480
Journal of Occurrences.
ments-of which a goodly number may be seen in the accompanying mnenorial—which we copy from the Canton Press.
The imperial appointed great rebel quelling general Yihshan, and his colleagues Lungwan and Yang Fang most respectfully present this memorial before the throne of the great emperor, detailing how that the ships of the English foreigners have left the provincial river; bow that they (the English) have given us back the forts: how that our militia and volunteers have slaughtered a great many native traitors and foreign robbers who were raising disturbances: and how that we have restored tranquillity to the provincial city,—ou all of which, looking upwards, we pray that a sacred glance may be cast.
Your slaves, after having sent off their memorial to your majesty, on the 15th day of the 4th month (i. e. Friday, 4th June), detailing the temporary expedients they had had recourse to in the exigencies of the case for the placing of affairs on a perfectly secure basis,--at one and the same time took the greatest precautions for the defense of the city and its tranquilization, and commanded that the English ships should forthwith get up their anchors and depart. The said fo- reigners immediately got more than ten sail of their ships under weigh and left the river, when one of their commanders, Warren, petitioned us saying, that “the real truth of the matter was the foreign merchants of every nation were very hard pushed for money, and worrying him for payment of their debts, and there- fore it was that he and they (captain Warren and the English) had no resource but to beg that they might be cleared off;-that they had no intention whatever to offend or commit any act of agression upon the heavenly dynasty;—and foras- much he implored us, the great general and colleagues and all the high officers of the province, that we would supplicate the great emperor to show them mercy, and pardon their offenses."
Your slave finds, that the foreign ships having on this occasion bolted into the river by violence, was all caused by the native traitors showing them the way; which in fine led to the rude people of the islands and the foreign robbers avail- ing themselves of the state of things to work evil; they robbed and plundered the villages so that we could not but take strenuous measures to extirpate them root and branch. But the traces of these native traitors are exceedingly secret, and cunningly concealed; there are some who put on the clothes of foreigners; there are others who dress like (our) soldiers and militia; their ramifications extend everywhere, so that we must send detachments to scour the whole coun- try to catch them. If we send our regular troops after them in so many direc- tions, it is to be feared that they might not discriminate clearly before slaying, and thus calamity would be entailed on the peaceably disposed people, which might lead to some very shocking catastrophe. It therefore appeared to us the best plan that the country people of the different villages should form themselves into armed associations for mutual defense. The headman (of one of these armed associations) Leäng Tsaeying and others, divided themselves into several bodies, and going in different directions, they succeeded in capturing upwards of two hundred native traitors and foreign robbers, black and white; among which last were two chief persons. Your slave thereupon sent orders to the militia, gentry and others, that as they took them, so should they behead them at Namoan! In reference to one of these chief persons, the said gentry and others reported to us by petition, that “he was in reality Bremer, and that they (the English) were willing to pay a hundred dollars to ransom the body, which they (the said gen try and others) had stowed away in a secluded house ;"--but whether this really be the case or not, we shall first investigate clearly and afterwards duly memo- rialize your majesty thereupon.
Their excellencies proceed to state that they have already sent troops to occupy the forts, issued proclamations to quiet the people, and will immediately commence the work of repairs, &c. After hav- ing suffered what they have, we think they will be very slow in pro- ceeding with any work of defence or aggression that will be likely to lead to a renewal of hostilities. Yihshan and his colleagues have earned for themselves a bad reputation among the people of Canton.