;-NRLF 
 
 hfi SDM 
 
 PEKING 
 
 THE GOAL,-THE SOLE HOPE 
 
 OF 
 
 PEACE. 
 
 COMPRISING AN INQUIRY INTO THE 
 ORIGIN OF THE PRETENSION OF 
 
 UNIVERSAL SUPREMACY 
 
 CHINA 
 
 ANT) INTO THE CAUSES OF THE 
 
 FIRST WAE : 
 
 WlTH INCIDENTS OF THE IMPRISONMENT 
 
 OF THE FOREIGN C? -IMMUNITY AND OF 
 
 THE FIRST CAMPAIGN OF CANTON, 
 
 1841. 
 
 BY 
 
 GIDEON NYE, JR. 
 
 CORRESPONDING "MEMBER OF THE 
 
 AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL AND STATISTICAL SOCIETY : 
 
 AUTHOR OF RATIONALE OF THE CHINA QUESTION ; 
 
 THE MEMORABLE YEAR, &c, &c. 
 
 CANTON. 
 
 1873. 
 
i 
 
 

 PEKING THE GOAL,- 
 THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 A LECTURE DELIVERED BEFORE THE CANTON 
 COMMUNITY ON THE EVENING OF APRIL 14th, 1873. 
 by MR. NYE : IN CONTINUATION OF THAT OF 
 JANUARY 31st, 
 
 HONORABLE R. G. W. JEWELL, 
 
 CONSUL OF THE UNITED STATES, IN THE CHAIR. 
 JUDGE JEWELL : 
 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN : 
 
 Following my tracing of 
 the course of events, as you honored me by do- 
 ing on a former occasion, with an indulgent 
 attention that claims all my gratitude, you 
 had not failed to perceive that we had reached 
 the point when, for the first time in History, 
 the Sovereigns of Britain and China were 
 brought face to face in political relations ; 
 the point where plain "yes" and "no" was to 
 
 549790 
 
PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 expound the text of tlie future between them, 
 without the intervention of Chiefs of Company 
 or Co-Hong. 
 
 And the immediate steps by 
 which the cause of the West had been brought 
 to this desiderated point ; and attained, as it 
 were by one bound, to 'the height of this high 
 argument, ' had not escaped your notice. 
 You observed that at the most critical mo- 
 ment, when, as Dr. Bridgman afterward 
 wrote, "had there been only a little more 
 "excitement, Canton might have become an- 
 "other Black Hole or the scene of indiscrimin- 
 "ate slaughter,"- Sir Charles Elliot suddenly 
 appeared upon the scene of our imprisonment 
 and wrought an immediate change in the 
 whole character of the attitude in which the 
 community stood toward the Chinese. 
 
 Rarely have a community so 
 narrowly escaped a great disaster ; and, res- 
 cued as we all felt we were from a sad fate, by 
 his gallantry and consummate tact, no one 
 failed to admire, also, the brilliant address by 
 which he irrevocably fixed the responsibility of 
 the Imperial Government ; and thus made the 
 high-handed acts of the renowned "queller of 
 the barbarian spirit,"- High Commissioner 
 Lin, the initial point of the new relations be- 
 tween the Christian Nations and China. 
 
THE SOLE IIOP73 02 PEACE. 
 
 Quelled, as the 'barbarian 
 spirit' was assumed to be by its imprisonment 
 under guard of the "able-bodied of the peo- 
 ple," it had not lost its diplomatic dexterity $ 
 and it turned the fables so completely that a 
 new code of relations was at once revealed, 
 without the aid of other "spirits" than those 
 invoked by the redoubtable Queller himself. 
 
 We may now expend a joke 
 upon the great Yum-Chae ; but he was terribly 
 in earnest tJien, and his inflammatory appeals 
 to the people were fraught with peril for us 
 prisoners. 
 
 The gravest of realities, short 
 of a wholesale immolation or general slaughter, 
 rendered longer temporising but a temptation 
 and a snare for Imperial weakness and credu- 
 lity ; and imposed upon England, as con- 
 scious of her own strength as of the rectitude 
 of her attitude toward China, the duty, as 
 well to China as to civilization, of proceeding 
 to Peking to disabuse the Emperor, at once, 
 of the untenable nature of the pretension of 
 Supremacy and of the imputations of his 
 Vice Ptoys. 
 
 It was then that the question 
 between the Christian West and the Pagan 
 East expanded to its grand proportions ; and 
 certain as it had been years before, as I have 
 
PEKIXG THE GOAL, 
 
 that its solution would only be found in 
 some overt act of China, so now it appeared 
 to the most attentive observers that no effec- 
 tual settlement could be attained except at 
 the seat of Government. Peking, then, was 
 the Goal, the Spes Unica Sole hope of 
 Peace. And this shall be the burden of our 
 theme to-night. 
 
 The practical difficulty had 
 been to reach the Emperor with any truthful 
 representations of the state of our relations, 
 so that neither redress of injuries or pre- 
 caution for future exigencies, had been possi- 
 ble. But, in point of fact, the question was 
 not a mere matter of incidents or details, 
 evolved from existing relations : It teas the 
 fundamental political question at the very base 
 of intercourse, to which all else was subor- 
 dinate. Dominating all others, there was in- 
 volved in this political question the claim of 
 universal supremacy by the Emperors of China. 
 As Vicelloy Loo had told us, 
 in 1834, of the universal sway of the Celestial 
 Empire : " Under its shelter are the four 
 " Seas : Subject to its soothing care are ten 
 " thousand Kingdoms ! ^ELow flaming bright 
 " are its great laws and ordinances. More 
 " terrible than the awful thunderbolt ! Under 
 " this whole bright Heaven, none dare to dis- 
 " obey them." 
 
THE SOLE HOP74 OT PEACE. 
 
 "We have also seen that the 
 pertinacity of Loo's successor, the ViceRoy 
 Tang, in arrogantly asserting preeminence 
 for the Authorities of China, compelled Sir 
 Charles Elliot to haul down the British Flag- 
 in 1837, and retire again to Macao ; after his 
 well-intended efforts to ameliorate relations 
 by conciliatory declarations : Tang having 
 insisted in exacting the use of the form of 
 " Pin" or Petition, in all Sir Charles' com- 
 munications with the local Authorities. 
 And the significance of these assumptions of 
 the Vice-Boys must be borne in mind as ex- 
 ponents of the Imperial Will. 
 
 It may to-day seem to some a 
 mere puerility to stand on so small a point of 
 etiquette as a Pin ; but, though ice may not 
 regard such formalities, yet the essential point 
 was that the Authorities of China pinned their 
 whole faith upon these observances, rightly 
 regarding the principle of obedience as at 
 stake. We may say that in this they shewed 
 more regard for J??Y<?s-than for Rights ; but 
 from their own point of view, they were quite 
 logical and consistent : And if we regard the 
 preceding facts of History, shewing as they 
 do the maintenance of this attitude of supre- 
 macy toward other Nations, and substantially 
 the acquiescence of most other Nations, 
 
(\ PEKING THE GOAL,- 
 
 for several centuries and clown to recent times, 
 we shall find no reason to impeach the 
 good-faith of the then Emperor, Taou Kwang, 
 in holding to the conservatism of his Ancestors. 
 (TV e must look to a later period 
 for Imperial bad-faith and upon a very differ- 
 ent issue ; although the Provincial Officers had 
 shewn it in several notable instances and even 
 when life was at stake.) 
 
 China's egotism was legitimately 
 derived : She had emancipated herself from 
 the feudal system many centuries whilst yet 
 Europe wore us shackles, down to the dawn 
 of commercial enjlerprize heralded by the birth 
 of Don Henry ol Portugal : TV horn a gilt eel 
 Poet has celebrated in ilie following stanza ; 
 and in whose imperishable renown all of Eng- 
 lish descent may claim a share, as his Mother 
 was of English blood : 
 
 "When, from the ancient gloom einerg'd 
 
 The using World oi Trade : the Genius then 
 
 Of Navigation, that in hopeless sloth 
 
 Had siumber'd on the vast Atlantic deep 
 
 1 or idle ages, starting, heard at last 
 
 The Lusitanian Prince, who, Heaven-iiispir'd, 
 
 To love oi useiul glory roused mankind ; 
 
 Ana in unbounded Commerce mixt the World." 
 
 Long after this auspicious era 
 began, and after de-Gama's prow clove the 
 charmed circle of the Eastern Cape, and his 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OP PEACE. 
 
 'bold and happy bowsprit bore against the ris- 
 ing morn;' clown to when in Camoefcs* stately 
 numbers ran the homage of the West : 
 
 "From Ainani bay | begins the ancient reign 
 Of China's beauteous art-adorn'd domain ; 
 Wide, from the burning to the frozen skies- 
 O'er flow'd with wealth, the potent Empire lies." 
 
 down to those and to later times, the pre- 
 eminence of China was unchallenged in the 
 East. 
 
 And when the tide of "Western 
 commerce began to beat along her shores, 
 she opposed a resolute front to the foreigner 
 as a constituted and compacted Empire, self- 
 sustained and self-sufficient ; and has since 
 offered but one instance of successful revolu- 
 tion, when the present dynasty achieved the 
 conquest of the Empire. 
 
 And I may instance the direct 
 testimony of a very accomplished Gentleman, 
 as to the general opinion and impression ex- 
 isting in Europe and amongst Europeans here, 
 nearly a century ago. 
 
 Major Shaw, a distinguished 
 Officer under Washington in the War of the 
 Revolution, the first American Consular 
 Agent here, who enjoyed the distinguished 
 consideration of the East India Company's 
 Chief and other Foreigners WTiting in 1784, 
 says : 
 
 t The Gulf of Tonquin. 
 
8 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 "All we know with certainty respecting the 
 "Empire of China is, that it has long existed 
 "a striking evidence of the wisdom of its Gov- 
 "ernment, and still continues, the admira- 
 tion of the World." 
 
 Such was the estimation in 
 which China was regarded by all the World, 
 90 years ago, nor was it lessened by the 
 results of Lord Macartney's Embassy a few 
 years after. That beiig the case, if w r e con- 
 sider that not only were the two systems of 
 England and China co-working in the spirit of 
 monopoly and restriction, but that, practical- 
 ly, the whole Foreign trade and intercourse 
 was of the same character, we must admit that 
 the Court of Peking could not, in logical fair- 
 ness, be reproached with unreasoning egotism 
 or bigotry when, in 1834, it shrank from 
 authorizing any radical change of relations, 
 such as a recognition of Lord Napier, in a 
 political or diplomatic capacity, w T ould have 
 been. 
 
 It was unreasonable to expect 
 the spirit of Eree Trade and much less the 
 "Spirit of the Age," however reinforced by 
 domestic events in England and a consequent 
 change in the relations of British subjects to 
 their own Government in its control of the 
 China Trade, to penetrate to the inaccessible 
 
THE SOLE HOP7<: OF PEACE. 
 
 Court of the Emperor at the very moment of 
 the first knocking* at the portal. 
 And it were unphilosophical not to recall, 
 as forming ample justification of the reserved 
 attitude of China at that period, the fact, 
 that a powerful party in England, as in other 
 States of the West, were still reluctant spfec- 
 tators of, rather than willing participators, iri 
 the new-born zeal for Eree Trade and unre- 
 stricted intercourse. Such was no doubt the 
 feeling that actuated the more enlightened 
 statesmen of England, in abstaining from pre- 
 mature pressure upon the Government of 
 China, notwithstanding that the circumst- 
 ances of Lord Napier's death formed in them- 
 selves, ostensibly, a legitimate grievance. 
 
 If, then, we exclude all 
 consideration of the graver motives suggested 
 to thougtful statesmen of China, by the ho- 
 stilities between European Nations, which so- 
 metimes, and even so late as 1814, had reached 
 their own shores, and ignore the fact that they 
 had also traditions of the days of Elizabeth, 
 "when there was no Peace beyond the Line," 
 as imposing caution and deliberation, we 
 cannot attribute to them the fault of being 
 laggards in Eree Trade, when we consider 
 further, that there had been long established 
 here, as the sole medium of interchange be* 
 
H) PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 Iween their respective Countries and China,- 
 the British East-India Company, the Dutch 
 East-India Company, the Swedish East-India 
 Company, the Imperial (Austrian) East- 
 India Company, and Merchants from other 
 Countries upon a similar footing, thus com- 
 prising the principal Nations of the World. 
 With this formidable array of monopoly on 
 the part of those Nations, we may ask, was 
 China to come forward voluntarily and open 
 her gates to a deluge of change ? Or was it 
 reasonable to expect her to listen to the voice 
 of the first charmer ? 
 
 It was not, therefore, that 
 China was wanting in logical reasoning, der- 
 ived from her past experience, that a rupture 
 was inevitable : It was that a state of relations 
 precluding a frank interchange between the 
 respective Governments, was no longer toler- 
 able or even safe, after the changes imposed 
 in other Countries by the expanding spirit of 
 the age and especially those effected by leg- 
 islation in England, which, transferred from 
 the hands of the Agents of monopoly, the 
 whole control of the relations with China, to the 
 liberalized executive Government of England. 
 Then, and thus, arose the imperative necessity 
 for England's Ambassadors to reach Peking. 
 The rupture was precipitated 
 by the act of China and in despite of distinct 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 11 
 
 overtures by Sir Charles Elliot months before', 
 to the Vice-Roy Tang, offering to cooperate 
 with the Chinese Authorities in the suppress- 
 ion of the excesses in the Opium Trade. 
 That high-minded Representative of England 
 thenceforward stood blameless before China, 
 as before the World, if, indeed, his conciliatory 
 approaches of a year before had not entitled 
 him to be so regarded ; and having on that 
 occasion maintained his own and his Sover- 
 eign's dignity, he was able, upon reappearing 
 upon the scene here, to assert the rights of 
 his countrymen becomingly and resolutely. 
 He came, in fact, as the Retriever of the For- 
 eign position, hitherto more seriously com- 
 promised from hour to hour. 
 
 At once all interest converged 
 upon him ; and his demand for Passports for 
 his countrymen, was answered by a closer im- 
 prisonment of all Foreigners and the command 
 to deliver all the Opium in ships wherever they 
 might be, with the threats of extreme penalties 
 and the release of himself and the community 
 made conditional upon the faithful delivery 
 of it. 
 
 Thus, it was an incident of 
 the hitherto-restricted intercourse that carried 
 the appeal to Peking, whose origin was the 
 default of China, as essentially as the rupture 
 
1 2 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 itself was her own act, in that she imposed 
 Hie restrictions which precluded an amicable 
 understanding. Hence, although the Opium 
 Trade was the proximate cause of the rupture, 
 the origin of the War was much more remote 
 and long anterior to any complaints about 
 Opium ; its germ having always existed in 
 the restrictive system founded upon the as- 
 sumption of supremacy.- 
 
 Thus, then, to denominate 
 that War "The Opium TFar'-by way of re- 
 proach, is a gratuitous reflection upon Eng- 
 land, as the enlightened American Statesman 
 Ex-President John Quincy Adams, declared at 
 the time; and thus, in demanding from the Em- 
 peror international relations, assuring future 
 security, England was but discharging her 
 duty to China and to Civilization, and there- 
 in representing all the Western Nations. 
 
 It is well that I was thus 
 emphatic upon this point in the draft of this 
 Lecture, as I notice that a Reviewer of my 
 1st Eecture. in the Daily-Press of the 10th 
 inst, erroneously assumed that I had character- 
 ized the rupture as "the first Opium War'' 
 
 Turning from this attempted 
 rationale of the relative positions of the parties 
 in controversy, attained down to the moment 
 when Sir Charles Elliot, with all other For- 
 
THE SOLE HOPE Otf EACE. 
 
 eigners,-- being held a close prisoner in the 
 Factories, issued the public Notice of the 
 3rd. April 1839, which I read to you, 1 now 
 resume the thread of narrative'. 
 
 Upon feeing apprised by Sir 
 Charles that he held no control over other 
 than British Subjects and could not, therefore, 
 compel the delivery as he, the Imperial Com- 
 missioner, had enjoined upon him to do, of 
 any Opium held by other persons, Lin, after 
 issuing an Edict to the Chamber of Commerce, 
 requiring a clear statement of the names and 
 surnames of all the Consuls of other Powers, 
 then issued one to each of them demanding 
 such Opium : When Mr. Snow the American 
 Consul replied that already 1.540 Chests, 
 being the property of British subjects consign- 
 ed to American Merchants, had been surren- 
 dered through H. B. M's. Representative to 
 him, (the Commissioner), he shewed as much 
 ignorance as distrust, by insisting in another 
 Edict addressed to Mr. Wetmore, Chairman 
 of the Chamber of Commerce, that Consul 
 Snow should surrender a quantity of Opium 
 not less than the 20.000 and odd Chests given 
 up by Sir Charles Elliot. And a somewhat 
 similar Edict was addressed to Mr. Senn van 
 Basel the Dutch Consul. 
 Mr. Yan Loffelt, representing France at the 
 
PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 lime, being at Macao, escaped similar applicat- 
 ions. 
 
 From the 24th of March, when 
 every Chinese was driven from the Factories 
 and no Food or even a bucket of water allowed 
 vis, until about the 3rd of April, all minds 
 were in painful suspense ; and various con- 
 jectures as to what might be our fate were 
 hazarded, some taking the more gloomy view 
 at first and suggesting, as the most cheerful 
 hypothesis, our having to force our way across 
 Honam to the shipping at Whampoa, with 
 the loss of half our number : But as there 
 were not known to be a dozen pistols or other 
 fire arms in the Factories and these were single 
 barrelled, Revolvers or the like not having 
 been invented, it seemed hopeless to oppose 
 200 unarmed Europeans to hundreds of thous- 
 ands of matchlock and spearmen. 
 
 And when it was rumored that the Chinese 
 had heard of the arrival off Macao of an Ameri- 
 can frigate, and some person suggested the 
 advisability of her forcing the passage of the 
 Bogue, my friend Mr. Hunter sensibly re- 
 plied, that in the existing temper of the Yum- 
 Chae, such an act would impel him to pre- 
 cipitate the mob upon us with sanguinary 
 slaughter, when the ruins of the Bogue forts 
 would not be viewed by our kindred as worthy 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 13 
 
 monuments to our memory or sufficing com- 
 pensation for our lives ; however conspicuous- 
 ly they might mark the gallantly of the Naval 
 Officers. 
 
