The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-07 00:00:00

peisonal interview with me, and as your slave had not
yet•in person inspected the Bocca Tigris, and as the
troops ordered from the several provinceS had not yet
arrived, it did .not seem prudent to show any symptoms
(of dislike to his proposal) which would have given rise
to suspicion •on his part, and thus pretheturely brought
()tea collision ; so your slave took advantage of the ep-
portunity to visit and•inspect 'the Bocce Tigris, and on
the.third. day (25th :tannery S 1841) left the city. and
embarking ou ship-board aeproached Sze yang (Lion'sr
ocean) on the Canton river, whither Elliot soon came
• .
in a wheeled fire ship, and begged fur an interview. He
scarcely brought several tens of persons in his train.
and on that day his language and den eanor were ex-
ceedingly respectful. But he handed up to me a rough
draught of several regulations which he had planned,
the most of which regarded the troublesome minutia of
commerce, and at the same time lie agreed that after-
wards, in relation to the bringing of Opium, the leaking
out of sycee, or • smuggling, he -was quite willing that
ship and cargo should be confiscated. But among (the
articles he proposed) there were some items quite impos-
sible to be granted. Your slave at the time pointed them
out and rebuked him, when the 'foreigner immediately
begged that they might be discussed and amended. I
consented that he might alter them, but (told him) he
must wait till they had been maturely canvassed and
handed up to your Majesty for 'examination (and ap-
proval )
Your slave, after having parted with Elliot, found
that the Sze -t,e yang (2d bar) is distant from the Bocca
Tigris about GO le (20 miles), but even there the sea is
vast, the billows boiling, and- the wind fierce. Suddenly
we came on the outer ocean in all its majesty ! No in-
lend river can in any measure be eempared to it. Your
slave immediately changed his litee3jar asvcssel capable
of navigating the high seas,. and having arrived at the.
Bocca Tigris made a most careful inspection of all the
forts round about. They may not be said to be utterly
isolated on the four sides, and • rising up alone in the
midst of the ocean, yet are theYe situated beyond the
extremity: of our hills and quite approachable from
the sea. Supposing them to 'be • surrounded and
blockaded, even so much as provisions for the
troops it would be found difficult to introduce
Your slave then proceeded to measure the depth •of
the water, beginning at the Bocca Tigris and sounding
till lie came to Canton, and he found. it at high water to.
be from one chang (two fathoms) and upwards to three
and four chant, varying continually. Now we all know
that the principal cause of these forts being erected, was
a barrier to merchant ships which draw more water, and
which in ,time of peace, when they submit to constraint,
dare not pass the bounds or to go round-about ; but if
they were to bring troops with intention to rebel, they
may sneak in clandestinely through every hole and
corner. There is no necessity for their passing before the
forts, and thus may they proceed straight up tit:stile pro-
vincial city, itself. Moreover, after having passed the
Bocca Tigris, though we may add obstruction to ob-
struction, yet such is the nature of the country that there
is no important point by which we may hold it.
In reference to guns mounted on these said forts,
their whole number hardly exceeds 200, barely adequate
to defend their fronts, while their sides are left quite un-
protected. Moreovereamong their number, those which
may be used at a moment's notice are not many, for in
point of endurance as well as make they are alike de-
festive. The bodies of the guns are immensely large,
but the bore is very small, and the sea in those parts is
extremely wide, so that they scarcely carry to the mid-,
dle ; thus, as regards their number, they are fewer than
those mounted on the foreign ships, and if we speak of
their power, they are not equal to those which' the foreign
ships carry. Morever the embrasures on the forts are
as wide as doors, almost large enough -to allow people to
creep out and in by. If we had to sustain a broadside,
they would offer no protection to our people, and may be
said, in a word, to .be wholly without strength. Just
now we are making inquiries after a cannon-founder, to
see if he can cast guns upon an improved model, when
we shall have such cast • but if we can in very deed get
them cast according to ads plan, that will only do as a '
preventive against the future, and not at all be in time for
the present emergency ; thus there is nothing good in
our military weapons that we may place reliance on them.
Again,- in reference to the strength of our soldiers,
I find that the keeping off the foreigners must be done
by sea fights, and to ftght well at sea we must have good
marine troops. - I have now to feel grateful to your
Majesty for specially sending land troops from the dif-
ferent provinces ; this shows the great and sacred
anxiety your Majesty feels in the matter. But then
these troops must go on board our sea going ships before
that they can give battle to the foreigners, and if they
were not firm, or if they were not accustomed to the
winds and waves, it might entail on us the calamities of
a defeat. Now they are not accustomed to go on board
ships and handle them, so that we cannot but use
marine soldiers. The marine trcops of Canton pro-
vince are drawn by invitation from the sea side,
and their quality is • iremslars,s444.-uncertslin. I
had previously heard a rummti'' that on the 15th
day of the 12th moon (7th January,lB4l) after the battle
the whole of these soldiers went to their Te tuh or gene-
ral, and under false pretences extorted money from }dui,
otherwise they threatened to disband. And lately,
went to the said-Te tuh and asked him face to face con-
cerning it, when lie said that it was quite true, and that
