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leave. Allow me,
My Lord, to
express my deep sense of due and grateful appreciation of Your Lordship's kind indulgence to me in this expect - a favor which has exceeded the object of my application made in my last letter and beyond my expectation, and though I should not think it desirable on my part to accept it for reasons which I shall state below, yet I am not the less thankful to Your Lordship.
My stay in this country, I fear, will extend very probably to another twelve months, and before my return to China, I purpose making a tour though America, the period of its duration I cannot at present anticipate but which will probably occupy some considerable time.
As the time of my return to Hong Kong is then uncertain, and as it is my ultimate intention to resign my present post of Chinese Interpreter at the Hongkong magistracy, I do not deem myself, under the circumstances, justifiable to ask for further leave, and I would therefore respectfully request that Your Lordship may be pleased to accept my resignation and to relieve me of the guarantee to refund the amount of half-pay drawn by me during my leave, the considerations for this favor having been set forth in my letter of the 18th instant.
I have the honor to be,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's most humble and obedient servant,
Ry A Choy