frauds on the revenue, plunder unprotefted foreigners and
convert thé booty to their own advantage, the poor fellows
were ftripped by him o f the little property they carried in their
hands, and were not, without difficulty, allowed to efcape with
the clothes on their backs. Can we blame thefe people for
reprefenting us as a barbarous, unfeeling, and inhofpitable
nation, however undeferving we may be o f fuch a cha-
radler ?
Our cafe at Canton is pretty nearly the fame as that o f the
two Chinefe miffionaries. Every petty officer o f the govern,
ment knows he can pradife impofitions on our trade with impunity,
becaufe we have not the means o f bringing his villainy
to the knowledge o f.his fuperiors. For, how great foever
may be the propenfity o f the Chinefe people to fraud and
extortion, I have little doubt o f the juftiçe.and moderation
o f the Chinefe government, when the cafe is properly repre-
fented. A recent circumftance may be mentioned in fupport
o f this opinion. In the year 1801, a failor on board his
Majefty’ s ihip the Madras fired upon and mortally wounded a
Chinefe who was paffing in a boat. A difcuffion, as ufual,
took place with the Chinefe government ; but it was conduded
i n a v e r y different manner from what had hitherto been ufual
on fimilar occafions. Inftead o f entering into any explanation
or defence through the medium o f the Hong merchants, who
tremble at the loweft officer o f government, a memorial was
addreffed to the Viceroy, drawn up in a proper and becoming
manner by the prefent Sir George Staunton, the only Engliffiman
in the Company’s fervice who was ikill.ed in the Chinefe language.
Several
Several converfations were alfo held on the fubjed with the
officers o f juflice, from which the Hong merchants were excluded.
Captain Dilkes fetting up a plea o f recrimination
on the ground o f fome Chinefe having cut his cable with an
intent to fteal it, the government affented to have the matter
tried in the fupreme court o f juftice in the city o f Canton. B y
the law o f China, if the wounded perfon furvive forty days,
the fentence o f death is commuted for that o f banilhment into
the wilds o f T a r ta ry ; yet fa favourably did the court incline
to the fide o f the acc'ufed in this inftance, that although the
time was not expired, and there was little hope o f the wounded
man recovering, they allowed Captain Dilkes to take the fea-
man into his own cuftody, requiring only that he ffiould leave
in court a written promife to produce him in cafe the wounded
ffiould not furvive the time prefcribed by law. The man
lingered near fifty days and then died, upon which a meffage
was fent by the court, intimating to the Captain, that the
court faw no impropriety, in this inftance, in leaving it to him
to puniffi the delinquent according to the laws o f his own
country ; thus, for the firft time, affenting to fet afide a pofi-
tive law in favour o f foreigners. B y this proper mode o f
interference an Engliffi fubjed was faved from an unjuft and
ignominious death, which would otherwife inevitably have happened,
as on all former oecafions o f a fimilar kind, had the affair
been left in the hands o f men whofe intereft it is to reprefent
us as barbarians, and who, however well they might be dif-
pofed, have not the courage to plead our caufe. Hitherto the
Chinefe have invariably made a point o f executing immediately,
and without a regular trial, any foreigner who ffiould
4 K 2 kill