1841.
Memorial to the Emperor.
403
stores for the soldiers, though we had abundance of corn heaped up in our gran- aries, which we could have ground at any time, yet the food and rice of the com- mon people is all brought from the country round about; thus in making a stouf defence of the city, the merchant could never dispose of his wares; and what would be worse, the people could not without. difficulty procure their daily food. Add to this, that the roar of the cannon was unceasing, the people of the new city (south side), one following the example of the other, all moved into the old city (north side), and there they had a struggle. Such a state of things could not last long before the supply would become exhausted, and then the anger of the multitude would be quite irrepressible! We humbly think that the important post of the provincial city concerns the whole province; should it be lost by any remissness, then the thieves and vagabonds of every district would avail themselves of the opportunity, and rise in swarms like so many wasps! Moreover, an organized army (though disbanded) may be reassembled; in march- ing troops through the country, numerous opportunities present themselves for selecting important passes, and engaging the enemy at advantage, but there is no principle by which we may abandon the provincial city to its fate; if the city hold out, or if it be lost, the awful responsibility rests with us your slaves, and for the city to be lost and for us to perish along with it, does not appear to be the plan best suited to the welfare of the country! We your slaves nave again and again reflected on all the circumstances of the case, and are compelled to con- fess that we found ourselves at our wits' end!
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Having previously examined the site of the city, and found that the forts on the north were small and cramped in their construction; and could not contain many soldiers, we could only select our best troops and station them on the northern quarter, placing some guns there that they might make a stout defense. Thus they waited until the foreigners, having landed from their ships at Neishing, were pushing straight forward to the north side of the city, when our men open. ed a thundering fire and killed more than ten of the foreign rebels, and upwards of a hundred of the native traitors! The said foreigners upon this retired to the heights above the town, and the forts remained in their possession; it being now dark, we drew off our troops within the city.
Thus matters went on till the 7th day of the moon (Thursday, 27th May), when the whole of the inhabitants of the city came rushing in crowds and presented petitions, begging and praying that we would take measures to save their lives, and at the same time the soldiers on duty at the embrasures reported that they had seen the foreigners beckoning with their hands towards the city as if they had something to communicate. We thereupon immediately ordered the brigadier Heung Suyshing to mount the city wall and look. He saw several barbarian eyes' pointing to heaven and earth, but could not make out what they said. He forth- with called a linguist to inquire what they wanted, when it appears they said, that "they begged the great general to come out, as they had some hardships to complain of to him." Upon this, the commanding officer (or tsungping) Twan Yungfuh said to them in an angry tone-"how can the great general of the celestial dynasty come out to see such as you? he has come here by command of the great emperor, and he knows nothing more about you than to fight with you!" Upon this the said barbarians took off their hats and made a bow; then they sent away the people who were about them, and casting their weapons on the ground, performed an obeisance towards the city wall. Twan Yungfuh, -having previously got permission from us your slaves to do so,-then asked them what grievances they had to complain of, which had caused them to resist the forces of the Central land, and conduct themselves so madly and rebelliously on many occasions. They in course replied, that "they the English, could not carry on their trade, that their goods were not being consumed, that their capital was wasting away, and that their debts were not being repaid them; and that as both parties were firing off their great guns on the side of the new city, they had no means of making a communication there, and therefore they had come to this side to beg the chief general that he would implore the great emperor in their behalf, that he would have mercy upon them, and cause their debts to be repaid them, and graciously permit them to carry on their commerce, when they would immediately withdraw their ships from the Rocca Tigris, and deliver up all the