The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-12 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, APRIL 12, 184!

sleep and dreams. I, therefore, ordered a messenger to go
secretly to Tinghae, to examine and seek for information ; oe
has now returned, and reports as follows :
The said barbarians dwelling (encamped?) without the city
of Tiughae, have erected forts ; the have also repaired the
landing place, and opened water-courses which pass through
the inner city ; they have also established a mart for the sale

of foreign goods.
Ad the dwellings have indeed been already trampled upon
beyond bearing. I have further heard that when the said bar-
bai huts first came to Tinghae they did not trouble or distress
the people ; but now they are far from being quiet and peace-
able ; t trey have already sacked the villages of Tsinkeang and
Chinkeamun, in the neighbourhood of Tinghae, and have
otherwise behaved ill • and although the native traitors of
Tinghae have become their servants, yi• t the natives of the sur-
rounding villages are constantly quarrelling, and are altogether
unwilling to coalesce with them.
I have also heard that the said barbarians have set up a
counterfeit public officer, who issues proclamations to the people
of Tinghae, ordering them to bring supplies and so forth. As
to the ships wnich have weighed their anchors and are said to
have gne to Canton—it is said that all of them have not gone
thither ; it is said they come and go at times, and there are
differe t reports as to their number.
Agzio, it is authenticated that the chekeen of the district of
Seang <han has reported—that on the 22d day of the loth moon
(Nov& ,aber 15) six sail of barbarian ships were cruizing in the
of
I h:,,ve examined and found that since all the barbarian slips
have not gone to Canton, but some of them are in the Seang-
shan offing, they are probably the same vessels that were at
anther at Tinghae, but of this lam not certain. As for the
number of ships that have gone to Canton, the imperial envoy
Keshen has already reported them in a correct list, and there
is no necessity for me to make further inquiries. But since
the said barbal ians have humbly begged for the imperial fa-
vour to allow them to go to Canton, there to await the exami-
nation and management of affairs, how is it that they remain
at Tinghae, there building forts, &c. ?
Whether or not they erected forts at the time of the fall of
Tinghae, or wh,ther they built them after they had humbly
asked to be allowed to go to Canton; and then deviated into
plundering and rapine—whether these things happened before
or after the issuing of the prohibitory proclamation of the Im-
perial Envoy, Lleppoo, to the people of Tinghae—l cannot
certainly know.
If they really began repairing and building, &c., after the
publication of the proclamation, it follows that, although I
have treated them with sincerity, they have repaid me with
treachery.
And now, as they certainly must return to Canton, for what
reason have they set up a counterfeit public officer, to issue pro-
clamations to the people of finghae ? Each and all of their
proceedings are suspicious. I really am apprehensive that the
said barbarians have an intention of iemaiuing in Tinghae, and
establishing a mart there.
Tinghae is a most important place on the high seas ; on
the south it is near to the provinces of Fokein and Kwang.
tuog ; on the north it is connected with the provinces
of Keange-Shantung and Pechele, with all which pro-
vinces the communications (from Tinghae) is easy; if the
English remain here and establish a commerce, hey will
have much greater facilities than before to send their
ships either to the north or south. If their coming in
and going be borne with, then the poor people on the coasts
will not only lose the profits from their fishing boats, but it is
difficult to be secure that the pirate vessels will not be brought
under their influence; and though all the maritime ports and
other places should be well guarded, and an increased severity
in examining, and they (the English) should be suffered to do
as they like, still certainly there will not be any mutual tran-
quillity or freedom from disturbances.
Moreover, since the people of Tinghae have already been sub-
jected to unbearable oppression, they will continue to be at
enmity with the barbarians.
Hereafter, measures of management should be consulted
upon to tranquillise future times; and greater attention should
be paid to soothe and commiserate the people.
The province of Chekeang is one of the richest places of the
south-east, and pays the greatest amount of taxes; and Ning-
poo is its most beautiful district; supposing they have an in-
tention of dwelling at Tinghae, it is hard to say they will not
cast an eye to and covet Ningpoo.
If such is not their intention, yet in consequence of the de-
s ruction of the opium in Canton, both the provinces of Fo-
kein and Canton have been attacked; but how is it they have
not attacked Macao and Amoy, but that they turn to attack
Tinghae?
Turning back to examine, I find that, in the twenty-first
year of Keenlung (1755-56), a foreign ship anchored at Ning-
poo, when an Imperial edict was respectfully received :
" Hitherto, when foreign vessels arrived in China, they all
entered by Macao, in the province of Canton; but few of
them have ever come to Ningpoo. But if it happened that
ships were driven in by stress of weather, hitherto they were
not interfered with by the Government.
Tnis year the foreigners have evinced a great inclination
for, and have come to, Ningpoo to trade ; they will soon
gain a thorough knowledge of the road or way, and if one
ship enters the port the numbers will tie daily increased,
and they will soon establish a public market; now the sea-
coasts are important places, and the greatest attention must,
without fail, be bestowed on them."
Further, in the 22d year of Keentung, an imperial edict
was received.
Ningpoo has not been hitherto a rendezvous for foreign
ships ; for the future they are only to be allowed to anchor at
Canton ; they are not to be allowed to anchor in the maritime
ports of Chekeang. Respect this."
Now your Imperial Majesty has permitted the said barba-
rians to proceed to Canton without impediment. I look up
and observe that your Majesty's predecessor and your Majesty
are most attentive to the sea coasts ; the mutual harmony is
the same as the corresponding parts of a divid,d bamboo.
Already has the Inipelial Envoy Keshen received orders to
repair to Canton to examine into and manage affairs , and,
verily, most complete measures will be perfected ; but these
plans are not yet before our eyes (expressing how deep-laid
Keshen's schemes are).
The Imperial Envoy Elepoo, being now at Chiuhae, must
a'so have it in his power to clearly examine the barbarian
(English) traitors; and this business being well managed,
there will be no occasion for me to be anxious.
1 have been enriched with the imperial favour. I have
made inquiries in enter to learn the dispositions and intentions
of the (English) barbarians, and I have found them to be
suspicious. As the examination and management in Canton
is of later date, I fear those in Canton are ignorant of the
present disposition and intentions of the ( English) barbarians
in Tinghae ; I am further apprehensive that the barbaiians
who have proceeded to Canton will, with sweet words, deceitfully
beg, and so subject Keshen to their delusions.
I, thinking of calamity, prepare to guard against it, and
am, therefore, eonstiained (by a sense of duty) to make this
report, begging your Imperial Majesty u ill dens to the
Imperial Envoy in Canton, Keshen, to examine into the cir-
cumstances of the inquiries I have made and means of guard-
ing (against danger), and to act accordingly ; and also to
order the Chekeang Imperial Envoy, Elepoo, to approach near
(to Tinghae) and make a minute examination into the dispo-
sitions and intentions of the ( Lriglish) barbarians, and forth-
with to send secret reports to Canton, by which means it may
he hoped plans may be devised to manage and settle matters.
Prostrate, I beg for the Imperial glance. A respectful report.
No date. )—Canton Register, Jan. 19.