 A little later Mr Hunter was sufficiently re- 
 assured to expend a joke upon a novice in 
 Chinese symbols, who suddenly descrying one 
 of the large blue Flags of Military Mandarins, 
 which bear a character or symbol such as im- 
 aginary terrors might picture as the ominous 
 Crossed Bones, flying in front of the Honam 
 Temple, sought an explanation of Mr Hunter, 
 who saw his opportunity ; and I am afraid, 
 left the timid Gentleman in considerable doubt, 
 if not in great trepidation : The truth being 
 that the Temple was used as the head quarters 
 of one of the Chiefs, posted there to prevent 
 our escape toward Whampoa. 
 
 Gradually we all regained 
 composure ; and for variety's sake sometimes 
 went to dine with Parsee friends, whose ser- 
 vants being natives of India got access to 
 the small market at the top of China Street and 
 bought capons and chickens for curries. In 
 the Lung-Shim or Old-English Hong, where 
 I lived with my Cousin, the residents profited 
 by the misfortune of the Supercargoes, Captain 
 and boat's crew of a Philadelphia Ship, whose 
 departure for home was cut off, just as they 
 
1 fl TEKIXG THE GOAL, 
 
 had gotten into their boat with the Grand 
 Chop (Port Clearance) in their hands, the 
 Captain and his sailors undertaking the Cook- 
 ing of dinners for the whole Hong ; each re- 
 sident of the several Factories furnishing such 
 Hams and other food for the general table as he 
 happened to have : But we each got Breakfast 
 at home ; and I remember that my Cousin 
 and myself used to agree upon a division of 
 labor in boiling the Eggs and Rice, opening 
 the tins of Sardines, sweeping floors, &c. &c : 
 Our stock being just exhausted when an 
 old Coolie made his appearance and by stealth 
 began to bring us chickens under his jacket, 
 at the risk of his own neck. That coolie was 
 not forgotten in after years ; and his Widow 
 received a pension for 10 to 15 years after his 
 death. The Supercargoes thus imprisoned 
 with us were the Messrs Tiers, of whom I have 
 before spoken as the first to bring to Canton 
 some of the Negro melodies, then recently in- 
 troduced into the Middle and Northern States 
 of America from the South, one of these Gen- 
 tlemen performing on the Guitar and the other 
 on the Mute, or singing by turns : And in the 
 ennui of our long imprisonment, even the older 
 members of the community did not disdain 
 participation in those early "Social Evenings," 
 enlivened by their melodious, although some- 
 what comical strains. 
 
THE SOLE HOPTj] OF PEACE. 
 
 17 
 
 The most venerable Gen- 
 tleman of the Community was Mr. Snow, 
 the American Consul, who being subject to 
 rheumatism, had previously shewn little in- 
 clination to leave his seat at any time and in 
 whom, consequently, the change from a sin- 
 gularly dignified and reserved official, habit- 
 ually seated in state, as it were, to a sweeper 
 of floors and similarly humble domestic duties, 
 was ludicrous to behold. And I arn here re- 
 minded of an amusing incident of the some- 
 what serious riot of the 3rd of December, when 
 I sought shelter in Mr Snow's factory, with 
 Sir James Matheson and others ; where, as 
 the glass of the windows crashed under their 
 showers of stones, the mob roared like thous- 
 ands of wild beasts at bay ; and my venerable 
 friend, at each successive howl, nervously 
 grasped his left arm with his right hand, pit- 
 eously groaning "oh my pains" ; his young 
 friend, to cheer him, responding- "ah, yes, I 
 see your window panes are suffering a little". 
 -But, I suspect that although when well Mr 
 Snow was a resolute man, he then thought 
 his young friend's joking was akin to Nero's 
 fiddling when Home was burning ; and a few 
 month's later, after Lin's insidious and in- 
 flammatory flattery of the masses, that young 
 friend appreciated the gravity of the situation 
 himself. 
 
18 PEKIXG THE GOAL, 
 
 At the reunions in our Hong 
 there were almost as many English Gentle- 
 men as Americans, as we invited some from 
 other Hongs frequently ; so that in reality our 
 "Social Evenings" of that period more than 
 vied in sociability, as between Gentlemen, 
 with these in whose more refined geniality I 
 have now the honor to bear a part ; but there 
 was always the disability imposed by the he- 
 artless Mandarins, in the interdiction of all of 
 Womankind, so that we were unanimous in 
 denouncing their pertinacity in this already- 
 stigmatised example of 
 
 "Mans inhumanity to man ; 
 and as unanimous in pronouncing as impossi- 
 ble their being classed among the ordinary 
 race of man-to^, they obviously being quite 
 another kind of man. 
 
 In the actual circumstances, 
 we were fain to "manage 'gainst despairing 
 thought" as best we might ; and consoled each 
 other with .Songs and pleasantries of some- 
 what varied character,- verging upon the con- 
 vivial as the evening wore away. 
 
 And pent up in our Cage, as in very truth 
 we were, like the animals in the 
 Zoological Gardens, 
 
 you will excuse our gambols when a bone was 
 thrown to us by omr Keepers, or the hope of 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 19 
 
 release elated us; and accept the few trivialities 
 that I recall as not unseeming illustrations of 
 the natural rebound from grave to gay, 
 
 The eldest person of our reunions was Mr 
 Samuel B. Rawle, who afterward resided many 
 years at Hongkong and Macao, at which last 
 port he died, when American Consul there ; 
 and whose name was made the burden of one 
 of the refrains in the social Song of "Viva la 
 Companie" led by Mr Tiers with his Guitar, 
 following which I was appealed to with : 
 
 And there's another man who fights very shy, 
 
 Viva la Companie ; 
 But 'spite of his dodging I'm sure 'ts Mr Nye ; 
 
 Viva la Companie : 
 
 To which the response was : 
 
 There's no hedging or dodging as you say appears, 
 
 Viva la Companie ; 
 Since after Rawle von have moved me with Tiers ; 
 
 Viva la Companie. 
 
 But it was not with this puerility that I 
 intended to link his name, genial as gen- 
 tlemanly though he was ; but rather, with the 
 name of another of my Countrymen, whose 
 pure fame has become the proud heritage of 
 two kindred peoples : 
 
 I need scarcely pronounce the nairie of 
 
 George Peabody. 
 
 Mr Rawle told us of a young Lady who cross- 
 ed the Atlantic with his Wife and Daughter, 
 who had just refused Mr Peabody 's offer of 
 
20 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 marriage, which was considered as scmcwhat 
 strange, as he was then already classed among 
 the wealthy ; but whether she was then con- 
 scious or not of his worth or wealth in general 
 estimation, neither she or he could then mea- 
 sure the influence that her refusal may have 
 had upon his subsequent career, nor anticipate 
 the moral splendor of its close : 
 
 When, after inscribing his name in letters 
 of Gold, high up on the roll of the Worthies 
 w r ho have been the benefactors of mankind, 
 he sank peacefully to rest, assured that those 
 letters of Gold were to become letters of Light, 
 beneficent guiding Stars, to future gen- 
 erations of the favorites of fortune. 
 
 Such was the unfading glory of his Sunset ; 
 nor should we forget that he had been one of 
 that small, but resolute band of Men who, in 
 its darkest days, contributed to the final success 
 of the Atlantic Telegraph ; the great Artery 
 that is reuniting the kindred Hood of Albion 
 and Columbia and throbbing through the pro- 
 found depths of the Ocean to every pulsation 
 of Christendom. 
 
 Among other English Gen- 
 tlemen, there was the excellent Mr Holliday, 
 who had recently come from Manila to establish 
 the House of Eobert Wise Holliday & Co. 
 and whose appearance amongst us always 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 21 
 
 heralded more than "a jollyday" in the refrain 
 of our Song. 
 
 There was also Mr Samuel 
 Fearon since Professor of Chinese in the 
 University of London, who not only spoke 
 with fluency the language of the people, but 
 sang their songs in admirably-characteristic 
 falsetto and with as characteristic a toss of the 
 head. 
 
 Among other humorous 
 conceits, we had a rehearsal of an imaginary 
 debate in Parliament upon the question of our 
 imprisonment ; each of the leading celebrities 
 of the House of Commons coming to the front 
 with his pro or con, Mr Eearon with admir- 
 able aplomb, making speeches very attractive 
 in form, if not profound in matter ; and the 
 debate ending with applause : to be succeed- 
 ed by a conundrum that was accepted as fore- 
 shadowing the displeasure of the Emperor at 
 the excesses of Lin, which afterward led to 
 his public disgrace. 
 The conundrum being propounded thus : 
 
 "When valiant Mars from the West arrives 
 on the shores of China, what will be the Em- 
 peror's first question ?"- 
 
 He will inquire his birth and /meage. 
 
 Between Mr Fearott and the 
 Messrs Tiers a somewhat ambitious musical 
 
22 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 effort resulted in the composition of a Song, 
 that we may characterize as international or 
 fraternal in motive, if not classical in diction ; 
 and which being set to the air of "Here's a 
 health to thee Tom Breese" 
 
 ("Tom Breese of the bounding billow") 
 
 became very taking with the accompaniment 
 of clashing glasses filled with amber or ruby 
 Wine, as enjoined by the words of the chorus ; 
 and from which the sentiment forbad any one 
 to refrain. Being then debarred the presence 
 of the Graces, we shall stand excused, I trust, 
 by their fair Representatives here this evening, 
 if from this example they find that we wooed 
 the Muses with more ardor than discrimination. 
 Having failed to find a copy 
 of the Song, I can only attempt to recall one 
 stanza from memory, which, happily, embodies 
 its spirit : 
 
 "Here's a health to hallowed Albion, the Jewel of the Sea, 
 And her daughter fair, Columbia, *the happy and the free ; 
 Long may their Sons their praises sing in friendship's jovial 
 
 strains, 
 And drain the Cup of fellowship whilst yet a drop remains." 
 
 The Refrain : "And drain the Cup of fellow- 
 ship whilst yet a drop remains;" 
 produced a chorus from musical glasses as the 
 last drop was drained. 
 
 Late at night on the 9th of 
 April a meeting was held at the Consoo-house 
 of the Co-Hong, whereat were present several 
 
THE SOLE HOPIS OT PEACE. 
 
 23 
 
 Mandarins, with Hong Merchants and Ling- 
 uists, on the part of the Chinese ; and the 
 Dutch and American Consuls and several 
 Merchants : The object being the obtaining 
 of the Bond of all Foreigners not to deal in 
 Opium. 
 
 On the lOth the Imperial 
 Commissioner and other Mandarins started for 
 the Bogue, to witness in person the delivery 
 of the Opium. 
 
 Frequently, at night, some 
 of the high Officers visited the squares in front 
 of the Factories to see whether a faithful 
 watch and ward was kept over their sleeping 
 prisoners. 
 
 About the middle of April a 
 paper which appeared to be a letter addressed 
 to the Queen of England by the High Com- 
 missioner and several other Officers, requiring 
 the interdiction of Opium, was circulated a- 
 mong the Chinese. About the same time the 
 grave matter of memorializing home Govern- 
 ments engaged the attention of the residents 
 of the respective Countries, one of the young- 
 est, your humble servant, making a some- 
 what ambitious attempt in drafting one to the 
 Congress of the United States, dated April 
 23rd 1839, a copy of which I found in 1870. 
 It is at least a very wordy document ; of con- 
 
PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 siderable interest to its author^after~having 
 been out of sight for 31 years : And leaving 
 to another occasion its most essential sugges- 
 tive point, I may hereat claim for it the merit 
 of containing the germ of the cooperative 
 policy if meritorious that is in the last of 
 the following paragraphs. 
 
 "Moved by these considerations" (alluding to 
 the context) "we beg leave to submit to your 
 decision, the expediency of appointing a Min- 
 ister to the Court of Peking, empowered to 
 establish equitable relations ; whereby his right 
 of residence at the seat of Government would 
 be secured as a preliminary; when, as we 
 believe, all reasonable propositions for the 
 mutual security of Trade and intercourse would 
 be entertained by the Supreme Government. 
 "We have stated our belief that 
 Great Britain will view the pressing grievances 
 herein set forth, with others of older infliction, 
 as sufficient ground of intervention ; and will 
 accordingly equip a sufficient force to accom- 
 plish the purposes in view ; or, at least, to 
 powerfully coerce the Chinese Government. 
 And we beg leave to submit, that in such an 
 event our Commerce will be rendered still 
 more precarious 4 and the necessity for the 
 presence of a sufficient Naval force to protect 
 the interests involved, thereby become quite 
 
THE SOLE HOPIS OE PEACE. 
 
 25 
 
 imperative : In case it is not deemed advisable 
 by your Honorable Bodies to combine with 
 that or other Powers, for the same objects. 
 "To urge this last step there 
 appear to your Memorialists some powerful 
 considerations ; arising from the jealous fear 
 of the Chinese Government that England 
 designs encroachment upon its territory, and 
 from other causes which originate in the ignor- 
 ance incident to their unyielding exclusive 
 policy. This fear would be calmed by the 
 union of America with England, as she is free 
 of such suspicion ; whilst the unanimity of 
 several powerful Nations would be still more 
 influential upon this peculiar, and in some 
 respects admirable, but really feeble Govern- 
 ment." 
 
 On the 14th May a joint 
 Edict of the Commissioner and Vice lloy was 
 issued, whose tenor shews the stringency of 
 the rules by which the community had been 
 held prisoners the previous six weeks; and that, 
 although they were quite disposed to encourage 
 the reopening of the legal trade, they would 
 not yet relax their grip upon the sixteen per- 
 sons whom they specially indicated as host- 
 ages for the completion of the delivery of the 
 Opium. 
 
 On the 5th the triple cordon 
 
28 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 of soldiers and boats was removed ; and on the 
 6tti the first passage boat left for Macao with 
 about 50 passengers. 
 
 On the 8th, a joint Edict of 
 the Commissioner and Vice Roy was address- 
 ed to the English Superintendent, the Ameri- 
 can Consul Snow and the Dutch Consul Van 
 Basel, replying to the several original demands 
 of those Officers, for Passports permitting their 
 return to their respective countries at the head 
 of their people : 
 
 "These addresses coming before us and being 
 "duly authenticated, we reply, China has 
 "indeed no need of commercial intercourse 
 "with outer barbarians. But because you have 
 "come from afar over the Seas, it cannot bear 
 "to push you utterly away : After, then, the 
 "full completion of the present deliveries, let 
 'it be even as requested. It shall be left to 
 "you entirely to return to your Countries. 
 "You will not be allowed to make pretexts for 
 "procrastination and delay. And after you 
 "have thus returned, you will not be allowed 
 "to come back. Let there be no turning 
 "backwards and forwards, no inconstancy, 
 "wherby investigations and proceedings will 
 "be involved. All you Foreigners of every 
 "Nation, should you not come hither, there 
 "the matter rests ; but should you come to the 
 '"territory of the Celestial Court, be you fore- 
 
THE SOLE HOPE Of JNUAGH. 
 
 27 
 
 "igners of any Country whatsoever, so often 
 "as Opium is brought, in all cases, in accord- 
 "ance with the new Law, the parties shall be 
 "capitally executed, and their property entire- 
 ly confiscated. Say not that it was not told 
 "you beforehand." 
 
 Whereupon Sir Charles Elliot 
 issued a brief Public Notice to British Subjects 
 by way of reply, which I beg now to read 
 because it points out the grave errors of the 
 Chinese Officials as affecting the safety of the 
 lives of innocent persons. 
 
 Public Notice to British Subjects. 
 "The Chief Superintendent yesterday receiv- 
 ed an Edict of which the annexed is a copy, 
 to the joint address of the Consul of the King 
 of Holland, the Consul of the United States, 
 and himself. By this Law the ships and crews 
 of all Nations, henceforward arriving in China, 
 are liable to the penalties, the first, of confis- 
 cation, and the last, of death, upon the deter- 
 mination of this government that they have 
 introduced Opium. The danger of confiding 
 to this government the administration of any 
 judicial process concerning Foreigners, can 
 scarcely be more strikingly manifested than in 
 the list of names lately proscribed by the High 
 Commissioner. Evidence that has been good 
 to satisfy His Excellency that these sixteen 
 
28 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 persons are principal parties concerned in in- 
 troducing Opium, and therefore to justify their 
 detention as hostages, would of course be 
 equally good for other convictions of the like 
 nature. It may be taken to be certain, how- 
 ever, that the list contains the names of per- 
 sons who have never been engaged in such 
 pursuits, or, let it be added, in any other con- 
 traband practice. In investigation upon such 
 subjects, the Chinese Authorities would pro- 
 bably be guiltless of any deliberate intention 
 to commit acts of juridical spoliation and mur- 
 der ; but it is plain, that in the present state 
 of intercourse, there would be excessive risk 
 of such consequences, and therefore the pre- 
 sent law is incompatible with safe or honorable 
 continuance at Canton, if nothing else had 
 happened to establish the same conclusion. 
 It places, in point of fact, the lives, liberty and 
 property of the whole foreign community here 
 at the mercy of any reckless Foreigners out- 
 side and more immediately at the disposal of 
 the Hong Merchants, linguists, compradors, 
 and their retainers. The Chief Superinten- 
 dent by no means ascribes general wickedness 
 to those parties, but their situation and liabil- 
 ities make them very unsafe reporters, and 
 yet it is mainly upon their reports that the 
 judgment of the government will be taken. 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OP PEACE. 
 
 29 
 
 It will be particularly observed that persons 
 remaining are understood by the Government 
 to assent to the reasonableness of the Law." 
 On the 14th of May orders 
 were given to remove the terraces from the 
 tops of houses ; fill up the creek or inlet in 
 front ; permanently close every passage to the 
 Factories except Old China Street; and re- 
 inclose the square since called the American 
 Garden ; and forbidding tlae shop keepers to 
 put up signs with names in English upon 
 them ; and those in buildings abutting on the 
 Factories were ordered to teave their premises 
 within ten days. 
 
