Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 391

1842

Last Ten Years, from 1832 76 1841

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ble celerity, pulling and sailing. At my nearer approach to the factories, armed boats pushed out from every side, but the admirable steadiness of the four people of the Larne, and a commanding favorable breeze, enabled me to baffle the at. tempts to obstruct inc; and at 6 r. m., I pushed into those stairs, to the great relief of my distressed countrymen, many of whom had watched the latter part of my approach with feelings of keenest solicitude.

“The top-mast of the flag-staff had been struck since the execution; but I immediately desired that the boat's ensign should be taken up and made fast to the lower mast-head; for I well knew, my lord, that there is a sense of support in the sight of that honored flag, fly where it will, that nonc can feel but men who look upon it in some such dismal strait as our's. The state of intense distress in which I found the whole foreign community will be explicable to her majesty's govern- ment, when I inform your lordship that the actual pressing difficulty was the obstinate demand that Mr. L. Dent, one of the most respected merchants at Can- ton, should proceed into the city, and attend the high commissioner's tribunal. The accompanying notes, however, (see page 357), will furnish a detailed account of the proceedings, which immediately preceded my arriva! in Canton.

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My first step was to go to Mr. Dent's house with my countrymen; and taking him under my arm, I brought him to this hall, where by God's gracious mercy he still remains. Most anxious, however. to avoid all just imputation of impracti cability, I immediately signified to the hong-merchants, for communication to the government, my readiness to let Mr. Dent go into the city with me, and upon the distinct written stipulation, (sealed with the high commissioner's signet,) that he was never to be removed for one moment out of my sight. I then assembled the whole foreign community in Canton, and reading to them my circulars issued at Macao, enjoined them all to be inoderate, firm, and united. I had the satisfac. tion to dissolve the inceting in a calmer state of mind than had subsisted for several days past. The native servants were taken from us, and the supplies cut off on the same night; but it was declared by the merchants, that the orders had been issued in the course of the morning, by reason of Mr. Dent's opposition to the high commissioner's summons.

"An arc of connected boats was formed with armed men, the extremes of which touch the east and west points of the bank of the river in the immediate front of the factories, cutting off a seginent of the stream from the main body; the square, and the rear of the factories, arc occupied in considerable force; and before the gate of this ball the whole body of hong-merchants and a large guard are posted day and night, the latter with their swords constantly drawn. In short, so close an imprisonment of the foreigners is not recorded in the history of our previous intercourse with this empire.

“The justification of this immense responsibility will need more full develop. ment than it would be desirable, or indeed practicable, to make in my present condition. I am without doubt, however, that the safety of a great mass of human life hung upon my determination. For if I had commenced with the denial of my control over the subject, the high commissioner would have scized that pretext for reverting to his measures of intimidation against individual mer. chants, obviously the original purpose, but which my sudden appearance had disturbed. If I had persevered in this course of representation, he would have forced the whole into submission by the protracted confinement of the persons he should deteriume to seize; and, judging from the tenor of los proclamation and