The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1785-09-26 00:00:00, page 1

% following is a tetter to Mr. soy from Mr.
Sfo,fipho fluent in the foip Empress of China,
to Canton, as commercial agent for the oavners.
'' contains an interesting and m.ell written ac
count of that voyage. This gentleman fegved the
United States, during the late .war, as a captain
.', '"' American army; and fuch,was his con
^^"' and character, that he acquired the confix
,dence and esteem of Major-General Knox., and
became an Aid-de-Camp to that brave and difin
guifhed officer.
t:. . New-York, May 19,1785.
Si r,
THE firft vessel that has been fitted out by
the inhabitant's of the United States of
America, for essaying a commerce with
1 those of the empire of China, being by
the favour or Heaven, fafeTeturued to
this port, it becomes my duty to communicate to you,
for the information of the fathers of the country, an
account of the reception therf citizens lia've ihet with",
and the fefped with which their flag has been
treated in that distant region; especially as some cir
cumstances Have occurred, Which had a tendency to
attract the attention of the Chinese; towards,a peo
ple of whom they have hitherto had but'very donfuf
ed ideas, and which served in a peculiar manner, to
place the Americans in a more conspicuous point of
view, than has commonly attended the introduction
of other nations iq that ancient and,extenfive empire.
The {hip employed on t!us occasion, is about 360
tons burthen, buiic in America, and equipped with
43 perfyns, under the command of John Green, Esq.
The subscriber had the honour of beipg appointed
agent for their commerce, by the gentlemen at whose
riique this firft experiment has been.undertaken.
, On the 22d of February, 1784, the fliip failed
from New-York, and arrived the 21st of March at
St. Jago, the principal of the tape de Verd islands.
Having paid our refpeds to the gofluguefe Viceroy,
and with his permiilion taken such refreshments as
were neceflary, we left those inlands on the 27th, and
p.urfued our voyage. After a pleasant passage, in
whiqh nothing extraordinary occurred, we came to
anchor jn the straights of Sunda, on the 18th of Ju
ly, It was no small addition to our happiness on
this occasion, ,to meet there t@ lhips belonging to
our good allies the French. The commodore Mi
d'Ordelio, and his officers welcomed us in the most
affectionate manner; and his own ship being immedi
ately, bound to Canton, h© gave us an invitation to go
in, company with him. This friendly: offer we most
chearfully accepted, and .the commodore furnished u§
with his signals. by day and might, and.added such in
ftruftions for our passage through the Chinese seas,
as would have been exceedingly beneficial, had any
unfortunate accident occasioned-our Separation.. Hap
pily we, pursued our route .together, On our arrival
at the island of Macao, the. French.Conful for China;
blonf, Vieilfad, with some other gentlemen of his
nation, came on board to . congratulate and welcome
us, to that part of the world, and kindly undertook
the introduction of the Americans to the Portuguese
Governor. , The. little time .that, we were there, Was
entirely taken up by the good offices' of the corifuF,
the gentlemen, of his nation, and. those of the Swedes
ancflmperialifts, who still remained at Macao. The
oth,er Europeans had repaired to Canton. Three
days, afterwards we finished our. outward-bound voy
age, Previous, to coming to anchor, we saluted tte
Flipping ip the river with thirteen guns; which Were
apfwered by the several. Commodores of the Euro
pean nations, each of whom, lent an officer to com
plimenLus, on our arrival, These yifits were return
ed by. the. captain and Supercargoes, in the afternoon;
who were again saluted by the refpe&ive (hips, as
they finished their visit iWhen the French Sent their
officers to congratulate us, they, added to the obli
gations we were under to then), by furnifhing men,
boats, and anchors, to assist us in coming to fafe mid
convenient moorings. Nor did: their good offices
ftopJierc;. they-furnifhed us with part of their bank
fall, and infixed until they were fettled, we &dkl
take up our quarters with them at Canton.
[Vol. VIII.]THE [Nvira 3-85.]'
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
TRENTON: Printed by IS A A-C C OLL IN S, Printer to the State.
MO ND.A Y, September 26, 1785. T
The day of our arrival at tanton, Augtift 30,
and the two following days', #e were visited by the
Chinese merchants, arid the chiefs and gentlemen of
the several European eftabliriments:—The Chinese
were ' very indulgent towards us; they stiled us the
New-People- and wfien by the map we conveyed
to them an idea of'ffie'extent of our country, with
its present ^rid iricreafing population, they were high
ly pleased at the profped of so considerable a market
for the production of their's.
