June 1854 Hong Kong, China Made by Dr. Hamilton. The weather has been very wet lately. June 1st Spent the day in sealing up specimens in bottles and final packing away. June 2nd A fine day ... Thermometer at 84° F Spent the day in cleaning and cataloguing shells. Working so much in my rooms on the berth deck, over alcoholic prepar- ations, creates an atmosphere most un- passable to sleep in, and probably very injurious. I suffer much in health from this cause, but can get no other place to work in. June 3rd Spent in labelling and wrapping speci- mens of fish taken here. Received the Hancock's collections, and took them to the Naval Store-house June 4th Sunday. Weather fine, very hot. June 5th At work packing away specimens. In the evening I put Python into a new cage, and put a faking boa in with him, which his snakeship immedi- ately proceeded to take the usual course. The pig however made such a courageous plunge and gave such a vigorous grunt bite at the serpent whenever he approached, that we were at last in doubt whether the table would not be reversed,-i.e. that the pig would swallow the snake. Numerous were the jokes cracked on the occasion, and loud the laughter of the men who surrounded the cage, which was placed on the floors; -and the Commodore, seeing the snake had a poor chance, in the daytime at least, ordered the pig left in the cage all night. This boar seems to be of a different species from our domestic pigs. June 6th Finding the intended victim uninjured in the cage, the trembling very much, he was sent ashore, and a chicken sub- stituted as the proper meal for our pet, although Mr. Squires asserts they have been killed in Java with whole camelops in their bellies. June 7th 8th 9th Finished sealing up my Hong Kong Collection