112 Hong Kong, China April 1854 this place. The variety of fish was con- siderable, and many invertebrate, as Sepia, large univalves (Tascilaris?) Crabs (a large Scopa - L.Tranquebarica?) etc was exposed for sale, almost every thing living in the sea and of sufficient size being eaten by the Chinese. Mr Wright made an excursion up the hills today and brought me some Helicos, Geboana, Ser- cinio & Manarbes. 8th Occupied in attending to the specimens on hand, and in finishing a copy of my re-port. I hear that Mr Davis, our Gun- nner thinks of resigning. Two of our officers have returned from a visit to Canton, and report that the accommodations there are miserable, and that there is not naval mar to be seen among the Chinese shops etc than in Hong Kong. 9th Sunday I received two letters from home, dated in Aug- ust and September; these had probably been sent to Singapore. In the afternoon I made another attempt to attend Divine Service, but found myself too late, as our dinner hour is at three o'clock and 113 Hong Kong, China April 1854 the service commences early. Sunday seems to be the great parading day here, the streets being filled with English soldiers in various uniforms, with sailors and others, taking their stroll. The Chinese shops are open as on any other day, as Christianity seems but little disseminated among them, although there are several Missionaries here, (chieflly Romanists) and a few places of worship for Chinese converts. The Chi- nese have a large Jook-hoose, and in every shop and every boat, may be seen a small light, or jook-stick, burning before some inscription or other, which is usually surrounded by red and gilded or- naments of various kinds. 10th Another traveling excursion to Kowloon Bay. I have however nearly exhausted this lo- cality, and but few novelties were ob- tained, chiefly shells, and a macropod crab; an interesting Nolegmond also oc- curred. We had a fish lunay prepared in our boat, 11th Spent in looking over Sullivan's Journal and a few other scientific works just received on board, by the Commodore and other officers.