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Tautai, for information as to the nationality of the parties, who, in boats and lorchas, were oppressing the people. Chinese officials, on the coast, are in constant dread of provoking the ire of any foreign power; they believe that we are all linked together, and that any one would resent the least resistance which another might experience. … With the exception of the intimation furnished by the case of a score of Japanese pirates, who were publicly boiled to death in the streets of Ningpo (1406, a.d.), by order of the envoy of that country at Peking, the natives have have been led to suppose, that foreigners are amenable to no law:—and they submit to this havoc, as to the pestilence, typhoon, or earthquake—the irresistible powers of nature.
"For the past few weeks the coastlanders have enjoyed comparative peace, owing to foreign intervention;—an intervention made, be it observed, under circumstances which absolve the Chinese from any obligation of gratitude. The circumstances were briefly these.—Cantonese pirates, regarding their Christian rivals with envy, have long been endeavouring to supplant them in convoying and levying black-mail. Many were the conflicts, and varying the success, of these interesting belligerents, and great was the loss of life and property. In almost every instance, however, such respect had one party for the ability of the other to inflict harm, that these losses were on the part of the unfortunate clients.
"More formidable rivals to the Portuguese were some Frenchmen, who opened an office at Chinhai, for transacting business in the protecting line, and
