Pekin. mander, andthe convicted Hoppo o f Canton, to give
théir. tèstimony and advice, [on the ground o f being com?
petënt to judge of: the conduct and . disposition of the
foreigiters trading to that port; but in fact, as was sup*
posed, to. strengthen the opinion of the Golao. against the
inore favourable inclinations of the Emperor. Through
the suggestions of sufch persons, there “was little prospect
of obtaining, at present, any particular advantage, had
such been the immediate object dathe.Embassador. He
felt more forcibly the propriety of sending immediately
torthe Golao, the message alluded to in the beginning of
this chapter, announcihg his desire ofjjasking the Em-
perdr’s !leavte tb depart from Pekin, soon affeer the Ghi-
nese new year, in February.
In lieu-’o f an ftnsVver to this message, his Excellency
received an invitation from the Golao, to call upon him
at Y uén*min*yuenv where he had some,English letters
to deliver to him. This invitation being known throughout
the Embassy, the pulse o f everyindivMualbelonging
to if beat high with;expeotation o£ hearing,.at last;
from his particular friends in .E n glan d .E v en they
who, were immediately engaged in the negotiation,, suffered
all political considerations to be suspended in their
bïinds, and gave 'way, to the satisfaction .that they took
fbf- granted, must await them.-at Yuen-ttrin-yuen. When
they arriyed there, a few letters were delivered,-indeed,
in the English language,-:but written from Ghu-san by
persons on-bcfârd'ths lîiôn and Hindustan; The princî- yuw-jw*-
'r ^ . yuen.
pal mandâÿfn'eicdVthat- place was .actuated, it seems,’.by a
natural inPjhiflsebf propriety and1 civility, in fof^arding
in the EmperOr’s packet^, letters addressed to persons
visiting Et his court; Other tnotiveymust- have operated
uponthg'mandarinesiat Canton ,: Sain'whence 'the most
interesting and' important dntelligenpe^las coming from
Europe, was to be expected; ;i
T h e .jeaiousy- whidi • had taken possessionto-f thjerj^o-
hto’s mind,-with regard "to the designs oifrtUb.English,
rendeted him.anxious to know the contents of the letters
from the Embassador’sporjespondeni at Chu-san', Sir Erasmus?,
Gower.- I He was informed of the ch jef;purport o f
them,- w&icK ffitimated the speetjyiitó^ Eras?
mus^to saidt from thence ;vbut that the- Hin^ostaneonld
not- .depart f till >her. ; commander had" joined1 her; His
Excellency dbeii put feeely! the létters into the. Golao s
hands.,-. in order to remove from his mind anÿ,doubt$à&
might entertain of the; exactness pfufhe -account given of
them.
Ho-choong-taung seemed somewhat àlarmêd at the
intended departure«of > the Lion,- band, jsaidh that - <*“ he
‘ ‘ hoped - that ship was not yet gone, but would wait tö
Scarry back thedEtebassjc; that: the-jEmpfaor,.mpon
“ first hearing o f the Embassador^: illness, and of the
“ loss of some pbrions b f ,his xSuftev>by dèathS since his
“ arrival iü'Gh-ina, hadi,remarked how-much foreigners