Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 389

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Last Ten Yours, from 1832 76 1841

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issued instructions to Mr. Johnston, the deputy superintendent, requiring hum forthwith to procred outside and deliver into the hands of the honorable officers, 20,283 (twenty thousand two hundred and eighty-three) chests. It is desirable, therefore, that the intercourse, by the licensed passage.boats, should be opened as soon as possible, in order that Mr. Johnston may proceed to Lintin, and there assemble all the ships for the purpose of convenient delivery. The inclosed is the order to Mr. Johnston for the delivery of the opium.

(Signed)

"CHARLES ELLIOT.

"Sir, I have to instruct you to deliver over to the officers of the Chinese government, with the least possible delay, twenty thousand two hundred and eighty-three chests of opium; and for the more convenient and rapid discharge of that duty, you will be so good as to assemble all the British outside shipping at Lintin. You will report to me at Canton the quantity delivered by every oppor tunity which presents itself, to the end that I may communicate the same to the high commissioner, from time to time. I have, &c., -Corresp. p. 380.

(Signed)

CHARLES ELLIOT.'"

Under this date captain Elliot wrote to his government, briefly reviewing the course of events, giving his opinion thereon, with rea- sons for the part he had acted.

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My lord, I have considered that I shall most perspicuously perform my pre. sent duty to her majesty's government, by confining this dispatch to a narrative of events accompanied by the documents connected with them; and indeed my imprisoned and harassed condition is not suited to a deliberately comprchen- sive exposition of the motives which have influenced some of the momentouR proceedings involved in this report. Being at Macao on the 28th of last month for the purpose of conferring with captain Blake of her majesty's sloop Larne then at anchor in those roads, I received intelligence to the effect that a native of China had been suddenly brought down into the square before the foreign factu. ries on the 26th of the same month, accompanied by a considerable force of troops, and immediately put to death by strangulation. Within two hours after I had reccivod these tidings, I embarked on board the cutter, and arrived here on the morning of the 2d instant.

"On the 10th instant, leaving the trade still proceeding, but with a state of gloom subsisting in the minds of all inen, both natives and foreigners, I returned to Macao, to which point, and the outside anchorages, appearances indicated that the first ineasures of the commissioner would be directed. I was therefore anxious to have further consultation with captain Blake on the expediency of his protracted stay in these seas, till I could judge of the degree in which the high commissioner's proceedings would affect the genera! and important interests confided to me.

"Between his excellency's arrival and the 20th instant, rumors of every description were abroad: but the general impression was that the governor and the high commissioner were to proceed forthwith to Macao, or its near neigh- borhood, and commence their operations from that situation. At Macao, within the Barrier, tents were pitched, a considerable force was assembled, numbers of vessels and boats of war were collected, and I had myself observed, a few days before, under the forts at the Bocca Tigris, a display of old native vessels prepar. ing to serve the purposes of fire ships, or at all events to leave that impression