Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-08-21

fury, no, to know that this mode of warfare
must be looked to by John Bull. 1t appears
that the boats of her majesty's ship Voltage
were employed in towing these fire ships out
of the line of danger, they burnt out, after
having driltcd OH shore without explosion,
though it is said they wore filled with bam-
boos stuffed with gunpowdcr, broken glass,
small stones, &c.
The most important document, and the de-
tails of which have not yet been published,
we believe, in tho American papers, Is the
long Imperial Edict of the Council of War,
recommending plan to massacre all the
English. This is for having dared, after
delivering up the 10000 chests of the opium
poison, to bring more Of it on the coast, and
even "to exchange blows with our mandar
ms and soldiers" and "to fire of great guns,
thereby wounding the celestial soldiers"
For their " crattincss and contrary DISPOSE
tions," and because they keep their craft an
chorcd outside, "staring and looking about
and wont go away" they must be punished.
The odict speaks with contempt of the
paltry revenue from the foreign trade as on
ly ga million and several myrlads of tacls,"
and that the mandarins will readily forcgo
this. 1t recommends that the trade (tea and
rhubarb) be totally shut to all foreigners
whatever, and ridiculcs tho idea that these
foreigners have anticipated these troubles,
and have obtained ten gears supply in adj
vance when it is Familiarity known that tea
spoils in two years, &c. Every nation, it
says, is implicated in smuggling opium, and
if the English only are shut out, the ships of
other people will bring it, and deposit it in
the English vessels, and then take out tea
and rhubarb to them. Egrcss and ingrcss to
all ships must both be enforced. On
kwangtung coast it says there was formerly
piratical class of {" fast crab boatmen whose
only profession was smuggling" and the
"blackguards" when foreigners had free &C
cess to China, we're embroidered and open
in their practices. Yet still they "congre-
gate," being "reckless villains" and carry
to the ships outside rice and bread, and re-
ceivc opium in return, or rob the merchant
mon of it. This canaillc NEST be extermin-
atcd. To prevent deception tho fishing
boats must take their fish, near the shore.
Dcathis tho penalty Of every one convicted
Of clandestine means to introduce opium.
The soldicry must be drilled along all the
provinces on the scacoast to drive back the
, foreigners when they come for wood and
water. They will finally repent of their
: crimes, droop their heads, and" says the
cdict, submissivcly await our sentence"
1t confesscs that the foreigners have ships
so large and strong, and are so well skilled
; in great guns and on the ocean, that they
would be an overmatcll to their cruisers
, The edict declares that the people Of the
coast province of kwangtung, which, it APP
pears, is most frcquentcd by the foreigners
arc cxaspcrated against their overbcarne
+ crafty conduct. The sage adviser of the
board, Tsang Wangyen, therefore recon.
mends that the cruisers dccoy the big ships
> and that several hundred of the stoutest
, bravcsf divers and swimmers be employed
to separate in groupes, and ITO 90 diving
straight on board the foreign ships, and ia
king the said foreigners ,,nawares, massacr,
every individual among thcm," [more easil,
d said than done. And he proposes severa
h hundred fireships with swimmers on board
= and the armed cruisers to follow in thci
d wake-the ships to be prize to thos'
who take them; then these foreigners woult
u die cih fear.
it The cdict now relaxes, and says if TIT
r foreigners humbly repent and memorabilia
# the tea and rhubarb trade may yet be re
: newcd under certain limitations. (Thi
h looks very much like the head men wishin,
C to bamboozlc the Emperor, and not give III
c the profitable poison opium, which, with tn
C foreign duties on other articles, are emolu
g ments not to be readily abandoncd.) TIN
il sage counsellor compares his plan to "pai
of niPpers," and says IN words nearly, tina
Q it is the complete clean thing. If opium l
u, again Struggled, then cut off the trade forev
u or. lilo modcs,ly prays the Emperor to Civ
G glance at his "stupid foolish notions" A
to the Portuguese at Nlacoo, for fear of thei
II collision, he anncxes an appendix recon-
mcnd!ng that they, out of "cclcstal compass
), sion," be allowed limited trade in tea an,
e rhubarb, and if they are caught supplying
n ships on land, then to be driven home
C Meanwhile, not an article of goods is permit
y ted to be exported from Macao. Animpcria
o high commissioner "Yih," declares thes,
+ restrictions, but at tho same time states tina
the said Yih had pctitioned to have the Gus
+ toms at Macao rc-opcncd!!
!. The Chinese, it was thought, were actin
r in this matter with that characteristic duplici
y ty which they socm to have such fondnes
n for imputing to others. 1t was no doub
Y their intention to apply the "nippers" to tn
J Portuguese also /; and they were building, b,
II the last accounts, 80 double banked boats a
- Canton with % oars in each.
:. Three English steam frigates, the NADIA
;, gascar, considered the most formidable in tn
r British navy, and the Queen and Enterpris
!. would soon give the pigtoil, a touch O
i their thunder from the 90 Founders whc
they carry. The first had already left Cal
If cu,'a, May II, for Singapore, and the other
y would Immediately follow, with number O
y transports with troops. A number of natlv
= officers and troops Off Hindostan arc anon
them. The troops arc not to have over t,c
1t dTams ofspirits day, but liberal rations an,
,e pay instead.
i Meanwhile, there is movement of heav,
d Russian force in the vicinity of Bohkara, il
r lndostan, which ultimately may be brougl
lie to bear on China.