Cesistant Quarter Master General, to proceed. Lysuem to make arrangements for a party of 50 men being placed there immediately, previous to Barracks for 100 men being built.
Two days after this Your Lordship 18th Jan 1843 sent me Captain Edwards' report on the position selected by him for the Barracks at Lymoon.
When that report reached me, I was on the eve of proceeding to meet, and commence my negotiations with, the Imperial Commissioner. I saw nothing in it to remark upon and was totally ignorant of the localities, I sent the Report back without any reply.
I was absent on urgent Political duties at Whampoa and Macao from the 19th to the end of January, and the very day I came back 10th Feb 1843 I answered Your Lordship's letter of the 23rd January, proceeding to the furnishing of the Committee that had been ordered by Your Lordship to select a site for the Barracks at Chuk Chu.
I consider my reply to be so full and explicit, and also such a careful answer to Your Lordship's unguarded observation that "I refused the outlay", that I insert it here in full.
"I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your letter No.64 of the 25th January, giving an account of the proceedings of a Committee which had been ordered to select a site for the Barracks about to be built at Chuk Chu, and shall request Hon'ble Johnston to proceed as early as convenient to Chuk Chu with the land Officer, and any members of the Committee whom Your Lordship may be pleased to appoint, to find out whether the owners are willing to sell their houses, and upon which their removal must, of course depend, as I do not myself consider that we have any right to force...