'he (the Te tuh) having no remedy was obliged to pawn
his clothes and things, by which means lie was enabled
to give a bonus of a couple of dollars to each of his
Canton soldiers, and thus got them to remain at their
posts until now. If, then, the disposition of these soldiers,
as it is, is greatly to be lamented, supposing at the most
critical moment, when we had actually joined battle,
these marine forces were to be found weak and without
energy, it might lead to the most fatal consequences ;
and although we might have veteran troops among them,
yet there would be no means of inspiring them with a
portion of their skill and steadiness. Moreover our war
ships are neither large nor strong ; they are incapable of
sustaining large guns, so that they are unable to repulse
the foreigners, and these are the remarks I have to offer
on the weakness of our soldiery.
I have also found by careful examination that the
characteristics of the people of Canton province are false-
hood, ingratitude,- and greediness, putting out of the
question those Who are already actual traitors and whom
there is no occasion to speak about. The rest have all
been horn and dwell in the same place, mixed up with
the foreigners; they are constantly accustomed to see
them, and many years have been as intimate with
them as very brothers. They are not at all like the peo-
ple of Tinghae, who, having never been accustomed to
hold intercourse with foreigners, immediately discovered
them to be a distinct Species. But if we suppose that
what they did there they had done here—if these said fo-
reigners had deceitfully- distributed their paltry presents,
and set the machinery of their tricks to work, I really
fear that the whole people (of the province) would have
been seduced by them; they would certainly. not have
shown the unbending firmness of the Tinghae people,
Such are the observations I have got to offer on the
flexible disposition of the Canton people, which circum-
stances give us still more cause, for anxiety ! •
On looking over the records of the past, I find, in re-
ference to the putting down of the- ledrones, that these
were but so many thieves and robbers ; the ships they
were embarked in were native ships, and the guns they
made use of were native cast guns, and yet this affair
was spun out for many years, and only put an end to by
inviting them to surrender under promise of pardon; and
under the present circumstances it is to be feared that
the wasp's sting is much more deadly !
Your slave has again and again resolved the matter in
his anxious mind ! In so far as it regards his ownperson
it, is unworthy of notice, but the consequences touching
the vital interests of the country and the lives of the
people involved in it, are vast, -and extending to poste-
rity ! But, alas ! your slave , has sinned in giving
battle when he could not command destiny to give
him the victory, and he has no less sinned in .being
unable to settle matters in unison with your Sacred- Ma,.
jesty's wishes. Both of these are crimes which affect his
poor life, but what is there in this .worthy of .pity or
consideration ! Still your' slave, though he has sinned,
in not being able to settle matters m unison'. with,
your Sacred - Majesty's wishes, yet the territory and
people of Canton still exist and look up to your Most
Sacred Majesty for his gracious support and pro-
tection, while your slave, by having, sinned in giving
battle when fate denied hint the victory, has soiled the
glory of his master, and poured Out the lives of his peo-
ple, and still more left himself without a sensible plan
to put in operation ! Therefore it is that after having
duly consulted with the Tartar General of the garrison,
and his Adjutants, the Lieutenant-Governor, the Lite-
rary Chancellor, the Judge and Treasurer, the Intend-
ants of Circuit, the Chief Magistrates of larger and less-
er districts, and the ex-Governors in Tsili tsen and
Tang 'ring Cluing, &c., &e, we have unanimously come
to the conclusion that our defericeS are not to be relied
upon, and that in the tug of battle our troops will not
stand their ground. Moreover,. in regardto the. troops I
which have been ordered by your 4ayei.iy from-the dif-
ferent provinces, time 'is still necesSary for that object;
nor can they all arrive at once, and the assembling of. a
large body of treops..is not a thing that can be done
quietly. The native, traitors are sure to give timely notice
of it, and the foreigners would in the first instance give
loose to their madness and extravagance.

Your slave is vexed to death thinking of these things
even till he loathes his food, and till sleep has forsaken
his eyelids; forasmuch he does „not shrink front the heavy
guilt he is incurring in stating,all these facts, the result
of his diligent inquiries, and annoying with them the
cars of Heaven's son, and at the same time he takes
every thing connected with the foreigners and all the.
foreigner's letters, and hands them up for imperial inspec-
tion. He humbly hopes that. the Holy One will look
down with pity and compassion on the black-haired race,
and shower upon them an extra measure of clemency, in
granting what is therein requested ;' so that the peaple
of the land-may not be turned to ashes. In times of dif-
ficulty is seen good Government; victory is but a transient
thing ; in restraining the ruin that is before our eyes,
we ought carefully-to eradicate the cause of it for after
ages !

In reference to all .the circumstances contained in this,
whether the result of my conference with the high pro-
vincial officers, or, of my own diligent investigation, I
only hope that your Sacred. Majesty will condescend to
inquire regarding them, and I beg that your Majesty
will specially appoint a high officer to come here to ascer-
tam their truth. Your slave has been actuated by a de-
sire to save the country and the people from first to last,
and•not swayed by the smallest atom of fear, and still