474
Summary of Official Documents.
Ser.
fully listened to. He was, however, in consideration of the personal exertions made by him at the expense of his life, allowed to remain unpunished, and enjoined to sustain his energies adequately to the actual emergency. The generalissimo, Yiking, was directed to send one of his joint commissioners to Kiángsú, whither the high com- missioner, general Kíying, and the licut.-gencral I ́lípú (Elepoo), werc also commanded to proceed, there," in conjunction with the governor general, to concert measures adapted to the actual circumstances." In what precise capacity these last two were ordered to Kiángsú does not appear, and probably will not appear, till such time as they shall sce reason to exhibit their instructions. It seems, that their duties are not unconnected with the military arrangements of the province ; for, as soon as they reached the frontier of Kiángsú, they wrote to cach of the principal military officers for returns of the number of the troops and amount of military stores. On the other hand, thoy stand apart from the generalissimo and his joint commissioners, whose duties point solely to the conclusion of the war by force of arms. And the emperor commands them, in the orders addressed to themselves, "to proceed with haste to Chekiáng, there in concert with Niú Kien to consider and measure circumstances, and consulting together, securely to manage affairs."
Though some doubt still remained, whether the enemy would not yet, after drawing away the Chinese soldiery toward this quarter, suddenly return to Chekiáng, or proceed to Tientsin, it was now however apparent, that a campaign in Kiángsú was chiefly to be looked for. Liú, the commander-in-chief in Húpe, whom the emperor had ordered to Kiángsú, and had afterwards directed to act in the place of the deceased commander-in-chief of this last province, was for a moment called away toward Tientsin, and another officer, Yú, appointed to the acting command instead of him; but counter orders overtook the former ones, and he reached Chekiáng in time to meet the English troops in the field. A special general department of com. inissariat, pay, and ordnance supply was formed at Súchau, for the more rapid furnishing of all necessary supplies to the troops engaged in the province, and the emperor's permission was obtained for its borrowing a portion of the ample means that has been gathering for some months in Chekiáng. The magistrate of the city district of Chekiảng (Tántú bien) had already reported on the 26th of June, that the vessels transporting grain, &c., to the capital had all passed from the southern canal, across the Yangtsz' kiếng, and that the body of militia formed for their protection had therefore been disbanded