Sunday, April 8th.—Fine but overcast; a little sunshine at noon. The temperature in the cool courtyard of the hong was 65° Fahr.

Szechuen is noted among the Chinese for its overcast skies and showery climate; during the month of April that I spent there we had heavy showers regularly every night. The province seems to lie beneath a cloud-belt, a peculiarity depicted from ancient times in the name of the adjoining province of Yun-nan, which means “To the south of the clouds.”

Since the murder of Margary in 1875, a British Consular agent has been successively deputed from Peking to reside and travel in Western China, having his headquarters in Chung-king. This official was appointed under the Chefoo Convention of 1876 to see that the promised proclamation, stating the rights of British subjects to travel unmolested throughout the Empire, was duly posted in all the large towns; and generally to report on the capacity of these remote regions for trade. Much most interesting and valuable information has been thus collected, and issued to the public in the form of consular reports, where they lie buried. Baber, the inimitable, Spence and Hosie have all earned the thanks of their countrymen for their arduous labours in collecting original facts in this field. At the time of my arrival Mr. Hosie was away in Kweichow (the province lying to the S.E.) and the Consular Office was in charge of H.M. “Writer,” Mr. Mai, or to call him by his title, Mai-sze-yeh.