(Translation from his Journal.)
As the steamer bearing the Mission approached the entrance to the English Channel, H.E. Kwo devotes several pages of his journal to a review of the present importance of the nations of the West. Judaism, Romanism, Islamism,"
observes, "have flourished decayed, but States have endured unchanged. _In recent times, Great Britain, France, Russia, the United States of America, and Germany have raised themselves to a commanding position of influence and power. They have introduced the doctrine of international Jaw, and vie with each other in the homage they pay to trath and justice. The utmost importance is attached in their opinion to the comity of nations. Mutual regard is shown among them in the highest degree, and courtesy has attained to its fullest development. They have secured in this respect both substance and form. These nations are advanced, to an immeasurable degree, beyond the condition of the Independent Kingdoms of Chinese antiquity."—The Envoy then proceeds to descant upon the surpassing extent and power of the British and the Russian Empires, the one extending its dominions along the entire expanse of Northern Asia, through the deserts of the North to the mouth of the Amoor and to the borders of Japan, whilst England has traversed the Mediterranean Sea to become mistress of India, gathering into her lap all the wealth of the Southern Ocean, and planting everywhere colonies and_garrisons such as are to be seen at Hongkong. These two Empires, he observes, ''by the extent of their territory and the degree of their power, are well entitled to be designated the two monarchs of the world. They hold China, as it were, in their embrace, each watchful of the other, each with hand upraised and firmly planted tread, or (to change the metaphor), hovering like the falcon and glaring tigerlike. Each daily augments the wealth and extent of its dominions, yet on neither side is the rein given to hostile undertakings, nor are designs of predatory enter-rise allowed to have free play. When a question of war against China may ise, they will dwell long in contention upon the merits of the case, and advance only when the matter has been I.gravely weighed. Shall any one pretend that the present is a time for China to puff herself up with vainglorious boasts and empty vapouring? There is no need to spend time in considerations of theo-re tical advantage, relatively weighed; the nations of the West, it is plain, have not organized themselves as they have done, without a system. Let but this be rightly Haid hold of, and each contributes to the other's wealth and power, and the stability of the State may be assured for a thousand years. If the system be not laid hold of, ruin must ensue. My colleague Lin has hitherto piqued himself upon knowing how to deal with the affairs of foreigners, but he has come now to confess to himself the shallowness of his views."—The Envoy proceeds to condemn the ineptitude of those whose idea of foreign relations is inspired by. the mistaken patriotism of the writers of the Sung and Ming dynasties, when hatred of the outsider was the highest type of Chinese loyalty.—The diary ends with the arrival of the Mission at its home in Portland Place.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.