302
Review of Public Recurrence: During the
JUNE
Kangkeett When I consider that your sovereign has sent you hither, a distance of tens of thousands of miles, to conduct affairs, I feel that you must be a man of capacity at home. Should you now neglect to distinguish clearly right from wrong, and ac upon the spur of the moment, will not the blame rest on you— how will you be able to answer it to your sovereign? These things I specially put before you; and, while quietly awaiting your reply, I wish you unalloyed enjoyment of repose.”—Corresp. p. 315.
5th. Under this date we have the three following papers relative to the affair of the Bombay.
No. 1.
SIR F. MAITLAND TO THE CHINESE ADMIRAL.
Her majesty's ship Wellesley, off Chuenpe, Aug. 5th, 1838. "In reply to the admiral's note of yesterday, I have shortly to observe that the cause of my coming to this anchorage of Lungkeet is distinct from the affairs of Elliot, and is to demand explanations or au insult offered to the sovereign of my country in the person of myself, by firing at and boarding a British vessel, under the pretext that I might be on board. I have now to request that the admiral will send me officers, in order that I may fully explaiu my meaning, and having fulfilled my objects in coming to this anchorage, sail away to more cou- venient places below. Thus will all change of an interruption of the peace that bas so long subsisted between the two countries be happily removed.
With compliments, I have the honor to remain, &c.,
(Signed)
F. L. MAITLAND." (L. S.)
•
No. 2. DECLARATION OF CHINESE OFFICEKS.
"On the 8th day of the 6th month (28th July), an English boat was enter- ing the Bogne, when certain natives spoke wrongly of your honorable admiral, his family, and subordinates, inquiring whether they were on board or not, and adding that, if they were on board, the boat must return, but; if not, she might proceed through the Bogue. This has been inquired into. It was not done in consequence of any official orders: the wrong language was that of the natives aforesaid themselves. Should any such-like language be used hereafter, the circumstance shall be at once investigated and punished. Their thus offending your honorable admiral is one and the same as offend. ing our own admiral.”
[The above was written by Li, a hietái or tsantsiang, and another officer, whose name was not learned, of the rank of shaupei. It is in the handwriting of the latter, whose rank may be considered analogous to that of lieutenant-commander. The rank of the former is analogous to that of post-
captain.]
No. 3. MINUTEs of Correspondence Held on BOARD THE WELLESLEY.
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C
After the officers deputed by the Chinese admiral to visit sir Frederick Maitland had, in writing, disavowed, on the part of their admiral, all sanction of the insulting inquiries made on board the boat Bombay, sir Frederick Maitland observed, That irregularities will happen, but, as they may lead to serious misunderstandings between the two nations, they require to be noticed and checked. That the títuh had expressed a determination to punish the person who had committed this offence.
But that, since every
intention of insulting the British flag had now been disavowed, he hoped the titah would consider it an sevident, and forgive the offender To this the