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and Dr. Bridges, then Sir John Bowring Acting Colonial Secretary, both asked me more than once about the progress of my investigations and my reply was, every time I went through the papers, but that the operation was one which it would not do to leave half finished, while from the peculiar circumstances of the case I could neither invite assistance in it, nor delegate to others any portion of the necessary enquiry.
I may add that it was my conviction, and I believe I expressed it, that nothing would result of advantage to the point to be established, from my examination of these papers. Mr. Moongan, though many years my junior, was a Student of Chinese, perfectly equal to the duty entrusted to him. He knew a great deal too much Chinese to have passed by such papers as the missing documents without notice, and I was, and am, perfectly satisfied that either the papers have not been in the Collection when it was "looked over" by Mr. May and his interpreter, or, if they were then in the Collection, have been withdrawn from it before it was placed in Mr. Moongan's hands.
I beg to be understood to express no opinion falsely as to whether the charge made, or the papers in support of the charge made, were fraudulently abstracted. It is enough to say that I felt sure I...