Instructions must ask to be present at any examination of them. The Consul replied, "Then you had better take them back to me." Ascertaining from our Mr. Robertson that even he, a Chinese-speaking official, is not in the habit of being present at Mandarins' Examinations, I suggested that I had been under the idea that the examination would be at the Consulate, and that perhaps my presence might be allowed there. The Consul replied that it was for him to decide whether an examination should be held at the Consulate or not. But whether or not, I was either prepared to hand over these witnesses or was not. If they were handed over, they passed from my control till such time as they could be returned. In previous cases, this duty had been entrusted to a Policeman, and the Consul did not know the meaning of any papers being sent up to record the proceedings. If I could not hand over the witnesses, there was an end of the matter.
This position of affairs I reported, and waited further instructions.
On the morning of the 13th inst. (Wednesday), however, the Vice-Consul, Mr. Mayers, requested me to call at the Consulate. I did so, and on behalf of the Consul, he requested me to arrange an examination of the witnesses for that afternoon. I consented on condition that I should be present, and W. Mayers replied that there was no objection to my presence there. W. Mayers also stated that...