1842.
upon
Last Ten Years, from 1832 to 1841.
253
21st. In February of this year, captain Elliot addressed lord Auck- land, and rear-admiral sir Thomas Bladen Capel, soliciting the pre- sence of one or more armed vessels, because "the interruption of the opium trade in China, must have the effect, not merely of temporarily crippling our means of purchasing at all in this market, but of plac- ing us, in respect to the prices of export staples, completely in the power of a copartnership of native dealers. The failure of the opium deliveries is attended with an almost entire cessation of money tran- sactions in Canton." But he thinks it " quite unnecessary to press the attention of their excellencies the many extremely important considerations connected with this subject.” He therefore begs leave to suggest, "that the frequent and short visits of ships of war to this anchorage off Macao, and in the neighborhood of the points, along the coast, to which the outside trade (in opium) has extended, seem- ed to him to be the movements (best) calculated, either to carry the provincial government back to the system (of connivance) which has hitherto prevailed, or to hasten onwards the legalization measure from the court." Again: "there is a pressing necessity to use every effort, consistent with safety and discretion, for the relief of the whole trade, from the embarrassment into which it has been thrown by the restrictive spirit of the provincial government." This was written on the 2d of February ; (Corresp. pp. 188, 189;) and surely indicates a desire to preserve the traffic in opium, either by legalization or by connivance. Their excellencies were not slow to accede to the superintendent's wishes. One of his majesty's sloops of war having arrived here, under the command of captain Quin, captain Elliot addressed the following letter to that officer, dated Macao, June 21st. “Sir,-The disclosures which took place at Manila during your last visit at that port, have made you acquainted with all that is yet known of the disastrous fate of the late brig Fairy. And our recent conversation will have apprised you that fourteen Lascars landed upon the coasts of Fukien, but the piratical part of the crew are still said to be detained in Fuchau fú, the capital of that province. From all the inquiry I have been able to make, I am led to conclude that these men are kept by the provincial government of Fukien, in consequence of a diffi. culty to understand, or to credit the circumstances under which they landed; and probably pending further instructions from the court for their removal to this place. It appears to me, however, that if an application were made by you at the mouth of the Min river, the doubts and delays of the government of Fukien would give way; and at all events, if the people were not at once delivered to you, this proceeding would, in my judgment, eccelerate their dispatch to this place by other means.
"With that impression, I have taken the liberty to propose this service; and in conformity with your wishes, I now submit the mode by which it occurs to me it may be best executed
I would suggest that you should proceed to the moth