you to inform His Excellency the Governor that, as a number of the Board of Examination, I beg to thank His Excellency for the restoration of this Board, which I believe to be of some importance for the good government of this Colony, and which, having erroneously come to a standstill in consequence of a letter of the Honourable Gardiner Austin informing the Chairman of the Board that His Excellency the Governor thought the examinations of the Board had better be suspended for the present, has yesterday been reopened by a circular of the Secretary of the Board intimating that His Excellency the Governor wished the operations of the Board to be continued and that an examination would be held next week.
But as Director of Chinese studies I have further to ask you to inform His Excellency the Governor that I beg, most respectfully, to be relieved of my duties as such.
In explanation of this I have but to point out, that at the beginning of the year 1875 I undertook, at the special request of His Excellency, Sir Arthur Kennedy