CO129-104 - Sir Robinson - 1865 [1-3] & Acting Governor Mercer - 1865 [3-4] — Page 287

283

me pleasure to cigpress my great satisfadion with his progress.

I had sent him livo

Holifications prom

an old Government Gazette in Chinese to be renderto

into English. This was done quite correctly.

I had seur fum also a few English sentences to be translated into Chinese; in this he was nor

successful, though his writing of the

charaders was

Joer.

fluent commane

language

is morco

It is in a

of the spokew

that Mr. Smith's advancement

most conspicuous. He talks readily and naturally, and I have no doubt avill läke rank, before long,

as one

of the ablest foreign speakers

of the advised him to give a portion of

Caulow dialeer. I have

every day to composition in the

written character, as I consicu it

as highly desirable and insportaut that he and his colleagues should be able to interpret what is written as well as what is spokew, and in to communicate freely

every way

with the Chinese.

I have, yo,

(sister) James Ligge (True Copy)

Colonial Secretary