Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 435

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Outrage on Americans in Canton.

JULY,

the prefect's edict, confirmatory of all this, and bearing date 20th May, were sent to several merchants, English and American. Yihshan and his colleagues, also by proclamation, declared that no hostile purposes were entertained towards the foreigners in Canton. In the teeth of these declarations, the Chinese hastened on their secret preparations, and during the afternoon of the 21st, soldiers and arms were brought into the warehouses of the hong merchants, not far from the factories where foreigners were weighing teas!

Referring to the edicts of the prefect and high commissioner, and to the state of affairs at Canton on the 21st, Mr. Morss (partner in the house of Olyphant & Co.) thus wrote to a friend in Macao.

The general inference was, that the Chinese authorities, expecting an attack by the English for which they were unprepared, issued these edicts to foreigners with a design to throw upon capt. Elliot all the responsibility of a renewal of hostilities. From advices received on the morning of the 21st of the progress of the force up the river, it was evident it would not reach this before the 23d or 24th. I considered it prudent, however, after captain Elliot's circular had appeared, recommending foreigners to retire from Can- ton before sunset, to be prepared to leave for Whampoa on the 22d, and arranged with captain Benson to return with two of his boats on Friday eve- King, Mr. Coolidge engaging to keep me company. With every assurance of protection from the Chinese authorities and of their peaceful intentions, we conceived ourselves perfectly secure in passing the night in our factories; although all the other foreigners had removed. At nine in the evening, the boats arrived from Whampoa. The linguist had that moment left me, and reported all quiet. Having made preparations for an early move in the morning, I continued writing until 10 o'clock, when the alarm of fire was heard, and the report of cannon. From the terrace we saw the burning junks moving towards the vessels at Shameen; but the shot were flying so near, that we were soon obliged to descend. At an early hour on Saturday morn- ing, the comprador urged that we should leave before the Chinese soldiers assembled in front of the factories. Accordingly at 6 o'clock, one of the boats with the second officer of the Morrison, and Messrs. Millar, Taylor, and Gutierres, started for Whampoa. To guard against accident, in case of ex- amination, the boat was provided with a chop, in Chinese, stating to what ship she belonged. Mr. Coolidge then parted with me, to go to his factory, saying he would soon return; having waited for him nearly two hours, a noise in front of the house attracted my attention, when I found, to my surprise, that the factories east of Hog-fane, were in possession of the mob, who were busily removing all their contents. At this moment Mr. Coolidge's servants came to tell me that he had been carried into the city. After looking upon this scene of plunder for a little time, and fearing it had already gone too far to be checked by the authorities, and that all the factories would share the same fate, 1 procured, but with some difficulty, the assistance of a police-man with his attendants, and under their protection (after the payment of sixty dollars), our second boat was carried from the hong to the river, the rabble being too intent upon plunder to give us more than a passing look. Once afloat, with a strong flood tide, we soon reached the Nemesis."

We now revert to the case of Mr. Coolidge, who had intended to go our board the schooner Paradox in the afternoon of the 21st; but

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