Bäfäjiiä^ r‘ 'chants- readily guessed! that the letter related'to the
“ -Embassy, efowhich the- -rumour had -spiead -amongst
“ them ; * and-’ exp*esspd^#o.ineijdeigree^ of ' apprehension
“ lfestf'thie'measure mi^ht, in its-eonsequeUges, 'affecPthe
trade, property, or personal security of the ‘native
“'merchants ofaCanton; but that the Commissioner's
$$ assured’ .them that *ifc would . ratheribe - productive?» of
‘orgoodithan of ill consequeneejhtS* j?11 the trading part
?!-.©£» the community; -tshjal the^motives-idf the Etffbassy
‘f oaiixiously inquired into,--on * flbe>|«pi*#»«of»5the
Aqpfficersuof government, aSfia preliminary step'-to- the
, Voaud ien ce «required by the! | Gem-miss ioners^ iw h o ? de- j
‘ ‘ dared that inothing finthi^fwas^hstei^eftothasi
iVveff&ba^rioter friendship between-the fcoUrtbof Lon -
“ doipa®f#®eki»,i and an increases-'# that,?jnteireuil*se,
“ which had obOeni carried on foi -so- manyyeatfsifiti
“ the: advantagemf both nations f th a t this explanation
VCwas probably .satisfactory, raScthe day for their
“ tion wasufixeddat an earlier period than coudd? have
“ been expected, i’rom the procrastinating and super*
“ stitious •temperi;0£' the^ Chinese; that a message opas
v“ 'afterwardg| however,'; :sent-by the Governor ^© learn
‘^ the rank and situation ofithe.person. from whom'the
“ letter came; and whether he was a * servant o f| the
M King/" andoheld&an officer under; his seal;; that in
“ answer it was said,*that the. letter, tho not writtenfoy
“ an immediate servant of the King,! was sent ioithe
Viceroy wifch&his Majesty's1 knowledge,^© aönoüftèè Batavia.
V the-: apprp>a hisfciEmbassador j to Pek:in ; that iii
-fi^pnsftquehcè,uhowevef|'5©f'the lefeiej^not having-been
>%;Written by; ant immediatèroÊeei^&^hé ' ètown, H'qft tó
|^x44iyesddhyfpersons' in it».sedfeef but kiithatorily
aros^to the1 intended* fern
i^ofttheinreception ‘éö^èsfeièboUticeteéïêlf^'
^ ïmightehaxéïbeen^nnówéd!byiian.efusalvt0--ro®eiv;e4he
till an-.answer e ftu l^ b ^ ^ n in ed -from■ PekirÉ,
“ which wa^ aiSubt^rfugedhafe tWetiloppoior mandarine
a‘ mojrejT imraediatgl^teounectéd' • withlf®uf@,pe^n«, - 'and
tegfgtfjdt in preventingfebpresjentations^ o&any kind.
‘ Vfrgrp paehing Pekin g^etrayed a.As^siiaonio&rrigiarg
[ fetp-. Fonyena ifa.wasgdetermirfed t te? deliver-thd "letter
‘ \, in i-any. mannertthat might be prescribed.' Itpbe'eam'è
“ ,ng^es§ary^ likewise, io communèea'tea’ti^contentsand
‘‘list was-.wifh po,small trouble and difficulty that thedShi-'
«tUnese merchcaits/jwhp were -the* only interpreters,. cb-uld -
“, be brought.toiGomprehend thejparfei^lar^of vefeedêtlfb^
I and thl^cal ^ ^ ^ h e Emba'ssy^iEb^ant of a
“ competent lingj|i§|,r and thexneleS^tysqfc enèouragë-
“ ment to 'attain thp Chjnes,e7langua^hunder*thejpb-
f^stc^cles-s to,(;b^ eneotfntisïe^i in such.: hrp&tsuit, * - Wfere,
ppr.Baps^neuver. so-.apparent! as on. thistpgicf.siom; rand
cS the.English .CQuam-issjpners^ .could ? but lament the
“ „j^ntof an joterpreter/of-their own nation-, capable of
I I q,o@ceiyjtng antf repdering^h^piritiqf the lptt^r, and