The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-29 00:00:00

Enclosure 38.

• Head-quarters Camp, Ho-see-wao, Sept. 13.
My Lord,—ln answer to your Excellency's letter of the
12th inst., I have the honour to state that it will be inex-
pedient for the army under my command to move from
Ho-see •wao for seven or eight days at least. The force I
have with me at present is small, and must be reinforced.
The heavy guns now on their way up by water cannot ar-
rive for several days, and it will be necesssry for me to
form a depot at this place for supplies to make me indepen-
dent of the country, from which it is very unesztain
whether I shall be able to get a sufficiency. Supplieft are
expected up the river, but it will take several days before
they arrive.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) J. HOPE GRANT, Major-General.
To the Right Hon. the Earl of Elgin
and Kincardine, K.T., &c.

During my absence the Prince had been in conversation
with Mr. Parkes, who, in answer to one of the general ex-
pressions of a hope that henceforth friendly relations
would continue uninterrupted, had remarked that an in-
crease of intercrAirse would doubtless make us better
friends, and tat he rejoiced in the prospect of an ac-
quaintance between the representatives of foreign Go-
vernment", and the three Princes. Your Excellency will
bear in 'mind that from all we have ever been given to un-
derstund the actual Government of the country is in the
hands of Prince Hwui, the Prince of Ching, and the
Prince of I, 'to whom Mr. Parkes was Breaking. He
started at the words the three Princes; by whom, added
Mr. Parkes, we have been much misunderstood ; and he
immediately rejoined :—Not by them alone, bit also by
(writing the character with his forefinger in the air, a la
Chinoise), the Han (Chinese). He then rose, went round
the table, and again whispered the word Han. They then
became
vtheryat
ofrurrenredally'
service, the Prince at once suggested that we might help
them much in supplying the capital with grain; hinting
at the same time that we should not, ho hoped, attempt to
make too great a profit upon it. He then tried to sound
wishend hinad answer
ever, bee to
n to Mr.
o Ptahre country
service, nt as-
surance
Mr. Parkes upon the question of co-operation against the
rebels, but finding him avoid this question, returned to the
grain supply.
My return with the draft put an end to the conversation,
and as soon as it had received its final correction, it was sent
to be copied. IVe did not wait for it, as the Commissioners'
..al was at their residence in the city ; and as it was now
Well past midnight, we took our leave, very weary of an
interview which had lasted upwards of eight hours.
The earnestness, and even vehemence with which the
Prince had discussed, first the question of powers, and
lastly the position of the force, induced us both to believe
that his surrender at last was bona fide for the purpose of
preventing further hostilities. I think so still; the deep
sighs with which Muh-yin perused the despatch we were to
carry away, may have had other causes, but they appeared to
me at the time not unfavourable symptoms.
The expected letter arrived shortly after us, at our lodg-
ings, and at five o'clock we started for Ho-see-wao. South
of Chang-kia-wan we observed numerous cavalry videttes,
but no large body, and none of the works upon which our
force came two days later. In the neighbourhood of Matan
long lines of a very wretched cavalry preseated'themselves
in parade order. The officers to whom wo spoke inquired
eagerly if there was a prospect of peace, and the next day
they were withdrawn throughout the country in question.
Mr. Parkes, who had occasion to accompany a civil Man-
darin who had' been waiting our return beyond our lines, is
my authority for this statement. I think it worth mention
that a prisoner, taken on the 21st, in the course of conver-
sation volunteered the remark that the fighting was all the
doing of San-ko-lin-sin' who was as anxious for it as the
Prince Tsai was opposed to it. This accords with other
reports.
_

In the absence of Mr. Parkes, I may be permitted to state
that, as on all similar occasions, the greater part of the
work of discussion and persuasion fell to his share. His
name was evidently well known to the Commissioners, and
they treated what tell from him with particular. attention.
I have, &c..
(Signed) THOMAS WADE, Chinese Secretary.

Enclosure 5.
Received Sept. H, 1860.
Tsai, Prince of S., and Muh-yin, President of the Board
of War, Imperial Commissioners, make a communication :
The Prince and his colleague addressed a communi-
cation to his Excellency the British Minister on the 26th
instant (Sept. 12), and a reply to a communication received
from his Excellency on the 27th inst. (Sept. 13), and being
aware that both despatches were received by his Excel-
lency, they are really at a loss to understand why he has
not replied to them.
The Prince and his colleague having been sent from the
capital by his. Majesty's commands, for the purpose of
negotiating peace with the British, their sole desire was to
-meet his Excellency, and in person effect with him a resto-
ration of friendly relations; but the garrisons stationed
north of Ho-see-wao are under the command of the high
officers in charge of the force ; the Prince and his colleague
have nothing to say to them • and were the troops accom-
panying his Excellency, Which they understand have
reached Ho-see .wao, to advance so far as to come in con-
tact with these garrisons, the inevitable consequence would
be a misunderstanding between the two bodies, which
would disappoint the hope, strong as it is entertained by the
Prince and his colleague, that friendly relations may be
firmly established, a consequence seriously to be deplored.
In the British Minister's reply of the 26th inst. he stated
that his only object was to proceed to Tung-chow; the
Prince and his colleague have really no object to baulk his
Excellency's worthy purpoSe ; and they now engage, that
if he will station his force at Yang-tsun-tsai-tsun and Ho-
see-wao, without' making further movement onward, and
will then meet the Prince and hid colleague according to
the article proposed by him at Tien-tsing, on the subject of
his admission into Peking, with a small suite unarmed, the
Convention, they promise, shall be concluded. sealed, and
signed; and this done, a day chosex for his Excellency's
entry into Poking for the purpose of exchanging the ratifi-
cations, that no further time may be lost.
The carriages and other vehicles required by his Excel-
lency shall be provided by the local authorities, and shall
be sent forward as soon as the numberof his suite shall have
been stated. Orders shall at the same time be given to the
military authorities to furnish an escort ; and the Prince
and his colleague will write to the high officer commanding
the forces to explain to the troops in pgemptory terns, that
there is to be no unruly conduct. Thus will his Excel-
lency be enabled to advance with all speed.
The Prince and his colleague can further desire that the
local authorities supply the British force with everything
it may require at the points at which it is stationed.
If matters can be arranged in this sense, the Prince and
his colleague may be more or less spared the disappoint-
ment of their desire for the establishment of friendly rela-
tions. They assumelthat his Excellency entertains a corre-
sponding desire, and they trust that he will have the
goodness to reply to them as soon as possible.
A necessary communication addressed to his Excellency
the Earl of Elgin, &c.
Hienfung, 18th year, 7th moon, 28th day (13th Septem-
ber, 1860), about 10 p.m.
Translated by
TisoMAs WADE, Chinese Secretary.