The Situation of the Europeans at Canton is so
well known is to render a detail unnecessary. The
good understanding commonly fu,lifting between them
and the Chinese, was in Tome degree interrupted by
two extraordinary occurrences, of which I will, with
your permiffidri, give a particular account.
Ihe police of Canton, is at ail times, extremely
Ariel, and the Europeans reading there are circuni
fcribed within very narrow limits.-:—T,e latter h a d
observed with concern feme gircumftances whiqh they
deemed an encro^hment upon their rights. On this
confideratibn they determined §0 apply for redi.efs to
the Hoppo, who is thf tyad officer us the cuftomg,
the next time he Ihould visa the Shipping. .Deputies
accordingly attended from every nation, and I was
desired to represent, cut's, .We met the Hoppo on
board an English /hip, arid the causes of,complaint
were food after ' removed. , r t -
The other occurrences, of wA^ I beg leave to
take notice, gave rife to what,)was commonly called
the Canton war, wbich ,thcefttene4 to be productive
of very feridus conferences. —Qn the 251 b of No
vember an Eng[ifh flpp,, in .fjfoting_fa¥ company
that had dined on board, KaiedaChinese, and wounded
two^thefs in the Mandarine's foa^ ^fl^g,fide.x„lt i§
2 max:m of the Chinelc law, jh^t b|QpQjnuft knfaer
for blood; in pursuance of widen r h^ depr.ndfg : §,he
unfortunate gunner, do give up, tfyfipoQr.man w^
to consign him to Gffiffl t 4fflr "ffl|W&&^
powerfully against the measure. After reputed; con
ferences between the Engli&jind^^ Chinese, the
latter declared themselves fajisfied, and, the affair was
supposed to be entirely fettled. N,otwithftandiDg this,
on the morning after the !alt confer^npe (the 37th)
the fu,ercargo of the flip was feiz^ while atterad
his business, thrown into a sedan ctyfr, hurried inty
the^city, 'amfcomm^^ .
Such an outrage dn.,pp,fondl.lib^ty forbad-a gene
ral alarm; and the Europeans.,unanimously agreed tb
.end for their boats, wjth arn^cd men from ,heirship,
ping, for the Security of^thepfelves ^pd property,
until the matter lhopld.gbrought to a ,cppclufion.
Ihe boats accordingly egme^ and o,ur's ^mong-the
number; one of which was fired on and a. man
wounded. All trade was, Appped, t}nQhe Chinese
men of war .drawn up.j^ factories £ The
Europeans demanded the rfftortfipn of fofo Smiths,
wTubli; the ' Chihefe re,tug f fflty^ gpnnei; Ihpuld
be given up. Tn the n}ea,p,[wtrife ? .thetfoop^of the
province were colle^i^g 14 thep^ig^ ofcCan,
ton— the Chfnefe feryan,ts .wyr^ orderedfoy the , mar
giftrates to leave tl ? e'fefy^^ fo&Su
burbs were (hut —all iritercourfe was at an end-=the
navAl force was .encreafed—many: trooper were em
baiked in boats, ready for landing—^nd .everything
Ufore the appearance 'of war,' , To lyhat^extiemities
matters mi^ht have. beeiLcaKijed, had novu negecia
tion taken place, no one can fay.„ The@inefe hiked
a conference with all the : .patfo,qs e^fept the_£nglifh.
