II.

EXTRACT

FROM

ADMIRAL KRUSENSTERN'S ACCOUNT

OF

The Russian Negotiations at Canton,

IN 1806.

THE following extract from the above work contains the particulars alluded to in the text:p. 199. "Anxious as I was, to know the cause of the detention of our ships, still I was unable to acquire any positive information about it. The merchants of the Hong assured us that the order to detain us some time, was merely a precautionary measure of the viceroy's, whose removal was expected about this time; and that as soon as his successor should enter upon his office, the vessels would be immediately allowed to sail.This assurance was given me every where; and I felt no more doubts on the subject; but as soon as I learnt that the new viceroy had assumed the functions of his office, I demanded the next day a pass for the conveyance of the last of our goods on board, which was again refused; and it appeared that the present viceroy, as well as his predecessor, did not dare to permit our departure without an order to that effect from Pekin.

In the mean time I addressed a letter in English to him, setting forth the injustice of his proceedings, and what might be the probable consequence of it; and as I imagined our embassador, Count Goloffkin, would long before this have arrived at Pekin, I laid great stress upon this circumstance in my letter, adding my conviction that he would never allow so insulting a proceeding to pass unnoticed.

"With this letter I went to Mr. Drummond, who I conceived would not hesitate in taking up our very doubtful affairs with some degree of earnestness. His influence, as president of the English Factory, of so much importance to the trade of Canton, is very great; but his personal character adds still more to this influence, by securing him the respect and esteem of the Chinese. With great goodness of heart, he possesses infinite uprightness, resolution, and prudence: he is the oracle not only of the English, but of all the Europeans resident at Canton, who, even though their nations should be involved in wars at home, live here in the strictest bonds of friendship. The English have never played so distinguished a part in China as since he has been President of the factory: for in the nineteen years that he has resided at Canton, he has acquired not only a perfect knowledge of the character of the Chinese merchants, but of the spirit of their government in this town; and he never failed, even under the most trying and suspicious circumstances, of asserting the rights and dignity of his nation, and at the same time without injury to her interests. His expected departure for England, which would have taken place

this year, but that the Company had not appointed his successor, which compelled him to remain another twelvemonth, was looked forward to with universal regret.

"Mr. Drummond took up our affairs with the greatest earnestness-The chief difficulty consisted in remitting our letter to the viceroy, as none can ever be forwarded to him direct, and an audience is only to be obtained on very particular occasions. The letter was therefore to be delivered, through the medium of the merchants of the Hong, by the Hoppoo to him; and it was no trifling undertaking to get it translated into Chinese, which must be done by natives, from whom a correct translation can scarcely be expected.-Mr. Drummond assembled all the merchants of the Hong at his house, and in order to render the transaction more solemn, convened the Select Committee of the English Factory, consisting of Sir George Staunton, and Messrs. Roberts and Pattle."

After a detailed account of the negotiation, which was attended with complete success, Admiral Krusenstern thus concludes:

"I have entered into more detail in the relation of this circumstance than the interest it possesses may, perhaps, have appeared to deserve: but I conceived it to be

my duty to state the fact thus particularly, partly for my own exculpation, as it may have been imagined that something in my conduct might have given rise

• The Author was present at that meeting, but not at that time a member of the Select Committee.

to this misunderstanding, but chiefly to shew how easy it would have been for the English, had they been at all jealous of our trade with China, to have availed themselves of this opportunity to set us for ever at variance with that country.-The least violence on their part would have produced this effect; but that they pursued a different line of conduct will appear by the above account of their proceedings, nor can I sufficiently rejoice at the zeal and eagerness manifested by them in this business-had we been detained only twenty-four hours longer, we must have fallen into the absolute power of these savages, who have been emboldened by a useless moderation, not only to call the polite nations of Europe barbarians, but also to treat them as such."

66

Shortly after my arrival at St. Petersburgh, I received a letter from Canton, acquainting me that, twenty-four hours after I had left Whampou, a very positive order arrived from Pekin to detain our ships— Had this come previous to our departure, we should never, in all probability, have reached Russia: for although this may not have been the intention of the government at Pekin, the order to put us under arrest could not have been carried into execution, without producing scenes that might have led to acts of open violence." vol. ii. p. 290–299.

III.

ADDITION TO THE NOTE

ON THE

British Factory and the late Embassy. See page 242.

THE five gentlemen who are alluded to in the text, as having accompanied the late Embassy, and as having (exclusively of the Author) possessed a knowledge of the language and institutions of the country, were Messrs. Toone, Davis, and Pearson, the Rev. Dr. Morrison, and Mr. Manning.

Mr. Toone has since become a member of the Select Committee in China, and will probably, 'ere long, ably preside over all our affairs in that quarter.-Mr. Davis, also a member of our establishment in China, is the Translator of the only specimen of the Chinese Drama which we possess in English, derived directly from the language of the original; and he has recently favored the public with another very interesting volume of Translations from the Chinese, consisting of novels, proverbs, and moral maxims; thus conveying in a pleasing and popular form, information of the most valuable kind respecting that singular people.

Mr. Pearson, in his situation at the head of our medical establishment at Canton, has been materially assisted by his knowledge of the Chinese language, both in his scientific researches, and in the performance of humane services, connected with his profession;