Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 519

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Reminiscences of Chusan.

SEP.

rousing fire, and forget all troubles when they could but warm them- selves, need not be told. Under these circumstances, Elepoo made a grand proposal, through an emissary, to permit us the pleasure of warming ourselves on a large scale, and once for all :—he proposed setting fire to the great city, and so deprive us of our homes. When the emissary delivered the message, on a cold winter's evening, the barbarian to whom these comfortable words were delivered, turned around, and said in reply: “As his excellency shows such conside- ration for our welfare, tell ́him, that we are equally intérested for his, and to return the compliment, hoth Hangchow and Ningpo shall be burnt down in the sight of all the grandees now assembled ät Chin- hae, as soon as Tinghae is reduced to ashes." The emissary took a memorandum of this reply, and carried it' back to his master, and there was nothing more heard about firing the town.

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Whilst negotiations were going où very comfortably at Cantón, the imperial cabinet entertained quite different designs, founded upon the clemency hitherto experienced. We may here remark, that' all the important state-papers, regarding the poor barbarians, were care- fully communicated to them, but by whom we must not tell. And so exact were these gentlemen in the information they gave to ùs, that on comparing it afterwards with various documents obtained at Canton, there was found to be not the least decrepancy. No change in measures or men, no manifestoes, no speeches, no letters in the secret department were exchanged, of which copies were not pro- cured. So it is believed.

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The most curious perhaps is Keshen's correspondence with com- missioner Elepoo and the court. If you wish to prove the sincerity of this statesman, you have merely to read his advice to his fellow officers. In December, he told Elepoo to get possession of Chu- san by fair or foul means, no matter how, for hostilities must very soon commence, since the barbarians were unbending in their de- mands. He went even so far as to address a circular to all the mari- time authorities, strongly urging them to complete their fortifications, and not to delay their hostile preparations. To the emperor he said, "We must fight for our rights; there can be no peace granted by us; the barbarians must be humbled." The correspondence was doubt- less genuine, for it bore all the marks of Keshen's plain and un- adorned style. In consequence of these exhortations, and the more savage decrees of the great emperor, Elepoo goaded on by Yu and Lew resolved upon annihilating the English at once. The old man was, however, very much against it at heart, and so at first tried what

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