A rather better day. Indeed the sun made out to conquer a cloud for ten minutes. Busy on the aarrears of correspondence which I succeeded in bring up four o’clock. Colonel Ritchie and Mr Evarts both called. The first to bring me the papers connected with the purchase of the Armstrong guns through Mr Russell. The second to speak of the telegram from Mr Dudley to him as well as myself about the threatened sale of the China fleet which is returning re infecta, from the flowery land, and which some anonymous alarmist insists the rebels are about to buy at Bombay. We agreed that little could be done by us if it was true, of which as yet we had no evidence. The ship would not be much value to the rebels if they brought them. Short walk as I dined early, to enable the boys to go to the play. Brooks has a schoolmate by the name of Forbes here. Quiet evening. Read some of Phillimore’s book.