The Taiping fleet returned to Hongkong in September, 1856, when Hung Sen-tsung addressed a letter to the Governor, stating that he had been commissioned by the Taiping Emperor to reduce the Kwangtung province, and asking for permission to charter in Hongkong steamers and junks to convey his troops to Poklo whence they would start operations against the Manchu troops. Sir John Bowring sent a copy of the letter to Viceroy Yeh and vainly claimed some credit for having declined the proposed alliance.
It is worthy of notice that the long continued successes of the Taipings did not induce the Manchu Government to relax its anti-European policy in the slightest degree. Repeatedly did Sir John hint to the Canton Viceroy how valuable the friendship of England might be to him. Again and again he reminded the stolid Mandarin of an accumulation of unredressed grievances owing to his incessant disregard of Treaty rights, and pressed him to concede at least a friendly interview for an informal discussion of the situation. It was all in vain. When Mr. (subsequently Sir) Rutherford Alcock was to be installed in his office as H.M. Consul in Canton, Sir John wrote to Viceroy Yeh (June 11, 1854) and proposed to introduce the Consul to him. Yeh left the dispatch unacknowledged for a month and then informed Sir John unceremoniously that there was no precedent for granting his request. At the close of the same year, when the Taipings blockaded the Canton river and defeated the Imperialist fleet (December 29, 1854) in a pitched battle at Whampoa, the proud Viceroy, in his hour of distress, condescended to ask Sir John to protect Canton city against the impending assault of the Taipings. Sir John hastened to Canton with Admiral Stirling (January, 1855) and, under the pretext of protecting the lives and property of British residents at Canton, took with him a large force (H.M. Ships Winchester, Barracouta, Comus, Rattler and Styx). This move had the desired effect of over-awing the Taiping fleet which forthwith retired. But when Sir John now once more asked Yeh for an interview and alluded to the
