at high tide; at half tide it protrudes in some places, and in its shallowest places is not over two feet deep. The bottom is smooth and hard, and appears to be quite level. The channel of the river is marked by stakes, from which the fishermen hang bunches of nets. The French, Russian, and American ships anchored close in with the British fleet, and the question arose whether the forts would permit the passage of the Peiho or make an attack necessary. Upon a general consultation, it was decided to send another letter to the Chinese prime-minister, telling him that four plenipotentiaries had arrived at the mouth of the Peiho and desired a meeting at Takoo, either on land or on shipboard. It was further stated that they would allow six days for an answer, and if no answer came within that time, they would regard themselves at liberty to take whatever action they pleased. Takoo was named as a place of meeting rather than Tien-Tsin because it was more convenient, not being so far inland.
The four plenipotentiaries embarked in a small boat towed by a steamer, which carried them across the bar. This was the first time that the Northern Chinese had ever seen the "outside barbarians" advancing up their river. Long lines of people stood on the low banks of the river, manifesting no apparent emotion, and evidently actuated only by curiosity. As the steamer and the boat in tow advanced up the river, they met a junk bearing a mandarin of the rank of the Transparent Blue Button. He ordered the boat to return immediately, but promised to be responsible for the safe transport and delivery of the letter. The interview with the mandarin enabled the officers on the steamer to obtain a good view of the forts. As near as they could discover, there were about fifty pieces of cannon posted along the banks of the river, most of them of iron, the rest of brass, and some of a very great calibre. On the left bank of the river the forts seemed to