 On the 19th May Sir Charles 
 Elliot issued a brief Notice to British subjects 
 as follows : 
 
 Public Notice* 
 
 "The Chief Superintendent of the trade <of British subjects 
 in China gives notice and enjoins all H. M.'s subjects, either 
 actually in China, or hereafter arriving, Merchants, super- 
 cargoes, commanders, commanding Officers of ships, seamen, 
 or others, having control over, or serving on board of British 
 ships or vessels, bound to the port of 'Canton, not to be re- 
 quiring, aiding, or assisting in any way in the bringing into 
 the said port of Canton any such British ship or vessel, to 
 the great danger of British life, liberty and property, and the 
 prejudice of the interest and just claims of the Crown, till a 
 declaration shall be published under his hand and seal of of- 
 fice to the effect that such bringing in of British shipping, or 
 of British property in foreign shipping, is safe in the premises. 
 And the Chief superintendent makiug these solemn injunct- 
 ions for the safety of British life, liberty and property, and 
 
->0 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 in the protection of the interests and just claims of the British 
 frown, reserves to H. M.'s goveinment in the most complete 
 manner the power to cancel and disregard all future 
 claims whatever, on the part of H. M.'s suhjects or others, 
 preferring such claims on account of British property, either 
 left behind, or to be brought in, if any such Biitish subjects 
 or others preferring such claims shall disregard these injunct- 
 ions now put forward, respecting the keeping out of British 
 shipping and property, till the declaration aforesaid shall be 
 duly published. May 19th 1889."- 
 
 Tbus the purpose of H. B. 
 M.'sBepresentative to prevent the continuance 
 of British trade afle? the departure of the 
 imprisoned and the detained ships at "Wham- 
 poa, was declared ; and but one or two vessels 
 succeeded during the next 22 months in evad- 
 ing the injunction. 
 
 About the same time the 
 Hoppoo refused the usual pei mission for the 
 larger ships to go below the second bar to 
 complete their lading, which appeared to shew 
 a disposition still to detain the shipping : And 
 soon after an order was sent to Macao to me- 
 asure the 40 to 50 ships lying in Macao roads, 
 the idea being that smuggling could thus be 
 detected; whereas, as is well known, ships lie 
 deeper in the fresh water of rivers than in an 
 open roadstead where the water partakes of 
 the buoyancy of the Sea. 
 
 On the 22nd of May Sir Charles 
 Elliot notified H. B. M. subjects, in more 
 distinct and comprehensive terms, to prepare 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 31 
 
 to leave Canton with Her Majesty's Establish- 
 maiit ; warning and enjoining upon those then 
 in China and those who might thereafter arrive, 
 not to aid in the bringing into the port any 
 British Vessel or property, until he should 
 publish a declaration permitting such entry 
 that such sudden and strong measures as might 
 be found necessary on the part of H. M.^Go- 
 vermnent, could not be prejudiced by their 
 violation of these warnings and injunctions. 
 
 On the 23rd he issued a 
 brief notice of his intended departure the next 
 day, requesting the persons lately detained by 
 command of the Chinese Government, to be 
 ready to accompany him, and further request- 
 ing that no general assemblage of H. M. 
 Subjects should then take place. 
 Accordingly he left at 5 P. M. of the 24th ; 
 and immediately after, the guards were remov- 
 ed, when the populace rushed into the open 
 spaces, eager to observe the changes of the 
 two months of our probation. 
 
 Before leaving Canton the most 
 of the British Firms signed a memorial address- 
 ed to H. M. Government, briefly representing 
 their grievances and stating their opinion that 
 
 "some serious alterations in the relations with this Empire 
 were indispensably necessary." 
 
 They added the following just tribute to the 
 meritorious conduct of Sir Charles Elliot. 
 
32 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 "We feel at tour duty to express our deep sense of the public 
 "spirit which induced this Officer, at no inconsiderable risk, 
 "to rescue British life and property from a position of fearful 
 "jeopardy-; -and w-e may assure your Lordship that but one 
 "feeling existed of the extreme peril of the whole community 
 "at the period when he succeeded in forcing his way to Can- 
 "ton and took charge of all responsibility in the negotiations 
 "with the Chinese Oovernment. 
 
 On the 29th the Authorities 
 published the mandate of the Emperor to the 
 following effect, and in words plainly betray- 
 ing the consciousness of the August Sovereign 
 that his Officers had not been faithful before : 
 
 'On the present occasion the investigation and procedure re- 
 'specting the foreign Opium at "Canton, has been most faith- 
 'ful and true ; we certaluly do not entertain the slightest 
 'suspicion of deception. Moreover, as the distance for it to 
 'be transported (if sent to Peking) is very great let it be 
 'destroyed on the^Coast in the presence of Lin and the others." 
 
 The sanre day H. M. Sloop 
 "Larne" and the chartered Clipper "Ariel" 
 sailed for the Bed Sea with the despatches of 
 H. M. Representative and Mails for all parts 
 of India, Europe and America. 
 
 By the 1st of June the 
 number of Foreigners remaining in Canton 
 was less than 30, and soon after reduced still 
 lower. 
 
 On the 9th of June the Commissioner 
 and the Vice Boy issued another joint Edict 
 enjoining upon those controlling British ships 
 to enter port ; the financial shoe beginning 
 to pinch, notwithstanding the professed dis- 
 regard of Foreign Commerce a month before : 
 
THE SOLE HOP74 OP PEACE. 
 
 33 
 
 They, therefore, strove insidiously to counter- 
 act the warnings of Sir Charles Elliot, saying 
 
 'as to what Elliot says, that the ships must wait till they 
 'can get a reply from the Sovereign of their Country, this is 
 
 'clearly an evasive excuse he ought, from first to last, to 
 
 'secure and protect the foreign merchant and think how he 
 'may enjoy his blithesome profits ; let him not set about 
 'producing thorns and briars, which will choke up business 
 'and prick himself. "- 
 
 The last British vessel, the 
 "Ann Jane", of those previously within the 
 port, left the river on the 16th of June. About 
 the same time another and still more insidious 
 joint Edict of the Commissioner and the Vice 
 Hoy was addressed to the British Merchants 
 and ship Masters at Macao urging them to 
 disregard the injunctions of Sir Charles and 
 come into port, which was translated and 
 printed for circulation at Macao and on board 
 the shipping : Whereupon, Sir Charles issued 
 the following Notice, dated Macao June 21st, 
 which is so important as an exposition of the 
 principles upon which he had acted and as a 
 recital of what had been done by the Com- 
 missioner also, that I shall reproduce it printed, 
 though too lengthy to read. 
 Public Notice to Her Majesty's Subjects: 
 
 "The Officer deputed by the Commissioner and the 
 Keunmin-foo, having caused certain notices to be publicly 
 placarded at Macao, inciting British Merchants, Commanders 
 and seamen to disregard the lawful injunctions of the under- 
 signed, he has this day transmitted to those Authorities the 
 
34: 
 
 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 accompanying declaration. A Copy 
 submitted to the Commissioner." 
 Macao, June 21st, 1839. 
 
 of the same will be 
 
 (signed) CHABLES ELLIOT 
 Chief Superintendent, &c. 
 
 "Elliot, &c. &c. learns that official notices have been 
 publicly placarded, and sent to the ships of his Nation, incit- 
 ing the English Merchants, Commanders and seamen to 
 disregard his lawful injunctions issued in the name of his 
 most gracious Sovereign. But wherefore are these notices 
 silent upon the causes which have produced the conclusion 
 of trade and intercourse at Canton ? The high Commissioner 
 has published his own communications to Elliot, but where 
 are the replies ? These proceedings are highly inconsistent 
 with the principles of peace and dignity : And Elliot must 
 LOW declare the motives which have compelled him to require 
 the merchants of his Nation to leave Canton, and the Ships 
 no longer to return within the Bocca Tigris. "- 
 
 "On the 24th of March last, Elliot repaired 
 to Canton and immediately proposed to put an end to the 
 t j ate of difficulty and anxiety then existent, by the faithful 
 fulfilment of the Emperor 'H will : And he respectfully asked 
 that he and the rest of the foreign Community might be set 
 at liberty, in order that he might calmly consider and suggest 
 adequate remedies for the evils so justly denounced by His 
 Imperial Majecty. He was answered by a close imprison- 
 ment of more than seven weeks, with armed men day and 
 night before his gates, under threats of privation of food, 
 water and life. 1 Was this becoming treatment to the Officer 
 of a friendly nation, recognized by the Emperor, and who 
 had always performed his duty peacefully and irreproachably, 
 striving in all things to afford satisfaction to the provincial 
 Government ? When it thus became plain that the Commiss- 
 ioner was resolved to cast away all moderation, Elliot knew 
 that it was incumbent upon him to save the Imperial dignity, 
 and porvent some shocking catastrophe on the persons of an 
 imprisoned foreign Officer and two hundred defenseless Mer- 
 chants. For these reasons of prevailing force he demanded 
 from the people of his nation all the English Opium in their 
 hands, in the name of his Sovereign, and delivered it over to 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 35 
 
 the Commissioner, amounting to 20.283 chests. That matter 
 remains to be settled between the two Courts." 
 
 ''But how will it be possible to answer the 
 Emperor for this violation of his gracious will, that these 
 difficult affairs should be managed with thoughtful wisdom, 
 and with tenderness to the men from afar ? What will be the 
 feelings of the most just Prince of his illustrious dynasty, 
 when it is made manifest to him by the command of Her 
 Britannic Majesty, that the traffic in Opium has been chiefly 
 encouraged and protected by the highest Officers in the 
 Empiie, and that no portion of the foreign trade to China has 
 paid its fees to the Officers with so much regularity as this 
 of Opium ? Terrible indeed will be His Imperial Majesty's 
 indignation when he learns that the obligations into which 
 the high Commissioner entered, under his seal, to the Officers 
 of a foreign Nation were all violated ! The servants were not 
 faithfully restored when one fourth of the opium was deliver- 
 ed ; the boats were not permitted to run when one half was 
 delivered ; the trade was not really opened when three 
 fourths were delivered, and the last pledge, that things should 
 go on as usual when the whole was delivered, has been 
 falsified by the reduction of the factories to a prison with 
 one outlet, the expulsion of sixteen persons, some of them 
 who never dealt in opium at all, some clerks, one a lad, and 
 the proposal of novel and intolerable regulations. 
 
 "Can a great moral and political reformation be 
 effected at the sacrifice of all the principles of truth, moder- 
 ation and justice ? Or is it believed that these spoliatory 
 proceedings will extinguish the traffic in opium ? Such hopes 
 are futile, and the Emperor has been deceived. But it is 
 asked, on the other hand, whether the wise and just purposes 
 of the Emperor cannot and should not be fulfilled? Most 
 assuredly they can, and they ought. It is certain, however, 
 that the late measures of the Commissioner have retarded 
 this accomplishment of the Imperial pleasure, given an im- 
 mense impulse to the traffic in Opium, which was stagnant 
 for several months before he arrived, and shaken the pros- 
 perity of these flourishing provinces. It is probable that 
 they will disturb the whole coasts of the Empire, ruin thous- 
 ands of families, foreign and native, and interrupt the p-eace 
 
PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 between the Celestial Court and England, which has endured 
 for nearly two hundred years. "- 
 
 "The Merchants and ships of the English 
 Nation do not proceed to Canton and Whampoa, because the 
 gracious ccn.mands of the Emperor for their protection are set 
 at nought ; because the truth is concealed from His Imperial 
 Majesty's knowledge ; because there is no safety for a hand- 
 ful of defenseless men in the grasp of the Government at 
 Can! on ; because it would be derogatory from the dignity of 
 their Sovereign and Nation to forget all the insults and 
 wrongs which have been perpetrated, till full justice be done, 
 and till the whole trade and intercourse be placed upon a 
 footing honorable and secure to this Empire, and to England. 
 The time is at hand ; the gracious Sovereign of the English 
 Nation will cause the truth to be made known to the wise 
 and august prince on the throne of this Empire, and all 
 things will be adjusted agreeably to the principles of the 
 purest reason. "- 
 
 "Elliot and the men of his Nation in China 
 submit the expressions of their deepest veneration for the 
 great Emperor. 
 
 (signed) CHARLES ELLIOT. 
 Chief Superintendent. &c. 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 37 
 
 Meantime, on the 15th, Mr 
 Charles W. King embarked from Macao in his 
 Firm's ship, the "Morrison," taking Mrs. King 
 with him and inviting the Revd. Dr. Bridgman 
 to accompany them, for the scene of the destru- 
 ction of the Opium near the Bogue, where 
 anchoring he was, the day after, invited by the 
 Imperial Commissioner to land and pay him a 
 visit. After observing the mode of destroying 
 the Opium and holding a lengthy discussion, 
 Dr. Bridgman was asked by the Commissioner 
 if he would take charge of a letter for Her 
 Majesty the Queen of England : which he 
 declined. The bearing of the Commissioner 
 made a very favorable impression upon both 
 Dr. Bridgman and Mr King : They said that, 
 "throughout, he was bland and vivacious, and 
 exhibited nothing that was barbarous or savage. 
 His countenance indicated a mind habituated 
 to care and thoughtfulness. Once only he smil- 
 ed almost laughed as Mr King declined to 
 characterize the members of the Co-Hong : 
 -The question being who of them are good ? 
 Which was not answered. The accounts given 
 him of British Naval power especially of 
 Steam vessels raisen a frown upon his brow." 
 He was a man of literary pretensions as well 
 as a great Magistrate and statesman, and one 
 of his Works was "An illustrated notice of 
 Countries beyond the Sea."- 
 
38 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 On the 23rd of Jane the 
 Authorities ordered the Hong Merchants to 
 become security for the two American ships 
 recently arrived ; the Bond exacted being a 
 modified form of that which all Foreigners 
 had refused to sanction before. 
 
 On the 15th of July Sir Charles, 
 replying to a Committee of the British Firms 
 at Macao, gave his views as to the questions 
 of demurrage, &c. &c. arising in the outside 
 anchorages. 
 
 Previously, the principal 
 British Firms had held public Meetings where- 
 at resolutions were passed deprecating any 
 attempt of British Subjects to thwart the pur- 
 poses of the Superintendent, by proceeding 
 in person or with their ships into the Port of 
 Canton. 
 
 In the absence of vessels of 
 War, it was impossible to forcibly restrain all 
 persons ; but such was the general unanimity 
 that but two vessels got into port : One Gen- 
 tleman attempting to come to Canton was 
 seized by the Chinese and held for a while ; 
 another came up on a visit of observation in 
 an American ship, being a new arrival at 
 Macao, - - by ingeniously changing his real 
 name of Silverlock to Whitehead. 
 
 By the 15th of July the Foreign 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OP PEACE. 
 
 39 
 
 Community here was reduced to a few Ameri- 
 cans, of which I was one, and two or three per- 
 sons of other nationalities. Several Ameri- 
 cans left China during the previous six weeks, 
 my Cousin, Mr Hathaway, among them ; and 
 henceforward I was to feel the loss of the 
 society and counsel of one of the most estim- 
 able of men, whilst assuming sole charge of 
 the business of my Kinsmen, soon to be en- 
 larged by that of several of the leading British 
 Houses. 
 
 As our Factory No. 4 Lung 
 Shun Hong needed repairs, I then went to 
 the Owner of the whole Hong, the celebrated 
 Chief of the Co-Hong, Ilowqua, to apply for 
 Factory No. 2, then vacant ; as most other 
 Factories were. His first salutation was the 
 characteristic gesture of holding out his left 
 hand with Snuff upon it, (Snuff so potent 
 that the recollection of it almost compels me to 
 sneeze now 34 years after), and after thus 
 titillating my nose, he asked me 'what news'? 
 I then asked him for No. 2, to which he 
 replied with a peremptory "No can Elliot 
 liky that house": "But," said I, not suspecting 
 his purpose to offer me a still more eligible 
 one, "you no thinky Elliot come Canton this 
 year ?" to which he replied with great an- 
 imation and evident confidence "yes he come 
 
40 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 back few moon and must wantye No. 2." 
 adding the question "you no liky N. 1 ?" 
 I said with as much alacrity "yes, I liky No. 
 1, but my so young man no thinky use so 
 large house" "Ah maskee you young man, 
 my liky you go No. 1." And thus it was that 
 No. 1 Lung Shun Hong became my Canton 
 home for 17 years, down to its destruction 
 in December 1856 by the orders of the second 
 "queller of the barbarian spirit," the redoubta- 
 ble Yeh.- 
 
 Howqua was a remarkable 
 man; and as Chief of the Co-Hong in the gain- 
 ful days of monopoly, may be said to have been 
 the "right man in the right place." Few men 
 could have held that position through the long 
 period that he did, without fatally involving 
 themselves and families, a period of transit- 
 ion during which there were repeated political 
 collisions with Foreigners even before the 
 Opium question arose, through all which he 
 had to bear the brunt, and exhibited consum- 
 mate tact. 
 
 He was a firm friend to 
 those whom he fancied ; and on one occasion, 
 at least, shewed a princely generosity, when 
 an American Merchant who had lost his pro- 
 perty in trade here, being unable to repay 
 him, liowqua returned him the Promissory 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OP PEACE. 
 
 Notes he held for nearly One hundred thous- 
 and Dollars, as a free gift. 
 
 And I have another inter- 
 esting anecdote of him to relate that you will 
 like, I think, as a most pointed illustration of 
 the remarkable difference in the appreciation 
 of sound between the ears of the Chinese and 
 our own, a difference so marked that it sug- 
 gests if it does not justify the assertion, that 
 their's are attuned to discord and ours to 
 harmony. What is true is, that their ears seem 
 set to the falsetto in alto ; and hence that 
 what is a Gong of dissonance in our ears de- 
 lights theirs as though it were the welcome 
 sound of friendly greeting on arrivals and de- 
 partures, whether ashore or afloat. But to 
 come to the point of my anecdote of Howqua : 
 On one occasion when, as was the custom of 
 those days, he had accompanied one of the 
 Mandarins to Whampoa to pay a compliment- 
 ary visit to an American Commodore, the 
 party being at dinner and the Band began the 
 usual adjustment of their instruments to the 
 Music, it was observed that as these prelimin- 
 ary sounds were drawn from the Violins long 
 drawn out, Howqua and the Mandarins were 
 in ecstacies ; but when the full Band struck 
 up in "Hail Columbia," the "Star spangled 
 Banner" and the like airs, the celestial guests 
 
42 PEKING THE GOAL,- 
 
 were simply quiescent or acquiescent. 
 Whereupon the Commodore asked Howqua 
 which of the airs had pleased them most? From 
 his reply it was thought that one of those 
 mentioned was alluded to, and that was accord- 
 ingly repeated ; but Howqua said that was not 
 the one and the Commodore inferred from his 
 attempt to indicate it by a more rapid motion, 
 . that the Yankee Doodle Quick step was the 
 favorite : That evidently suited the Chinese 
 better ; but after its conclusion Howqua be- 
 thought him how to get again what they really 
 preferred and so said : "My Chin Chin you 
 that first teem" meaning the sounds first 
 emitted by the instruments in the process of 
 tuning ! 
 
