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system would, of course, be continued. In fact, no change in it could. have been made without the Emperor's express sanction. And the Emperor had not the smallest intention of modifying the Eight Regulations or abolishing the Co-Hong.

The British Cabinet, though aware that a Crown appointment would be a new departure, does not seem to have realized its full implications from the Chinese point of view, in spite of the mass of evidence that had become available as a result of the Macartney and Amherst embassies and of the report of a Parliamentary Committee recently published. Having decided on its policy, it looked round for a suitable man and picked Lord Napier of Merchiston, a Scottish Peer. . . .

Turning now to the letters printed in Correspondence and Papers relating to China, a White Paper laid before Parliament in 1840, we may see precisely what Lord Napier was expected to do when he got to Canton.

His appointment was to be called a Chief Superintendency of Trade, and he was to be assisted by a Second and Third Superintendent, the persons to be nominated having been members of the defunct Select Committee of the East India Company. His Commission under the Sign Manual dated 31st December 1833 contained the following points, which denote clearly enough the Chinese policy of His Majesty's Government: he was to take up his residence at Canton; he was to protect the interests of the British merchants and advise and mediate between them and the officers of the Chinese Government; in his relations with the Chinese Government he was to abstain from all unnecessary use of menacing language, be moderate, cautious, and not ask for the help of the navy except when "the most evident necessity shall require that any such menacing language should be holden, or that any such appeal should be made"; he should respect the laws and usages of China.

It will be noticed at once that the first of these instructions clashes with the last. He was to obey the Chinese regulations, yet he must reside at Canton. As he was not a merchant but an officer of the Crown holding what today resembles a consular appointment, he had no right under Chinese law to reside at Canton. Under that law persons like him should report their arrival to the Viceroy and await înstructions from Peking. The Emperor never allowed such officials to enter China except to come as tribute bearers to the Celestial Court. For him to sanction Lord Napier's residence at Canton in his capacity as an agent of his sovereign would have been a new departure and tantamount to a reversal of the long-established policy of refusing to receive resident consular or ambassadorial representatives. It was impossible that he would give such permission, even if the utmost efforts were made to obtain it. But Lord Napier was given no instructions even to seek that permission. He was simply to go to Canton and take up his duties there forthwith. From the very start, therefore, his orders were to break one of the most fundamental of Chinese regulations. He was expected to effect a revolution in Chinese policy by the simple method of ignoring its existence. This revolution was inherent also in the instruction that he mediate between the merchants and the local officers. Under the existing rules no correspondence or contact of any

kind with the local officers was permitted: all such business had to be conducted through the Co-Hong, a body of mercantile contractors. Yet at the same time he was directed to be cautious, complacent, to abstain from giving offence, to maintain friendly relations. In short, he was expected to be as mild and discreet as had been the Honourable Company, and yet immediately to do all the things that it had desired to do but refrained from doing for fear of exciting hostility. That the Cabinet should have issued such instructions and that he should have expressed a willingness to carry them out shows that neither had taken the trouble to obtain expert advice or to read the state papers relating to China. As the Cabinet had no intention at that time of bringing to bear the force that would have been necessary to effect such a revolution in its relations with the Court at Peking, it was sending the unfortunate Napier on a wild-goose chase.

In the Foreign Secretary's letter of supplementary instructions addressed to Lord Napier on 25 January 1834 he was ordered to announce his arrival at Canton by letter to the Viceroy. The objection to this we have already seen: it was against the rules for a man holding Napier's appointment to enter China without permission.

In pursuance of these instructions, perhaps the most ill-considered ever drafted for the guidance of an officer of the Crown sent on an important mission overseas, Lord Napier, accompanied by his wife and two daughters, embarked on board the frigate H.M.S. Andromache when the daffodils were in bloom and on 15 July 1834 came to anchor in Macao Roads.

THE PALAVER AT THE GATE

Having got his colleagues and assistants together, Napier acquainted them with his orders, the first of which was to proceed to Canton and inform the Viceroy Lu of his presence and what it meant. The difficulties involved in this course were no doubt pointed out to him and fully discussed, but he resolved to take it and fixed 23 July for his departure from Macao.

