240
Journal of Occurrences.
And, at the same time he presents for perusal the letter of the said foreign- ers, wherein they make the various restorations before enumerated. He humbly hopes his sacred sovereign will with pity look down upon the black- haired flock-his people,-and will be graciously pleased to grant favors beyond measure, by acceding to the requests now made. Thus shall we be spared the calamity of having our people and land burned to ashes, and thus shall we lay the foundation of victory, by binding and curbing the foreigners now, while preparing to have the power of cutting them off at some future period.
It is humbly hoped that your sacred majesty will condescend to inquire regarding the meeting in council, and state of circumstances, here reported. And your slave begs, that a minister of eminence may be specially dispatched hither, to re-investigate matters. Your slave has been actuated entirely by a regard to the safety of the land, and the people. He is not swayed by the smallest particle of fear. And still less dare he use false pretexts, or glozing statements. For the real purposes herein declared, he humbly makes this report (which he forwards by express at the rate of 600 le a day),—in the hope that it may be honored with a sacred glance.-A most respectful
memorial.
A court of inquiry, concerning the mortality of the British troops in Tinghae last year is in session at Hongkong.
A British settlement on that island is about being commenced, and captain W. Caine of the 26th or (Cameronian) regiment of foot, is to enter on the duties of chief magistrate.
Chinese troops to the number of some say-50,000 are collected in and near Canton. Not more than one fourth of these, judging from all we have seen, are fit to bear arms. Many of them are wandering as vagrants about the suburbs. Even those on guard at the gates of the city appear unarmed.
The position of the British forces is nearly the same as at the close of the last month-the guns of the advanced squadron commanding the whole city, the Union Jack waving over the factories. General Gough, and the senior officer of the squadron, sir Le Fleming Sen- house, visited Canton on the 4th. Some officers and a small guard of marines are daily at the factories.
The late hostile movements of the expedition seem to have stopped at the right point. It must have been hard, when at the gates of the defenseless metropolis, the heights in its rear covered with troops, to stop short of actual possession. Such possession, however, would most assuredly have broken to pieces the provincial government, and thrown the whole of this part of the empire into anarchy-a state of things as much to be deprecated by the foreigner as by the native.
The future operations of the expedition are becoming a subject of daily increasing attention. Recent operations here, notwithstanding the wrathful edicts of the emperor, have induced H. I. M.'s high officers to act with good faith and wisdom,' and open Canton to whomsoever pleases to go thither for lawful purposes.
Similar ope- rations, at other points along the coast, will very likely lead to simi- lar results. If the emperor is wise, he will hasten-with grace to yield, what otherwise force will erelong demand of him-to open his empire, and treat foreigners, and receive the plenipotentiaries of other states, as they are treated and received elsewhere.
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