Enclosure 6.
The Imperial Commissioners Tsai, Prince of S., and
Muh, President of the Board of War, make the following
communication.

His Excellency the Ambassador, havinc, sent his secre-
taries, Messrs. Wade and Parkes, to Tung-chow, the
Prince and his colleague were informed by them on their
arrival here to-day of all those points upon which the Am-
bassador insists, and there is no one of these which is not
now thoroughly understood by the Prince and his col-
league.
On the subject of the powers which are to be produced
by the Plenipotentiaries on both sides, when they meet at
Tung-chow for the discussion of business, the Prince and
his colleague have no difficulty in engaging that the neces-
sary Imperial edict shall be forthcoming on their part.
To the inquiry made on behalf of the Ambassador as to
what security can be given for the faithful execution of
the engagements now entered into, the Prince and his col-
league have to reply that no comparison can be drawn
between the authority vested in them and that held by
other Ministers who may have been charged with nego-
tiations, and that this fact affords a positive assurance of
the future observance of good faith on the part of their
Government.
The Prince and his colleague having further been called
upon to state whether they can engage to conclude and
sign a convention identical in every respect with that
recently communicated 'to the Minister Kweiliang, and,
this effected, that the Treaty of 1858 shall be exchanged in
Peking, they willingly undertake the performance of both
these stipulations.
The Prince and his colleague having thus accepted the
above conditions without exception, have now to express
an urgent wish that his Excellency the Ambassador will not
bring up the main body of the British forces to Tung-chow,
but will limit his escort to about 1,000 men ; also that the
former shall not occupy any position nearer than five li from
the town of Chang-kea-wan.* They have further to urge
that the English forces shall make no onward movement
after the Convention shall have been sealed and signed,
and that this being done, they shall be withdrawn at an
early date.
A necessary communication to his Excellency the Earl
of Elgin, icc.
Dated; Hienfun„.,,, 18th year, 7th moon, 29th day
(14th September, 1860). .

Translated by
HARRY S. PAR/CTS

Enclosure 7.
Ho-see-wao, Sept. 16, 1860.
The undersigned, &c., &c., has received a despatch from
their Excellencies the Imperial Commissioners, Prince of
Tsai, and Muh, President of the Board of War, under date
the 13th instant, the despatch of their Excellencies of the
14th instant, brought back by his Secretaries from Tung-
chow, has also reached me.
In reply, the undersigned has the honour to state that
he is willing, if all the conditions specified below be
faithfully carried out, to stipulate that the main body of the
British force shall not advance beyond five li on this side
of Chang-kia-wan. It will commence its march towards
that place to-morrow, and it will commit no hostile act
upon the route unless it encounters opposition.
In order, however, to prevent misunderstanding, it will
be well that their Excellencies should cause a proclama-
tion to be forthwith issued, to theeffect that, as peace nego-
tiations are on foot, and as the British Ambassador and
Commander-in-Chief have agreed, in compliance with the
request of their Excellencies, that the main body of .the
British force shall halt at the point in question, the people
should at once return to their homes, unclose their shops,
and re-open their markets. This is essential for the pro-
tection of the people themselves. All supplies required
by the troops will be punctually paid for, if They be offered
for sale, but the country will infallibly be scoured to obtain
them, if no markets be opened.
When the proclamation above referred to shall have been
issued, and all necessary preparations shall have been_mad
at Tung-chow for his reception, the undersigned willt!arod
ceed to Tung-chow with an escort of about one thousand
men, men, and having there signed the Convention, will g
accompanied by the same escort to the capi!,.sl, there
atnodext-o
change the ratifications of the Treaty of Twat= gl letter
present to his Majesty the Emperor the autograPh b h
with which he has had the honour to be charged y er
Majesty the Queen of England.
After these several acts shall have been performed;, it is

* Chang-kea-wang is 12 li (or rather less than t,',Air
miles) from the south face of Tung-chow—the distan CO
alluded to will, therefore, be about five miles from th e
latter city.-11,5.P.