went back much mortified; and the following winter returned to Canton to arrange about trade. The English desired that traders of all nations should report to them first, and then pay duties; but the French and the Americans indignantly exclaimed:— "We are no dependencies of England, nor have we been treacherous and bullying. Why then treat them better than us?" On this some American ships of war entered port, and, a few months later, some Frenchmen too. Both of them submitted letters, begging to pay tribute, and to be allowed to express their devotion at an interview. They also requested to be allowed to leave their ships in the south, whilst the tribute-envoys and a small suite went overland to Peking; for they wished to make some confidential suggestions, and to assist us,—as the Uigurs once assisted the T‘ang dynasty against the rebel ANLUHSHAN. This was the third offer of assistance from abroad; rejected, however, repeatedly by our ministers. ILIPU had already died at Canton; and in 1843 K‘IYING was ordered thither to carry on his work: permission had boon granted[1] to one country after another to trade on the same terms as England without the interference of the co-hong merchants, and with liberty to go to the other ports, and stand on a footing of equality
- ↑ K‘IYING'S proclamation is published in the Repository for 1843.
