Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 484

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Review of Public Occurrences During the

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upon his head the terrible wrath of heaven, and of the emperor, still is it to be believed that the water would not have been poisoned, or the boat attacked, unless the commissioner had incited the natives to acts of violence against the people of the English nation by untrue and inflainuiatory productions on the walls of Macao?

"Elliot, who is an humble foreign officer, has done far more in fullfilment of the just imperial will, for the suppression of the traffic in opium, than the high com. missioner, and is ready still farther to manifest his sincere earnestness by separat- ing the lawful from the lawless trade. But when he offered to do so, the com. missioner refused to receive his scaled addresses in the manner agreed upon between the governor of these provinces and himself on the 25th of April, 1837. Thus the first interruption of the communication is attributable to the commis. sioner, and its continued interruption arises from Elliot's determination to receive no papers whilst the walls of Macao are covered with unjust and inflammatory proclamations against him and all the men of the nation, and whilst his country. men are deprived of their servants and supplies of food. Let these things be adjusted, and Elliot is ready immediately to open honorable and friendly com- munication with the officers, and use his sincerest efforts to settle all things ac- cording to the principles of reason and justice, upon the basis of effectually separating the lawful trade from the unlawful, and of securing the faithful pay. ment of the imperial duties by the British ships.

-Corresp. p. 450.

(Signed)

"CHARLES ELLIOT."

4th. Captain Elliot, in consequence of the want of provisions at Hongkong, sent the following note to the local officers at Kaulung.

"Here are several thousands of men of the English nation deprived of regular supplies of food; and assuredly if this state of things subsists, there will be fre- quent conflicts. And the honorable officers will be responsible for the conse- quences. These are the words of peace and justice.

-Corresp. p. 448.

(Signed)

"CHARLES ELLIOT."

Minute of conversations held by Mr. Gutzlaff with some of the Chinese officers at the anchorage of Kaulung.

"When coming alongside the first junk in a two-oared gig, the soldiers put forth their boarding pikes; on assuring them, however, that I was unarmed, and had come alone for peaceful purposes, they were ashamed of their untimely show of resistance. After some desultory conversation, they told me that there was no officer on board; the spokesman, however, though dressed in the common garb of the people, appeared to me as a naval officer. He informed me, that no public documents could be received and forwarded by the junks, but if I had to communicate any thing verbally, he should be too happy to listen to my request. I then stated the reason of our coming, and showed him the necessity of our pro- curing supplies of provisions, since it was impossible that such a large fleet could subsist without them. He received the paper containing an enumeration of our grievances, and read it very attentively, but said that he was unable to act on his own responsibility aud permit the people to come off, but he was perfectly willing to report the matter to his superiors I turned then to the crew, and asked them. saving. Suppose you were without food for any length of time, and debarred from buying it, would von wait until the case was transmitted to the higher

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