Two Hong Kong Fah hi vessels, having been detected by the Scenon batt Commissioner's cruisers, in the act of smuggling salt, spain, sulphur, and satopetre into that Chinese port, were then captured and attacked, and one confiscated.
The other boat, escaping, conveyed the intelligence to Caldwell at Hong Kong.
Caldwell's (Chinese Shroff part (money lender and banker) was the owner of the captured boat; - and application was made to Admiral Seymour.
The Admiral very properly, as I suppose, reposed the applicants to Her Majesty's Consul at Fauton, the capital of the province.
For Mr. Parkes summoned the parties and their witnesses to appear before him.
At this stage the Admiral quitted Hong Kong for England.
On the day of the Admiral's departure and before the case had been heard by Mr. Consul Parkes, impatience led to a renewed application to the Senior Naval Officer on the Hong Kong station, Captain McClatchen.
By these means, Gunboats were sent against Namtão, with instructions which were faithfully carried out. You will remember that the security taken by Commander Bythesea, for the payment of a sum of money, on that occasion, specified Mr. Caldwell himself, as the person to whom that payment was to be made at Hong Kong.
It gives me no manner of comfort to be told, that the expedition was commended by an officer of the British navy, whose duty it was to oversee and control Mr. Caldwell's proceedings, and to prevent the doing of injustice.
For, most unhappily, the effect of ...