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I had at my time & ranged in my own mind, for filling up the appointments of Consuls at four of the five Ports to be opened to our Merchants in the following manner
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At Shanghai
4
"
Kingpo,
Carlow
wy
"
Fuchoufoo. Amaz
Captain Balfour
Mr. Thom
Mr Gutzlaff
Mr Day
for the fifth
and I calculated on finding one qualified Individual in China for the fifth Port, even as a temporary arrangement, but Morrison has been decided to be ineligible for the duty of Consul owing to his being an alien, and I am not even certain that he will continue to serve as one. If the Joint Interpreters, whilst Mr Morrison's untimely death will oblige me to keep Mr Thom near myself to fill the arduous and responsible Situation of Chinese Secretary
AJ
To add to my difficulties, Mr. Robertson who came with me from Bombay as Surgeon to the Mission, who has long acted with great zeal and efficiency, as my Secretary & who I have, since the exchange of the Ratifications of the Treaty named to Officials as deputy Colonial Secretary to the Government of Hongkong has lately fallen into bad health,
and it seems probable that he will be obliged to take a voyage to Sea and that I shall thereby be deprived of his valuable aid for some time; neither do I know at this instant, where I shall look for a temporary substitute for him, nor how I am to fill up the sad blank which Mr. Morrison's decease has caused in the Government