1842
Last Ten Years, from 1832 76 1841.
369
Fourthly.--Foreign vessels bringing opium from beyond sca, and being an- chored in sundry and distant places, not near to the Bocca Tigris, the said super. intendent and the several consuls are constantly in communication with them, and their courses are well known: they should be required, therefore, to write and have in readiness foreign letters, and to point out plainly the places in which the vessels are anchored, delivering such letters in to governinent, until officers shall be deputed to take and give them to the partics, who must bring their ships, with the opium on board, to the port of Sandy-head, where, as they arrive, the opium shall be delivered. There must not be the least concealment or delay." March 28th, 1839.—Corresp. p. 377.
29th. Captain Elliot having desired the commissioner to order the return of compradors and servants, and the use of passage-boats, &c., received the following reply from his excellency, through the prefect.
“Chú, by special appointment, prefect of Kwangchau fú, issues commands to the English superintendent Elliot, for his full information. He has now received the within injunction from Lin, the high imperial commissioner and governor of Húkwáng:
44 $
Upon the 29th instant, the English superintendent Elliot, presented an address requesting that as usual the compradors and servants should be allowed to fur- nish the daily supplies of food, and the passage.boats should be permitted to run between this, the outer anchorages and Macao; he still remaining in Canton until the whole amount of opium shall be completely delivered up.
"On this duly coming before me, the commissioner, I proceed to reply. Yes. ferday the said superintendent, when addressing me in reply, promised for himself, that he would certainly deliver up the opium of his nation, to the amount of 20,283 chests, surrendering the whole quantity as he should bring it into his hands. I therefore answered in his praise, and at the same time clearly gave directions in regard to the places where, and time when, the delivery should be made. And I besides sent in a separate form, a list of rules, and required of him to write foreign letters or orders to enable me to depute officers to proceed therewith to the store. ships, and call on them to make the delivery. This was a most simple, convenient, and casy mode of proceeding. If the said superintendent were really acting with sincerity of purpose, he certainly should have speedily proceeded to obey my com. mands. Though he say, that in the foreign factories, and on board the ships at Whampoa, there is now no opium, yet the opium laid up on board the twenty-two store.ships is all deposited therein by the foreigners residing in the factories. Ordinarily, when combining with Chinese traitors to dispose thereof clandestinely. it has been always practicable to obtain foreign orders written at the factories, and giving the saine to the fast boats to proceed therewith outside and get possession of the commodity. How is it then that on this occasion, when surrendering the opiuin, there is no knowledge of this mode of operation?
'In the present address, it is represented, that now, while the north wind is blowing, it is feared that vessels outside, having opium on board may perhaps set sail and go away. Now I find that of late the store-ships have all returned to Lintin, Macao Roads, and other anchorages, and there remained; doubtless, because they have heard that commands have been issued requiring delivery of the opium, and therefore have not dared to sail far away. They are yet dis. posed to await and pay obedience; while you would desire to stir them up and
VOL.
NO
17