 I have at this point to make 
 a statement which it is quite time should form 
 a part of the history of the period, since other- 
 wise, the occasional slur flung out by ill-in- 
 formed writers, founded upon the assumption 
 that we Americans were simply self-seeking 
 in remaining at Canton, heedless that our 
 so doing was prejudicial to British interests, 
 may be taken as expressing the views of the 
 leading British Merchants : Whereas, as I am 
 in a position to state, it was felt that the tenure 
 of Foreign relations as a whole had become 
 so precarious, that it was the part of wisdom 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OP PEACE. 
 
 for the few Americans to remain at Canton, 
 to maintain a hold upon the Trade and thus 
 conserve the vast commercial interests of Eng- 
 land, then at stake : Such was the well-known 
 wish of the principal British Merchants at an 
 early period; and the fact soon become an 
 open secret by their employment of Americans 
 as Agents at Canton. And it was very soon 
 seen that it suited all parties in interest, ex- 
 cept the Imperial Commissioner, who issued 
 an Edict denouncingfive of us for dealing with, 
 aiding and abetting the English Barbarians ; 
 and threatening such extreme penalties that 
 I had, thereafter, to buy the Imports from my 
 English friends and charter the American 
 ships for Manila and back to Whampoa, 
 instead of running them, as before, from the 
 British anchorages at Castle-Peak or Hong- 
 kong Bay direct to Whampoa, getting fresh 
 Invoices and Bills of Lading of the Goods as 
 American property from Messrs Russell and 
 Sturgis, Manila. 
 
 Thus the British Merchants 
 found a profitable sale for the cargoes of Im- 
 ports accumulated at the outside anchorages 
 and incurring heavy demurrage and other 
 charges ; and got Tea and other Chinese pro- 
 duce, which then brought high prices in En- 
 gland and Australia : The Hong and Tea 
 
44 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 Merchants resumed their large business : The 
 Chinese Officials got the Duties on Imports 
 and Exports : And the British Government 
 got its revenue from Tea Duties : Whilst we 
 Canton Agents were making rapid fortunes 
 from the Commissions. All parties but the 
 pertinacious political High Commissioner were 
 well pleased and, by degrees, combined to 
 neutralize his previously dreaded power. 
 
 But there were few if any 
 among the Chinese who did not confide in the 
 Emperor's puissance ; and I remember that 
 Lin Chong, one of the Hong Merchants, who 
 had all his life been intimate with Foreigners 
 and was always ranked by us as one of the 
 most intelligent and sagacious of his Country- 
 men, so late as the Autumn of 1839, in a 
 conversation with Mr. Delano and myself, 
 maintained that the British forces could not 
 capture the then recently strengthened 
 Bogue Forts ; and said that the Emperor had 
 an immense reserved force of Tartar horse- 
 men, which could speedily gallop to Canton 
 and overwhelm any Foreign force. 
 
 Being disappointed in his 
 attempts to entice the British ships and Mer- 
 chants into port, the Commissioner undertook 
 hostile measures against them, compelling all 
 to leave Macao, and afterward attacking the 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OT PEACE. 
 
 45 
 
 ships in Castle Peak and Hongkong bays ; the 
 Portuguese being unable to afford protection. 
 About the 30th of August, 
 H. M. ships "Volage" and "Hyacinth" arrived, 
 and in October Sir Charles Elliot went with 
 them to the Bogue to demand the discontinu- 
 ance of hostile measures against the shipping 
 and unmolested residence at Macao for British 
 subjects, pending an arrangement of difficul- 
 ties between the two Governments; but finding 
 a large fleet of War Junks in Anson's bay 
 moving down menacingly to attack, an eng- 
 agement ensued and out of the 16 Junks, three 
 were sunk, one was blown up, and the the rest 
 scattered. 
 
 This was the first naval battle*; 
 and I remember the ominous sound of that 
 cannonade, though 45 miles distant, which 
 might be the knell of myself and the other 
 abettors of the English : But in some way or 
 other our friends the Hong Merchants, took 
 care to shield us as the keepers of the Goose 
 laying the Golden Eggs. 
 
 The Commissioner, indeed, 
 began to shew misgivings as to the relative 
 power of the two Nations on the waters outside 
 
 * Although there had previously been hostile collisions 
 in Hongkong and Cap Sing Moon Bays, in one of which Sir 
 Charles Elliot's hat was perforated by a Gingall ball. 
 
46 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 the Bogue, and relaxed the stringency of his 
 measures at Macao, whilst using his resources 
 to fortify the Bogue and other approaches to 
 Canton : Meantime, however, declaring the 
 British Trade closed forever. 
 
 So closely watched were 
 the shipping at the outside anchorages during 
 most of the season of 1839, that to induce 
 Chinese to bring me letters when any import- 
 ant matter required prompt communication, 
 Messrs Dent & Co. sometimes paid $ 120. to 
 get a brief letter to me, which would be hidden 
 in the bamboo of the boatman ; and I was 
 repeatedly called out of bed at one to three 
 o'clock of a morning in order to read a letter 
 and then send an answer by the same man : 
 His head being very insecure upon his shoul- 
 ders. 
 
 Whatever the perils were to 
 ourselves or the natives we thus employed, 
 such was the volume of business that we were 
 favored with, that we had little time for thought 
 of them and too little for sleep. 
 
 Thus the months from June 
 1839 to April 1840 sped by ; marked by a few 
 dinner parties during the holydays and a fare- 
 well one that I gave my friend Mr A. A. Low, 
 who retired from the House of Messrs Russell 
 & Co. at the end of 1839 and left for home. 
 
THE SOLE HOPIi OF PEACE. 
 
 The other two notable changes 
 of the opening of the new year in Pifms being, 
 on the one hand, the redaction of the number 
 by one, by the merging of the interests of 
 Messrs Russell, Sturgis & Co. with Messrs 
 Russell & Co, Mr. Delano of the former 
 House entering the latter as a partner ; which 
 suggested the remark that their act was em- 
 phatically to coalesce, since thus there was 
 one "Co:" the less : The second change was, 
 on the other hand, an addition, being the 
 establishment by Mr Joseph Coolidge, (late a 
 partner of Messrs Russell & Co,) of the Firm 
 of Messrs Augustine Heard & Co, which has 
 since attained to a proud position among the 
 great Houses of the World. Mr Coolidge was 
 an accomplished Gentleman, who on his youth- 
 ful continental tour, as the son of a distinguish- 
 ed Citizen of Boston, had made the acquaint- 
 ance of Lord Byron in Italy ; and who, on 
 returning to America, married Miss Randolph, 
 a Grand Daughter of President Jefferson, who 
 came to Macao with her Husband : And who, 
 in virtue of their social position, had been 
 presented to Queen Victoria by the American 
 Minister and his Lady. 
 
 Mr. Coolidge was gifted with 
 remarkable conversational powers ; and I re- 
 member his once holding a party, which in- 
 
48 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 eluded the only Lady at Canton at the time, 
 enthralled by his description of the then newly- 
 risen star of the Ballet, Taglioni, as eclipsing 
 all ever seen before ; an Enchantress whose 
 spells, wrought by the very poetry of motion, 
 appealed to all in the sense of Shakspeare's 
 strangely-apt words : 
 
 "Start not ; her actions shall be holy ; 
 You hear, my spell is lawful." 
 
 And held the most refined assemblies of Lon- 
 don, with the Queen at their head, captive to 
 her refined natural grace and real genius. 
 
 In April the clipper "Ariel" 
 got back from the Bed Sea, with the announce- 
 ment that the British Government had deter- 
 mined to demand redress : She having left 
 Macao on the of 29th May 1839. a period of 
 nearly eleven months had been required to 
 deliver to Sir Charles Elliot the reply of H. 
 M. Government. This strikingly exhibits the 
 difference between the two periods in respect 
 to intercommunication ; but I may instance 
 other occasions which mark it more distinctly 
 as what was general rather than exceptional 
 in that Era of Sails : Thus, I remember 
 that on the 29th of January 1838 the "Orixa" 
 arrived from Liverpool with advices of the 
 6th September 1837, after the great financial 
 crisis of 1837 had passed, being 145 days ; 
 and bringing the latest and very important 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 49 
 
 news favoring Tea shipments, which soon 
 advanced prices for the leaf 30 to 50 per cent 
 and freights from 4. to 8. On another 
 occasion the period was longer, the latest dates 
 from England and America having come by a 
 ship from Bombay that was 109 days thence. 
 And, strange as it will now appear when in 
 1841 the Trade of Canton was forced open, the 
 first advices of the reopening of it reached 
 London via New York,- the Ship **Akbar" 
 having arrived at the latter port in 110 days 
 passage from Canton. 
 
 From the receipt of the 
 welcome tidings in April, that England had 
 determined to exact redress and thus end in 
 one form or another the painful incertitude 
 of our position, we were thenceforward con- 
 stantly on the very 'tiptoe of expectancy" and 
 hope : assured that to a favorable solution of 
 the intricate question with China, all the re- 
 sources of Britain would be devoted. 
 
 Impressed by the momentous 
 character of the issue and mindful of the in- 
 terest it was exciting in America, as well as 
 Europe, I wrote a letter to the Editor of the 
 "New York Express" on the 5th of June, of 
 which, as somewhat animated with the spirit 
 of the hour and foreshadowing subsequent 
 events, and especially as pointing to Peking 
 
50 
 
 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 as the Goal of successful diplomacy, I ven- 
 ture to quote the salient portions. 
 
 "To the Editor of the New York Express. 
 
 "Canton, June 5th 1840. 
 
 "It is no longer a question if England purposes 
 u the exercise of power upon this Empire, for the sounds of 
 "preparation are wafted to us by every breeze from the Bay 
 "of Bengal. "- 
 
 "Whilst nothing is allowed to transpire in 
 "England as to the intention of Government, orders have 
 "been received at the seat of Government in India to equip 
 "a powerful Land and Sea armament, which is being done 
 "with great activity. All doubt as to the Force being an 
 "efficient one is at an end ; it is to be sufficient to power- 
 fully coerce the Empire." 
 
 "And the object of England being the reesta- 
 "blishment of the legal Trade, upon a definite and sure basis, 
 "the question arises how far she can use coercion without 
 "sacrificing her permanent interests, or involving herself in 
 "a struggle of long continuance, or in a War of conquest." 
 
 "Without a knowledge of the riature of the 
 "demands to be made of the Emperor, it is very difficult 
 "for those on the spot, even, to predict the reception of the 
 "Ambassadors, who come as never before Ambassadors 
 "approached the Throne of the "Son of Heaven" comman- 
 "ding a powerful Force. "- 
 
 "It is still doubtful whether the Earl of Auckland, 
 "Governor General of India, will be relieved of that Office 
 "and come on in person ; but the general belief seems to be 
 "that he will delegate the full power held by him to the 
 "Admiral of the Fleet and the General of the Army ; the 
 "latter of whom is said to be Lieutenant General the Ho- 
 "norable Sir Robert Arbuthnot, Commander-in-chief at Ceylon. 
 "The appointment of this Officer to the command of the land 
 "forces is one of the indications, among the many, which Go- 
 "verament, with the greatest secrecy possible, cannot prevent 
 "th publicity of, of the intention to send a Force that it will 
 "be dangerous for the Emperor to trifle with. 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 51 
 
 "And when we reflect upon the transfer of 
 "the Foreign Relations from the hands of Merchants, in 
 "which they have been for centuries, to those of Soldiers 
 "and Sailors, whose profession is that of arms and who 
 "reckon Treasure as nothing in comparison with National 
 "honour, dignity and glory ; and remember, too, the haughty 
 "character of this people, their deeprooted prejudices and 
 "erroneous ideas of their own greatness and strength 
 "fostered as they have been for centuries by the submission 
 "of Merchants interested directly in the comtinuance of the 
 "Trade, joined with the many circumstances affecting the 
 "question with England; when I reflect upon all these points, 
 "I cannot bat believe that blood must and will flow ere the 
 "Emperor will listen merely. Suppose an apology for the 
 "insult done England in the Person of her Representative 
 "and subjects is demanded at Peking, as sure it will be, 
 "irhere only it can be demanded snceess fully or properly, why, 
 "the assumption of superiority and universal Empire by China 
 "for so many centuries must be relinquished must fall at 
 "the feet of the invaders and in its fall the integrity of the 
 "Empire receive a shock that shall reach from beyond the 
 "Great Wall to the Southern Sea, and from Formosa to the 
 "confines of British India, undermining the Throne itself ! 
 
 "But suppose the demands should be what 
 "rumour says they will be: For the full value of the Opium 
 "confiscated ; the Hong debts ; the Expenses of this Expedit- 
 ion ; say Twenty Millions of Dollars !! beside full repar- 
 ation for injured honour : What would not China dare do 
 "before she submits to such degradation such disgrace in 
 "the eyes of her own people ? Why, she could only fight 
 "till she finds fighting fraught with greater peril than abject 
 "submission, when she would use gold a Weapon that she 
 "has often found more potent than her sword." 
 
 "But the necessity must be very pressing to 
 "extract such an immense sum of Treasure from this country ; 
 " not that it is poor, it is very rich, but that such a degree 
 "of submission would be too heavy a disgrace before its own 
 "subjects, moreover, it would be obtained by forced con- 
 tributions from those subjects themselves, for the Oovern- 
 "merit itself is poor ; and I believe that a considerable period 
 "of time will be required to inflict it." 
 
52 
 
 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 "But what England will demand we know not ; 
 "nor what tone she will assume in other respects : Whether 
 ' 'she will be ready to propose a compromise touching the 
 "Opium question. It must be confessed, however, that the 
 "vesting of the power for the settlement of the question in 
 "Lord Auckland Governor General of those Colonies where 
 "the drug is now daily sold by Government for the China 
 "Market, afford grounds for the general belief that the demands 
 "will embrace all that I have named ; but the manner of 
 "liquidating the pecuniary claims maybe compromised by 
 "the grant of Commercial privileges and full security for the 
 "future,- provided the apology for the insult offeied England 
 "is -full and satisfactory."- 
 
 "On the other hand, England does not come 
 "in her might to sacrifice her Revenue of 4.000.000 stg, 
 "Four Millions of Pounds sterling, Duties on Tea per annum, 
 "but, if possible, to make its receipt more certain and to 
 "augment it :- But, again $ on the other, England is at this 
 "moment occupying a more elevated position than ever before 
 "in Western India, and Persia is at her feet. Victoria would 
 "be an Elizabeth too ! Lord Auckland is just made an Earl 
 "and is flushed with success in Western India and Persia. 
 
 "Mark ! England lulls suspicion in Europe by 
 "sending out but half a dozen Frigates,- while in India she 
 "makes great preparations!- What is the meaning? A new 
 "settlement it is said is to be founded :- Where ! On the 
 "mainland of China ? 
 
 "Indeed j this struggle between the "oldest 
 "Nation of the Earth" and the most powerful Naval Power 
 "in the World, is fraught with consequences of the most 
 "momentous nature ; such as but few in the World properly 
 "comprehend and appreciate. "- 
 
 "Heaven grant that in its results it be be- 
 "ueficial, as it may, to both to the whole world." 
 
 I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant. 
 
 (signed) "An American." 
 
 There were two miscon- 
 ceptions in this letter : One that the force 
 intended was to be much more powerful ; the 
 
THE SOLE HOP.E OE PEACE. 
 
 53 
 
 other that the preparations, being chiefly in 
 India, were kept private in Europe and Ameri- 
 ca ; whereas the British Government, in the 
 sense that the movements of England con- 
 cerned the other Western Nations, had com- 
 municated its purpose of redress to the Ameri- 
 can Government ; and disclaiming more than 
 such redress and security for the future, had 
 restricted its force so far within a requisite one 
 for conquest, that it was quite inadequate to 
 the real requirements of the occasion. Thus 
 England shewed her reluctance to relinquish 
 the policy of conciliation ; and instead of des- 
 troying the Bogue Ports as Sir Charles Elliot 
 expected, ^as a suitable blow of redress for 
 the local insult of inipfisonment, her forces 
 proceeded to seize Chusan, avowedly only as 
 a temporary port for concentration and safety, 
 pending representations to the Emperor. 
 
 The long waited-for day, 
 whose dawn was to usher in redress, if not 
 retribution, at length arrived; and on the 22nd 
 of June 1840, more than 15 months after our 
 imprisonment, the British Fleet of more than 
 20 vessels led by the "Wellesley" 74, with 
 Admiral Elliot's Flag flying, sailed into the 
 outer roads of Macao, "like a tall Admiral 
 towering in his pride"; a goodly sight to see, 
 as a friend then there pictured it to 
 
PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 Immediately after, Commodore Sir Gordon 
 Bremer declared a Blockade of Canton river, 
 to take effect in July ; and soon after a second 
 fleet came into Macao.- 
 
 Admiral Elliot and Sir Charles, 
 his Nephew, were appointed joint-Plenipo- 
 tentiaries, and before proceeding North, Sir 
 Charles issued a Manifesto to the Chinese peo- 
 ple, setting forth the grievances of the English; 
 and stating that no harm would be done those 
 who pursued their peaceful occupations, as the 
 difficulty was wholly between the two Govern- 
 ments and the Queen of England had sent 
 high Officers to make the truth known to the 
 Emperor. The movements to Chusan and the 
 Peiho I have already alluded to. 
 
 So tardy was the concentration 
 of the forces in those days of sails (there 
 being but three steamers of small power in the 
 whole fleet) that a conference could not be 
 obtained at or near Tientsin until the 31st of 
 August. The promises of the Imperial Com- 
 missioner were unexceptionable; but had they 
 not been so, the season was too late to move 
 forces into the Gulf of Pechelee, if indeed 
 H. M. Government ever intended so moderate 
 a force to attempt a movement of the kind. 
 
 Upon informing the Com- 
 missioner of the declaration of Blockade and 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 55 
 
 representing the consequent necessity to allow 
 all American ships, arriving before the date 
 indicated, to sail directly into the Eiver with- 
 out waiting for Permits to each, he replied 
 that it was an egregious mistake or audacious 
 falsehood that the English intended to inst- 
 itute a Blockade. 
 
 It was not until a month 
 after the Blockade was laid on the river that, 
 in August, I went to Macao in a Chop Boat 
 by the inner passage, passing through Shun- 
 tuck and Hearng Shan Districts ; taking with 
 me two lacks, or lacs of two kinds, as fruits of a 
 labor of more than 16 months since the impri- 
 sonment began, one a lac of Dollars, the 
 other a lack of health, : from sheer exhaustion: 
 But the latter was assuaged by the written 
 testimonials that my English friends generous- 
 ly added to my pecuniary fortune. 
 
