f *64. ).
1793. In corifequenee of this fentencë-, Ml th&-Bri«ifh foldiery w-ere drawn
up in the outer court of the palace; and, after obfervïng all« the forms
ufuaL on foch -©ccafions^ the culprit Was tied up to one of the pillars
of the great portico» and» in'the prefence of a'great number of-die
Chinefe, he received the pun'ifhment of fixty kfhes, adminiflered with«,
no Gommoà fovérityy 1
- T h e mandarins, as well as thofe o f the inferior .claffes who were
prefent, expreffed their abhorrenceat this proceeding, while-fom&of
them declared» that they could n&t reconcile this-1 conduct .in a'.people,.
who profeffed ' a religion, which they reprefented to be fiiperiorto a ll
others, iii enforcing fèntimcnts -of benevolenee^-aad blending the duties-
ofjuftice and of mercy. One of the principal mandarin^ ,whosJfrïew
a little o f the’Englilh language, ' expreffed his.owri,fent-iments,i-and
thofe of his. brethren» by faying, “ Englishman too.- much-erueicj too
much bad 3 1 '
Of the nature-of the foklierik offence, T do not pretend tadfctermiâej:
nor (hall I obferve on.the,neeeflity of appiyirlgrthe feverity.jof military-
difcipline nn the occarion:r- - thefe-. things are not within theJcapfenfi
my information or experience t but a little common-fenfe-aloned&
neceffaiy to determine on. the impolicy of .é ^ b itin g . ajdi^soffpnnifh,-;
ment which is. unknown. in. China, and abhorrent to 'the nature -of. the
people, in the prefence of fo many of them ;,a s from their.numbers»
and our general ignorance of the language,- it was impoffible to. explain
or juftify ir to them, by the policy of our laws. Whether.’fois-
punifhment was neceflary to the difeipline or good, order of the.trosp?*
I d o not,, as. 1 before obferved, propofe to confider.i butpof.this I ara
fore, that it was by no.means. neceffary to make i t a puhlic; fj>eétaéle*,
and to rifcpie the unfavourable impreffions which it-niight, and, indeed,.
did make in the minds, of the Chinefe,:. before-, whom it w as
puipofely. exhibited..
This
C.; ^5 )
.. -This meafor^.as I have reafon tobelpge*w-as-.yery muchcanvaffed'^; , rm ‘
the time when it Was »carried; in^executjon, Epadl&ified on thapoficy September,
o f IdwVincing^ the Chffiefe. o f our lpve ^orfe^apcfejjhe rigour we
®jhip^^<fc^]^d.foi^g.any_Tnfiing^nep^g^i|^vyfito<jt7i^a^^s I &fpetted^
twould have, the.eoutraiy, iftcu., the* looks, -g^urts, Jand
.e xp re ffionin L t^ ^ i^ eie g p f f e n t & e uhan£wemble:
Sir' ratm . » W 011
t^ie Lion, ^w^ent^a ffop ^fpr^ipx aty!<£hufan, when 5>.^I«l^1C>r
cff'4th | t jfl^ p l in. the Yel|fW^^^ Talfodl»!is.
knQwn^todyery, ops at that, tifop,. on-;!Doard^mfefljfo.
LjA^Qhinefo;h^rfon&Lon^board the EngTuL rnan. o f ^war,, from-
Chilian ». and brought mfo.hi|J2i‘. a.fnnalljbojttl^of^famtchoo^^a kih^d d f
dram, in expectation ofexghapging it with the tutors. for"fbme European
article. A difcovtFjc, however, being rriade defign, Sir
Erafipus Qower ordered him to tje,feized and punifhed by foe b°a^
fsVaJn^sJrflafe^, with twelve lafhes^and-to- add to the bad- effedts o f
foch a-condMr' in t t t ’prefence o f a gfeat'miny o f the Chindfe; who.
were then on Board. ^
This fgdohejOf thofe- irrecancileable .cfoeurafoncesf w,bfofoc«cafionail|r
happened ip the progfefoSndP completion H* foia-erhbaffy.: '-Becaufe an»
application to the mandaritfs would have had alb the* effects, which*
could" be deiir^d, in ’ fodreffihg the grievance,;^and:afumedi 'the form*
o f a proper and regular proceeding.
C H A E .