On the whole a tolerable pleasant day. Not much interrupted, and as a consequence I made out to finish my forms of Despatches for the week in good season. Col Ritchie and Mr Scott Russell came in to discuss some rearrangement of the terms of payment for the guns to be furnished by the Armstrong Company. This is rather annoying, as Coll Ritchie is on the point of leaving London to return home. After some consultation Mr Russell agreed to stand as strong as possible for the original contract, but if the work was likely to be affected by this difference, then that I would accommodate552 the payments as well as I could. This is a kind of business to which I very unwillingly lend myself. This case is however much less exceptionable than the first I was drawn into the Colonel Fremont. How much I congratulate myself that I had the wisdom to draw myself out o fit so soon. Walk. Dined at Mr Senior’s. A small party, consisting of Dr and Madame de Mussy, Mr Spring Rice, Captain Blakely and Mr Romilly. Pleasant enough. Home early. Read a file of American newspapers to the 9th