his revolver & presented it at the men who were completely in his power altho’ in full retreat. ‘I did not shoot them’ he says, ‘because I did not wish to use my shots’.

6 June 1858

The mail arrived yesterday but there is little news except the withdrawal of the India Bill which difficulty has been capitally got over. By the next mail I expect to hear from you all & shall indeed be disappointed should I not.

You do not know how anxiously I am looking forward to getting a letter of some sort & as to those you have written to me since the 1st week in Novr, there seems no chance after 8 mos. & having tried every means of my ever getting them.

My great fear is that notwithstanding my efforts, they have after all followed the Tynemouth.

The news from the North is having its due effect at Canton. The ‘Braves’ consider that our operations will warrant their becoming aggressive & are getting uproarious in the White cloud mountains (where they take pretty good care to keep), talking of ‘exterminating the outer barbarians’ & such other characteristic Chinese notions.

However we have not given them an opportunity of being the aggressors – having ourselves sent out a party to attack them. The result of this will be important & that result ought almost to be known before this mail leaves.

Two sentries the other day were set upon & fearfully mauled but just managed to escape with their lives. Several policemen were no better treated a short time ago & the favourite practice up there just now – indeed ever a favourite practice with the Chinese – is kidnapping. John Bull is a little bit too wide awake but Sepoys are more easily caught. However the former, wide awake as he is, would indeed have to be wide awake to be a match for a Chinaman.

They write to us from Canton that there seems every chance of the trade being stopped. Precautionary measures are being every where taken – even the River Steamers are beginning to be more severe & careful than they usually are. Ever since the commencement of hostilities at Canton when so many of these vessels were set upon by Chinese passengers & everybody murdered, it has been the practice to provide a sort of impenetrable safe on board into which the Chinamen (high & low) are driven & locked up like ‘wild beasts’ I was going to say. But no, I will term it ‘like convicted felons’.

By this same mail via Southampton, you will receive a small packet & also a short letter both of which I hope will arrive in safety. Since writing the last (June 6) the parcel is too late for post (at least post would be too expensive).

Love to all & kiss to Helen

Your affect. Son

Peter G. Laurie

I see by the papers that my Father is becoming quite a champion in the House for the Army. I must give him some hints about China I think.

* Robert – Peter’s first cousin, the son of Robert Peter Laurie, his father’s younger brother. Robert had been born shortly after his own father had died in 1835

* the Pei-Ho – After bombarding and taking Canton at the start of the year in order to overcome Chinese intransigence over trade, an Anglo-French force sailed 1,600 miles up the coast to the Taku forts at the mouth of the Pei-Ho River which they captured on 20^th May 1858. This allowed them to sail up-river to Teinstin (70 miles from Peking) where, on 26^th June, Lord Elgin and the Chinese signed that treaty

* martingale – Harness strap that connects the nose piece to the girth, to prevent the horse from throwing back its head

* in his own country a prophet has no honour – A reference to St Matthew’s Gospel: Chapter13, verse 57