 Lin offered large rewards 
 for the capture of British ships and people ; 
 and succeeding, thus, in getting the Revd. 
 Vincent Stanton into his hands, (who was seiz- 
 ed whenbathing atCarcillasbay just beyond the 
 walls of Macao and quite within the Barrier,) 
 and was near making a Martyr of him ; he, 
 the celestially -enlightened High Commis- 
 sioner, having thought at one time of immo- 
 lating Mr Stanton as a sacrifice to the God 
 
56 PEKIXG THE GOAL, 
 
 of War ! Later on, we heard of the Emperor's 
 gathering alarm and consequent dissatisfaction 
 with Lin, an Edict having come from the 
 Throne ordering him to return ''with the speed 
 of flames" to Peking ; adding 
 
 'you have not only proved yourself unable to cut oft 1 their 
 'trade, but you have also proved yourself unable to seize 
 'perverse Natives. You have but dissembled with empty 
 'words* and so far from having been any help in the affair, 
 'you have caused the waves of confusion to arise, and a 
 
 'thousand interminable disorders are sprouting it ap- 
 
 'pears then you are no better than a wooden image : I am 
 'filled with anger and melancholy." 
 
 After the capture of Mr. 
 Stanton, Captain, afterward Sir Harry Smith 
 of H. M. S. "Volage" came to the house that 
 I occupied with Mr Bull, accompanied by the 
 celebrated and then venerable Thomas Beale, 
 former head of the House of Messrs Beale 
 & Magniac, the predecessors of Messrs Jardine 
 Matheson & Co. (and Father of the late Mr. 
 Thos. Chay Beale of Shanghae), to introduce 
 him, with a request to be permitted to recon- 
 noitre the Chinese postion at the Barrier, 
 where Lin's forces were fortifying themselves 
 preparatory to again driving the English away 
 from Macao. There were two rooms surmo- 
 unting the roof of our house, reached by a 
 flight of winding stairs, from whence a very 
 comprehensive view was had ; and I remember 
 that as we conducted the gallant Officer, who 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 57 
 
 had a slight impediment in his speech, up the 
 stairs, he exclaimed "Why ! you have here 
 perfect coo-r-k screw stairs."- -The next day 
 the "Volage" and "Hyacinth," with one only 
 Steamer he had were sent as near the beach 
 of the Barrier as they could lie to bombard 
 the sand batteries of the Chinese ; landed a 
 small force of Marines, driving the native forces 
 away toward Caza branca ; the Junks by which 
 they came from Canton mostly escaping up 
 the inner harbour, where the "Hyacinth" was 
 sent to chase them. 
 
 Acting strictly in terms of 
 the Manifesto to the people, the only coercive 
 measure taken locally, pending the appeal to 
 the Emperor, was the Blockade of Canton 
 river ; the movement at Macao being strictly 
 within the limits of self-defence. 
 
 It was Sir Charles Elliot's 
 opinion, as I have intimated, that the Bogue 
 Forts should be blown up as a proper local 
 blow of redress, whose echoes would reach the 
 Emperor's ears ; it being obvious that the fact 
 of a Blockade, if at all, would only reach Pe- 
 king stripped of its significance : But the 
 British Government were still bent upon pur- 
 suing a course of moderation, whether from 
 a well-considered line of policy or not, I can 
 only conjecture. In that light, its sending 
 
58 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 an inadequate force is comprehensible ; but 
 otherwise, the withholding of a wholesome 
 local blow of redress was a real lapse in states- 
 manship, as was the inability to reach Peking 
 a still more glaring one. 
 
 Whatever the reasons for 
 this course of action, may have been, the result 
 was that the Plenipotentiaries returned from 
 the North the last of November, leaving the 
 most of the Fleet and Troops at Chusan to 
 await the promised investigation and redress 
 by Ke Shen, whom the Emperor deputed to 
 Canton for the purpose. 
 
 Upon sending a steamer to 
 the Bogue with a letter from Ilipu to Kes- 
 hen, she was fired upon by the forts ; but 
 Keshen promptly apologised. Soon after this, 
 Admiral Elliot returned to England, leaving 
 Sir Charles sole Plenipotentiary ; and he pro- 
 ceeded with negotiations in December at the 
 Bogue : But returned to Macao before the 1st 
 of January 1841, on which day I remember 
 meeting him in Mrs Coolidge's drawing room 
 just as he came in to pay her "the Compli- 
 ments of the Season" as he expressed himself. 
 Immediately after, he returned to the Bogue 
 and on Keshen's refusing the terms he had 
 submitted to him in December, Sir Gordon 
 Bremer moved some of the farces to the attack 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 59 
 
 of the forts on the 7th of January and captured 
 those of Chunepee anclTae-Kok-Tow: When 
 Keshen proposed an armistice ; and resuming 
 negotiations, reported to the Emperor the in- 
 adequacy of the defensive preparations. On 
 the 20th, Sir Charles issued a Notice to the 
 eifect that Hongkong was ceded (he having 
 first demanded Chunepee by right of capture); 
 $ 6.000.000. were to be paid as indemnity 
 in six annual instalments; direct Official inter- 
 course on a footing of equality ; and the Eng- 
 lish Trade to be resumed at Canton on the 
 1st of February. These were the best terms to 
 be had at that day.- Meantime Lin and his 
 friends had memorialized the Emperor against 
 peaceful measures ; and it soon became ap- 
 parent that the stipulations of the Treaty 
 would not be obseved : And it was afterward 
 known that the Emperor had issued orders on 
 the 27th of January to resume the War. 
 
 Here, then, we found ourselves 
 in a state of War by the clearly expressed 
 will of the Emperor ; all Foreigners being 
 practically involved, as we Neutrals soon learnt 
 to our cost, though none but British subjects 
 were active participants in it 
 
 War makes all the relations 
 of life incisive ; it sharpens wits, tongues 
 and eyes, as well as swords. 
 
(50 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 And though it may be thought 
 that War with the Chinese was then War 
 'with a difference'; yet if we admit that sang- 
 uinary warfare guerra al cnchillo, War to 
 the knife, that implies great heat of blood, 
 is repugnant to their civilization, as it is to 
 ours, we must at the same time aver, that 
 there is a countervailing coldness of heart, 
 spiced with a relentless cruelty and superstit- 
 ion that wreaks a slower vengeance upon their 
 prisoners or immolates them as a propitiation 
 to their Gods. And War by the will of the 
 sacred Emperor against the "outer Barbarians" 
 aroused a zeal among gentry and people gen- 
 erally, more dangerous at that day than the 
 hireling spirit of the professional soldier. 
 
 That the Emperor was then 
 in dread earnest his Edict disgracing Keshen 
 and confiscating his large Estate left no doubt, 
 as these brief extracts shew : His Majesty 
 said : 
 
 'I am aroused to the deepest and most wrathful indignation. 
 We know not what kind of nerve he must really 
 
 'possess to be thus easily alarmed. Thus our favors he 
 'renders nugatory and betrays his Country, having lost every 
 'spark of the principle implanted in him by Heaven ! Let 
 'him be, therefore, disgraced from Office and put in irons ; 
 'and we appoint Officers to escort him to the Capital, that 
 'rigorous investigation may be instituted : And let all his 
 'property be immediately seized and confiscated," 
 
 Keshen had been convinced 
 by the diplomacy of Sir Charles Elliot and the 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OP PEACE. 
 
 61 
 
 results of the attacks upon the outer defences 
 of the Bogue, that a contest with England 
 was hazardous for the Imperial prestige, if not 
 hopeless ; but the unchastened spirit of the 
 Canton people, inflated, as its hereditary con- 
 ceit of supremacy had been, by the appeals 
 and acts of Lin, responded to, nay, anticipa- 
 ted the call of the Emperor ; thus confirming 
 the opinion of Sir Charles Elliot that a local 
 blow of redress should have been struck on 
 the first arrival of the forces, by the destruction 
 of the Bogue forts. This admirable national 
 spirit in the Canton people has always shewn 
 great elasticity, an elastic tenacity"; and 
 in contradistinction to the more passive nature 
 of the people of the Northern Provinces, formed 
 the nucleus of patriotism through all succeed- 
 ing periods, down to the serious chastening 
 of the capture and occupation of the City by 
 the Allied forces of England and France in 
 the time of Commissioner Yeh : And un- 
 doubtedly still forms the invigorating element 
 of independence that is the surest promise of 
 national advancement. 
 
 The Emperor's mandate order- 
 ing the concentration of Troops upon Canton 
 under four Generalissimoes, one being his own 
 Nephew, was of the most rigorous tenor, 
 disclosing an uncompromising spirit ; and 
 
62 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 denouncing the English as rebellious against 
 Heaven. Rewards of Fifty thousand Dollars 
 for each the heads of Elliot, Bremer, Morrison, 
 and other Chiefs, and lesser sums for their 
 subordinates, were offered in placards all over 
 the Country ; and every device to make the 
 river inaccessible was used : But by the 26th 
 of February all the Bcgue forts, 8 in number, 
 had been captured, Admiral Kwan, the first 
 Chinese Hero who came to the front, after his 
 fleet was destroyed, landing to fight on shore 
 and falling in that of Anunghoy; a day or 
 tw r o after a strong position at the First bar, 
 defended by several thousand men was cap- 
 tured, some of the Tartar and other Northern 
 Soldiers shewing great bravery along with ex- 
 traordinary evolutions, including somersaults in 
 the air, when the British Marines and Soldiers 
 shot them as it were "on the wing." 
 
 Early in March the forces 
 were within four or five miles of Canton ; and 
 a Flag of truce was sent to Sir Charles Elliot : 
 But it was not until he had astounded the 
 Chinese by his vengeful daring, in forcing his 
 way in the "Nemesis" by the inner passage 
 from Macao to Canton, and the other vessels 
 of War also moved upon the City from the 
 other branch of the river, the British Troops 
 reaching the Factories, that he was enabled 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 63 
 
 to announce a local suspension of hostilities 
 and a reopening of the trade, as follows : 
 
 "A suspension of hostilities at Canton in this province has 
 "been this day agreed upon between the Imperial Comniis- 
 "sioner Yang and the undersigned." 
 
 "It has further been publicly proclaimed to the people 
 "under the seals of the Commissioner and of the acting 
 "Governor of the Province, that the trade of the port of 
 "Canton is open, and that British and other foreign Merchants 
 "who may see fit to proceed there for the purpose of lawful 
 "commerce shall be duly protected." 
 
 "No bond will be required by the provincial Governor, 
 "but there will be no objection on the part of the British 
 "Authorities to the like liabilities for the introduction of 
 "prohibited merchandise, or for smuggling (duly proved), 
 "which would follow such offences in England, detention of 
 "person or penal consequences of all kinds excepted. Pending 
 "the final settlement of affiairs between the two Countries, 
 "the undersigned has consented to the payment of the usual 
 "charges and other established duties. Ships of war will 
 "remain in the near neighborhood of the factories, for the 
 "better protection of H. M.'s subjects engaged in the trade 
 "of Canton. 
 
 (signed) CHARLES ELLIOT." 
 
 "Notice is hereby given that British and foreign Mer- 
 "chant vessels have permission to proceed to Whampoa, all 
 "consequences arising from the possible and sudden resum- 
 ption of hostilities of course remaining at the risk of the 
 "parties. 
 
 "Given on board the "Wellesley" off Wangtung 21st 
 "March 1841. 
 
 (signed) J. J. GORDON BREMER. 
 "Commodore 1st Class and Commander-in-chief." 
 
 We Merchants then make 
 the most of the precarious footing we had 
 again gotten here, unloading and loading our 
 ships as quickly as possible ; -and none too 
 diligently, as the result proved : For by the 
 
PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 middle of MET it became evident that the 
 Chinese Authorities purposed treachery ; and 
 it soon appeared that they had the spontaneous 
 loyalty of the whole people to aid, if not incite 
 them : The actual peril to every Foreigner 
 was quietly whispered around the community, 
 so that the attack should not be precipitated ; 
 and the extensive secret preparations were 
 watched as they hourly assumed more threa- 
 tening proportions. Many fire boats and rafts 
 were being prepared up river ; masked batteries 
 erected along the river front on both the Can- 
 ton and Honam sides ; heavy Guns planted in 
 the streets ; and the Temples filled with troops : 
 Observing that Foreigners were beginning to 
 leave, the Mandarins placarded proclamations 
 on the 20th, declaring that no one need be 
 alarmed and commanding all Chinese to attend 
 each to his own business. Eut neither For- 
 eigners or Natives were deceived by the per- 
 fidious document; and on the next day Sir 
 Charles Elliot issued a Notice to all Foreigners 
 warning them to go on board their shipping/ 
 The warning had been too 
 late, but that the danger had been generally 
 felt a week or more before, for that very 
 night the attack came by both land and water. 
 Having sent my Brother 
 Thomas to Macao in advance, with my most 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 65 
 
 movable valuables, I wrote, on the evening 
 of the 20th, to the Captain of my own ship 
 "Hygeia", lying at Whampoa, requesting him 
 to send the Chief-Officer in the ship's boat 
 well-manned, the next morning, sending my 
 letter by a chop boat with Tea ; and I was 
 attending to the shipment of Teas to her and 
 the "Narragansett", during the whole of the 
 21st, while hourly expecting the arrival of the 
 Chief Officer in the boat, as requested. At 
 length at about sunset, just after I had given 
 a Linguist particulars of several chops of Tea 
 for shipment, standing at the door of my 
 Factory in the summer dress of that day 
 thin white linen jacket and trousers, I was 
 accosted by Mr William A. Lawrence of New 
 York, as he was passing in great haste out of 
 the Hong : 
 
 "Why ! IS ye are you still here ! I thought you had left ; you 
 "are the last man iu the place, come, come with me ; the last 
 "boat is starting from Jardine's, there's not a moment to lose, 
 "they are merely waiting for me to return ; it is your only 
 "chance come." 
 
 It was evident that there 
 was no time for parley, so I left my door steps 
 as I stood, scarcely realizing until that moment 
 that, not only all foreigners, but all our native 
 servants had disappeared from the Hong. 
 Hurrying to the Bombay ship's barge, in which 
 were Mr Andrew Jardine and several other 
 
H6 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 Gentleinen, I found her down to the water's 
 edge with passengers and crew : but was wel- 
 comed by Mr Jardine and off we started ; 
 inyself keeping an anxious watch to intercept 
 the "Hygeia's" boat en route. I shall never 
 forget the tedious pull of many hours by the 
 lascar crew, whose usual monotonous song was 
 hushed to prevent calling the attention of the 
 Chinese to the boat ; and the reaction from 
 the heat and excitement of the day was so 
 great that with nothing but thin linen on, I 
 was shaking with chills until one of the Gen- 
 tlemen lent me a heavy woollen overcoat. It 
 was, I think, eleven at night before we got to 
 the shipping and We had not slept more than 
 two or three hours before we heard the roar of 
 cannon at Canton and then felt how narrow our 
 escape had been ; and at daylight we saw that 
 the City was on fire in five places ; the British 
 ships then bombarding it in retaliation for the 
 treacherous night attack : And we all thought 
 the knell of Canton was then sounding in our 
 ears. Not meeting the ' 'Hygeia's" boat, I 
 concluded that my request to send one had not 
 reached or had arrived so late on the 21st that 
 it had been read as meaning the next morning, 
 and I hurried to that ship, just in time to 
 save the mate and crew from pulling into the 
 very jaws of the Dragon, as they did not know 
 of the imminence of danger, though they had 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 67 
 
 heard the cannonade, and, in fact, felt bound 
 to obey my orders. 
 
 That you may realize more 
 vividly than by my feeble accents, the perils of 
 the situation and at the same time appreciate 
 the general sense, if indeed, I may not say, 
 the universal opinion of the treachery of the 
 Chinese, I beg to read to you an original letter 
 from Mr Bull, an old American resident, who 
 was afterward my Partner in our Shanghae 
 House, as follows : 
 
 "Macao, Sunday 23 May 1841. 
 Dear Nye. 1 P. M. 
 
 "Your Brother arrived here safe 
 this morning & has landed all his traps and 
 Hunter and myself arrived safe yesterday 
 We are very happy to learn that all the foreign 
 Community had got away from Canton in 
 safety. From the accounts your Brother gives 
 we think the City was attacked on Friday 
 night and I think the City and Mandarins 
 richly deserve what they will get. Those Hong 
 Merchants and Linguists must have known 
 what was to happen when they told us there 
 was no fear or danger in remaining in Canton. 
 I hope your balance of account is on the right 
 side, for I think there is not much safety for 
 what was left behind. Yours truly, 
 
 G. Nye Jr. Esq. 
 
 Whampoa Isaac M. Bull. 
 
68 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 Mr Bull had then been mis- 
 informed as to all the Foreign Community 
 having gotten away from Canton in safety, 
 nor did he and others at Macao know of my 
 own or the other numerous narrow escapes ; 
 -but when a little later in the day their 
 anxiety was aroused for myself, he and Mr. 
 Gillespie and iny Brother started in my Brig, 
 the "Jane," for Whampoa, and met me the 
 day after just below Whampoa on board an- 
 other Yessel bound down the River. Mean- 
 time, Mr Dent and many others had escaped 
 from the Factories on board the British vessels 
 of War and their tenders, lying along the river 
 front and in the Macao passage ; but when the 
 attack came, were in perilous danger still, 
 there being but two steamers and the sailing 
 Vessels being unmanageable in the darkness 
 of the night, assailed on all sides by Cannon, 
 Jingalls, fire rafts and armed Junks. And 
 still others were in greater jeopardy : Mr. 
 Coolidge of whom I have before spoken 
 and Mr. Morss (the latter of the House of 
 Olyphant & Co.) with two Clerks and a boat's 
 crew of the American ship "Morrison", were 
 intercepted by the attack and compelled to 
 hide in their Hong until day light, when all 
 but Mr. Coolidge attempted to escape in the 
 boat, but were attacked when near Dutch Polly 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 69 
 
 and carried Prisoners into the City, the young- 
 est of the boat's crew, son of Mr. Sherry pf 
 New York, being missing and supposed to be 
 killed or drowned. Mr: CoolidgCj who was 
 left behind, was near being torn in pieces by 
 the mob, when happily he espied a red-button 
 Mandarin and making gestures attracted his 
 attention, who saved his life by giving per- 
 emptory orders to his subordinates to take him 
 to prison. 
 