The mandarin in charge of the Chinese patrol boats in the vicinity reported to Canton, as soon as he became aware of it, the arrival on 15 July of a Barbarian Eye on board a British man-of-war, meaning by that curious term to denote that Napier was not a merchant but an official. On 21 July the Viceroy issued an Edict to the Hong merchants, quoting this report and citing the rule under which an officer of a foreign government was not allowed to enter China until, after petitioning for a permit, he might be authorized to do so by the Emperor. "When this order is received by the said Hong merchants," the Edict continues, "let them immediately go in person to Macao and ascertain clearly from the Barbarian Eye for what he has come to Canton province. And let them authoritatively enjoin upon him the laws of the Celestial Empire, to wit that, with the exception of the merchants and the taipans, their heads, no other Barbarian can be permitted to enter Canton, save after a report has been made and an Imperial Mandate received. . . . The said Barbarian Eye, if he wishes to come to Canton, must inform the said Hong merchants, so that they may petition me, the Viceroy, and I will by express messenger

send a memorial, and all must respectfully wait until His Majesty deigns to send a Mandate. Then orders will be issued requiring obedience. Oppose not! A special order."

On receipt of this Edict a delegation of Hong merchants hastened down to Macao by the passage through the inner creeks, but they arrived after Napier had started for Canton by the outer passage, which goes by the Bogue. As he had arranged, he embarked on board the Andromache on 23 July and came to anchor at midnight before Chuenpee, the fort guarding the eastern_mouth of the Bogue.

After a late breakfast Napier started work, interviewing such merchants as were in Canton and getting his letter to the Viceroy translated into Chinese by Dr. Morrison. It was headed "Letter," not "Petition" as had been the rule in the past when the Select Committee addressed the Viceroy through the Co-Hong. While he was so engaged, Howqua, with Mowqua the second Hong merchant, arrived with a copy of the Viceroy's Edict of the 21st, which should have been delivered to Napier at Macao. When they announced their intention of enjoining it upon him, His Lordship called on them to desist, explaining that he had been instructed to inaugurate a new procedure, under which he and his colleagues would deal direct with the local authorities. "The Hong merchants," he wrote in the above quoted despatch, "were courteously dismissed with an intimation that I would communicate immediately with the Viceroy in a manner befitting His Majesty's Commission and the honour of the British nation." Howqua and Mowqua were bowed out. They were much alarmed, for they knew from old and bitter experience that when the Barbarians misbehaved themselves, they, the unfortunate members of the Co-Hong, were always fined and ran the risk also of chains and the bamboo. However, they could get no one to listen to their pleading and protestations, and they departed trembling to report to their master.

The next day, 27 July, was very trying. Whether or not what occurred was befitting the honour of the British nation, the reader shall judge. The morning opened badly by Napier's being informed that his baggage-chests had been broken open by the customs officers, though the keys had been supplied to them. This petty annoyance was followed swiftly by two others-the boatmen generally employed by the firms were withdrawn by order, and certain other employees were intimidated into deserting. Old China hands knew what such pinpricks meant: the authorities were annoyed and hinted their annoyance in their roundabout way.

The letter was now ready, and Mr. Astell, the secretary, was ordered to take it to the Petition Gate, there to hand it to a mandarin for delivery to the Viceroy. The custom of presenting a petition to the Viceroy at this gate was a very old one. It was recognized that there might be occasions when a petition could not, or should not, be sent through the Co-Hong. But such communications were petitions, not letters, and in recent edicts it had been emphasized that only in the most exceptional circumstances should resort be had to the gate. Jardine, with whom Napier dined on the previous night, was well versed in these matters. Had he not received at the gate his nickname of the Iron-headed Old Rat? He would have told Napier of the difficulties ahead. But Napier had no option. His orders enjoined this course.

Perhaps, Jardine was not sorry that he should be introduced at once to the impossible methods of Chinese officialdom, for, the sooner he realized that force only could serve, the better it would be. Mr. Astell, duly primed and told to use the utmost tact, set out with a deputation of merchants. On their arrival at the Petition Gate, the soldier on guard sent a report of the circumstances to his superior. A quarter of an hour elapsed before a mandarin appeared. Mr. Astell offered him the letter for transmission to the Viceroy, but he excused himself on the ground that a superior officer was on the way.

With admirable patience the British waited an hour, when another mandarin arrived, followed in rapid succession by several others, to each of whom the letter was offered and by each declined, on the same plea that higher officers would shortly attend.