A deputation, (in which 1 vvas fo-c^aded. for Ameri
ca) met the Fuen, whois the fa 4. magiftr^te of Can
ton, with the ' principal officers^, lifyovjpcc.^ ^^l
ter setting forth, by an interpr^fy^the powers the
Emperor, and his own determination to support the
laws, he demanded that .the gynp^r should be given
up within three days, declaring.., that lie (houldTrarc
an impartial examination before, dtyr tribunal, and if
it appeared thatjhe affajr was ,a%id£nta,h. he {hould
be releafcd unhurt. In the mean time he gave pec
miffion for the trade, (exceptia&.that pf the English)
to go on as ufual^and difyiffed us with; a present of
two pieces of blk tp each, as a,mark of his friendly I
difpotitiori. The other nqtiops^one. after another,|
lent away their,bo,ats,.yndei;.,the, prote&ion of a Chi
^fe'fia^ and pqrlue@@^^^ The ;
English were obliged to fubmit—-rhe gunner was giv
en up—. Mr. Smith was released—and the Eng^h,
after being forced to aft pardon of the magiftiacy of
Canton, in presence of the other nations, had their
commerce, restored. On this occahon, I am happy
that we were the daft who sent off our bbat, arid : tliat
without a Chinese flag; nor did /he go tilt the Eng
'f"l d^mfelv^ thanked us .for our concurrence with
them, and adviled the fending her away. After peace
was. restored, the. chief and four Euglifh gentlemen,
visited the several nations (among'whom Ave Weie in
cluded) and,thanked .them for their assistance during
the troubles— the gunner remained with the Chinese,
his fate undetermined. , t . :..-.?- c:
Notwithstanding the treatment we received frdn
fill parties was perfectly civil and refpedful; yet it
was with peculiar fatisfaftion than we experienced, on
every occahon rfrom our>good allies the French, the
most flattering and fubitmtial proofs of their friend
fl^Pr =" If, said they,, wei have in any inftance'been
'! feryi^eable to you, we arc happy ;--and we desire
polling more ardently than further opportunities to
“ convince -you of our affedion." 1 '
. :"fd^ft Canton, the/27th of December, and on
°P. r T'etuin,, refrefhed at :the Cape of Good Hepe,
w '?ere,we. found a moft.friendly reception —after re-
B?@^.^ ere five da J s > w e failed Tor Amerfed, and
arrived in this port on the 11th inftaht. s '«°-
Tq every lover of his country, as well ds to thoTe
more iminemabely concerned ip commerce, it niuftbe
a piecing reflection, that a communication is thus
l^pph'y. opened;between: us and die eriftern extreme
of the globe; and it adds very sensibly to the' pltft
furp of th^ refeftian; that, the voyrigehas been per
form^4 in foifhort^a Spaceref time, and attended with
\he lpfs ODfymfone man.^Tb captain Green and his of
ficers every commendation is due, for their : unweari
e4 and Juccefsful endeavours in" bringing itro this
diol fortunate issue, which .fully juftifes the confi
dence reposed far them; by th& gentlehien concerned
indite eriferpriz©^ ^i..
Permit me, fir, to accompany this letter with the
fWP pi^^rof filk..presented tome byThe Fuen of
Cantor?, as a mark of his < good difpofitibn tbwafds
tbv Am^tjean matron".. In. that vieW- 1 eonlider niyfelf
^peculiarly honoured; in being charged tvith this tef
timAPyipf jha.friendship of. the Chitiefe for a people,
who may in a few years prosecute a commerce with
^ fe^j^^. of:that empire, - tinderadvhnfafo -equal,
if^t fopwQr# to those enjoyed by any-dthermhroh
whatever. . , a . ~ am pumrsmifi Kurt
I have the honour to be„with the moft^perfeef-rd
fpecl, fir f ,ybur inoft obedient,vend veryhumble fer-
Y^ m.. : cc ? . . :SAMUEL SHAW.'
The honourable the Miniftemof^he 7 - riav
Q Un hed Stat o sos Eoreig^A^
Mt: Jay laid tlils letter arid the two, pieces of @&
mentioned in it'; before Congress: they were pleased
to return th^ 111 k to Mr. Shaw, and ordered Mfr
Jay rd inform Tilifr §at' they 'felt, a peculiar ^ti^
f^tonJh th&f&tftful issue of that ifrft effort of tlf
citizens of America, to eft^llltyXfffft trade .with
China, vrhich did fa nwch honour, to its undertakers
aiid'cohdh&orsi""
;r at A.cmeri m tin; mnr ;>w cton^m, r.,
^*^^^ c^x^efofog^
"-Foreign' ,Intelligence. :"
^iik^ '::.':..')^^^fe~ 1 ^^««A. w^^^ " b M^.o
P A ^R I S, July I.'''
sir By letters from Grenoble we learn, that Hn the
9th of May, the town of Caffes, in Dayphiny;Was
ahnoft entirely confirmed by fire, there remaining
only 24 ho'ufes out of 137, which fortned the ' town?
By this accident 97 families; comprifaig 40^,efforts,
are reduced to unspeakable tiiftrefs; A woman, and
a child - in? its cradle periled ih th^flaihes, and in
.endeavouring to cxringuiflt the flames, several of the
inhabitants had their hands and faces fhockingiv
burnt. vv\'
. L O N D O N, Jtdy 7,
By letters from Stutgard, dated June the 20th,
We leaf,, Wat in consequence of the great incotirade-
Mehx gNen-bf the reigrrihg Duke of Wurfembu@