 I must not forget one incident 
 more of this treacherous attack^ personal to 
 myself and family, that awakened in my Mo- 
 ther's heart a painful sensation when, shortly 
 after, my Brother took home with him to show 
 her, as it were a trophy, a 12fts or 18fts shot 
 that had been fired from the little Bed fort 
 (then a Mandarin station) that is near my 
 present Hong at Honain, and which had passed 
 through the room that five or six hours before 
 I had been in and where also my Brother had 
 been with me within a day or two before, 
 it being used as my Office. Prom the direct- 
 ion the ball took, it would have been fatal to 
 both of us had we been at our desks at the 
 time ; and as my Brother, I fear somewhat 
 mischievously, expatiated upon the narrowness 
 of our escape, my Mother's sensibility was 
 awakened to past or future dangers ; and a 
 
70 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 Maternal Mandate was sent to command my 
 return, from a Country of imprisonments and 
 constant personal hazard, to the bosom of my 
 yearning family. In fact, my Cousin Mr. 
 Hathaway was appealed to in such a reproach- 
 ful strain by my Mother as induced him to write 
 me how disturbing it was to have my continued 
 stay in China imputed to him. 
 
 On the 24th Sir Hugh Goff 
 of the Army and the Naval Chief for the time 
 being, Sir Fleming Senhouse, arrived from 
 Hongkong and made preparations to invest 
 the City ; landing troops to take possession of 
 the Factories and demanding the release of 
 all prisoners ; so that Mr. Coolidge, Mr. Morss 
 and the others were set free after two or three 
 days of imprisonment and fearful suffering 
 and apprehension ; poor young Sherry never 
 being heard of afterward. 
 
 Then was seen the strange 
 thing that has in the second War been repeated 
 by the enrollment of the aptly-called "Bamboo 
 Rifles" at Hongkong, to assist in hostilities 
 against their own Country: Sir Charles Elliot 
 having induced the chop-boat men by dint of 
 power, of course, as well as persuasion, to re- 
 ceive the troops and assist in working the 
 boats up to Lee Ming Koon, *where the most 
 
 * the charming spot where we w T ere recently so delight- 
 fully entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Sampson. 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OT PEACE. 
 
 71 
 
 of tliem landed to beleaguer the City; the 
 Chop-boats offering good shelter from Sun 
 and rain at that most squally season of the 
 year. On the 25th the forces landed and 
 marched to the attack of the rear forts and on 
 the 26th preparations were made to capture 
 or destroy the City, when a parley was requested 
 from the walls in order to agree upon terms 
 of surrender. Night came before the Officers 
 arrived ; and the attack was deferred until 
 morning, when, just as every thing was ready 
 for opening fire, a message came from Sir 
 Charles Elliot to Sir Hugh Goif requesting 
 delay for him to complete negotiations. These 
 were brought to a close on the 27th, resulting 
 in the conditions which H. E. made public on 
 the 5th of June. 
 
 "Macao, 5th June 1841. 
 
 "Tl e perfidy of the Imperial Commissioners having 
 "induced a course of brilliant operations, by land and water, 
 "placing H. M.'s forces in commanding positions over the 
 "walls of Canton, the Authorities, on the 27th ulto., made 
 "overtures for prevention of further hostilities, upon which 
 "the following terms were granted to them. 
 "1st "It is required that the three Imperial Commissioners 
 "and all the troops other than those of the province quit the 
 "City within six days, and proceed a distance of upwards of 
 "sixty miles. 
 
 "2nd "Six millions of dollars to be paid in one week, for the 
 "use of the Crown of England, counting from the 27th May. 
 " One million payable before sunset of the 27th May. 
 "3rd "For the present the British troops to remain in actual 
 "positions. No additional preparation on either side. If 
 "the whole sum agreed upon be not paid within seven days, 
 "it shall be increased to 7 millions ; if not within fourteen 
 
PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 "days, to 8 millions ; if not within twenty days, to 9 millions. 
 "When the whole be paid all the British forces to return 
 "without the Bocca Tigris, and Wangtong and all fortified 
 "places within the river to be re-stored but not to be remanned 
 "or armed till affairs are settled between the two Nations. 
 "4th ""Losses occasioned b.y the destruction of the Factories 
 "and of the Spanish brig "Bilbaino" to be paid within one 
 "week. 
 
 "5th "It is required that the Kwang Chow foo shall produce 
 "full power to 'conclude these arrangements on the part of 
 "the three commrfeskmers, tiie Ooveriior-'General, the General 
 "of the garrison, and the Fooyuen, having their Excellencies' 
 "seals. 
 
 [ ] Seal of the Kwang Chow foo. 
 . "An extensive evacuation of troops having taken 
 "place from the City, with their -arms, but without display of 
 "banners, a ransom of five millions o'f dollars being paid up, and 
 "security taken for the remainder, Her Majesty's forces have 
 "retired from their positions over the City. The places to 
 "be restored to^e delivered up as soon as the departure of 
 "the -two Chief Imperial Commissioners has been ascertained, 
 "and officially reported by the Officer left in command before 
 "Canton. 
 
 "In the brief campaign of less than 10 days a re- 
 "solute night attempt to destroy the ships of War by fire and 
 "other means has been repelled ; a flotilla of upwards of 100 
 "sail of armed and fire vessels have been destroyed : a line 
 "of works, mounting upwards of 60 pieces of artillery, has 
 *'been carried ; and by an unsurpassable combination of 
 "masterly disposition, ardour and constancy, a small British 
 "force ( moved through a Country possessing excessive 
 'difficulties, in the face of a numerous army), wrested from 
 'the enemy in the short space of ten hours, a line of fortsified 
 'and isfreep heights *protected by a well sustained fire from 
 'Jhe City walls ; and dislodged a hea\y and menacing mass 
 'of troops from a strong encampment on the left of their 
 'position, 
 
 "The whole course and results of these most re- 
 "markable and admirably- executed operations will reflect 
 "lasting honour upon the distinguished Officers under whose 
 "command they have been achieved, and upon all arms of 
 ''the force taking part in the success." 
 
THE SOLE HOPIS OF PEACE. 
 
 73 
 
 Meantime, whilst the British 
 forces held their positions, a force of 15.000 
 village braves made an attack : and as in the 
 rain some of the Indian troops got separated 
 from the main body and their muskets got 
 wet, there was an appearance of panic that 
 encouraged the Chinese and led to a deal of 
 self-glorification, that was to do harm in future. 
 There was also intense heat and afterward a 
 tremendous tempest of thunder, lighting and 
 rain. 
 
 On the 29th a still larger 
 force of braves assumed a more menacing at- 
 titude, when Sir Hugh Gough declared to the 
 Mandarins that if the Chinese did not retire, 
 he should open fire upon the City ; whereupon 
 the braves were persuaded to disperse. 
 
 This incident furnished an 
 instructive chapter of the local war and used 
 to crop up on all subsequent occasions of 
 difficulty, until the effectual chastening of the 
 Campaign of Peking : For the Canton braves 
 always boasted that but for the persuasion of 
 their Mandarins, on that occasion, they could 
 have destroyed the whole British force ; and 
 it soon appeared that at Peking this version 
 of the ransom of Canton was believed : In- 
 deed, Yih shan, the Emperor's Nephew, with 
 audacity and falsehood corresponding with his 
 
74 PEKING THE GOAL, - 
 
 previous treachery to Foreigners, reported a 
 victory to his Uncle and bestowed medals upon 
 the troops which he was compelled to disband ; 
 declaring that in the terrible Tempest the 
 Genii of the City of Earns *were seen hovering 
 in the air and so affrighted the Foreigners that 
 they begged for mercy and besought the Man- 
 darins to prevent the braves from exterminat- 
 ing them. Unhappily, too, a Commissary- 
 Officer of rank, who was a stout person, suffer- 
 ed a sun-stroke ; and his head being severed 
 from his body, that, w r ith his sword, fell into 
 the hands of a veritable Chinese Falstaff, who, 
 himself "with fat Capons lined," with all 
 the bombast, had more than the cunning, but 
 none of the redeeming humor, of his renown- 
 ed prototype, whereby to shine in "borrowed 
 plumes" after a dastardly act, as I shall relate. 
 The Son of a Hong-Mer- 
 chant, he had been petted by some of the 
 Company's Officers as a handsome young man 
 and acquired more readiness in English than 
 any other Chinese of his day, which with a 
 marked suavity of manner, enabled him to 
 ingratiate himself with one Foreigner after an- 
 other, whom he in turn deceived, until he 
 became quite notorious for changing Chops 
 of Tea, mixing, &c. &c. and ending with per- 
 sonal quarrels ; one of which with the Chief 
 
 * alluded to at page 5 of 1st Lecture. 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 75 
 
 of a British House of great respectability that 
 has an Establishment here now, spread the 
 bad fame of this Palstaff abroad, as he called 
 his two Chair Coolies to the rescue when the 
 Gentleman attempted to chastise him for his 
 insolence. 
 
 Neither my Cousin or myself 
 had ever dealt with him ; but when, during 
 the summer (of 1841) I returned here, he came 
 to see me and with most elaborate blandish- 
 ments explained to me that he wanted to get 
 up a sort of masquerade to amuse the Ladies 
 of his family, and would be greatly obliged if 
 I would lend him some European garment for 
 the occasion, wherein to envelop himself. I 
 happened to have a Spanish Cloak with tassels 
 and corded borders from South America and 
 lent it to him without hesitation. Time wore 
 on, and at length when wintry weather came 
 and I was about to return to Macao, I be- 
 thought me of my Cloak and sent for it, 
 getting the reply that the borrower was not at 
 home. Repeatedly afterward the same reply 
 came, until, at length, I went once myself, 
 and as I entered the Hong, saw Falstaff dodg- 
 ing me behind the curtain when he, not su- 
 specting that I saw him, sent his servant to 
 say "have go out". Disgusted, I went back 
 to my house ; and some time after an Imperial 
 
76 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 Edict, bestowing rewards upon the Braves 
 and the leaders of the people, for driving the 
 British forces away from Caw ton, was called 
 to my attention : When lo ! the trutbflashed 
 ll pon my benighted mind, on reading that this 
 Ealstaffian Hero had been reported by the 
 military Chiefs as having slain an English 
 Officer of rank, and sent the head, sword and 
 cloak of the Barbarian to Peking, accordingly. 
 -Whereupon Imperial favor was shewn by 
 the bestowal of special commendations and the 
 order that this Bombastes should be decorated 
 with a Peacock's feather! 
 
 Thus in a double sense he 
 shone at Peking in 'borrowed plumes', and 
 was here rewarded with real ones. 
 
 I did not quarrel with him, for 
 my indignation was swallowed up in admirat- 
 ion and wonder at the audacity and adroitness 
 by which he had purloined a Cloak from me 
 and a Peacock's feather from his venerated 
 Emperor, save the mark ! 
 
 And of those, who, dazzled 
 by this Falstaffs' Peacock's feather, have 
 admired his strutting, portly, gait, few have 
 suspected that he shone in plumage filched 
 from the Emperor, and fattened upon Capons 
 the spoil of the State. 
 
 The incident is of utility in 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 77 
 
 my narration, as illustrating the facility with 
 which deception was then practiced upon the 
 Emperor and the consequent imperative neces- 
 sity to reach Peking. 
 
 Aptly true as strange the 
 Ealstaffian parallel does not end with this, 
 for there was here, also, a Prince of the blood, 
 the Emperor's Nephew Yih-shan the Gen- 
 eralissimo infamous for treachery and faith- 
 lessness, as we have seen; and wanting the no- 
 bly-redeeming traits of Shakspeare's flenry 
 of England. 
 
 And as to this grandiloquent 
 recounter of fabulous victories over the foreign 
 Barbarians, fit Chief of our local Ealstaif, 
 he must be recognized, in the history of our 
 intercourse, as the most shiningBlade-(though 
 false was the glitter) of his Race and Cou- 
 ntry, until we reach the ne phis ultra in per- 
 fidy and cowardly cruelty in the capture and 
 torture of Sir Harry Parkes and his Compan- 
 ions, near Peking, by that Prince of Nomads, 
 or Allmads, tJie creme-de-la-creme 0' Tartar, 
 
 SANG-KO-LIN-TSIN. 
 
78 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 Thus the Campaign of Can- 
 ton ended with no marked effect upon the 
 relations with the Court of Peking ; but its 
 inception and conclusion alike reflected the 
 diplomatic ability of Sir Charles Elliot, whilst 
 the forced trade had enabled the Merchants 
 to effect a mutually advantagous interchange 
 of Imports and Exports and had brought cor- 
 relative gain also to both the British and 
 Chinese Government Exchequers. 
 
 But before even its inception 
 was known in England, two Chiefs into whose 
 hands fell Swords without scabbards,-- Sir 
 Henry Pottinger and Sir William Parker, 
 came out to supersede Sir Charles Elliot and 
 Sir Gordon Bremer and, in conjunction with 
 Sir Hugh Gough, carry the war to the North. 
 
 Reviewing this Eirst Campaign in China, as 
 we may call it, we detect at once the funda- 
 mental error of Her Majesty's Government 
 in the inadequacy of the force provided, 
 namely, the worst of all errors in War, the 
 underrating, not to say despising of the enemy; 
 and the ignoring of the potent fact that, in 
 tropical Countries especially, the elements of- 
 ten seem, as it were, to conspire to war for 
 those who will not defend themselves. 
 
THE SOLE HOP74 OF PEACE. 
 
 79 
 
 The result of the visit of 
 Admiral and Sir Charles Elliot to the Peiho 
 was what I had virtually foretold, a fresh 
 rupture ; and as Sir Heury Pottinger, eighteen 
 months later, detected the error and saw that 
 even his augmented force was insufficient for 
 a campaign to Peking, the essential point to 
 assure peaceful future relations was not reached 
 during the first War. 
 
 Hence, continued repellence and 
 impracticability and the inevitable incidents of 
 complete dead-locks leading to fresh ruptures ; 
 
 the characteristics of an armed truce or 
 quasi War. 
 
 I have now reached the point 
 whereat to touch what I considered the very 
 Key -Note of policy ; and where I fear you will 
 see cause to accuse me of undue egotism in 
 now r sounding it, as it were, in my own praise, 
 although I claim only to have written at former 
 periods, as I now speak, with perfect sincerity. 
 
 Aiming to reflect the spirit of the time, so 
 far as I am instinct with it, whether in the ap- 
 preciation of political events and their origin, 
 or in the lighter incidents of social life, I have 
 invited you to accompany me through the 
 halls of memory, whose walls are peopled 
 with the images of those who trode yonder 
 streets, to thus convey to your mind's eye, 
 
80 
 
 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 as it were, not only a visible picture of the 
 reality, but to faithfully present, also, a 
 measured conception,- at least, of the latent 
 cruses and impelling motives of the actions 
 of the ruling minds of those days. 
 
 I fin, nevertheless, mindful 
 that however truthfully I may thus present the 
 record, and however successfully I may have 
 probed to latent principles of action, there are 
 also counteracting and impelling causes and 
 motives- of an accidental or fortuitous char- 
 acter which powerfully influence or control 
 the course of events. 
 
 It is in this spirit that I 
 recur to the intimation I gave, when reading 
 extracts of the Memorial to the Congress of 
 the United States which I drafted, that I re- 
 served its essential suggestive point for future 
 notice. That point is made in these words : 
 
 "We beg to submit to your decision, the expediency of ap- 
 pointing a Minister to the Court of Peking, empowered to 
 "establish equitable relations ; whereby his right of residence 
 "at the Seat o/ Government ii'ould be secured as a preliminary ; 
 " when as we believe, all reasonable propositions for the 
 "mutual security of Trade and intercourse would be entertain - 
 "ed by the Supreme Government." 
 
 Thus it was that, so early as 
 April 23rd 1839, a month before the British 
 Memorial was drawn up, I enunciated what 
 at every stage of future relations proved to be 
 the first condition of a good understanding; 
 
THE SOLE HOPIS OF PEACK 
 
 81 
 
 that is to say, the Minister s right of residence 
 at Peking, which I said ivould be secured as a 
 preliminary. 
 
 The British Memorial 
 not only makes no distinct point of this kind, 
 it does not even allude to the Seat of Go- 
 vernment ; but in the most generalized form 
 suggests attempts to modify existing relations : 
 Thus, the only allusions to a change are in 
 the following paragraph : 
 
 "We therefore think your Lordship will be 
 "convinced that some serious alterations in our relations 
 "with this Empire are indispensably necessary ; and that 
 "British Commerce can never safely be carried on, and 
 "certainly can never flourish in a Country where our persons 
 "and property are alike at the mercy of a capricious and 
 "corrupt Government. 
 
 I had lost sight of the memorial 
 that I drafted, for 31 years ; but as in the 
 meantime this sine qua non of friendly relat- 
 ions had been constantly ignored by our Go- 
 vernments, I had at various periods recalled 
 my emphatic Denunciation of it in the letter 
 of June 5th 1840 already quoted : and when, 
 in November 1856, the local hostilities com- 
 menced with High Commissioner Yeh, I em- 
 bodied the some opinion in the " Rationale 
 of the China Question" in various forms ; but 
 will cite only two or three instances. 
 
 Thus, I then wrote : 
 
 "We have taken the liberty to reproduce the letter of June 
 
PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 "1840 because we find a retrospective view vivified by a 
 "contemporaneous expose of tbe situation ; but chiefly, 
 "also, because the opinions we thus expressed sixteen years 
 "ago, have now the test of time and experience justifying a 
 "reiteration of the most important of them, which has now, 
 "even more than then, a comprehensiveness of meaning, 
 "namely: The indispensable necessity to proceed to Peking for 
 "redress of past wrongs and security of future rights.'" And I 
 "added :- l( this is the voice of the past that we venture to 
 "ecJio to-day, not our oicn feeble wail for opportunities lost." 
 
 Again, in alluding to the claim of universal 
 supremacy by the Emperor, I said : "Longer 
 
 "toleration of such absurd claims, or a course evading the 
 "issue that they involve, will be fktal to all hope of real 
 "progress ; whereas, by plucking up the roots of the prime 
 "evil at Peking, we cause the branches all over the Country 
 "to wither at once."- - Again : "If the late Emperor, as 
 "we see by his own words, thought the English destitute of 
 "any high purpose, in 1849, what will the present one 
 "think now, if the rights of equality are not claimed where, 
 "only, they can be, becomingly or effectively at Peking ?" 
 Again : "A suitable reception at Peking is now, surely, the 
 "only admissible preliminary proof of amity and the sole 
 
 "touch-stone of good faith." "Refusal of suitable re- 
 
 "ception at Peking and residence of Agent there imposes the 
 "exaction of material guaranties by possession of the Islands 
 "of Chusan and Formosa." 
 
 Such are some of the iterat- 
 ions to which I felt impelled in those more 
 exciting times. 
 