There followed a wait of another hour, during which the crowd, having become very thick, amused themselves by shouting opprobrious epithets and making opprobious signs. It was very unpleasant and humiliating to have to stand there and bear all this silently, but Mr. Astell and his companions, being resolved not to become involved in a free fight, than which nothing, they suspected, would have pleased the Chinese more, by a superhuman effort maintained their calm and continued to wait for someone who would take the letter.

As soon as the authorities inside, who, of course, were fully informed, considered that their importunate visitors had reached the degree of wretchedness when they would be ready to abate their claims to address the Viceroy direct, some of the Hong merchants were brought on the scene. They came forward smiling, wistful, charming, their hands hidden in their long sleeves and bowing-a disarming spectacle. Would not the gentlemen consent to intrust the letter to them? It would be immediately delivered; since His Excellency would have it forthwith, why make trouble over a mere formality? What did it matter who took it to him? But Mr. Astell hardened his heart to these blandishments. It was precisely to circumvent the Co-Hong that he had been sent to the gate. The new policy for which Lord Napier stood would be fatally prejudiced were he to cede the letter to these smirking seductors. He stoutly refused. The crowd hooted. The police made a show of using their whips.

Another mandarin was now seen approaching. From his retinue it seemed he was really of high rank or had been made to appear so by those who had sent him. Mr. Astell immediately offered him the letter. This notability went so far as to look at it, though he did not touch it. When he saw the character for "letter" written on the envelope, instead of that for "petition," he appeared quite astonished and assured Mr. Astell that on that ground alone, though without prejudice to other grounds, it was his duty to refuse to transmit it to the Viceroy. To do so would be a shocking indiscretion, and he was sure they had no desire to see him suffer for their error. Their best course, their only course, was to return at once, and he offered this advice with the friendliest feelings.

While this farcical palaver was in progress, the Tartar General's Adjutant put in an appearance. Among the men-of-straw mandarins who had been deputed to keep off the Barbarians, he seemed a person of exalted quality. At last, thought poor Astell, they are giving way; this

man will take the letter: and he confidently offered it to him. But the Adjutant pretended he had not understood. Whereupon Astell offered it a second time. The Adjutant declined it with such splendid politeness that Astell could not think he had seriously refused, and again, for the third time, pressed it upon him. Whereupon, with a perceptible stiffening of manner, he made his refusal unmistakably clear.

At this awkward moment Howqua-for the old fellow was among the Hong merchants present-Howqua, frail, delicate, smiling his whimsical smile, made a suggestion, after a whispered conversation with the Adjutant. "Gentlemen," he said, with all the insinuating charm of which he was master, "His Honour is infinitely distressed that you should have had to come all this distance in vain. There are obstacles-and I am sure you appreciate them as much as he doesin the way of him personally handling this petition. But I can take it from you and, together, he and I, we will lay it before the Viceroy." As he said this his face was as open as a child's. But we must remember that he was a very clever man.

However, the trap was sufficiently evident. After a moment's reflection Mr. Astell saw that the proposal was not the compromise it purported to be. If he handed the letter to Howqua in the presence of the mandarins and crowd, there would be a hundred witnesses to proclaim that the Barbarians had been brought to heel and forced to make their plaint through the Co-Hong. He declined the offer and the situation relapsed again into deadlock. The Adjutant was seen to whisper with the others and shortly afterwards they withdrew to confer, informing the British they would soon be back. They were not away very long and on return told Mr. Astell with finality that the letter could not be received. Three hours had now elapsed since the arrival at the gate. Astell had done his best. There was nothing more he could do. Formally offering the letter once more and being as formally refused, he wished the Adjutant good-day and returned to the factory.

The Chinese had won. They had made it clear in their manner that they had no intentions of submitting to the new order of things that the Barbarian Eye had attempted to spring on them. . .

THE VICTORY OF THE CHAIRS

Before the drama closed in, there was to be a short interval when Napier thought he had intimidated the Viceroy. Having come to believe that a show of force would suffice to humble his antagonists, he was now delighted to find himself unexpectedly able to dispose of two frigates; his spirits rose and he began to see his way.

On the evening of the next day, 22 August, he received news that led him to think that the presence of the frigates, though outside the Bogue, was having its effect. Howqua and Mowqua were announced. They came in smiling. His Excellency, they declared, had directed three mandarins of high rank to call the following morning at eleven o'clock. Would the Chief Superintendent agree to receive them? Napier was overjoyed. No mandarín of any kind had come near him so far. Of course, he told Howqua, and he would receive them in state in the main hall of the English factory....

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