Fine day, with light spring showers. Attended Divine service at the Portland Street Chapel. Mr Martineau officiated, and the communion service followed, which he makes very long by reading an essay instead of following his own book of forms. On the whole I think this change is no improvement. The acceptance of ten different models distributes the interest in them so much, that the memory attaches little value to either. Nothing can exceed the value of the old ones in the Episcopal service book, so far as they are free from the communication of disputed doctrine. I like the older prayer book of this very chapel better than the present one because it is less removed from the original pattern. After my return home I had a visit from Mr Dudley the consul at Liverpool. He came to apprize one of the extent of the outfits marking at that place to convey supplies to the rebels. He said that his informant told him there were thirty steamers giving or gone to rendezvous at Nassau, and constitute a naval force to act against us on the seas. I made some enquiries as to the character of these vessels, and found them all with perhaps one exception built for trade rather than warfare. Hence I expressed my belief that the true object was to adopt a systematic evasion of the blockade in order to supply the arms of which the rebels stood in the greater ned. Some of the ships might indeed be armed and intended as privateers, but I doubted their ability to encounter any of our vessels of war. In any event, however, I thanked him for the information and begged him to send it to me in writing for my use in case of opportunity. Mr Dudley describes the feeling at Liverpool as running very powerfully for the rebels. Large subscriptions of money had been made and were still making, all of which went to the purchase of these various ships and steamers and their cargoes. We had92 likewise Mr and Mrs Lampson and Mr Bates as visitors. After this I walked to the Zoological gardens. I noticed that the animals were in a different mood from that last Sunday. They were indoors or else quiescent under the cloudy sky. The hippopotami and the white bear were out but did not take to the water. I visited the two living birds of paradise, the first ever brought here. The plumage did not look so brilliant as that of the stuffed specimens in the British Museum. In the evening we had a visit from Mr Weed just returned from Paris and Holland. Some talk about the disposition there, and design of the visit of Mr Mercier to Richmond which gives rise to some speculation.