 And I well remember that, 
 after His Excellency Mr Eeed, the American 
 Minister had just finished the reading of the 
 whole of my "Rationale of the China Quest- 
 ion" at one sitting, in December 1857, and 
 thereupon invited me to a walk with him, to 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 83- 
 
 talk the subject oven, he said "you tnke an 
 extreme view, Mr. Nye, you go further than 
 Lord Elgin,". 
 
 "Well Sir," I said, "then Your Excellency will find 
 'that Lord Elgin stops short of the needs of the time : I 
 'write in the interest of the Chinese people, not of their 
 'Rulers ; and whether the latter are weak or strong, there's 
 'not less a necessity to go to Peking : The future cannot 
 'be assured short of that."- 
 
 But what, on the other hand, 
 wns the course of the Foreign Ministers upon 
 that vital point of reaching Peking? Neither 
 of them went there ; but made Treaties at 
 Tientsin, the Ambassadors of England and 
 France alone stipulating for the mere option 
 of residence of their Ministers at Peking ; 
 the same right accruing to Russia and America 
 under the favored-Nation clause. 
 
 And what was the result of 
 this halting policy ?-Why!-upon the approach 
 of Sir Frederick Bruce to the mouth of the 
 Peiho, proceeding toward Peking with the 
 ratified Treaty, -the Gunboats escorting him 
 were fired upon by the Taku forts and the 
 Forces then brought up to aid the fleet were 
 defeated with great slaughter. 
 
 And thus it was, also, that 
 
 Lord Elgin and Baron Gros were compelled 
 
 to come the second time from Europe to China, 
 
 and, with a large force, proceed step by 
 
 step to the Capture of Peking ; ivith what 
 
84 PEKING THE GOAL, 
 
 further loss of valuable lives and what piteous 
 suffering, the painful and heroic record tells ! 
 
 It is to confirmations such 
 as these, repeated as the very logic of events, 
 at every new phase of our relations, that I 
 appeal, for the value of my original opinions 
 of 1839-40 : And which embolden me to 
 approach the point whereat I have aimed, in 
 now calling your attention to this incident in 
 my historical studies and personal experience. 
 
 It has been recently said of 
 a distinguished Historian of England*, by 
 the most acute of modern thinkers f, that 
 "he has shewn two eminent faculties of an 
 Historian, the faculty of seeing wholes and 
 the faculty of seeing and saying particulars : 
 The one makes History valuable, and the 
 other makes it readible interesting." 
 
 Now, far be it from me to 
 claim recognition in the dignified walk of 
 History ; but if I had discerned from the first, 
 - in this necessity to reach Peking and end, 
 once for all. the assumption of supremacy, that 
 one of the several wholes, which the History 
 of Foreign intercourse with China has since 
 presented as the very Key-stone of the arch of 
 the superstructure of peaceful relations, I 
 am sure you will indulge my pointing to it : 
 
 * Mr. Froude. f Mr. Emerson. 
 
THE SOLE HOPE OF PEACE. 
 
 AVhilst my ambition is, simply to so narrate 
 particulars that you shall feel repaid the at- 
 tention that you so generously accord ine ; 
 and my hope, that the fidelity of my sketch 
 may so far atone for its fragmentary character 
 as to lead you to accept it as part of the ma- 
 terials of History. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 87 
 
 THE EAST INDIA COMPANY. 
 
 Note referring topagesQto 25 of the\st Lecture. 
 
 As it appears that although 
 I was quite unaware of it when I delivered my 
 first Lecture my eulogium of the Honorable 
 Company was singularly fitting in point of 
 time, I may be permitted to here recall atten- 
 tion to what I said and to reproduce what so- 
 unds almost like an echo of it ; the coincidence 
 being the more remarkable because of the 
 correspondence in point of time, although of 
 course that was quite accidental. 
 
 I allude to the following 
 editorial of the London Times of April 8th, 
 which was 67 days after the delivery of my 
 Lecture, and I am glad to enrich my sketch 
 of the Company's brilliant and useful nay 
 majestic and beneficent career, with a his- 
 torical notice at once as comprehensive as it 
 is succinct and essentially confirmatory of my 
 own appreciation of it. 
 
 "THE EAST INDIA COMPANY." 
 The Birth and Growth of England's Rule in Asia. 
 
 From the London Times, April 8. 
 "Not many days ago the House of Commons passed a 
 resolution which at one time would have had profound 
 political significance, but which now possesses merely an 
 antiquarian or historical interest. Notice was given to the 
 East India Company that its accounts are to be finally wound 
 up and arrangement made for the redemption of the dividend 
 
88 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 upon its stock by the end of April, 1874. A bill for effecting 
 those objects is being carried through Parliament by Mr. 
 Grant Duff and Mr. Ayrton. The commutation proposed by 
 the bill is favorable both to the finances of the Indian Govern- 
 ment and to the pecuniary interest of the proprietors of East 
 India stock. If any of the latter class think fit to refuse the 
 terms of commutation* their claims will 'be paid off by the 
 30th of April, 1874, at the rate of 200 sterling for every 
 100 of stock. In these fiscal arrangements there is nothing 
 that calls particularly ior remark. But another clause of the 
 bill provides for the dissolution of the Company itself, and 
 the final extinction of all its powers, on the 1st of June, 1874. 
 This is an event which brings to mind reflections not unlike 
 those aroused by the news that a Royal or Imperial exile has 
 passed away at Claremont or Chiselhurst. The dissolution 
 contemplated by the bill formally closes a chapter in our 
 national history and in the record of civilized progress which 
 the world will not let die ; and though the doom of "John 
 Company" was irrevocably pronounced more than fourteen 
 years ago, an historical figure so unique and so imposing 
 cannot be permitted to pass without a last w T ord,to the oblivion 
 of the sepulchre. 
 
 In its day and its day was a century crowded with 
 great events the Company showed itself the equal of the 
 mightiest Monarchs, and of the proudest of conquering 
 dynasties. We have compared it in its last moments with 
 exiled and deposed royalty ; but what line of emperors or 
 kings could point to a domain so splendid, so marvelously 
 won ? When Leipsic and Waterloo overthrew the fabric of 
 Napoleon's Empire, the World wondered at first how the 
 catastrophe came to pass, but afterward wondered more why 
 in so hollow and unnatural a structure it had been so long 
 delayed. But in India "John Company" sprang full armed 
 and a predestined conqueror into political life not much more 
 than a century ago. After 150 years of slow and discourag- 
 ing development as a trading association, the "Merchants 
 Adventurers," despised before by their native customers and 
 their European rivals as a sleepy, groveling, and cold-blooded 
 set of second-rate shop-keepers, gave proof on a sudden of the 
 qualities of their race, subjugated an Empire, founded a 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 89 
 
 polity, and gave England for all time a foremost place as an 
 Asiatic Power. Little did the London traders who, in the 
 first year of the seventeenth century, set up in business under 
 a charter from Queen Elizabeth, dream of conquest and Im- 
 perial power in the distant East. With difficulty, after 
 various incitements to national and commercial rivalry afford- 
 ed by the success of the Portuguese and the Dutch, the 
 capital of 30.000 was subscribed, and during the first cen- 
 tury of the Company's existence the tardiness of its progress 
 as a commercial organization seemed to justify the distrust 
 with which its foundation was received. It was at the epoch 
 of the Revolution that the prospects of our "Merchants Adven- 
 turers" began to brighten and expand. The daring spirit of 
 the Childs the able brothers who ruled the Company during the 
 last quarter of the seventeenth century; counted for some- 
 thing in the growth of its trade and, wealth, but the corner- 
 stone of its rising greatness was Tea. Indeed, for more 
 than 150 years later the Cnina trade, in which Tea was the 
 principal item, was financially the mainstay of the Company. * 
 But, however the trade might have been extended, political 
 power would never have come within the reach of the "Mer- 
 chants Adventurers" if they had not been wise enough to 
 appease, early in the reign of Anne, the rivalry which its 
 successes had created in the Eastern trade. In 1702 the 
 "Interlopers" and the Scotch East India Company, who held 
 a separate charter from James I., were amalgamated with 
 the original body of "Merchants Adventurers," as the "United 
 
 * Yes Tea of which, by its Charter, it 
 was bound to keep a full year's consumption 
 always in stock in England was long the 
 very staff of life, pecuniarily, to the Company. 
 
 It was in 1668 that the Company's Agent 
 at Bantam (in Java) was desired to send home 
 lOOfos of Tea, the best to be had, as the order 
 ran : Such was the beginning, about two 
 centuries ago, of the great Trade that was en- 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 East India Company." This last association was established 
 by Royal charter, and, in spite of many and most vital changes, 
 it has continued to exist, under different prolongations find 
 transfonnations of its authority, down to the piesent time. 
 This, in fact, is the Company which the bill now before 
 Parliament is intended to dissolve. 
 
 With the eighteenth century a new r career opened in 
 India for the English, now comparatively free from internal 
 divisions, though as yet they failed to perceive the scope of 
 their destinies. But the rivalry of the French, who had 
 succeeded to the. Dutch, as the Dutch had succeeded to the 
 Portuguese, in the hegemony of European civilization in the 
 East, whetted the ardor of our countiymen. To Dupleix we 
 owe Cliv-e, and to Olive we owe our Empire in India. It is 
 fair to confess that the French weie before us in that art by 
 which we won our Eastern dominions. It was with Sepoy 
 armies, led by Englishmen, that all our great Indian triumphs 
 before the shattering of mutual faith in 1857, were obtained. 
 The defense of Arcot, the victory of Plassy, the apparent 
 ease with which the English rulers of India trampled down 
 both the moldering pride of the Moguls and the fierce young 
 strength of the Mahrattas, impressed the imagination of the 
 Hindoos with an undefined but overwhelming sense of the 
 greatness of "Kompani Bahaudur," and this superstitious 
 reverence remained untouched by temporary disasters until 
 the mutiny. Then all at onc^ it passed away. The spell of 
 the Company's power was broken ; and if the Crown had not 
 assumed supreme authority in India, the result of attempting 
 to govern through the old forms under the new conditions 
 would probably have been disastrous. Yet the interval 
 
 ormously gainful to the Company ; and the 
 question has been suggested, as to what would 
 be British relations with India at this time, if 
 Tea had not become a necessity in Europe 
 and America and thus sustained the Company 
 financially during the critical periods of its 
 existence. G. N. Jr. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 between the battle of Plassey and the mutiny, which is cov- 
 ered by the period of true political dominion administered by 
 the Company, is one of the most honorable in the annals of 
 the civilized World. Never did ary Government resting its 
 title merely upon conquest, rule so ably, so humanely, and 
 yet so firmly for an equal space of time. The steady progress 
 of Military success, of political power, and of improved 
 administration scarcely finds a check at any single period 
 between the return of Clive to India in 1765, and the Queen's 
 proclamation of 1858. This is not the language of mere 
 panegyric. The East India Company came to an end years 
 ago, and to-day we only celebrate its obsequies and write its 
 epitaph. We acknowledge its errors and shortcomings: they 
 were many, and sometimes they seemed to counterbalance 
 the advantages of its government. But when we take con- 
 siderable periods of time, and thus review the progress of 
 English power and of civilized Government in India, w r e are 
 constrained to acknowledge the admirable results of the 
 Company's despotism. Yet these benevolent despots were 
 no philosophers, no philanthropists, no Antonines. They 
 were simply speculators in East India stock." 
 
 Nay Ithis is stinted, halting 
 praise that both the Times and myself accord 
 the Company : - For, in addition to the 
 civilizing and beneficent effects of its stable 
 rule upon the people of India and the correl- 
 ative recompense to the people of England, 
 we must remember that it was through its 
 patronage and instrumentality that the Wes- 
 tern Nations became enriched by a great acces- 
 sion to their knowledge of Oriental literature ; 
 and the magnitude of the debt to the Company 
 for this may best be measured by the language 
 of one of Germany's most profound philosop- 
 hers : 
 
1)2 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 'For the knowledge of tLe Sanscrit tongues and literature 
 'an event in literary importance inferior only to the revival 
 'of Greek learning, and in a religious and philosophic point 
 'of view, pregnant, perhaps, with greater results, mankind 
 'have been indebted to the influence of British commerce ; 
 'and it is not one of the least services which that commerce 
 'has rendered to the cause of civilization. In the promotion 
 'of Sanscrit learning, the Merchant Princes of Britain emu- 
 'lated the noble zeal displayed four centuries before by the 
 'Merchant Princes of Florence, in the encouragement and 
 'diffusion of Hellenic literature" 
 
 G. N. Jr. 
 
 With reference to the close of the 1st Lecture, I beg 
 to recall what I wrote in September 1864, desiderating the 
 construction of a Railway hence to the Tea Districts of 
 Hunan. 
 
 Extract of a Circular of the writer dated 
 
 Canton, 8th September, 1864. 
 
 " If in the meantime English and French capitalists 
 would devote a portion of their surplus means to the one 
 measure which of all others would most promote the welfare 
 of the Chinese people while yielding a prolific return to the 
 promoters of it and conserving the beneficent purposes of 
 Government, security, peace, plenty and progress, by 
 commencing the Railway from Canton toward Hankow, 
 projected by Sir Macdonald Stephenson, the reprehensible 
 errors and short-comings of the past may be measurably 
 compensated. 
 
 By thus increasing the volume of business the newly- 
 formed Instruments of it, the Banking Companies so 
 frequently announced, based upon the surplus means of the 
 prosperous people of England and France, Holland and 
 Germany and the large gains of the older Banks, may most 
 surely promote their own prosperity. 
 
 The most pressing want of the Railway is between 
 Canton and Siangtan the great Tea Mart on the Siang River 
 about midway of the Hunan Province, whereat the "Oopack" 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 93 
 
 and "Moning" as well as the "Qonain" Teas are packed and 
 sold ; and as that river is navigable for steamers some distance 
 this side of Siangtan, the general traffic might commence 
 soon after the Railway reaches that Province. 
 
 From rather precise information from several Gentle- 
 men who passed over the route a few years since, we are 
 confident that there is no considerable elevation to overcome 
 and that altogether the construction would prove cheaper 
 than any Railway known to British Contractors." 
 
 NYE & Co. 
 
 September 23d 1864. 
 
 "Reverting to the subject of the proposed Railway 
 from Canton to Hankow, as the measure of all others available 
 most fraught with blessings both moral and material to the 
 Chinese people, as reaching in this double sense and most 
 directly the heart of the Empire, we cannot but allude 
 again to the compensation due to them as passive sufferers 
 in the destructive collisions of the two civilizations, out of 
 which the obvious gain has chiefly been to our own, to 
 point out that in taking the initiative of forcible inculcation, 
 we committed ourselves to the correlative obligation to con- 
 tribute the beneficent results of Western civilization, as 
 embodied in Railways and other means of intercommunic- 
 ation and hence of moral and social culture prelusive of those 
 of a spiritual nature. But we have no need to appeal to a 
 sense of duty for incentive to this undertaking, since the 
 volume of trade alone and irrespective of the passenger traffic 
 of this populous Country, will suffice for its ample produc- 
 tiveness to the Shareholders. 
 
 And since its utility to the Government, as a means 
 of preserving order, is susceptible of clear demonstration to 
 the Court of Peking, we may hope that the present cordial 
 accord of the four Great Powers in presence there Iby their 
 able Representatives, England, France, Russia and America, 
 may be effective in obtaining, not only the permissive 
 sanction of the Imperial Government but its assurance of 
 pecuniary support of this undertaking." 
 
 NYE & Co. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 COMMENDATORY NOTICES OF THE FIRST LECTURE. 
 
 (from the China Review, North-China Herald, Shanghae 
 
 Courier, Daily Press, China Mail, &c.) 
 
 REVIEW. 
 
 The Morning of my Life in China, by G. Nye, Esq. 
 "THE author of this interesting work is an American Gentle- 
 man who has resided in China in a mercantile capacity, with 
 slight intervals of travels to his home and to Europe, for 
 forty years. Literary pursuits are like greatness some are 
 born authors and some have authorship thrust upon them. 
 Mr. Nye seems to belong to the latter category, and the his- 
 tory of the small volume under review is as follows : At 
 Canton the Venerable Archdeacon Gray, with two merchants, 
 one an Englishman and the other a German in an American 
 house, formed themselves into a Committee for providing the 
 Community with entertainments of an amusing and instructive 
 nature during the winter of 1872-1873, and among many 
 gentlemen who favored them with their literary and musical 
 talents, Mr. Nye was, as an old and respected resident, 
 applied to for aid, which with his usual good nature he at 
 once promised. He chose for his subject* the "Morning of 
 his life in China," and gave his audience an account of the 
 political and commercial events in Canton from 1838 to 1839, 
 which was probably one of the most important periods in- the 
 history of the intercourse between the eastern and western 
 portions of the world. Mr. Nye treated the subject in so 
 masterly a manner, his remarks were so thoughtful and his 
 descriptions were so graphic that many of his auditors, 
 composed of missionaries, officials and merchants, were 
 anxious to peruse in print what had interested them so much 
 in delivery, and requested Mr. Nye to publish his lecture. 
 The result of this request is now before us ; and by its hand- 
 some type and beautiful paper, does justice alike to the im- 
 portant period described and to the able manner in whch it 
 'w r as treated. 
 
 To Occidentals of all classes, who, like ourselves, are apt 
 to be despondent at the slow and almost imperceptible 
 
 * the subject was suggested by the initiator 
 of the course of Lectures. 
 
APPENDIX. 95 
 
 progress China herself and our relations with China, whether 
 political, religious or commercial, seem to make, we would 
 recommend the perusal of Mr. Nye's work ; that they may 
 from perceiving how all things have advanced in the past in 
 the memory of a man still in the vigor of life, form brighter 
 hopes for the future. Progress itself may be likened to some 
 heavy locomotive which requires enormous efforts before it 
 is set in motion at all, and which moves slowly at first, but 
 gathers speed the further it advances, until, at last, its course 
 is irresistible. And though it would be doing a great injustice 
 to the many merits of Mr. Nye's lecture, to suppose that this 
 is the only merit it possesses, we shall be forced by want of 
 space and the multifarious interests Mr. Nye has expatiated 
 on, to confine our attention to this one point. Compare, for 
 instance, the secret way Mr. Nye had to be smuggled into 
 Canton with the freedom with which we now travel in the 
 interior, and surely we may find in the contrast some ground 
 for hope that the restrictions which now fetter our trade and 
 intercourse to a few spots, may soon be entirely removed ; 
 that merchants may shortly be permitted to open houses 
 wherever they can find trade, and that Mr. Burlingame's 
 saying of the flaming cross being set up on a myriad of hills 
 may turn out to have been a prophecy, though it was at the 
 time of its utterance a gross exaggeration. Compare too the 
 time when the "outer waters had as yet never been vexed 
 "with the incisive prow of a steamer" to the present time, 
 when steam Companies are so numerous and so successful, 
 that last year a steam Company entirely owned by Chinese 
 was started. Surely it cannot be a long interval before that 
 which is found so profitable on the sea, shall not only be in- 
 troduced into the rivers and creeks, but that Mr. Nye's wish 
 will soon be fulfilled and "our native friends will learn to 
 "welcome the neighing of the iron-horse as he careers from 
 town to town exultingly." Compare too the law that no 
 "foreign lady or other contraband" might be admitted at 
 Canton and the refusal of the authorities to see our Minister, 
 with the present delightful society we have at all the ports 
 of China and the civility accorded in general by all classes to 
 us ; as well as with the pleasing fact that Chinese ladies have 
 been known, though rarely, to visit their European and 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 American sisters. Is it too sanguine to expect that the 
 Audience Question will be soon satisfactorily and definitely 
 settled ; and that our countrymen, in which term we include 
 French, Germans, Spaniards, Americans, Portuguese, &c., 
 will soon be welcomed in Chinese Society with the respect 
 their knowledge, civilization and gentlemanly bearing entitle 
 them to. 1833 to 1873, 40 yearsthe larger half of a 
 man's lifetime, is but a short period in the history of nations ; 
 and large as our trade may seem when we compare it with 
 the past, it will seem as nothing to what we may expeet it to 
 become in the near future. Settled on a few distant points 
 on the edge of the Empire, our intercourse with China is 
 still in its infancy and it will require much care and exper- 
 ienced nursing, as well as much abstention from unwise 
 interference, to allow it to grow to full vigor. As our inter- 
 course increases the world's history must become modified. 
 A third of the human race, composed too of industrious, 
 talented and kindly individuals, has had its intellect and 
 power abnormally cramped by an unnatural seclusion. As 
 the proper conditions of free intercourse are gradually restor- 
 ed, China may rise to be worthy to take her part in the 
 comity of nations, and a blessing will result to those countries 
 who have most energetically urged her to enter on that course 
 of world-wide intercourse and commerce, in which alone, as 
 the world now stands, her dream of universal supremacy has 
 any chance of being realised." SHANGHAE COURIER 
 REVIEW. 
 
 The Morning of My Life in China ; by G. Nye, Esq. 
 
 "This interesting brochure contains a vivid and faithful 
 description of events in Canton during the momentous period 
 from 1833 to 1839 Canton being then, it is needless to say, 
 the only point of contact between the then secluded land of 
 China and the commerce and learning of the West. Mr. Nye's 
 work might well have been entitled Early Intercourse with 
 Cathay ; but he by no means confines himself to dry history. 
 The persons, occupations and even jokes of his associates are 
 dUly recorded ; so that the reader has, as it were, a tableau- 
 vivant of the band of adventurous and able men who were 
 the pioneers of trade in these remote regions, and who were 
 the establithers of the princely houses whose magnificent 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 97 
 
 palaces are now the admiration of new arrivals in Hongkong 
 and Shanghai. If the saying be true, and we certainly think 
 it is, that the man who makes two blades of com grow 
 where only one had grown before, is a greater hero than a 
 general who has taken a hundred cities ; then surely these 
 first residents in Canton, to whom the poor owe their com- 
 forting tea and the rich their magnificent silks, must have 
 had qualities which render their lives, their temperaments and 
 doings of the deepest interest to students who view history 
 in the light that Hallam and our modern historians have ; 
 and who do not confine their attention to the dry details of 
 Court doings or still dryer details of dates of battlefields. 
 But even if the period had been unmarked by great events, 
 and the men described merely ordinary men, Mr. Nye wields 
 his pen so well that he could have roused our interest in 
 them by the same sort of alchemy that George Eliot keeps 
 us spell-bound on the daily life, doings and sayings of a 
 village like Middlemarch. But of the dates between 1833 to 
 1839, it may truly be said there were giants in those days ; 
 and in China events were maturing that have affected and 
 will still affect the history of the world. To quote Mr. Nye's 
 own words : 
 
 "The Canton of that day presented to the foreigner in 
 general a very circumscribed geographical idea, and indeed 
 to the statesman a circumscribed political idea, it being still 
 the period of close monopoly, the regime of the British East 
 India Company on the one hand, and of the Co-hong on the 
 other ; yet to the merchant it was already an expansive com- 
 mercial idea. It was the sole mart of the Foreign trade of 
 China, and known the world over as par excellence the great 
 mart of the East ; and destined soon to become the theatre 
 of a course of memorable events which, in their inception, 
 were to inflate, and in their close to humble, the mandarin 
 pride in the dust. 
 
 "The period was indeed of the highest political and 
 commercial interest. For it was when the echoes of the din 
 of preparation for the impending final struggle in the House 
 of Commons, between the upholders of monopoly and the 
 champions of free trade, reached us by every vessel from the 
 shores of England. It was the very eve ef the expiration of 
 
VJH 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 the East India Company's charter, and the question of the 
 renewal of its exclusive trading privilege^ associated as it 
 had been in the mind of the time with the great contest for 
 reform in parliamentary representation, deeply moved the 
 passions of the respective champions, and attracted the atten- 
 tion of the world ; and it foims to this day the most memo- 
 rable assertion of the principles of free trade ever witnessed, 
 with the exception of the struggle for the abolition of the 
 Corn laws in 1846. ******* T,, t h e 
 contest of 1834 in the House of Commons, upon the question 
 of the renewal of the Company 's charter, was involved the whole 
 question of intercourse with China ; it was the momentous 
 question whether the Representatives of England should hence- 
 forward continue to be supercargoes or whether they should be 
 ambassadors. You will perceive at a glance that here was one 
 af the greatest questions of the age, a question involving not 
 only the relations of the great Empiies arid peoples of Britain and 
 of China, but the relations of the world at large with China." 
 
 For descriptions of the persons by whom, and for detailed 
 accounts of the events by which, this great question was solved, 
 so far as up to the present time it is solved, we must refer our 
 readers to the woik under review, and believe that they will agree 
 with us in hoping that the author will continue the labor he has 
 commenced. "North-China Herald and Supreme Court and 
 Consular Gazette." 
 
 *The Morning of My Life in China, by G. Nye, Junr., Esq. 
 A Lecture delivered at Canton. 
 
 "We are glad to see that old residents in China are beginnning 
 to give us the history of their experiences. China is every day 
 exciting more and more attention in the winds of European 
 students of history and philosophy: and any addition to our 
 knowledge of the circumstances attending our first intercourse 
 with her are peculiarly interesting. Mr. Kye's lecture treats of 
 the period between 1833 to 1839, and not only notes the im- 
 portant events that happened during that period, but also gives 
 
 * This notice of the first Lecture reached 
 me after I delivered the Second one, so that 
 my allusion to the Opium question was 
 uninfluenced by this review. G. N. Jr. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 99 
 
 a vivid description of tha actors in the scene, tlieir feelings and 
 characters. Mr Nye possesses a combination of zeal and good sense 
 that enables him to be at once an ardent advocate of progress and 
 free trade, and at the same time to be exceedingly considerate to 
 the feelings of those who differ from him. A firm believer in the 
 superiority of western civilization, no man has a keener eye to 
 the defects of the Chinese character and Government ; on the 
 other hand, no one is more quick to perceive the good points 
 this hitherto isolated people possesses. To those who wish to 
 form an estimate of the extent to which China has progressed, 
 or who desire to have personal details of the first founders of the 
 foreign commercial Houses, and finally to those who desire simply 
 an hour's amusement, we can recommend Mr. Nye's little work. 
 Readers of all tastes will be gratified ; the philosophical will find 
 something to interest them in the way ideas have spread from 
 west to east and the romantic will be contented by the recitals of 
 dangers and perils endured. 
 
 The main portion of the lecture consists of a chain of interest- 
 ing reminiscences of times which are looked back to in China 
 with more affection, we suspect, than they deserve. It is true 
 that, besides the golden halo which the past always wins from 
 its mere distance, there was a tangible silvern glory about those 
 days which is now said to be fled for ever ; but the silver edging 
 was connected with so much extreme discomfort and privation 
 that it may be questioned whether it is not almost better to have 
 fallen on less lucrative but more happy times. It is well that 
 several of the fathers of Anglo-Chinese Society have been moved, 
 before their finally quitting China, to revive the memories of 
 these byegone days for the benefit of us, a younger generation, 
 who have not known what it was to stand with our backs to the 
 wall and fight fiercely for that which we now^a-days look upon 
 as the obvious rights of every man anywhere. Mr. Nye's book 
 does not contain much in the way of history that, might not be 
 learnt from blue-books, but no blue-book would enable us to 
 realise what the imprisonment in the old factories was one tenth 
 part so vividly as his passing reminiscence of the gentleman who 
 never set foot out of the house for seven years, aud then discover- 
 ed that he hadn't a hat in the world! Apropos of blue-books, 
 Mr. Nye, in telling the sad story of Lord Napier, uses over again 
 the translations of the Chinese Kepositorv. It is high time that 
 these respectable and somewhat musty old documents were 
 
UK) 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 retranslated into English, winch they are certainly not expressed 
 in at present. "Barbarian eye" an expression the translator, 
 whoever he was, seeins positively to have revelled in, is neither 
 English nor sense. The Chinese original most probably had an 
 intelligible meaning, if the translator would but have rendered 
 it into decently readable equivalents. 
 
 Like most old residents in China, Mr. Kye takes a very lenient 
 view of the Opium question as far as the responsibility of fore- 
 igners is concerned. "We have no wish to provoke or revive a 
 never-to-be-ended controversy, but we cannot quite agree with the 
 co-uleur de rose view set forth in this interesting paper of the 
 general foreign community in China just before the Opium War 
 for we suppose Mr. Nye means to include Whampoa and 
 Lintin. Nobody could have handled those infamous times more 
 delicately than Sir John Davis, who has said every good word 
 for Opium and left unsaid every bad one that he possibly could. 
 But nevertheless it is clear as day light, on his shewing alone, to 
 take no other authority, that a violent and nefarious traffic was 
 then attracting to China about as great and choice a collection 
 Of scoundrels unhanged as can well be imagined. That the 
 mercantile community of Canton, in the more limited sense in 
 which we at first thought Mr. Nye meant to speak of it, deserv- 
 ed all the praise he gives it, nobody doubts for an instant, but 
 even there, as at present in a certain other business carried on 
 not far from this colony an indifference as to it was exhibited, 
 taken, by some persons, to be a great sign of a statesman-like 
 and liberal inind. There was an utter absence of a fixedly 
 honest intention. Nobody cared to know or enquire into the 
 harm he was doing. "Please don't tell us," was the cry, virtu- 
 ally if not actually. What the eye didn't see the heart didn't 
 grieve for the trade paid far too well to be asking questions 
 about it. 
 
 However, on these points we certainly do not expect Mr. Nye 
 
 to agree with us. and can only hope that difference of opinion 
 
 may not jar with literary brotherhood. We thank Mr. Nye for 
 
 an amount of trouble that has been by no means thrown away." 
 
 China Review. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 101 
 
 CANTON SOCIAL EVENINGS. 
 
 G. NYE, Esq.'s lecture, entitled, " The Morning of ray Life in 
 China" (Dailv Press.) 
 
 "Kaces, Balls, and other festivities for a time broke tne 
 continuous chain of our social evenings ; business, and an 
 indisposition on the part of the secretary, at one time threatened 
 a total discontinuance ; but as the mantle of the prophet when 
 transferred gave threefold vigor, so the new secretary of the Can- 
 ton Social Evenings seemed endued with three times the activity 
 ot his predecessor, and a general improvement in the arrange- 
 ments for the comfort of lecturer and auditors was very apparent. 
 Consequently, when Mr. Nye gave us his lecture the other 
 night, there was a larger attendance than had been seen on any 
 previous occasion, and the lecture was greeted with the appre- 
 ciation and applause it merited. 
 
 After a graceful allusion to previous evenings Mr. Nye 
 commenced by telling us, with an amusing and fanciful play of 
 words, of the attraction which made him come to the " City of 
 the Genii" (G. Nye) at Canton, as Canton is commonly called. 
 When he arrived it was the time of the East India Company's 
 monopoly, and Mr. Nye thus speaks of it : "The Company's 
 system gave confidence to the Chinese government and people ; 
 on the other hand also it lent more or less protection to all 
 foreign trade, at a period else of complete incertitude in the re- 
 lations with China. We rnnst not regard these merchants as 
 only the pampered lords of monopoly. Far from it : they had 
 not been simply the pioneers of intercourse ; they had become 
 great political personages ; swaying the destinies of a hundred 
 millions ; the veritable Kings of the East. And while in India 
 they governed with wisdom ; in China they furnished the element 
 of order and peace for a long period of time. Their policy in 
 China as in India was tentative ; they could impose no other at 
 that time. Their recognised position was simply that of mer- 
 chants ; they could not rightly aspire to be political or moral 
 reformers. Their steps were measured by the necessities of the 
 hour ; and surely in the eyes of the student of history, if not in 
 those of superficial observers, it ceases to be a reproach that in 
 India the genius of a Clive grasped the else-precarious sceptre 
 of empire, and wrought order from chaos ; as at a later period, 
 with like intrepidity and a kindred stroke of genius, an Elliot 
 sped to the rescue of the foreign community here ; and inextricably 
 
102 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 established the responsibility of the Court of Peking, thus 
 breaching the ponderous Wall of exclusiveness behind which 
 China had hidden her weakness for centuries. But now the 
 Company's mission in China was fulfilled, for the spirit of the 
 age was bursting the fetters of monopoly and prescription, and 
 England's power was too well assured on the ocean by her Navy 
 to longer require an armed merchant fleet capable of self protec- 
 tion, as to a great extent the Company's fleet had been." 
 Instead of the supercargoes appointed by the Company, the go- 
 vernment of William IV. appointed Superintendents of Trade, 
 Lord Napier, Mr. Plowden and Mr. Davis. These the Chinese 
 refused to acknowledge. Lord and Lady Napier arrived at 
 Macao in July, 1834, and after some months spent in fruitless 
 endeavours to open communications with the Chinese Authorities, 
 proclamations and counter proclamations, Lord Napier died of 
 Vexation on October llth, and the foreigners were held disdain- 
 fully at arms' length by the Chinese for several years. In 1836 
 and 1837 the Chinese pretended to find a new subject of com- 
 plaint with regard to the opium trade the complaint was not 
 on the moral but the fiscal evils of the drug, as the authoritiss 
 who knew, and still know very little of political economy, fancied 
 their country was injured by being drained of silver. In 1837 
 the trade in opium was interdicted by Imperial edict, and in the 
 same year Sir Charles Elliot, who had opened communication 
 with the authorities, was forced by the arrogance of the high 
 officials to haul down his flag and retire to Macao . In 1838 
 commenced the hostility and aggravations on the part of the 
 Chinese which led to the first opium war.* Dealers in opium 
 were executed outside the foreigners' doors. Some of the hong 
 men were brought in chains to the factories. The settlement w r as 
 invested by Chinese soldiers. All the Chinese servants were 
 forced to leave their masters, and the position was such that the 
 least mistake might have led to a general massacre. Meanwhile, 
 Sir Charles "Elliot had heard at Macao of the demands of the 
 Commissioner, and issuing a public notice there, started in H. 
 M.'s sloop Larne for the Bogue, and thence came in a cutter to 
 a fort below the city ; whence he took a boat and sword in hand 
 passed through a cordon of mandarin boats, jnst as it was clos- 
 
 * I used no such expression as "Opium 
 War/ 5 G. N. Jr. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 103 
 
 ing in to cut off his approach, and reached the British Factory. 
 For the able measures Sir Charles took to avert calamity ; and 
 for the further eventful moments, for a general description of 
 former life in China; for witty descriptions of the first founders 
 of our present houses in China, we must refer the reader to the 
 eloquent pages of Mr. Nye's lectnre, but we cannot forego the 
 pleasure of quoting the magnificent peroration : 
 
 "Let us hope that this great mart 6f other days will 
 never descend to the social or commercial degradations of a little 
 Peddliugton, but that, on the contrary, the rights of its 
 geographical position and safe navigation may be restored, and 
 its true destiny, of more than pristine greatness, may soon be 
 found in the prosperity that the science of the age opens to it ; 
 that the civilizing forces of steam and electricity may soon be 
 applied to the opening-up of the waste places of the broad 'inner 
 land,' and in the quickening of that mutual interchange that 
 fructifies every interest of man, and surely leads to a moral and 
 material harvest. Let us hope that our native friends will soon 
 learn to welcome the neighing of the Iron Horse as he careers 
 from town to town exultingly, seeming to say, in the con- 
 sciousness of his strength, in words that iny young friends will 
 remember : 
 
 "Harness me down with your iron bands, 
 Make sure of your Curb and Kein ; 
 
 For I scorn the power of your puny hands 
 As the Tempest scorns a chain ! " 
 
 NOTICE OF THE CHINA MAIL. 
 
 "Mr Nye introduced his subject by paying a few well-worded 
 compliments to the gentlemen who had preceded him at the lec- 
 turer's desk and informed us in a humorous manner of the at- 
 traction that had brought him to Cathay 
 That vast shore 
 Washed by the farthest sea. 
 Mr Nye then gave us the origin of the name of Canton. 
 
 "Mr Nye has now had his lecture published, and it is, we 
 believe, for sale. It occupies 73 pages of print, the type and 
 paper both being admirable. We have confined our remarks to 
 the first nine pages, but the whole is so good we have difficulty 
 
104 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 in choosing passages, and we conclude by earnestly recommend- 
 ing the book to those who love terse and vigorous English, as 
 well as to those who wish to be informed as to our early inter- 
 course with the vast Empire of China." 
 
 An old resident who used to visit China 
 periodically wrote the Author, after reading 
 the first Lecture, as follows. 
 
 "I cannot resist the pleasure of writing to you to say how 
 "much I have enjoyed the perusal of your Canton Lecture, Tiie 
 "Morning of my Life in China : so exact and graphic in all 
 "the details : I have been deeply interested in it from having 
 "been in China at the time and remembering so clearly many of 
 "the circumstances you have related." 
 
 Another old resident also wrote the anthor 
 as follows. 
 
 "I sincerely hope you will be able to get your book out, 
 "for if any one can give an interr sting story of China you can ; 
 "and I dare say the book itself will prove a great success." 
 
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